The last one of Season 14... no, seriously, we are done with Season 14 officially because starting next week, this upcoming weekend, we enter a new season. And yes, I’ll get the review for “The Big Steblitzki” out before we get to the first episode of the new season, don’t need to be bitched about for not having that episode out. I don’t want to leave Season 14 with one episode omitted back I lost track of time because of an issue regarding my laptop a few weeks ago. I’ll get the episode review out before the start of the season. It’s already at the portion of that episode at the beginning of the second half, so hang in there. Don’t want to leave anything behind with these reviews, especially when nearing a monumental milestone with your boy on the verge of hitting 200 reviews later this year. So for now, the focus will be on this week’s episode. And then do thirteen straight weeks of doing these since we might as well bullrush through the season. Oh boy, y’all better pray to whatever deity you worship to get through what is going to be expected to be a very long season.
In this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers, Bosco is on the case to track a theft ring and the suspect behind and to do that for his part to do an undercover investigation, he goes to Bob’s Burgers and asks Bob how to cook a burger to avoid any suspicion and the kids, while all of that is happening, they play a game of finding the pickle... yeah, in my spoilerific review of the sixteenth episode of Season 14 of Bob’s Burgers, titled “To Catch a Beef”.
Yes, this is actually the finale to the show’s fourteenth season despite that this came out the week before the start of the new season. And this begs the question to all of this, between this week’s episode with “To Catch a Beef” and the episode we got before the Summer hiatus back in May with “Butt Sweat and Fears”... out of the two episodes, and this is for anyone who stuck around the night it came out between last October and this week, nearly a span of 12 months, yeah, 12 months, a freaking fracking year, not even major league sports leagues can challenge that, but out of the two episodes, “Butt Sweat and Fears” and “To Catch a Beef”, production code aside, and again, this is for anyone who had stuck around within the 12 months, which to you in your opinion feels like a season finale episode.
Because with “Butt Sweat and Fears” back in May, we all thought that it was going to be the season finale. That episode felt like a season finale. The set of music that was made for the episode to serve as party music, three tracks to be exact, a nice moment between Tina and Sam by the end of the episode that I know it was expected but it’s a very nice scene regardless, and the subplot was alright with Teddy turning the basement into a second restaurant using the wood pellets. That was a good episode and it felt like a season finale back in May with how things played out. I mean, how the fuck does one episode that had three tracks made for Chelsea’s party, serving as an EP, was Tina’s big moment in the episode after being shoved into the backseat of the bus throughout the entirety of the season, and a good subplot that felt like a season finale isn’t a season finale according to the networks because the press release for the May 19 schedule didn’t have the label?! Still a good episode regardless and in my opinion, feels like a good episode that closes out the season.
And then on the other side of the coin, you have this episode. In which I’m going to break this sucker down piece by piece. And looking at it when it first came out the night it premiered... it’s an episode. I don’t hate it but despite declaring it as the season finale even though the official press release doesn’t have the label despite that it came out the week before the start of the new season. There are some enjoyable moments in the episode that we’ll get to but to me, despite that this is the last episode before we begin Season 15, in my opinion, I know that the damage is already done with Season 14 now in the books, for good this time, buried underneath in the ground, and locked away in a coffin, still think that “Butt Sweat and Fears” should’ve been the season finale. Tell me I’m wrong despite some of y’all being upset back in May because of how short the season is after going through one hiatus after another. Right, episode breakdown time, this is “To Catch a Beef”.
And what a way to start the episode to close the chapter that is Season 14, we have the Belchers working at the restaurant with the kids playing a game that they invented called Finding the Pickle. Yes, that is actually the game that they’re playing since it’s I guess somewhat of a bubble episode since we’re pretty much staying at one location all throughout the damn thing. And the name of the game for Finding the Pickle is to find the pickle that was placed somewhere in the building, either at the restaurant or the apartment, but mostly the restaurant, and either sibling has to find the pickle that is hidden. Think of an Easter egg hunt... that’s pretty much the only comparison you can think of. Nothing important with this little side story that will be intervening with the main plot other than this being pure filler.
