If there’s one thing that everyone can put aside their differences, putting away the bloodshed that is going on as of late, the one thing that everyone can agree on and that is that Daylight Savings is a freaking mistake. I had to wrap up my Saturday night live-tweeting session by 3:30 in the morning once the 2:00 hour was stripped for the night. Sure, there are also the health issues that came with the changing of the clocks from the risk of stress to heart attacks to potential car crashes on your way to Sunday services as if you’re participating in a NASCAR race. People in places like Arizona and Hawaii, who don’t observe the bi-timely process, might as well consider their day of the sun without touching the clock either a blessing or a curse.
In this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers, Gene, alongside Louise and Tina, are being forced to participate in Courtney’s upcoming music video as Bob, Linda, and Teddy, mostly Linda and Teddy, participate in the art of stalking someone who eats at the restaurant and yes, that is what exactly happened. Did you not see the same episode as I am? Here is my spoilerific review of the fourteenth episode of Season 12 of Bob’s Burgers, titled “Video Killed the Gene-io Star”.
We all remember when group projects were a thing. Two years since the pandemic fucked up our 2020 plans and I know that group projects are still around even during those two years and counting but with social distancing and also the fear that you could possibly be infected, but still, group projects are something when it comes to...well, life. Especially when helping people...even though they have shit taste in any form of media. Whether being movie, TV show, or in this week’s episode, music. Especially with the song of choice that causes Gene to not want to even be in a music video with Courtney.
Avoiding her like the plague before being forced to accept the offer via guilt trip and candy stash. That’s what Gene did in the episode before succumbing to doing the work for Courtney. I mean, while it was nice that Courtney gets to do something since “Gene’s Christmas Break” because she, along with Doug, didn’t do anything other than having trouble putting up the decorations in the episode. Now we got it with her wanting to do a music video in hopes for it to become viral. Even though nowadays, you take that shit onto Instagram or TikTok. It’s mostly TikTok, but you get the idea. Let’s also not pretend that there’s a subplot involved and it’s with Linda and Teddy playing spectator on someone who is eating while carrying a briefcase. A warning to everyone that stalking at people isn’t the way to go. Especially if you’re a worker and like to watch the customer. Holy hell, that came out wrong. So we might as well take a journey and break down the episode scene by scene in hopes that this page will go viral. It won’t but at least it would help me at least pay the bills. This is “Video Killed the Gene-io Star”.
Not even the first minute into the episode and it looks like the Belcher girls have already gotten notes from their respective lockers. Hence, the scene to start off the episode with Louise opening her locker and seeing a note for her from an anonymous writer, and asking her to meet with that person over at the playground. Only to come across with Tina by the slide, who also got the note to meet with them at the exact place. I would probably say that this might be the start of a side plot because we’re now pretty much following a trend of the idea of having two plots in an episode isn’t that fun anymore. But no, this one is connected with the same plot, the main plot, with the Belcher sisters wanting to know who is the person responsible for writing down the notes that were delivered to them...
Only for the culprit to reveal herself coming down the slide, revealing to be Courtney Wheeler who just appeared out of the blue from the said slide. Possibly wishing that she was the nominee in last year’s race but what’s done is done. Courtney only wants Tina and Louise to meet with her at the playground during recess about a song that she wrote called “Locker Love” and wants to film a music video over at the school thanks in part to Doug getting the full hour of having the school all to themselves for filming, as long as Wagstaff is mentioned in the credits and would put the school on the map. So basically, Courtney wants to do a music video but what does calling in Louise and Tina have something to do with the upcoming video? Well one, additional help would be the likely positions that needed to be filled. But the main reason why Courtney asked Louise and Tina to meet her in private was that she needed Gene to be in the video. And for a song that she made and titling it “Locker Love”, you already have some fans making the assumption that Courtney might still have feelings for Gene, even though they broke up two times. I know that they’re still good friends and all, but there were some moments after the events of “The Gene and Courtney Show” where she can be flirty at times when being around Gene. Hell, explain that one moment from “The Gene Mile” where she briefly poked Gene in the arm when inviting him and the others for free ice cream?
