Bob's Burgers: Butt Sweat and Fears (14x13)

This has nothing to do with anything at all, but I should tell you that right now there are only a couple of shows I'm actively reviewing, and another one of them is Grey's Anatomy. Their most recent episode was called "Blood, Sweat and Tears" so when I saw the title of this episode I did do a double take.

Anyway. Let's dive in! This is the finale of the season, looks like, given the shorter episode order due to the strikes last year.

Cons:

I don't have any big giant complaints, more just... I could have used a bit more with the subplot back at the restaurant? The secret restaurant idea was very funny, I could have used a whole episode about that concept. More and more people learning about it, Bob getting overwhelmed, maybe a gag about someone coming into the upstairs part of the restaurant and failing to get served because everyone's in the basement... could have been a fun opportunity for even more shenanigans. I liked what we got, but it felt a little half-baked.

Tammy and Jocelyn felt oddly utilized in this episode. Instead of being antagonistic to Tina, they seemed to be not only her friend, but also actively pursuing that friendship, wanting to find her on the dancefloor and everything. It felt like a shift of how that relationship is normally portrayed, and I could have used a little more clarity on that.

Pros:

I do love Teddy's role in the subplot, though. There's something so endlessly charming about his relationship with the family. They notice when he doesn't come in for lunch, and when he finds out the whole family was playing a game with the boxes, he immediately wants to take his own turn. He automatically has a place within their silly family games.

I also loved Dalton and the rest of the gang being obsessed with the exclusive basement restaurant just because it's a novelty. It's such a specific type of hipster crowd and that representation here is very funny.

Tina is the true star of the show this week, though, and I really loved her journey this episode! She's going to a dance party at Chelsea's house, where the strong potential for "upper butt" touching is on the table. The idea is that there will be three slow songs, and if she snags a dance with Jimmy Jr., she might get to move her hands down just a little, and cop a very slight feel. She continually talks about this in front of her whole family, to Bob's horror and discomfort.

At the dance, Tina has trouble getting Jimmy Jr.'s attention because he and Zeke are partying it up. (My theory that Zeke has a thing for Jimmy Jr. is still holding strong.) Just as the first slow song hits, Tina realizes that her skirt is wet with sweat! She sneaks off into the laundry room and decides to dry it in the dryer, but then the dryer door gets stuck! So the rest of the episode is about her being stuck in the laundry room while the dance continues, trying to figure out a way to get back out there in time to get her upper butt dance opportunity with her crush.

But then we get the introduction into the scene of another school friend, Sam, who is hiding out in the laundry room because he's too awkward to be out there dancing with the other kids. I really liked watching the two of them hang out as Tina's situation continues to escalate - she ends up falling into the cat's litter box, ruining her shirt as well, and she uses dirty socks to tie the towel in place, desperate to get back out there for her slow dance. But eventually Sam helps her fix the dryer, Tina is ready to get back out there. But... at the final moment, when she could go and get her dance with Jimmy, she decides to reach out to her shy friend instead. She and Sam share a slow dance, boosting Sam's confidence.

It was a lovely moment for Tina! You don't often see her as the one with more social confidence. She still had a ton of awkward shenanigans to deal with, with the sweat and all that, be she stayed steadfast in her goal to pursue what she wanted with Jimmy. And she ended up being the one to encourage Sam to let go and have a good time! I really loved this detail about the final slow song of the night. Earlier, Tammy tells Tina the secret of the upper butt touching - the last song starts slow, but then gets faster. Most people will transition to "fast dancing", but if you stay touching, that's when hands will start to wander! So you have this adolescent horny promise of getting to touch one another in a socially permissible way, it's Tina's goal all the way through. Then we get to the end, and when the fast part of the song comes on, you just see this group of kids all dancing around, jumping with their hands in the air. Nobody is actually going for the butt touching, they just become a group of young teens having a fun time with their friends.

I'll leave it there for now. This show always puts a smile on my face. I'm sad we got less of it this year, dang studio executives. I'll be here to hang out with the Belchers whenever we come back for more!

8/10