We finally reached the end. The end of the season, even though this is a few days late, even though I posted the review release schedule on my accounts earlier this week because it was a double header. Better than having an AI do the work, and that’s the cheater’s way to do it, which would cost a small town a dozen gallons of its water supply. But other than that, we’re in Hell. But, yeah, the end of the road for this season, despite being off the air for four freaking months since December when we had the first ten episodes aired. It felt like yesterday when we got the show back. And here we go with the end of the season. But what do you expect when going through the new normal of having 15 episodes per season?
And it’s going to be a very long wait after this episode. Until 2027 is when the next time a brand-new Bob’s Burgers episode will air. That’s how long we have to wait. And sure, late December can’t be ruled like the past two years, where we have an episode that aired just days before or after Christmas and going into the New Year, but we just want a full holiday break that wouldn’t take a toll on the ratings. And eight to nine months seems like a lot, but I’ve been through this before with other shows, trust me... It’s going to suck. So, buckle up, buttercup, it’s going to be a long one, so everyone will now have to say, “We’re getting GTA VI before Season 17”.
In the second installment of the week of Bob’s Burgers, the finale of the now previous season of the show, the town’s annual bonfire event on the beach is in trouble when a pack of dead fish washed ashore releases a terrible odor across the land, and the kids plan to make sure it goes away for the bonfire to go as planned in my spoilerific review of the fifteenth and final episode of Season 16 of Bob’s Burgers, titled “Smellbound”.
I’ve played these games before with the premise of this episode. A town plagued by a rotten smell brings the whole town together to investigate the source and find a way to deal with it, and an event that stands in the crossfire of the rotten smell affects the community. Oh yeah, it’s happening again. Getting flashbacks to the “For Whom the Smell Tolls” two-parter on The Great North. Only this time, it’s not a two-parter, it’s a town event that is standing in the way instead of a school event like prom, no hybrid animals posing as a threat, and no property damage, and then magically rebuilt without even answering how, as if they had to retcon shit. And I know that I should stop making comparisons to The Great North, but when I read the synopsis to the episode, I was getting some vibes from that two-parter because it involved a town getting plagued by a rotten smell that would make Seymour’s Bay or Lone Moose into Pasadena during the morning hours. Pasadena, Texas, for context.
And you could throw in some sort of subliminal messaging for this episode about the dangers of climate change and the consequences that come with it, like how the dead pile of fish that is stinking up the beach and likely the community as a whole, even washed up on the shore, or what caused the pile up, and could blame the waters being polluted or the water temperature boiling. And yes, the scene after witnessing the pile-up did somewhat address how the fish even washed up to shore, the least they can do is be subtle about it and turn this episode into an Earth Day special. And much like when I did the introduction to my review of Part 1 of “For Whom the Smell Tolls”, when bringing up the consequences that climate change will have. Especially when we are transitioning to an El Niño. Apparently, this El Niño is going to suck straight donkey balls for everyone. Especially those living by the Pacific Ocean.
Well, at least this one doesn’t need a two-parter, which, fun fact, every four seasons, there is always a two-parter dated back to Season 4 with “Wharf Horse” and “World Wharf II: The Wharfening” with the recent being Parts 1 and 2 of “Some Like It Bot” leading up to the movie. This time around, for Season 16, not happening for this one. Because A: The Great North already did it as a two-parter regarding the town plagued by a rotten smell. And B: of course, the four-season renewal of having a minimum of 15 episodes per season. Pretty much ending the streak of having a two-parter every four seasons. This is “Smellbound”.
The episode begins with the Belcher kids and Rudy having lunch in the school cafeteria when they notice mystery meat added to their food. But that’s not important; the kids are excited for what is about to happen later in the week at the beach. It’s called the Lighthouse Fire Hoax Night, which is pretty much a standard bonfire on the beach for the whole town to enjoy. But it’s the kind of bonfire that has everyone coming down with bonfire fever. Especially since, according to Rudy, this is his first time seeing the bonfire because his parents don’t want him to stay up past midnight for some reason that is not explained other than he is a small boy and needs a full 8 hours of sleep. But wants to change that with the upcoming bonfire at the beach. And the Belchers tell Rudy about what is so important about the bonfire later in the week, and it has some historical ties to it. Historical fiction ties, mind you.
