Line #39 Recap/BobsBurgersS11E6


1	[[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bb_s11e06.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:1000:''"Everything went haywire."'']]
3
4	->'''Bob:''' So sounds like Gene started the fire with your mom's old crimping iron, Louise gave the fire fuel with all the sparklers, and Tina you, literally, fanned the flames.
5	->'''Linda:''' Ah, working together, wait, that's not good.
6
7	In this, the show's 200th episode, the family must figure out how to keep the restaurant open after Bob's flattop breaks on the morning of the Ocean Avenue Business Association's Ocean Fest on Ocean Avenue.
8	----
9	!!Bob Belcher & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Tropes:
10	* AccidentalNightmareFuel: In-universe; Linda's mermaid statue was butt ugly and everyone but Linda could see it. When she tries to salvage it after it gets burned, her "improvements" only make it more terrifying. Even [[NightmareFetishist Louise]] hates it.
11	* AndThatWouldBeWrong: Linda scolds the kids for trying to break into Pam's restaurant and steal the thermocouple, "even if it is fun", and mumbles about how fun it would be. Her tone implies she's actually done it before.
12	* TheAtoner: Everything the kids do post-fire is to try and make up for supposedly causing the damage to the restaurant. They'll even consider breaking and entering if it helps their father, and Louise says she'd do a lot more (namely murder).
13	* BaitAndSwitch: During her verse of "It's All My Fault", Louise lists off a ton of explosives she was going to add to the mermaid statue, and we see a flashback of her finding a box under her bed that clearly has ''something'' inside. She then sheepishly admits she didn't have any of the examples she just gave, so she had to make do with sparklers.
14	* BigOMG: Bob lets out three in quick succession after seeing the fire and what it did to the restaurant.
15	* BrickJoke: Near the climax of the episode, Teddy asks Bob for a plunger. He can briefly be seen in the end credits with a plunger in-hand.
16	* BrutalHonesty: When the kids sing about how they likely caused the fire, Gene and Louise try to skirt around Linda's mermaid statue being hideous, instead implying it by saying they didn't think it was likely to win the statue contest. When Tina gets to ''her'' verse, however, she ''immediately'' calls the mermaid statue ugly.
17	* CannotSpitItOut: When Ron makes Hugo apologize to Bob for setting the restaurant on fire, Hugo mumbles "I'm sorry" and Ron has to prompt him to say it louder.
18	* ChekhovsGun:
19	** The greasy rags Hugo throws at Bob during his inspection are what ''actually'' started the fire.
20	** When the kids consider breaking into Pam’s not-yet-set-up restaurant to get the thermocouple, Tina writes an apology note on one of the Bob’s Burgers flyers explaining why they did it, as well as a promise to pay Pam back for the window and give the thermocouple back after their dad gets another one. When the kids decide not to go through with it and return home, Tina accidentally leaves the apology note behind and Pam ends up finding it. She’s so touched by the kids’ dedication to their father and the family restaurant (as well as appreciative that they didn’t do the breaking and entering) that she lends her thermocouple to Bob.
21	* ChekhovsGunman: Let's just say Hugo wasn't in the episode for a MandatoryLine.
22	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Linda is momentarily charmed by the idea of Tina, Gene, and Louise working together on something, before she realizes that "something" was "creating an environment that caused a large fire."
23	* ContinuityCavalcade: When Gene opens his drawer, several items featured in previous episodes appear--[[Recap/BobsBurgersS2E9Beefsquatch the Beefsquatch]] [[Recap/BobsBurgersS7E21ParadersOfTheLostFloat mask]], [[Recap/BobsBurgersS4E20GeneItOn his Wagstaff Whalers cheerleader uniform]], [[Recap/BobsBurgersS3E2FullBars and the Africa necklace from his Queen Latifah costume]].
24	* ContinuityNod:
25	** To Bob's speech at the start of the pilot episode, "[[Recap/BobsBurgersS1E1HumanFlesh Human Flesh]]". When he calls his kids "horrible" in this episode, they really take it to heart and work to try to save the restaurant. Bob also clearly says it out of stress in this episode and apologizes for saying it at the end.
