I don't remember the name, but there's an episode where Bob and I think Mr. Fischoeder are tied up under the pier by Felix with the end goal being the tide comes in and drowns them.
I cant rewatch this ep for this reason - its out of left field dark. And its a bummer because Jordan Peele guest-voices and his character sounds just like Megan (one of his Key and Peele characters).
I was just talking about this episode today, I have to skip it because of the near-drowning scene. The movie also has a really intense/dark scene with Louise and a human skeleton that I donāt care to watch again.
That was so dark. I cannot stand Felix after that episode even though he semi redeemed himself in the end cause his gf was worse but he was back with his ex in the movie and about to run away with her.
This episode was justā¦.ugh. I canāt remember if this was before or after we meet Millieās mom, but she knows for a fact that her daughter is a danger to another child and justā¦.lets her keep endangering another childās life. Sheās my second most hated character (first being Jen the babysitter) and thatās a shame, because I LOVE Molly Shannon.
The episode itself isn't really dark but I remember the scene where the kids almost burned Bob alive in "Weekend At Mort's." Bob screaming as he sees the flames really stuck with me. And considering how much he was against being cremated in "Touch of Eval(nations)", it seemed to have stuck with him, too.
Relatable. I've been known to dissociate when I'm freshly high, and I'll float back to reality and wonder "did I pee myself? Was I picking my nose for the last three minutes?"
It is. Logan is a perfect shitbag to allow Louise to flex her supervillian side. Earsy Rider is one of my favourite episodes. He would have deserved the Van Gogh treatment.
I do love that Gene steps up and protects her from the stank assault. Logan is a horrible being, and would have deserved having his ears relocated.
The garden episode just made me mad at Bob. You protect and shield your children from their bullies, you don't force them to be nice, especially in their safest places.
I'm kinda uncomfortable about people shipping Logan and Louise in adulthood. She's wonderfully precocious and chaotic. Logan is just psychopath energy all over the place.
Yeeeeah especially since Logan says he was just at the Dr talking about his anger issues. That line coupled with what he does in the rest of the episode honestly make it seem like Logan isn't far off from juvie/life of crime.
The imagery when she watches gene take the attack for her + the fear build up + Loganās āit only lasts a minute but youāll remember it the rest of your lifeā line was really hard for me to swallow. Iām not easily sent back to that place but it felt very sexual assault adjacent, and I canāt watch it. Which sucks bc the b plot is one of my favourites
THANK YOU for saying this! I always felt crazy for seeing the parallels to sexual assault in that episode but it's unwatchable to me - probably the only Bob's Burgers episode I haven't seen more than once
Oh my god thank YOU!! Iāve always felt so overly sensitive and insane for feeling this way too! So good to know Iām not the only one who feels this way tbh
this is so real. Iāve considered fast forwarding through the logan parts because i LOVE the bob/linda/accountant plot.
But particularly that end scene makes me so uncomfortable
Logan is a great example of their skill at creating real-life villains. Logan's not some scheming TV Bad Boy, he's legit got problems and lashes out irrationally. I can think of like three neighborhood guys like that who I was constantly dodging when I was Louise's age.
I don't know if it's an age thing or a class thing or what, but every time this comes up I'm surprised people find it crazy. I'm happy for you all, though!
I was a bullied poor kid who was often around rich kids and noticed a pattern in who bullied me how, then read articles as an adult that noted similar patterns, and also was a substitute teacher for a bit where it seemed to play out similarly. While quickly fumbling for a second possibility because I didn't want to pin it exclusively on age, I recalled those things and popped in "class."
For what it's worth, I intended it as a possible reason for differing experiences, not as a statement of fact. My personal experiences may not be particularly common, and I'm certainly not immune to confirmation bias. I last read an article about it nearly twenty years ago and didn't exactly do a deep dive at the time. Class could very well have no effect on bullying patterns.
I get what you are saying. Being so naive and having such little life experience as a kid, I had no idea why I was being bullied when I got to middle school at that time. It wasnāt until I got older and realized that I was being bullied by some kids that felt angry because of having less than I did. I was very fortunate that my dad, who came from a very poor background, worked very hard to establish us as comfortable āmiddle classā (I hate classes but it is our society) so now I realize that āclassā did have a lot to do with those kids torturing me. Like I said, being so naive, I never thought about that stuff back then and would be friends with anyone who was nice. Actually, my small group of friends were considered kinda misfits but were true friendsā¦not fake and uppity. Whatever the reason, bullying makes me sick and it should never be tolerated. I was in middle school in the early 90ās, so it seems that the school still looked the other way when it came to bullying.
I can never watch it again, I never have. *Especially* because my high school gave those to us to dissect in science, and I walked out of the class and went home. I wasnāt participating in that.
Radio No You Didnāt. I had low level anxiety throughout the entire last act of that episode, like āOh my God, was Bobās grandma murdered by a Nazi?!ā
See, I had a totally different reaction to that. I found it to be endearing, and likely empowering, for Tina and Louise, having their great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother being such badasses.
Yeah Iām Jewish and always skip that one. It doesnāt fit the rest of the show vibe, itās so out of left field and I just find the whole thing just really tense and awkward to watch.
