Review: Bob’s Burgers “Flat-Top O’ the Morning to Ya”
Overview (Spoilers Below):
Bob is heading out to a restaurant liquidation auction in hopes of finding some cheap dishware. Accompanied by his children, the auction seems like the perfect place to save some money. While they are there, they meet a mysterious character snooping around.
Upon further inspection, they discover that this man is the former owner of the restaurant who plans on stealing his precious flat-top.
With the kid’s encouragement, Bob helps the former owner in trying to steal the appliance under the auctioneer’s nose. However, when they are caught, Bob is faced with the reality that is owning a restaurant is a recipe for failure. Though the kids help him realize that the burger joint is more than a business, it’s also a dream come true.
Meanwhile, Linda is excited about St. Patrick’s Day. And, with Bob out for the day, she is left to turn everything green including the beer, ketchup, fries, and burgers. Realizing that she has gone overboard, Linda gathers as many St. Patrick’s celebrators as she can to keep the business running just in time for Bob to witness the success.
Our Take:
It can often be easy to take Bob’s Burgers for granted. The quirky show is easily one of the best on television. This wholesome family filled with strange individuals has given us ten years of hilarious episodes. And, sometimes we forget how TV was lacking before we were given the gift that is this show. Honestly, if you are ever having a bad day, have a Bob’s Burgers marathon, and I promise you will feel better. Unfortunately, the show seems like it will one day suffer the fate of other animated dynamos. King of the Hill, Futurama, and others have all shown us that one day this show will be gone and only then will we realize how important it is. Thankfully, occasionally we get an episode that reminds us just how brilliant and powerful the show can be. And, this is one of those episodes.
A recipe that always seems to work for the show is having Bob spend some quality time with his children. As great of a father as he is, typically being around his kids gets him in over his head.
This episode is no different as Bob goes from finding some discount dishware to trying to steal a flat-top grill out the front door of a restaurant. While the kids are always getting themselves into the middle of these schemes, it is even better when you get to see the reaction of their father, especially when he is stuck in the middle of it.
This episode takes things even further by having Bob confront his worst fears that his restaurant is a failing investment. Always an underline narrative to the series, it all comes out for Bob in this episode. In fact, he breaks out into a song about it. But, in one of the most heartfelt moments of the entire series, the kids are there to reassure him.
Even more, Linda also deals with this same narrative in her B-plot of this episode. Against Bob’s wishes, but encouraged by Teddy, Linda goes all out in the name of St. Patrick’s Day. And, when she realizes her mistake, it is the same fear of the restaurant’s inevitable failure that forces her to turn the situation around. The final moments of this episode are brushed over with the restaurant bustling with new customers, but it was meaningful that this episode would end like this. In the end, the whole family will do what it takes to keep the restaurant moving forward. And, that’s beautiful or whatever.
This was absolutely one of the stronger episodes of the season, and possibly the series. Bob’s Burgers is one of the only shows in the Animation Domination line-up that doesn’t require relevance or pop culture to help keep it afloat. Bob’s Burgers manages to tell stories unique to their world that are timeless and lovable.
It is precisely episodes like this one that reminds us of that. It is shows like this that we will miss every day when it is gone. So be sure to watch and never take it for granted again.