26	** Bob asks Teddy to get a rental grill from a store called “Supplies Party,” which was seen in "[[Recap/BobsBurgersS3E7TinaRannosaurusWrecks Tinarannosaurus Wrecks]].”
27	** A [[Recap/BobsBurgersS6E2TheLandShip “ghost boy” graffiti tag]] can be seen on the dumpster behind A Shrimp-le Plan.
28	** When Gene says he wants to eat at A Shrimp-le Plan when it opens, Louise reminds him [[Recap/BobsBurgersS1E12Lobsterfest he's allergic to shellfish]].
29	* DarkestHour: The restaurant has come back from even being shut down before, but nearly being outright ''destroyed'' is easily the worst point it's been at.
30	* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the line at the beginning of the series "I love you but you're all terrible". Turns out that saying that to your kid leads them to really internalize that they're fundamentally bad human beings, especially if it is in response to a mistake or a thing they already feel bad about, to the point that Louise considers committing an actual crime against the otherwise innocent Pam, because they're now just bad people. Bob ends the episode apologizing to his kids and specifying that they're only horrible at doing restaurant chores, but are otherwise good kids.
31	-->'''Tina:''' If we break the window and take the thermocouple, doesn't that make us actually horrible?
32	-->'''Louise:''' Maybe that's just what we are. We set our restaurant on fire this morning. We're horrible, we're bad eggs, but if we take that thing, at least it'll help mom and dad.
33	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Bob does away with the subtleties and outright compares using another grill to cheating on Linda.
34	* EarnYourHappyEnding: After perhaps ''the'' DarkestHour the restaurant has endured in the series, the kids realize they're not at fault for the fire (and thus don't have to live with the guilt), Hugo gets his well-deserved comeuppance for being the fire's ''actual'' culprit, Bob gets a working thermocouple in time for the influx of customers that accompanies Ocean Fest, and it's even briefly hinted that Linda's {{sculpture\|s}} might not horribly lose after all.
35	* EveryoneHasStandards:
36	** Louise is a major NightmareFetishist, but Linda’s mermaid statue freaks her out.
37	** Louise is known for some bad behavior, and is the one to come up with the idea that they're so bad, they might as well just start breaking and stealing if it is for the sake of their parents, but none of the kids can bring themselves to actually go through with an actual crime against an innocent person.
38	** Ron continues to prove he's got more morals than Hugo by dragging Hugo back to the restaurant, revealing it was Hugo's fault the fire started, forces him to apologize and adds Hugo will be paying off whatever Bob's insurance won't cover.
39	* FiveSecondForeshadowing: As the Belchers are all wandering around the burnt kitchen, Gene remains put at the entrance with a frown on his face. Seconds later he confesses to probably starting the fire.
40	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
41	** When Hugo tosses the greasy rags at Bob, all of them land onscreen or in a place Bob would spot them easily... except for one that lands behind a box of potatoes. As Ron explains what happens, a stick-figure drawing appears... and even after all the other rags were picked up, that same rag can be seen hidden behind that same box.
42	** The kids each confess to the fire without anyone finding a single shred of evidence that implicates them. It's framed as the kids feeling so guilty that they confess without being prompted, but the lack of evidence is also the first major hint that they didn't start the fire at all.
43	** Additionally, the (relative) survival of the papier mache mermaid suggests it wasn't the point of ignition even though everyone thought it was. Had the kids actually started the fire, the mermaid would be ashes.
44	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Pam Shrimple is nice, forgiving, and saves the day when it seems like Bob's Burgers won't be able to open.
45	* HateSink: If you didn't already want to give Jimmy Pesto a solid punch in the gut, you ''definitely'' will when he outright ''mocks'' Bob over the fire in his restaurant.
46	* InsistentTerminology: Louise insists they're not ''stealing'' the thermocouple, they're ''borrowing'' it.