Bosco enters the restaurant and asks Bob a favor that he needs and the favor that he asks him to do at this moment. And the favor that Bosco is asking for Bob to do for him is to... teach him how to make a burger. I know that it seems vague for this to be an episode premise but bear with me here. Bosco comes up to Bob to teach him how to cook a burger because he needs to pick up the skill for an assignment that he is doing. An undercover mission to be exact. Because according to Bosco, after having to spill the beans on what he doing by breaking the code of not telling anyone about the operation courtesy of the kids, he’s going after what he assumes to be a theft ring and going after the guy behind it. Or at least, what the police station assumed that they were after the ringleader of all this, a guy named Vincent Bartos, who has a burger joint but only serves it as a front because most bad guys have fronts to trick the people into thinking that it’s a normal business but in actuality, behind the scenes, a lot of illegal shit going on like jewel thievery. So why does Bosco have to go to the Belchers for his help in doing this in preparation for the sting operation?
The burger joint that Vincent is running needs a cook after the place fired their last one and with the spot open, Bosco is ready to take the spot but he needs to hone the skills he needs so his cover won’t be blown. Hence, why he has to go to the Belchers for their help, mostly because of two things: One, this was the only burger joint that was not run by Vincent and this was the only one that he could think of from the top of his head. We see him in certain episodes where he’s at the restaurant, whether it’s him intruding into a speed dating session on Valentine’s Day in “My Fuzzy Valentine” or going undercover in “Boywatch” after the restaurant gets a lot of traction with the installation of the public WiFi. And two, he knows the Belchers all too well and whether they become a good help for him or a liability for this now that they’re involved in helping Bosco to help him commit in hopes of catching his guy. But beyond all else, the Belchers are now involved in doing this. They cannot get out of it. And we’re in business once a simple pleading from the kids to get Bob on board to do this with them having their identities a secret, Bosco going for an alias under the name Joe Josephs, and hoping for the Belchers, mostly Bob, to not have potential blood in his hands in the event something goes wrong with the operation. That, and also him getting ready for an interview with his boss regarding the mission. Other than that, the family, mostly Bob, can’t back out and now, they’re on the job to teach Bosco how to become a fry cook.
We go into the next scene in the kitchen with Bosco now donning an apron as he begins his training under Bob’s tutelage on how to cook a burger in preparation for his undercover mission. It’s gonna take a while for Bosco to get his head going on how to make a burger because it does look like he’s not taking it seriously with him being easily distracted and claiming that everyone can make a burger at the comfort of their own homes, thinking that it’s going to be a piece of cake. Yeah... if you have a bag or box of frozen burger patties you bought from the store’s frozen aisle. The restaurant is a different beast when grilling a burger and comes down to a few factors according to Bob: How will the burger look like? Will it taste good? How much money will be spent? There are a lot of factors to list out that could either be good for a business or a quickly placed downward spiral. Did I mention that Bosco is easily distracted while trying to learn the lingo of how to make a burger?
Yeah, we've seen that happening as the first act progresses. Whether it’s him going through the phone when looking up suits or attempting to join the kids’ game of finding the pickle, it almost feels like he’s not taking this seriously as if he might be planning on winging it ahead of his undercover operation, which would be a bad idea when getting ready for the operation. So, Bosco is pretty much being easily distracted as if his mind is focusing on something else rather than learning the basics of cooking a burger from Bob. Learning the basics with an empty grill and knowing the lingo of grilling? Gets distracted by looking up suits on his phone. Getting the know-how with the kind of temperature each burger patty should be for certain customers? Attempting to jump on board of playing a game of Find the Pickle.
