Throughout all of its five seasons, Bob’s Burgers has remained thoroughly enjoyable. Whether it’s dealing with family drama, adventure, or just pure comedic gold, the show is perhaps the best adult animated comedy on TV right now.
I reviewed most of the show’s fifth season here, although I missed the season premiere and I wasn’t able to get to the final three episodes. Luckily, I’ve gone through the entire show again and ranked every one of them. Here’s all 88 episodes of Bob’s Burgers, ranked.
88. “Sexy Dance Fighting”
(Season 1, Episode 4)
One of the main things that keeps fans coming back to Bob’s Burgers, even during its rough patches, is that it seldom has a bad episode. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty that don’t achieve what the show is capable of, but even with the weaker episodes, there’s typically some great throwaway lines or small moments that remind you just how wonderful the show is.
Coming at the beginning of season one, when the show was still finding its feet, “Sexy Dance Fighting” proved to be an exceptionally awful episode. Throughout my re-watching, I only found two episodes that I really consider bad, and “Sexy Dance Fighting” is by far the worst. Lacking both the charm and the wit that were present even in the three that preceded it, this one is only notable for featuring the first Tina A-plot and a decent guest appearance from Jon Glaser.
Best moment: When Tina channels her inner Goth.
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87. “I Get Psy-chic Out of You”
(Season 4, Episode 16)
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It’s disappointing that possibly the best title in Bob’s Burgers history belongs to one of its worst episodes. The idea of Linda believing she’s psychic should have worked, but the plot’s been done before in too many shows to name and “I Get Psy-chic Out of You” doesn’t contain enough good content to override the unoriginality.
Best moment: When Bob pays Marshmallow a complement.
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86. “The Frond Files”
(Season 4, Episode 12)
Since three imaginative kids, all with different personality types, are at the center of Bob’s Burgers, you’d think it would be ripe for “Treehouse of Horror”-style anthology episodes. “The Frond Files” just didn’t work for me, though, with Louise and Tina’s segments—which parody The Terminator and Night of the Living Dead, respectively—mostly falling flat. Gene’s part, inspired by Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, really works though, and somewhat manages to save the episode.
Best moment: When Gene writes a classic.
85. “Human Flesh”
(Season 1, Episode 1)
When I went to see Bob’s Burgers Live in Detroit, creator Loren Bouchard said during the Q&A that when he first pitched the show to FOX, he presented it as a show about a family that runs a restaurant, and they’re all cannibals. His biggest challenge in creating the show was moving away from the edgier humor of Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil and back into the sweeter, more sentimental style of Home Movies.
Series premiere “Human Flesh” shows that transition still in motion. The episode is more mean-spirited than the show would eventually become, with jokes about pedophilia, autism, and weight in full bloom, not to mention the cannibalism plot—remains from the original pitch, perhaps? Bob forgetting his and Linda’s anniversary is also quite cliché compared to storylines featured in later seasons.
And yet it’s still a fairly enjoyable episode, as we see the characters already developing into the icons they would eventually become and the actors having a lot of fun with their roles. It’s far from a perfect pilot, and it’s certainly one of the weakest episodes. But it’s definitely laying the groundwork for what would become one of the funniest and most likable animated shows of all time.
Best moment: When Gene calls his parents out on their shit.
84. “Adventures in Chinchilla-Sitting”
(Season 5, Episode 15)
In the first half of season five, Bob’s Burgers didn’t seem content with just being fun, with almost every episode attempting to have an emotional moment with the Belchers. So, you’d think that “Adventures in Chinchilla-Sitting,” which mostly focuses on the kids looking for a lost school pet, would be a breath of fresh air. Instead, it’s the season’s worst, with almost every funny moment being a non sequitur. It also devotes a lot of time to a B-plot that follows Bob and Linda on a date night, something it feels like they’ve done multiple times before.
Best moment: When Gene has Tammy covered.
83. “Family Fracas”
(Season 3, Episode 19)
The Belchers become contestants on a Nickelodeon-type game show and prove to be great at it, much to the ire of host Chuck (voiced by Thomas Lennon), rival to the family who first appeared in season two’s “Beefsquatch.” The stuff involving the game show is a lot of fun, but it eventually collapses with a courtroom plot that brings back Bob’s rivalry with Jimmy Pesto.