This was during the War of 1812, during the first or second year of the rematch against the British, when the British army was moments away from landing around the Seymour’s Bay coastline. This was during the nighttime hours, when in wartime, it was the perfect opportunity for the opposition to make a strike because the nighttime hours were when everyone loses their guard. But not the citizens of Seymour’s Bay, who had to improvise to get the British away from their shore. And what do boats need to reach land in the middle of the night? A lighthouse. The citizens decide to fuck around with the British by committing arson. Setting fire to their own lighthouse to send a message to the British army not to come. And the three British soldiers who saw the lighthouse being burnt to a crisp, especially if the three soldiers look like three of the crew members of the show in its art style. Mainly because one of the soldiers looks exactly like Simon Chong, which is it, because we saw that little cameo a few times back when he directed certain episodes throughout Seasons 11 and 12.
Other than that, the fire scared the British army away from Seymour’s Bay, thinking that they had already done the job, and they decided to pillage any other town around the I-95 corridor, and then later burned down the White House in the year 1814. But to the citizens of Seymour’s Bay, it was a celebration because they didn’t have to deal with an invasion of the Redcoats on their home turf. And ever since then, they celebrate that moment every year by the beach, around the midnight hour, setting a fake lighthouse, made out of sticks, on fire. Turning it into a bonfire is an annual occurrence for everyone, especially the kids, to enjoy like it's Burning Man in their own backyard. And as long as everything goes smoothly, no issues whatsoever, then the event should go as planned for everyone down by the shore.
Too bad that life has other plans, going into the next scene after school, where everyone began to notice a foul odor plaguing the area. And it appears it’s not a building issue that the Belchers and Teddy had to deal with, not since the Easter egg incident back in Season 7, because other business owners across the street are smelling the rotten odor that is plaguing the community. Mostly from reactions from Mort and Jimmy Pesto, who, of course, have the opportunity to poke fun at Bob for thinking his body odor is the cause of the area-wide scent epidemic that is currently taking place. But everyone knows where the source is coming from and who or what is causing it, as if someone planted a corpse flower from a museum or installed a port-a-potty for a giant who just ate the meat mountain from Arby’s.
But no, the source came from a massive pile of dead fish that magically washed ashore. The horrendous odor from the fish is a result of… well, how a fish would usually smell, but also the smell of death that is being expelled from the pile. Though it would make you feel sorry for the cleanup crew who would have to remove all that dead fish that were washed up onshore, and there were hundreds and hundreds of dead fish to scoop up, it felt like it came from a shipping container that was accidentally left open and probably got overboarded into the water. You wished that was the answer to how the fish ended up onshore. But, no.
The next scene, back at the restaurant, has everyone watching the news to get an explanation of how the dead fish ended up on their shoreline. Turns out, it was caused by the warmer currents in the ocean that caused the oxygen levels to be lowered, which is bad for the fish because, like every creature on Earth, they need oxygen. And the warm currents that cause the oxygen levels to dip pose a risk to the fish that they cannot withstand, and therefore, it’s GGs for the fish. Bad for them, but also bad for the fishing industry. And even though it wasn’t addressed on what caused the warm currents that killed the fish, it’s pretty clear, and having to be subtle about it, that warm currents... are not caused by climate change. But modifying the currents when it comes to the strength of it, then it can cause some problems. And even though that is the case, to explain how the fish even got onto the beach, the kids’ main focus is on when the fish will be picked up so they can have their bonfire night. Because the piles are going to stand in the way before the big night arrives.
Bob gets a phone call, picks up the phone, and reveals it to be Edith, who is calling him to hold an emergency meeting at the restaurant between business owners in Ocean Avenue under their little group called OABA, or the Ocean Avenue Business Association, where every business owner residing on Ocean Avenue joins hand in hand to discuss certain matters like a neighborhood watch or a union. You could say that we saw that in “The Oeder Games” back in Season 5, but that episode includes every business owner in and out of Ocean Avenue being affected by the rent hike. Technically, the Belchers are members since they reside on Ocean Avenue, so they have to attend. Especially with Edith calling for the emergency meeting at the restaurant, because A: when it comes to the show, it is usually hosted at the place. And B: Edith chose the restaurant because she thinks that the place is usually empty. Which Bob presumes it’s not... most of the time. But other than that, as much as he wants to argue about how he gets plenty of business, the meeting is a go.
And going to the next scene, that is exactly how it goes with everyone who has a business on Ocean Avenue in attendance. And the name of the game for the emergency meeting is, of course, the ongoing situation with the piles of dead fish and the smell wafting into the air. Let alone coming up with suggestions on how to get rid of them so they don’t have to deal with the rotten smell plaguing the area, and hopefully, to get it out in time for the bonfire later in the week. Note that it’s every business owner on Ocean Avenue, so outside help, i.e., an employee like Trev or a handyman like Teddy are excluded in those meetings. But have to include the kids because, well, they live in the building. The meeting was supposed to start, led by Edith, about the foul odor and the piles of dead fish causing it...
