Review: Bob’s Burgers ‘Midday Run’

Spoilers Below:

After a couple weeks off, Bob’s Burgers returned to FOX with a new episode, looking to capitalize on its successful season thus far.

In “Midday Run,” Tina was a hall monitor aspiring to attain the position of Hall Manatee. While on a round with Regular-Sized Rudy, Tina was tasked with escorting the newly-suspended Zeke to the principal’s office, but he escaped. Tina then lied to Mr. Frond to cover her ass and enlisted Gene and Louise to help catch Zeke in return for permanent hall passes.

Tina successfully detained the runaway, but Regular-Sized Rudy turned her in for lying. With Gene and Louise’s help, Tina then sprung Zeke (since he had previously helped her) and gave him the mascot suit he was suspended for stealing (because Tina believed he was using it to cheer up his sick granny). After betting Mr. Frond that Zeke was being truthful with his excuse, Tina was proven right, and given her promotion.

Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, Linda began posting customer-made napkin doodles, but Bob couldn’t manage to make one that was wall-worthy. He took an awkward drawing lesson (“I just wasn’t expecting the hair”) and his artwork ended up indeed being post-able.

In Case You Missed It:

1) Next door store: Cat-Like Refluxes – Feline Gastroenerologist.

2) Burger of the Day: Beets of Burden Burger (served with too many beets).

3) Tina: “Let’s save fast-and-loose for when you shake your caboose.”

4) Why won’t Linda tell Gene his middle name?

5) In an attempt to lure Zeke out of hiding, Tina shouted: “Everyone’s wrestling out here! I’m being wrestled!”

6) Tina runs in an odd way that reminds me of Barry Goldberg’s run on ABC’s The Goldbergs.

7) Nice nod to The Fugitive with the “I’m innocent!”/”I don’t care!” exchange.

8) Tina calls misdemeanors “Mr. Wieners.”

9) Do I see a Tina-Zeke love connection in the future?

Oh Tina, you are truly Bob’s Burgers’ (and Bob Belcher’s) greatest creation. Yet, I find myself a bit conflicted. On one hand, this episode had a very entertaining storyline. Like the Harrison Ford film it spoofed, the action was constant, and created quite the adventure for the characters involved – or at least as much action & adventure as a show about hall monitoring can be.

On the other hand, the episode wasn’t especially funny. I mean, it definitely had a good amount of laughs, but it doesn’t rank anywhere near the top of the all-time Bob’s Burgers chuckle list.

And on my third hand (nuclear waste accident) it’s Tina! And she was large and in charge! Seeing Tina wield her power, honor her duty to the badge, dream of bigger things, and play the occasional bad cop was infinitely amusing, as was her rogue actions in both lying to cover her mistake and later freeing the semi-innocent perp from captivity and blame.

In the simplest reasoning, Tina Belcher made this episode successful, but the writing just wasn’t at the level that it could have been to make this a classic. Still, I deem this a quality showing.