Another season of Bob’s Burgers is finally here. But it’s the honest-to-goodness truth here that it feels like time has slipped away. And I say that because we really don’t have an offseason. Well, I mean, the Bob’s Burgers side of the aisle, yes, they did have an offseason since the end of Season 15 back in August, but it still feels like a short offseason, and at least it’s a bit of an improvement from last year, when the offseason lasted for a week. Speaking of which, that was a short offseason from yours truly because coming out of doing the double header of The Great North and especially, doing that long review of the final episode, oh yeah, by the way, The Great North is pretty much, as expected, GGs, as a sendoff that nearly drained the hell out of me after posting. Yeah, if this isn’t incompetence coming from FOX because of the state I am in, and yes, I know, there is a break coming up on the week of October 12, but good God, man. Good God. At least we know... somewhat know that we’re no longer getting a full 22 episodes because of the new season. So, there’s that.
In this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers, a major shakeup is in the works for the restaurant with Bob debating whether to raise the price by a dollar extra, forcing a flashback to the restaurant’s origins as the Belcher kids make some music tying in with the restaurant’s humble beginnings in my spoilerific review of the first episode of Season 16 of Bob’s Burgers, titled “Grand Pre-Pre-Pre-Opening”.
Here we go again with a major milestone for Bob’s Burgers. 300 episodes and counting to kick off the show’s sixteenth season... at the overall episode number of 299, with a Gayle episode being the show’s actual 300th episode when doing an episode count. We might as well follow the same route as what Season 6 did with “Glued, Where’s My Bob” being the show’s 100th episode, but ended up being served as the show’s 107th episode as part of the double header to close out Season 6 back in 2016 and the episode “Stand By Gene” a month ago that year being served as the show’s actual 100th episode when doing the episode count. And that is exactly what we’re doing with this episode to start the new season.
However, that's not all; it's quite a milestone we have reached for the show. 14 years, about to be 15 years come January, and it has been quite the journey we have endured. As I mentioned in my review of “It’s a Beef-derful Life Adventure” a few weeks ago, I didn't jump in back when it all began in 2011. It wasn't until around late 2013, during my junior year of high school, that I got into it. It took a lot to get used to the lingo in comparison to Central Park and The Great North. I'm treating it as if this is it for the show, but it's not, since it's the first of the four-season renewal. Yes, Central Park and Great North fans, y’all can go and scold the burger fandom for having more seasons than y’all combined. But regardless, it’s quite the achievement for the show that... well, I would say it beat the odds, but some other shows did that before us, but still, it's quite the honor to do something like that just years later.
And what else to celebrate the show’s 300th episode like an origin story. It was a long time coming to know about the restaurant’s humble beginnings. The pre-canon of the series, and boy, it did not disappoint. Sure, the premise leading up to the backstory was... something with Bob having to debate whether to raise the price by a dollar to meet inflation standards. Going for status quo change after fifteen seasons of a $5 price that is about to be upped because they really need to make ends meet. A status quo change that is going to stick around for the foreseeable future, whether you like it or not. That’s more than enough to trigger an origin story. It’s pretty much the principle if you try to think about it when it comes to whether or not to make the change that would either be for the greater good or will come back to bite him in the ass. And that is exactly what we’ll be breaking down piece by piece. This is “Grand Pre-Pre-Pre-Opening”.
And knowing that it’s a milestone episode, as well as the season premiere, of course, no intro. We have no intro, and instead, it’s a cold open as the episode begins with the $5 on the board showing the menu about to get a makeover... or probably not. He’s debating whether or not to up the price by a dollar for each menu item, including the burger of the day, which has always been around the $5 mark since the very beginning. But with them struggling to make ends meet with the rent and the bills, not to mention inflation kicking the Belchers in the ass, it’s not new if you follow something called the news. Every business has fallen victim to it since the COVID-19 pandemic, during the pandemic, to be exact, because of supply dwindling and demand going high. Bob doesn’t like the idea because he’s debating whether or not he wants to do it, even though the night before, according to Linda, he was keen on the idea of doing a price hike. But now, debating whether or not he wants to do it.