Here comes Mr. Fischoeder, entering the restaurant, noticing everyone in the building for the meeting. Edith and Harold are not too pleased about Fischoeder crashing into their meeting. Mainly because Fischoeder was once a part of OABA before getting kicked out. Yes, their landlord was a part of the organization, the same way you and your co-workers host a union meeting, and the person who wants to be in that group, thinking they’re chill and all, happens to be your boss. So, yeah, Fischoeder used to be a member of OABA despite being everyone’s landlord, but got kicked out because Harold and Edith were getting tired of having to deal with his shit. Having to be carefree and do whatever the hell he wants, mainly naming one moment during his tenure when bringing in a Borat impersonator, which was a reference to the same Borat impersonator that the adults had to deal with in Season 7’s “A Few ‘Gurt Men”. So, Fischoeder gets kicked out of the building...
And the meeting begins between the business owners of Ocean Avenue to discuss how to deal with the pile of dead fish that was washed ashore and releasing the foul scent into the air. And there are some mixed reactions to what Edith had to say regarding the situation. Most notably, how long the cleanup is going to take place. Going for the good news/bad news angle regarding the cleanup effort, the good news is that Edith got a hold of the city to address the matter, and it should be taken care of right away with a special tool, i.e., a special tractor with a mechanical beach rake, that should easily take care of the dead fish. Which is good news for everyone because it would get the situation out of the way and hopefully in time for bonfire night.
However, this is where the bad news comes in: a couple of pieces of bad news regarding the cleanup efforts. First, the cleanup vehicle is not stored within the town’s limits. It’s in Georgia at the moment. And knowing the distance from Georgia to New Jersey, which isn’t too long a drive, because it would take you half a day, even though Edith didn’t specify which part of Georgia the vehicle was stationed, so let’s say Savannah, since it is a coastal town, to use that type of vehicle. And they can’t come right away because, even though the dead fish and the smell that comes with it are currently plaguing the town, it doesn’t get treated as a natural disaster like cleaning up debris following a hurricane, or like the utility trucks stationed right outside the city, it would take at least 7-10 days before starting the cleanup efforts. Which is bad for everyone because they have to deal with a week or two in having to deal with the foul smell in and out of their place.
But also bad, if you’re the kids, because there is no way the town is going to hold the Lighthouse Fire Hoax Night because of the rotten smell and the piles of dead fish standing in the way. To the point where they have no choice but to cancel it until next year. Not good for everyone, but especially the kids, who were looking forward to this event. Hey, at least there are no dangerous animals that would be attracted to the scent, just be lucky. That, and underground bunkers that would be turned into ticking time bombs filled with rotten meat. Louise tries to convince Bob to get Edith to change her mind about cancelling the bonfire, telling her (Edith) to delay, not cancel, the bonfire to the following weekend when the cleanup vehicle arrives, and for the fish to be cleaned up. Edith, however, is not sold on delaying the bonfire and puts everyone through a vote to cancel the event till next year, a unanimous vote. And as much as Bob wants to say no for the sake of his kids, he was forced to vote yes. Thus, cancelling the bonfire until next year. Now you know how everyone feels after hearing time after time about GTA VI being delayed. Been there for us when it comes to the movie. Been there.
So, the adults are rendered useless following the unanimous vote to wait it out for the cleanup efforts to arrive, thus cancelling the bonfire. This caused Louise, Tina, and Gene to have an emergency meeting of their own after what had just transpired. Even after Bob was trying to find some other suggestions to deal with the situation without having to cancel the bonfire, before having to cave under pressure, one of the suggestions came from Gene with the idea of tricking a whale to take the fish... like, unless you have Aquaman on speed dial for the cleanup efforts, so that you can have your precious bonfire night, that would be impossible to do the job like picking up hundreds and hundreds of dead fish.
So now, going into the second act of the episode, it’s up to the kids to get the fish out of the shore themselves, now that the bonfire event is on the verge of getting cancelled because of the rotten smell and the piles of dead fish standing in the way. It’s a pretty tall task for them to do something the adults can't do, like hatching up a plan to quickly get the fish out of the beach before the big night hits. This is where Louise comes up with a plan to get some extra manpower because they can’t do it with just the three of them to do the heavy lifting. And they know the group of people they need to create something that would get rid of the dead fish with perfect planning, instead of just winging it.