And the montage shows it after that with the kids playing with Bosco’s handcuffs with him putting them on Gene’s wrists and later himself with the kids taking control of the handcuffs and also, of course, playing a round or two of playing finding the pickle. I mean, it does feel like Bosco is not taking this seriously, and knowing that it’s only the first act of the episode, that seems to be the way to go. Not knowing what you’re doing throughout the whole thing and then out of the blue come the end, the experience finally comes out, and think that you’re a pro. You know, believe in the powers of bullshit. And we see that later on in the episode.
But for now, the pressure is on for Bosco with Bob handing him the spatula to do a customer’s order. Making him do the job with the things that he was supposed to learn and now, putting him in the spotlight and about to embarrass himself. The same way as you were supposed to study for an exam that holds an excessive amount of your grade for the semester and you haven’t done Dickey McGee’s acts of finding the time to study but instead, focusing on something else up until the day of the exam. And we’re seeing that with Bosco as we prepare to close out the first act of the episode. Of course, Bosco ends up flopping before being given the chance to grill the burger because he was supposed to season the patty once it was put into the grill. He was supposed to know all of this but instead, he was easily distracted and played with the kids playing a round of finding the pickle, which would be bad for Bosco ahead of his undercover operation and that mistake could get his cover blown once he’s out in the field. A mistake that could get him killed. This results in Bosco quitting the place after the fallout, even though Bosco himself was careless of what he was doing, believing that playing finding a pickle was part of the training, even though it’s not, and to make things worse for Bosco as we prepare to enter the second act of the episode...
Once Bosco gets the phone call from the chief about the interview. And remember when Bosco brought up that he has time since his interview won’t be until a week for him to possibly get the spot from the interview if things go right for him? Well, Bosco got the call and it looks like the interview is being pushed from a week from now... to today at 3:00. The Belchers are pretty much stuck with Bosco for the time being now that his interview is pushed to today rather than keeping the usual schedule that is the next week. Putting up Bosco not doing what he is doing in attempting to cook a burger is one thing in preparation for the undercover sting operation, but now the meeting is being pushed... the family is in a very tight spot with the whole issue. Especially Bob, who had to be roped into this by accepting Bosco to help him how to cook a burger before noticing that he is easily distracted by playing a round of finding a pickle as if he thinks it’s part of training. Not saying that the kids are serving as a distraction for Bosco but it sort of feels like despite that Bosco is not focusing on what he is supposed to be doing himself. And now, here we are, stuck.
So, going into the second act of the episode and Bob questions Bosco why it was pushed to today and if he doesn’t go over there by 3:00 today, he won’t get picked for the job and the position he is going after would go to someone else. Bosco ain’t wasting the opportunity that is waiting for them. And now, it’s a race against the clock for Bosco with a ten-minute time limit for him to learn how to grill a burger, hoping to get things rolling at a rapid pace before the meeting. If this were an anime, 10 minutes is clearly nothing. 10 minutes whenever it gets brought up when watching an anime, following anime logic, 10 minutes would last about... 3-5, maybe 5-8 episodes. Mostly because if y’all remember, Dragon Ball Z, Goku vs Frieza, five minutes until the planet Namek destructs, and that fight lasted for more than a dozen episodes, and that is when you include the filler episodes. Here... 10 minutes is 10 minutes for Bosco to speedrun the lesson to make sure he’s good to go once he gets picked for the operation. And it looks like the family might as well get going and hope that things go right this time for Bosco to at least learn the basics. A lot is riding on him being an adequate chef if he wants to make the cut and it looks like that time is now.
Going into the next scene and guessing 10 minutes might have passed since the call with Bob being concerned for Bosco’s wellbeing and hoping things don’t go wrong for him, fearing for his safety. And also the family since they’re pretty much involved by Bosco to help him cook. Bob gets a phone call, thinking that it’s Bosco or the guy that he was looking for, but instead, it’s a call from Teddy who is finishing up installing a satellite dish and is ready to visit the restaurant because he missed out on the lunch rush and is planning on getting a burger for dinner. For now, no word on Bosco but the Belchers will be getting a visit from Teddy instead, who tells Bob to keep his seat busy and thinks to himself that because he missed the lunch rush there, telling Bob if Mort had come by and sat on his chair. In which Bob tells him that he did not and didn’t even visit earlier in the day. Of course, all this while trying not to give away what Bob and the rest of the family were doing with Bosco. Pretty sure the restaurant doesn’t have reserved seating even if you’re a regular there and are good friends with the family. Also, didn’t you have a plaque that was given to you from Mort during a Secret Santa exchange back in Season 12? Are we not going to address that? So once the phone call between Bob and Teddy ends with Teddy coming over to get his dinner...
