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Otherwise, the few weeks since we last had content with the previous episode and the movie trailer, things were getting out of hand if we gonna be honest. I was planning on being active during the break and putting out content. Possibly talking about the movie and such. Well...remember that same week of the episode and trailer to the movie? Well...at the end of that week, let’s just say...I had come into close contact with my mom. I had to get tested, thank god for those at-home testing kits, and came back negative. Only to end up not feeling well and found out that it might’ve been a false negative and surprise, I may had COVID during the first week of the hiatus and also kept it in the dark while under quarantine. That was back in January. I’m fully recovered, by the way, leading up to here we are right now. Had some fatigue, coughing, and some headaches. So technically, the symptoms were mild and nothing serious. But this is a reminder to everyone that COVID is no joke and even though you’re hearing that the cases are starting to fall, this shit could bounce back possibly by the time summer rolls around. And please, for the love of God, get fucking vaccinated.
On this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers, Bob and Linda make their way to the ferry and travel to King’s Head Island for a Valentine’s Day dinner date, I know, I know, and we’ll get to that, as the kids try to sell some cheap candy but have to get through Jen standing in their way in my spoilerific review of the twelfth episode of Season 12 of Bob’s Burgers, titled “Ferry on My Wayward Bob and Linda”.
And I know what you’re saying, why the hell do we even have a Valentine’s Day episode a few weeks after the holiday? Knowing that once the review is out, we’ll already be in the month of March. Thanks a lot, 20th Century Studios. Would’ve been better if this would’ve aired back in January and the previous episode, “Touch of Eval(uations)”, to be held off until this very week because of both the Winter Olympics and the NFL playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl. That actually should’ve worked. I mean, 2018 with the second half of Season 8 did that by having “V for Valentine-detta” air in January of that year. Or maybe not have a Valentine’s Day episode and wait off until the next season.
And I know what you’re thinking, what about “Romancing the Beef” from last season? That aired a week late from Valentine’s Day where it was originally supposed to air? Yeah, but that was delayed a week because of a rain delay that didn’t even postpone the race to the next day and instead, have the show to be postponed to the following week. Leaving Canada to have all the fun by having the episode aired on time. I know that because that was also the same week the ice storm, i.e. Winter Storm Uri, happened and lost power, water, and heat for more than 24 hours. That was not a pleasant experience. But other than that, we have a Valentine’s Day episode this late in the season and hopefully, this won’t happen again...once 2026 hits of course. And until then, I might as well hop on the boat and float our way through this episode piece by piece, this is “Ferry on My Wayward Bob and Linda”.
So the episode begins with Linda serving a random customer their lunch before heading back to the booth where Teddy brings up the question of what Bob and Linda are planning on doing for Valentine’s Day. Almost feels like them planning on something for the holiday should probably need to be confidential, just saying because you don’t know what they’re planning on doing. But it is Valentine’s Day...Eve since that is pretty much the setting for the start of the episode and what Teddy said to Bob and Linda and say what they’re planning on doing tomorrow. Tomorrow being Valentine’s Day.
Though that conversation has been interrupted by another customer who everyone thought she was choking while eating, instead, she seems to enjoy Bob’s cooking when taking the first bite, everyone knows the rules. And reveals to be an owner of a restaurant over at King’s Head Island called the Tomato Place. And knowing that it is the Valentine’s Day holiday and she needed a bite to eat while heading her way to the mainland to visit the farmer’s market when she came across at the restaurant. Hence, here we are, and knowing that it’s Valentine’s Day and the dinner rush with the influx of people with their dates for the holiday, she’s going to be busy as ever. But not before inviting Bob and Linda to her place for dinner for the holiday tomorrow night since it pretty much they don’t have anything planned for the big day. You’d think that either one, mostly Bob, would be against the idea but hey, it is Valentine’s Day. You two needed something for once in your lives and they agreed to the owner, named Rachel, on her invitation for a dinner date at her place. And of course, since Bob and Linda are heading off to their dinner date away from the mainland and into King’s Head Island via ferry, they need a babysitter to watch the kids for the night.
And that’s where Jen comes in because again, Bob and Linda are going to be out for a while to enjoy their dinner date at King’s Head Island knowing that it’s going to be a very long night for them, hence, they need a someone who can watch over them for the entire night. Sure, there’s Tina but who knows how long Bob and Linda are going to be and on Valentine’s Day, so Jen has to come into the picture and pretty much sets up shop for the B-plot of the episode regarding the episode.
