#teddy and linda would have the b plot

[cowboycereal]

give me the bob’s burgers episode where tina gets into a sudoku phase but she not’s really all that good at it. she tries! but regardless louise gets really into solving them and like steals them and does them at night so tina thinks seems a sudoku genius but only when she’s asleep. louise doesn’t want to tell anyone because sudoku is like educational and good activity for your brain!! but gene or maybe bob catch her and encourage her to tell the truth.

[ordinaryschmuck]

Bob's Burgers Halloween specials ranked

(Because screw it, why not?)

11. Tina and the Real Ghost--This one's more awkward than funny. I honestly feel bad for Tina for falling in love with an empty box...and grow to hate Tammy for being so petty to steal the box away from her. Even the B-Plot of ghost hunters in the restaurant isn't all that funny. Honestly, the funniest bit is when Bob's unexpectedly swarmed with bugs after a brief moment of cockiness. Other than that, pretty weak episode.

10. The Wolf of Wharf Street--PROBABLY the most irresponsible Linda's been with the kids and Bob believing Teddy's a werewolf was a bit of a stretch. Still, some spooky atmosphere carries this one a bit, so I can't hate it THAT much.

9. Apple Gore-chard! (But Not Gory)--There need to be more episodes with Louise and Jessica. Their friendship is easy and cute in a lot of moments. Anyways, as for the episode, it's pretty standard. Some REAL Halloween stuff doesn't happen until half way through and the jokes aren't all that funny. There's barely any attention on the lesson, making it feel more like a waste of time if anything else. It's just Louise and Jessica's friendship that carries things if anything else (Seriously, MORE of that)

8. Pig Trouble in Little Tina--A great episode about peer pressure and with a fun subplot about Bob's gross ear wax. It's just that none of it screams HALLOWEEN to me. There's some spooky imagery, but a lot of this episode feels like something that could happen in ANY episode, especially Bob's subplot. Great episode, but not so great of a Halloween special.

7. Heartbreak Hotel-oween--This one's cute. That's all I can say.

6. Teen-a Witch--Tina trying to be a witch is more cute than it should be, even if the jokes aren't strong with this one. Thankfully the subplot of Bob obsessing over who's stealing his jack-o-lanterns is funny enough to carry it.

5. The Pumpkinening--Weird title, but it's an episode with Gayle. They're naturally weird, and this one's no exception as Linda and Gayle hunting down who knows that they smashed pumpkins from a contest. Add that with a warm ending and a great subplot of Bob dealing with the stress of being a house with GOOD candy, and you got something fun.

4. Nightmare on Ocean Avenue Street--The kids hunting down a candy kidnapper is fun and Bob and Teddy trying to show up an impressive handyman has some good laughs to it. Solid special.

3. Full Bars--It's always fun seeing the Belcher kids use their brand of chaos to do something good. The only thing that drags it down is the guinea pig murder mystery. Some good jokes are there, but I can't help but cringe as Teddy ruins his own party and the payoff isn't all that funny. That credit scene where Bob danced in the fat suit for Linda was cute as shit, though.

2. Fort Night--The introduction to Millie, and a great one at that as she tortures the kids who are in a situation that's...way more dangerous than you think in hindsight. They really were that close to death, huh? Still, a pretty empathetic episode as we all know there's no worse fate for a kid than missing Halloween and you REALLY want them to get out. And I'm sure some parents can relate to Bob and Linda's plight to make a costume for their kids and the payoff for this one is pretty good.

1. The Hauntening--A genuinely creepy and intense special for this show, where the jokes don't take away from the scares but add to them. This really feels like how these characters would react to a horrifying situation, making you fear for their lives even more. And even the big twist in the end doesn't ruin the episode, but adds to it, showing how much this family cares for each other and how much they'll do to make one of them happy. They might have gone a LITTLE far, but it's in that gray area where you can accept it. Being sweet and spooky is no other combination you can get from any other show except for this one, and I love it.

And that's all. Well, for now. Season 14 hasn't had its Halloween special yet. It's probably pulling a Simpsons and waiting until November for some reason. And I'm not waiting until then. This is the Halloween Special on MY blog, so there. Happy Halloween.

[drawthething]

Hey there! Here's a hard one. What are your top ten favorite Bob's Burgers episodes? 💖

You're enabling my ramble braincell by letting me do a top 10 list and for that I love ya ❤️ Okay okay here we go (I ranted about the first 3 eps a while ago so imma be real quick with them)

1. The Runaway Club: brilliant amazing perfect 👌👌👌 It's like they put all of my favourite candy favours in a jar!! Definitely my go to bobs ep at any time

2. The Oeder games: suuuch a good season finale 😭 We're getting Mr. Fischoeder and all these fun side characters along with Bob's glorious shining moments

3. Ex mach Tina: "oh it's a Tina & Jimmy Jr ep no wonder why you love it" yeah yeah yeah pffft. It's a super good and hilarious one too 😭 All the plots are so fun and god I'll never shut up about my boy's musoems

4. Yes without my Zeke: look, it's a Zeke & Jimmy Jr ep and you know I'd eat it up any day!! Their precious interactions from the beginning to the end just bless my heart ❤️ And it's a heist kind of ep sooo 👀👌 There's Frond, there's Branca and bam! Golden comedy! I like Randy's B plot and Arnold too :D My only issue would be that Tina's distaste towards Zeke is pretty ooc considering this is s9. A little injustice to their current dynamic I think

5. Mother daughter laser razor: best s3 ep? Linda & Louise interactions in the whole episode crack me up. Their little bond moment in the end though 😭. This is probably my favourite Logan & Cynthia ep too, they're so golden!! I LIVE for that Freaky Friday rant and the "Diiiie, Logan!" pffffft. And the B plot is so fun, Bob waxing his legs with Tina, letting Gene wax his legs and the little pep talk are both so funny and lovely!

6. The kids run away: probably my fav Louise episode :D Sooo many good lines. "Bribing Louise? We don't have that kind of money". I really love Gayle in this one. Like her apocalypse night rant? Pfffft. And her helping out Louise in the end ❤️ There's also Dr. Yap and the whole "SQUAAAT!" thing

7. Work hard or die trying girl: musical battles baby!! MUSICALS!! I love Gene & Courtney interactions in this one :D And you know I'd dig any ep where they manage to put these many Wagstaff kids together! They're all so perfect! Labonz's great, the ending play's great (actually no it's AMAZING), the outro's great! I'd kill for another episode like this one

8. Best Burger: good? So good? The whole fig store flashback itself is perfecta!! I fricking love the dialogues and voice acting in this one. How they address Gene's flaw and how it's kinda flipped to Bob's flaw too and how it's resolved during Gene's last minute delivery is 👌 Definitely one of their best moments. Super fun ep that's unexpectedly sweet :] Also Mickey and that drunk flashback scene pffffft

9. Bob Day Afternoon: why is this ep so fricking funny?? The legendary phone call bit is everything!! Mickey & Bosco are 👌. And Tina 😭 precious and hilarious as always. The family clinging onto Bob before he delivers burgers is both so funny and oddly sweet. Idk why I like it so much, I just pick this ep everytime I wanna go unwind mindlessly wheezing for 20 minutes pffft

10. Sea me now: my fav Teddy episode :] I don't think it's a masterpiece kind of ep but something about it just gives me looots of good vibes. The storyline is pretty fun, Teddy's arc is so lovely, and Tina's cellphone plot is so stupidly funny. I especially love the ending, always so heartfelt to me ❤️ (but it's Teddy so there're funny lines interrupting too pffft)

[tinarannosaurus]

not to beat a broken record but like. what was that episode? it only felt like half a premise—a new VR place opens next door, gene spends all his money on it, it’s bad, and then...what? that’s it? it sucks, life is disappointing, but their arms look goofy when they dance and that’s supposed to take the sting away? compare it to some of the other bob-gene bonding episodes (the laser-inth, li’l hard dad) and it feels so clear that we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel on episode ideas and emotional arcs, with effectively no return at this point (to say nothing of the louise-tina-linda-teddy barely-enough-meat-on-its-bones-to-be-a-c-plot b-plot.)

why did the VR games have to be shitty? what if the menu tower collapsed halfway through and we get some dumb bickering about something where the stakes feel higher than they are? what about a goofy VR cooking game that bob could care less about (bc it’s basically his job) but gene gets surprisingly into it and that’s something new for them to bond over? what if the customers had gotten overly invested in the tower building and started trading bets on how high it would go or when it would collapse? what if there had been a VR fashion or music game that felt like it was made just for gene? I’m not even saying any of these are what I would’ve actually wanted to see, but the point is that clearly you could’ve done more with this episode, so why did it feel so phoned in?

[sailoreuterpe]

12 and 20? 💝

12. If you joined one of the town’s groups (Wagstaff staff, carnies, knitters, one-eyed snakes, etc.), which would you join?

I feel, based on who I am now, that I’d probably be a teacher at Wagstaff. I considered being an English teacher for many years and I do have the degree. I certainly wouldn't be a worse guardian of children than Mr. Frond. XD I get along the best with kids in their earliest teens, so let’s say that I’d be the fifth grade teacher. I’d have Fifth-Grade Megan in my class!

