Review: Bob’s Burgers “So You Stink You Can Dance”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Tina cheers Jimmy Jr. on at a semi-prestigious dancing seminar. Meanwhile, Bob and Linda compete to see who can catch the most home run balls outside of Wonder Wharf Stadium.

Our Take:
I hope you got your dancing shoes on because this week’s episode is here to make you bust a move or your gut. Whichever one works for us. The episode sees Tina attending the school’s dance seminar for one reason: to see her love interest Jimmy Jr. get a shot at launching his dance career. But, unfortunately, Jimmy Jr. has to impress the seminar’s demanding dance instructor, Spencer Blankenship, who constantly harasses his students with his harsh critiques. The episode’s plot mainly consists of Tina and Zeke attempting to protect Jimmy Jr. from being harshly criticized by Stanley after hearing what happened to Zeke’s cousin Lesley.
The best description I can think of regarding this plot is that it’s “Whiplash” but with dancing instead of instruments. You have a nagging instructor pressuring the students to be great dancers, which resembles J.K. Simmons, and a student, which is Miles Teller, striving to impress the instructor. It seemed like an odd comparison, but there are definitely a few tiny things that remind me of the nail-biting drama.
Regarding its story, there aren’t any dance maneuvers we haven’t seen before, especially with Stanley Blankenship being a formulaic instructor who’s supportive in a rude way. However, it offers enough decent humor to be as irresistibly entertaining as Jimmy Jr.’s dance moves, including Spencer calling his students “you” and Tina referencing the underdog trope. More importantly, it delivers a conclusion that reflects the importance of staying true to one’s self, with Tina telling Jimmy Jr. not to listen to what Stanley thinks and to dance his own dance.
The episode also has a subplot involving Bob, Teddy, Louise, and Gene heading out to sea to catch home run balls with the other boaters while Linda stays to watch the restaurant. However, they don’t catch a single ball during the game, and Bob winds up getting sunburned. When Linda goes with Teddy and the kids, they manage to catch more balls than Bob, leaving him in disbelief. This subplot may not have been a grand slam regarding its execution, but it was amusing to see Bob freak out over catching a home run ball.
Overall, “So You Stink You Can Dance” continues the season’s consistently healthy run with a formulaic yet humorous depiction of dancing critiques and ball fishing. The episode only does a little to make its idea stand out from the other projects involving mean instructors in seminars. However, it delivers enough moments in its characters, message, and comedy to ignore this common critique. In this case, it’s enough to make me and the show’s fans dance with delight.