We have a customer entering the restaurant for him to make his order with him, voiced by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, not needing a menu as Linda suggested and decides to order the Burger of the Day. And he seems to be impressed with what the restaurant has in store and on his list as if he’s some sort of tourist visiting the town. Questioning Bob about the Burger of the Day having to be changed every day, treating it as if it’s his first time visiting because it is his first time. Especially when noticing Tina and Gene searching across the booths for a pickle as part of the finding the pickle game, in which Bob tells the kids not to bother the guy with what they’re doing as he makes his way to the bathroom while he waits for his order to arrive. So, as the guy makes his way to the bathroom before getting his order...
Bosco makes his return to the restaurant after being interviewed by the chief and the news he got to share with the Belchers when being told how things go and uh... the closest to sum up where Bosco is heading when it comes to whether or not he made the cut... it’s a firm maybe, maybe not, who knows. Who knows but I guess it’s a wait-and-see for the time being... and also because Bosco nearly fumbled the bag when it comes to coming up with a reference with his alias for his undercover operation. However, that conversation comes to a screeching halt as we end the first half of the episode...
And boy, oh boy, quite the awkward confrontation we got here going into halftime with Bosco and the customer, finding out that his name is Vincent, as in the Vincent that Bosco and the police are after. Really awkward with those two meeting face-to-face and at the restaurant of all places and of all the times that Bosco had to come back to the place after his interview back at the station. And now, ending the first half of the episode and going into the second, with an undercover cop and a potential criminal that the police are looking for who might be the ringleader of a theft ring and now, with the Belchers now getting caught in the crossfire, it all comes down to hoping things will not go down south like Bosco’s cover and his affiliation with the Belchers, who are the own this establishment, to the point where lives might be at potential risk of being sent packing.
The confrontation between Bosco, under the alias Joe Josephs, and Vincent causes Bosco to go talk to Bob privately in the employee bathroom right after Bob gives Vincent his order. Bob questions Bosco on why someone who happened to be the ringleader with somewhat of a list of criminal acts that he committed came to the restaurant, knowing that one fuck up could put everyone in immediate danger. You can thank Bosco for making that blunder during her interview regarding his character reference. So, what has happened according to Bosco that when it comes to his character’s job reference, found out that the place he “used to work” shut its doors long ago, and Bosco, who didn’t think this through and jumped right through the rabbit hole, picked Bob’s Burgers as his go-to as if he panicked. And now, the pressure is on for not only Bosco but on Bob and pretty much everyone in the building and the mission for right now at least is to make sure things go smoothly because again, one fuck up is all they don’t want that could potentially put everyone in immediate danger.
Bosco and Bob leave the employee bathroom and head straight back to the dining area after their private talk and this is where I think the episode might as well start picking things up from here. Well, the end of the second act of the episode pretty much set that up but it’s here in the third act and probably going into the fourth is where things get rolling. The two adult men leave the bathroom and meet up with Vincent, who is enjoying his burger and minding his own business. Bob and Bosco are feeling tense at the moment once Vincent brings up Bosco, not knowing that he’s undercover, about the place as if he’s still an employee with Bosco having to reply to make sure that the way he answers won’t draw any suspicion. And it is getting to the point where, yes, knowing that it is the third act of the episode, that we could have Bosco possibly fumble by the next commercial break, gotten to the point where Bob and Linda have to tell Tina, Gene, and Louise to head upstairs to continue their game of finding the pickle. The only problem is that they can’t do that because the pickle that either one of the siblings hid is in the restaurant but Bob suggests that they should get a new pickle and continue to play upstairs at the apartment. And the kids’ response to all of this... they ain’t having it. That’s not how this game works, especially with Vincent here and hoping for things to go right so it won’t blow Bosco’s cover. Hence, they want to stay put until the pickle is spotted despite that they along with Bob and Linda are highly involved in helping Bosco with his operation. And it can’t get any worse for the Belchers and especially Bosco in this situation with Vincent paying a visit and eating his burger, right?