20. If you were pitching a Bob’s Burgers episode, what would you pitch?

We have yet to see a Father’s Day episode which is just unfair. The A-Plot is that the kids usually half-ass Father’s Day since Bob appears not to care nearly as much as Linda about holidays for them. However, the kids overhear Bob (a day or two before Father’s Day) telling Teddy that sometimes he’s a little disappointed that he doesn’t get much of anything for Father’s Day. The kids and Linda spend the episode tracking down the perfect Father’s Day gift but can’t come up with anything good enough. Hijinks ensue, of course. Finally, they come up with the perfect present: they invite Big Bob over for dinner where they cook. Bob and Big Bob bond over the fact that they’re both dreading whatever comes out of the kitchen. Also, this episode happens after the two Bobs have reconciled, as seen in “Father of the Bob.” Luckily for them both, Linda does most of the cooking. Bob tells the kids that he doesn’t really mind less attention on Father’s Day since he knows that the kids love him every day. He’s still really grateful to get to spend time with his dad, especially since the two Bobs haven’t done anything for Father’s Day in years.

The B-Plot is Teddy that has to do repairs over at Jimmy Pesto’s. He admits this to Bob (as we’re not rehashing “Drumforgiven” over here). In doing the repairs, Teddy is genuinely nice to Jimmy Junior and the twins. Jimmy Pesto gets jealous and starts trying to be a better parent because he sees Teddy as a threat but can’t fire him because he has a contract. In the end, Jimmy Pesto admits that Teddy is a pretty good guardian, the Pesto kids give Jimmy a somewhat heartfelt Father’s Day gift, and they also give Teddy a Father’s Day gift. The end scene is the Belcher kids giving Teddy a gift as well because he’s their “Uncle Father Santa” Teddy. The ending song is the Belchers and Big Bob dancing in the restaurant. Maybe Teddy and the Pestos, too.

[babsvibes]

The last question since I don't know what number that is.

I ended up answering all of your other asks in other answers, I’m so sorry 😭😭 BUT I did leave yours for last because it’s my favorite. You’re also my favorite

20. If you were pitching a Bob’s Burgers episode, what would you pitch?

It would be a Logan episode. Obviously. By now I think everyone knows where my head is at.

A Plot: A high school bully, Benji, has stolen Rudy’s inhaler, and Louise is on the case. “You have been wronged, and I’ll avenge you even if tracking this guy down means I have to skip school.” “Oh, uh, it’s okay, Louise. I’ll just call my dad and he should be able to bring a replace-” “Rudy HUSH.” Rudy stays in the nurse’s office while Tina and Gene follow Louise on her insane quest. Of course, she needs intel before she tracks this guy down, so she goes to her one source for all things Huxley High and bully. Cue the very predictable “well well well” from Logan, who’s sitting on the steps. He’s got his skateboard on his lap and is spinning one of the wheels like he’s The Godfather petting the cat. Logan agrees to help, maybe because he hates the guy too, maybe because Louise threatens to tell Cynthia that he’s ALSO skipping school, who is to say. Shenanigans ensue as they get revenge on Benji. There’s scenes exploring more of Huxley High, we see the “forced to be allies” side of Louise and Logan, and of course it’s a fun revenge plot. They get Rudy’s inhaler back, and no one gets in trouble for skipping school. There is no lesson lol.

B Plot: Tina, sneaking through Huxley High hallways, is now forced to confront that she’ll be entering this school soon. She wonders who she’ll be, if she’ll reinvent herself, and what it would be like to be without her siblings. Really and truly on her own. Gene would help her, but he’s caught up in his own stuff, trying to figure out if marching band is a good move for him since he’d obviously steal the show away from the sports ball being played.

C Plot: Back at the restaurant, Bob and Linda are trying to convince Teddy that, no, there’s no Nigerian Prince in his emails that needs his help.

[judedeluca]

If Bob’s Burgers Did A Pride Episode - The Master Post

This is built off a thread on Twitter hypothesizing how the show would do an episode about Pride. You can find it here: https://twitter.com/KB_SFWArtist/status/1541122201142939649?s=20&t=IknQdxd0_I_O9rg_Wojj4w

The A-Plot: Bob and Linda are asked by Marshmallow and the girls to serve up some fantastic burgers at Pride to help them upstage their rivals. The problem is the rivals have hired Big Bob.

The B-Plot: At the school, Gene is shaken when Tammy obnoxiously asks what Gene’s “deal” is for Pride and tells him he has to figure out his identity before Pride is over. The Belcher siblings spend the week trying to help Gene determine his label until Gene figures out he doesn’t need one.

Everyone in town is getting ready for Pride with varying results:

Teddy gets too enthusiastic about it when he learns Bob is serving burgers for Marshmallow’s crew and shows up in drag, later singing “I Will Survive” on a float will be simultaneously terrified and proud.

Linda has to deal with the fact that Gayle doesn’t know what Pride is. She assumes it’s Halloween in June and it terrifies her, so she barricades herself in her apartment for the month.

Gayle: HALLOWEEN IN JUNE! HALLOWEEN IN JUNE! LINDA YOU TOLD ME MY NIGHTMARES WEREN’T REAL!

Linda: Gayle calm d-

Gayle: YOU LIED TO ME! LOOK AT THE LITTLE GREMLINS WHAT IS THAT?!

Linda: That’s supposed to be Liza Minelli, Gayle.

Gayle: IT’S THE GHOST OF LIZA MINELLI?!

Drag Queen: Rude!

Linda: I’m sorry, oh but you look just like her! Love your lipstick.

Gayle: THAT’S HUMAN BLOOD, LINDA!

There’s also the fact that Bob made Linda promise that he and the kids would never have to be in contact with Gloria and Al during June, because Gloria’s dismissive of Pride and Bob has had... words with her.

Bob (answering the phone): Bob’s Burgers.

(Bob immediately slams the phone down on the receiver)

Linda: Who was that?

Bob: The devil.

Linda: Wha-? (answers phone as it rings again) Oh, hi Mom! No no, we didn’t hang up on you! Bob just dropped the phone. Uh, yeah cuz his hands are greasy.

(Some time later)

Linda: Bob did you rea-

Bob: No. No. Linda you know the agreement. The kids and I don’t have to have any contact with either of your parents during June for any reason whatsoever.

Linda: Yes Bob I remember what the contact said.

Linda: I still think having Mort notarize that agreement was going overboard.

Tina: Remind me again why you guys did that?

Louise: Because Grandma hates Pride.

Gene: Really? I thought she just hates rainbows and sparkles and wigs and having fun.

Bob: She does. She hates all of those things.

Linda: She does not.

Bob: She does.

Tina: So Grandma just hates queer people?

Linda: Look, your grandparents are from a different time.

Bob: Your parents live in a swingers community, Lin, that’s like the perfect place to host Pride.

Linda: See? They’re making progress.

Louise: Oh absolutely. Especially last year when they had to stay with us for a week because their old people place was being fumigated.

FLASHBACK to Gloria and Bob screaming at each other in the restaurant while Linda tries to push them away from each other.

Gloria: DON’T YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT-

Bob: DO YOU JUST HATE HAPPINESS IS THAT IT GLORIA-

Gloria: IF YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE A GROWN MAN IN A DRESS-

Bob: YOU JUST CAN’T STAND THAT THEY HAVE MORE CLASS AND STYLE THAN YOU WILL EVER-!!!!!

End Flashback

Bob: I feel I argued my point rather well.

Louise: You mean before or after you took a swing at Grandma?

Linda: Louise your father did not take a swing at your grandmother.

Bob: I should’ve taken her down when I had the chance.

Linda: ENOUGH.

Mr. Frond is completely obnoxious as an ally and Bob and Linda have the misfortune of running into him one day.

Frond: Bob, I will have you know as an out and proud ally I am right there on the frontlines with everyone else. What do you think the A in LGBTA stands for?

Bob: First of all, it’s LGBTQIAP. Second, that is not what the A stands for.

Frond: I do believe you’re wrong there, Bob. You know, it is people like you that make it so hard for us allies to be who we really are.

Bob: Are you sure this is who you really want to be?

Frond: You are so alliphobic it is sad.

Bob: That is not a thing, Frond! And that’s not what the A stands for!

Linda: Yeah it stands for acesexual!

Bob: Asexual.

Linda: That’s what I said, acesexual.

Bob: No it’s a-sexual. You’re saying ace, like a playing card.

Linda: I know, acesexual.

Bob: You *chuckles* you really think it’s pronounced acesexual?

Linda: Well yeah cuz they’re all out there, acing it!

Bob (amused): I mean, kind of, yeah, but, that’s not what-you know what it’s fine.

Linda: Don’t be acephobic, Bob!

Bob (laughing): Oh my God.

Jimmy Pesto got into a lot of trouble when he tried hanging straight pride flags from his restaurant and got destroyed on social media.

Jimmy: What straight people can’t have Pride, too?!

Logan and Cynthia Bush are utterly horrible and feel the need to complain about Pride and the “moral decay” of the city.

Linda: I’ll show her moral decay.

Bob: Lin no.

Bob: There are witnesses.

Linda: Alright later when she’s alone.

Mr. Fischoeder believes the concept of Pride is adorable

Fischoeder: Ah, I remember back when we didn’t have this LGBTMNOP hullabaloo. Back then we didn’t need it because everyone was everything.

Bob: I’m sure it must’ve been a fun time.

Fischoeder: Oh it was. I have pictures, you want to see the pictures Bob?

Bob: No that’s ok-

Linda: I do!

Fischoeder: Here you go.

Bob: You just happen to carry Polaroids of queer people around with you?

Fischoeder: Doesn’t everyone?

Linda: Ooooooh. Wait, is that-

Fischoeder: Before she was famous.

Linda: Oh I loved her in that one movie with the boat!

Fischoeder: She was robbed of that Oscar.

