[9.3/10] I loved this one. As somebody whose family tree knows more than one feud, the A-story about the kids trying to skirt one to get a family bolognese recipe for Linda on Mother’s Day was spectacular. The sheer absurdity of the three of them and Gail sneaking/talking their way into a rival family member’s house in order to nab a sauce recipe is wonderful. So is the fact that the kids mean so well and want to give their mom the ultimate gift on her special day by giving her a piece of her past.
I love the resolution too. The epiphany that both sides of the family feud think the other stole the recipe, when in fact nobody has it, is a great metaphor for the futility of these three generations of hurt feelings. The kids explaining that to Linda, and their maturity and kindness being her true mother’s day gift, is a really sweet way to go with things. (Even though I wanted Linda and the family to be able to enjoy that bolognese!)
The B-story was superb too. Bob, Linda, and Teddy putting their heads together on a redesign for Teddy’s mom’s gin-rummy tattoo is the kind of “small stakes back at the restaurant” subplot the show does well. Their chalkboard sketches, stealth insults for one another’s ideas, and the decision to try out the new design on Teddy’s bare back are all a hoot. The fact that the gift ends up being gently nudging Teddy’s mom to ease her feud with her card-playing frenemies dovetails neatly with the A-story.
But honestly, what puts this one over the top is that it’s a laugh riot. The details of the feud, including someone wearing a wedding dress to someone else’s wedding, are the right mix of goofy enough for Bob’s Burgers but rude enough to justify the mutual beer. Gail, as usual, is hilarious here. Her pretending to be Linda and trying to ground Tina, continue the feud with the other side, and spin increasingly implausible lies finds the humor in his bizarreness and overconfidence.
The kids are all great too. Louise’s smart remarks land as well as ever. Gene’s “This was delightful!” sign off had me in stitches. Tina’s terrible mother’s day pun card were a delight. And the trio of kiddos booing Bob’s reasonable objections to their plan, eliciting a repeated “Don’t boo me!” was great. The rival family members were superb too, from the slacker son to the vengeful mom. All of the humor was on point here, and it’s one of the funniest episodes of a hilarious show.
All-in-all, a real highlight of the season, with both a great pair of stories and a boatload of laughs!
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2022-11-13T06:37:35Z
[9.3/10] I loved this one. As somebody whose family tree knows more than one feud, the A-story about the kids trying to skirt one to get a family bolognese recipe for Linda on Mother’s Day was spectacular. The sheer absurdity of the three of them and Gail sneaking/talking their way into a rival family member’s house in order to nab a sauce recipe is wonderful. So is the fact that the kids mean so well and want to give their mom the ultimate gift on her special day by giving her a piece of her past.
I love the resolution too. The epiphany that both sides of the family feud think the other stole the recipe, when in fact nobody has it, is a great metaphor for the futility of these three generations of hurt feelings. The kids explaining that to Linda, and their maturity and kindness being her true mother’s day gift, is a really sweet way to go with things. (Even though I wanted Linda and the family to be able to enjoy that bolognese!)
The B-story was superb too. Bob, Linda, and Teddy putting their heads together on a redesign for Teddy’s mom’s gin-rummy tattoo is the kind of “small stakes back at the restaurant” subplot the show does well. Their chalkboard sketches, stealth insults for one another’s ideas, and the decision to try out the new design on Teddy’s bare back are all a hoot. The fact that the gift ends up being gently nudging Teddy’s mom to ease her feud with her card-playing frenemies dovetails neatly with the A-story.
But honestly, what puts this one over the top is that it’s a laugh riot. The details of the feud, including someone wearing a wedding dress to someone else’s wedding, are the right mix of goofy enough for Bob’s Burgers but rude enough to justify the mutual beer. Gail, as usual, is hilarious here. Her pretending to be Linda and trying to ground Tina, continue the feud with the other side, and spin increasingly implausible lies finds the humor in his bizarreness and overconfidence.
The kids are all great too. Louise’s smart remarks land as well as ever. Gene’s “This was delightful!” sign off had me in stitches. Tina’s terrible mother’s day pun card were a delight. And the trio of kiddos booing Bob’s reasonable objections to their plan, eliciting a repeated “Don’t boo me!” was great. The rival family members were superb too, from the slacker son to the vengeful mom. All of the humor was on point here, and it’s one of the funniest episodes of a hilarious show.
All-in-all, a real highlight of the season, with both a great pair of stories and a boatload of laughs!