We’re talking about the chess club, mainly consisting of Darryl, once again in a non-speaking cameo, which almost tells you that Aziz Ansari is likely not going to make a return to the show, even though he was there recently on Saturday Night Live playing Kash Patel, even though they only brought him in because Patel is likely going to be the next person up to be fired by the end of the summer, at least according to betting markets. Though who knows that we could have another speaking role with Darry, whether with Ansari or someone else, stranger things can happen, even if time zones are going to be iffy since he lives in the UK now. Though the door is open to make a return. Just putting it out there. The last time he had a speaking role was on the phone during production of the movie.
But yeah, getting back on topic, the chess club, where we spot Darryl in a non-speaking cameo, was one of the groups on Louise’s mind to help them out with dealing with the cleanup efforts to remove the dead fish. The same goes for the Science Olympiad, where we see Susmita pouring chemicals into the beaker, the robotics club, where we see Henry and a few others at the gym testing a cart that is pushing a dodgeball, the Thinkgineers with Rudy and Zeke, for some reason, because you’d think Zeke did his time there in “Prank You for Being a Friend”, and we’ll get to a certain someone who is missing from the roster in a bit, and also some seventh grader who is a student at Wagstaff but has math class in high school for some reason. They need brain power if they want to come up with ways to remove the fish, and they’re the brightest that they can find to get the job. It’s an offer that they cannot refuse. Especially since bonfire night’s fate is hanging in the balance.
Too bad for the Belcher kids, going into the next scene, where it's only Rudy and Zeke who are in attendance as the only two Thinkgineers who would join the siblings in their effort. They were promised “fun beverages” as the go-to offer if they agreed to help them. Guessing that either they can easily see through the ruse and think there are no beverages, or they have better things to do. At least, that is what Zeke is implying when coming up to the siblings when hearing the rumor, but mostly because he just wants to hear what he wanted to hear and such. And then you have Rudy, who is pretty much sulking at the moment because he didn’t hear a “thanks for coming” from them when deciding to help out. Especially since Tina, Gene, and Louise are surprised that it’s only Rudy and Zeke who came up from the Thinkgineers who had to help them in their attempt to remove the fish and save the bonfire. Note that I said it’s only those two from the Thinkgineers. And when you saw the brief scene with those two in the group with those two and two other students, who are not the members we saw in “Prank You for Being a Friend”, this is where we have to address the elephant in the room.
 |
| From "Prank You for Being a Friend" (10x22) | Air Date: May 17, 2020 |
Kaylee. I’m talking about Kaylee. She is absent from this. Sure, the promotional images, when having to call in for some extra help when dealing with the dead fish, show Louise, Tina, Gene, Rudy, and Zeke, alongside Jimmy Jr, Susmita, and Henry, who would tag along in the cleanup efforts to remove the dead fish. Especially when having to bring up the Thinkgineers into the mix, who are known for building the smallest of things, even if it is just catapults, which were brought up later on in the scene, and nothing else, as if they had nothing better to build unless they are being told to.
You’d think that bringing in the Thinkgineers and having to rely on them, even if it's just Rudy and Zeke, the latter of whom you think he already did his time with the group as a part of his punishment, that Kaylee would also be involved. Remember, she joined the group at the end of “Prank You for Being a Friend” after Louise called off the prank at the last-minute after finding out what Kaylee’s true intentions were of wanting to be pulled out of Wagstaff. I feel like this should’ve been the episode, even if it's a short speaking role, to have her involved as a full-fledged member of the group. To help out with the model process later on in this scene, with the others, when coming up with ways to get the piles of dead fish off the beach. Damn shame. Like, what the fuck are we doing!?
So, while that is happening, back at the restaurant, Bob and Linda had to improvise to keep the smell out of the restaurant by lighting scented candles, if it meant getting through the next 7-10 days for cleanup to arrive. Though nothing is going on with this scene for a bit back at the restaurant, whether it’s Bob lighting up the candles to get rid of the smell, Linda feeling sorry for everyone who had a healthy sinus because she is feeling a bit iffy with a cold, just a cold, mind you that this episode was made over a year, no mention of a certain virus that is currently spreading, or questioning how Teddy can even eat while the foul odor is plaguing the town, putting the community on a strangle hold. Nothing more than a bit of a filler scene when having to cut away from the kids and their plan to remove the fish on their own. Even if we have to question why Bob had to stick pieces of basil up his nose.
 |
| From the Bob's Burgers short: "Bored" (and yes, this is an actual screencap) |
Yeah, remember during the COVID pandemic when the masks were required when going outside or having to make contact, and had to choose which mask was the most suitable for maximum protection, that being the M95 masks? Yeah, with the rotten smell plaguing the town, it’s fair to say that if they have to stick with it for the next 7-10 days before cleanup arrives, then they might as well brush it off and start wearing it as if we’re getting nostalgia for 2020. The two words that should not be used in the same sentence.