Best moment: When Tina gets her claws out.
82. “Gene It On”
(Season 4, Episode 20)
Gene becomes a cheerleader in an episode that’s not nearly as interesting as that description makes it sound. They also bring back Mr. Ambrose (voiced by Billy Eichner), the school librarian who first appeared in “Topsy” and barely had enough to do in that one episode. The B-plot, where Louise becomes Tina’s translator after she bites her tongue, is more interesting than the main story.
Best moment: When Tina nails it.
81. “Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise”
(Season 5, Episode 10)
As I said, season five utilized heart-to-heart moments with the characters far too often and, as much as I love how Bob’s Burgers handles emotion, these moments eventually lose their impact when repeated too often. So, in “Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise,” when Bob realizes he’s been putting his garden before his family and apologizes to Louise, it should be a poignant, touching moment. Coming after similar moments in “Friends with Burger-fits,” “Best Burger,” “Father of the Bob,” and others, though, it feels a little phoned-in. Despite that, it does feature “Happy/Crappy Place,” the show’s best original song since “Electric Love.”
Best moment: When Bob tries to come up with a cute nickname.
80. “Mutiny on the Windbreaker”
(Season 3, Episode 4)
A deranged sea captain (voiced by Jeffrey Tambor) shanghais the Belchers. One thing I’d forgotten before my re-watch: how disgusting this episode is, with lots of spoiled meat, vomit, and puppet fetishes. Not a favorite, despite an enthusiastic performance from Tambor.
Best moment: When the Belchers fantasize.
79. “Ambergris”
(Season 4, Episode 18)
The main plot, where the kids plan to illegally sell a lump of ambergris they find on the beach, is fine, mainly because it gives the writers an excuse to bring back Mickey (voiced by Bill Hader). The B-plot, meanwhile, introduces Felix Fischoeder (voiced by Zach Galifianakis), brother to the Belchers’ wealthy landlord Calvin Fischoeder (voiced by Kevin Kline). Felix will never be a favorite character of mine, but this plot works fine, too. Overall, “Ambergris” might be the Bob’s Burgers episode most accurately described as adequate.
Best moment: When Gene wonders.
78. “A River Runs Through Bob”
(Season 4, Episode 1)
Every show needs a camping episode. While “A River Runs Through Bob” is decent, by season four, we’d seen them pull off adventurous plotlines in “The Belchies” and “The Deepening,” among others. In comparison, this one isn’t quite as successful, although it was nice to see them already taking risks at the very beginning of the season.
Best moment: When Gene is completely on board.
77. “It Snakes a Village”
(Season 3, Episode 18)
Bob’s Burgers is refreshing compared to shows like Family Guy because it has a lot of truth to it. When the writers take on a subject that many will find unusual, they don’t just frame it as being unusual. They acknowledge things as being true to life, regardless of whether they’re a part of life viewers will relate to or even care about.
The primary success of “It Snakes a Village” is that it deals with elderly sexuality—particularly that of Linda’s parents—without simply using it as a tool for jokes intended to gross the audience out. This culminates in a genuinely sweet moment that displays their humanity, something a crueler show would likely ignore. I wish the episode was funnier so I could put it higher on my list, because I admire it more than many of the lower ranked episodes.
Best moment: When Gene is brutally honest.
76. “Sacred Cow”
(Season 1, Episode 3)
“Sacred Cow” isn’t particularly quotable and, for an early episode, it doesn’t really do anything new. It’s quite similar to “Human Flesh,” with Randy the documentarian (voiced by Paul F. Tompkins) filling in for Hugo, an adversary who threatens to ruin Bob’s business. But nevertheless, it does feature one big advancement: Linda’s first “Alriiiiiight!”
Best moment: When Gene has great taste.
75. “Tina Tailor Soldier Spy”
(Season 5, Episode 7)
Like “Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise,” “Tina Tailor Soldier Spy” is undercut by the fact that it follows other emotional episodes that cluttered the beginning of season five. Still, this one works better than “Late Afternoon,” because it deals with Tina and Louise, whose relationship hasn’t been explored in-depth nearly as much as that of Bob and Louise.