Of course, it ain’t Valentine’s Day and a holiday episode from Bob’s Burgers when it comes to all things love without having Tina mentioning Jimmy Jr because it can’t be just The Bob and Linda Show on this Valentine’s Day Episode in March. Because why not. We had that last season with Jimmy Jr sending Tina a text on her way home from Tammy’s party. This year, we have Tina losing a shoe because her shoe was untied, luckily she didn’t step on the lace and cause her to trip because that would be one of the moments that Tina would never live down. She hops on one foot because she lost her shoe and then comes Jimmy Jr, who dances his way to her with her missing shoe and puts on Cinderella-style. Didn’t even bother tying it for her. Though the fact-checkers believe that this was false because while yes, Jimmy Jr did return Tina’s shoe to her, it was Tina, coming from Louise, that said Jimmy Jr was originally going to throw it away because he doesn’t know who shoe it was before seeing Tina hopping her way to the pull-up section as if she’s been amputated following an accident. But hey, that’s not going to stop Tina from fantasizing about the ordeal as if she’s living in a fairy tale.
Bob and Linda finally left the house and make their way to the ferry and make their way to King’s Head Island with optimism already rolling through their heads while riding on the cab. But once they made it to the station is where the panic button begins to hit for the married couple because once they arrived, they noticed their only mode of transportation to get to King’s Head Island is about to set sail. And unless they could, oh I don’t know, swim their way to the island even though it’s February and the weather is cold, hence the jackets. But also the water temperature should be cold as well, so unless they participated in an iron man triathlon or did some military training, it would not be pleasant for both Bob and Linda. Though just be thankful that the two finally made it to their ferry ride and they could enjoy their date. But knowing that we’re only 5-6 minutes into the episode, of course there has to be a mishap. What kind of mishap?
Try getting onto the wrong boat going towards the wrong island. Rather the wrong portion of King’s Head Island because Bob and Linda were supposed to head over to the downtown portion of the island. But instead, they took the wrong boat to the other side of the island called Littleneck Harbor. AKA, the backwoods rural area of the island that is pretty much a pass-by while driving. Kinda like most small-town cities going from one major city to another while driving through the interstate. I mean, it did take them a while to realize that something is off while riding on the ferry and seeing the city lights passing by. Possibly imagine Linda saying, “Oh, the lights look so pretty from where we are right now. Wait, why aren’t we heading that way there where the docks are a- oh shit.” And that’s pretty much sums up their current situation right now at only eight minutes into the episode.
Bob and Linda landed at the wrong side of the island over at the outskirts of the area this is rural and garners not a lot of visitors. And the so-called “power couple” that Rachel dubbed Bob and Linda earlier in the week now have to make their way to the trail in hopes to possibly hitch a ride to get to the downtown portion of the area. Although when looking at the episode the first time, you’d think that Littleneck Harbor would be its own separate island much like King’s Head Island. But no, they’re a driving distance from each other and that’s why Bob and Linda are making their way across the trail and hopes they can either get out of the trail and find an open road or find a random house and pray that their date night doesn’t turn into a plot to a horror film.
Well, their location over at a farm seems to be no picnic at the park with a sign at the gate door reading “trespassers will be sheared” attached. Pretty much the show’s way of saying that the owner is armed and not afraid to shoot down someone, only to replace a gun with a garden shear because kiddos watch the show despite being an adult animated program mind you. Besides, looking at the time of night where you have a couple coming into a farm in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees, tell me that doesn’t scream the plot of a horror film? But we’re not going in that direction as Bob and Linda were greeted by the farm’s owner and hopes for her to hitch a ride to make their way to the town, which she agrees and good for the couple because it would give them time and leverage to make their way to their dinner date over at the Tomato Place. However, it looks like they might have hit a bit of a snag. As if boarding the wrong ferry wasn’t bad enough, it looks like Bob and Linda may going to have to wait to get to their destination because their designated driver has to do some stuff first before driving them to their Point B from Point A. Which is, of course, the farmer needs to capture the sheep and put it away. And this is where Bob and Linda come into play if they want to make it to their date before the restaurant closes for the night. How much damage can these two create? Well, if you’re talking about the sheep?