We transition back to school with the Belcher kids... still questioning how the Thinkgineers came down to only Zeke and Rudy, hoping to be more than just them. I wonder that too when having to exclude one other person from the roster. Rudy and Zeke were the only two from the Thinkgineers to help the Belchers come up with an idea to get rid of the fish on the beach, especially since they’re the only two from the group who would build a model of what is about to come.
Luckily for the Belchers, more help has arrived because Jimmy Jr entered the room to serve his time with the cleanup effort. The kids need all the help they can get to come up with an idea if they want to save the bonfire event. And the ideas so far, well, it’s a two-pack of ass. The ideas they have so far are ass. Especially since they only have one idea written down, and that was, of course, Gene’s idea of tricking a whale to eat the dead fish. Once again, how are they even going to bring in a whale to help them out? They ain’t Aquaman. They don’t even have Aquaman on speed dial. Treating this shit like it’s that one moment on Dragon Ball Z Abridged.
Thank their lucky stars, Susmita enters the room to join the pitch meeting on what to do with the idea to remove the dead fish as quickly as they can. Especially with Susmita reading through the ideas that were written down, with another idea that is complete ass, using magic to make the fish disappear. Unless they have abomination magic, illusion magic, construction magic, oracle magic, or beast taming magic, good luck getting rid of hundreds, if not thousands, of dead fish. This is where they have to brainstorm an idea that would remove the fish, and one that is realistic to get the whole town involved. And since the Thinkgineers are mostly known for building catapults, which we saw twice with them in “Prank You for Being a Friend”, that should be the way to go in sending the fish back into the water. Though not a catapult, but something bigger. One that should have flung the fish dozens of miles away from the shoreline. A trebuchet, which is a fancy way to say big ass catapult. Used in medieval times during wartime. And that should be their ticket to save the bonfire.
So, they get to work going into the first of the few montages of the episode with Louise, Tina, Gene, Zeke, Rudy, Jimmy Jr, and Susmita all getting to work to construct the scale model of the trebuchet with any of the materials they have to build the structure. Mostly consisting of popsicle sticks, rubber bands, tape, glue, paper clips, and a battery. And the result… Well, they got their trebuchet. They got their model of the device they want to quickly get the cleanup efforts started, but the model is missing one more piece to make it fully functional if they want to present it to the town. But what is the missing piece that they need?
This is where Henry Haber comes in to intervene with the building process. Telling everyone about an important piece that is missing to make the trebuchet more efficient. It needs support. Replace the battery with a phone charger box to make sure it floats far away from the shoreline, a lot more popsicle sticks, some wooden boards, metal rods, and a paper bowl, and bam, we have ourselves an effective trebuchet. And you can thank Henry Haber for coming in clutch to help them build a proper model. And because of that, they got what they needed to make a presentation in their attempt to get the fish off the beach.
This leads us to the next scene after school, with the kids bringing in the model for them to present to the adults as their solution to clean up the beach. Most importantly, Edith. Showing off what the model can do, which it works, even if it flung towards Linda for a bit there, but with a measly cost between $30,000 and $30 million for the construction, they don’t have to wait for the officials to arrive and let them do the cleanup themselves with the trebuchet that should solve the dead fish situation that is plaguing the town. Of course, Edith has to deny the kids’ request because she thinks it's a big waste of time. A waste of time for her to see the model, but also a waste of time to let the kids deal with the cleanup efforts themselves. She would rather wait it out, let the town continue to smell like shit for the next 7-10 days before the cleanup crew arrives, and cancel the bonfire than let the kids do the jobs themselves at a fast pace. Painting it as if the cleanup is more of an adult issue than the entire town, even if the whole association voted unanimously to wait it out for the cleanup crew to arrive, thus cancelling the bonfire rather than delaying it for another week.
At the end of the first half of the episode, later in the day, as it is about to transition to the evening hours, the kids feel defeated after their efforts to save the bonfire fell apart following their failed pitch to Edith. I mean, Edith is a hard shell to crack to convince, even if she may or may not have that much money as the kids had estimated for the cost of building the trebuchet if the pitch went through. So, the kids feel defeated that their pitch didn’t go through. And as a result, they will have to wait for another year for the bonfire night to happen. Bob checks in on the kids in an attempt to comfort them, especially when he has to apologize for being pressured to agree to the long wait for the cleanup effort that would result in cancelling the event.
