Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Bob's Burgers opens a "Bed & Breakfast"

     I still haven't decide if FOX's Bob's Burgers is good enough to warrant a second season pick up. But it has often been as funny as other, longer running shows on Animation Domination, so in that regard, I would like to see the series renewed. I don't really care for the 7:30 showings of American Dad caused by five shows sharing a broadcast night, but instead of running reruns as much, if the five shows were to be put in a rotation, I think it might be a really cool system. I can't think of a network that's done a rotation block of this sort, and it's high time to try it.

     In last night's episode, Linda (John Roberts, but not the Chief Justice) decides to turn the family's small dwelling into a bed and breakfast during a long weekend, taking advantage of the tourist traffic. Three guests show up: a couple who would like to stay in their room having kinky sex and an entomologist who is mating beetles. Besides the sexual sight gags, the animations smartly included more and more beetles crawling on the walls as the episode wore on.

     Linda is not at all satisfied with their participation in her many planned events, so she lets restaurant regular, Teddy (Larry Murphy, Delocated, Ugly Americans), who is really excited about the concept, stay, too. Unfortunately for Teddy, or fortunately for viewers, she lets Teddy have Louise's (Kristen Schaal) tiny room, and Louise sets out for revenge on the unwanted guest. She accomplishes such by using the aforemention beetles, as well as playing on Teddy's extreme discomfort with customed characters in a very visually entertaining scene.

     Louise has quickly become my favorite character, voiced by the hilarious Schall, who also is a correspondant for The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Louise seems to live in a world all her own, but unlike other characters in that vein, say Stewie from Family Guy, Louise is bound by reality. Still, if you need a lock picked, or an idea that no one else would think of in a million years, Louise is your girl. She is also the youngest of the clan, but not a toddler, which I find refreshing.

     Many episodes thus far have dealt with the family helping out Bob, but this is the second time that Linda and her schemes have been the focus, and I like it. As Linda tries to implement her dreams in their lower-middle class reality, she struggles with the execution. In these times, Bob (H. Jon Benjamin, doing double duty as the title character in both Bob's Burgers and Archer) gets to demonstrate what a loving, well grounded husband and father he is. Bob has his flaws, but he comes through in a pinch, more so than other animated TV dads.

     I like Bob's Burgers because, while not always as laugh out loud funny as The Simpsons or American Dad, the family dynamics are more realistic. The show demonstrates humor in characters that are odd, but not as over the top as their peers.

     Bob's Burgers airs Sunday nights at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Article first published as TV Review: Bob's Burgers - "Bed & Breakfast" on Blogcritics.

 

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