Bob: Yeah she kind of was.

Linda: Hold on, is she with a-

Fischoeder: It was domesticated, if that’s what you’re going to ask.

Linda: Oh.

Bob: Annnd I’m gonna go now.

Linda: Oh my God.

Surprisingly the Cranwrinkles are all for Pride for various reasons. They make a fortune thanks to people putting together parade floats and making flags for the month.

Edith: We don’t care about gender or sexuality. All we care about is that they spend their money here, at the most inclusive art store in the city!

Bob: Edith that’s somehow the nicest thing you could’ve possibly said.

Unfortunately the Cranwrinkles feel the need to inform Bob of how they’ve done pretty much everything and he’s informed of the various sexual escapades they’ve had.

Edith: Pride’s the one time of year Harold and I get to experiment without judgment.

Bob: Please, stop talking.

Edith: Don’t be such a prude, Bob!

Harold: Is it our fault you haven’t lived life, Chubs?

Bob: I’m gonna be sick.

Edith: You name it we’ve done it.

Harold: Maple Syrup Montana.

Edith: Spoiled Milk.

Harold: Haberdashery in Wales.

Edith: The Bashful Midwife.

Harold: Kate Mulgrew.

Edith: We invented the Kate Mulgrew!

Harold: Invented it, Tubsy!

Edith: I became a woman thanks to the Kate Mulgrew!

Harold: A WOMAN!

Edith: IT’S PRIDE, BOB!

Millie got into trouble at school when she announced she was Louisesexual and Louise ran out of the class screaming her head off. She even had a flag.

Andy and Ollie Pesto, unsurprisingly, announced “I’m Andysexual!” “I’m Olliesexual!”

Ms. LaBonz: Millie, Andy and Ollie go to the counselor’s office. Though I doubt there’s anything he can do for you at this point.

Regular-Sized Rudy tried to get Louise’s input on if his one-man puppet show was right for Pride. Louise was dubious but Rudy insisted it has something for everyone.

Tina tries to write erotic friend fiction that is especially erotic and inclusive for Pride.

Tammy is absolutely obnoxious and constantly tries to identify with whatever she thinks is the coolest, but even Jocelyn can’t stand her attitude and calls Tammy out on her bullshit.

It turns out that Ms. Schnur and Ms. Jacobson run the actual version of Wagstaff School’s queer student association, and the one Frond “runs” is just a decoy so they don’t have to deal with him. Schnur is a lesbian while Jacobson is demisexual. Believe it or not Schnur met her girlfriend through a Brendan Fraser message board.

Ms. Schnur: It was a passionate affair of love and violence as we waged war over whether or not Brendan’s best movie was The Mummy or George of the Jungle. Somewhere along the line we stopped being enemies and became... soulmates.

Dr. Yap likes to hit on lesbians at Pride.

Randy Watkins tried to make a documentary about Pride and went “undercover” as a gay man but it failed miserably.

Randy: Clearly the gay community in this town has horrible taste.

Bob: Yeah they, they clearly don’t know what they’re missing.

Randy: Thank you, Bob.

Gene’s subplot comes to a conclusion after he has both a heartfelt talk with Bob, and when he’s with Courtney who simply tells him “Well you’re Gene. I always think of you as Gene.”

Gene shows up at Pride dressed as Baby Spice and lip-syncing the Spice Girls.

Linda: Oh look at that little baby Baby Spice, his wig is enormous.

Bob: Wait, I think that’s Gene.

Linda: You’re right it IS Gene!

Bob: Oh my God!

Linda: My little Gene’s a drag queen!

Bob: Go Gene!

Linda: Aww, my little Genie Queenie!

Bob: That’s Gene Spice, that’s my son!

And finally, we have Marshmallow and Nat Kinkle meeting for the first time. Nat immediately guesses that Marshmallow’s name comes from her love of sweet potato pies. Bob literally cries tears of joy when he overhears them setting up a date.

[xx-autmnlvr-xx]

Memes aside. My honest opinion of the south park pandemic special:

-when it started with butters I seriously thought the A plot was going to focus on the children again and I was so excited. Then when Randy started his shtick with the 'pandemic special' I groaned, knowing it was gonna be about him. I've just decided to ignore him after this episode because complaining about him isn't making Matt and Trey remove him from the front lines. (The ending proved it)

I actually related to cartmans song up until he started talking about the shower. Like, I agree with being happy to not be around people and getting to do your own thing. But I can't stand stench.

The attention to detail in this episode was ASTRONOMICAL! It was great

It could have had more Creek. It scared me when Craig was eating lunch alone.

I actually kinda liked how they squeezed Randy into the covid scenerio; How they drew a parallel to last season's China episode. But I HATED how they explained that Randy started it. Like come on, they couldn't have made it so Randy dared someone to eat the animals? He HAD to do THAT to it?

Also on that note, I had crazy flashbacks to the wifi/internet episode and let's just say that I NEVER wanna hear Randy do anything other than speak again (and even that's on thin ice)

Stan's C plot of not being able to express or show his feelings MADE this episode. It was realistic, relatable and I really felt bad for him. Seeing him desperately try to stuff a teddy bear made me cry. Then when the pangolin got burned I got really scared that he was going to k**l himself. I'm still kind of scared that the first episode of the season is going to have him be self-harmful.

I loved the commentary on how people are wearing their masks like face diapers.

When token got shot I screamed. I knew they were going to do a BLM reference but I wasn't expecting something so onthenose. (And then we hear NOTHING else???? No Nicole lines or Wendy??? Honestly I think that would have been a better A plot.)

When the cops claimed it was COVID that sent token to the hospital i wasn't surprised. I knew they were going to try something like that.

This is, what, the second or third time Kyle has been locked up in the past three seasons? Cut him a break.

I felt so bad for butters when he went on a rant. I hear you, sweetheart. It's not fair that Stephen and Linda treat you like shit... But this time they were right to not let you go to build a bear right now.

I honestly don't know what the point was to include garrison in this special. I know Trump is big right now but the plot would have survived without him. All it did was give the special a reason to destroy the vaccine.

Kenny died too soon 😢

I think when they were ending the special's development the fires started so they were basically sitting in a meeting like "we have to include the wildfires! How?"

"well we have no time yet but garrison had a flamethrower. Let's just use that as the reason."

"but how do we show it?"

"eh let's do the background with fire and call it a day"

All in all: this episode is kind of a guilty like for me. I loved the B and C plots. I found their ability to put Randy in any major event to be interesting. I laughed at a few of the jokes (the ones with the children. Not the Randy jokes). I applaud Matt and Trey's ability to compress everything that happened this year into an hour. They even included the toilet paper shortage somehow.

My final words: lettheboysbehappy2020, let sharon divorce randy, and here's to season 24

[curious-minx]

Bob’s Burgers Gave Me Brain Worms and the Simpsons go on a....sigh....Roman Holiday.

Fell victim to nostalgia. 

Cowering in my golly gee cherry sour romper 

People don’t understand the concept of me and I  only understand that the loop we’re living in is finite 

A gesture of lives being eroded by slick white supremacy and male mediocrity that makes up the vast largess of subversive comedy. TIDES ARE SHIFTING!  Get lost in the marsh, mucking and wallowing in my indifferent harrowing pale plaster. Sunday Night on Fox is a excavation sight where the mummified and resuscitated adult cartoons come out to play, let’s check in on two of Americas leading families.

//////////

White men are impersonating men of color  and minorities in virtually every single Western comedic vehicle. Overriding all rhyme and reason, a racial sickness gnawing away at mucous membrane. A racial insensitivity of constantly pointing out racial insensitivity. This is not my space. I should move on, but god dammit I just want a single adult animated cartoon devoid of low middlebrow minstrely and the abysmal state of the  Voice Acting Empire Vacuum (VAEV) . Racial mimicry is stenciled into the vast majority of animated sitcoms and all “alternative” comedy targeted exclusively at white college aged men and the world suffering alongside them. We as a nation are currently on a lethal joy ride, the guide a White Supremacist who happens to be the most beloved celebrity in America. The man/woman/trans/nonbinary figure is falling asleep in a bed made of face oils and ghoulish make-up kits you can trust the brandname Killian Cosmetics a Canadian spite factory (The Shout Factory refused to provide a comment). 

We’ve entered a Spider-Verse and are getting a dose of Soul for Christmas, but it is nowhere near enough! Adult Swim cannot revive Tucca and Bertie back fast enough. The only example of what could be good and right with an animated sitcom. Sure, there’s The Boondocks, which is returning at some point hopefully in the near future, but it’s still not enough. There is clearly a need for an animated sitcom created by someone that has not been aboard the Lolita Express, that is the bare minimum. Dan Harmon attends a board room meeting with a lifelike premise that wows the world, but he’s got great friends and runs in circles of comedic voices that should also be given a shot. 

Acting freely and organically face to face is going to be an uphill battle for years to come. Animation is difficult and the labor practices are vile and exploitative against the artists that make the silly apparitions break our hearts. I am a coddled millennial that wants ever so badly to shotgun the phrases “raised by a Gameboy, raised by ROMs, raised by reruns, raised by blowup mattresses floating inside guests bedrooms, raised by horny postmodernism, raised by otaku teardrops, raised by candy coated make believe economic theory,” and someone I avoid blacking out. 