Courtney tried to get Gene on board but ended up falling short with the countless rain checks that she got from him whenever she had an opening to ask Gene to step in and help her out for once. Avoiding her like the damn plague. And her reason to have Gene to be in the project, other than being in the video, was for vocals since according to Courtney, she needed him to sing the last line to the song because she need someone who can harmonize the vocals. And she knows that because she was with him when they used to work as co-anchors for the morning announcements from six seasons ago. Louise and Tina are planning on leaving, only to stumble across a pack of candy coming out from Courtney’s backpack as an attempt to bribe Louise and Tina to get Gene to accept Courtney’s invitation. I mean, Louise I get it because it is a pack of candy we’re talking about. But Tina? The girl could’ve done better. I mean yeah, Tina can be gullible...most of the time, though that’s mostly because of various boys being present. But candy would be the last thing to be on her radar. Especially when bribed into selling her brother out to help someone like Courtney to be in her music video. That doesn’t sound like Tina but it looks like she, along with Louise, are on board to get Gene to accept Courtney’s request to be in her music video. Though we already know who check marked the box in the yes column in the invite when going to the next scene.
And that is Peter Pescadero when both he and Gene are coming out from the classroom and talking about their plans. Kind of a shame that poor ol’ Alex is feeling left out despite not being in this week’s episode, so shrug emoji. Gene felt a bit surprised that Peter accepted Courtney’s offer in being a part of her music video and speak of the devil, Louise and Tina enter the chat and try to sway Gene for that sweet, sweet candy by getting him to at least help Courtney out. Only for him to take another rain check, this time to his sisters, and decides to head off. But it looks like the persuasion doesn’t end there.
Once we get to the end of the school day with the Belcher kids heading their way back home as Louise pulls out a piece of people, pretending to be a contract with his signature, even though that is not even his actual signature, being forged in hopes to sway Gene into helping Courtney out with her music video. Only for him to plan on doing yet another made-up excuse to not be in the video before looking both ways as if he’s about to cross the street and get into a huddle with his sisters. Revealing to them that the reason why he doesn’t even want to be in Courtney’s music video is because according to Gene, Courtney has a shit taste in music. In short, the song she wrote sucks. He listened to the song, my guess is they once hung out with Courtney coming in and wants Gene to listen to a song that she wrote and ends up getting a sour mood into his face. That’s one way to put it that Gene doesn’t want to be in Courtney’s video because the song she wrote sucks. And he would man up and tell Courtney his honest opinion, but he doesn’t want to hurt Courtney’s feelings. Besides, the last time he did that, it landed her in the hospital and pretended to die despite the shock was actually real to almost get her into cardiac arrest. I mean, Courtney could get another person to fill in for him except that the last time she did that, her dad once tried to conspire by weaponizing a certain someone’s sesame allergy on the day of the competition. Speaking of Courtney...
She interrupts the huddle and finally gotten an open to ask Gene to hopefully say yes to her request to be in the video...only for him to take yet another rain check and really putting everyone, mostly Courtney and also Louise and Tina in a very tight spot after putting her in a very sad mood and ready to cancel rehearsal, only for Louise and Tina to come in and slap Gene right upside the head by guilt-tripping him into having no other choice but to agree to help Courtney out to film the video to her song that he deemed as sucky. Being forced to swallow his pride and help his friend/ex-girlfriend out in making a video that he doesn’t want to be a part of but instead, being guilt-tripped into being involved. A difficult challenge for Gene for the next few days in hopes he doesn’t shatter Courtney’s fragile heart and tell his honest opinion. I know it sucks but having Gene telling that he doesn’t like Courtney’s song, even if it’s his own honest opinion is like you refusing to help a sick person in bed, even if it’s for at least a day. This is pretty much Gene in the first act of the episode.