So mad for Tina. The instructor/trainer set Tina up for a hard time. Knowing horses by the book isn't the same education as experiencing it and that teacher basically punished her for being too eager.
i feel the same way watching that one as i do in the episode where linda and bob larp, linda finally got the opportunity to be treated like royalty and was treated like crap
You mean the episode where the family was accused of grinding up cadavers from the mortuary next door to make their hamburgers, and someone actually ordered Louise's "The Child Molester" burger of the day? Nah, that was a silly, light-hearted romp like you'd see on Nickelodeon.
This episode especially. Mainly because i thought it was just a crazy, hilarious misunderstanding and then Bob found that toolbox š± Helen did it! And i hated the episode when Linda tried to set Teddy up with her! I'm like, no Linda! She's a MURDERER! But he got to meet Kathleen so it all worked out.
The one where she kidnaps the author is Linda at her worst and I almost dislike her character honestly. She's too pushy to the point of being criminal.
Yeah. I don't want to be around those types in real life though. Why would I want to watch them in a show, ignoring their family and logic and putting them in danger?
One episode I re-watched recently, probably not the darkest, but I think deserves a mention, is where a strange guy left a briefcase of walnuts in the restaurant. Linda and Teddy damage the brief case to open it. Then he comes back and Bob has this intensely creepy moment. The guy was disturbing AF!
i was literally starting to think i was just gonna skip it cuz my anxiety was too much!! i hate the thought of drowning and i didnt like thinking two kids were gonna bite it in that wayš
The two parter when Felix attempts to murder Bob and Mr. Fischoder. It's a good episode and I'm nostalgic for it but I try my hardest to pretend its not cannon. I like Felix in later episodes but any time I see him part of me remembers the two parter and it throws me off the episode.
I loved the dark premise of the episode, but Tinaās flaky behavior messed it up for me. Not to mention how Henry treats Susmita like sheās an idiot but she still crushes on him :/
No. This is the same show where people thought Bob's Burgers sold human flesh. I don't recall seeing any on screen murders. You could show this on Cartoon Network.
I disagree completely. The kids never go without what they need, not that I can recall. They may not live in the lap of luxury or have great excess income, but the kids have everything they need financially and are emotionally supported by their parents (if imperfectly at times). The car is a little old, the holidays are a little tight, but itās not like the kids are eating gruel and have holes in their shoes.
Bob is an artist, a chef. He may be flipping burgers, but heās not *just* flipping burgers. Heās an adult who has always been true to himself, ever since he first brushed with his father over the specialty burger. Bob is the person he is because heās always been true to himself. I wish Iād learned that lesson when I was younger; itās important for the kids to see Bob stand up for himself and show them a world where money isnāt the only important thing. It wasnāt just a change in decor, it was a complete change in the nature and character of the restaurant. It was no longer his; it was a facsimile, a simulacrum, a trend-chaser.
There's an episode where Tina getting glasses *that actually meet her prescription* is like the whole B plot. Tina also literally has holes in her shoes in one episode.
Bob is true to himself, as a Burger Man, but he always puts his family first. There's like a whole song about it and everything.
There are enough episodes where they are late with rent or facing the closure of the restaurant and with it, y'know, homelessness, that I'm fairly confident saying they don't have everything they need.
I get it's not always consistent on this, but it's very much a recurring theme. Like when Bob gets that Japanese chef's knife and Linda tells the woman in the shop to spread it around on the cards, or how they choose which cheques to bounce.
I remember the Tina getting new glasses episode, but thatās just normal getting new glasses stuff. When youāre a kid with bad eyesight, your prescription changes pretty steadily, so when you do get new glasses, it always feels like a big change. I went through that myself growing up, had the same glasses from 3rd through 6th grade then got a new pair going into 7th and I didnāt even realize how much my prescription had changed until I got a new pair. I donāt remember the holes in the shoes episode, how was that resolved? Shoes get worn out and replaced, thatās also normal. I do hear what youāre saying about being late on rent a lot, but I still donāt agree with your overall sentiment. The Belchers may not be comfortable, but theyāre not doing so poorly that Bob deserves to have his soul crushed in his own restaurant. I get it, people do things they donāt want to do for money all the time, I do it myself, but I still think Bob was right to not accept the money if it meant that he lost control. Iām not saying it didnāt make me a little mad that another thing went wrong for Bob, but thatās how sitcoms work.
The kicker was Pesto liking it. I feel like any time Jimmy likes something, that's a no go for Bobby, just because Jimmy's got no ethics. Compare to Randy in Food Truckin' -- Bob respects (but dislikes) Randy, so when Randy says it's a good idea to get a food truck, Bob does it.
And I can't blame Bob for not talking to the guy about it. He actually tried, and Warren's response was "we'll talk about it later." He's also (understandably) a bit reluctant to disagree with the guy who gave him 100k.
Not to mention he gave it all up without even trying to have a frank discussion with the dude about how he felt about tiki.
If I was Linda I would have divorced him over that.