Watching the recent offerings of BOB’s BURGERS and the simpsons I also stirred deep wells of black out desire. Yet I am not going to convince you of why the episode Worms of In-Rear-Ment was a subpar offering of some sort of essential viewing Golden Age of Television (I’m sorry tv critic brigade but actual human beings usually have no idea what I’m saying whenever I bring up the Golden Age of Television, but I will become one of you and devour the pop cultural rhetoric that best suits the occasion). At least the opening store gag for the episode was A Hedwig And the Angry Inch related pun, which is probably the highlight of the whole episode. In a recent list posted by Vulture: (https://www.vulture.com/news/100-sequences-that-shaped-animation/) and article I spent the entire day reading. That is where my level of cognition is at right now. Some of you may have coded your way to the next big American Way, others are already fluent in every language and are now stumbling through Navi, whereas I am transcribing and slobbering all over a fairly comprehensive of history of animation? These sort of self deprecating digs are so last Quarantine. 

There were no such moments to be found in “In-Rear-Men,” but it’s ridiculous to hold a farting rub your butts together kind of show to the same standards as something more refined like South Park (X_X I> I surrender).A bottle episode around butt worms is a rough premise and without any sort of B-narrative to speak, and this is coming from a show who can dedicate a whole side plot into meaningless charades with ease and charm in every episode. Linda’s as a whole  feels Flanderized or at least a far inferior flimsier version of Linda that we’re accustomed to in this episode. Primarily regarding Linda’s insecurities around motherhood which check out, but that she is concerned about the kids’ Cs and D saturated report card does not read as an authentically Linda moment. Then there’s also the unnerving factor of making the Belchers unabashed super spreaders besides Louise, which certainly reads, but Tina is usually a safety stickler and in this episode she is literally rendered useless for the entire episode. When did I suddenly tune over into an Oblongs rerun (spot the reference! Don’t make me sick)? Personally grossness for grossness sake is a major turn off and I’m too much of a prude to accept front row tickets to the filth symphony. This episode would not be complete without an imagination fueled  musical number with Linda and a symphony of rectal worms. Somewhere along the line the show’s use of musical numbers stopped feeling fresh and fun and more like a safety valve deployed to distract and assuage viewers from the broken seams. And where was Teddy?!  Is Teddy’s role going to be greatly reduced because of the distant recordings? Here’s hoping its only onwards from here and I don’t care if its upwards or downwards I just don’t want to focus too much on farts and shit, and that’s my scoop. 

TWO HAMSTERS THAT WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS EPISODE OUT OF 5

——

The Simpsons’ “I, Carumbus” the second episode of season 32, strangely, also completely sidelines its daughter/sister character  completely disregarding Lisa, because, of course, this being (a)historical drag piece. This is also an episode where one of the remaining Monty Python members’ Micael Palin is relegated to nothing but exposition reading. Rome is burning. California is on fire. I’m just not feeling this. My nose is too delicate and these Simpsonian brutes want to plow and smack me in my nose with the Trump and the Roman emperor parallels and we’re just having a good time making slave jokes. The episode is still fairly watchable but surprisingly gross in its violence, which is to be expected with gladiatorial antics, but this is not fun violence done with rhythm or panache it’s mostly there to make sure you as a viewer still have a pulse and test that you are paying attention.  A joyless joke machine puttering along its own vibrant pastel cushy budgets that allow the visuals to allow for more ambitious episodes, but at least the Simpsons has the nerve the start and episode with the family out and about somewhere whereas the Belchers are rooted in place. Starting to see why other bigger paid corporate publications don’t bother themselves with this tired and worn down clunker of a series, but hey Carl has a new voice actor, Alex Desert, who also gets to be a slave version of Carl this season as well, oh fun. 

Skip. 

Trudging on. 

[genebelcher]

beef chunks

i was JOKING when i said daily trailer post but i think i might genuinely be making daily trailer posts. previous trailerposting can be found here, today’s post includes stuff from the mother’s day video from today and a square trailer titled “beef” (hence the title of this post). it’s just a few tidbits but as usual they’re under the cut for if you don’t want to see any pics from the trailer or load a bunch of images, and i just screencapped these from youtube on my phone and didnt crop out the borders on the one in landscape, so the quality isn’t amazing. (also pls no reblogs, there’s a lot of ppl on this site i do not want to interact with, there’s a reason i don’t put these in the main tags!)

first off, i wanted to point out jon benjamin’s duck pin...apparently these ducks are REALLY emblematic of the movie!!

more on the character interactions in a minute, but note that the truck on the right in the background says “crime scene” at the top (do you call it the top? i don’t know truck terminology). maybe the sinkhole is somehow related to the apparent murder mystery driving some of the plot, like the victim was buried under the road (somehow) and they either found him when the water main burst or the kids found him while exploring at night (possibly louise when she goes down exploring and falls in? that could be what sparks her kuchi kopi imagination sequence)

at the site of the sinkhole, we have linda cooing over the kids and giving louise a whole ton of kisses (which louise is not enjoying). maybe related to louise’s desire to be more mature in her movie character arc, but louise is also the kind of person who doesn’t always want physical affection.

i’ve gone over this particular scene before and thought it might be in an imagination sequence because of the art style and also that these were wonder wharf prize items. i’m faltering on the former because we see louise leaping next to some similarly-rendered plushies in a shot that doesn’t look like it’s a dream sequence, but the latter seems likely given how that same scene could very well take place at wonder wharf and...where else would there be a bunch of little plushies. why are they on fire? maybe it was the burger cart malfunctioning, hence why bob, linda, and teddy are being chased angrily through wonder wharf.

we’ve seen some of this scene before but i believe the dialogue here is new: she’s moving his lips and saying “i love linda”...cute

looks like linda high-fived bob so hard it stung. that’s how you know it’s a good high five!

this could be from the opening musical number! that shot of linda and bob singing to each other across the window that seems to be from the beginning looks to be lit similarly, and mort and teddy have coffee so it’s probably morning and not lunchtime.

alright, on to the square trailer. the drawback of portrait/square videos is of course that we don’t see the whole shot, so some details are lost, but there’s enough visible of the new footage that i can glean some stuff to write about, PLUS we got dialogue.

“did you just use the ‘b’ word?” judging by the background and rudy and darryl (that’s his arm next to rudy, and this cap which is almost certainly from the same shot has them next to each other) presence i’m pretty sure this scene’s set outside wagstaff, so i’m thinking louise is talking to another kid. maybe peter pescadero, especially if the “b word” in question is “band”. i think that’s the most likely option, since gene is holding his new instrument, and the band in “itty bitty ditty committee” consisted of the belcher kids, rudy, darryl, and peter; they’re also shown in gene’s probably-imagination-sequence as a band, and that scene might directly follow this scene. i’m not sure what else the “b word” might be. louise has never been shocked by the words “bitch” or “bastard” and constantly says “son of a bitch”. they’re probably too cowardly to explicitly state that one of the main characters is bisexual. i guess it could be beef or burger but i don’t know why that would surprise louise either.

bob peering over what i think is the burger cart because the utensils are in a can which is strapped to wood, and the condiment bottles are tied to it, probably to prevent theft or loss during transportation. he’s whispering “they’re gonna see us!”--maybe they lost the people angrily chasing them and are hiding out?

“we can do this!” mort and teddy (with coffee) in the background again, maybe a little break in the first musical number for linda to reassure bob that his burger will impress the banker, which leads to the through-the-order-window part?

“i like it, i like it...” from gene, at the site of the sinkhole, during the daytime. obviously not the nighttime exploring because...it’s daytime, plus linda is there. based on everyone’s positioning and the shadows it cooooould be from whenever fischoeder shows up?

and, to close out the trailer, the kids screaming. i suspect this is in reaction to the sinkhole/water main geyser, since the background has what kinda looks like water droplets to me and like, it’s a huge moment that would make them scream. tangentially, i wonder if (since they’ve got their bikes here) this scene is connected to tina’s wonder wharf jimmy jr. imagine spot where she has her bike?

i legit love writing these and coming up with theories, and i also just. love looking at the animation. it’s so gorgeous there’s all the little micromovements and details and ugggghhhh i’m so excited!!!!!

[eroticfriendfictions]

Thoughts on Sit Me Baby One More Time

My favorite of the season so far, but in a kind of grudging way.

I went into this episode with pretty low expectations. The summary and the photos made seem like it would be alright but probably not remarkable. My prediction was that this episode would be about how Tammy and Tina fight each other so much, that the kid they’re supposed to be babysitting ends up being the one babysitting them. Genuinely, that’s what I thought would happen. I’m so glad I was wrong. 

I loved Kendra. I loved Mr. Boom Boom. I thought her whole crotch-kicking thing was wonderfully outrageous but also I think pretty believable for a kid in her age and situation. I loved that Tina and Tammy had to unite against her but also that they were able to help her in the end too. And also, I’m so happy Jimmy Jr. and Zeke got dragged into it too, they made everything more hilarious.

But, I will say, this episode did something very wrong. They totally messed up their “don’t be a bully” message by laying the blame solely on Tina and not Tammy. It is absolutely not fair or okay that Tina gets reprimanded for standing up for herself while Tammy gets let off the hook. Let’s remember, Tammy was the one who started things; Tammy’s always the one to start things. And I don’t get me wrong, I get that perhaps it is preferable if you can “be the bigger person” and not “stoop to their level” when someone is being mean to you, which is what I think this episode was trying to say. And I could even get that maybe Tina would want to be like that. But I really think we needed some sort of acknowledgement from Tammy about her behavior as well, like at least some sort of reluctant apology. 

