Bob’s Burgers provides a glimpse into the Belcher’s efforts to keep their burger joint afloat, while trying to maintain the appearance of a seemingly flourishing (yet totally dysfunctional) family workplace, no thanks to the mechanics of its incompetent family members.
In a show fuelled by the idiosyncratic relationship between weird parents and their weird kids, the true joys of Bob’s Burgers exist in the parent-children relationships, as much as they do in its myriad of puns. For this is a show that relies heavily on puns, from an ever-changing specials menu (“It’s fun to eat at the rYe-M-C-A”), to the names of competing businesses, including the jokes delivered by the characters themselves. Yet no matter how many times the specials’ menu changes or how many neighbouring businesses go asunder (“Meth I Can Methadone Clinic”), the series finds its best moments at the hands of the endearingly insane Louise, and her attempts to stir trouble in the Belcher household.
However, puns and shenanigans can only go so far, and so it becomes clear that the show’s real strength resides in its cast. Ranging from Archer’s very own H. John Benjamin’s deadpan rendition of Bob, to Kristen Schaal’s effervescent portrayal of young Louise, the jokes are delivered perfectly, even when they come in a package as harmless as middle child Tina’s monotone teenage laments.
While the first season was arguably no different from the tropes of Family Guy, the subsequent seasons are where the show truly shines, thanks to sharper writing, which relies on premises driven by the family’s incompatible chemistry and outlandish setbacks to their business. And, really, if a show has the likes of The National and St. Vincent lining up to perform covers of songs sang by the characters, who are we to disagree about its quality and entertainment? I recommend you check this out.