We get to the second act of the episode with the Belcher kids making their way to Courtney’s house where they come across Peter and also two people that we haven’t seen around Courtney since Season 3 who are sitting alongside Peter and that is both Julie and Rupa. Now Julie, after being around Courtney following the events of “The Unbearable Like-Likeness of Gene”, she’s pretty much there in the background in various episodes. Rupa also but Julie has more background time than her. And sure, they appeared in “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl” when they auditioned and later got the parts in Courtney’s musical but after that, the two alongside Courtney pretty much done their own things. Courtney already did by maintaining a healthy friendship with Gene, befriending Alex, and being semi-involved in being a part of the Belcher kids’ group alongside Alex when being a part of the heist to get free ice cream to avoid the long lines. Julie does her own thing. We know that she’s a member of Tina’s Thundergirl troop, Troop 119, as seen in Season 5’s “Tina Tailor Soldier Spy”. Rupa, on the other hand, is just there in the background other than being in Courtney’s musical. She’s also not that bright as Louise described all because she thought that macaroni elbows are made from actual elbows. So if you’re a fan of either one of those two, despite their roles on this episode would be pointless because they didn’t even do anything, that depends on how you react to this episode.
Doug comes into the picture from his studio, talks about a revamp to the whole house since we last paid a visit to the Wheeler household. Finally got him to record the last verse of the song that Courtney wrote since that is one of the items from the list that she needed Gene to do other than being in the video itself. The scene could pretty much boil down to how voice actors and musicians have to do when doing some re-recording before heading off for the night because the director notices that something is off. This almost sums up what we’re seeing with Gene trying to record some vocals with Doug by the monitors.
But once recording was done after countless attempts by the mic is where we get to the costumes with Courtney already picked out the costume for him being seen by the table, previewing a turtleneck shirt, vest, and a pair of jeans. So basically, the video could possibly sum up how you see music videos in the late 90s going to the early 2000s when watching the TV is where you get to watch the video. Courtney already chose hers and tells Gene about the storyboard for the video. Giving him the play-by-play with the start of the video being presented via storyboard of doing “flavor fingers” and Courtney attempting to blow a kiss to start things off, though in typical Courtney fashion, a few splashes of spit onto Gene. I know that the pandemic is slowly starting to wind down a tad bit, but say, don’t spray it, girl. Pretty sure the last thing Gene needed when helping Courtney out with her music video is some spit onto his face. Because that could possibly lead to the next possible variant and I really want to see the movie in theaters.
So once the storyboard planning was done is where we get to the dancing for the upcoming filming process of the project and already coming from Gene in his experience for the whole day over at the Wheelers, it’s a complete dumpster fire. Gene already gave away his reason for not wanting to be in the project and knows that it would possibly end in potential tragedy. Which could explain why Gene is fond of the dance moves that he and the others are rehearsing for the upcoming video. Thinking that it feels all so unoriginal. And you think by now, either Louise and/or Tina would at least try to console Gene and tell him that he’s nearing the finish line. Try not to go hard on Courtney on telling her how he actually feels about the song without hurting her feelings. Well, Louise and Tina did sort of does that to him with them telling Gene that the storm is almost over but looking at the context, it pretty much boils down to “suck it up, kid. There’s candy on the line. It’ll all be over soon and we’ll be gobbling on candy.” Shaking my head, you two girls. Shaking my damn head on selling your brother out on something he doesn’t want to do. And if you think dance practice to the song wasn’t bad enough for Gene? Once the mixing was done with Doug presenting the song to the kids, Gene really wishes he was with Bob and Linda, who are busy with their own thing once we get to the subplot.
The day of judgment has arrived, aka the morning everyone is present, having the school to themselves and while Louise and Tina finally hit the jackpot and see the boxes of candy being presented in front of them, you have Gene ready to come out with his costume all dressed up and ready for this potential car wreck to end. And something that bothers a bit is when you look back at the scene where Courtney picked out Gene’s costume for the video, you have Peter, Julie, and Rupa looking through the boxes as if they, along with Tina and Louise, would go into costume themselves. But nope. Here we are. Everyone but Gene and Courtney are not in their costumes. They’re most likely going to be extras because that’s what they are once this episode was first announced. Though you can see the clothes on standby, so it’s possible but look at the video at the end of the episode with the credits.