Without any blame placed on Tammy, it doesn’t seem like a very good message. Because no, if someone is bullying you, you don’t have to just put up with it and you don’t have to still be friendly to them. And besides, Tina has already tried that. Tina has tried to give Tammy genuine friendship numerous times, and obviously it’s not working out. Tina calling Tammy “horrible” was nothing but understandable and the truth. I’m sad to see that we’ve gone from the other kids telling Tammy to “fix yourself” to more or less just accepting her behavior.

Anyway, I thought the B plot was pretty good. Teddy trying to hide from Bob was really funny and I wish they had drawn that part out a little more. Linda playing bathroom attendant was really funny too. The revelation that Bob isn’t understanding about family and friends eating other burgers definitely wasn’t shocking, but the flashbacks were fun. All in all, good stuff.

So, because this episode made me laugh quite a bit and because the plot was wildly amusing, that brings it to the top of my favorites list for Season 8 right now. But I’m bothered about the Tina and Tammy thing enough that I’ll be really glad when another episode comes and overtakes it. 

Other notes:

It’s too bad the dance contest happened before Jimmy Jr. showed up.

Mr. Ambrose was great as always.

I lose it every time I hear “tinkle-dinker.”

I meant to write this right after rewatching the episode but I ran out of time and rewatched the episode days ago, so now I can’t remember if I had any other notes whoops.

No new episodes tonight, unfortunately, but come back next week for “Thanks-hoarding.”

[curious-minx]

A ranking of four 200 Hundredth Episodes: Bob’s Burgers’ recent victory lap stands above the rest

The Bicentennial. How many among us get to be a part of something that get’s broadcasted for over 200 episodes? In the world of animated sitcoms it is a small, Fox dominated burrow. Bob’s Burgers is the latest series to become bestowed with this particular honor, and is possibly the best of the Fox line-up to do so. Family Guy’s 200th episode, Season 11 - Episode 12,  is the only Fox series to be given a full blown on-air anniversary treatment. The episode is a Valentine themed Brian and Stewie lark and like all of the other entries on this list celebrates it’s 200th episode anniversary in a more casual, blithe fashion. Family Guy is the only show Fox has bothered to air an entire half hour  special, but months before the actual airing of the 200th episode in Februrary. I am deliberately skipping over Family Guy and South Park’s 200th episodes. In the former’s stead I chose to watch American Dad’s 200th episode, because McFarlane is such a titan in adult animation that deserves recognition. The South Park episode is too exhausting for me to get into. South Park’s 200th episode, Season 14 - Episode 05, is the one that evoked the wraith of a  New York based Radical Muslim organization that would soon be “shut down” (i.e. members arrested) a few months after the episode aired on April, 2010. The 200th episodes of South Park and the Simpsons are the only two series to have received Emmy nominations, and in Simpsons case a win, due to their 200th episodes. Here’s hoping for Bob’s Burgers to get a similar recognition, because I think its 200th episode is pretty special and straight to the point.

///

1.) Bob’s Burgers - “Bob Belcher and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Kids” 

Out of all the 200 episodes is episode the most consciously in conversation with itself. The 200th episode has been treated with a reasonable amount of respect with The A.V. Club bringing their Bob’s Burgers coverage out of retirement and Variety and Salon also got into the mix. Gotta be honest a part of me over at The Curious Minx would prefer if the Bob’s Burgers recap lane was kept on the narrower side, but on the other hand this is a fabulous series that should be written about by as many different publications. 

In a recent  tired and routine zoom Variety interview (https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/bobs-burgers-remote-recording-200th-episode-1234830796/) BB’s creator Loren Bouchard touches upon how this 200th episode is supposed to serve as something of a pilot. An episode so fully realized that even if you are someone with no active bank of knowledge about the Bob’s Burgers minutiae of the Belcher family dynamics and still enjoy this episode as much as a full blown series fan. The episode is written by Steven Davis, a producer and writer with an extensive amount of episode writing and producing credits on Bob’s Burgers. The quality of a Bob’s Burgers script in the pandemic era  is becoming more relevant, because of the diminished role of improv, and this episode definitely feels crafted by a creative team fully in touch and aware of their characters and how to put them in satisfying situations.

Compared to any of the other animated sitcom families, the Belchers are noticeably the more lower middle class. There is a pervading sense of an overall struggle for survival and prosperity that is cooked right into the series pilot debut. Season 1 - Episode 01 “Human Flesh” sets the tone of the series, despite the overall writing and characters being sharper, the stakes have not changed much. Bob’s Burger’s like any American restaurant not under the protective aegis of a Big Franchise is in a state of perpetual turmoil. In the pilot episode the difficulties of running a standard American restaurant are made even more complicated by dysfunctional family hijinks. 

The 200th episode differs from the pilot in one dramatic way and that is the presence of the extended Belcher family member Teddy. In the original pilot Teddy is completely absent, whereas in the 200th episode Teddy’s role as surrogate family member is made even most distinct by having Teddy being invested above and beyond in helping save his pal’s Bobby’s restaurant. The return of the ornery and quirky Health Inspectors Ron and Hugo are serving as the most obvious form of echoing of the pilot. I highly recommend rewatching the pilot after viewing this episode, because I had completely forgotten that the Belcher’s saving grace is that Hugo and Linda were once in a relationship together. The pilot is noticably very contained setting wise, focusing exclusively in and around the Belcher family restaurant. Whereas, the 200th episode explores more settings with the Belcher children going across town to find a replacement for Bob’s broken oven part, an oven that they feel they are entirely to blame for destroying. A couple of celebrity guests Stephanie Beatriz and SNL’s Kyle Mooney that true to Bob’s Burgers spirits are usually just playing characters of little to no consequence. Unlike the other Fox family in this list that really leans in on having celebrities playing themselves, the best celebrity guest appearances on Bob’s Burgers tend to be the most anonymous, and Kyle Mooney’s put upon hardware store clerk is a great example of this. 

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t dwell on the satisfying Linda contribution of the episode. Linda makes the critical set piece that ignites the restaurant fire. Linda’s gnarly mermaid sculpture is a great visual metaphor for the series. Especially when the Mermaid Statue is used to build up a very well constructed song-based gag. The whole episode made me feel really good about the state of the series and especially the Movie (And Loren Bouchard backs this up by giving interviewers the impression that the film’s delay has only improved its quality). As far as 200 episodes of long running animated sitcoms go, you certainly can’t go wrong with this one!

////

2. King of the Hill - Hank’s Bully

By all accounts the most unremarkable episode on this list. An episode that also has a trollish spirit that gets a sadistic glee in tormenting the fuddy duddy Hill patriarch. This is the also the 200th episode with the lowest stakes, the least of a spectacle, and most unassuming 200th episode. While trying to research anything of note to include in my review of the episode all I could find was this reddit post (https://www.reddit.com/r/KingOfTheHill/comments/bpl235/hanks_bully_was_near_impossible_to_watch/) where a user is criticizing the way in which Hank it mistreated. When I was rewatching this episode my partner also found this episode hard to watch and sympathized with Hank’s plight against a Clifford-like malicious imp of a hateful child who’s sole purpose is to make the lives of everyone else around him more difficult. 

To me what most stands out about this episode is the fantastic direction by longtime King of the Hill animator, former Bob’s Burgers animator, and current Rick and Morty director, Kyoung Hee Lim. A seemingly badass woman  working in a field that is not particularly kind to women or to women of color. I am pretty shocked that no one in all of her years as a director on some pretty important shows has brought her up or did an interview piece on her. Maybe this is something the good folks at The Curious Minx can aspire to? I am definitely going to be taking a further dive into the 22 episodes of King of the Hill that she directed and revisit the 15 episodes of Bob’s Burgers to see if I can discern what makes a Kyoung Hee Lim episode. 

One major ploy detail that I noticed in this episode, a detail that is also oddly prevalent on the other two 200th episodes, is the trash talk. And by that I do mean literal trash talk. The B-plot of this episode is what makes the episode pop for me in that the pairing of Dale and Peggy is a really successful one. The episode finds Dale frustrated with the Arlington Waste department and how they won’t take his refrigerator full of dead squirrels and his freeze full of dead crow. Dale then takes advantage of this dead blessing in disguise by getting into the world of competitive taxidermy with Peggy’s creative eye complimenting Dale’s gruesome technical prowess.   Both of these characters operate on such an oddly similar wave lengths that watching the two of them embark on a taxidermy journey together was strangely touching and fun to watch. And I am a vegan that feels weird about killing animals in video games, but the ending visual gag of the episode is especially inspired. My one complaint is that the episode is severely lacking in Bobby Hill. Probably because I just recently finished watching Better Things and basically want every show to be the Pamela Adlon show all the time. 

/////

3.) American Dad - “The Two Hundred”

Visually and conceptually this 200th episode really impressed me. As previously mentioned at the start of the post, I am not someone that is particularly warm to the McFarlane brand of comedy, but American Dad really is where he saves his best work for. This 200th episode got the complete opposite treatment of Family Guy. Airing on a Monday night on TBS this episode was pretty much given a shrug, but that does not tamper down any of its ambitions. The whole episode is basically a pastiche of Apocalyptic Dystopian alternative timeline tropes centering around an alone and traumatized by his past Stan. The episode has one of the most clever ongoing visual gags I have seen on a show where flash backs are teed up by Stan’s ridiculous new post apocalyptic tattoos. The core family and ancillary characters of American Dad are all given terrific moments to shine in this heightened post apocalyptic hellscape, and the key to any enduring series success if whether or not you can tell that the creatives involved respect and enjoy the characters that they are writing for. This being a McFarlane project there are a couple of embarrassing lines of dialogue from the show’s respective gay and Black characters and an over indulgence on Rodger based humor, but overall this 200th episode left me with more appreciation for this series as a whole. I will still always make sure to appreciate whenever a long running creative property takes stylistic swings and risks.While there is nothing particularly fresh or novel about a cannibal laden post apocalyptic wasteland this 200th episode managed to find some find fun character beats to subvert tropes or double down on them. The visual of a consistently on the move runaway train that is also mysteriously always on fire was also especially well executed. This episode could easily have been a series finale if the series hadn’t already played around with alternative timelines like in their Christmas specials. 