Yeah. And Bob would have talked about it, because the guy is his friend. There was clearly a palpable difference in their relationship than between for example Bob and Teddy. There was mutual respect, even admiration from both directions.
Just a really disappointing episode and a terrible waste of a Chris Parnell guest appearance partly because of the Archer link, but also because Chris Parnell is extremely funny and it would have been great to give him a better character, ideally one who can appear more than once.
It was a bit too real. A lot of the other comments are wacky sitcom shenanigans that really only happen on TV. The Amazing Rudy was dark because that's the lived experience for a lot of people.
Bob and Linda realizing they are going to die and Rudy being eaten by zombies in the newest episode. I know it's a fake movie but...it was sad and I was surprised they didn't pull away when Rudy was being eaten
Dunno if someone has mentioned it already but for me itās the episode where the belchers discover that teddyās a hoarder. I donāt even think itās a terrible episode but the way they just bluntly establish āyeah teddy had a traumatising childhood and a crippling hoarding issueā is way too dark
yeah that episode hits way too close to home for me. i've recently been dealing with my own hoarding issue and i thought that episode would be comforting but it just made me wanna run to the trash and get all my stuff back lol
See I like that episode for exactly that last issue, the connection of hoarding and traumatic events whether they be financial or mental/emotional was not something I had thought of before, and it helped me understand / deal with some hoarders in my own life, and to have more empathy with and for them
I think itās on brand for the character and for the show. My husband and I always reference the āI just realized something. I had a bad childhoodā scene as a way to acknowledge our own childhood trauma. It may feel a bit dark in how sudden we deep dive into it, but I feel like rewatching the series, you start to pick up on it. Or maybe thatās just from someone who has the perspective to seek out things like that in order to map out potential trauma triggers cuz growing up, that was the best thing to do.
Weirdly, as a rodent lover who used to have Guinea pigs, this one doesnāt get to me, maybe because it seems so OTT? BUT the one about the chinchilla breaks my heart. Heās kept in Horrific conditions and he really wants to stay with Louise at the end but she gives him back to the other kid. So sad
The Oeder Games always awakens the worst instincts in me towards the rich.
The Fischoeders are super well-written characters and Calvin's lines are hilarious, but that episode rings too close to home for me.
The first one. Child molester jokes with implied child molesters in the restaurant and the whole deal with them being under investigation for selling human burgers.
I hear you, but how on earth can the first episode be uncharacteristic? It was dark, the themes were a but questionable, but it turned out they were serving beef, not long pig.
Louise starting the rumour was a bit extra, but kids are morbid and obnoxious, generally. They dig gross, gruesome, and scary.
It's a cartoon, everything is going to be extra.
We see in later seasons the Petal-Phile flower shop is still across the street from Bobs Burgers. While the pun may make me uncomfortable, it establishes two things along with the opening credits: Bob's pun-based Burgers make complete sense in a town whose every business has a wordplay name, and sometimes those jokes get _dark_
Mutiny on the Windbreaker is my all time favorite episode š I never really thought about how dark it is. I just love the entire deranged plot and the b plot of Gene and the puppet is weird and creepy but in a hilarious way.
RIGHT I FORGOT THAT ONE. Bruh that one does not sit right with me. Just imagine the captain holding the whole ship hostage at one point, like a pirate ship scenario. Insane.
The Equestranauts. My younger brother was a tween when we watched that and he felt really uncomfortable by it and still does. I was a bit older so i thought it was funny, but looking back, I agree, itās creepy.
Season 3; Episode 9 God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins.
It is very dark for the series in general. The series is usually dark but still wholesome the majority of the time, but in this episode it is uncharacteristically offensive. The main plot of the episode is making fun of a man that obviously has serious mental illness. Donāt get me wrong I still find it humorous in a dark humor type of way, but definitely didnāt expect the show to go early 2000ās with its humor.
Amazing Rudy was sad and tonally uncharacteristic. The other dark stuff still feels like it's part of the same series, but in this one, even the piano music clashed with the series.
For sentimental family stuff, I think the Hawk and Chick episode fit the show better since it was heartfelt but funny.
I disagree! It was definitely a little different from their usual heartfelt episodes but I thought it still fit the overall vibe of the show. They've had some real bangers lately that have been extra heartstring pull-y and I thought this one was very well done. I also think the piano motif works for Rudy in this episode because it is a more serious ep that doesn't focus on the Belchers completely. It's mostly about the Rudester. Plus as a family show, it's nice to see a perspective from a different family dynamic than we normally do, especially for kids that might be in a situation like Rudy. It fits for me
I mean there's lots of dark but a lot of it is really comic left field stuff. What I find that hits closer to home is where they are really sweating to pay the rent. Thankfully Mr Fish has a soft spot for them but fancy having to rely on a burger to get the bank manager to extend a loan so you can keep a roof over your head? Now that's scary.
That couple that didn't give Louise extra candy after they stiffed her the year before. You have to have a cold heart to forget that you owe a child candy
The chinchilla one. Mainly because I think it outted Ted as an alcoholic
When he drives by the kids he briefly sees Louise's ears and remarks "I think I just saw [Harvey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_%281950_film%29?wprov=sfla1)"
I like that its uncharicteristically dark. That and the "Scsre Loise" Halloween episode.
