Review: Bob’s Burgers “All That Gene”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Everyone knows that Gene is a lot to handle. So when an opportunity comes knocking for him to participate in a local theatre production, Linda jumps at the chance for her superstar son to shine. Unfortunately, Donavon the director doesn’t quite see Gene’s talents in the same light that Linda does. She makes a deal with him to sellout the show, as well as assist as a stagehand. Only then will Gene be allowed to step into the role of Quiet Eli.

Everything starts to fall apart when the entire cast of the play comes down with the flu. The show has been sold out with the ingenuity of Tina and Louise, so the show must go on. Donavon tries to put on a solo show playing all the characters himself, but the crowd of old folks just isn’t buying it. It’s up to Gene to do what he does best: entertain.

Our Take:

All That Gene is probably one of my favorite Gene episodes the show has ever done. Gene is a character that you either love or hate because he’s just so much all the time. Getting him into local theatre is something that seems so obvious in retrospect. It would appear to be a perfect fit at first, but the episode goes on to explore the differences between entertainment and the theatre. There’s also layers interwoven that deal with how far a parent should go in pushing their child toward success. Linda is almost as much of the main character as Gene is here, and while she gets a chance to shine as a stagehand, I wish she would’ve helped fill in for the sick actors at the end.

Linda’s relationship with Gene is tested this week. They’re both so excited about the prospect of auditioning at first, but it quickly becomes clear that Gene isn’t quite what Donavon is looking for in the role of ‘Quiet Eli’. (Gene is pretty much the opposite of quiet.) But seeing him looking so sad, Linda can’t stop herself from cutting a deal with the director in order to see Gene succeed. It’s one of the pivotal scenes because it makes us think about the morality of the action. On one hand, Gene is an acquired taste, and his kind of big personality would feel right at home in the theatre. But on the other hand, it’s a bit unfair to Gene to lie to him about his talents and push him into something that he doesn’t necessarily want to do. (He’s been in plays at school before, but there’s a difference between his ideas of entertainment and that of a local theatre troupe.) Gene sinks to new lows of both sadness and anger in this episode, and it’s fascinating to see how strange the show feels without the usual happy-go-lucky kid around.

While all this is going on, Tina and Louise get their own little subplot about… poking Bob’s love handles. It’s a bit strange, but what good episode of Bob’s Burgers isn’t? And it’s a lot of fun to see Tina and Louise bond over tormenting Bob together. Bob’s high-pitched cries are great. (“They’re love handles, Dad. We’re just giving them love. Sorry if you can’t handle it.”) It also ties into and mirrors the main plot, as they cut a deal with Bob to poke him for an entire month as long as they can sell out the entire show.

There were also some amazing moments for some of the less often featured side characters. Mr. Ambrose gets to fill Gene in on who’s hooking up with who in the cast, which is peak Ambrose and hilarious. Teddy’s awkward moments around Kathleen are cringey yet sweet to watch. And while Donavon isn’t quite as memorable as other new characters introduced this season, his dynamic with Gene makes for some palpable dramatic tension.

There were some fantastic lines this episode, like how Gene initially sells himself at the audition: “Sassy sounds, smooth skin, and heavy bones.” Tina’s thoughts on the Gene show are very her: “I enjoy it.” When Bob tries to tone him down, Gene replies: “Less is never more! Just ask Al Pacino. And mayonnaise!” Louise regarding Tina’s nose for cologne: “If it’s a spray and it goes on boys, Tina knows it.” Bob’s improvised rhyme was awesome: “No ticket stubs, no sticking chubs.”

All That Gene works as a wonderful showcase for what makes Gene who he is: one of the boldest, brashest, and oddly entertaining characters on TV. He might too much at times, but as Linda tells him when they make up, that’s perfectly fine. Because he takes after her in the fact that he’s got great timing.