Well...here we are, folks. December. Not just any December. December 2020...the last month of what is the longest and horrific year known to man. I know people keep on saying, “Oh, 2020 is the worst year.” And you’re kinda partial to the course on that. But there are also others saying that “Well at least it’s not 536 AD” because 536 AD was the shittiest year in the history of mankind. Something about a volcanic eruption and making crops for daily life a living nightmare. So how long until we expect the apocalypse to happen? Not too long from not? Great. Oh yeah, and any Bob’s Burgers fans out there catching this review...
Yeah, the Final Round of the 2020 Battle of the Week Voting Tournament has already started and your boy here, not me, Alex Papasian here. You remember him as the secondary character that has yet to return to the show. Yeah, you’re on the ballot, peoples. Time to vote. Gotta vote. Long two weeks ahead they said, and it could well be the case. Happy trails.
In this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers, Linda gains membership in a women’s business group for the weekend, upsetting Gene and gets too possessive over how much he’s missing his mother, who he adores and pretty much attached to, as Louise and Tina learn how to fight...okay, pretty much sounds like a vague subplot but...alright, in my spoilerific review of the ninth episode of Season 11 of Bob’s Burgers, titled “Mommy Boy”.
Yeah, so this episode, man...this is pretty much average. That’s what I can sum up with this week’s episode, as average. I don’t hate the episode. I really don’t but man, oh man, there were some flaws patched into the mix with this very episode. Mostly when it comes to the main plot with Gene and Linda. Sure, Gene shows the most attachment to Linda than to Bob when it comes to who’s the favorite kid for each parent and you can’t deny it no matter what. Gene is a straight-up momma’s boy, and the proof has pretty much written on itself. Hell, he even had Linda to be his wife in Tina’s story in the anthology episode not too long ago and yes, still can’t get over that idea. Gene was pretty much possessive as the episode synopsis said when it comes to Linda joining a women’s business group meeting that took up their Saturday bonding. And my god, the guy here has pretty much made her into a walking security blanket. And this is coming from the guy, the same boy where he was upset over his buddy decided to be his ex-girlfriend’s dance partner. Though that was more of going behind his back and whatnot. Where to this...yeah. And no, this isn’t me shitting on Gene. I have nothing against Gene. But uh...yeah, we all know that someone who went through the clingy phase and that phase were meant for toddlers. But that being said, time to break this sucker down to the ground, this is “Mommy Boy”.
Much like with “Heartbreak Hotel-oween”, looks like we’re starting off the episode with planting the seeds for the subplot that would be later touched with Teddy noticing a promo for a boxing movie in the form of something called Ham and Egger, in which he tells Bob that the film is about fighters who don’t have it in them, rather not having the strength to bounce right back up. Though the whole idea of the movie...yeah, that seems a bit like Rocky, according to Bob, which honestly feels like the poor man’s version of the franchise. Hell, the plot of the movie seems similar to Rocky like it’s one of those knockoffs you see in dollar stores, you know, when you’re at the toy aisle and see the toy you wanted that you see in those ads but unable to afford and head off to the dollar store and see a knockoff version of that? Yeah, it’s kinda like that. And I know that they can’t officially make Rocky into the show like clips or even a poster of the film because they don’t want to get hit with a lawsuit from the studios that made the movie and thus, have a parody to do the job for the show. I feel like the studio, writers, and directors of the movies would be ready to sue someone over the idea during the writing process.
And now we’re setting up the main plot of the episode with Mike the Mailman coming into the restaurant and delivers the mail to the Belchers with Linda receiving a package on the mail with Gene thinking that it’s a pair of sheet masks for their spa day. Yeah, so Saturdays over at the Belchers’ place is pretty much reserved for Gene and Linda to have their mini spa day over at the bathroom and showing in the diagram above via the mythical, magical world of stick figures, showcases what Gene and Linda do during their night inside the bathroom with them putting up some spa music, getting in the tub, in their swimsuits of course, and vent about their week and all. So pretty much a therapy session in the private bathroom with your mother there as comfort. Can’t say I blame him for that. But other than the face masks that she got in the mail, she also got an invitation from one of the owners of one of the businesses and it looks like she’s starting a group meeting full of female business owners and Linda is one of them despite being co-owner of the restaurant, but she fits the bill right in and now has become a member of a girls-only group of entrepreneurs. So it looks like Linda has found her people, in the form of businesswomen. And should probably shut up while I’m ahead.