But yeah, Gene and Courtney are in costume, and uh...yeah, that’s a lot of makeup coming from Courtney as if she slammed her head into a bucket filled with...well, cosmetics. Again, that’s a lot of makeup for Courtney to put on for one video in her attempts to go viral. Enough to make the makeup in Tammy’s face is nothing more than...well, as if a two-year-old hasn’t drawn on their parent’s face with a marker and can be washed away with water from the sink. The two kids, Gene and Courtney, got into position for the video to be rolling and once the shoot was done, for one of the scenes for the music video, with Courtney, Doug, Julie, Rupa, and Peter looking over the footage; Louise and Tina going through a severe case of a sugar high from all that candy they’re consuming, as much as Gene really hates doing this in doing the music video and wishes he was back home, the finish line is right around the corner. It’s staring right in front of him, ready to be crossed. He just had to do one last thing. Just one. Just one last thing before he can call it a day and ready to wipe everything he had gone through and pretend that it’s nothing more than a bad memory that he wishes he forgets. And look at that, it’s the dance to close out the video. The thing that Gene deemed as “unoriginal”.
And this is where Gene, as expected, finally decides to snap as he and the others are dancing to the song in the final phase of filming. And of course, we gotta have the distorted visuals from Gene’s perspective when doing the dance. His conscience telling him that he needs to man up and tell her what he really feels about the song. And he did by deciding to snap and telling out loud that the song freaking fracking sucks. More suck than the New York Jets. And that’s pretty much the only nicest thing to say to Jets fans as of this moment. And that is more than enough for Courtney to have her heart broken and decide to run off to God knows where and of course, putting Gene in a very tight spot after finally coming out to say that he doesn’t like the song. At least she didn’t get a heart attack unlike with what happened nine seasons ago, so there’s some improvement.
But regardless of that, Courtney is sad thanks to Gene stating his true thoughts to the song and now everyone can’t find her and could be anywhere at the school. Of course, fearing that her fragile heart could possibly mess things up and cause her to suffer through a health issue. Resorting to everyone to look for her, including Gene to go and find her. Though Gene knows where Courtney is at and look at that? It’s the same place where the episode started with the notes that Tina and Louise got and that is, of course, the slide at the playground. And as much crap I just gave to the episode and we haven’t even reached the subplot yet in this review, there has to be some positives, and even though what happened throughout the episode was pretty much endless torture for Gene, I guess there are some positives starting with Gene apologizing to Courtney. Sure, that was expected after snapping right in front of everyone about his thoughts to the song, but he at least was careful with his honest opinion to something that Courtney made and he knows what he was doing to make sure she doesn’t wind up on a hospital bed like last time. People still not going to get over that moment whenever you bring up Courtney into the discussion table. But long story short, Gene and Courtney made up after giving away his honest thoughts to the song and I have to give half a pointer to that moment even though it was bound to happen in the end.
Though a full pointer goes to the end of the episode once the video is uploaded with Gene sitting on the couch and watching the whole thing from start to finish and looking back to it in his perspective, it’s not terrible, to say the least to the point where he ends up pressing the like button despite the short amount of views and likes. Just be thankful that YouTube decided to dismantle the dislike button because oof. Comments...eh, depends on everyone’s reaction. I’m guessing 70:25 trolls with the 5 percent being spam comments about winning an iPhone by handing over your social security or porn bots with suspicious links. Yeah, Google really needs to get on that. It’s a freaking nuisance. But other than, despite the low views though those do take time to explode, Gene liking the video that he, Courtney, and the others made was a nice moment. It’s just the main plot as a whole...kinda wish they’ve done a little better and not feel like we’re just watching 21 minutes of Gene being tortured, even if he only did it because it’s for helping a friend out...who Louise and Tina sold him out to for candy. But as while that is happening...
