A Bob’s Burgers mall trip lets each Belcher show off their unique ridiculousness
TV Reviews Bob's Burgers
Nothing like a trip to the mall to bring out the Belchers at their destructive best. The family splits up to take out whatever is in their path, be it a mystery author’s twist ending, a store full of Grazielda porcelain dolls, the good name of a sleeping pseudo-boyfriend, or Bob’s own pants-related dignity. “Legends Of The Mall” juggles four stories of roughly equal size—Tina gets the most time and Linda’s bit feels the most throwaway, but these are small differences—to showcase the unique weirdness of each part of the Belcher clan. Other episodes have fun revealing how the family together alternately bring out the worst and the best in one another. Here, it’s all about what mayhem each branch of the family—counting Gene and Louise as a single unit, as I believe they would want us to—can unleash just by themselves. What makes this all extra funny is how much the other denizens of the mall are willing, unwitting or not, to make themselves accomplices in the family’s trail of ridiculousness.
Take Tina’s story. The first bit is a classic variation on Tina being out to find cute boys. She finds herself on the receiving end of some rudeness from Tammy and Jocelyn, who are decked out in clothes they’re going to return and the very best in kiosk makeup. Tina’s confident clumsiness zips us through a fun collection of sight gags before we get to the main part of the story, as she spies Brian, the soccer-playing, antihistamine-taking cutie. All that is just setup to get us where her story is really going. Once the slumbering boy’s head slumps onto Tina’s shoulder, the humor comes not so much from Tina’s barely convincing web of lies as from how readily convinced literally everyone—Brian included, somehow!—is by them. Brian’s friends Noah and Skye are what pass for normal, well-adjusted teens on Bob’s Burgers, which means they will credulously believe anything a person tells them, as why would a good person like Tina ever lie to them?
This whole storyline is essentially playing with the idea that what if one of Tina’s fantasies came true, albeit in a more mundane, less butts-obsessed kind of way? She has a boyfriend for just as long as she can keep Brian asleep—she’s not above drugging him with further antihistamines, which I’m not actually sure is a thing, but Tina is clearly willing to give it a go and see what happens—and she spends most of that time being congratulated by Brian’s friends and the casually corrupt security guard for what an amazing girlfriend she is. “Legends Of The Mall” doesn’t overcomplicate this story too much, using the obvious twist that Brian already has an actual new girlfriend both as quick justification for Noah and Skye to believe Tina is legit and as a way to get them to then turn on the supposedly two-timing Brian.
When balancing four stories of roughly equal size like “Legends Of The Mall” does, following the path of least resistance is a good way to keep the plot humming along, and by the end here that means Tina can’t even convince anyone that she’s full of it. To borrow a bit of improv lingo, Tina finds herself trapped in a bit of runaway “Yes, and”-ing. Brian’s friends and the security guard are all just so invested in this whirlwind romance, with the latter offering to and then just straight-up going ahead and deciding to frame Brian for a couple of stolen pairs of shoes. Thank goodness Tammy and her ever-burning hatred of Tina are there to sort things out.
Bob’s story is the least promising on paper, as all it is at its core is a take on the hoary old observation that men are bad at shopping for themselves. What makes it work is the specificity of the masculine self-loathing on display. We have Bob, who is always keenly aware of just how weird and washed his body is. And then, gloriously, we have Gary Cole back as Sergeant Bosco, who is once more here to stride as confidently as possible through one hell of a midlife crisis. The sight gag of Bob’s awful, billowy, fully-pleated pants is a hilarious illustration of exactly how much the show’s animation style emphasizes the characters’ waists while keeping the legs relatively small, and then it kicks off the rich exploration of two guys deciding it’s high time they treat themselves to some pants they’ll love. And drink champagne. So, so much champagne, if the pants they do end up buying are any indication. Again, that punchline is predictable, but it works because Bosco and Bob are such a great mismatched pair, with the sergeant’s unearned if self-hating confidence pushing Bob out of his shame and into one of his great, wholly unearned flights of exuberant enthusiasm. Also, my goodness, those pants.
Gene and Louise also get up to exactly the kind of high jinks you would expect them to, as they rent motorized animals to ride around the mall. In fairness to the kids, I can’t really see how anyone could ever expect this to end well, even if they weren’t specifically using the list of things they can’t do as a guide to fun things to do with the animals. But then, the fact this all unfolds just as you’d expect is the point: Louise imperils Gene with an unnecessary final bump of her animal, Gene proves completely useless as he slowly zooms through the mall on a runaway catigator, and Louise has to go all action hero to save the day. This is all familiar territory, which means both characters get to play to their strengths in the limited screen time available. Speaking of which, the Grazielda salesman makes his return nearly seven years after his debut in “My Fuzzy Valentine,” and the one gag he gets—vowing to block the out-of-control animal with his body, then immediately leaping out of the way—is just a perfect bit of business. So too is the conversation Louise has with the guy at the rental counter, as she tries to figure out what it will take to stop the catigator without revealing anything is amiss. As flimsy pretexts to keep a story chugging along go, having the rental guy just be really into hypotheticals is inspired.
