Review: Bob’s Burgers “Are You There Bob? It’s Me, Birthday”

Bob enjoys a belated birthday celebration after learning the importance of proper restaurant health inspections firsthand.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Linda is freaking out! Bob’s birthday was yesterday, and apparently, everyone in the family forgot about it. (There were definitely no hints. Nope. None.) In an effort to make up for their failure, Linda and the kids decide to throw Bob a special surprise party. When local health inspectors Hugo and Ron stop by, Linda makes a deal with them to get Bob out of the restaurant so they can prep the party.

Hugo takes advantage of the situation by making Bob tag along on a health inspection of a soon-to-open wrap restaurant. He thinks that this will open Bob’s eyes to the essential role in protecting customers that health inspections play – and he’s right. After receiving an ‘F’ on the inspection (there were rat droppings on the counter, among other things), Bob has to choke down what is likely the last wrap that the owner will ever create. Luckily, his evening ends on a positive note. His family has a warm couch and a western movie queued up for him. Also, a passing bicycle hits Jimmy Pesto in the crotch.

 

Our Take:

Wow! There is a lot going on in this week’s episode. Just off the top of my head, we’ve got Gene’s hair fiasco, Bob’s educational excursion with Hugo and Ron, Linda’s depressing party prepping, her deal with Hugo to call his parents, and a brief look into Teddy’s silent retreat with his mother. It’s a credit to the show that it’s able to juggle all these things at once, and expertly combine them into a solid half-hour of television.

Bob’s Burgers always seems to kick it up a notch for episodes that revolve around a holiday. Whether it’s the Halloween spectaculars or the now-iconic Thanksgiving outings, special occasions bring out the best in the Belchers. So of course, Bob’s birthday should be a grand affair. Linda’s heartbreak is palpable here; parties are her thing, and she can’t forgive herself for forgetting Bobby’s birthday.  I love how the episode ended up exploring why she wanted to throw a party, and why it wasn’t the best choice for Bob. He has every right to complain about getting an unwanted surprise party on his special day. Things rarely go right for him, and he should get exactly what he wants at least one day every year. I think this episode did a phenomenal job in showing the balance between accepting parties we may not want (people care enough to throw them!) while also acknowledging that sometimes, the perfect present is just a pair of sweatpants fresh from the dryer.

Are You There Bob? It’s Me, Birthday didn’t only teach about this balance, though, it had an excellent balance of side gags that complimented the main storyline. Especially this week, I noticed how many wacky things were going on in our peripheral vision, so to speak. Gene’s bungled bangs don’t end up playing much of a role, but his predicament is both hilarious and relatable. (My mom had to pay my sister for the privilege of cutting her hair.) Teddy’s appearance is minor, but he milks every second of it. (Oh my god, that entire e-ecard conversation was glorious.)

Despite being a day late, Bob’s family pulled together to give him what is probably his best birthday in recent memory, complete with some thoughtfully-chosen gifts. This episode was a gift to us, too, incorporating a heartfelt storyline with plenty of laugh-out-loud gags… while teaching us about the importance of proper food safety inspections on top of it all! Season 8 has been great so far, and we’ve got even more to look forward to. New episodes will continue to air weekly through the end of May!