It’s no surprise that beloved sitcom Bob’s Burgers has enjoyed such success. Since 2011, the Belcher family has been entertaining audiences with their struggles in owning and operating a small independent burger restaurant, and it’s become known not only for its humor but for its sincere and heartwarming depiction of a close-knit, loving family. Over 300 episodes have aired so far over the course of 15 seasons, and more are on the way—the show has been renewed through Season 19.
Of course, there are some episodes that stand out among as the best, and there are others which don’t get the credit they deserve. And just as the case with its most beloved episodes, the most underrated ones span the show’s entire run, a testament to its consistent quality, whether it’s telling sweet family-oriented stories or it’s packed with one joke after another.
10
“Oh Row You Didn’t”
Season 13, Episode 12
In “Oh Row You Didn’t,” Quincy Cox (Rhys Darby), a man attempting to row from New Zealand to Nova Scotia, visited the restaurant and told the Belchers about his adventures and accomplishments. He also revealed he had been thinking about abandoning the trip altogether, and the Belchers tried to convince him to see it through. It worked in the end—he chose to keep going and eventually did make it to Nova Scotia.
“Oh Row You Didn’t” marked 250 episodes for Bob’s Burgers, an impressive feat for any show, but some fans found the episode to be a boring and underwhelming one for the milestone. But Quincy was an interesting character who brought a fresh perspective to the show, and Darby is a welcome addition to anything he’s in. The episode’s theme of giving up is something Bob has considered himself plenty of times.
9
“Large Brother, Where Fart Thou?”
Season 7, Episode 5
In “Large Brother, Where Fart Thou?” Tina (Dan Mintz) intentionally landed herself in detention when she heard a boy she liked also was in detention. Meanwhile, Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) and Linda (John Roberts) had a meeting with their accountant, didn’t have another babysitter lined up and accidentally ate pot-laced cookies, meaning Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Louise (Kristen Schaal) were left home alone. When they incurred the wrath of Louise’s bully, Logan, they were forced to deal with him on their own.
“Large Brother, Where Fart Thou?” had Tina doing what Tina does best—pining after boys. But she wasn’t the only one in peak form. The episode was great for each character and perfectly showcased who they are. It was a particularly great one for Gene, who stepped up as an older brother to Louise, leading to a sweet moment between them, and the two are rarely paired together in the show.
8
“The Gene Mile”
Season 9, Episode 20
The kids had to run a mandatory mile for school, but they had other plans in “The Gene Mile.” They hatched a plan to sneak away with their friends to enjoy free ice-cream day at a local parlor instead, but Gene was caught and forced to finish the run. Meanwhile, Bob and Linda are desperate to score discount tickets to the fictional stage show Cake 2: Cake My Breath Away.
Some of the most fun episodes of Bob’s Burgers involve the kids’ scheming, especially “The Gene Mile,” and who could blame them for wanting to skip running a mile in favor of getting free ice cream? On top of that, one of the episode’s funniest moments came from Gene’s fake doctor’s note, while some sweet moments showcased the Belcher kids’ friendships—with the exception of Tina’s hilarious competitive trash-talking to her fellow runners.
7
“A River Runs Through Bob”
Season 4, Episode 1
The family went on an ill-fated camping trip in “A River Runs Through Bob.” Bob was adamant about living off the land, a decision which backfired when he got sick after eating fish he’d caught. When the family got separated after Bob and Linda were swept down the river while skinny-dipping late at night, the kids took it upon themselves to find them while Linda attempted to take charge of their survival.
Camping episodes are a staple of sitcoms, and it was great to see Bob’s Burgers take on the familiar story. The trip went about as well as could be expected, of course—just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and to hilarious effect. The episode featured some of the most memorable moments and lines in the series, with incredible delivery. It was also a great one for Linda, who Bob vastly underestimated.
6
“The Hormone-iums”
Season 6, Episode 14
When Tina got the chance to be a soloist in the Hormone-iums, the school’s puberty-education singing group, after its usual lead got mono, she had some concerns over the lyrical content of the group’s latest show in “The Hormone-iums.” With its alarmist and inaccurate lyrics about mono, Tina feared the song would have an adverse impact on her love life. Meanwhile, Linda pursued what she believed to be a promising business venture.