This episode also features more trash talk! One of Stan’s tattooed regrets revolves around Francine failing to get the trash picked up on trash day because Stan had purposely neglected to take it out. This rather odd pattern is about to make a whole lot of sense with the fourth and my least favorite 200th episode by the Simpsons.

////

4.) The Simpsons - Trash of the Titans

How many more times can I impress upon you that the 200th episode  of your animated sitcom is an  an occasion for trash talk? One more time. This 200th episode of The Simpsons is by far the most trash centric 200th episode of them all. The first animated adult sitcom to get over the 200th episode hump, the 200th episode  “Trash of the Titans” has some fun real-world trivia attached to it, but other than that this is one of the lesser “Golden Era” Simpsons offerings by a long shot. 

My primary source on contention with the episode lies in the direction Homer takes in most of the episode. A 2016 Uproxx (https://uproxx.com/media/simpsons-donald-trump-hillary-clinton/) article gained traction and a Wikipedia citation by comparing Homer’s antics to that of possible former rising Dictator Donald Trump. The episode involves Homer acting at his absolute most abhorrent in an election to boot, and his behavior in this episode is some of the most irredeemable Homer has ever been. The article oddly neglects to make note of the fact that Homer in this episode also makes similar slights against Mexico, referring it to an inherently “dirtier” country.  The episode ends on a truly groan inducing aged as fine as old socks in the cheese drawer with a crying Native American gag. Ah 1998 when we could pretend that the Crying Native American commercial was just silly social commentary and not racial minstrelsy. 

There is also one other instance that didn’t sit well with me and that’s when Homer is seen physically assaulting a woman working the booth at a U2 concert. I could handle the bullish descent into crooked politician, but watching Homer violently push a woman out of the way felt out of place. A retread of all the growth and development we’ve seen him go through over the course of 200 episodes. Of the other three patriarchs discussed on this list a Homer Simpson centric plot tend to not work as well for me especially if you compare him to the other animated TV fathers. 

The episode also features two celebrity guest spots. One made by Steve Martin who does a good job becoming more or less unrecognizable as the original Springfield Sanitation Commissioner Ray Patterson. The other celebrity guest appearance is more of an ill-portent of signs to come with U2 playing themselves. Whenever a celebrity is playing themselves on The Simpsons it usually does not work out. Not everyone can be used to advance a plot as seamlessly as Barry White. Although it is funny, funny in a “oh, we were so much simpler” sort of way that this episode garnered controversy and a ban on UK television over U2 and Mister Burns’ use of the word, “wanker.” Flash forward to 2009 and Bono is once again throwing around his favorite cheeky pejorative this time in reference to fellow earnest bland frontman Chris Martin (https://www.music-news.com/news/UK/24741/Read). 

Resting Wanker Face

The other fun factoid about this episode once again is not related to the show, but the show’s influence spilling out into the real world. In the late 80s and throughout the 90s, Adams Mine was an abandoned pit located somewhere in Ontario situated in a term I’m learning for the first time, the “Canadian Shield.” An exactly similar proposal is made by Homer Simpson during his reign of Sanitation Commissioner. This sweeping of trash under the rug does culminate into a satisfying visual gag as a climax that feels like a Garbage Pail Kid/Toxic Avenger version of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. More bizarrely and unfortunate, this episode also aired a week after the passing of Linda McCartney. How messed up is that? Couldn’t they just have waited at the end of the season or at least on an episode that doesn’t involve wallowing in filth? 

The episode features another developing bad habit in terms of the inclusion of songs and song parodies. There is virtually no connection to Willy Wonka in this episode other than the fact that both “Candy Man” and “Trash Man” have share a similar pronoun. Unlike the use of songs in Bob’s Burgers where they tend to be unique to the character’s reaction to dramatic consequence, on the Simpsons it’s more often than not a  a song for the sake of a song. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but why not go for a joke about parodying real musical trash titans, The Cramps, or even trash up a U2 song? On the episode’s Wikipedia entry in the Production section Matt Groening is quoted to saying that the visual gag of a department store sporting the slogan, “Over a Century Without a Slogan,” wasted a lot of man hours. So much effort and reach for a joke with a fraction of a minimal of pay off is essentially the Simpsons ethos in one visual gag. 

Once again, it bears repeating that this episode is also rewarded for an Emmy. If you break down the episode as starting off as a satire of Holiday Commercialism with the creation of the cynical Love Day holiday and ending the episode as a foreboding parable about the very real ecological repercussions of improper waste management. This clearly sounds like classic Simpsons reverse engineering management. Instead this is a classic case of an episode of the Simpsons being more interesting to think about than it is to actually watch. This is also the 200th episode that least honors its central cast of characters. Marge and Lisa are both afforded meager moments of wisdom and decency, but Bart is more or less even more irrelevant to the plot than Bobby Hill was on his 200th episode. 

As for today it seems like the only Simpsons anniversary that will likely rouse any more attention it’s way will be the 1,000th episode.. Think how much more trash we as a collective species will have made by the time that milestone roils around!

////

In Conclusion:

When you start to make 200 episodes of anything the one feeling that seems to creep up is one of, “taking out the trash,” or you’re making art out of trash. Trash being a metaphor for the entire medium of Television. The TV market is an ever growing landfill, one of America’s Rapiest Dads made a whole cartoon about kids living and learning life lessons in a junk yard. So much of Television is only a means of  mass marketing  ground up pieces of detritus. Then you’re supposed to be grateful that your detritus gets to be a bumper for advertisements and the occasional merchandising. You’re an adult, you’re not supposed to take cartoons seriously. They are empty calories, brain noise, and at best background noise. Yet they are the only types of shows that can consistently manage to get over well over the 200 episode mark. At least back before the Netflix business model of show’s only deserving 1.5 seasons. 

Bob’s Burgers is reaching its 200th episode in an unfathomable media landscape, one that is completely demolished and in the process of being rebuilt from the aftermath of the coronavirus. The 2020s could be a turning point for animation going forward, animation is a severely grueling and technically difficult sector. This newfound interest in the medium may finally be  the financial boost and support that it dearly needs in order to properly pay artists for their work. The creators of these series may not think of what they do as art and to keep themselves afloat have to think of the act of bringing an animated sitcom into the world as necessary as taking out the trash. Our trash is a mirror. Inside the landfill we see our own morals and values reflected right back at us. Bringing forth life means a lot of shit. With every year you keep an infant human alive that means (x) amount of disposable diapers piled up. I suggest we make like the Belcher children and try to salvage our trash, put a wig on our trash, put a crop top on our trash, paint some lashes on your trash, because we’re all in the end up going to be put into the ground (beef). 

[curious-minx]

Left Behind In The Halloween Parade: Late Review of Bob’s Burgers And The Simpsons.

The First Sunday of November, and the Last Sunday of the Trump and Biden election, found Hulu finally uploading the Bob’s Burgers and Simpsons Halloween episodes. So in the spirit of taking your sweet ass time that is exactly what I did with this review. The Bob’s Burgers Halloween episode is probably the weakest of the series, a series that is practically a Hallmark card company in terms of the amount of holiday-inspired content they have churned out. Episode “Heartbreak Hotel-oween” isn’t a particularly offensive in any way it just fails to live up to Halloween episodes such as my personal favorites Season 8 “The Wolf of Wharf Street,” which remains one of the most visually stunning episodes of the series,  and  Season 4, the series’ second Halloween episode,“Fort Night,” which has incredibly gruesome stakes and the most satisfying entry in the Louise versus Millie feud. 

“Heartbreak Hotel-oween” is still ultimately pretty good and though it took a second viewing to fully appreciate it I do like watching the Belcher children deftly sail through the world of adults. The tantalizing plot thread of a Bob’s Burgers Delivery service is dangled and I would like to see more Delivery based plots. Getting these characters into different areas and expanding upon the ambitious Jersey shore town. Having the kids deliver a burger to an older woman using the burger as a lure for her seance is flattened against a brown and forgettable after thought of a hotel. Everything with the Belcher kids is good and interesting and with the help of Andy Daly voicing the Hotel Manager; Lindsey Stoddart doing Quarantine duty and voicing multiple characters including the old woman Dolores conducting the seance, and Loren Bouchard Home Movies collaborator Melissa Robbins stops by as a bystander character as well. 

The episode starts getting in its own way with the adults blood bank centric B-plot. The entire plot is given in a single exchange with Teddie being excited about donating blood and everyman Bob with his everyman  O-negative blood finds giving blood nauseating and gross. That’s it. That’s the whole plot and besides the blood banker workers being dressed up as vampires there are no other comedic games being played and it is total unmemorable fluff, which has been a common issue for the ongoing series. One thing this episode does right is at least get Bob, Linda and Teddie out of the restaurant and into a new environment. A lot of the verbal exchanges between Bob, Linda and Teddie feel a lot more stilted due to Covid recordings and the lack of non-scripted banter is sorely missed. I have noticed this season having more John H. Benjamin monologue Bob by himself moments, which only work when Bob’s imagination is in full flight. Where was the talking bag of Bob’s blood? Hell I wouldn’t even had objected to hearing a dang song sung by the vampires to help soothe Bob into giving blood or something beyond: Bob doesn’t like giving blood because it makes him woozy, he gives blood and get’s woozy. 