Though it looks like uh...things may not be good news for a certain someone when Linda got the call on when the meeting will be held. Find out that the meeting takes place on Saturday Night. As in the Saturday Night where both Gene and Linda do their weekend spa day and now that Linda became a member of a group of businesswomen holding a meeting in a community center, think comparing your mom not doing your usual mom/child bonding day to excited over going to Disney World only to have your heart be ripped in two when finding out that the family ain’t going over whatever reason, being money or inclement weather or in this case, the pandemic. Good luck telling your son that your business meeting is now in the way of your bonding time with him because let’s just say...he ain’t going to take the news lightly.
And so she did tell Gene all about it. Well, she comes into Gene’s room, noticing that Gene is eating a tin of brisket that he’d been hiding for some reason. I mean, it’s Gene, the dude can eat anything and hide anything that is happened to be food-related. Don’t know if he were saving that for the spa day though feels like it’s more of a Gene thing and not a mother/son spa day while eating BBQ in the water unless you’re willing to have cramps. Anyway, Linda breaks the bad news to Gene about the whole business group meeting thing and tells him that the whole meet and greet is on a Saturday and that she can’t attend the mother/son spa day event in the bathroom and takes the rain check to go. How does Gene take it? Well, not lightly. Upset even over the fact that the group meeting, the group of businesswomen that Linda got a spot through the mail, upsets him to the fact where he’s not going to get over the idea of not having his mom around. Um...yeah, Gene, you do you know you have the second half of a parent to bond over. I mean, it’s not like Bob doesn’t freaking exist in your life. Sure, both of y’all doesn’t have some similarities when it comes to music and stuff but...at least try! Give the woman her space.
Thus, to the next day with Linda ready to head out for her first women’s group meeting despite Gene not being happy over the idea of his mother bailing on him on their time of the week but had no other choice but to have Bob to fill in the role of Linda while she’s away. At least there’s going to be some father/son bonding time for the time being while Linda is away. Not like this is the first time we do those moments. Oh, wait? We did, past episodes that have these two, being Bob and Gene, bond over, and yet, Gene is pretty much overly attached to Linda like a walking security blanket. Clingy to be put it out there and that phase is mostly reserved for babies. Mostly toddlers once they reached that age of one or two years.
Linda arrives at the community center and meets up with Janine, you remember her as the woman with who Teddy partnered up within the poster industry in “Silence of the Louise”, the quote on the poster that garnered Mark Hamill’s attention and used it to cheer a user up on Twitter. And no, that’s not make-believe, that actually happened. Go to my review of that episode and see it yourself. Linda gets a brief rundown of what to expect in the meeting and of course, we enter song territory with her singing about the business world. Well, only to end up making a fool of herself in front of a group of seven people in the room. We need more women in the workplace. I’m not kidding, we need more. I’m a guy but my god, we need more women in the workplace. That and equal pay. That’s also important too.
Meanwhile over at the Belcher household as Louise and Tina watch the Ham and Egger franchise, and yes, this is a freaking franchise now because there’s a second movie. Again, feel like the studios might be ready to sue despite being a parody. With Bob leaving the girls be and head over to the bathroom for the inaugural father/son spa day with Gene opening the curtain, revealing himself with a face mask on with Bob now entering the tub and seems to be having trouble putting on the mask. To be fair, we all have those troubles in putting on a facial mask. I mean, it’s hard to get those good looks for a healthy glow. And not taking any bullshit beauty hacks on the internet. I don’t think putting tartar sauce or raw sewage is going to make you have pimples disappear. Where’s the science in that?! We need the science?!
Bob and Gene begin their spa night in what Gene described earlier in the episode begin the venting process. The venting topic of the night goes to the whole Linda “ditching” him on the most important night of the week for mother/son bonding. Bob thinks that what’s been happening with Linda being a part of an all-women group is good for her and to have some space for once. But Gene disagrees with the idea and notion and stuff because let’s face it, the dude gets possessive. I’m not kidding, the guy here feels too attached to his mother. Missing her so much after getting the invitation to the meeting of the all-women business meeting.
