‘Bob’s Burgers’ is an animated series about a man, his family and a burger joint.(Shannonpatrick17/Flickr Creative Commons)
***Spoilers***
“Bob’s Burgers” returned to television on Sunday night with its usual one-liners and atypical family drama.
The season seven premiere, titled “Flu-ouise” featured a bed-ridden Louise and her vivid fever dream. After Linda dropped Louise’s favorite toy, Kuchi Kopi, in the toilet the family ruined the toy by trying to clean and dry it. Louise is furious.
Louise falls asleep and dreams she is in a dark and swampy land with her distorted Kuchi Kopi toy. Kuchi Kopi said they should travel to his fortress where they can be safe and use a Jacuzzi. The other characters in the dream, her favorite toys in real life, hate the fortress because it blocks out all the sunlight.
The usual characters perform their usual hilarious roles- Tina suggests placing the toy in rice and in the oven to dry out, which results in a very droopy toy. Teddy, the friendly burger eater, tries to reform the toy with a heat gun. This just gives the toy boobs.
At the end of the episode, Louise realizes that the fortress was a metaphor for the walls she is putting around herself when she refuses to forgive her parents. The angry fortress blocks all the sunlight and happiness her family gives her.
The love the Belcher family shows to get Louise her toy back is just at heartfelt as Louise’s forgiveness of her family. As quirky as the Belcher children are, I’m glad they still have a healthy relationship with their parents.
As far as “Bob’s Burgers” episodes go, this one didn’t have me breaking out in laughter. I chuckled a bit when the episode revealed itself as a musical and when I realized the toys in the dream were voiced by Bob, Linda, Jean and Tina. For a season premiere I expected a bit more humor.
It’s possible the writers are attempting to bring in more serious and relatable themes. I hope that’s not the case.
Amy Schumer has a cameo in the episode, although it wasn’t noticeable at first watch.
Watch “Bob’s Burgers” Sunday nights at 7:30 p.m. on FOX.
Rating: B-
Claire Galvin is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at claire.galvin@uconn.edu.