It has been a staple since the restaurant’s humble beginnings. A change that everyone will have some difficulty grasping if this goes through. A major status quo change is in the making to kick off the show’s sixteenth season, the same way not too long ago, with The Great North in its fifth season premiere, with the changing of the boats from The Mighty Kathleen to The Mighty Beef (previously named the (C)anal Breeze). Bob’s Burgers has had some changes throughout its now sixteen seasons, and this is pretty much a major one if this goes through. Think of how we reacted when your favorite fast-food place decided to raise the price of its value menu because of how affordable it was before the change. It’s like that with Bob, as if he’s afraid that he would be scaring away the customers by raising the price by a dollar just to meet inflation standards. He doesn’t want to ruin the foundation that he built after oh so long, but with the times changing and the economy going to crap when struggling to make ends meet, sacrifices do have to be made. It just comes down to what the reaction will be from the masses and not turn it into a Cracker Barrel situation this past summer.
The Belcher kids enter the restaurant, with them seeing a potential change in the making with the board, or maybe not; it’s a work in progress. They entered the restaurant with Gene carrying a MiniDisc four-track for him, as well as Louise and Tina, who would be using it after having to ask Peter Pescadero to borrow it from his brother. Linda thinks that it’s part of the Itty Bitty Ditty Committee, but that’s not it, according to Gene. It’s just the siblings doing the work with a device that was borrowed from Peter. You know, it would’ve been easier to just say the band broke up. Just say the band broke up because why not? And not because it was only mentioned since the performance at the end of the movie, but it feels as if they don’t want to touch on the band... or at least not yet, because even though we have Rudy and Peter... I already missed my boi. I know that he appeared last season, but that was a non-speaking cameo. So uh... the waiting game continues for when Darryl is going to be a speaking role, Aziz or not. Should’ve at least had an understudy ready to go. When will the war end?
The Belcher kids are flying solo with their side project as they prepare to create music of their own, which will tie in with what is about to come regarding Bob’s situation of whether or not to up the price. Going down to the basement to do the work since they only have a day to make a full album for them to upload it online before planning to return it to Peter the next day. And so, they did, going into the next scene with the three siblings, under the new name “Bus Boy and the Cuss Girls”. Not wasting any time to get into position and begin to sing the first song of the album that they’ll be working on. And it’s no surprise that the songs they’ll be singing would be about their time working at the restaurant, though mainly about the restaurant as a whole, since the 300th episode of the series will be on how all of this began. Diving into the origins of the place. Especially once Bob overhears what the kids are singing while debating whether or not to up the price. And this leads us to the very beginning of the restaurant.
Now, we have seen some historical films about the rise of a business, like the McDonald’s movie, as an example to see the struggles of wanting to operate a business. It’s not easy when it comes to a variety of things, from ideas to cost. The same way you’re planning to run a campaign without having to rely on corporate money. Struggling is the name of the game to kick off the backstory. And we see that with Bob and Linda having to share an apartment long before renting the building that would soon become the restaurant and their home. Though the title card reads 14 years ago, when transitioning from the present to the past, the building being empty, and it is hoping for someone to rent the place. Mind you, this was once a donut shop if you remember that little revelation back in Season 12’s “FOMO You Didn’t”.
But 14 years ago is where the backstory takes place, with Linda eyeing an empty building that would soon become the restaurant and a place that they will soon call home. A reminder that the empty building was once a donut shop owned by the building’s previous tenant, Violet, if you remember that little revelation in Season 12’s “FOMO You Didn’t”. But 14 years ago, as the title card instead of saying 13 years ago... don’t know if they mean that it took Bob and Linda a year before getting their hands on the building, because they need to rack up the money they’re saving to benefit Bob or the idea of getting the restaurant, or this happens during the year and would make Tina 14 years old at the moment. Which wouldn’t make sense because we know that the show wouldn’t dare aging the characters... or at least, the Belchers... or at least, Gene and Louise. And looking back at the episode, it seems to be the first option.
The spot from the movie... also let the record show that the movie has Linda pregnant with Tina where this doesn't. #BobsBurgers #BlogAllTheTime pic.twitter.com/Gl7pkvzWqu
— Martinez Julian 🌹🌻 (@yahoo201027) September 29, 2025
Which pretty much makes this post I did during the liveblog the night the episode came out makes me sound like a dumbass, and I, for one, have to apologize for that. But to be fair...
When one of the promotional images for the episode came out a few weeks ago, it was especially with that scene of Bob and Linda looking at the empty building. Because my dumbass thought that they’ve retconned the one flashback scene in the movie with Bob and Linda looking at the empty building with Linda being pregnant with Tina. That is what I thought. That is what some of us thought. Apparently, it’s not. So, consider that a correction from what I had to say regarding the backstory shots for this episode.