Think back to the events of “Roller? I Hardly Know Her!” when Alex became Courtney’s roller-skating partner even though Gene refused, and Alex went behind his back without telling him. He was possessive of the guy, asking for him to come back. Of course, Doug...Ass Hat Joe, used that to conspire against Alex. Thank god he stopped following the process at the last minute. That was mostly because Gene here doesn’t have any friends of his own. You’ll be probably saying, “Oh, but Courtney. They seem to be friends in that one episode.” Yeah, but they used to date...twice. Alex is pretty much the first person Gene befriend who isn’t a past love interest or a friend or ally of Louise and/or Tina and I get that. With Linda in this week’s episode, while Gene and Linda do have some similar tastes to the way of saying that he’s grown attached to his mother like Gene being the land and Linda being the sun or if that’s how the saying goes. Point is, although Gene likes to have his mother around, Bob states that she’s not just a mom, but also a person. That also doesn’t light things up for Gene. It’s a weird process on the whole mom label on the person who gave birth to you! Let’s face it, we all went through that growing up whether being how mommy and daddy met or how babies are made. Just don’t tell your kids on googling the latter part cause...that’s pretty much bad parenting 101. At least wait till health class in high school. Oh god, health class.
Bob and Gene got out of the bathroom from their spa night that is now a straight-up bust with Linda arriving back home from her meeting with the gals, all happy and jittery over her first meeting with the women, and seems that things have gone well over there. Of course, spa day was a bust and Gene remains unhappy over the idea of his mother not being there and storms his way back to his room with Linda now feeling bad for him over missing out on the whole thing and even planning on telling him on quitting, after the first meeting. That doesn’t feel like an apology, that feels more like pity. Doing it out of pity like a dog whimpering over not giving it your food and have to give some pieces out of freaking pity. It’s only one Saturday. Bob thinks that Gene will get over the idea of Linda attending the event whatsoever, whether he likes it or not. Funny, we said that about Trump following the election with the freaking lawsuits and think that he would get over it but...here we are, only weeks left until Inauguration Day and he still hasn’t conceded to Biden. Motherfucker, just take the “L” and get packing.
A week has passed, oh wow, a week...Gene’s been that moping for over a freaking week? There had to be something that has him at least get over the whole thing for a while. Being food or music or any friends really. Jesus Christ, he can’t just like mope every day for the past 7 days ever since Linda got that invitation to the women’s only business group. Linda checks up on the girls for a second there as they prepare to have a sparring match, more on that in the subplot, where she then checks up on Gene, who is still upset over Linda not being there for him and that she’s about to head out for another week of the meeting and want to say one quick goodbye before heading out. Of course, hugging ensues and...have Gene to sniff her scent for a few seconds...hopefully, that doesn’t like entering the territory where a Netflix documentary have to be made in the future.
Still mad at her for what happened last week, Linda decided to somewhat fix that if it means reconciles with her one and only son by bringing him to the community center for tonight’s meeting. In which Gene agrees to the invitation and bringing in his homework to work on. Yeah...homework...on a Saturday night? You could say that this is 2020 doing one last job before finally signing off for the rest of our lives unless there’s an apocalypse coming but nope. Gene told Louise and Tina, just before heading out, telling them that rather than having the spa day at home, he’s bringing the thing with him. Which sounds good for Gene because he’s going with his mom over at the center, but really bad for anyone, especially him because he would go that far into bringing the spa supplies with him so that she would never leave his side. I don’t know if you wanna call this an all-time low for him? I had to read comments over at Reddit when it comes to his characters in the making of the review. So far, it’s mixed.
Linda and Gene finally arrived at the center with her telling the other members of the group that Gene won’t be much of a bother since he has to do some “homework” to pass the time though knowing him in this episode, would do anything to make sure he gets his time with his mother. As the women of the group begin to talk about the topic of the week of how to empower each other in the workplace with Gene already wanting to go to the bathroom, in which Janine points him where to go and headed off. With Linda already sensing that Gene is acting sus during the whole visit. Like...you didn’t even notice what’s he doing during the whole car ride? The whole car ride from the house to the community center? Didn’t bother telling him what is he about to do during the whole trip?! Sure, he would say that he has homework but there has to be some sound coming from the backpack when hitting some bumps in the road enough to catch her attention. But rather than doing all of that, she begins to think that Gene is acting sus when heading out to the bathroom as the meeting continues.