Yeah, that much damage. Not to the building but to Bob and Linda, who are now covered in dirt and sheep poop that ruined their clothes and also the body odor coming from the sheep. Already making things going from bad to worse for the couple on Valentine’s Day no less but because the script says so, they have to at least suffer as if we’re watching the torture scene from the Saw movies. Which scenes? All of it. The Saw films are pretty much torture porn if you summarize the franchise in a few words. What Bob and Linda are going through isn’t even torture porn but more of following the status quo because there has to be some mishap and without it, it would feel like a boring episode. Bob and Linda had to go through countless minutes of going after the sheep and possibly making fun of them, the sheep to Bob and Linda I mean if you look at their perspective, as they let the sheep go towards the herder and begin wrangling them. Finally locking them up at their den following their very long battle and gained the damage that they received. Mostly with the poop and dirt ruining their clothes and also the stench from the sheep now covering their bodies. Not to mention that they could possibly stink up the place.
But at least the battle is over for Bob and Linda when dealing with the sheep and now they can finally get to the downtown portion of King’s Head Island...if it weren’t for them to hit yet another snag on their way to the restaurant when noticing that the passenger seat of that farmer’s car is missing. Rather, removed from the vehicle. And she didn’t do that because she only want the car only for herself. She ordered a new set and she had to wait for a few weeks to arrive. Meaning that for the time being, Bob and Linda will have to ride in style much like what most high school and possibly college kids would do when hitching a ride. Riding on the back of a pick-up truck. Feeling the wind passing by and hope you don’t fall off if the truck either speeds up or ends up hitting a bump on the road. Because that’s pretty much one of the many last things that Bob and/or Linda needed on Valentine’s Day and they already suffered enough.
Enough for Bob at least once he and Linda finally arrived at the restaurant and still right on time. Though you’d think that they should have phones on them and...oh I don’t know, call a cab to pick them up. I mean, how’s the reception there knowing that they made it to the outskirts of the island? Well, I think the second one might’ve well been answered to a nearby cell tower if possible to find. But other than that and the questions that might never be answered, though the phone really should’ve come in handy for the adults, though if they did, it could possibly be damaged, possibly at the minor to moderate side during the sheep herd. Bob is ready to throw the towel but Linda on the other says “not so fast” and convinces Bob to at least not consider their night a total loss. And does she does it you may ask by the way?
By coming up with an analogy by going into backstory mode with Linda, as a young adult (note that this is before meeting Bob), over at the bar where she was a pro at air hockey. Turning people into her bitches whenever someone dared to challenge her to a game. Hell, when Linda finished beating that one guy, his friend took over and didn’t even get the chance to hit the puck. Though one game almost ended her career and about to become a laughingstock after getting hit in the boob with everyone laughing at her over one injury. Though surprising that Linda didn’t even say “ow, my face”, rather “ow, my boob” like she usually does. As she stated, she got it just for taking the game a little too serious that she almost became the joke of the bar if it weren’t for stuffing an ice cube or two under her bra and winning the match. How does this tie in with the current situation? It pretty much boils down to their night is not a total loss despite hitting one too many snags from riding on the wrong ferry to being covered in dirt and sheep crap and look at that, they still made it in time. Sure, they’re about to stink up the place and are in desperate need of a shower after this, but they’re here. Closing out the episode, the main plot portion, with them about to enter the restaurant. Which I’m sure they had a nice night...other than of course, stinking up the place that it might need to close down for a day or two to get the stench out.
But hey, at least the night isn’t a total fucking loss and again, I have to give some credit to the current season for showing flashback after flashback as well as some info dump being sprinkled into the pot and as I said throughout this season when doing the reviews, I feel like we’re setting up shop for the movie. I really think we’re setting up shop for the movie from the overarching use of flashbacks and stuff we don’t know about Bob and Linda, mostly Linda if we’re gonna be honest here, to...well...at the time of this review being made, you have seen a tweet from Kristen Schaal stating to be wary of some clues that may lead to the movie. Yeah...I think we already know the answer. Well, I now know the answer. One of them if possible and that is when you look at when the scene changes to the front of the restaurant, you notice that something is off with the sidewalk. And apparently, this has happened since the start of the season. If not, far back as later in the previous season. And what is the plot of the movie set for release in May if we don’t get into a nuclear war? A fucking sinkhole. Right out front of the restaurant and threatening the business. As for how it happened. Who knows. We’ll have to wait and see once May hits and we’ll continue to see the sidewalk outside of the restaurant getting more fucked up by the minute. So while Bob and Linda are dealing with some problems like it’s the obstacle course from Wipeout...