We switch over the subplot and yes, this is what the subplot is going to be, folks. Watching over a guy eating his food. Not trying to be creepy at all is what Linda and Teddy are trying to do when watching the guy eating his burger. Though something might be off about the guy though it looks like he may or may not be the focus of attention for this week’s subplot as he notices that he’s being watched by the three as if they’re birdwatching and waiting for one of the birds to get their lazy ass off the ground. Seeing Linda, Teddy, and Bob eating and puts his briefcase on his seat as if he’s not acting suspiciously. Sure, your briefcase is on the table and someone could swoop in and take it, but noticing that he’s the only customer present in the restaurant during these hours, it’s odd to think about it.
Though motherfucker left his briefcase once he’s done eating with Linda being the first to notice that he left his stuff behind and was about to tell him that he forgot his briefcase, only for the guy to exit stage left right away. Leaving the briefcase to be under the care of the Belchers. And you’d think that because the guy left his briefcase behind, knowing that it’s a business, there should be a lost and found where the owner or employee noticed that someone left their stuff and had to put it in that aisle so when the person in question were to return, they have to go and pick the missing item up. That’s not the case, no pun intended, with Bob, Linda, and Teddy and instead, Linda and Teddy want to know what’s inside that guy’s briefcase and decide to commit some invasion of privacy, much to Bob’s dismay. And yes, this is what the rest of the subplot is going to be. Linda and Teddy trying to get the briefcase open and wanting to know what’s inside as if you’re a kid on Christmas, well, days leading up to Christmas and you want to know what kind of presents you’ll be getting once the big day arrives.
From comparing briefcases in one scene to Teddy pickpocketing the locks without using the code on the case with Linda trying to prevent Bob from seeing them trying to open up the briefcase, it’s kinda hard for Bob to try to be the sane member of the main cast. And Bob does have a point, going through someone’s briefcase and hoping to see what’s inside is considered an invasion of privacy. I mean, y’all are not big brother. Y’all ain’t the government and snoop on whatever we’re doing. But it looks like Teddy and Linda didn’t get the memo and went on to open the damn case and once Teddy finally got one lock detached from the briefcase, Linda struggles to open it, and once it finally opens to the three adults and it reveals...
To be a case filled with walnuts. And I thought the idea of being stuck on the toilet was silly? Thought that the idea of a sinkhole in the upcoming movie would sound like a dumb premise despite looking at the sidewalk’s condition getting worse and worse as each episode passes much like gas prices these days. But walnuts? Freaking walnuts? Like what kind of sick, demented fuck would carry around something that odd like a pack of walnuts. And I thought carrying hot sauce in your bag was unusual to hear. And other stuff other than wallets, cash, and keys. But walnuts? Fellas, comment section below, what is the worst subplot from any of the episodes in the show’s 11-year run that you encountered? Because I think this one might be in the running. This might be in the running because this has gotten nowhere. Especially with Linda and Teddy trying to open the case. Defying Bob’s orders to not open while waiting for the guy to come back and get his briefcase back. And of course, the revelation of having a pack of walnuts packed inside the case. Though it’s surprising that some weren’t badly cracked while carrying it, so man’s pretty much took extra care of it. So why the walnuts? What’s his reason for carrying it? Who is even this guy? I mean, my only possible answer and some are agreeing to the notion is that he’s probably one of those guys who participated in underground events hosted by the Fischoeders. And if that guy somehow makes his return in the movie because Fischoeders will have a huge role in the upcoming film, then I somehow have to believe that Loren snorted a lot of cocaine while working on the film and this season during their productions. A lot of questions revolving around this guy who is pretty much doomed to be a one-off from the fans.
Speaking of him, he returns to close out the episode to collect his briefcase but notices the damage caused by Linda and Teddy before they come up with an alibi. Thinking that a pair of teens came by and done the dirty work themselves. Because why not, everything has to point to the teens in hopes to avoid getting potentially murdered by someone who carries around a pack of walnuts that you might as well slap the “serial killer” label onto him as if he’s about to throw bodies to the streets. Bob almost got that experience and not gonna lie, when that small confrontation happened...yeah, he is really giving me some serial killer vibes. The type of person who you do not want to mess around with. Luckily Bob didn’t face the wrath of that guy and head out of the restaurant with his briefcase but let’s not lie to ourselves, that was somewhat of a bit creepy moment as if we’re about to have ourselves a murder spree from him. I mean, Bob had chills shivering across his body when having that encounter just as he was about to leave the restaurant. Just lucky that the bad man won’t hurt him anymore to close out the subplot to the episode.