That was until the music is blared in the background that interrupted the meeting, causing Linda to head out and find the source of the music, leading her to the bathroom nearby and enter the place and noticing Gene holding the radio up like it’s a boombox like you see in movies where the guy is in the front yard of the girl he’s been crushing on or something and blast through a boombox in a way to apologize. With Gene bringing the spa day from home to the community center’s bathroom, which looks like a janitor’s closet converted into a bathroom, and asking her to put on the moisturizer on the face. Linda refuses and has to go back to the meeting and this is where I would say, pretty sure everyone is going to disagree on that and also calling me a madman, the wildest part of the episode where Gene has the liquid onto Linda’s hands and rub it around so that when Linda prepares to leave, preventing her from opening the door and making her escape and having Gene to rub the thing onto her face. That moment you now realized that despite that Gene is a boy and that feels like something coming out from a horror film, but realized that if the roles have been reversed, age-wise, I know I’m gonna create massive amounts of controversy to what is pretty much the page the captures the amount of traffic the size of a micronation, if those roles were switched, age-wise, this would be the most terrifying horror film that would NEVER, and I mean NEVER EVER to be greenlit. What Gene is doing to lock his own mother from going back to the meeting...my god, this is pretty much Netflix documentary material written by itself with this scene. I know that Gene can be clingy for being a momma’s boy and all like he’s still a toddler, but holy fuck, dude...give the woman her space! I know she’s your mother but...Jesus Christ?! This isn’t me shitting on Gene, but this feels like with how Tina acted in “A Fish Called Tina” with the whole Kaylee issue, fucker here pretty much shot himself in the foot.
But Linda did free herself because she used her sleeve to open the door due to the fact that her hands are wet in moisturizer and heading back to the meeting with him being upset with how Gene was behaving and probably thinking of grounding him once they come back but then Gene decided to up the ante when Linda came back to her seat, still covered in moisturizer, and create a scene in front of everyone in the meeting by denouncing her. His very own mother. The person who gave birth to you and decided to pull the Linda card on her. Stripping the mom tag away. Can’t tell what’s harsher? This or my idea back in my review of the 200th episode of Bob losing his cool and denounce his very own kids? No, I think the latter seems harsh. That was harsher. This was pretty much Gene being fucking melodramatic and attention-hungry to the point where...I don’t even know how to respond to this? I know we all been through the clingy phase of life growing up when we were toddlers and would go away. Nothing more than a phase. But holy hell by going that far by locking you and a parent inside a bathroom and making a scene in front of a meeting? Again, I feel like Gene may have shot himself in the foot despite that he misses his mom a lot. Don’t blame him for that but again, gotta give Linda some space once in a while. I know I’m gonna get a lot of hate in the comments and on social media, but the clingy phase has to end at some point in time.
Of course, knowing that it’s the final moments of the episode, here comes the life lesson regarding what we just witnessed. This...train wreck and yeah, I’m calling a train wreck because the ride may have derailed by the end of the second act and going into the third with Linda putting a stop to this and begins to reason with Gene over the fact that she feels bad about what happened. Telling him that there has to come in a moment in time where she needs her space, but it doesn’t mean that her going to the meetings with every woman in town who runs a business doesn’t mean she doesn’t love her child any less. Guess this is where he has to come out that times are changing and things are going a tad too fast with Linda accepting the offer in being a part of a businesswoman group. To put it short, sweet, and simple, empty nest syndrome but the roles have been reversed with the child missing having the parent around. And so putting an end to the main plot with the two apologize and putting their bickering aside and thinking about heading out early but Gene insisted Linda continue with the meeting while he goes to the table to not bother them, is having a spa day of his own to close out the main plot of the episode. Yeah, main plot...train ride derailed by the third act of the episode. Onto the subplot.
So while Gene has to suffer through Tropical Storm Abandonment courtesy of Linda accepting the offer of joining the group, we have Louise and Tina, after finding out about the Rocky knock-off coming from Teddy that have them and Bob to watch over at the same night Linda had to share the bad news to Gene about when the meeting takes place, with Bob struggling on the whole plotline of the movie and keeps on comparing it to Rocky like it’s one of those cheap knock-offs of movies on DVDs you see in gas stations and dollar stores but Louise and Tina, on the other hand, begins to show some signs of interest when watching the training scene in the meat locker. And by meat locker, I mean the workshop and punching the ball of yarn. Yeah, nothing too similar to the Rocky franchise. And this only Part One! There’s another and that is set to air tomorrow, being Saturday. As in the Saturday where Gene was supposed to have his spa day with Linda, only for Bob to be the fill in for her while she’s out and about.
