Bob's Burgers: The Amazing Rudy

October 20, 2023 5:06 PM - Season 14, Episode 2

Rudy prepares for an awkward night out with his divorced parents and their new partners. Meanwhile, the Belchers make an important casserole.

Spoilers ahoy: The Best ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Episode This Season Isn’t About a Belcher

posted by General Malaise (7 comments total)

For the first time in its...14 season?... run, we have an episode that is focused on one of the side characters, and we're so much better off for it. Bob's Burgers has its touching episodes, but I think this may be my favorite of the entire series...in the 14th season?

Regular Sized Rudy has always been one of the best side characters, but to see the universe from his perspective is both eye opening and, well, damn, man. We see the Belchers every week, with their love and support and imperfect but strong relationships, and now we see the other side of the coin — a family forced to try for the sake of the kid, and it hurts. We see a kid full of anxiety (and a dad full of anxiety, what's up intergenerational trauma) who has to save the day with magic tricks, which, well, anybody who has ever been a kid feels what that feels like.

Also the best episodes throw a spotlight on Louise being a good heart, especially when it's not hesitantly as usual. They're rare, so when you catch one, you know it's a special one.

Now I want a flounder plushie named Pancake and I'm very curious about the concept of baked potato lasagna.
posted by General Malaise at 5:18 PM on October 20, 2023 [6 favorites]

Brian Huskey (who I interviewed once when he was in a band, this is like, 100000 years ago, we were both much younger then) is on so many commercials and has small parts in so many things that I just forget he's Rudy almost every time I watch Bob's Burgers until I see his name in the credits.

This episode was so sweet and kind of devastating. That they could pull this off (I felt the same about the "Amelia" episode not too long ago) after so many seasons is really quite impressive.
posted by 41swans at 9:12 PM on October 20, 2023 [5 favorites]

I'm glad that Bob's Burgers can manage these "very special episodes" so well, but I feel like they should spread them out a bit. Give us trashy fun episodes too!
posted by rikschell at 1:51 PM on October 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

That's funny, riskschell. Until you mentioned it, I thought of those trashy episodes as being wholesome and fun. That kind of tells you where I'm coming from.
posted by cowlick at 4:51 PM on October 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'm glad they portrayed the divorced parents as still being amicable. So far it seems that most of the adults in the show are caring people, though their landlord is a bit of a monster at times.
posted by Marticus at 4:47 PM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

this episode caught me completely off my guard and I was stunned at just how good it was, especially for, as noted, a show in its fourteenth season. Bob’s Burgers routinely has the same loving heart that the best Simpsons episodes always did, and without ever being overly glurgy or sentimental. Just… this is a great show overall I think
posted by DoctorFedora at 4:57 PM on October 22, 2023 [3 favorites]

This was a great episode, and highlighted that for all the ribbing and hijinks and financial issues, the Belchers do have a solid life compared to others in town. Rudy was trying so hard too.
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:06 AM on October 24, 2023