That just leaves Linda, who hiccups and spoils her way through a Q.R. Dunlop book reading. With this one, it’s more the premise that’s the funny bit, as the mere idea of a mystery novelist who makes wine the driving force of all his books is just so completely Linda. There’s not really enough time to develop Dunlop or any of the other reading attendees as characters, so Linda just goes into full-on ruining mode. Just like the rest of the family, she doesn’t mean to, but it’s the inevitable result of her being excited about something. Laid out like that, I suppose that could be bleak, but “Legends Of The Mall” takes joy from the fact that nobody involved learns anything from their various misadventures, apart from maybe Bob learning he really can’t be trusted to buy his own pants. As the episode wraps up, Linda is undeterred in her Q.R. Dunlop fandom even after he uses the dedication to beg her to leave him alone, Tina is ready to go find a new mall crush, and Gene and Louise are off for more economically budgeted mischief. That’s the perfect day at the mall right there.
Stray observations
- The show has only barely acknowledged the fact the town is located somewhere on the Jersey Shore, but as a New Jerseyan… I feel like I’ve been to that exact mall, or rather the basis for it. Which I realize doesn’t mean very much, given the whole point of malls is their interchangeability, but still, could swear teenage me had eye checkups at that precise mall. Yes, I’m aware I’m reaching, even by the casual standards of the strays.
- Sergeant Bosco’s commitment to going down a pant size every time he tried something new on is easily his most heroic trait. And not just because he’s pretty blatantly lazy and a bit corrupt as a cop. Though yes, that does help.
52 Comments
I’ll enjoy watching these characters(/voice actors) do pretty much any mundane task, but these 4 subplots were all a bit of a snooze for me.
You Are Here. “How does it know?”
Obviously, it links up to your phone or something.
I wanted more Bob and Bosco pant shopping and less Tina and passed out stranger!I like it when the show presents new combos of characters bonding in surprising ways. Also, that kid probably shouldn’t take antihistamine if it makes him that severely drowsy..sorry Bob’s I love you but that was a big stretch.
It was combined with early morning soccer practice! No plot hole to see here! :)Actually, my son’s lacrosse practices are pretty early and he is often exhausted for the rest of the day, so I kind of get it………
If it’s a new allergy drug he’s trying he might not know. My mom can take Benadryl and be fine I take one Benadryl and I’m asleep anywhere (I mean it I took one on a train once and the conductor had to wake me up thankfully my stop is the last one on the train), it depends on your body chemistry I guess.
Well, he seems kind of young to be driving or operating heavy machinery, so go for it!
Bless The Harts isn’t in regular coverage, so I guess this is as good a place as any to talk about it.I’ve been catching it each week more out of inertia than actual interest and I’m puzzled as to why it was given another season. Many other shows in this same spot have gone to their graves after one season (if even that), so something must be going on with this show that I don’t quite see. Were the initial ratings that good? Does the network have some deal with Lord/Miller? Are there some astounding episodes yet to come?It’s not bad; it just hasn’t really grabbed me either. Sure, Bob’s Burgers wasn’t particularly strong in its first season, but it had strong characters and a few solid episodes that showed that it had promise.
So what do you think “Harts” needs? Let’s say you are given a billion dollars and/or a controlling interest.
I don’t know. Give me a reason to care about these characters, some strong emotional throughline or something. Get rid of the Jesus character. I’ve got nothing against Kumail; it just really adds nothing to the show beyond “Look how kooky we are!” You shouldn’t need a character around strictly to inform the protagonist of their moral failings.But, hey, if I really knew how to fix the show, I would be a high-powered TV executive of a writer. Like I said, it’s not bad, but “not bad” has been the death knell of many first-season shows.
The Jesus character is weird for sure in how they don’t really do anything with it or explain it. He just appears to Jenny for a convo in each episode like its totally normal. It hasn’t really been woven into the show well enough at all. You really could cut it out and every episode still holds together without it
maybe she has that brain tumour that Boothe had on Bones?
I don’t know. I thought the smoking statue one was really good, and showed what the show could be. Besides, it’s good that Fox gave the show another season, some shows need time to fully find their footing, including stuff like Bob’s Burgers. Besides, Fox needs some new animation in it’s line up. It can’t rely on Bob’s, Simpsons, and Family Guy forever… I mean, it probably can, and will, but shouldn’t
I probably shouldn’t be down on Fox for actually giving a show time to develop and flourish; they have a lot of killed-too-soon shows in their past.
Agreed, and I’ve seen far worse first season Fox cartoons. So far it’s been just kind of a nice breezy half hour every week and I’m fine with that as it finds its footing.