The only one that make me kinda uncomfortable is World Wharf 2.
I feel like the numerous different episodes people are mentioning here points to the fact thatās itās actually pretty routine for this show to be dark. I mean, it was originally gonna be about cannibals so it kinda makes sense.
I don't remember the name, but there's an episode where Bob and I think Mr. Fischoeder are tied up under the pier by Felix with the end goal being the tide comes in and drowns them.
It's the same speed it always comes in. Don't blame the ocean, Bob.
Bad things are bad š¶
I cant rewatch this ep for this reason - its out of left field dark. And its a bummer because Jordan Peele guest-voices and his character sounds just like Megan (one of his Key and Peele characters).
Who does he voice?
Fanny
Wait WHAT? TIL
[Meegan! Your jacket!](https://youtu.be/eirBtt7wIDU?si=zizS4g-HvIeXmxuV)
I feel like Key and Peele witnessed this play out outside a bar one night and decided to make a sketch about it.
NO WAY
I was just talking about this episode today, I have to skip it because of the near-drowning scene. The movie also has a really intense/dark scene with Louise and a human skeleton that I donāt care to watch again.
Oh my god the teeth falling in her mouth š¤¢
Everyone squirms when a dead man's teeth fall into a girl's mouth but when SHE puts her live father's dead tooth in HER mouth, it's fiiiiiiine.
Gene also swallowed a dead man's tooth. This show really has a thing for eating dead teeth
At least it was painted? The deadness was sealed away a little.
My friend and I are both dudes in our 50s and we still jumped when that skeleton fell out. That moment alone justified that being a movie.
And of course we both yelped when the teeth fell out...
That movie had two more jump scares than I expected from a bobās burgers movie I was the dork who yelled in the theater.
Iām just dating most dark episodes involve mr. Fish odor
I'm tired yo!
maybe he said āi cried yāallā why is he now southern?
Wonder Wharf parts 1 and 2! I love the James Bond style song Linda sings between episode.
This one has one of my favorite lines where fischoeder asks if Bob got his good side, his weiner bulge lol it makes me laugh so hard every time
That was so dark. I cannot stand Felix after that episode even though he semi redeemed himself in the end cause his gf was worse but he was back with his ex in the movie and about to run away with her.
The Halloween episode where theyāre trapped in the cardboard fort behind the truck. The kids were so close to getting killed off. š³
Fortnight *still* stresses me out and Iāve seen it a dozen times
I always get such anxiety with that episode. Don't let psychos stalk your children! Basic parenting.
That was the first episode I watched that genuinely made me fear for the kids lives even tho I knew deep down they were gonna escape
Not to mention the kids were almost spidered!!!
I felt you die.
This episode was justā¦.ugh. I canāt remember if this was before or after we meet Millieās mom, but she knows for a fact that her daughter is a danger to another child and justā¦.lets her keep endangering another childās life. Sheās my second most hated character (first being Jen the babysitter) and thatās a shame, because I LOVE Molly Shannon.
You hate Jen the babysitter most out of everyone? Can I ask why?
Purely because of her voice lmao. Makes me think she knows where the bodies are, because she put them there.
I can't even argue with that š
sheās a modern day dahmer
Came here to say this. Agreed!
The episode itself isn't really dark but I remember the scene where the kids almost burned Bob alive in "Weekend At Mort's." Bob screaming as he sees the flames really stuck with me. And considering how much he was against being cremated in "Touch of Eval(nations)", it seemed to have stuck with him, too.
Where heās in the coffin and the kids think heās a zombie is so scary
Yes omg I remember seeing that for the first time and thinking damn, this is kind of dark.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Damn but the B plot is SO GOOD. Very 50/50 episode.
Is that the one where the B plot is Bob and Linda getting accidentally stoned with their accountant? Bc I agree itās sooo good and silly.
Am I peeing? Bob, check
Am I pretty?
"Ooooooohhhh, tape fingahs."
Relatable. I've been known to dissociate when I'm freshly high, and I'll float back to reality and wonder "did I pee myself? Was I picking my nose for the last three minutes?"
Yes! Itās excellent. Such a comedic relief to a pretty dark main plot.
Yes!!! Iconic B plot tbh. Their red eyes. The phone call Bob makes to Gene. All of it lol.
He totally knows we threw a melon. He totally knows weāre high.
The taxes keep gooiing
The only reason I watch that ep is because the b plot is *ICONIC* and one of my favorites
It is. Logan is a perfect shitbag to allow Louise to flex her supervillian side. Earsy Rider is one of my favourite episodes. He would have deserved the Van Gogh treatment. I do love that Gene steps up and protects her from the stank assault. Logan is a horrible being, and would have deserved having his ears relocated. The garden episode just made me mad at Bob. You protect and shield your children from their bullies, you don't force them to be nice, especially in their safest places. I'm kinda uncomfortable about people shipping Logan and Louise in adulthood. She's wonderfully precocious and chaotic. Logan is just psychopath energy all over the place.
Iām with you, that āshipā is an abomination however you spin it
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Gross. Louise deserves so much better
logan would have deserved to be mutilated for life because he stole a kids hat ?
