Review: Bob’s Burgers “The Pumpkinening”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

It’s Halloween night, and not everything is as it should be. When Linda and her sister Gayle begin receiving cryptic messages about a terrible thing they did in high school, the two of them embark on an adventure to uncover the identity of the sender and silence them before they reveal the truth. Meanwhile, Bob struggles to find good candy to giveaway—until the kids give him some advice and he suddenly becomes the number one spot on the block.

Our Take:

We’re only three episodes into Bob’s Burger’s twelfth season and it’s already time for a holiday special. The series seems as if it always turns out solid specials and this year’s The Pumpkinening is no exception. With an interesting premise, several wacky side characters, and a spooky undercurrent, it definitely delivered what I expect from a Bob’s special. And even though it isn’t among the upper echelon of the best Halloween episodes in the show’s run, putting Linda and Gayle together for a spooky sister blast from the past is a recipe for an entertaining night.

It all starts out with a flashback to when Linda and Gayle were in high school. They had both entered a pumpkin carving contest, but while in the gym after hours Linda drops her pumpkin. Gayle follows suit and they end up smashing all the pumpkins in order to prevent anyone from winning the contest. It’s a dark secret that has haunted them for years, or at least they treat it as such. One of the highlights of the episode was when Linda and Gayle are discussing the night while the kids and Bob try to listen in on the details.

Of course, there’s more to it than what it seems. Linda and Gayle go on the move trying to track down the sender of the anonymous notes and run into a handful of old school chums. The dog groomer lady is definitely the most memorable, as her offering to cut Gayle’s hair off the record and then talking to her like one of the dogs was suitably creepy for an October special. Even the end of the night twist was a surprise. I was thinking that it would be the principal who sent the notes, but it turns out to be Gayle’s new life coach Dane Cain. It’s a little out of the blue, but they did introduce him via dialogue at the beginning, so I’m not mad.

While Linda and Gayle get to share some really fun adventures, Bob and the kids are relegated to the B-plot. It’s pretty basic, Bob gets to give out good candy while the kids have to watch it happen, but it provides ample opportunity for some light hearted fun to contrast with the thrill of the A-plot. I have to give a shoutout to Louise’s costume of the night: Peter Pan’s Labyrinth. Genius!

The Pumpkinening has plenty of October-themed fun, sweet sister dynamics, and even a little spookiness to boot. It’s not as scary as the Halloween special where everyone tried to frighten Louise, or as funny as some of the previous year’s specials, but pairing Linda with her “sister, best friend, and arch-nemesis” makes for a Halloween night that won’t soon be forgotten.