Here comes Teddy entering the restaurant for his burger fix and already, upset that Vincent was sitting on his supposed reserved seat and was on the verge of a freakout. The pressure is about to reach its boiling point for everyone except for Vincent and Teddy that, again, one fuck up could put everyone on blast. And if they want things to go smoothly so that Bosco’s cover won’t get blown, they have to get Teddy out. And you’re probably wondering, why? A few things to list out with the first being Teddy being upset that Vincent is sitting on his seat as if Vincent is participating in the Rosa Parks challenge, even though there was no reserved seating. But at least he’s fine with it for just one visit, so crisis averted on that. But then comes the second item on the list to get Teddy out, the fear of Bosco’s cover getting blown. Teddy knows Bosco and if Teddy brings up Bosco’s name with him present and in front of Vincent since he is sitting next to him, everyone might be getting the cap. They could tell Teddy about what is going on to keep his mouth shut and not put the Belchers and Bosco’s safety at risk but because Bosco told the Belchers earlier in the episode that they’ll be kept safe as long as they don’t jeopardize the mission, and mind you that Teddy was absent all throughout the first act, they need to get Teddy out so he can’t jeopardize with the mission.
And this is exactly what the Belchers are doing. Keeping Teddy busy so that he doesn’t expose Bosco just be recognized by making him a burger while keeping his attention away from him across the booth. Bob has to beat the clock to make Teddy a burger and convince him to take to go instead of dining in, much to Teddy’s dismay and questions why he should take his food on the go with Bob responding by twisting his words during the phone call moments ago, claiming that he asked it for to go instead of the usual dining in that he is used to and rather than trying to challenge it, he ends up accepting it.
And quite the suspense there for this scene with everyone hoping for things to go smoothly in hopes for Bosco to not get discovered by Teddy. Especially when having a small conversation with Vincent while he (Teddy) waits for his food to arrive while Vincent is finishing up his. And man, the suspense is there for this episode to pick up. Both this scene and the next one going into the fourth and final act, the suspense in this episode with the family trying their best to not blow Bosco’s cover with Vincent, the suspect in question, at the restaurant, really picked this episode up after a slowdown in the first two acts and even though the episode, at least in my opinion, doesn’t feel like a season finale episode, the episode is doing its job to get the people’s attention much like last week’s episode with Gayle. Nearly had Bosco’s cover blown with Vincent present until the coast was clear once Teddy got his order and headed out.
And like watching a football game where it had been tight leading up to the clock reaching triple zeros, that scene and moment nearly gave the Belchers and Bosco heart attacks with the whole thing with Teddy just to prevent Bosco’s cover from getting blown all because he was kept quiet even though he was absent for half an episode. So, assholes are clinched for everyone, and with Bosco’s undercover identity safe and Vincent now finished his burger, you’d think that everything that is going on is now coming to a close without any problems that would result in losing a few limbs or going out in a body bag. Except for the fact that we only have one more act in this episode and for Bosco and the Belchers, the coast is not yet clear. Rather, when describing everything that is going on with this episode, this entire thing is a hurricane, the Teddy confrontation is the first eyewall, making the temporary sigh of relief the eye, the calm inside the storm, and now, you have Vincent asking Bosco to make him a burger based on his character reference that he made up leading up to this whole ordeal, turning this into the second eyewall.