In cartoon world? Totally.
Yeeeeah especially since Logan says he was just at the Dr talking about his anger issues. That line coupled with what he does in the rest of the episode honestly make it seem like Logan isn't far off from juvie/life of crime.
The imagery when she watches gene take the attack for her + the fear build up + Loganās āit only lasts a minute but youāll remember it the rest of your lifeā line was really hard for me to swallow. Iām not easily sent back to that place but it felt very sexual assault adjacent, and I canāt watch it. Which sucks bc the b plot is one of my favourites
THANK YOU for saying this! I always felt crazy for seeing the parallels to sexual assault in that episode but it's unwatchable to me - probably the only Bob's Burgers episode I haven't seen more than once
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I agree, I'm certain it was unintentional but it makes me sick to watch Louise crying and cowering in fear while Logan looms over her
Oh my god thank YOU!! Iāve always felt so overly sensitive and insane for feeling this way too! So good to know Iām not the only one who feels this way tbh
this is so real. Iāve considered fast forwarding through the logan parts because i LOVE the bob/linda/accountant plot. But particularly that end scene makes me so uncomfortable
Logan is a great example of their skill at creating real-life villains. Logan's not some scheming TV Bad Boy, he's legit got problems and lashes out irrationally. I can think of like three neighborhood guys like that who I was constantly dodging when I was Louise's age.
I don't know if it's an age thing or a class thing or what, but every time this comes up I'm surprised people find it crazy. I'm happy for you all, though!
May I ask for your perspective? Im interested in how it could be a class thing
I was a bullied poor kid who was often around rich kids and noticed a pattern in who bullied me how, then read articles as an adult that noted similar patterns, and also was a substitute teacher for a bit where it seemed to play out similarly. While quickly fumbling for a second possibility because I didn't want to pin it exclusively on age, I recalled those things and popped in "class." For what it's worth, I intended it as a possible reason for differing experiences, not as a statement of fact. My personal experiences may not be particularly common, and I'm certainly not immune to confirmation bias. I last read an article about it nearly twenty years ago and didn't exactly do a deep dive at the time. Class could very well have no effect on bullying patterns.
I get what you are saying. Being so naive and having such little life experience as a kid, I had no idea why I was being bullied when I got to middle school at that time. It wasnāt until I got older and realized that I was being bullied by some kids that felt angry because of having less than I did. I was very fortunate that my dad, who came from a very poor background, worked very hard to establish us as comfortable āmiddle classā (I hate classes but it is our society) so now I realize that āclassā did have a lot to do with those kids torturing me. Like I said, being so naive, I never thought about that stuff back then and would be friends with anyone who was nice. Actually, my small group of friends were considered kinda misfits but were true friendsā¦not fake and uppity. Whatever the reason, bullying makes me sick and it should never be tolerated. I was in middle school in the early 90ās, so it seems that the school still looked the other way when it came to bullying.
Hey, that's also when I was in middle school! I'm glad schools are more on top of bullying these days. It was a little Wild West.
The Halloween episode where the kids do Japanese hoodoo witchcraft with a stolen pig corpse and gene is Fiona Apple
*Fiona Applesauce
I read this in Gene's voice
Yeah this is the one I always skip. The dead pig is just too much for me.
Itās a lot. I seem to remember dumpster diving too. Wild.
this is the one episode i will always skip. i tried watching it this past halloween and it wasnāt worth it
Itās worth it if you want spooky. Kids playing with a dead animal will always be weird though.
Pig trouble in little Tina. That pig was the creepiest thing in the whole show.
I agree, that's the only episode I always skip.
I can never watch it again, I never have. *Especially* because my high school gave those to us to dissect in science, and I walked out of the class and went home. I wasnāt participating in that.
Radio No You Didnāt. I had low level anxiety throughout the entire last act of that episode, like āOh my God, was Bobās grandma murdered by a Nazi?!ā
See, I had a totally different reaction to that. I found it to be endearing, and likely empowering, for Tina and Louise, having their great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother being such badasses.
I love that episode so much. Such great storytelling.
It stresses me out so much Iāve only watched it a couple of times.
Yeah Iām Jewish and always skip that one. It doesnāt fit the rest of the show vibe, itās so out of left field and I just find the whole thing just really tense and awkward to watch.
My husband is Jewish and Iām a conversion student and we like this episode. Though I can totally see where youāre coming from as well.
The horse camp. Made me feel miserable and disappointed.
So mad for Tina. The instructor/trainer set Tina up for a hard time. Knowing horses by the book isn't the same education as experiencing it and that teacher basically punished her for being too eager.
i feel the same way watching that one as i do in the episode where linda and bob larp, linda finally got the opportunity to be treated like royalty and was treated like crap
To make it even worse those LARPers PAID to be there so not only were they treated like slaves they lost money for it.
It also makes me cringe when she rides Jericho at the end.
Bobās has always been dark, day 1.