This is where Bob’s big mouth becomes another beacon of hope, going into the start of the second half of the episode, when bringing up something bigger and larger than a trebuchet to get the dead fish off the shore. And all fingers point at the Sky Hammer ride at the Wharf. Though I am not going to mention Tina’s Minion comment when Louise brings up the favorite one-eyed guy topic, referring to Mr. Fischoeder, and we’re talking about the same girl (Tina) who fell for a goose and had attachments to a scientist fox in a magazine.
So, in the second half of the episode, Bob and the kids decide to come up to Mr. Fischoeder to help them out with the relief efforts as their new plan to save the bonfire from being pushed back a year. They try to convince Fischoeder to help them out by moving the Sky Hammer to the beach to serve as the trebuchet to get the fish out of the beach as soon as they can. Mr. Fischoeder feels a little hesitant about lending a helping hand in the cleanup effort, mainly because he said the town has faced worse problems than the foul scent plaguing the area, and he tries to brush it off as if he is ready to say no to their efforts. But once Louise decides to pull the OABA card out of her sleeve, because remember, Fischoeder got kicked out of the group by Harold and Edith, and says to him that helping the kids to move the Sky Hammer and help them remove the fish would serve as a massive fuck you to the association and especially, to Edith. And that’s more than enough for Fischoeder to join in the cleanup effort first thing in the morning.
Even though we had a brief moment in this scene when trying to play a pun about Fischoeder’s name. Fischoeder. Fish odor. Yeah, it’s going to be a really long offseason for the show and for yours truly, even if I’m going through a bit of a relapse at the moment. Nine months without this, man. Been through that with other shows, mainly back when Gravity Falls was on the air, y’all live. Then again, that’s everyone during the current age of streaming, when your streaming service dumps all episodes of a new season of your favorite show for a day instead of doing it weekly.
The next day, with the clock ticking before what should be the night of the bonfire, Fischoeder brings in his employees, the carnies, to relocate the Sky Hammer from the Wharf to the beach. And it’s not the first time, at least, according to Fischoeder, that they have their workers move a ride or two just to avoid potential lawsuits. Not saying that it would explain the defunct rides deep in his backyard, as we saw in “The Oeder Games” or the ones underneath the pier, as we saw in the movie and in “Jade in the Shade”. The carnies get to work as we go through yet another montage, three in one episode for those who are keeping count, to disassemble the ride and to be transported to the beach, where they can be reassembled on the beach, along with a rail and a barrow to carry the fish.
The kids explain to each other, and probably to the adults as well, how the plan works with what is about to come. Simply, the carnies have to scoop the piles of dead fish into the barrow. Once the fish is inserted into the cart, it wheels through the rail towards the ride. Once arrived, the rest of the carnies scoop the fish from the cart to the ride. And once the cart is empty, the door closes, and the ride is activated for a spin. And according to Henry, once the ride reached a maximum amount of kinetic energy, the same way you would play a video game, and you see a bar or a circle, you have to press a button on the controller with perfect timing to get maximum power and such. And once it reached its capacity, that’s when the fish gets flung far and away from the shore like a catapult. Or in this instant, a cannonball or a missile. It’s an insane idea for the Belcher kids and their friends to come up with, but they are not going to lose the bonfire. It’s now or never to get this shit going.
The whole town arrives, mainly the association, courtesy of a text that Edith got to bring everyone to the beach to watch what is about to unfold. And for Fischoeder, using the Sky Hammer as a trebuchet to get the fish off the beach as soon as everyone could would serve as a massive “I told you so” to Edith after getting kicked out of the organization. A massive fuck you to the organization and to Edith if things go right. Even though, once again, it feels weird to have their landlord be a member of an organization filled with business owners who happen to pay his rent every month. And with that, the moment of truth has arrived as we are about to end the third act and go into the fourth and final act of the episode and the season with a press of a few buttons...
The fish inside the ride gets flung back to the shore. It was the end of the third act of the episode, so of course, there had to be a mishap that caused the fish to be stuck around on the beach. Everyone saw it firsthand. Getting secondhand scent from the fish following the mishap, whether it's affecting the people who were standing on the pier or beach, or people making their way to the beach like Marshmallow in her small cameo in the episode, getting the brunt as if the dead fish is putting on a fight against the town. So, onto the fourth and final act of the season finale, and Fischoeder notices what caused the mishap and why the fish didn’t get slingshotted into the ocean.