So, ending the third act of the episode and going into the fourth and final act, the Teddy issue is out but now, all eyes are on Bosco once Vincent asks him to make a burger after tasting Bob’s. Wanting to compare how similar or different the taste is from both men as if he’s a food critic. I mean, the actor who played Vincent is known currently on, maybe you heard of it, the Hulu original series The Bear, which is a show about the main character hoping to hone his skills to one day take over the business. Never seen it but I heard it’s good knowing that it won multiple awards.
Now, going into the end of the fourth and final act of the episode and the pressure is back on now that the situation regarding the undercover mission with Vincent paying a visit once Vincent brought up that because he tasted Bob’s burger and because he thinks that Bosco, under the alias Joe Josephs, is a cook who “used to work at the restaurant” and should be good at making burgers, the cracks have already been shown the moment Bosco became easily distracted once Bob accepts to be a part of the operation that he cannot get out of for his and his family’s safety. The dam nearly broke when Teddy paid a visit and nearly recognized Bosco, just a small leak but was secured swiftly. Until another crack begins to appear and we could be having ourselves the motherload courtesy of Vincent wanting Bosco to make him a burger. So Bosco enters the kitchen and Bob follows suit by taking Vincent’s cup to the kitchen to wash it but in actuality, he has to quietly help Bosco not to fuck up a burger so Vincent doesn’t find out what is going on. Trying to play it cool but is panicking internally when having to serve someone who is on Bosco’s radar when catching the thief in question.
So, it’s go time for Bosco as he puts on the apron one more time and is about to grill a burger, hoping for a miracle to survive with Bob with him from the sink with the faucet on so that Vincent doesn’t hear him to draw suspicion. Hoping to remember everything that he tried to learn while he was slacking off with the kids by playing finding the pickle. Of course, Bosco is feeling a bit lost when instructed to season the patty with salt and pepper with Bob telling him that the season is above the grill while not looking up from where he is standing. Look at him, looking like a lost kid at the mall looking for their parent.
And it has gotten to the point where Linda decides to step in and tell Bob quickly before leaving the building and on her way to the alley in private that in the event Bosco fuck up his cooking as we saw with him putting an excessive amount of salt over the patty after placing it on the grill, once again, looking like a lost kid looking for their parents at the mall, Linda suggests to Bob that they should do a switcheroo and trick Vincent into thinking that the burger Bob made is actually Bosco’s. And, of course, it’s Teddy’s burger that Linda is going after since it’s the same order as Vincent's. So, Linda heads outside to make a phone call to Teddy to go back to the restaurant, this time at the alleyway instead of the front because, again, if Teddy recognized Bosco, the operation would be jeopardized and would put everyone in danger. Linda lies to Teddy on the phone by claiming that the burger Bob made for him fell on the floor and thought that a fly and a cockroach touched it. A lot of convincing but Teddy ends up going back to the restaurant and meeting Linda there. So, going back to inside the restaurant and...
Oh boy... it’s not looking good. That is not a good flip coming from Bosco that even the kids and Vincent from the other side of the window are seeing it. Dude, I made bad flips when heating a burger patty, and that... that looks bad. And I cooked the damn thing with a frozen store-bought patty. This... this pretty much made my cooking skills look like I have a five-star rating and my shit is undercooked. Don’t ask unless you have a tub of Pepto Bismol on the ready. So yeah, things are not looking good for Bosco after mishandling the flipping of the patty that looks like a splattered mess and trying to play it off after making that one mistake. And it has gotten to the point where the plan Linda came up in the event Bosco fucked up his patty to make sure that everyone wants to continue their life subscription.
Leading Linda back to the alleyway with her taking the bag that has Teddy’s order, turning it into a tug-of-war between the two, of course, Teddy still being oblivious about all of this that is happening if it means not wanting to compromise the mission for Bosco. Telling Teddy, once she got the bag from his hands, that they will make another burger for him, it just that he had to wait for 30 minutes, and tell him to suggest doing something to pass the time like getting a newspaper. And quite the would-be reference there from Teddy, thinking that no one reads newspapers anymore, thinking that it’s 1986, and brought up Dukakis, as in Michael Dukakis. From a historical standpoint for that reference, Dukakis once ran for governor of Massachusetts in 1986, reelection to be exact, before running for president two years later in 1988 (and lost). The reference from Teddy’s mouth to say that is mostly because Larry Murphy grew up in Massachusetts. So, consider that your fact of the week. Linda gets the burger from Teddy as he drives, begins playing the waiting game, and enters the restaurant, and just in time...