Best moment: When Tina makes Louise a present.
74. “Lobsterfest”
(Season 1, Episode 12)
“Lobsterfest” comes after a run of episodes that show Bob’s Burgers finding its voice and, in comparison, it feels like a step backwards, featuring a lot of slapstick and sight gags, which has never been the show’s forte. It still has some memorable moments, though, such as the scenes dealing with Bob and Gene’s shellfish allergies, which always make me laugh.
Best moment: When Linda gets Tina’s attention.
73. “The Kids Rob a Train”
(Season 4, Episode 15)
Forced to go on a wine train with their parents, the Belchers plan a train heist with Regular Sized Rudy (voiced by Brian Huskey), targeting the chocolate in the kitchen car. The premise alone makes this one work, which is good, because it doesn’t have much else going for it.
Best moment: When Gene has great taste… in fashion.
72. “Friends with Burger-fits”
(Season 5, Episode 3)
This one focuses on the relationship of Bob and Teddy, which, four seasons in, hadn’t really been explored much, despite them sharing a scene in nearly every episode. While it manages to comment on Teddy’s health without it turning into fat-shaming, the health stuff is still a little off-putting, and the episode’s strongest moments deal with Bob’s reluctance to acknowledge Teddy as his best friend. The B-plot, where the kids and Linda turn the restaurant’s freezer into a thunderdome-like arena, is pretty funny.
Best moment: When Louise is adorable.
71. “Bed and Breakfast”
(Season 1, Episode 7)
I’m torn with this one. It has one of season one’s most original plots and it is entertaining throughout, but Louise spending the majority of the episode essentially torturing Teddy (who likely has mental health issues) makes it somewhat difficult to enjoy.
Best moment: When Tina sleep-thrashes.
70. “Food Truckin’”
(Season 2, Episode 5)
Before ranking the episodes, I was certain that season three was the pinnacle of Bob’s Burgers. Now, I think season two is slightly better. Only nine episodes long, it manages to avoid the kind of duds that generally appear in 20+ episode seasons. “Food Truckin’” is the season’s weakest episode, in fact, and it’s not bad at all.
When food trucks take over the block, Bob decides to get his own truck and go on the road. There’s plenty to like about this one, including Linda’s road rage, Megan Mullally’s guest appearance as Tori Amos-esque musician Tabitha Johansson, and the (apparently very accurate) portrayal of food trucks. It only really suffers when you compare it to the great first four episodes of the season.
Best moment: When Tina gets an idea.
69. “Crawl Space”
(Season 1, Episode 2)
After the pilot, “Crawl Space” is a step closer to the Bob’s Burgers we know and love, with the introduction of primary kids’ antagonist Mr. Frond, the first appearance from Teddy, and an early Bob-goes-insane plot (perfected in season two’s “Burgerboss”). The mother-in-law plot is irksome, but less grating than the forgetting-the-anniversary plot from “Human Flesh,” maybe because the episode is funny enough to distract from it.
Still, this “Crawl Space” is only the second-best TV episode to air in 2011 with that title, the other being Breaking Bad’s. That’s impossible competition, though.
Best moment: When Bob blows Tina’s mind.
68. “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl”
(Season 5, Episode 1)
I didn’t dislike the very original fifth season premiere nearly as much upon re-watch, although it still doesn’t feel like it lives up to its own ambition. When Courtney’s Working Girl musical is chosen over Gene’s Die Hard musical for the school play, the kids put on an underground production on the same night. With all the flaws in “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl,” it’s worth watching for the terrific final performance.
Best moment: When Louise makes a good point.
67. “Lindapendent Woman”
(Season 3, Episode 14)
Linda gets a job at a supermarket, which turns out to be more than she (and the now shorthanded Bob) can handle. It’s nice to see Linda get out of the restaurant, but the B-plot, in which Tina tries to find Josh (voiced by Ben Schwartz), a boy she meets while in the supermarket’s milk fridge, is the highlight.
Best moment: When Teddy follows Bob’s orders.
Stay tuned for part two.
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