He noticed the rope on the ground and put two and two together to figure out what went wrong. Turns out, the whole thing is a manual issue rather than letting things fly automatically, when it comes to support for the door to keep tightly closed until it hits maximum speed. In short, he needs someone to volunteer to get into the ride and hold on to the rope, to keep things steady once the ride hits maximum speed, so that the fish gets flung into the ocean and not the beach. A risky maneuver, but it’s the only available option if it means getting rid of the dead fish and having the bonfire go as planned for later in the week. Originally, when it comes to Fischoeder, he would have a carnie to serve as a possible test subject to do the job since they can do anything that Fischoeder tells them to... this is not one of them. They don’t want to be a test subject when it comes to the rides like this one. So, until someone has the balls to step in and help with the efforts, you might as well kiss the bonfire event goodbye.
This is where Bob comes in as he volunteers as tribute, going into the final five minutes of the episode. I mean, it was expected based on the promotional images and some commercials leading up to the show’s return back in April that it was going to be Bob who would be doing the job. And he has to do it because 1: Why not? And 2: Someone has to step it up. Especially after feeling bad for the kids that the piles of dead fish and the foul scent that came with it stand in the way of the bonfire that they were excited to see, is being affected by this situation. Not to mention, being forced to say yes to canceling the event and waiting for the cleanup crew to arrive, rather than delaying it a week once the cleanup is done.
So, Bob plans on volunteering to do the job to get the fish out of the town. And going into the next scene, having to be dolled up in a sweatjacket and a neck brace for him not to breathe in the rotten smell, along with a helmet and goggles. A helmet that used to belong to a daredevil... who’s dead. Oh, and also, a plush hippo doll dressed as a hippie, called Hippie Potamus, for support. Because why not? But other than that, it’s a risky thing to do for Bob, but he and the rest of the Belchers felt worse. Mainly Bob, and it’s too late to take back his offer to help with the cleanup efforts. The show must go on for the bonfire to happen. And that is what Bob is planning on doing once he enters the Spin Hammer.
Entering the ride, fish are being piled onto him from the cart, both him and the stuffed hippo doll next to him, being strapped tight so that he doesn’t fall as if he became a crash test dummy at an auto plant. Going into the two-minute warning of the episode, that is exactly what is about to happen once Round 2 begins to take shape following the mishap earlier in the act. Pressing a few buttons to activate the ride, waiting for the machine to reach maximum speed like last time, but this time around, once it hits the limit, manual power comes into play big time, with Bob pulling the rope to open the hatch, and voila, the first pile of dead fish becomes the ocean’s problem. Everyone has found their quick solution to solve the problem without having to wait it out for another week for officials to arrive.
The montage, which makes it four now in an episode for those who are keeping count, shows it. Everyone is getting a front row seat to the piles getting cleared off by the moment, entering the ride, and gets flung into the ocean with Bob hanging on to dear life when holding the rope to open the hatch once it reaches maximum speed away from the beach. And the more fish being installed into the ride, along with the speed that it's going through, being treated like a freaking washing machine, the more odor that Bob will have to come out as a result of this, because that is the risk that he took. Just be lucky that the season is finally over, and we have to wait until 2027 for the new season to drop, so he definitely is going to need a long ass shower to get rid of the stink. Like 24 hours' worth of being in the bathroom... or gets sprayed with a hose at the alleyway.
At least the mess is finally coming to an end with the last batch of dead fish now into the ocean, but that last batch also caused Bob to be flung out of the ride and dived into the ocean. Causing some concern for most people, as if, looking as tired as he looks from riding one too many times on the Sky Hammer, thinking that he had had it and just wanted the damn thing to be over with. But at least everyone got themselves a show when watching the cleanup effort. Especially from a small cameo from Hugo when watching Bob being covered in fish stink. Who knew that this past week was the Hugo power hour to close out the season?
Other than that, we finally reached the end of the episode and the season, with Bob finally back on land and being greeted with the rest of his family and Teddy... in the background. Aside from the bonfire now not being called off, now that the dead fish and the foul scent is gone for good, making it the ocean’s problem for some massive marine mammal like a whale or a shark, or a certain sea monster living by the Wharf, to make it into an all you can eat buffet, the focus to end the episode is on Fischoeder getting the last laugh towards the Cranwinkles. Both he and the Belcher kids and their friends, because Edith thought the idea was dumb and would rather wait it out for a week for the officials to take over, which, just be lucky it's not worse than expected, because otherwise, y’all would have to live your daily lives under a glass dome by the federal government, and probably later turn into a national park.
