Bob’s Burgers – A man’s crawl space is his castle

Nothing like the in-laws coming over to wreck havoc in the household, is there? And that’s exactly what happens on Bob’s Burgers, courtesy of Grandma Gloria and Grandpa Al.

Linda (John Roberts) is on the warpath, doing her best to clean up the house before her folks come to town for a visit. When she discovers a leak dripping from the ceiling, she sends Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) up to the attic to fix it. Bob gets “caught” in a heretofore unknown crawlspace, reasoning it’s the perfect opportunity to avoid his in-laws.

Good gordness, but this show is twisted and funny:

• While Bob is trapped in the crawlspace, he has delusions about a night light (Koochy Cope-y, possibly the most intimate PG-13 reference ever) talking to him and revealing a secret speakeasy within the walls.
• Louise (Kristen Schaal) changes the Burger of the Day from a “Never Been Feta Burger” to a “Foot Feta-ish Burger”
• Tina’s (Dan Mintz) adolescent hormones are causing her night terrors about zombies she wants to make out with.
• Was there anything funnier than Gene (Eugene Mirman) bringing his grandparents “intimate noises” as part of his school history project? “My grandparents lived during prohibition!” he exclaimed in a desperate attempt to offer anything of value during his report. Seeing the statement didn’t hold water, he let fly embellishing sound effects. (I was laughing my butt off when Gene let the noises fly to the horror of his teacher.)
• Tina falls through the ceiling into the boy’s locker room while whispering for a few freshly-showered boys to drop their towels.
• Louise, well … Louise is always in trouble. Does it really make a difference what she did?
• All three kids end up being sent to the school office for their mischief making.
• And afterward, Louise is all pumped up about a “home visit” by one of the school councilors, yet another opportunity for her to cause monkey business.

In the end, however, it’s vilified Grandma Gloria who ends up saving the day. She tongue-lashes the visiting school councilor telling him to leave the Belcher family alone; there’s nothing wrong with them and they’re a good family with a good bunch of kids. Much to Bob’s surprise, Grandma Gloria isn’t so bad after all.

And, can someone tell me what the deal is with the blond dude on roller skates decked out in nothing but tighty whities? (Though technically they’re not ‘white’. They’re purple.) We’ve seen him in both episodes so far: he’s rolling past the firetruck that extracts Bob from the crawlspace and he bumped into the coffin that rolled in front of Bob’s Burgers last week.

I’m sure there’s a story there somewhere.

“I’m having a seizure! Put a wallet in my mouth! ……………………….. It passed.”
– Louise

“I’m going to check the bathroom for stray hairs. No one sheds like this family.
You’re like a bunch of Chewbaccas.”
– Linda to the family

“Okay, everybody! I have an announcement to make!
I am on a ladder! Stop shaking it! I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that!”
– Bob to the family

“There’s nothing wrong with a man enjoying his crawlspace … to avoid his in-laws.”
– Bob to Teddy The Contractor

Clacked by Michael Noble
on Jan 17, 2011 @ 08:00 EST5EDT