And speaking of, we have Bob and Linda back in the day, struggling to make ends meet as a married couple, living in an apartment that almost resembles the building Gayle currently lives in, though maybe not. And both of them look miserable when trying to earn some money. Especially Bob, since after having to storm out of his dad’s place, deciding not to work with him because of the mistreatment he got, and not letting him use his creativity when making food for the customers, and was hoping for him to hopefully open his own place in a way that he wanted. Of course, the cost. And the job that he had before becoming co-owner, co-manager, and cook of the soon-to-be-Bob’s Burgers was line cook at a surf and turf, which is pretty much a hassle when having to cook every pot and pan without having the food to be ruined, as if the people there were expecting high-quality dining. Yeah, to the people who think that cooking is easy... y’all are liars. Take a look at yourselves in the mirror.
Also, we find out what Linda’s previous job was before taking the role of co-manager/co-owner/waitress of the restaurant, and that is that she used to be a telemarketer for an insurance company. And oh boy, she hates it. She hates her job as a telemarketer, and she hopes Bob can collect enough money to open up his own place. Almost feels like how most content creators go through with their humble beginnings. So, when Linda looked at the empty building for a bit, after spending some time at the Wharf to clear her head after a long day at work, getting cotton candy on the way, she spotted the perfect place for them to move in and for Bob to open up a restaurant of his own. Of course, it has to go through a lot of steps before things go their way. That being said, talking to the owner of the building, that being Mr. Fischoeder, and also to the bank to open up an account. I mean, how hard can it be? Said the people who believe that opening up a small business is nothing to scoff at.
They do just that when going to pay a visit to Mr. Fischoeder at his office, despite some shaking due to his office sitting right next to the rollercoaster, shortly after taking a peek at the empty building before entering the office at the Wharf. And if you take a peek at who is walking by the Belchers upon looking through the glass... yep, that is the Speedo Guy dressed in a suit. He used to have a job. A normal and preferably mundane life as... a lawyer. Speedo Guy was once a lawyer before having to ditch the suit for a Speedo and a pair of skates.
But that’s not important; you have Bob and Linda meeting with Fischoeder about placing a lease on the empty building. Hoping for things to go their way. Quite a difficult process between a landlord and his future tenants over the rights to own the empty building when being interviewed, like it’s a college admission or hoping to land a job position. Especially since it’s not quite an improvement when it comes to the resume and Bob’s reasons for wanting to get the building. Making him nervous and Fischoeder’s comments about how some restaurants often fail at the first try, and that some other parties also want to take a swing at the building, aren’t helping. But, because Fischoeder is starting to take a liking towards Bob because of his facial hair that reminds him of his father, it seems that we’re in business and one step closer to getting the lease to the building. They just need to get to the bank for approval. Spoiler alert...
Dead on arrival. The Belchers fell short of meeting the requirements they need to rent the building and to enroll in a program that funds their business. You can thank Bob’s piss poor credit score that served as a barricade. Though by a different bank teller this time around, since this is a backstory to 14 years ago. Mainly because you have the current bank teller, Mr. Dowling, serving as, I guess, a rookie in training since he is shadowing her for the job. 14 years and Dowling is still not that great towards the Belchers, even though they are piss poor, as if you’d expect them to live out in the slums. So, the Belchers got denied possible funding, and mind you, this was long before the idea of using Kickstarter or GoFundMe for funding a small business, so, back then, you were on your fucking own to find money.
And for Bob and Linda, they are fucked. Bob’s dream pretty much died before it was even made due to the financial situation. Although all hope doesn’t seem to be lost on the financial side of things, or at least in what Linda is proposing to make sure they get the building, something that Bob might disagree on, and the money that Linda has been saving to go get a condo. The money that she has saved up since she was a teenager. Bob, of course, is against the idea since it’s her savings that she worked hard for. And Bob knows it because she worked hard to put it all together, and having Linda to sacrifice her earnings would be considered a waste if the business fails. Besides, Bob doesn’t want to deal with her parents’ wrath over the issue of money. Especially Gloria. But Linda isn’t backing down from her proposal because she wants to be supportive of Bob and his dream of running a restaurant of his own. And you know she’s not going to back down as the montage progresses. Even if they have to deal with their shitty jobs, even though they should’ve at least quit when they knew that they hate their jobs, but again, money. Pre-Kickstarter, Pre-GoFundMe. They were on their own.
