Review: Bob’s Burgers ‘Christmas in the Car’

Spoilers Below

Every since seeing sneak previews of this episode during the Bob’s Burgers NYCC Panel, I (and Bubbleblabber photog Bela Z. Green) have been eagerly awaiting “Christmas in the Car.” Luckily, it didn’t disappoint.

The episode began with Linda putting up the family Christmas tree – a day after Halloween. Since it was a live tree, it died three weeks later. Linda then replaced it with a new tree on the day after Thanksgiving. This one made it four weeks, but had to be thrown out on Christmas Eve because it dried out and caught fire twice. This whole sequence was hilarious, and set the tone for the rest of the episode, which involved the Belchers driving an hour away to get a last minute replacement tree.

After leaving the tree lot, the family inadvertently angered the driver of a candy cane-shaped truck, which then began following them. Repeated attempts to escape the truck failed, and numerous other obstacles delayed the Belchers’ return trip. All the while, Gene was attempting to get a song called “Christmas in the Jungle” played on the radio, and Louise was describing her plan to catch Santa.

In the end, the truck driver (voiced by guest star Bobcat Goldthwait) tracked the family down, and after venting about having to work on Christmas, the family gave the tree to him to spread a little cheer.

Since this episode took place almost entirely in the car or on the road, the family had some great opportunities to shine. I loved when Louise screamed “YES!” during the car’s terrifying skid, or when the kids couldn’t manage to keep quiet while attempting to hide. Instead, Tina made a confession, Gene commented on his legs being the best in the family, and Louise asked where babies come from.

“You all come from my vagina,” Linda answered matter-of-factly.

This episode also prominently featured Teddy, who is arguably the best supporting character on the show. From him not being able to memorize Bob’s simple instructions to turn the oven off, to him subsequently getting caught in the Santa trap and being crushed by the fridge (“I’m gonna die looking at Gene’s finger painting!”) Teddy provided plenty of laughs.

Though already one of the funnier (but maybe not funniest) episodes of Bob’s Burgers, “Christmas in the Car” gets an extra half-point for successfully pulling off a hilarious and well-rounded holiday special – a feat that is often hit-or-miss on TV.