Back at the Belchers’ place, you have the kids and Jen doing some stuff to kill some time before Louise interrupts them and calls in both Tina and Gene for a secret kids meeting. Tricking Jen into thinking that she needs a wedgie to pull out. Her words, people. Her words. Thus, heading their way to the hallway where Louise tells her siblings that the drugstore nearby is selling discount candy and they want to head over there. Of course, they need to get past Jen and then you remember, oh right, it’s Jen. Whoever is the babysitter for the kids, either Jen or Tina, may not be going to have a pleasant time in how to not to fall to her shtick that leads her to do whatever she wants.
Or so she thought once the kids make their way back to the living room and ask Jen if they can go for a quick stroll if they want to make their way to the drugstore to get the discounted candy. They almost had it. I mean again, this is Jen we’re talking about. Like Tina for sometimes, she can be easily manipulated by Louise in hopes for her to do something only for once the episode ends where they take the blame and save Jen’s job despite her duties being questioned by Bob and Linda. But it looks like Jen this time around ain’t going to take the kids’ shit anymore and orders them to go to their room once she gets a notification on her phone. Telling them to sit their asses down and not head out for the night. You could say that it’s probably Bob and Linda who sent the text because they missed their ferry ride and alerted Jen that they’ll probably going to be a little late. But they don’t have their phone in their pockets. Who sent the text to Jen to cause her to act like a responsible babysitter for once?
Well, leave that to Tina, being sent by Louise, to investigate what’s going on and to at least level with Jen to at least convince her to let them out for the night. Tina comes into the living room and sees Jen, who apparently pulls out lipstick from her back and even asks her how to properly put it on. I mean, you’re asking someone who is your client on how to put on lipstick or lip balm. Let’s also not forget that you’re asking someone like Tina, who once tried out makeup and didn’t bode well with her when trying on the cosmetics for the first time. Though it didn’t take long for Tina to connect two and two together and realized that because it’s Valentine’s Day, yeah, Jen is bringing in a boy over. Which is pretty much one of the cardinal sins for babysitters that they don’t usually listen and Tina knows that. A few instances to be exact in this show’s history.
Louise got the reason for why Jen is acting strange and she doesn’t want to be locked down because there’s candy at stake for her and the siblings. But it looks like getting past Jen, who can be easily gullible at times whenever she babysits them. So now, because of Jen bringing in her boy toy to the house, your first possible option is to blackmail Jen because she brought a guy over to a client’s home and would be ready to tell Bob and Linda that she has no other choice but to let them go. But of course, Louise wouldn’t do that, well, the current version of Louise unlike with what happened in “Bad Tina” where she blackmailed Tina to do some stuff for her and Gene when inviting Tammy, Jimmy Jr, and Zeke without permission and also taking a sip of a bottle of margarita mix. So that leaves the second option, which is to sneak out while Jen isn’t looking. Especially once she is occupied with her boy toy. And they waited...for countless moments. That’s pretty much what they did for almost the entire subplot. Now, to Jen.
During the stakeout, we were introduced to the person who she may have a crush on who is pretty much doomed to be a one-off in Christopher, voiced by Joe Pera. Which to be perfectly honest when searching him up, the resemblance between his character on the show and the actor himself looks very similar as if...you know in certain animated series whenever there’s a guest star who happened to be a celebrity and being voiced by a said celebrity? Yeah, this is pretty much Pera’s character on the show because his character looks like him the more you look at him when being around Jen. And yeah, let’s talk about Jen in the remaining scenes of the subplot as the kids stake out by the halls.