We end the first act of the episode with the ending of the montage, where Linda, soaked by the rain, comes into the restaurant kitchen right as the place is about to close for the night. Making the announcement, the first of two, to be exact, with the first being Linda, as much as Bob hates the idea of having to sacrifice her savings for him and could anger her parents, primarily Gloria, she plans on spending her savings on the empty building. She’s sacrificing her savings that she saved up to get a condo. And you have to give it to Linda for what she is doing because she is truly a ride or die that Bob married to. The type of person who is not willing to leave his side because something bad happened, like a dream that was dangerously close to becoming a reality, and instead, is someone who wants to be there all the way. Wanting to be supportive and is in it for better or for worse. And it is helpful throughout the move, leading up to the restaurant’s first day of opening the door from... well, pretty much everything. True relationship goals right there, folks. And it looks like Bob can’t do anything to get out of it, and with that, he agrees to accept Linda’s proposal to use her money to rent the building, and with that, the soon-to-be restaurant known as Bob’s Burgers is a go. Oh yeah, I did mention that there were two announcements from Linda, with the first being the use of her savings to rent the building that would later become the restaurant.
Linda announces her pregnancy. She is pregnant with a child that will soon become Tina. So, Bob and Linda fucked, that’s the second big news coming from Linda’s mouth aside from having to purchase the rent for the building. Turns out the feeling from eating the butterscotch candies from the bank, as well as some signs that should at least tell the room that something is off about Linda with the way she moves, should at least tell you that there might be possible signs of pregnancy. Especially right after taking a pregnancy test. But that’s the second announcement by Linda that she is pregnant with Tina, and who knew that this was the trigger, along with Linda giving away her money for the building, that were the reason for how Bob’s Burgers started. But other than that, the rest became history once Linda decided to give away the money that she was supposed to spend on a condo, and the news of her pregnancy led Bob and Linda to finally quit their jobs and open up the restaurant.
Which they did, going into the second act of the episode with the one scene from the movie of Bob and Linda looking at the empty building from outside, while sitting in the car, took place, now going from movie form to the actual show, now with an extra scene with Fischoeder coming in to welcome his new tenants. Nice to know, and again, scroll up to read my correction regarding this particular scene when seeing one of the promotional images with this episode to see how much of a dumbass I am. The rest is Bob and Linda setting up shop as they move into the place. Ranging from the apartment they used to live in when dealing with their shitty jobs to a place that they will now call home, to setting up equipment and everything else for the downstairs that would become the restaurant. Hell, you even have one scene of the montage of Bob and Linda moving in with them, setting up the baby’s room, putting up the crib, and you guess why the title reads 14 years ago, because don’t forget, the average time for a woman to be pregnant is nine months, so it took nearly a year for them to get the building instead of having to fast track with the timing and would treat it as if Tina was born via C-section. Hence, the title card, 14 years ago, marks the beginning of the restaurant's origin story. And speaking of origin...
The origin of how Bob and Linda first met Teddy. And uh... oh boy, quite the mess Teddy is when doing some handyman work in setting up the restaurant. Fresh out of a nasty divorce that he had to go through with his ex-wife, Denise. I mean, it’s safe to say that Denise here on Bob’s Burgers is pretty much the same, if not almost the same level as Kathleen on The Great North. And the divorce hits hard on good ol’ Teddy, causing him to lose focus on his duties as a handyman. However, he’s the best fit for the Belchers to find at an affordable price, despite the situation he is going through. On his Bill Dauterive timing, even though that is pretty much his character in a nutshell. But that’s how the Belchers first meet Teddy while setting up the restaurant ahead of opening day.
The same goes for Mort upon entering the restaurant and welcoming his new neighbors. And yes, it does feel weird seeing Mort without his toupee that he wears over his head. This is pre-toupee since this was a long time ago, but holy bald, man. And I know that we saw him take off the toupee for a bit in Season 3’s “My Fuzzy Valentine” during the speed dating session, but that’s a first to see, especially with him still having brown hair rather than the gray that we know today. It’s the only time you see him without the toupee this early in the episode, because the next time we see him, which is later in the episode, he's wearing the toupee. This feels like an origin story for some of the characters, not just Bob and Linda with the restaurant. We know a bit about Speedo Guy, who used to be a lawyer before having to ditch the suit and briefcase for a Speedo and a pair of skates, and now Mort, who is going from undergoing balding patterns to wearing a faux patch of hair. Even though there are treatments for hair pattern baldness. Don’t even think about it, algorithms when it comes to the advertisement.