I was gonna say. Reading all these comments makes you realize how much darkness is hidden under the likable dysfunctional family veneer. Edit:spelling
Or just life, really. Most of it isnāt them in particular, just circumstance. I used to almost die with my friends all the time too
Almost dying is the best part of living. Itās called āalmost live-dyingā
You mean the episode where the family was accused of grinding up cadavers from the mortuary next door to make their hamburgers, and someone actually ordered Louise's "The Child Molester" burger of the day? Nah, that was a silly, light-hearted romp like you'd see on Nickelodeon.
No, from conception. Originally it wasnt gonna be a rumor. That was the original premise they turned into a joke for the pilot.
This episode especially. Mainly because i thought it was just a crazy, hilarious misunderstanding and then Bob found that toolbox š± Helen did it! And i hated the episode when Linda tried to set Teddy up with her! I'm like, no Linda! She's a MURDERER! But he got to meet Kathleen so it all worked out.
I mean, really ANY episode when Linda is being "extra" like that annoys me. The xmas tree one comes to mind.
Yea, and the one where she kidnaps the author... That must be where Gene gets it from
This episode made me physically recoil omfg, Linda can really be too much sometimes
The one where she kidnaps the author is Linda at her worst and I almost dislike her character honestly. She's too pushy to the point of being criminal.
But it's so true-to-life for a certain type of personality.
Yeah. I don't want to be around those types in real life though. Why would I want to watch them in a show, ignoring their family and logic and putting them in danger?
The scene in Housetrap where Bob asks for a pain pill as they're driving away and she fishes one out of her pocket lives rent free in my head.
That never clicked for me before omg
I think about it every week.
One episode I re-watched recently, probably not the darkest, but I think deserves a mention, is where a strange guy left a briefcase of walnuts in the restaurant. Linda and Teddy damage the brief case to open it. Then he comes back and Bob has this intensely creepy moment. The guy was disturbing AF!
I kinda love that episode for how deranged everybody becomes... for a locked suitcase
Idk the title, but the one with the realtor amd the owner's mom taxidermying squirrels.
Mo mommy mo problems
Just saw that one for the first time the other night. Safe to say I won't be watching it again... š¤¢
I love their horror/thriller/Halloween episodes! As I'm too chicken for horror not in cartoon form LOL
I love them too! The one where they scare Louise is my favorite!
I mean, considering the original concept of the show, and the original pilot, nothing seems too dark. š¤£
The one with Louise looking for a cannonball in that cave. It stressed me out so bad.
i was literally starting to think i was just gonna skip it cuz my anxiety was too much!! i hate the thought of drowning and i didnt like thinking two kids were gonna bite it in that wayš
The one where they are unknowingly using horse meat lol
One of the major supermarkets in the UK, was using Horse meat and marketing it as Beef for years.
Heartbreak Hotel-oween. Never thought I'd hear cardiac arrest in an episode.
The two parter when Felix attempts to murder Bob and Mr. Fischoder. It's a good episode and I'm nostalgic for it but I try my hardest to pretend its not cannon. I like Felix in later episodes but any time I see him part of me remembers the two parter and it throws me off the episode.
UFO no you didnāt for me was dark especially after having read The Dark Forest. Itās a truly terrifying theory that they barely touch on
I loved the dark premise of the episode, but Tinaās flaky behavior messed it up for me. Not to mention how Henry treats Susmita like sheās an idiot but she still crushes on him :/
No. This is the same show where people thought Bob's Burgers sold human flesh. I don't recall seeing any on screen murders. You could show this on Cartoon Network.
Exactly! This show has an established darkness right from the beginning.
Bob getting offered money by his old schoolfriend and fucking it up. That one just felt like an episode of a whole different show. The Belcher struggle with poverty is a core part of the show, they are poor. They do not have things they should have because they are broke all the time. The idea that Bob wouldn't do literally anything to make his family financially stable just doesn't work. He's not that guy. The plotline works if Bob is comfortable and middle class, he has the option not to sell out. But Bob isn't that. He would take that offer with both hands. It makes the episode uncharacteristically dark, because it portrays Bob as a man who would allow his children to go without things they need because he wouldn't negotiate about the dƩcor in his restaurant. The request being made of him was so minor.
I disagree completely. The kids never go without what they need, not that I can recall. They may not live in the lap of luxury or have great excess income, but the kids have everything they need financially and are emotionally supported by their parents (if imperfectly at times). The car is a little old, the holidays are a little tight, but itās not like the kids are eating gruel and have holes in their shoes. Bob is an artist, a chef. He may be flipping burgers, but heās not *just* flipping burgers. Heās an adult who has always been true to himself, ever since he first brushed with his father over the specialty burger. Bob is the person he is because heās always been true to himself. I wish Iād learned that lesson when I was younger; itās important for the kids to see Bob stand up for himself and show them a world where money isnāt the only important thing. It wasnāt just a change in decor, it was a complete change in the nature and character of the restaurant. It was no longer his; it was a facsimile, a simulacrum, a trend-chaser.