Tina often behaves like a typical teenage girl, and “The Hormone-iums” was no exception—of course, Tina would be preoccupied with the possibility that the song and the ensuing fallout would mean she wouldn’t ever get kissed. As is so often the case with Bob’s Burgers, Tina’s concerns, while over-the-top, are still relatable. Linda was also at her best in this episode, with the sort of idea only she would come up with.
5
“UFO No You Didn’t”
Season 9, Episode 9
In “UFO No You Didn’t,” Tina and her new science partner created a device which allowed them to communicate with aliens using Morse code. At first, the girls were thrilled—and then they received a frightening warning message, which was actually sent by Henry, Gene, and Louise, because Henry feared aliens would destroy Earth. Meanwhile, Bob tried to resell mini coat racks he accidentally bought online, believing them to be full-sized.
The idea of Tina communicating with aliens is hilarious on its own, and the execution in “UFO No You Didn’t” was wonderful. It was perfectly in character that Tina would hope aliens would be friendly instead of dangerous. The episode was also a huge one for her love life—she kissed Zeke for the first time. And it wasn’t just a great episode of Bob’s Burgers. The episode was also a spot-on parody of The Three-Body Problem.
4
“Lorenzo’s Oil? No, Linda’s”
Season 9, Episode 11
A new friend of Linda’s introduced her to essential oils and Linda was interested in selling them herself in “Lorenzo’s Oil? No, Linda’s.” Gayle (Megan Mullally)—having failed at selling essential oils herself in the past and concerned Linda was being sucked into a pyramid scheme—immediately set out to rescue Linda, with the help of the kids. Elsewhere, Bob and Teddy struggled with the favor of moving a bed for Mr. Huggins.
“Lorenzo’s Oil? No, Linda’s” was a funny take on the trend of essential oils and MLMs, and its title was a great reference to the film Lorenzo’s Oil. And just about any episode with Gayle is a gem—the episode had the sort of hilarious moments from her audiences have come to expect, but it was also surprising and refreshing that she was trying to help Linda instead of the other way around.
3
“Sea Me Now”
Season 7, Episode 2
In “Sea Me Now,” Teddy tried to impress his ex-wife, Denise (John Roberts)—who left him for a man who liked boating—with a day trip on his newly refurbished boat, with the Belchers along for the ride. But when the boat was damaged, the group was forced to dock on the closest island and wait for help. Meanwhile, Tina tried to prove she was responsible enough to get a cellphone by watching Bob’s restaurant eraser for the day.
“Sea Me Now” was an endearing yet sad episode for Teddy—his desire to impress Denise was sweet yet misguided, as she wasn’t exactly the kind of person worth winning back. The episode also had some truly great moments, especially after the boat trip got underway and especially from Gene, who had some of the episode’s funniest lines. As for Tina, her unwavering focus on the eraser also provided some nice commentary on how cellphones can distract us.
2
“Radio No You Didn’t”
Season 13, Episode 20
After Linda expressed her desire to get rid of an old, antique radio which was unfixable, Bob explained its family significance to her and the kids in “Radio No You Didn’t.” The radio once belonged to his grandmother Alice, and played a role in her discovery of a German spy living in her building while his mother, Lily, was an infant—most notably, it played a part in how she fought him off.
“Radio No You Didn’t” was a fantastic episode with a compelling story and excellent tight writing—it remains one of the most heartfelt episodes of the series. It gave audiences a great look at other members of the Belcher family, including a young Lily, who’s only been seen and mentioned a few times throughout the series. It was also notable for featuring a jazz version of the Queen song “Radio Gaga.”
1
“Housetrap”
Season 5, Episode 19
In “Housetrap,” the Belchers tagged along with Teddy to Craggy Neck, where he was supposed to be house-sitting. When they got stranded because of a storm, Linda and Louise snooped around the house and became convinced its owner, Helen (Kaitlin Olson), killed her husband for his money by loosening boards on the widow’s walk at the top of the house—and it wasn’t long before Helen herself arrived. All the while, Bob was high on pain pills.
“Housetrap” was one of the rare episodes to take place away from the restaurant, giving audiences a wonderful story they likely wouldn’t have seen otherwise. The combination of Linda’s theory, Helen herself and Bob strung out on painkillers was hilarious, and Linda’s seemingly over-the-top assumption about Helen was perfectly in character for her. The episode also ended with a cliffhanger ending, a rarity not only for Bob’s Burgers but comedies in general—and it implied Linda was right all along.