Overall this is a perfectly serviceable episode: three Ghost-baiting cheeseburgers out of five. 

////

Intermission. 

Fox is certainly using the Loren Bouchard & Molyneux sisters brand like a blood bag with the recent announcement of the new series The Great North. Wendy Molyneux is a frequent writer, (executive) story editor since Bob’s Burgers inception. She is the writer of  “The Wolf of Wharf Street” and the episode of Bob’s Burgers I have watched the most - “There's No Business Like Mr. Business Business,” because I am a cat fanatic, John Oliver fan, and have been the pet companion of a standard poodle exactly like Snoodle named Faust that I love dearly. Basically, I am excited for this show. Molyneux is also a deeply connected collaborator with Megan Mullally writing on all 74 episodes of Mullally’s forgotten by the ages The Megan Mullally Show. A show according to Wikipedia’s citation of Fox News, “viewers were disappointed to find out that Megan is not anything like Karen in real life,” and if there is any white woman out there that is an anti-Karen it is Mullally. Mullally is not the focus of the show but her more visible and commercially accessible husband Nick Offerman is finally being anointed into the annals of TV Dads. With his three sons voiced by Paul Rust, Will Forte and National Treasure Aparna Nancherla and sole daughter voiced by Bob’s Burgers alum Jenny Slate, who recently honorably stepped down from a lucrative tv series Big Mouth deal like the real champ that she is.  Mullally will show up as Jenny Slate’s character’s boss andThe cast is undeniable the backdrop of Alaska has a lot of promise for elaborate or interesting set pieces. I am ready for this show! Will this be Bob’s Burgers Futurama? That’s probably a vicious hex based on how Futurama was infamously jerked around by Fox. FOX has already given the show a promising two-season deal, which is already a lot better than what Netflix did for Tuca and Bertie. Faint nowhere discussions of the Bob’s Burgers movie were also mentioned in an interview with Bouchard who has a cantankerous “theater release only” policy, which bums out a little, but I would much prefer they take as long as possible. The Bob’s Burgers movie cannot end up carrying out the Simpson movie curse.

/////

I am no Simsons scholar. I could not give you an active ranking of favorite Tree House of Horror episodes. I could tell you that I really like Bart as an Edgar Allen Poe’s Raven. You don’t need to be Simpsons scholar to safely state that “Treehouse of Horror XXXI” should be ashamed to show its “funny face.” For starters the entire appeal of the anthology style of storytelling has been completely deflated by having two of the previous episodes in this season being gimmicky non-standard episodes. The only positive thing I can say about this episode is that it is an important teaching tool for what the most broken and shittiest, laziest satire imaginable would look like and the 2020 Election cold opening is actually pretty solid. All of the good will earned by the strong opening is completely squandered starting with an inexplicably CGI Toys Story sketch. I am assuming the animation department went with CGI because the source material is CGI. The CGI is really bad and makes me really miss the 3D models of Simpsons Hit And Run and perfectly charming The Simpsons Game. Instead this sketch’s particular animation looks like the animators were most inspired not by Pixar’s clean and craftsmen like CGI models but were going for more of a Fanboy & Chum Chum look. A Toy’s Story parody in this day and age is asinine in its laziness, but it’s still an evergreen territory. A good Toy’s Story parody is possible, but simply having Bart play out the role of Toy Story’s Sid except he gets lobotomized by his own toys. I did appreciate the writer’s making the explicit moral of the story to not buy toys, which for a Disney product like the Simpsons is pretty rich. 

Behold! The last recorded instance of a quality Toys Story satire from China, IL

The next two parodies go down slightly better simply because they aren’t sporting that eye bleeding animation but paying homage to Enter The Spider-verse and Russian Doll/Happy Death Day 2U in 2020 feels just as dated as Toy Story. What kind of fool is still writing about Russian Doll in 2020? The Enter the Homer-verse sketch is at least ambitious and showcases how masturbatory  the show has come whenever it is showcasing Dan Castellaneta’s various vocal talents. I get it dude, you like having dump trucks of money given to you for barely making an effort and doing Hannah Barbara impersonations that sound more like a bad Woody Allen. Regardless, this is still the one sketch that makes the most attempt to have comedic games with its multiple iterations of Homer and even throwing out some alternative universe Burns and Smithers for good measure. The final third Russian Doll sketch that let’s you know that this sketch is more Russian Doll than Happy Death Day by using the same exact Harry Nilsson “Gotta Get Up”  piano riff. This sketch had potential but once again the show writers and creatives seem to only indulge the worst possible instincts and cast Lisa as the lead of the sketch. So that means we get to watch this 8 soon-to-be 9 year old girl and fellow child Nelson get murdered in a variety of banal and brutal ways, and it’s just not fun or pleasant to watch. The obvious choice is an unexpected Springfield resident and if it has to be a Simpson having Marge or one of her sisters be the Nadia surrogate makes far more logical sense and Marge’s birthday would carry more emotional weight. 

Reminder to myself to check out this lost late series entry where Natasha Lyonne is the voice of Krusty’s daughter. 

I completely understand why The AV Club canceled their coverage of The Simpsons. The whole series has a very masochistic and sadistic pull and tug between creatives and fans. The sweet and simple souls of Den of Geek are still reviewing the Simpsons and offer a far more favorable review: https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-simpsons-season-32-episode-4-review-treehouse-of-horror-xxxi/.  Google results also yield one another publication reviewing this current season published on medium that has been taken by for violating medium rules. Will the Simpsons be coming for me next? 

Skip this episode! Judging by the synopsis of the season’s next ep finding the Simpsons, once again, finding themselves somewhere other than Springfield is looking to be another skippable entry. I want to be proven wrong! The latter day Simpsons seasons usually have a memorable or decent episode here or there. So far the only thing remarkable about this season is how much it wants to try to be different and think outside of the Springfield box but in the process give the season an overwhelming sense of hollowness. I shall forge ahead with my coverage, because I am either a masochist or a sadist depending on the weather. 

[genebelcher]

a very informal breakdown of the first bobs burgers movie trailer

the second trailer for the bobs movie dropped today so i'm gonna do a breakdown of that after this one (probably over two posts because there was So Much) but FINALLY took some screencaps of important-looking moments and im gonna post my thoughts/theories about them below the cut! don't look under the read more if you don't want to see any pics from the trailer (ik some people like to avoid spoilers entirely), or if you don't want to load a bunch of images right now (i have like two dozen screenshots im going to analyze lmao). also fair warning i just screencapped these from youtube on my phone and didnt crop out the borders or the channel bug in the corner

(also pls dont rb this bc there’s a lot of people on this hellsite that i do not want interacting with me, there’s a reason i didn’t put this post in the main tags, just wanted to get my thoughts out somewhere)

ALRIGHT SO the trailer starts with a sexy burger king parody which i did not screencap because there's not really anything to analyze there it's just a (really funny) gag

i bet this scene takes place after the sinkhole shut down the restaurant. why else would they be selling burgers on a cart outside wonder wharf otherwise? also sexy bikini burger linda is rly funny to me

i just wanna point out the thing gene is holding. we see it a bunch throughout the two trailers. it looks like a napkin dispenser with a spoon strapped to the top (or side) and i’m betting this is another improvised musical instrument (see also: tina and louise doing percussion with straws in cups in s5e17)

aerial shot of the kids in a mobile home park/rv park, we see this location several times in the trailers but i don’t remember seeing it before in the show. it’d make sense that there’s a couple mobile home parks in seymour’s bay, it’s possible some of the kids’ schoolmates live there? we see it more, and especially in the second trailer we see it more so i’ll save other thoughts for that post.

this may be from the scene where the sinkhole caves in and a geyser of water (probably a busted water main?) rises up out of it, but the interesting thing i wanted to point out is teddy’s sailor cap. it might be his from when he was in the navy but we also see felix in a sailor uniform later in the trailer...is there a connection perhaps?

same mobile home park, and a kiddie pool full of rubber ducks. idk what’s up with them but there’s a duck in the poster and at the wondercon panel they were giving out rubber duck pins.

the belchers in their living room reacting to something. this is out of left field, but hear me out: what if the big reveal in the movie is that bob is somehow related to the fischoeders? he apparently looks like calvin and felix’s dad, and since his mom figures into the plot in some way, they could be related on bob’s mom’s side of the family. it’s probably more likely that they’re reacting to something on the news but this felt like the most natural place to bring up my big theory

the kids investigating the sinkhole. we see this more in the second trailer but i noticed during my screencapathon that tina is videotaping. i wonder why?

calvin twisting a statue’s nipples to reveal a secret passage or some shit. idk this + a bunch of moments towards the trailer’s end (and in the second trailer) make me more inclined to think he’s heavily involved in the mystery/arc of the movie and not just b/c he’s bob’s landlord and the property they rent is right next to an enormous sinkhole

i don’t doubt that the itty bitty ditty committee (or another band led by gene) could actually perform during the movie but i feel like this particular scene is gene’s fantasy sequence. he LOVES robots (see: his idea of “robot college” in s2e2, the “robot cannibals” poster on the wall in his room, him and alex wanting to be robot djs in s12e5, in the 2021 comic con panel they discussed that the s12 finale is going to take place largely in tina’s robot-laden blade runner-esque friend fiction and gene, being a Robot Guy, will have Opinions), plus the floating city ufo thing does not look like something that would exist in the reality of bob’s burgers; they tend to stick to things that Could exist and anything supernatural-seeming usually has a mundane explanation. the fischoeders are rich but i don’t think even they could afford a floating city

not sure what’s going on here but i’m guessing this is wonder wharf storage based on all the carnival supplies. maybe this is where they got all those rubber ducks? also why would the kids be with calvin and felix...but not bob or linda...maybe it’s confirmation bias but until i have more context this feels like it COULD support my belcher-fischoeder relative theory or at least that they’re involved with the mystery arc. also there he is, sailor felix. no idea why he’s wearing that but it is oh so cute

likewise, they’re at felix’s treehouse here, wonder why... i’m guessing that pulley is for his dirty dishes (and possibly meals in general?) like a dumbwaiter, since he’s also got a catapult for his dirty laundry. maybe the kids got kicked out but louise is gonna try and zipline back down the wire to sneak back in?

louise’s kuchi kopi imagination scenes apparently figure into the plot to some extent...

happy bob and linda :) love to see it. might be pre-sinkhole or after the resolution?