47	* ItsAllMyFault: Gene, Louise and Tina all take blame for starting the fire due to their attempts to salvage Linda's horrible mermaid statue. Though Louise initially blames Gene before adding she ''may'' have helped the fire spread, she eventually shares equal blame for being awful. Though thankfully it turned out Hugo was responsible for the fire.
48	* KarmicJackpot: The kids consider breaking into Pam Shrimple's restaurant to steal her thermocouple, but can't go through with it. It then turns out Tina left behind the apology note she'd written in case they ''had'' stolen it, explaining to Pam they were trying to make up for starting the fire and promising they'd bring the thermocouple back and pay for the window eventually. Pam's so touched by the note and the circumstances behind it she allows the Belchers to use the thermocouple since her place won't be open for another month.
49	* KickTheDog: Not only is Jimmy Pesto unsympathetic to the fire in Bob's restaurant, but he also forces Trev to wear seaweed for his restaurant's art despite the latter being allergic to seaweed.
50	* LaserGuidedKarma: For starting the fire, Hugo has to pay for whatever Bob's insurance won't cover.
51	* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: While the kids talk about potentially moving out, Pam Shrimple can be seen outside the window checking the sign and reading Tina's note.
52	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When Bob calls the kids "horrible" out of stress, they really take it to heart, and everything they do is to try and make up for the fire. When it seems like they've failed, they even discuss moving out because it seems like all they do is make things worse for their father.
53	* NamesakeGag: The owner of A Shrimp-le Plan is Pam Shrimple.
54	* NeverMyFault:
55	** Subverted with Louise. During her version of the "It’s All My Fault" song, she sings, "It's all Gene's fault" before admitting there's a slight possibility the sparklers she put on the statue may have also caused the fire. However, if she ''really'' wanted to invoke the trope, she could have easily just kept quiet--Gene had already confessed and there was pretty much nothing linking her to the fire. The fact that she said anything at all shows that she genuinely feels guilty, which her actions later in the episode prove.
56	** Hugo has to be forced into apologizing loud enough for Bob to hear, but just before he leaves he tries to make it sound like this was Bob's fault for keeping the dirty rags. Bob immediately calls Hugo on his bullshit.
57	** Despite their actions also possibly contributing to the fire (and Tina even admitting as such), the kids are content to file ''all'' of the blame for the fire onto Hugo when he confesses at the end. Considering what a {{Jerkass}} he is, as well as the fact that the kids already atoned for their perceived involvement, nobody has any sympathy for him.
58	* NiceGirl: Pam Shrimple. When the kids leave her a note about Bob needing the thermocouple she bought earlier in the day, she stops by the restaurant to give it to him since her restaurant doesn’t open for another month. She even stays for a burger, being the first of Bob's customers for Ocean Fest.
59	* NobodyHereButUsStatues: For his entry in the sculpture contest, Jimmy just has Trev stand in front of his restaurant covered in seaweeds. He's apparently some kind of sea monster.
60	-->'''Trev:''' I think I'm allergic to seaweed.\
61	'''Jimmy Pesto:''' Statues don't talk!
62	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Most of the Belchers aren't quite themselves after the devastating fire.
63	** [[LargeHam Gene]] is rather subdued and sounds like he's on the verge of crying right before his initial confession.
64	** [[NeverMyFault Louise]] feels so guilty that she (out of all the kids) is the one who outright says they're horrible.
65	** [[TokenGoodTeammate Tina]] is reluctant but willing to break into A Shrimp-le Plan to save the restaurant.
66	** [[GoodParents Bob]] is on the verge of snapping at all times, and while he tries to be gentle he's clearly having trouble coping with the kids' supposed actions.
67	* OrderedApology: What Ron forces Hugo into at the end of the episode (though Hugo makes it a BackhandedApology despite Ron's efforts).
68	* PajamaCladHero: Teddy comes to help Bob while still in his pajamas since he called in the middle of the night. When he goes to the store to get the thermocouple, he briefly considers changing clothes.