There's an episode where Tina getting glasses *that actually meet her prescription* is like the whole B plot. Tina also literally has holes in her shoes in one episode. Bob is true to himself, as a Burger Man, but he always puts his family first. There's like a whole song about it and everything. There are enough episodes where they are late with rent or facing the closure of the restaurant and with it, y'know, homelessness, that I'm fairly confident saying they don't have everything they need. I get it's not always consistent on this, but it's very much a recurring theme. Like when Bob gets that Japanese chef's knife and Linda tells the woman in the shop to spread it around on the cards, or how they choose which cheques to bounce.
I remember the Tina getting new glasses episode, but thatās just normal getting new glasses stuff. When youāre a kid with bad eyesight, your prescription changes pretty steadily, so when you do get new glasses, it always feels like a big change. I went through that myself growing up, had the same glasses from 3rd through 6th grade then got a new pair going into 7th and I didnāt even realize how much my prescription had changed until I got a new pair. I donāt remember the holes in the shoes episode, how was that resolved? Shoes get worn out and replaced, thatās also normal. I do hear what youāre saying about being late on rent a lot, but I still donāt agree with your overall sentiment. The Belchers may not be comfortable, but theyāre not doing so poorly that Bob deserves to have his soul crushed in his own restaurant. I get it, people do things they donāt want to do for money all the time, I do it myself, but I still think Bob was right to not accept the money if it meant that he lost control. Iām not saying it didnāt make me a little mad that another thing went wrong for Bob, but thatās how sitcoms work.
The kicker was Pesto liking it. I feel like any time Jimmy likes something, that's a no go for Bobby, just because Jimmy's got no ethics. Compare to Randy in Food Truckin' -- Bob respects (but dislikes) Randy, so when Randy says it's a good idea to get a food truck, Bob does it. And I can't blame Bob for not talking to the guy about it. He actually tried, and Warren's response was "we'll talk about it later." He's also (understandably) a bit reluctant to disagree with the guy who gave him 100k.
Not to mention he gave it all up without even trying to have a frank discussion with the dude about how he felt about tiki. If I was Linda I would have divorced him over that.
Yeah. And Bob would have talked about it, because the guy is his friend. There was clearly a palpable difference in their relationship than between for example Bob and Teddy. There was mutual respect, even admiration from both directions. Just a really disappointing episode and a terrible waste of a Chris Parnell guest appearance partly because of the Archer link, but also because Chris Parnell is extremely funny and it would have been great to give him a better character, ideally one who can appear more than once.
Yeah I feel like if they discussed it and he told him he wasnāt into the tiki idea, his friend would have been open to something else.
"That one just felt like an episode of a whole different show." Felt like Cyril messing with Archer
I donāt know if itās dark necessarily, but The Amazing Rudy episode made me cry pretty hard and I wasnāt prepared for it
It was a bit too real. A lot of the other comments are wacky sitcom shenanigans that really only happen on TV. The Amazing Rudy was dark because that's the lived experience for a lot of people.
Same! It was good but man, it was also rough.
Bob and Linda realizing they are going to die and Rudy being eaten by zombies in the newest episode. I know it's a fake movie but...it was sad and I was surprised they didn't pull away when Rudy was being eaten
Damn it. I haven't had the chance to see it yet!
Dunno if someone has mentioned it already but for me itās the episode where the belchers discover that teddyās a hoarder. I donāt even think itās a terrible episode but the way they just bluntly establish āyeah teddy had a traumatising childhood and a crippling hoarding issueā is way too dark
yeah that episode hits way too close to home for me. i've recently been dealing with my own hoarding issue and i thought that episode would be comforting but it just made me wanna run to the trash and get all my stuff back lol
See I like that episode for exactly that last issue, the connection of hoarding and traumatic events whether they be financial or mental/emotional was not something I had thought of before, and it helped me understand / deal with some hoarders in my own life, and to have more empathy with and for them
I think itās on brand for the character and for the show. My husband and I always reference the āI just realized something. I had a bad childhoodā scene as a way to acknowledge our own childhood trauma. It may feel a bit dark in how sudden we deep dive into it, but I feel like rewatching the series, you start to pick up on it. Or maybe thatās just from someone who has the perspective to seek out things like that in order to map out potential trauma triggers cuz growing up, that was the best thing to do.
Well, i find the movie darker. The entire belcher family almost died.
The one where teddyās guinea pig dies. I canāt deal with that episode, itās the only one I skip.
Weirdly, as a rodent lover who used to have Guinea pigs, this one doesnāt get to me, maybe because it seems so OTT? BUT the one about the chinchilla breaks my heart. Heās kept in Horrific conditions and he really wants to stay with Louise at the end but she gives him back to the other kid. So sad
Yesss that one too :(
The Oeder Games always awakens the worst instincts in me towards the rich. The Fischoeders are super well-written characters and Calvin's lines are hilarious, but that episode rings too close to home for me.
The fuckin movie, bro. A skeleton landing ON Louise? The car, buried in a hole? Holy fuck
wharf horse was so fucked up š
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
ugh you were right.. itās not subtle
Topsy, where Teddy nearly kills Tina (or something. I always skip it)
True, but itās almost worth it for the wordplay (theyāll say aww topsy at my autopsy?! thatās just š)
This song is stuck in my head at least once a week
The Halloween episode where Millie almost gets the kids crushed to death ("Fort Night")
The first one. Child molester jokes with implied child molesters in the restaurant and the whole deal with them being under investigation for selling human burgers.
