Bob's Burgers sends the Belchers on adventures in nature in nightlife
When the Belchers set their mind to something, they usually do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. Sure, they go about it in a convoluted and often dangerous way, but they channel that blue collar spirit whether it be to finally get off the couch or climb an actual mountain. In “Go Tina On the Mountain” Tina and Linda both dig deep to self-actualize their dreams. It just takes a little help along the way.
Tina, Gene, Louise, and the rest of the Wagstaff gang goes on a three-day trip to the woods where Tina is set on climbing to the top of a mountain in an effort to get rid of her nickname: Fluffy Butt. There Ranger Carl (Andy Daly) bursts their bubble when the rain makes it too dangerous for them to climb the mountain. The Belchers go exploring anyway and stumble across Hermit Martha (Nicole Byer) who offers some self-help words of wisdom that inspire Tina to tackle the mountain alone. The best episodes of Bob’s this season have paired Tina with an older, independent woman who brings out the best qualities that already exist in Tina. Despite being only 13-years-old and occasionally down on herself, she has an inner-strength and insight to herself and others far beyond her years.
Linda, on the other hand, is successful because of her lack of self-awareness. While the kids are out of town Bob and Linda are determined to have a wild night out. It’s interesting to think about Bob and Linda’s life before the kids. Even when viewers have been given a glimpse of their life alone, the kids are still heavily influencing how the stories are told and the lens through which we see couple Bob and Linda instead of parents Bob and Linda. Often when they’re without the kids, part of the story is about them missing the kids. Maybe that’s why they have such a hard time trying to do something with the kids in safe hands (as far as they know).
All it takes for Bob and Linda to finally go out instead of falling asleep on the couch after eating too much cheese is joint-spray-tanning. And the Wagstaff crew (including an all-too-brief appearance by this season’s MVP, Zeke) join forces with Ranger Carl to save Tina from drowning in a ravine alone and make it to the top of the mountain, just as Tina visualized at the episode’s start. The real moral of this episode is that, as Tina says, it’s a combination of being alone and teamwork that can help you accomplish anything. It sounds corny, but the show tackles these heartwarming moments with the perfect amount of death-defying danger, humor, and possible swinger parties to a point that takes all the cheese out of it.
Stray Observations:
- Burgers of the week: “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butternut Squash” Burger, “The Paprika Smurf” Burger
- “It’s not just bonding over fox skat!” -Ranger Carl
- “It’s a real blame it on the rain situation.” -Tina
- “I’m just throwing everything away, is that cleaning?” -Bob
- “Hermit, is there a hismit?” -Ranger Carl
- Teddy’s life really revolves around Bob and Linda, doesn’t it?
- Who would have thought the kids would ever go to Frond for help?
- Things that Martha left behind to become a hermit: a one bedroom apartment, a Nissan Ultima lease, a brand management job in an office park