For Bosco to put up the finishing touches to his attempt at a perfect burger that he made. And if you have been to a restaurant after seeing an ad promoting something new on the menu, there’s always the idea of expectation vs reality with the ad showing the food looking perfectly built and cooked with care but once you get to the restaurant to place your order, it tried as it was advertised. Bosco’s burger is the perfect example of what you’d get rather than what you saw on TV or online. The burger is brought in and tells Bosco to make the switch but Bosco decides that despite the mess he made with the burger he made, he wants to give his creation to Vicent for him to eat. Yes, he wants Vincent to eat his imperfect burger rather than switch to the other. I mean, it’s probably because there are some moments where it feels like Vincent is slowly catching on with everything that is going on as if the cracks are starting to grow from Bosco but it mostly comes down to him swallowing his pride and wanting to serve his mess of a burger and if that burger is going to get him killed... so be it. Unless we’re looking at a SpongeBob situation where the burger could knock him out as if he made a nasty patty, then we could be looking at a different story. And so, moment of truth time.
Bosco delivers the burger he made for Vincent to try out. And who knew that a burger taste test would be the most suspenseful out of this show? Especially when having to serve it to someone who happened to be the ringleader of a theft ring that Bosco was going after, hoping to get on his good side so he could infiltrate his place. Not only for Bosco with the pressure on him but also for the Belchers as well, mostly because they like to get out of this mess alive and well. Hoping for things to go right so they don’t want to deal with any more nonsense like this one. Luckily for the Belchers, they got their wish because Vincent appears to like the burger Bosco made despite the few minor fuck ups during the process. But that’s more than enough for Vincent to like the burger that Bosco made and thus, going into the two-minute warning of the episode, he got the job. Major sigh of relief for the Belchers and Bosco after a day filled with stress regarding the situation with Bosco and their safety after being roped in. Vincent leaves the place, since it is on the house, but not before answering the kids’ question on who’s the favorite in the building and he ends up picking Teddy as the favorite. I mean, alright, I guess. I mean, Teddy nearly had a freak-out moment over his seating but was chilled after that despite nearly giving away Bosco’s cover. Other than that, Vincent leaves and just in time for Bosco to get a call from his boss.
A huge sigh of relief and a massive close one for the Belchers when having to serve a suspected criminal his food. Not since... well, the family’s many encounters of either one or all of them nearly died that they can breathe easily and that they don’t have to worry about that anymore. Especially once Bosco exits the kitchen and alerts the family that Vincent is not the guy that he and the rest of the police force were looking for. Because it looks like the police have already found the guy when bringing up partial fingerprints and arrested someone else for questioning. Meaning that Bosco can quit the job offer from Vincent and have to tell him that he broke a body part, just to get out of the cooking gig. Telling the Belchers that in comparison to everything he had been through since joining the force, cooking a burger seems the most stressful. The situation is over and we can finally end this chapter with Vincent as we prepare to end the episode since the police force found their guy... or so we thought.