I’ve watched it too and it’s… fine? I guess? I mean, Family Guy is on season one million and it’s not funny either.Bob’s Burgers is one of the few shows where the writers and creative team clearly still care about crafting a unique show. The humor shines.
The fact that it is “the show before Bob’s Burgers” means that I’m in for a lot of inert watching of it.
Wait, Lord and Miller make that show? The same guys behind the unfairly cancelled “Last Man On Earth”?
I think it’s just the promise of the talent involved. I watched the first 3 and the rest have been piling up on my DVR. I hope it clicks at some point.
So motorized animals for kids to ride on at the mall is actually a thing? I’ve seen it at one mall near me and thought it was unique.
I’ve seen them in multiple malls, including the one I go to when it’s raining and I want to go on a walk.
Where were those things in the mall when I was a kid?!
I did a google search and confirmed they are a thing. Also confirmed kids today are so lucky. I mean sure they won’t have a plant to live on by the time they are my age, but they have all sort of cool toys.
Our children’s children will tell stories around the camp fire at night of the time when our people could ride great mechanical steeds around the market. This was before before time.
The Tina plot screamed “C Plot” and the fact that seemed to get the most time dedicated to it was crazy to me. Though they did seem to mine the most laughs from that one, so I guess they made the right call. And I did like the characters (mostly) returning to what they were doing at the beginning at the end of the episode. It was a simple but weirdly effective joke to end on.Also, Joselyn is always and forever my favorite side character, maybe even just character in general on the show. She literally never fails to get a laugh from me
And it was so typical of the Bob’s Burgers universe that NO ONE thought of steering the runaway Catigator into a wall or getting off it and knocking it onto its side….And good heavens! PURPLE corduroys? Why would a store even have them in stock?
There were some pants that Bosco picked out for Bob that weren’t terrible.
They’re young kids! You can’t expect them to think rationally. And they didn’t get anyone else involved in their problem.
As a fan of cords and purple I’d totally rock them.
I loved that Bob was wearing them in the end titles. It was a great way to gently subvert the “men can’t shop for themselves” joke, because those were the ones he was leaning toward in the first place.
Either of those options seems a bit extreme for Gene to attempt.
I wish these didn’t go up so late so I could remember one-liners to quote, but how could you not give Linda props for “PANTS NOT CAN’TS”?
“How do you think the pants feel?”
I can’t remember the exact line, but Bob suddenly noticing the gold thread in The Pants made me guffaw.
No, it’s not just a men shop poorly joke. Buying pants at the mall for a grown man is a special circle of hell that cannot be exaggerated. It’s why I switched to ordering online and free return shipping years ago. I have nothing but love for Bosco and Bob this week.
Shop for pants at thrift stores. It’s cheaper than new, and when you find a pair you really like, it feels like you won something, or you’re good at shopping.
This is not bad advice, but thrift stores really are full of sad pants aisles: very hard to find a good size, and often stains or other blemishes. I rarely have the patience.
Sad pants.
And it’s not just a random cliche. It’s a well established arc of fashion obliviousness that Bob has fully inhabited for many years.
I was watching this with my sister and we both started cracking up at those 4-pleated pants, because I’ve bought and worn pretty much those exact pants when forced to wear something dressy.
I’ve never been to New Jersey, but I too have been to that exact mall. I feel like everyone who’s been to a mall (at least in the US) has been to that mall.
When I saw the map of the mall, I immediately thought it was the Livingston Mall in Livingston, NJ, which is exactly the kind of mall the Belchers would go to (slightly cheaper, slightly grosser than most malls, but still gets the job done). The only problem is it’s a 1-2 hour drive depending where on the shore they’re based, and given Jersey’s over saturation of malls, there would be plenty of closer ones to them.
“Maybe you should just wait for your wife to come back?”“What do you think I’ve been doing for the past five years?”Bosco’s particularly aggressive approach to midlife crisis always works for me. He’s fully aware how sad his life is and is doing nothing to fix it.
Are all four stories from Sandra Bullock movies. Or just the two kid stories (while you were sleeping and Speed)
Wow. Now I have to rewatch. I thought of Speed, but such a thing would be so Bob’s. Good catch.
Sergeant Bosco should cop it (those pants, i mean…)
Wait, NEW JERSEY!?!?! As a native new jerseyan myself, I always got a new england vibe and was thinking Rhode Island… shrugs… can you provide a few jersey deets that I missed???
when i went to the live show in boston, the creator acknowledged that the town they’re in is somewhere in mass
No Burger of the Day, but Band Puns are always cool! ‘Death Cabernet for Cutie’ a novel by QR Dunlop.
Anyone catch the names of the pants stores?
I get the feeling every little “the Burger place isn’t making money” mention will build up to a whole episode’s plot about it going bankrupt further down the line.And Tina’s a major creep, right? I’m not the only one who sees that, I hope.
I know it’s late in the discussion, but no one has brought up the direct Sandra Bullock references and it’s driving me batty.