Bob's Burgers: World Wharf II: The Wharfening
May 18, 2014 10:01 PM - Season 4, Episode 22 - Subscribe
"It's Linda and the kids to the rescue when Felix takes desperate measures, and puts Bob and Mr. Fischoeder in danger." In short: Bad things are bad
Bob, Mr. Fischoeder, and Bob's flip phone battle Felix, the tide, and autocorrect. The rest of the family and Teddy try to find them, helped a bit by Tina's photographic memory for butts. Last week's musical number gets a reprieve which only serves to make me more excited for the planned musical episode.
And perhaps, most importantly, a cameo from Regular-Sized Rudy and his inhaler.
Bob, Mr. Fischoeder, and Bob's flip phone battle Felix, the tide, and autocorrect. The rest of the family and Teddy try to find them, helped a bit by Tina's photographic memory for butts. Last week's musical number gets a reprieve which only serves to make me more excited for the planned musical episode.
And perhaps, most importantly, a cameo from Regular-Sized Rudy and his inhaler.
"Get hold of yourself- you've got two kids and a Louise to take care of!"
posted by InfidelZombie at 7:28 AM on May 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by InfidelZombie at 7:28 AM on May 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
I liked how they managed to have villains without them being cartoonishly* evil -- Felix did something horrible in the heat of the moment, but came around, and Fanny was also just making one bad decision at the worst possible time.
* -- Rimshot.
posted by Etrigan at 7:28 AM on May 19, 2014
* -- Rimshot.
posted by Etrigan at 7:28 AM on May 19, 2014
"you kids are a two parent, two bottles of wine a night job" had my wife and I laughing for the rest of the night. That one is going to be used in my house again and again and again...
Bad things are bad.
posted by nubs at 9:53 AM on May 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Bad things are bad.
posted by nubs at 9:53 AM on May 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's getting to the point now that there are so many songs that, in my opinion, MUST be on the Bob's Burgers soundtrack album that I can't help but think I'll be disappointed.
"Nice Things are Nice" and especially reprising it as "Bad Things are Bad" is exactly the kind of musical number I love -- one that both takes the piss out of musical theater tradition but also totally respects it.
God, I enjoy this show.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:33 AM on May 19, 2014
"Nice Things are Nice" and especially reprising it as "Bad Things are Bad" is exactly the kind of musical number I love -- one that both takes the piss out of musical theater tradition but also totally respects it.
God, I enjoy this show.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:33 AM on May 19, 2014
This was an interesting finale. They really kinda stretched themselves in as much as "actual for real mortal peril" isn't usually the stakes for a Bob's Burgers episode. There was some fantastic Gene stuff in this episode, but I think my favorite thing was Linda being sad at the thought of Bob having tried cocaine without her.
I'm glad that not only did the show get renewed, it got a full order of 22 episodes up front. Now just to endure the wait for them to start airing...
posted by sparkletone at 1:00 PM on May 19, 2014
I'm glad that not only did the show get renewed, it got a full order of 22 episodes up front. Now just to endure the wait for them to start airing...
posted by sparkletone at 1:00 PM on May 19, 2014
I really enjoyed these two episodes. The Nice things are nice / Bad things are bad mirroring was delightful. Especially with the cameos; Regular-sized Rudy is always a welcome sight. Someone I would like to see more of though is Jessica, the girl from the slumber party episode. I hope she makes an appearance or two next season.
posted by bjrn at 2:25 PM on May 19, 2014
posted by bjrn at 2:25 PM on May 19, 2014
And they're making a series of comic books now too. You can see the first cover here. I wonder how well it'll work out, the voice acting is a big part of the show for me.
posted by bjrn at 2:47 PM on May 20, 2014
posted by bjrn at 2:47 PM on May 20, 2014
They really kinda stretched themselves in as much as "actual for real mortal peril" isn't usually the stakes for a Bob's Burgers episode.
It also kind of mirrors the season opener, where they were lost out in the wilderness with a similar sense of danger. (Although that ep was pretty blah for me.)
posted by psoas at 5:54 PM on May 20, 2014
It also kind of mirrors the season opener, where they were lost out in the wilderness with a similar sense of danger. (Although that ep was pretty blah for me.)
posted by psoas at 5:54 PM on May 20, 2014
Mr. Fischoeder is the perfect sometimes-antagonist for this show and a great example of the awesome approach to character motivations in Bob's Burgers - any other show would have gone Mr. Burns with him. But instead, he's motivated not by greed but by the same earnest enthusiasm for whatever makes him happy in that moment that so often motivates the Belchers, except that Fischoeder also holds the Belchers' livelihood (and potential opportunities!) in his hands so if he wants to go all out on his crazy whims, Bob has to play along. A lot of the antagonists and really almost every character is motivated by this insane enthusiasm for whatever brings them joy and I love it.
