Rudy prepares for an awkward night out with his divorced parents and their new partners. Meanwhile, the Belchers make an important casserole.
Tropes:
- Adults Are Useless: Bob and Linda firmly avert this when Rudy reveals he ran away from his family dinner and ensure his parents know he's with them. Linda especially shows more savviness than usual, as she immediately suggests calling Rudy's parents to double check that they know where he is after he starts acting weird.
- Bizarre Taste in Food: Gene's "loaded baked potato lasagna" is something he specifically came up with. Bob was extremely reluctant to serve it because of how many ingredients Gene shoved into it. It has a cornbread crust, all the ingredients of a baked potato, and also included ground beef, bacon and a cinnamon raisin bagel.
- Can't Take Criticism: Gene doesn't appreciate his family's lack of appreciation for his lasagna and insists they keep eating it, despite most of them questioning if it's even food.
- Continuity Nod:
- Though only visible for a very brief time, the nest on top of the Bob's Burgers sign still contains Bob's missing engagement ring.
- Rudy visits the magic store from "Presto-Tina-o".
- Rudy is shown sleeping with his plush flounder Pancake, last seen in "Ancient Misbehavin'"
- Cordon Bleugh Chef: The important casserole mentioned in the synopsis is a lasagna that has the ingredients of a loaded baked potato, which is Gene's reward for getting his science grade up from an F to a B-. Bob warns Gene that he's not sure lasagna is supposed to contain any of the things he listed (with Tina revealing even more ingredients once it's done cooking), none of the Belchers can say anything positive once they actually eat it, and Tina openly bemoans having to go back and eat it once the situation with Rudy is resolved.
- Damned by Faint Praise: It's clear no one in the family was eager to eat Gene's "loaded baked potato lasagna," and once they give it a try they aren't eager to keep eating it. Rudy's the only one who gave it a marginally okay response. Even Louise, who expected it was going to be gross, found it underwhelming in that context and regarded it as more of an appetizer.
- A Day in the Limelight: This episode is centered on Regular-Sized Rudy. In a first for the series, the Belchers remain secondary characters even once they become involved in the A-plot.
- Despair Event Horizon: Rudy spent the episode on edge about the dinner with his parents and their dates, but it's him messing up his magic trick that sends him over the line and out of the restaurant with tears in his eyes.
- Easily Forgiven: Rudy's parents and their dates don't get angry at him for flubbing the trick or for running away. While his dad's date is upset about her suede pants getting stained, she never yells at Rudy for it.
- Freudian Slip: Louise first notices Rudy's odd behavior when he mentions Gene's lasagna is "better than what he ordered," and she asks what that means.
- Good-Times Montage: We're treated to Rudy's memories of past dinners with his parents where he'd perform magic tricks for them. By the third trick it's implied his parents had already separated, showing his performances were as much about bringing them together as a family as it was about helping him feel comfortable.
- The Kindness of Strangers: A woman on the street sees Rudy crying and asks if he's okay.
- Object-Tracking Shot: The opening follows one of the birds nesting on top of the Bob's Burgers sign until it passes Rudy's house, where the main plot starts.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Bob and Linda's reaction when Rudy confesses he ran away from his parents.
- When Rudy mentions he spilled something on Vicky's suede pants, Gene audibly gasps off-screen and Linda reacts slightly alarmed.
- Parent with New Paramour: Both of Rudy's parents have new significant others. While they remain cordial enough to not be the reason dinner is ruined, it's clear Rudy is much less invested in the dinner now that the two of them are no longer together, since it feels less like a family gathering and more like an adult hangout with him in the middle.
- Plot-Based Voice Cancellation: Rudy's dad tries to tell him that he and his ex still love him, but he's drowned out by the noise of the car wash.
- Psychological Projection: It's implied Rudy gravitates towards the Belchers in this episode because he sees how close they are as a family, something he wishes his family still was.
- Rule of Symbolism: The two birds on top of the restaurant sign were last seen with one bringing the other Bob's ring. In this episode, they are together with the ring front and center, before one flies away. It ends up going to Rudy's dad's house, and the episode proceeds to feature Rudy's lingering discomfort around his parents' divorce.
- Running Away to Cry: Rudy does this after causing a massive spill with a failed magic trick. Though his folks initially believe he's going off to the bathroom, he instead runs out of the restaurant and several blocks away, eventually winding up at Bob's Burgers.
- Ship Tease: Rudy and Louise get quite a bit at the end. After seeing how badly he's been affected over the events of the night and his parents' divorce in general, she decides to accompany him back to them. Between Linda and Bob's So Proud of You moment and watching their daughter out the window, the walk and conversation between Rudy and Louise and the credits scene when they arrive at the restaurant, the whole thing is presented more like a date than anything else, complete with a Stevie Wonder's "Why Don't You Lead Me to Love?" playing.
- Shout-Out:
- The Store Next Door is "I Want You to Want Tea".
- The Exterminator Van is "Do the Mite Thing".
- When Rudy tells the Belchers he's at the mall looking for hats, Tina asks, "In all the wrong places?"
- Gene tells Rudy if he's going to the opera, Rudy should watch out for phantoms.
- While it's barely audible, when the hostess comes to seat Rudy's family, she says "party of five", with Rudy's dad mentioning the '90s show of the same name.
- Rudy's Magical Incantation during his trick is, "Mandy Patinkin, Mandy Patinkin."
- So Proud of You: Though they don't say it to Louise directly, Bob and Linda express this as they watch Louise accompany Rudy to help him make it through dinner with his family.Linda: Sweet girl we got there.Bob: She is sometimes isn't she?
- Visit by Divorced Dad: Inverted. Rudy primarily lives with his dad, but they have a monthly dinner with his mother, which Sylvester calls a "We're Still A Family Dinner".
- Unseen No More: After being The Ghost for the entire series up until now, Rudy's mother makes her onscreen debut.
- Wham Line: Rudy's response to Gene's lasagna is what gives away the fact that he's supposed to be with his parents.Rudy: It's definitely better than what I ordered.Louise: What you "ordered?"