Oh yeah, as for the name of the restaurant, once again, you can thank Linda. You’d think that Bob would be the one who would come up with the name Bob’s Burgers, but instead, it’s Linda who was calling the shots since she decided to spend her savings to rent the building, and a better opportunity than saving for a condo, but would have to continue to deal with their shitty jobs. Besides, their old apartment would not benefit the incoming baby Tina, knowing the size and the conditions. Not to mention, one of them would have to be put on leave to take care of the baby. But other than that, the name Bob’s Burgers for the restaurant ahead of opening day, that was all Linda. Getting the empty building to benefit Bob for the duo to have a better opportunity, again, that was all Linda. Season 16 has barely started, and already, Linda is in MVP form with her giving Bob ideas to kickstart the restaurant during the early days of the business.
Day turns to night, going into the next scene of the episode, with the opening day of the restaurant drawing closer and closer. And even though they hired Teddy to do the handyman work since he's the cheapest they can find, despite him being fresh out of a divorce, they need additional support for the restaurant once the doors are open, and it's mainly because of Linda’s condition. She is about nine months pregnant with Tina, and Bob thinks that it's for the best for her to sit this one out because of the fear that the baby could arrive at any moment. But, of course, Linda ain’t going to be benched due to pregnancy concerns. Just because she spent her savings on Bob to open the restaurant doesn’t mean she plans on sitting out, even if it’s out of concern that the baby would be born at any moment. Besides, they can’t afford to hire additional staff to help out, so it’s pretty much a two-person team from here on out. And that’s pretty much the way to go... or until their kids are ready to go, and hopefully not violate any child labor laws. At least Linda felt a kick in her stomach, and Bob felt it and gave it a “talk”, which feels more like a venting session, as if he is trying to scare the baby. So, if you’re asking who’s responsible for how Tina ended up how she became awkward, it's Bob’s fault. All that doubt and anxiety that channeled through Bob’s system pretty much passed down to Tina once she entered the world later in the episode.
Bypassing the final montage of the first half of the episode, with the sign above the restaurant being installed, along with every other supply being set up, like the menu board and the spices on the shelf, while Bob is wiping the grill to make it good as... well, used, the big day has finally arrived. Opening Day. And it’s normal for everyone who has decided to enter the business world when opening a small business, going into a new school, or even getting into content creation, like filming a video or writing a piece for a blog. It’s pretty normal for people to feel some jitters. The notion of not wanting to fuck everything up. Treating it as if your first day could potentially be your last. So, the pressure is pretty much mounting for Bob and Linda, especially Bob, once Linda turns the lock and the sign on the door to officially operate the business, and you’d think that, despite being nervous about this, the two, or at least Bob, should at least calm themselves down and pretend that it’s a normal day. Just a normal day. Yeah, Bob is pretty much a different breed of nervousness going into the second half of the episode because he had to come down with a sudden case of diarrhea. Seems about right.
Going into the second half of the episode, of course, opening day for the restaurant for the first time, and hopefully not the last, as a flood of customers enters the restaurant. One of which was Harold and Edith, who barely aged but still acted like total bitches, but they were the first set of customers on opening day, so that’s something. Other than that, it’s a packed house for the newly opened Bob’s Burgers, mind you, that this was before, and you noticed the empty building from across the street, Jimmy Pesto came into the picture, and a rivalry was ignited between Bob and Jimmy, as Linda enters the kitchen and notice Bob being a nervous wreck ahead of opening day by the grill. The fear of fucking up as a newfound business owner. He would never expect that the big day would arrive after a long couple of years or decades since separating himself from his father’s business at the diner and having to struggle to pay the bills when trying to rack up money for him to start a business, but now that it’s here, the nervous bug takes over his body. The fear of failure, which is Bob’s biggest fear that we know of, is about to be on display if things go wrong. And Linda will make sure, on day one of the restaurant, that things will go through smoothly for Bob’s dream to come true, and hoping to make money to make ends meet.
Mort enters the restaurant while that is happening as one of the first customers on the first day of the restaurant, now rocking a toupee to cover his bald spot to make him look young, while his youth is quickly slipping away. Though had some problems with which way the toupee should face to make him look like he still has a lot left in the tank. Teddy also enters as one of the first customers on the first day and notices Mort with the toupee. And he doesn’t like what Mort did to his head upon entering. Treating it as if being bald is a bad thing, said the person who wears a hat all the time, but we did see him a few times without it throughout the show’s history, so uh... words are being taken back there. And if you think that’s pretty much the spark of how Teddy, at times, being mean towards Mort... pretty sure there’s more than that. Even though it’s mostly based on the idea of Teddy latching onto the Belchers like family, and often at times doesn’t like the idea of someone or some group being friendly towards the Belchers, primarily Bob and Linda, especially Bob. Speaking of Bob...