Once Saturday arrives as Linda heads out, Bob checks up on the girls with their guess we’re now calling it a movie marathon, not really how you define “marathon” if you air the movie one day and then show the second film the next day. That’s like if the channel decided to do a movie marathon of a long-running franchise whether if it’s Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, The Godfather, any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, DC, or in the case of the episode, Rocky but instead of airing it for one day, it’s for two days. Or rather the weekend. Might as well tell your sleep cycle to go fuck itself and decided to have a binge-a-thon. I mean hell, sooner or later, with the cases continuing to get worse and worse, the worst-case scenario is having a second nationwide lockdown like we had to endure earlier in the Spring. Bob heads off to join Gene at the tub, leaving the two girls unattended to watch the rest of the movie. Yeah, switching over from the boxer in training his lover about what’s to come to the big match against his opponent. And that is enough for both Tina and Louise to decide that they now want to learn how to fight like in the movie that they just saw. Everyone should know about the whole “don’t try this at home” phrase you see on TV and movies when seeing certain stuff that only the professionals can handle. Yeah, Tina and Louise may have fallen into the category of not seeing the writing on the wall when deciding that they want to learn how to fight and at perfect timing with Bob now out of the tub with Gene and becomes the boxing coach. Did I mention that Bob took up a few classes but lasted for a week because he didn’t even land a single punch? A week?! That’s like wanting to try out to be a lawyer and head off to law school only to just give up within the first few hours, not knowing that the process can be difficult than what you saw on TV and movies because they made it look too easy. It’s not rocket science, people!
Thus, heading over a week later, guess they have to take a rain check for the past seven days between there and now like kids stuff and whatever despite Gene being down in the dumps over the fact that his mother attends the group rather than being with her son. Louise and Tina are ready for their first training to enter the world of fighting and punching by having a little sparring match with them having pillows taped to their bodies as protection. Yeah, just don’t expect a My Pillow ad to pop up if this were a YouTube video and algorithms pretty much shit up to this point on what kind of content you’re seeing. Tina tries to begin to land the first hit but unable to do it. Let’s face it, Tina...she’s not a fighter. Could say more of a pacifist rather than...I don’t know, a wuss? If that’s how you wanna say in this day in age? Actually no because that right could probably end a person’s life via name-calling. Though you’re probably thinking back to what happened back in Season 5 with the whole bracelet issue with Tammy that landed them and their friends to Saturday detention. Yeah, you could count that but other than, the girl never fought anyone in her entire life. Louise tries to land a punch of her own but got stopped by Linda, who is looking for Gene. Then comes Bob, who appears to be ready for another round of the so-called father/son spa day, only to end up finding out that Linda will be bringing Gene along to the meeting, meaning that Bob will now have to coach both Louise and Tina how to box like in the movie.
The four went back up with Teddy now sitting by the counter and the three Belchers, Bob, Louise, and Tina, try to make a burger for Teddy to consume only for the pain in their hands that they got from the punching with Bob having trouble flipping it and causing him to collapse on the floor with Tina and later Louise to tag along for the ride like they’re giving up on life. That is pretty much the mood for everyone in 2020 with the year now almost over with. But much like with Rocky, or in this case, like with Ham and Egger, at the last final moment, we have Bob, Tina, and Louise fighting against the pain on their hands and finishing up the process that is known as the burger for Teddy and so they did, much like with Rocky and now with this week’s episode with the three Belchers finishing up the order, despite that it now looks deformed but that was due to the injury playing a role into that, and gives it to Teddy for him to eat to close out the subplot portion of the episode. Despite that the main plot of the episode may have derailed in the third act, what is this? Like the second, third time where the subplot has somewhat done a better job than the main? Yeah...um...not looking good so far, man. Not looking good.
Reaction/Thoughts:
A 6.5 out of 10. That seems somewhat reasonable 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? Love it or hate it? Do you think Gene is being too clingy over Linda? Do you think that Gene’s character may have changed since you first watched the show? Would you do what the Belcher sister have been through and learn how to fight? Will the studios behind Rocky might sue the company? All that and your mini-review down below in the comments. Next Sunday, December 13, the last episode of 2020. And it’s a Christmas episode and we’re going on a yacht for the holidays in the tenth episode of Season 11 in “Yachty or Nice”. Follow me over at Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, behind the scenes, and some stuff if you wanna call them goodies over there for the time being. And of course, wanna help me out with the page and stuff...
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