The 9 Best ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Subplots, Ranked
The quirky, working-class Belchers and their seaside burger joint have been a staple of Fox’s animation block and toon-loving homes since 2011. The family at the heart of Bob’s Burgers consists of exasperated patriarch Bob (H. Jon Benjamin), his supportive and offbeat wife Linda (John Roberts), and their three kids: horse-obsessed, friend-fiction author Tina (Dan Mintz), musically inclined, brutally honest Gene (Eugene Mirman), and sharp-tongued, bunny-eared Louise (Kristen Schaal). Together, they keep their burger stand afloat with hard work and a steady flow of meat-based puns.
While episodes usually draw their chaos and comedy from the main plot, there is often a B-plot that is just as humorous and seemingly irrelevant. These subplots often highlight the idiosyncratic humor of individual family members, giving each character a chance to shine or even steal the spotlight from the main plot.
Here are a few favorite subplots ranked by hilarity.
9. Napkin Art
“Midday Run”(Season 5 Episode 8)
While Tina hunts down Zeke to nab the highest honor of hall monitor, the “Hall Manatee,” Linda turns the burger stand into a veritable art gallery by displaying customers’ napkin drawings, inspiring Bob to take art classes. His first class involves sketching a naked Edith, which the kids discover and hail as a masterpiece, proudly hanging it in their home.
8. Bob Cuts His 'Finger Crotch'
“The Kids Run the Restaurant” (Season 3 Episode 20)
After Bob cuts his finger during prep, the Belcher kids take over the restaurant, vowing both to do the best job possible and to “run it into the ground.” The B-plot follows Bob and Linda as they deal with the dregs of society in the hospital emergency room, where mangled arms and barfing sailors wear on their patience. When it’s finally his turn, Bob ends up breaking in a brand-new doctor on his first day to tend to his “finger crotch” cut, who shaves his arm and gives him a full cast.
7. 'Cake'
“Bad Tina” (Season 2 Episode 12)
While Tina’s obsession with “friend fiction” is the central focus of the main plot, Bob and Linda attend a performance of Cake, a patty-cake-based musical akin to Stomp. Bob becomes enthralled with the whimsy of the performance and begins practicing at home, eventually becoming a patty-cake master who can slap with the best of them.
6. Teddy's Halloween Party
“Full Bars” (Season 3 Episode 2)
In the main plot, the Belcher kids venture to King’s Head Island for trick-or-treating and the chance to score full-sized bars from the posh residents. Secondarily, Linda and Bob attend Teddy’s (Larry Murphy) Halloween party, which quickly turns into a murder mystery when his beloved guinea pig, Francine, is found dead. A grieving Teddy won’t let anyone leave until the culprit is found, leading to hilarity.
5. Game Night
“The Belchies” (Season 2 Episode 1)
As the kids go on a Goonies-style adventure with a treasure hunt in an abandoned taffy factory, Bob and Linda try to spice up their sex life by playing adult games with “sexy dice,” but it quickly turns as mundane as Monopoly as they hug on chairs and are instructed to lick feet. Another bonus with the bonkers episode: It features the song “Taffy Butt” by Cyndi Lauper to keep with The Goonies theme.
4. 'Electric Love'
“Topsy” (Season 3 Episode 16)
As Louise plans her science project to take revenge on teacher Mr. Dinkler (Mark Proksch) with a reenactment of the death of Topsy the elephant via electric current, the episode highlights Gene’s musical abilities for the first time. The song “Electric Love” showcases the breadth of his talents beyond rude noises on his keyboard, as the musical number delivers a romanticized retelling of Edison and Topsy.
3. Everyone Gets a B-Plot
“Bob Actually” (Season 7 Episode 9)
In this Valentine’s Day-themed episode, Bob tries to harness his romantic side through dance, while assorted B-plots focus on the kids: Tina attempt to get a “sky kiss” from Jimmy Jr. but comes down with a medical malady. Meanwhile, Gene works on a chocolate creation with his crush, lunch lady Isabella, and Louise helps her classmate Rudy go after his first kiss from a girl who is manipulated him.
2. Gene’s Table-Scaping Regional Competition
“Boyz 4 Now” (Season 3 Episode 21)
Whenever Gene gets a chance to shine, that boy delivers. In the “Boyz 4 Now” episode, as Louise experiences her very first crush, Gene enters the world of competitive table setting, or “scaping,” and meets a father-son duo just as passionate about table setting as he is. And despite los with his menstruation-themed “Menstru-rant” table, the middle Belcher child manages to keep Gene-ing.
1. Little Bob
“Broadcast Wagstaff School News” (Season 3 Episode 12)
The mystery of the Mad Pooper and the rivalry between Tina News and the Wagstaff School News is slightly overshadowed by Gene sporting a fake mustache and a bald spot, making him a tiny Bob doppelgänger. Created by a query of what he would look like when he was older, “Travel Size Bob” comes equipped with catchphrases and a glaring disappointment in his family. Props go to Louise and her makeover skills for giving her brother the ultimate glow-down. “I don’t know how I got the arm hair to look so sad, but I did it!”
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