We transition to outside of the restaurant in the alleyway, with Bob giving himself a bit of a pep talk with a raw patty that would soon become burger number one. Though quite a talk between Bob and the raw patty in what was supposed to be a pep talk to not make him feel nervous because Bob’s thoughts aren’t helping with the situation that is going on. Though it’s mainly because it is a raw patty, so it has to be raw and rude before being placed on the grill. And already know what is about to come for Bob since we are still in the third act of the episode, but for now, he’s attempting to be cool and collected once Bob enters the restaurant and prepares to take up the first two orders that Linda wrote on her notepad.
But not before we cut over for a bit with Teddy and Mort sitting next to each other, with Mort struggling to decide which direction the toupee should face when wearing it. The toupee is pretty much backwards because of the direction it's facing, and we know what the direction should be because of how he looked in the present. He does it by flipping it over, and the rest became history for Mort after flipping the toupee when having to treat it as some sort of trial run when trying out the hairpiece. But other than that, moving on from hair talk, Bob makes his return to the restaurant after a would-be pep talk with himself, right as Linda delivers a plate of fries for one of the tables, and it didn't take long for Bob to cook up two sets of meals for each customer. So far, things are looking good. But... as we zoom out from the kitchen window to the restaurant overall...
Is seeing a packed house. The restaurant is full of customers. Granted, it’s only the first day, and usually, you’d think that the average would be around one to... maybe 10-15 people unless it’s a chain that decided to make a name for a community as part of an expansion. This is pretty much the latter because it feels like the whole town, a small ass town like Seymour’s Bay, would pack the whole place. And mind you, this was before social media, when having to promote the restaurant ahead of opening day. So, it has to be through old-fashioned word of mouth, probably from one random person, about a new place that is opening up. And it’s by the Wharf too, so that counts when describing a packed house. That’s one way to put it, and you’d think that with a packed house, it should be good for business? Good for the Belchers because it would at least signal a successful first day, and for them to rack up a lot of money to save up to pay everything off.
It’s what I would say if Bob doesn’t still feel like a freaking nervous wreck. Another case of diarrhea strikes for the guy as he prepares to run towards the employee bathroom... only for him to not make it in time. Vomit on his apron already, no mom’s spaghetti. But he’s nervous, and still is, and thought everything was about to be cool and collected. But instead, the diarrhea went into overdrive after seeing a packed house, and thus, Bob had to clean the vomit off of his apron... before the vomit came back to bite him right as he was about to leave the bathroom, and now, onto his clothes. Trapped inside the bathroom doing some emergency laundry. Already turning the first day of the restaurant into a disaster. But, oh boy, looks like the universe wants to go and throw another fastball on the Belchers as we prepare to wrap up the third act of the episode.
It looks like we got a case of terrible timing that would spiral out of control on day one of the restaurant, because the baby is coming. Linda feels it because of the contractions that she’s starting to feel, as well as the feeling of her legs being soaked, signaling that her water broke, which is pretty much a telltale sign that the baby is ready to leave the womb. Quite the eventful first day of operation that Bob and Linda have gotten into, from Bob having to go through case after case of diarrhea to now Linda going into labor. Linda tells Bob that she needs to go to the hospital to deliver the baby, all while Bob is attempting to get the vomit off of his clothes, and with the baby coming, she doesn’t want to turn the restaurant into a delivery room, which is only reserved for bikers because of the two times that happened in the show’s run. Didn’t even have time to get a fresh batch because the baby is coming, and now, they have to rush to the hospital to do the job.
Even if, yes, ending the third act of the episode, opening day has to be cut short due to Linda going into labor. They can’t risk having Linda give birth in the restaurant while everyone is inside. Not like there’s one doctor who is there as part of the first group of people who attended the restaurant’s opening day. So, it’s best to close its doors for a while until the baby is born and for Linda to be discharged from the hospital. At least we know that it’s not Tina that Bob forgot to see one of his kids’ births, so that’s a plus. Meaning that it has to be either Gene or Louise that he missed out. My money’s on Louise. Take it or leave it, Bob pretty much missed Louise’s birth, and I dare y’all to change my mind with that take. I’m betting on Louise, whom Bob missed out on the next time Linda gave birth.
