Review: Bob’s Burgers “Into the Mild”

NOW we get the season finale.

Spoilers Below, But You Won’t Be Spoiled If You Sleep Through This Whole Review

Before I get into the actual episode, I have to ask: what is the deal with FOX airing Bob’s Burgers’ not-really-a-season-finale-but-actually-definitely-a-season-finale weeks after the rest of its Sunday night lineup wrapped up? It is no secret that the show’s usual 7:30 timeslot continually screws it over during football season, but there is plenty of time for it to make up the difference in the spring. I am fairly certain there was at least one Sunday between February and April when it aired a rerun. Also, it is not like this season needed to be exactly 22 episodes long (unless contractually it did). Whatever the reason for this funky scheduling, there are probably plenty of fans who did not even realize there was a new episode. But maybe the big play nowadays is the streaming market. Perhaps no matter what the date of its original airing, the majority of viewers were always going to catch this episode only once it showed up on Hulu or Netflix or Overstock.com. Regardless, I am happy to be out on the front lines to report back as a first responder.

And I am happy to report that “Into the Mild” is plenty satisfying. It is one of those Bob’s Burgers episodes where things get chaotically out of hand but then at least one Belcher summons some heretofore unknown ability to save the day. Apparently, Bob has been hankering to be an outdoors guy, or some sort of (insert identity here) guy (“Let’s talk about the word ‘guy,’” Gene advises). Now turns out to be the perfect time to meet that desire, as Outdoor Adventure World is having a going-out-of-business sale. So Bob heads out to the wilderness on his own to score some cheap kayaks and tents and other good gear.

Alas, he hits a speed bump when aggressive sales rep Austin gloms onto him. (Austin is voiced by the classically aggressive Rob Riggle, though this role is actually a bit low-key by his standards.) But that ends up being only the mildest of Bob’s problems. To escape Austin, he hides out in a tent, which ends up being so comfortable that he falls asleep for so long that when he wakes up the store is completely abandoned and boarded up. And he cannot call anyone because his rickety phone (it’s older than Gene, and hairier) can only stay charged for ten minutes at a time.

Fear not, though, as Austin has still been hanging out in the store since it closed up. Alas, he is there in secret, so he cannot give away himself in any mission to spring Bob from the joint. And of course, the scheme to set off the alarm is just waved off as a malfunction by the authorities. So Bob and Austin have to resort to rappelling all the way up to the roof to crash through the skylight. It makes sense in context.

Bob’s journey of escape is so thrilling because it starts out so mundane but gradually becomes an opportunity to stretch the limits of what is possible. No steps are skipped throughout the process. While this story overall may seem a little unbelievable, it justifies itself as it moves along. The danger is real, and the victory is legit.

The reason that Linda and the kids do not notice that Bob has been missing is that they are otherwise occupied watching a run-through of Gayle’s one-woman show that she is going to be performing at the library. There is enough conflict inherent to that premise all by itself, but instead, this storyline hinges on Delta Burke, which is even better. There is a key moment in Gayle’s show in which she recounts a trip to New York when the Designing Woman star winked and finger-gunned at her (the versatility of the phrase “pew pew” is eventually discussed at length). But Linda is sure that she was the target of the wink/gun. When they consult their friend Stacy Micelli, the one other witness that day, it turns out that was not even Burke at all. So we end with the purposefully unsatisfying cop-out of “Aren’t we all Delta Burke?” This, of course, overshadows Bob’s triumph, and thus we have another case of triumph mixed with dismissal – a perfectly Belcher ending (or not ending) to another great season.

Memorable Lines and Obs-burg-vations of the Day:

-That was, of course, Sly and the Family Stone’s “I Want to Take You Higher” that Bob and the kids were singing over the credits, so I’m just going to leave this here…

-“Well if you change your mind, just leather me know.”

-“That’s where I went to the bathroom when I didn’t know there was a bathroom.”

-“That moment helped design this woman.”

-“I’ve got a good life.” “And one hot son.”

-“Quick question: how big is your crotch?”

-“And be honest. Just remember I hate criticism.”

-“You didn’t think the menstruation scene was too much?” “I think it would work without the bubble machine, but who am I to judge?”

-“Maybe like, advanced beginners?”

-“Please don’t yell at me, strange boy.” “I like her!”

SCORE
8.0/10