Review: Bob’s Burgers “Amelia”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Louise takes a class assignment – and some unhelpful comments from Wayne – very personally. Meanwhile, Bob hires a masseur-in-training to massage Linda for Mother’s Day.

Our Take:
Regarding its plot description, the season thirteen finale would’ve been appropriate if it was released on Mother’s Day and had last week’s episode be the finale. That would give us a better reason to celebrate this special day rather than accidentally strand a children’s author in the restaurant. Regardless, the series is extending its momentous mom-related holiday with a massage and a stressful class assignment to close off another season.
The episode involves Louise tackling a class presentation centering on her historical hero. She chose Amelia Earhart, who, as we’re all aware, became the first woman in history to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, Louise also butt heads with her classmate Wayne, who declares that Amelia’s accomplishment is a publicity stunt. Fearing that Wayne will get a perfect grade for his presentation about Neil Armstrong, Louise attempts to one-up Wayne with her shadow puppetry performance. However, things get even more complicated when Louise discovers the truth about Amelia’s history and tries to figure out what happened.
“Amelia” represents Louise’s first experience with Amelia Earhart, her accomplishments as the first female aviator, and her sudden disappearance in 1937. Amid its dry humor, we see Louise going through a harsh struggle about what really happened to Amelia via theories to the point where she’s about to quit. That is until Linda’s advice helps Louise realize the real answer to her question: Why did she choose Amelia as her hero?
While far from perfect, the episode did a decent job showcasing that heroes aren’t made just because of their accomplishments. It’s also because their voices inspire the people in today’s times, with Amelia’s voice inspiring other women to do what men could. Linda’s advice helps Louise finish her project with her siblings and Benj, who has experience with puppetry.
The episode also includes a humorous B plot involving Linda getting an unexpected massage from a masseur-in-training for Mother’s Day. Although, based on Linda’s drooling, it’s unsurprising that the masseur isn’t a professional. The payoff in this side plot may be nonexistent, but it was pretty funny to see Bob try to cover his surprise poorly. Aside from that, the season thirteen finale maintains its humor and heart long enough to soar through the clouds without crashing down fast. I’ll have my season review up for it soon, but let’s just say that the series has another decent success on its hands.