Reaction/Thoughts:
So all and all, what do I think about this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers? While it was nice for Courtney to have to do something this season after not getting to do anything back in “Gene’s Christmas Break”, this episode pretty much followed the same playbook from “The Unbearable Like-Likeness of Gene”. Being pressured into doing something that he doesn’t want to be a part of, only to be guilt-tripped and sold out for candy to partake in a music video by giving away his thoughts about how horrible the song is. I wanna say average, which it kinda is, but felt like driving through a dirt road with an old car that hasn’t been used since the last century and decided to break down in the middle of nowhere. That would be this episode in a nutshell. Mostly the main plot with Gene being forced to help Courtney out.
And even though Gene has to do it because he can’t leave a friend hanging and even though he thinks that the song Courtney wrote was horrible and had to keep it locked up in a vault inside his head because he knows what Courtney is capable of if he were to tell his thoughts, like he knew what he’s doing to make sure it doesn’t turn into a repeat of her debut episode, the main plot as a whole, especially once Gene agrees to help her out, it was a borderline tire fire. And man, that was a few rough days for Gene to do when being a part of a project in which it includes a song that his friend wrote and thought it sucks. And even though Gene apologized to Courtney and later liked the video by pressing the thumbs up button, while it was a nice moment from the main plot, there were some problems leading up to those moments, and I kind of wish they could’ve done a little more to at least make it decent.
The subplot was going nowhere with the adults overlooking that one customer with the briefcase and later Linda and Teddy trying to open the said case that the guy accidentally left behind like snobby kids on Christmas and also ignoring Bob’s concerns about why opening the briefcase was an awful idea. Though the fans are going through a minor frenzy at the moment with the guy of the briefcase, named, I kid you not, Billy Bandana, over who he is and what’s so important about the briefcase and the walnuts inside of it. Again, what up with the walnuts? What is up with the walnuts? Not since The Great North earlier this season with the character of Noodie from “Tasteful Noods Adventure” where I see some fans wanting to know what the hell is going with that one-off character. Hell, I was one of them when that episode came out. Though that moment with Billy Bandana giving Bob the death stare before leaving with the briefcase was something like you would expect bodies to be dumped on the streets. Crisis averted on that one but sheesh. As I said, Bandana, as much of a ridiculous name and carrying unusual inside that case like a pack of walnuts...I wouldn’t fuck around with him if I were to ever come across him.
So final thoughts, despite some okay moments from the episode, especially coming from the ending, this was a borderline below-average episode from both plots. Again, this almost feels like we’re following the same playbook from “The Unbearable Like-Likeness of Gene” with Gene being pressured, guilt-tripped, and sold to help Courtney to create a music video of a song that he dislikes. Seriously, the fuck Louise and Tina? The subplot went nowhere with the briefcase except for that one minor moment with Billy Bandana giving Bob that death stare...yeah. So I’ll give “Video Killed a Gene-io Star”...
A 4 out of 10. Maybe a 4. Maybe a 4.5 or possibly a 5 but I feel like that might be a tad generous. So 4 out of 10 might be the way to go. But that’s my opinion and now I wanna hear yours in the comment section below. Tell me what you think about this week’s episode of Bib’s Burgers? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Do you think Gene has a point in not wanting to upset Courtney? What’s the deal with Billy Bandana and the walnuts? How would you improve the episode? All that and your mini-review down below. Catch a brand new episode on March 20 with an unlikely alliance being formed with Louise, Rudy, and Millie wanting to do some justice for their Ancient Greece project in the fifteenth episode of Season 12 in “Ancient Misbehavin’”.
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