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Recap / Bob's Burgers S1E6 "Sheesh! Cab Bob?"

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"Guess who learned a lot about transvestites last night?"

"That sounds... expensive. And I could do without the kissing Pesto's kid part."
—Bob, about Tina's party plan

In order to have the money to make Tina's birthday party happen, Bob takes a night job working as a cab driver, where he befriends a trio of eccentric prostitutes. Meanwhile, Louise tries to train Tina to kiss Jimmy Jr., the son of Bob's eternal rival Jimmy Pesto, during her party.


Tropes:

  • Act of True Love: After refusing to do so for most of the episode, Bob ultimately goes through with shaving his mustache so Jimmy will let Jimmy Jr. go to Tina's party, proving once and for all that he's willing to sacrifice his dignity and grant his rival a victory if it means Tina will be happy.
  • All for Nothing: Bob shaving his mustache is rendered moot when Tina decides that she doesn't need Jimmy Jr. to make her party worth it.
  • Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Oh, Linda...
    Linda: Tinaaaa, dance with mommyyyyy!!!
  • Ambiguously Bi: Gene seems very enthusiastic about the idea of kissing Jimmy Jr. (almost as much as Tina, even).
  • Ambiguous Situation: Bob himself doesn't seem sure as to whether or not he took crack with the prostitutes. But if he did, he liked it.
  • Asshole Victim: If Jimmy Pesto weren't a complete asshole, Bob blackmailing him over his fetish would come across as rather mean-spirited. But because he is a complete asshole, it instead comes across as totally deserved.
  • The Big Damn Kiss: Tina and Jimmy Jr. share a kiss at the end of the episode.
  • Birthday Episode: Tina turns 13, the age she'll remain for the rest of the series, in this episode.
  • Blackmail: Bob does this to Jimmy Pesto, saying he will reveal Jimmy's Dark Secret if he doesn't let Jimmy Jr. go to Tina's party.
  • Broken Aesop: Discussed (and played for laughs considering how Bob plays it up); Bob claims that if he gives Jimmy Pesto his mustache, it will teach the kids that it's okay to negotiate with terrorists.
  • Brutal Honesty: Bob himself is well aware that he looks better with the 'stache.
  • Can't Hold His Liquor: While drunk (and possibly high on crack), Bob invites Glitter, Cha-Cha, and Marbles to his 13 year old daughter's birthday party.
  • Character Development: Bob undergoes one that's impressively done quietly. He's initially shown to be mildly uncomfortable regarding the prostitutes, although he quickly pushes that aside to do his job. By the time of Tina's party, he's learned to accept them for who they are, becoming good friends with them and not giving them a second thought.
  • Characterization Marches On: Jimmy Jr. is depicted as a Nice Guy who genuinely seems to love Tina, in contrast to his later appearances where he constantly flip-flops on his feelings and can be downright cruel to her at times.
  • Coming of Age: In-universe, Tina considers her birthday party this, believing that she is now a woman. Considering it's her 13th birthday, she at least has a reason for it.
  • Dark Secret: Bob's new friends warn him that Jimmy Pesto is a member of the "Desire Dungeon" and has a diaper fetish, using the alias of "Baby Num Num". Bob gets Jimmy Jr. to attend Tina's party by threatening to expose the secret in front of Jimmy Sr.'s patrons.
  • Early Installment Character-Design Difference: Mr. Fischoeder debuts here, but his eyepatch is black instead of white.
  • Earn Your Happy Ending: Bob is worked to the bone and he ends up shaving his mustache, but he manages to give Tina the birthday party of her dreams, including her coveted First Kiss with Jimmy Jr.
  • Establishing Character Moment: The first scene of the episode has Jimmy Pesto mocking Bob's mustache, cementing his status as a Jerkass and Bob's Sitcom Arch-Nemesis.
  • Fetishes Are Weird: Jimmy Pesto is revealed to have a diaper fetish and is a member of the Desire Dungeon under the alias "Baby Num-Num". Considering what an asshole Jimmy is to Bob and his family? Bob using it as blackmail to get Jimmy Jr. to Tina's party is deserved.
  • First Kiss: Tina plans to have hers with Jimmy Jr., and she gets her wish at the end of the episode.
  • Good Parents: Discussed by Bob's new friends regarding everything he did to make his daughter's birthday party happen. It's what convinces Tina that she doesn't need Jimmy Jr. for her party.
  • Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Glitter, Marbles, and Cha-Cha develop a genuine bond with Bob, and they even end up successfully comforting Tina at her birthday party. Just don't mention Glitter's hairy upper lip.
  • Jerkass: Glitter mentions that every doctor in town refuses to perform gender affirming surgery on her.
  • Jerkass Realization: Tina realizes she's been a bit demanding when the prostitutes point out how much Bob has already sacrificed for her party.
  • Karmic Jackpot: While not overtly stated, Bob treating the prostitutes as people brings his restaurant another regular in Marshmallow, giving his struggling business a minor boost for the rest of the series.
    • Within the episode, that same treatment leads to the prostitutes giving Bob blackmail on Jimmy Pesto, allowing him to secure Jimmy Jr. for Tina's party without giving Jimmy Pesto his (unfortunately already-shaved) mustache.
  • Lame Comeback: Bob tends to come up with these against Jimmy Pesto. He eventually comes up with a decent zinger when Jimmy asks for Bob's shaved mustache.
    Bob: If you want a bag of hair so bad, why don't you just pick it out of the food you serve here?
  • The Mentor: Louise, who becomes Tina's "kissing coordinator" for the episode.
    Louise: I want [Jimmy Jr.'s] kids to have hickeys!
  • Mexican Standoff: Linda compares the situation of the party to one (although she calls it a Mexican stalemate), since the girls won't ask the boys and the boys don't want to dance.
  • Most Wonderful Sound: In-universe, Tina absolutely adores hearing the term "bumper-to-bumper", to the point where she regularly listens to traffic updates even though she's not old enough to drive.
  • Mundane Made Awesome: Bob isn't fully on board with the cab plan until Mr. Fischoeder gives him a flat cap to wear, which he is very enthusiastic about despite it being an ordinary cap in a simple gray color.
    Gene: Wait, why do you have to wear a hat?
    Bob: Just let this be fun for me.
  • Nice Guy: In contrast to his later portrayals as well-meaning but aloof or even downright rude, Jimmy Jr. is a friendly guy throughout the entire episode.
  • Noodle Incident:
    • Gene mentions learning about transvestites on a site he accessed for 2 minutes, but refuses to give more information.
    • Exactly why and how Tina knows what herpes feel like on her tongue goes completely unexplained.
  • Odd Friendship: Bob becomes good friends with the prostitutes. He in fact becomes such good friends with Marshmallow that she becomes a regular at his restaurant.
  • Pimp Duds: Invoked. When Bob mentions that he may have unwillingly become a pimp, Louise mentions that he's going to need a bigger hat.
  • Pun-Based Title: This episode has perhaps one of the worst/best title puns ever.
  • Remember the New Guy?: Bob is already familiar with Marshmallow despite it not being clear how they met.
  • Secret Diary: Subverted. Tina has a diary, but it's anything but secret considering Bob is the only family member who doesn't read it. Gene and Louise find it very well-written while Linda just skims it to make sure Tina's not using drugs.
  • Ship Tease: Between Jimmy Jr. and Tina.
  • Shout-Out:
  • Slasher Smile: Bob has an evil grin that gets bigger as the prostitutes open up more about Jimmy Pesto's fetish.
  • Snap Back: Bob's mustache is back in full by the next episode, as if he'd never shaved it.
  • Spoiled Brat: Tina acts as one for most of the episode. Her demands are understandable (wanting a nice birthday party) at first, but when she finds out Jimmy Jr. isn't allowed to go to her party she becomes incredibly whiny and self-centered by refusing to go to the party and then demanding Bob shave off his mustache and humiliate himself after he's already done a lot to make her party happen. Bob's nighttime friends finally make Tina realize she's acting this way by getting her to understand everything Bob went through for her, and she apologizes.
  • Strange Minds Think Alike: Both Linda and Tina seem to think Bob can regrow his mustache at will.
  • Sweet and Sour Grapes: Bob gets Jimmy Jr. to come to Tina's party shortly after Tina finally decides she doesn't need Jimmy Jr. to make her party perfect.
  • We Need a Distraction: Louise convinces Tina to tie up her shirt and show her belly to attract Jimmy Jr.
  • Wham Shot: The camera panning up to Bob without his mustache.

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