But yeah, Fischoeder, along with the Belcher kids and their friends, got the last laugh. Telling Edith an “I told you so” after being dumbfounded that the plan to quickly get rid of the fish using a carnival ride as a catapult, sorry, trebuchet, to get rid of the fish. Never say never when it comes to community efforts, especially when it has to be led by the kids, because their favorite town event is on the verge of getting postponed. So, at the end of the episode, staying with Fischoeder and the Cranwinkles, he tells Edith that he deserves an award for his efforts to help the kids remove the fish. The reward? To be reinstated into the association, along with compensation when re-entering, that being bringing in the Borat impersonator once a year. And as much as they want to say no, they had to swallow their pride and allow Fischoeder back into OABA to end the episode. Still feels weird to have your landlord be a part of an association filled with business owners that they have to pay rent to. But at least the kids and the whole town get to have their bonfire night, as seen in the credits, so that’s something to celebrate about. Did I mention that this is not only the last episode of the season, but what might be the last episode of the year? Yeah, we are in Hell. Welcome to Hell. Summary of the past five fucking months of the year of our lord that is 2026.
Reaction/Thoughts:
So, all in all, what do I think about this week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers, the second of the double-billing of the season finale? It’s no gimmie that this was the better of the two that came out when it premiered this past week to close out Season 16. And probably for 2026 as a whole for the show aside from “Driving Miss Ragey” (mainly with the main plot courtesy of Nat) because, again, no new episodes until 2027 for the show. So, we might as well take it as we can get with the show for this year. It’s going to be a long Summer, and probably the Fall and Winter if you're a fan of the show.
While it was expected that Bob would have to be the one who would have to step up to the plate to get the fish out of the beach as part of the kids' (and Fischoeder's) attempt to remove the fish in their own hands, it was an interesting episode. Having most of the students, mostly Jimmy Jr, Zeke, Rudy, Susmita, and Henry, having to lend a helping hand, and have the whole town involved as an appearance to close out the season, even if it's for a short scene or two, unless you're Fischoeder or Edith, who are the central characters for this episode aside from, of course, Jimmy Jr, Zeke, Rudy, Susmita, and Henry. Still think it’s a waste to not have Kaylee involved since she is a full-fledged member of the Thinkgineers, and this would have been the episode to have her involved in this.
This episode might as well be treated as an “enjoy it while it lasts” because it does feel like just yesterday, we got the show back after a four-month hiatus since the end of 2025. And now, going into a very long hiatus, and I know, we cannot handle it, but in the age of streaming, that is the wait time that we have to endure, because this is the first of the four seasons under the current renewal, where 15 episodes is the limit per season. It was a choice between airing the first ten episodes and then waiting a few months or waiting until next year, but as a result, losing the holiday episodes. Decisions, decisions. It’s times like these I miss doing The Great North. But yeah, it was an interesting episode to close out the season. And even though it was predictable that Bob would have to step in at the end of the episode when having to help with the efforts to remove the fish, it was interesting just to see most of the characters appear. So that’s something. So, I’ll give “Smellbound”...
An 8 out of 10. And since it is the end of the season, the seasonal score is... a 6.5 out of 10. Blame the likes of the previous episode, along with “The Secret Guardin’”, “Les Lizardables”, and “Children of the Carn” as the episodes prevented it from making it a full 7. At least in my opinion, and I want to hear yours in the comments below. And if this is the last episode of the year, which it is... yeah, no idea what to do for the rest of the year for this site for content. I mean, a vacation is one since I need it, even though there was the four-month gap we had at the start of this year. And I did promise you guys a Great North character discussion, so it is coming. Just hang on. But yeah, end of the season, thank you to everyone who has been sticking around for this season. To 2027, we go to see what Season 17 has in store. Whether it will be filled with mild disappointment or some surprises.
Follow me on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon, BlueSky, and Threads for updates and behind-the-scenes stuff. The 2026 Battle of the Week Voting Tournament is already underway with another set of double matches for this week, with Group C between Luz Noceda (The Owl House) and Hailey Banks (Hailey’s on It), as well as Moon Tobin (The Great North) and SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob SquarePants) in Group D. The poll for these two matches closes on Saturday. And y’all should know the drill by now...
- PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/yahoo201027
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/yahoo201027
- Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/Y8Y8K4OP
Donate over at PayPal, Patreon, and Ko-fi pages to help your boy out in both improving the bills and keeping the lights on to pump some content for y’all to embrace my BS. And until next time, which is God knows when for the remaining months of this year: stay safe, get vaccinated, register to vote, and a reminder that you’re loved, you’re beautiful, ignore the haters, and I’ll see y’all later.
***Bob’s Burgers is owned by 20th Television Animation, Bento Box Animation, and Loren Bouchard. Please Support the Official Release***
No comments:
Post a Comment