Onto the fourth and final act of the episode, transitioning back to the present with the Belcher kids wrapping up their recording and are dead set on uploading it to the internet for the world to take a gander at what they cooked up before handing the device back to Peter Pescadero the next day. At least that little subplot got put to bed, despite it not even feeling like a subplot at all, but more of an intertwining because the kids’ vocals served as a gateway to the backstory of the restaurant’s origins, which you could say is the three taking a mini-bye week, or I guess them in preseason form. Other than that, the kids got what they recorded and are dead set on uploading it to the internet. Meanwhile, Bob is still stuck on whether or not to raise the prices despite, you know, overhearing the kids’ voices from the basement that triggered the backstory. And speaking of the backstory...
We go back to it on the night of what would’ve been opening day, a full-on opening day to be exact, where Linda is expected to give birth to Tina. So, I guess let the record show that Tina was born on or the day after the restaurant first opened. Yeah, think about that the next time you see the episode “Sheesh! Cab Bob?” when binging after seeing this one. But yeah, not the opening that Bob and Linda were hoping for, due to the diarrhea that Bob had to suffer when feeling a copious amount of anxiety, to Linda’s water breaking right as she was doing her job. And it’s getting to the point where Bob is ready to throw in the towel over what happened. Once again, bringing up Bob’s initial fear of failure, because what happened back there could happen again, to the point where everything they worked hard for comes crashing down in an instant, and would wind up like most businesses that didn’t have successful first days.
But, of course, Linda, while getting ready to give birth to Tina at any given moment and especially transitioning back to the present for a bit, tells Bob the most obvious, but the most useful when it comes to a situation like what happened earlier, “Who cares what they think”. Just because one mishap or one change could shake up the so-called foundation doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world or something. Sure, in this day in age, that would be way to go because of the use of social media and how divided we are that is pretty much embarrassing, though it has been embarrassing since January 20, or rather November 5-6, 2024, but the decision comes down to the owner themselves to stand firm with the decision to make the change like what Bob is about to do in the present day...
Or an up-and-starter with the Belcher kids once they pressed the upload button. Like Bob 13 years ago, they’re now starting to show some doubt over concerns of what people would think about their album, which they recorded throughout the episode. We all have that, whether it’s opening up a small business or making yourself heard on a video or audio recording, or even the likes of starting a new school or job or welcoming a new family member or even wanting to make friends; we’re no strangers to the notion of anxiety and the doubt that comes with it. We know what Bob was going through leading up to opening day, which was turned into a disaster, and Linda knows it, but she knows that whatever the result is after one day, she’ll stick to Bob no matter how things go, and especially once she is ready to give birth to Tina.
And no way out for Bob now, nearly an hour later, after Linda did the job of giving birth to Tina, with him carrying the newborn in his arms. He has a family of his own now, so he may now have a reason to keep doing what he is doing, once he plans on getting back to what he was supposed to be doing, which is making food for the community, to now provide support for the family. A motivation to be exact, to where we are now, despite some challenges throughout the 13 years in operation. But 13 years and three kids later, the rest became history for the Belchers. And now, going into the two-minute warning...
The decision has been made. Bob finally decides to up the price by a dollar. Bob’s Burgers is now a victim of inflation. Nothing is sacred. But it’s the decision that Bob has made and a status quo change that we’re all going to have to get used to going forward. Much like with The Great North recently, with the boat change and the guest cabin renovation, which I kind of wish we saw more of if it weren’t for the network’s decision to cancel it, it’s going to stick around for the foreseeable future. And we’re going to accept it as it is. Took fifteen seasons to do this, even though it took twelve for the patched street courtesy of the sinkhole that erupted in the movie. But changes have to be made for the show, and that is what we have to accept. Besides, we’re not the only show in the Animation Domination block that had a status quo change earlier this week to kick off the season.
But yeah, it's take it or leave it as the Belcher kids return to the restaurant as they await the uploading process to be completed. They saw the result, and once again, it's something that everyone has to accept going forward. Accepting what it is when staring at the board. The prices are going up on the menu board and, to no surprise, the same will go for the Burger of the Day as the new season progresses. Going from $5.95 to $6.95 from now on. It’s going to take a lot to get used to it, but it’s going to take a while to accept it. I mean, the show has been on for almost 15 years, so changes have to be made, for better or for worse. And don’t even think about calling it a “jumping the shark” moment. Don’t even think about calling it. That’s the last thing that we need.
