Review: Bob’s Burgers ‘The Kids Rob a Train’

Spoilers Below:

If you haven’t realized it, or read it in one of my previous reviews, Bob’s Burgers shines brightest when the episode features the Belcher kids in an interesting plotline. This is the recipe. One part kiddies, one part story. Or sometimes two story parts.

Well, this episode prominently featured our favorite tikes, and the stories were entertaining, and even a bit exciting – as far as cartoons go. I mean, come on, the episode title should sell viewers by its name alone. The kids: hilarious. Robbing a train: always a plot ripe for success. Ever see the film The Great Train Robbery? (The 1903 version and the 1979 version both count.) Classics. A more recent example? The Season 5 episode of Breaking Bad entitled “Dead Freight.” And none of the kids got shot in the Bob’s episode, so that’s a plus, because – and maybe it’s just me – but I always found child murder to be a bit of a downer. (By the way, I hope you all are all caught up with Breaking Bad, because I didn’t specify that “Spoilers Below” also included that show.)

In last night’s episode, Bob and Linda planned a combination train-and-wine-tasting trip for the two of them, where children were also welcome (but not encouraged.) Because of this rule, while the adults were swilling vino, Tina, Gene, Louise, and a boy they knew named Regular-sized Rudy were stowed away in an empty storage room in the caboose.

The kids then hatched a plan to rob the train of the only thing on it which they desired: chocolate. (“It’s being wasted on the wasted!” Gene exclaimed.) Their elaborate plan hit a few speedbumps, and at one point the foursome found themselves completely off the train, but eventually the kids managed to pull it off.

Meanwhile, Bob and Linda met a self-proclaimed wine connoisseur named Rick, with whom Linda struck up a conversation (because “he can give us tips on how to get tipsy.”) But when Bob scoffed at Rick’s pretentiousness, a “Wine-Off” was declared and the two ended up facing off. Due to some cleverness on Linda’s part, Bob emerged triumphant.

In Case You Missed It:

1) This episode’s Burger of the Day: “Enoki Dokie Burger” (comes with enoki mushrooms.)

2) I loved Bob’s opinion of Gene’s train-themed wardrobe: “Why do you look like Dexy from Dexys Midnight Runners?” YouTube their video for “Come On Eileen” if you didn’t get this joke.

3) Rule #3 of Ethan’s rules was “Always believe in yourself.”

4) Linda’s rationale for why Bob won: “Because we went to see Sideways, and after that we went to the wine bar and I bet Bobby he wouldn’t drink from the spit bucket, and he did!”

5) In addition to being a debonair dresser, Gene also had several hilarious lines, including “Now my overalls are stuck – what is going on with my outfit?!” and, after Bob said he basically French kissed the whole train: “Ummm…yum!”

6) Tina’s best quote: (talking to Gene) “You chose chocolate. It’s what your bandana would have wanted.”

Despite not mentioning every line (or even a line from every one of the kids) you’ll have to understand it was for good reason; there were so many that I couldn’t possibly list them all without basically transcribing the entire episode. Even Rudy had some winners.

The reason episodes that feature the children are so successful is due to the balance they provide. Louise is devious; Tina is awkward, doting, and clearly maturing; while Gene is immature and exceptionally blunt – and when everybody contributes evenly, there’s no way they can lose. My girlfriend, with whom I watched this episode, adeptly compared this episode to this season’s holiday episode, “Christmas in the Car,” which is one of her all-time favorites, and another example of how the Belchers can entertain so well when it’s just them. And, apparently, when they’re also enclosed in some mode of transportation.

Also, on the same topic, as much as I enjoy Bob’s interactions with the kids, he’s at his best when talking with Linda, because Linda is at her best when she’s alone with her husband – or at least is primarily interacting with him. Although it’s also hilarious to witness how she communicates with other “normal” characters, and how they receive her. I don’t know, maybe I just liked them in this episode because of the heavy drinking – on the part of the Belchers as well as myself. Does anyone else really want to drink with them? I can’t be the only person who thinks they look like a lot of fun.

But hey, in the end this episode clearly worked because both its storylines appeared good on paper, had outstanding execution, and each character that makes the series so amusing got their fair share of screen time. Except of course for Teddy; Teddy did not appear is this one. He got the bulk of last week’s episode though, so I think it all balanced out. Besides, it seemed to work better this week anyway.

Scoreboard!