Review: Bob’s Burgers “The Show (And Tell) Must Go On”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Louise brings Tina along on a mission to find the perfect item for her last-ever show-and-tell. Meanwhile, Teddy goes overboard trying to impress a date at the restaurant.

Our Take:
We got another Belcher children-focused episode this week, and it doesn’t involve Tina changing her appearance to impress someone. Although, we do have someone else attempting a similar feat for that special person they met. Instead, we have Louise trying to impress everyone in her class with her show-and-tell item.
The episode consists of Louise and Tina going to the beach to search for the old cannonballs that washed up somewhere on the shore. Unfortunately, they must search for them in a dark cave by the slippery rocks despite their parents’ wishes not to go there. When the tide threatens to trap the kids, they struggle to get the cannonball out of the cave and escape with their lives.
“The Show (And Tell) Must Go On” is a straightforward episode showcasing Louise’s attempt to make her final show-and-tell the best compared to her previous ones. Her last few show-and-tell presentations have her presenting items and telling tall tales about them. So Louise strives to find an item worth showing: a cannonball shot from an old cannon from the War of 1812. But, of course, Louise’s determination almost costs her and Tina their lives when she tries to get the cannonball out of the rocks before the tide comes in.
While the story’s pretty basic in its plot, the episode compensates with its message about sharing the truth rather than the lie. The aspect of show-and-tell is to share the real-life experiences that occurred in our lives while also showing the item they got. In Louise’s case, she believes telling false stories about what she found would earn her praise from her classmates. So when she loses the cannonball during their escape, Louise thinks she won’t be famous without it until Tina advises her to explain her journey to get the cannonball instead, including the part involving the seaweed that smells like rotten eggs.
The subplot has Teddy impressing his date, Kathleen, who takes a liking to Hurling. Unfortunately, Teddy’s special time with his special someone goes off the rails when he tries desperately to get into the same hobby as her. Teddy puts a large sheet of paper over Bob’s order window to show the game and decorates the restaurant with several Hurling quotes. Predictably, Teddy then realizes he doesn’t have to like the same things as Kathleen for her to like him.
Overall, “The Show (And Tell) Must Go On” shows the series’s approach in dry humor and heartfelt messages and tells an enjoyable plot involving the kids getting into life-threatening danger. The story has a few formulaic elements we’ve seen before in other shows, mainly for Teddy’s subplot. However, the charm of its characters and scenarios makes the episode a mildly fun item worth showing and telling.