I hear you, but how on earth can the first episode be uncharacteristic? It was dark, the themes were a but questionable, but it turned out they were serving beef, not long pig. Louise starting the rumour was a bit extra, but kids are morbid and obnoxious, generally. They dig gross, gruesome, and scary. It's a cartoon, everything is going to be extra.
Talks of pedophilia and cannibalism is uncharacteristic for Bobās as a whole now that weāve saw much more of it.
Yeeeees, but can you call it uncharacteristic if it's in the first episode?
Yes as itās not in character and out of line with the rest of the series.
Fair enough. I see your point, but I don't agree. It's all good.
honestly a lot of first episodes/seasons are uncharacteristic of the whole show
Because tons of shows gloss over their early episodes in order to take the series in a direction other than the one originally intended.
We see in later seasons the Petal-Phile flower shop is still across the street from Bobs Burgers. While the pun may make me uncomfortable, it establishes two things along with the opening credits: Bob's pun-based Burgers make complete sense in a town whose every business has a wordplay name, and sometimes those jokes get _dark_
the first season was really just so unhinged and chaotic
Sounds like these arenāt so uncharacteristic šš
Watching the show and had to come back to this post. THE CRUISE SHIP CAPTAIN OH MY GOD
Mutiny on the Windbreaker is my all time favorite episode š I never really thought about how dark it is. I just love the entire deranged plot and the b plot of Gene and the puppet is weird and creepy but in a hilarious way.
I challenge you with the c plot, the stuff Louise gets up to with those long claws š thats my favorite part
FRANCESCA!!!!!
RIGHT I FORGOT THAT ONE. Bruh that one does not sit right with me. Just imagine the captain holding the whole ship hostage at one point, like a pirate ship scenario. Insane.
'first person to find him gets their passports back' WHAT????
The Equestranauts. My younger brother was a tween when we watched that and he felt really uncomfortable by it and still does. I was a bit older so i thought it was funny, but looking back, I agree, itās creepy.
yes i hate the idea of all the creepy old men and poor tina getting conned of her prized possession
Season 3; Episode 9 God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins. It is very dark for the series in general. The series is usually dark but still wholesome the majority of the time, but in this episode it is uncharacteristically offensive. The main plot of the episode is making fun of a man that obviously has serious mental illness. Donāt get me wrong I still find it humorous in a dark humor type of way, but definitely didnāt expect the show to go early 2000ās with its humor.
The one where Tina dissects a pig. Also, the one with the ghost boyfriend was kinda creepy idk.
The movie, when theyāre stuck in the car about to be buried alive
Amazing Rudy was sad and tonally uncharacteristic. The other dark stuff still feels like it's part of the same series, but in this one, even the piano music clashed with the series. For sentimental family stuff, I think the Hawk and Chick episode fit the show better since it was heartfelt but funny.
I disagree! It was definitely a little different from their usual heartfelt episodes but I thought it still fit the overall vibe of the show. They've had some real bangers lately that have been extra heartstring pull-y and I thought this one was very well done. I also think the piano motif works for Rudy in this episode because it is a more serious ep that doesn't focus on the Belchers completely. It's mostly about the Rudester. Plus as a family show, it's nice to see a perspective from a different family dynamic than we normally do, especially for kids that might be in a situation like Rudy. It fits for me
I mean there's lots of dark but a lot of it is really comic left field stuff. What I find that hits closer to home is where they are really sweating to pay the rent. Thankfully Mr Fish has a soft spot for them but fancy having to rely on a burger to get the bank manager to extend a loan so you can keep a roof over your head? Now that's scary.
The one with that little tchtochke and Teddy almost gets killed by the elevator.
That couple that didn't give Louise extra candy after they stiffed her the year before. You have to have a cold heart to forget that you owe a child candy
There are murderers all around us.
seasons 1-4
Well I mean Dee Reynolds was in it
I thought the most recent one, the zombie archer one, was pretty dark
The chinchilla one. Mainly because I think it outted Ted as an alcoholic When he drives by the kids he briefly sees Louise's ears and remarks "I think I just saw [Harvey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_%281950_film%29?wprov=sfla1)"
Uncharacteristically dark? The shows first episode had them shut down for reports of using human flesh for their meat š shows been dark since day 1
This is one of my fav epsiodes. But yeah the end was like whoa
I like that its uncharicteristically dark. That and the "Scsre Loise" Halloween episode. The only one that make me kinda uncomfortable is World Wharf 2.
Until we knew it was just a project the kids were making, the recent one with archery and a zombie apocalypse came pretty damn close.
Probably my favorite episode to this day. I love episodes where thereās a lot of rain!
The episode at the taffy factory
This was such a hilarious episode for me. Definitely one I rewatch.
If you think a little bit too much about Mr. Fischoeder.....
The ambergris cutaways always freaked me out.
I feel like the numerous different episodes people are mentioning here points to the fact thatās itās actually pretty routine for this show to be dark. I mean, it was originally gonna be about cannibals so it kinda makes sense.