Because Bosco brought up partial fingerprints from his phone call with his boss regarding the arrest of the suspect, thinking that they had found their guy. Louise, however, doesn’t buy it. She quickly puts two and two together as if she knows that something is up about Vincent since his visit and his encounter with Bosco earlier in the episode regarding the fingerprints. Think back to earlier in the episode with Bosco describing Vincent of him mutilating the fingers of his victims as if he’s Sukuna from Jujutsu Kaisen (minus the consuming of fingers). Louise tells the family and Bosco that Vincent is the guy he and the police force they’re after and thinks that the force should heed her words and continue the investigation. She knows what was going on the moment Bosco brought up the phone call of finding their guy who she believes that they got the wrong guy. Using a random person’s finger to trick the police to get them off of his back and Louise believes that he used that during his visit to the restaurant. So, in short, Louise pretty much solved the high-profile case. Her first high-profile case since the murder of Cotton Candy Dan in the movie and of course, she thinks that Bosco and the rest of the police force got the wrong person but Louise did because adults are stupid. Once again, Louise solved the case. The high-profile case to be exact but when it comes to finding the pickle across the restaurant... that is nowhere to be found. And do you know who took the pickle? Well, it’s not either of the siblings who were participating in the game but instead...
It’s Vincent. Vincent took the pickle after, as Louise described the whole situation, tricked Bosco and pretty much everyone by using the partial fingerprints as an alibi to get the police off of his back to continue his criminal activity. Especially with him leaving the restaurant with the pickle that the kids were looking for in his hand. So, thanks to all the fuckery, Vincent is walking away scot-free after tricking the police and Bosco, not knowing that a 9-year-old girl with bunny ears pretty much solved the case like she’s freaking Sherlock Holmes but wouldn’t be worried because she’s a kid and the police won’t buy her word for it. Even though this was the same 9-year-old that got a landlord’s cousin and lawyer arrested for killing a carnie and plotting to blow up the Wharf, without freaking permits for him to get his Mega Park approved. So, Vincent is walking free and plans on working on continuing his enterprise...
Ending the episode and the season with Teddy knocking on the window, giving the family and Bosco a spook as if Vincent came back with a vengeance. And looks like Teddy is tired of waiting for him to get his burger fix. I mean, dude, you can survive one day without having to eat a burger every day even though this is pretty much your hub since being promoted to the main cast. Like, chill. Just be thankful that the whole thing with Vincent is over (even though Vincent is still out in public despite Louise solving the case).
Reaction/Thoughts:
So, all and all, what do I think about this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers? It’s an alright episode. An okay episode if I have to be honest. And even though that is what I guess it’s the intended season finale since it came out the week before the start of the new season, I still think that it doesn’t feel like a season finale but I guess the damage is already done and Season 14 has to end at some point before we get to Season 15. I’m still saying that “Butt Sweat and Fears” should be the intended finale despite the network not calling it the season finale despite the freaking release on the FoxFlash page back in March that had the editor’s notes on the dates of the season finale before the Summer break.
Aside from that, it’s an alright episode. A slow couple of acts from this episode much like last week’s but the suspense from the third and fourth acts of the episode is where I think picked things up. A massive close call for the Belchers and Bosco when trying to prevent Bosco’s cover from being blown and you can feel it when watching it as if your heart is starting to race when seeing which of the options you’re going to get, either Bosco’s cover gets blown or is saved and no one gets caught in the crossfire. Especially with the family having to deal with Teddy since he nearly blew Bosco’s cover by nearly recognizing him from sitting at the booth while sitting next to Vincent. That is, of course, the only highlight from the episode that I can think of.
Other than that, it’s an alright episode whether or not this is intended to be the season finale, even though it might as well be one because Season 14 has to end at some point. So, let’s go with that. It’s an alright episode and even though it doesn’t feel like a season finale and think another episode would’ve gotten the label, it’s an alright episode regardless and the suspenseful moments from the third and fourth acts of the episode was the highlight of the episode for me, at least in my opinion. So I’ll give “To Catch a Beef”...
A 7 out of 10. But that’s my opinion and I wanna hear yours in the comments below. We are now done with Season 14 and now, onto Season 15 we go. And I know, I know, the review of “The Big Steblitzki”. It’s coming, alright. Let me relax first before getting to it before the weekend arrives. Season 15 begins this Sunday with the first episode of the new season and it’s a Tina episode with “The Tina Table: The Tables have Tina-ed”. So don’t miss that episode this upcoming weekend.
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