And then there's also the thing where almost every character has some form of growth and is super open to new experiences. Most especially Bob - look at "Sheesh! Cab, Bob?" where he is immediately open to connecting with and building a friendship with Glitter, Marbles, Cha-Cha and Marshmallow. Like, you get a sense that this is unfamiliar ground for Bob, and then without a moment's hesitation he's all in. Or Bob just completely falling into Cake-fandom and bonding with Frond of all people over ridiculous pattycake-based performance art. Or Bob and Hugo's relationship, where as annoyed as Bob gets with Hugo being Hugo he's always compelled to keep making friendly gestures towards him over and over again.
It's really weird reading early AV Club reviews of Bob's Burgers where they kind of treat him like this big stick in the mud, typical TV dad. Even when he is a big curmudgeon he's not really - look at when he wanted to blow off Linda for their second honeymoon to build a model of the bus from Speed, which he hasn't seen because he wants to build the model first and he's been waiting all these years - he is psyched for building this model and playing with the tiny model Keanu. And then he ends up having a great time with Linda anyways, completely embracing it with that ridiculous enthusiasm everyone in this show has.
I think a similar bit of characterization was a big part of what made early Community so different from later episodes - early on it was rare when a character's cynicism couldn't be completely blown apart by the enthusiasm of those around them in the group, and eventually that kind of changed, the characters seemed to settle instead of being propelled forward by each other.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:48 AM on May 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
And then there's also the thing where almost every character has some form of growth and is super open to new experiences. Most especially Bob - look at "Sheesh! Cab, Bob?" where he is immediately open to connecting with and building a friendship with Glitter, Marbles, Cha-Cha and Marshmallow. Like, you get a sense that this is unfamiliar ground for Bob, and then without a moment's hesitation he's all in. Or Bob just completely falling into Cake-fandom and bonding with Frond of all people over ridiculous pattycake-based performance art. Or Bob and Hugo's relationship, where as annoyed as Bob gets with Hugo being Hugo he's always compelled to keep making friendly gestures towards him over and over again.
It's really weird reading early AV Club reviews of Bob's Burgers where they kind of treat him like this big stick in the mud, typical TV dad. Even when he is a big curmudgeon he's not really - look at when he wanted to blow off Linda for their second honeymoon to build a model of the bus from Speed, which he hasn't seen because he wants to build the model first and he's been waiting all these years - he is psyched for building this model and playing with the tiny model Keanu. And then he ends up having a great time with Linda anyways, completely embracing it with that ridiculous enthusiasm everyone in this show has.
I think a similar bit of characterization was a big part of what made early Community so different from later episodes - early on it was rare when a character's cynicism couldn't be completely blown apart by the enthusiasm of those around them in the group, and eventually that kind of changed, the characters seemed to settle instead of being propelled forward by each other.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:48 AM on May 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
And then there's also the thing where almost every character has some form of growth and is super open to new experiences.
Oh goodness yes this entirely. That reminds me I was also delighted by the Thanksgiving episode (this season or last?) where the turkey keeps getting ruined and the deli guy makes a pass at him and Bob is like, "Sorry, I'm not gay. Well, mostly. Maybe... OK, let's check in in the future?" Everyone's comfortable with themselves and it's so refreshing.
Also, [podcast nerd alert] check out the episode of Who Charted? with John Roberts; along this theme, he says his favorite thing about voicing Linda is that she's super supportive of whatever her kids want to try.
posted by psoas at 6:20 AM on May 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
Oh goodness yes this entirely. That reminds me I was also delighted by the Thanksgiving episode (this season or last?) where the turkey keeps getting ruined and the deli guy makes a pass at him and Bob is like, "Sorry, I'm not gay. Well, mostly. Maybe... OK, let's check in in the future?" Everyone's comfortable with themselves and it's so refreshing.
Also, [podcast nerd alert] check out the episode of Who Charted? with John Roberts; along this theme, he says his favorite thing about voicing Linda is that she's super supportive of whatever her kids want to try.
posted by psoas at 6:20 AM on May 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
and I think AV Club reviewers are instructed to place chip on shoulder before beginning recaps because my god are they fond of dragging in their preconceptions regardless of what's going on onscreen
posted by psoas at 6:23 AM on May 23, 2014
posted by psoas at 6:23 AM on May 23, 2014
I doubt they'll actually do it, but I will laugh so hard if - even if only for some of the episode - Tina still has that bike lock around her neck in the premiere next season.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 8:43 AM on May 23, 2014
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 8:43 AM on May 23, 2014
That would be funny, but I don't think they'll do it because during the end credits Tina first hurries off screen, and then at the end she comes back with the bike lock in one hand and the key in the other. But it would be hilarious if she gets another bike lock around her neck at some later point.
posted by bjrn at 5:20 AM on May 24, 2014
posted by bjrn at 5:20 AM on May 24, 2014
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posted by ob1quixote at 3:41 AM on May 19, 2014