Because take a look at her date. He’s taller than her. He carries a bag as if he’s just coming out from law school and thought to ourselves that Jen would be in her 20s and she is if you look at the Bob’s Burgers Wiki, I thought she would be a college student hoping to make some buck. Though what kind of clients pay their babysitter while on the budget because the owner pretty much hates having success. And the way you look at Jen and her date, who appears to be a notary and going through her documents like her birth certificate for example. Like I’m sorry, how old is Christopher? How old is Jen? I know that she appears in her 20s while Christopher...he might scream mid-to-late 20s going into his 30s. This almost feels as if a college student, unknown if she’s either a student or possibly a graduate, were to date their professor. That almost sums up Jen and Christopher in a nutshell. Hell, when Jen gave Christopher her birth certificate and then have her imprint her thumbprint onto the book, I don’t know how notaries work, to the point where Jen feels a bit turned on when feeling Christopher’s hand touching hers as she prints her thumb into the book. Tell me that breathing sounds she makes coming from Jen doesn’t feel like she’s getting turned on?
So the kids are now throwing in the towel and just calling it a night, thanks for possibly wasting our time, you freaking ass hats. But they did see Jen being happy for once in finding her guy though unknown about the age thing regarding those two, but that’s pretty much more than enough for them to just abandon the mission and just head off to get some early sleep...only for Gene’s farts to ending up exposing them and possibly on the verge of scaring Christopher off from the house but much like with Jen’s babysitting job, here come the kids to save her love life after spying on them during Christopher’s visit. And yeah, I mean...I guess they do have a point despite having the entirety of the subplot being nothing more than pointless to a tee. I mean, Jen does look happy when being Christopher and it’s one of those rare occurrences where a character that has never been undergone through the spotlight gets their time to shine. I mean, take a look at the previous episode with Ms. LaBonz. So Jen being the center of attention, even though if it’s a subplot, kinda like with Trev back in Season 9, was something. But the subplot as a whole is pretty much pointless to a tee the moment the kids hit a freaking roadblock and never got a backup plan on how to find a way to break the wall.
Reaction/Thoughts:
So all and all, what do I think about this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers? Well, while it was nice to be back in doing this and also having the show back for new episodes as the movie premiere is nigh. This year’s Valentine’s Day episode may have been average at best in my opinion. I mean, it’s not bad but it’s not good as well. It’s somewhere in the middle regarding how this episode performed. Mostly coming from the main plot with Bob and Linda hitting hurdle after hurdle on their way to the restaurant for their dinner date.
Whether being boarding the wrong ferry and landing on the wrong island or being covered in dirt and sheep poop, it almost feels like Bob and Linda can’t catch a break. But to be fair, and just keeping 100 here, if the mishaps were to not be added, you would possibly have a boring episode. I mean, it would be nice for Bob and Linda to at least have one normal night without any issue but without the mishap, would anyone want to see that? Though again, it was a nice use of flashback with Linda when trying to convince Bob to not call it a night after a few hurdles on their way to their destination by telling him her time in being a pro in air hockey over at the bar. Again, this feels like we’re setting up shop for what we’re about to expect in the movie. We may have already guessed one clue from Schaal earlier this week regarding an Easter egg that could play a role in the film. It’s in the front of the restaurant if anyone is wondering. But yeah, a nice use of flashback in the main plot that felt like it was steadily holding on in the middle line. Not going up but also not going down as the main plot progresses.
The subplot on the other hand, while it was something to give Jen some leverage and on Valentine’s Day no less, but the idea of the kids wanting to sneak out to make their way to the drugstore to get some discount candy has become pointless. Especially once Jen got that text and begins to become a responsible babysitter while waiting for her date to come in. And while yes, the age for these two adults might be in question, especially Jen since she’s a recurring character, at least she got some happiness with someone who is pretty much never going to return after this episode. Yeah, it sucks for her knowing the show but the subplot itself was pretty much pointless with the kids having to do no action and just give up their shot in getting the candy.
So final thoughts, I’d thought it was average. I don’t hate it but it’s not the best to date. The main plot with Bob and Linda getting to their dinner date is pretty much the main highlight from the episode with the subplot, once again, pointless. Though giving Jen the spotlight and giving her some development is something I’m okay with. So I’ll give “Ferry on My Wayward Bob and Linda”...
A 6 out of 10. But that’s pretty much my opinion and now I wanna hear yours. What do you think about this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Would you enjoy an episode of the show if there isn’t any mishap? Would the kids should’ve blackmailed Jen regarding her date? Will we reach the May 27 date without facing annihilation? All that and your mini-review down below in the comments. And tune on this Sunday, March 6 with another brand new episode where the Belchers, mostly Linda to help Teddy out when attending his reunion in the thirteenth episode of Season 12, “Frigate Me Knot”.
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