Bob's Burgers: Running Down a Gene (14x04)

Cute episode! I love Tina and Louise getting some sister bonding time in the subplot.

Cons:

Still banging that drum and hoping we'll get a school episode soon. At least we got the library in this one! Also, and I don't mean to harp on things that this episode isn't, instead of appreciating what it is, but... why no Halloween episode? This came out on October 29th!

Pros:

Gene's music aspirations are always so fun to see, I love that he's a blend of genuine talent with silly little kid explorations. The support his family shows him is always touching to me. That's a general theme with this show, that Bob might be exasperated or overwhelmed by the antics of his children, but he never stifles their dreams, either.

Bob's Burgers: The Pickleorette (14x03)

Lots of fun shenanigans on this one!

Cons:

I feel like I've said this after the first two episodes of the season too, but I do hope we get a school-based episode soon so we can check in with the kids' friends. I miss that crowd.

Pros:

I love how Bob is just down for whatever Linda asks him to do. He's not thrilled about it, in fact he's completely petrified by the situation he's found himself in, but yeah, he'll do it. He'll drive a limo and he'll pretend to be a different guy with an accent and he'll call the strippers and he'll let stripping happen in the restaurant. It's just a funny trait to have this grumpy, overwhelmed man also be down for whatever shenanigans his wife gets him into at any point.

Bob's Burgers: The Amazing Rudy (14x02)

Aww, a Rudy episode! This was sweet.

Cons:

I really can't think of much I would change? Maybe as a nitpick, it was a little silly that the episode made the purpose of the dinner a "reveal" after an opening scene where Rudy and his dad don't directly mention where they're going and why. I'm not sure holding that card close to the chest added much of anything.

Pros:

I would love to see more episodes like this, filling out details of the rest of this community, where the Belcher family plays side characters who come into the story in a couple of pivotal moments! It was so effective to start with Rudy and then hear the kids' voices at the mall. And then when Rudy runs out of the restaurant, I knew he'd end up at Bob's Burgers and that he'd find safety and kindness there. I really felt the family as a refuge, somewhere you could go to feel better.

Bob's Burgers: Fight at the Not Okay Chore-ral (14x01)

A fun season opener!

Cons:

I wish even more of the townsfolk could have been cast inside the Western story the family was telling. It was cool to see Jimmy Jr. and Zeke, and Mr. Fischoeder, but I would have loved to see Teddy, and various other townsfolk more prominently featured.

I felt like the conclusion to this episode was a little wishy-washy, where Linda has to admit that she got a little worked up about the chores thing because of pressure from her own mother, but at the same time... Linda is right, and the fact that the kids don't do any chores around the house is weird. I wish there had been a little more of a button on the episode where maybe the kids had helped out with a task, working with their parents and making it a family activity.