69	* ParentsAsPeople: Bob doesn't really think his kids are horrible, but after learning that they might have destroyed his restaurant he's beyond pissed, and is a split-second from snapping at them from the moment he learns they probably caused the fire until the moment he learns they ''didn't''. He knows that he shouldn't treat them so abrasively, and makes the effort to apologize when he snaps, but at the same time it's hard to blame him for being so on-edge.
70	* PropheticName: A woman named Pam Shrimple opens a seafood restaurant? What are the odds?
71	* RealityIsUnrealistic: As absurd as it might sound, greasy rags really ''can'' spontaneously combust like Ron says they can. Hugo starting the fire by carelessly tossing them is completely plausible.
72	* TheReveal: The kids didn't start the fire by trying to fix the mermaid statue; Hugo started it by carelessly tossing greasy rags.
73	* SarcasticDevotee: As much as Louise talks smack about the restaurant, the fact remains that she ends up ''seconds'' from breaking and entering if it means saving her father's dream. She even remarks that she'd kill someone in the name of the restaurant.
74	* ShoutOut:
75	** The PopCulturePunEpisodeTitle is a reference to the 1972 children's book ''Literature/AlexanderAndTheTerribleHorribleNoGoodVeryBadDay''.
76	** The Store Next Door is "[[Series/MySoCalledLife My So-Called Knife]]: Butterknife Store".
77	** The Exterminator Van is "[[Film/SleepingWithTheEnemy Sleeping with the Ant-emy]]".
78	** The second Burger of the day is "[[Film/StopOrMyMomWillShoot The Guac or My Mom Will Shoot Burger]]."
79	** Gene's line "It's hard out here for a primp" references the song "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" from ''Film/HustleAndFlow''.
80	** A steel drum street band playing at Ocean Fest is named [[Film/SteelMagnolias Steel Song-nolias]].
81	** Gene prays to [[Film/ForrestGump Bubba Gump]] when the kids attempt breaking into A Shrimp-le Plan.
82	* SkewedPriorities: After the firefighters put out the fire, Linda is more worried about the fact that her mermaid sculpture got ruined then the fact that the restaurant’s kitchen got messed up.
83	* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Louise admits wanting to add explosives to the mermaid, and lists off examples (like bottle rockets and M-80s). She then reveals she didn't have ''any'' of the examples she just gave--EnfantTerrible she may be, she's still just 9 years old and there's no way any vendor (legal or illegal) would actually give her that stuff.
84	* TemptingFate: Mere hours before the fire, Linda talks about how the day will go well.
85	* TerribleArtist: Linda's papier-mache mermaid looks awful, but only she can't seem to see it.
86	* TooMuchInformation: Tina mentions that there might be a booger under one of the tables. Bob and Linda are not happy for the information.
87	* TriumphantReprise: "It's All My/Gene's/Our Fault", the songs the kids sing when confessing their role in the fire, gets one when Ron reveals Hugo started the fire instead of the kids. As Ron shames Hugo for his involvement, the kids triumphantly sing that it wasn't their fault after all.
88	** Another reprise that is considerably more lighthearted appears during the end credits.
89	* TrueBlueFemininity: Tina's solution to fixing the mermaid is to paint on a blue bikini, which is fitting given [[ColorCodedCharacters Tina's usual attire]].
90	* TheUnsmile: Linda tries to improve her mermaid by adding teeth to make her smile. [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily The results are anything but pleasant.]]
91	* WellIntentionedExtremist: All of the kids (even [[TokenGoodTeammate Tina]]) are willing to break into A Shrimp-le Plan and steal Pam's thermocouple if it means they can help out their father and save the restaurant.
92	-->'''Louise:''' We're ''horrible''. We're bad eggs. But if we take that thing, at least it'll help Mom and Dad.
93	----
94	->''It was all Hugo's fault\
95	He burned your restaurant\
96	It was all Hugo's fault\

Context Recap / BobsBurgersS11E6