LongtimeBob’s Burgersfans know that every episode ofBob’s Burgersis a good episode. Even the most mid-tier ones have moments that make them shine — like Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) and Linda’s (John Roberts) paper airplane contest, or Teddy’s (Larry Murphy) giant head delivery — and thus make them infinitely re-watchable.
Some episodes, however, are so great that they’re straight-up bangers from start to finish. Whether it’s a musical, a spoof of something from pop culture, or just the Belchers getting up to some nonsense, these episodes are the best of the best. And yeah, they’re infinitely re-watchable, too.
Bob’s Burgers
10"The Belchies"
Season 2, Episode 1
Season 2 opens with one ofBob’s Burgersstrongest — and most show-defining — episodes withThe Gooniesspoof, “The Belchies.” When an abandoned taffy factory is slated for destruction, Louise (Kristen Schaal) decides she, Tina (Dan Mintz), and Gene (Eugene Mirman) need to investigate the long-rumored mystery of the factory owner’s secret stash of gold. Of course, Tina and her big mouth invite along the Pesto kids (H. Jon Benjamin,Sarah Silverman, andLaura Silverman) (and Zeke [Bobby Tisdale]), who is an honorary Pesto at this point) and Louise goes slightly off the rails, leaving Bob (also H. Jon Benjamin) and Linda to execute an 11th hour rescue before the kids are buried alive in the taffy factory for good.Dun dun dun.
“The Belchies” is a marked shift in tone from that of Season 1. It’s a deeply silly adventure (the map the kids follow is literally shaped like a butt), there are actual stakes, the kids are each allowed to shine, and Bob and Linda hilariously try (and fail) tobalance married life with parentinga trio of chaotic goofballs. What’s more,instead of trying to go for the edgy,Family Guy-esque humor of Season 1, “The Belchies” goes for earnestness and finds the jokeswiththe characters — not at their expense.(Except Bob and his special pill. Sorry, buddy.) The shift from borderline mean-spirited humor to surrealist family chaos is a brilliant one, and continues to setBob’s Burgersapart to this day.
9"The Kids Rob a Train"
Season 4, Episode 15
What’s a married couple to do when they want to have a day to themselves, but have a bunch of kids they can’t leave behind? Take the kids on a wine train, naturally. In “The Kids Rob a Train,” Bob and Linda enjoy a medium-speed wine-tasting while the kids execute a high-speed chocolate heist. They’re aided by Rudy (Brian Huskey), whose painfully single dad takes his dates on the train enough that Rudy has the schedule completely memorized. That comes in handy when Louise decides they must steal all the chocolate from the kitchen car. Why? Fun. And free chocolate.
It’s always fun to see theBelcher kids concoct an absolutely bonkers planand actually manage to see it through. In “The Kids Rob a Train,” Louise’s insistence that they pull a full-on heist off makes for some classicBob’s Burgersshenanigans, butit’s really Gene and his train outfit that stands out in the episode. The boy knows how to dress for the occasion.
8"The Equestranauts"
Season 4, Episode 17
Bronies, fan fiction, and tramp stamps take center stage in “The Equestranauts.” Tina finds herself the victim of a manipulativeEquestranautsfan when a fellow convention-goer tricks her into trading away her rare Chariot horse doll. With no one but Bob able to blend in among the grown men attending theMy Little Pony-esque convention, Tina embarks on giving her dad a crash-course inEquestranautslore in the hopes of him being able to get the doll back while under deep cover.
“The Equestranauts” can and does make fun of Bronies, but with far more good humor and gentleness than any other show might.For every clique-y Bronconius (Paul F. Tompkins), there’s a kind, enthusiastic Horse Play (Ron Funches) to exemplify how harmless the majority of fans can be.Some people just really enjoy the shows they watch, and that’s okay! Most memorably, “The Equestranauts” sees Bob get his famous lower-back tattoo — a running joke thatBob’s Burgersstill gets mileage out of seasons later.
7"Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl"
Season 5, Episode 1
Did you knowWorking Girlis the sassy sister film toDie Hard? Well, according to Gene it is. He and Courtney (David Wain) put on rival musical adaptations of their favorite films at Wagstaff — one sanctioned, and one very much not. However, when an irate Mr. Frond threatens to shut both productions down, the kids must team up to make a musical remix that impressesCarly Simonherself — no, really: the singer actually sings “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl” over the show’s closing credits.
Between Gene’s tyrannical approach to his musical, Louise’s money-hungry mania, and Tina’s sincere attempt to be a stage actress (alongside Jimmy Junior), “Work Hard Or Die Trying, Girl,” is a quintessentialBob’s Burgersepisode. It especially shines with Gene at the heart of it;any episode that explores the snobbier, slightly attention-mad side to Gene always stands out as an all-timer.
6"Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise”
Season 5, Episode 10
Bob and Louise come to blows when Bob takes on a new employee, Logan (Kurt Braunohler), in a desperate bid to secure himself a plot in the community garden. Louise and Linda both tough out having Logan and his insufferable mother there — right up until they both snap, and Bob must choose between the garden and the well-being of his daughter.
“Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise” is a shockingly heartfelt episode that placesBob and Louise’s relationshipat the core of the conflict.Both Bob and Louise have valid reasons for doing what they do, but the actions they take to secure their respective victories have consequences neither can handle.It’s a great episode that demonstrates how hard it is to be a parent with outside interests that don’t always align with your kids’ — and how important it is to anchor a window planter before stuffing it with plants.
5"The Oeder Games"
Season 5, Episode 21
Season 5 ofBob’s Burgersdelivers banger after banger. The show closes out its fifth season with “The Oeder Games,” aHunger Games-style competition that pits each of Mr. Fischoeder’s (Kevin Kline) tenants (so, basically the whole town) against one another to see who will have their rent raised, and who will keep paying the same. If only Bob hadn’t suggested that rent strike…
“The Oeder Games” is Mr. Fischoeder at his most power and money-hungry.His attempts to screw both his tenants and Bob over are cruel, but hysterical, and allow the characters to indulge in some of their most unhinged instincts.Tina holds Jimmy Junior and Zeke hostage, Gene and Louise try out Linda’s bra-canon, and Bob loses his mind trying to stop Mr. Fischoeder from destroying their business with an astronomical rent hike. The real icing on the cake is Mr. Fischoeder’s reason: he really, really wants to install a pool. Landlords, man.
4"Mom, Lies, and Videotape"
Season 7, Episode 20
Some ofBob’s Burgers’best (and most creative) episodes involve some kind of riff on pop culture. In “Mom, Lies, and Videotape,” Bob absolutely biffs recording the kids’ Mother’s Day plays at school, leaving them with no choice but to verbally recount their performances…with some very colorful embellishments. Gene imagines himself a god who needs a mom, Louise conjures up an Old West-style shootout, and Tina straight-up crosses overFreaky FridaywithAlien. Because she’s a visionary.
The kids’ imaginations take center stage in “Mom, Lies, and Videotape.”Each of their mom-centric stories expresses just how much they love Linda in their own weird way— Louise believes Linda is her protector who has taught her to fight her own battles when it matters most, Gene sees her as a best friend that always encourages his creativity and gives him infinite cuddles, and Tina sees her as a stressed-out (but excellent mom) that she can easily empathize with. “Mom, Lies, and Videotape”is a great look atLinda’s relationships with the kids.
3"The Taking of Funtime One, Two, Three"
Season 9, Episode 2
There’s regular Belcher shenanigans, and then there’s the borderline criminal Belcher-Fischoeder shenanigans. And those just hit differently, you know? Louise, Gene, and Tina set out to win the prized Dunebuggy from Family Funtime Arcade — a pursuit by a suspiciously motivated Mr. Fischoeder teaches them to cheat. He trains the kids and a team of their friends to cheat well enough to win the Dunebuggy, a prize he believes is too valuable and is stealing attention from Wonder Wharf. What follows is a heist full of twists and turns that leaves the Belcher house quite literally bursting with a gigantic, stuffed wooly mammoth.
A core tenant ofBob’s Burgersis that the Belchers never getting too big a win.Their struggle and the lengths they’ll go to succeed is what makes the show special, so, of course, the kids can’t win the Dunebuggy. But theycanget a small, very inconvenient win: the mammoth, which returns in a later season after the kids realize Bob and Linda donated it without them noticing. Let’s be real, though — the biggest prize of the episode is Louise absolutely wrecking Fischoeder’s plans. The man got out-maneuvered by a nine-year-old…that’s rough.
2"Worms of In Rear-Ment"
Season 11, Episode 2
Squeamish viewers may find “Worms of In Rear-Ment” a tough watch — but those who love a good fart/butt joke surely place this episode near the top of their lists. In a slightly icky “Worms of In Rear-Ment,” the Belcher’s grand plans of attending the opera are thwarted when Gene reveals he’s come down with a bad case of pinworms. Ew.
Is the episode a little bit gross? Yes. Is it also absolutely hysterical to watch Louise and Linda crash out while Gene and Tina fall victim to the pinworms? Also yes.By the time Gene starts tractor-pulling on the carpet, viewers will be in absolute tears— and that’s just in the first ten minutes. It’s hard to watchLinda’s hopes and dreamsof bettering their kids’ lives go down the drain, but damn is it entertaining to watch her sing her heart out while scratching her behind.
1"Hope N’ Mic Night"
Season 15, Episode 6
More recent seasons ofBob’s Burgershave seen the show shiftto more heartfelt, borderline serious episodes. The comedy is there, of course, but the stories the Belchers find themselves in can oftentimes be as heartbreaking — Bob’s mom, anyone? — as they are funny. In “Hope ‘n Mic Night,” the kids insist on hosting (you guessed it) an open mic night at the restaurant after their school talent show is canceled.
It’s a fun premise, but the real tears come when Marshmallow hits the makeshift stage.The fan-favorite character finally finds her voicein actressJari Jonesafter years of being voiced by actorDavid Herman. Her performance feels like a coming out in many ways, and is made all the sweeter by the supportive presence of her parents.Bob’s Burgersadores the LGBTQ+ community, and it adoresBob’s Burgersright back.
Keep Reading:10 Episodes of ‘Bob’s Burgers’ That Prove Bob Belcher Is the Best TV Dad