HE’S SO CUTE <3333 wonder whether he’s at a store or this is in his bedroom/closet? either would make sense

aaaaaand bookending the trailer, the food cart and sexy burger linda. not much more to say about this without discussing the second trailer so...better get started on that post, right? 😜

[curious-minx]

Entering into a new dawn of Corporatist Neoliberalism, all while leaving behind a rising Fascist Empire. A solid Bob’s Burgers and a surprisingly decent Simpsons is your reward.

“Fast Time Capsules at Wagstaff School”  once again finds the show operating in the territory it does best: A Poignant twee commentary with the junior Belchers and a nearly pointless sideplot with the adult Belchers that actually sports a satisfying conclusion. The ingredients of a quality kids subplot requires a touch of Tina having the conflict of wielding too much power passed down to her by Mr. Frond whose mere appearance reliably bumps an episode up a notch. This episode not only also weaves the usual Tammy and Jocelyn jealousy games with Tina but also splashes two other of Tina’s peers into the mix: Jim Gaffigan’s Kelsey Grammar indebted Henry Haber and girl friend Sasmina voiced by National Treasure Aparna Nancherla. The episode focuses primarily on Tina’s gatekeeping of the contents of the Wagstaff time capsule. A particularly timely concept for a year where history is a constant 24/7 newsfeed of dramatic historical importance. 

I fold up my muted pink streaked swimming trunks and put them into my personal time capsule. No way will I ever be braving a public beach or swimming hole. The act of exposing any amount of flesh during a pandemic is unthinkable, but in another 50 years I am sure there will be a lot more living to do. The episode goes even further in poignancy with layering a coinciding  Louise conflict over a pair of Boyz4Now lands a lot differently in these Quarantined Times. Never have I related to Louise and her desire to go see a cute pop group sing in an intimate live setting, singing such hits like “Your Heart Fell On The Floor, Let Me Get It For You,” a level of cuteness not even Belle and Sebastian or The Magnetic Fields could probably come up with. The main plot moves along with a clean efficiency of storytelling bringing Louise and Tina conspiring together using their combined sister brain to retrieve the tickets, but due to further conflicting interests. The episode concludes with the characters taking their personal losses and rolling with the punches, which is another central sweet spot. Earlier on the series I felt like the Belcher family were constantly losing and being put down upon by the world around them. The pendulum of justice remains in flux giving the Belchers and friends minor victories, but the last image of this episode really gets to me.  The sight of group of kids  in a parking lot bonding by singing the hit “Someday We’ll Spoon” as it plays off in the distance. Another song title that hits so much harder than it ever could have without the rampaging socially distanced disease.

“If you see a cop, whistle!” - Teddie, and me whenever I see a cop because I always make sure to harass and wolf whistle at cops like they were a piece of construction worker street meat. 

One of my new favorite Bobspressions. 

The B plot with Bob and Linda is essentially that Bob can whistle, but Linda cannot, although Linda can roll her R’s. This teasing and taunting domestic squabble is cushioned by the looming gentle omnipresence of Teddie. Teddie, Bob and Linda are a solid trio and play off each other as characters really well and the repartee between the characters feels a lot looser than it has in past episodes of this season. The subplot culminates in Teddie making one of my favorite comedic moves being dependent on his parasocial relationship with Bob and Linda’s marriage. Teddie is the friend that believes in the love of his friends’ marriage more so than his own friends do and it’s always pretty touching to see Teddie play that card. The adults largely stay completely static inside a one-shot of the restaurant with Bob in the kitchen window, but there is a discernible rise and fall conflict between Bob and Linda that culminates with simple silly sweetness. Once again the adults are left fuddling around in their comfortable boxes and squares they have created for themselves, while the children are foisted out in the world having to deal with Future. 

One other particularly timely one-off joke that the writers would have no way of knowing how timely and off-putting it would be is when Eugene makes a reference to Sean Connery. Gene compares Linda to the late actor responding to Linda on her R syllable rolling flexing. I am sure the writer of the episode felt some kind of something with this episode airing a week after the man died. 

This episode is a Boyz4.5(4)Now. 

///

Thankfully this next episode of the Simpsons did not trot out Mr. James Bont. Episode 5 of Season 32 “The Seven Beer Itch” is a rebound episode from the last three exhausting conceptual excursions. I failed to do a write up on the Season 32 premiere episode, “Undercover Burns,” which I give a Pass (A Pass btw means that you won’t be harmed passing this show through your system, whereas Skip speaks for itself). Both the season opener and this fifth episode are just Simpsons episodes based in and around Springfield. No historical role-play or contrived literary surrogate puppet shows. This episode initially begins filling the viewer with “Simpsons on Holiday” dread opening the episode with The Groundskeeper Willie serving as the episode’s narrator. What’s completely confounding is that Willie has no bearing on the plot of this episode in any way whatsoever other than the fact that both he and UK Treasure Olivia Coleman are both from across the Pond. 

The Simpsons have become one of the most musical series on television, and frankly it  saps away the energy of the when songs pile on top of one another. I know I  should be more wickedly delighted by having The Gosh Dang Favourite singing a pub song to Homer at Moe’s Tavern, but instead these songs make me go dead inside. Especially when Dan Castellaneta has to be a total diva belching out melodies with honey voiced Barney. Maybe if the songs were relegated to once a season or specifically to the ending credit sequence a la Bob’s Burgers that would be one thing, but a song  (or three! Or five!) per episode is simply too busy. Then again “busy” describes everything about the Simpsons in 2020. The show continues to astound me visually with Springfields starry purple skies, brief glimpses of London clock towers served up alongside Marge and kids trip to Martha’s Vineyard. We even take a pit stop in California with Olivia Coleman’s Lily doing a forced, weirdly gentle riff with Leonard DiCaprio (who goes uncredited, making matters even stranger). Overall, modern Simpsons is the nicest looking adult animated sitcom around until Tuca and Bertie comes back on air. That being the said the plots of each episode feel like they are being pulled out of a magic foam wizard’s hat stuffed to the brim with Simpsons conceits. This week the writer’s pull Homer Seduction from out of the hat.

The Homer seduction plot can be traced back as early as Season 3 with the episode “Colonel Homer.” This episode more or less grafts its main plot swapping out a Pretty Country Singer with a Charming British Lady. The songs in “Colonel Homer” were actively related to the plot with country star Lurleen Lumpkins becoming infatuated with Homer Simpson, because he’s, he’s a simple and um sweet man. Homer has fidelity! 32 plus years on the air and Homer still remains the kind of man that will still choose his wife over whatever hot piece of Academy Award Winning voiced action comes his way. 

I will end this review with this image of Homer giving us viewers come hither and fuck me eyes. Imagine an artist sitting down and drawing Homer Simpson giving you this coquettish glance and try not feeling sick with existential dread:

This episode deserves a Pass.

///

Addendum:

A response to Digital Spy and hand wringing queerness out of a cartoon child 

The article in question is available here. 

The journalist of this article insistence that Lisa be a LGTBQ+ icon is understandable, but taking umbrage with Yeardely Smith’ for saying that she views Lisa as a child is queasy and infuriating. Smith isn’t a Karen trying to rob Lisa of her Queer freedom. Lisa’s queerness is innate and subtly woven into the character and explicitly spelled out in future glimpses of the character. I really shutter to think what the Simpsons mostly white and male writers room would concoct for a “queering” of Lisa. Dissecting and analyzing a cartoon child’s sexuality is all fun and games, but the world is also dying and full of real life children, not cartoon characters, in pain far more worthy of our concern. I would much rather there be support for Queer artist making their own adult animated sitcom and let Lisa Simpson just be a little girl that loves as Yeardely Smith calls “girly things.” Interpret this literally. Lisa is a cartoon girl living in a cartoon world and she’ll probably grow up to be a nonbinary polyamorous Super Computer or Sax Master General.

If you haven't already I strongly recommend readers check out Smith’s appearance on the currently defunct podcast Harmontown. In the episode “I Was A Simpson” she comes across as charming and thoughtful and worth a listen. She’s not someone that strikes me as a hateful advocate of queer erasure. She strikes me as a cagey performer not wanting to nail down too many concrete details about her character. Ultimately the writers and Smith know Lisa is a queer character,  but unless the show is willing to hire a LGBTQ+ writer to help create a Queer Coming of Age centric coming of age episode I am content with having her identity be nudged and winked at in glimpses of the future and left at that. Good grief.