So, onto the final scene of the episode, going back to the backstory, a few days or a few weeks after being discharged from the hospital, it’s back to business for Bob and Linda, now having to carry baby Tina, who has a ketchup stain on her head that Bob mistakenly thought was blood. But yeah, it’s back to business for the Belchers after giving birth, won’t be long until Linda goes for two and then three with Gene and Louise in that order. Teddy, of course, gets his order as he notices Mort with a lady friend, courtesy of the toupee flip that he had done during the first day of the restaurant. And for Teddy, he pretty much treats it as a victory, like he’s some sort of wingman for the guy. Oh, you’d think we stopped there to call it an episode after this, huh?
No, because we followed the guy who would soon become Speedo Guy as he finished his meal and paid Bob and Linda a tip, where, apparently, he got a realization in his head as if the burgers Bob made him had awakened something within him. Saying he doesn’t want to do the job as a lawyer anymore, which... You kind of imagine a what-if regarding Speedo Guy now that we found out that he used to be an attorney, that would’ve been helpful for the Belchers whenever they’re in some legal issues or something. And who knew that the store next door to the restaurant would be the store where Speedo Guy was to abandon his suit and trade it for said Speedo and a pair of skates. Yeah, did not expect to be the Speedo Guy’s origin story in what was supposed to be the restaurant’s origins. So, two for two... or I guess three for three with Mort with the toupee. Of course, got to bring up the credits before y’all go to the comments section or my inbox and say, “Why didn’t you talk about the credits?!” It was wholesome each time passing by during the 13 years running the restaurant and seeing the progression from one Belcher kid (Tina) to two (Gene) to where we are currently with three (Louise). And, of course, one of the songs that the kids sang during the backstory is being covered by Jack Black. This was released a few days leading up to the episode’s premiere, so there’s that. It’s on YouTube, so go check it up if you have to.
Reaction/Thoughts:
So, all and all, what do I think about this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers? Almost said The Great North there; the cancellation is fresh on the mind here. But yeah, what a way to kick off the new season. Hitting a milestone despite that this is episode 299 and the next episode for Sunday, which is a Gayle episode, being the actual 300th episode, but might as well follow like what Season 6 did back in 2016. But other than that, what a way to kick off the new season. We got some lore stuff regarding the restaurant’s origins. And even though I feel like there should at least be more, or at least have some characters appear like Gayle... well, I don’t know where Gayle would be placed in this. Let alone getting the call that Linda has just given birth, or at least a Mr. Huggins cameo when spotting Bob outside the alleyway. But it’s a great episode to start the new season, nonetheless.
And all it took for the backstory to happen was Bob having to choose whether or not to follow the rules of inflation, a very topical issue, but times are a changing. And it was quite the status quo change that the show will have to embrace regarding the price hike in comparison to past shows in recent memory that had to change, with The Great North being the example, and, of course, that was its season premiere. So, it’s good to know that the 300th episode for the show would have to be a backstory to where it all began with the restaurant and, of course, how Tina was born since she was born on the day the restaurant first opened its doors. So, talk about interesting trivia to be added to her character.
So, it’s an amazing episode to start the new season, and it happened to be a milestone episode to top it all off. We got a lot of stuff that we have from it from the previous jobs that Bob and Linda had before running the restaurant. The origin of Speedo Guy was something, even though the focus was on the Belchers, but if you’re going to be sneaky about having an origin story of one of the characters that barely had focus on, this is pretty much it. Who knew that Bob’s burger was the tipping point for Speedo Guy to become who he is now? The debate is, I guess, up in the air on whether or now there should be more than what we got or leave it as it is. I feel like there should be more, but at the same time, I’m fine as it is with what we got. So, let’s leave it at that. So, I’ll give “Grand Pre-Pre-Pre-Opening”...
A 9 out of 10. Apologies for having this review out late because the news of The Great North’s cancellation threw me off, because I was waiting for official confirmation, despite it coming from the mouth of one of the show’s directors, who made the call right as the final review was posted. But other than that, that's my opinion, and I want to hear yours in the comments below. We got a new episode on Sunday as Season 16 has begun, and it’s a Gayle episode, and I have to put it out there: what happened in The Great North recently, undergoing a voice change for both Mrs. Tuntley and Alyson, it would not cause a domino effect for Gayle here. So yeah, episode two of Bob’s Burgers’ sixteenth season, “‘Til Death Do Us Art”.
Follow me on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon, BlueSky, and Threads for updates and behind-the-scenes stuff. The playoffs continue in the 2025 Battle of the Week Voting Tournament with Match 4 of the Quarterfinals between Tina Belcher (Bob’s Burgers) and Moon Tobin (The Great North). The poll closes on Saturday. And y’all should know the drill by now...
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