[7.9/10] This one was a lot of fun. It’s a Linda-focused story, which always brings the laughs, but also a Linda/Louise story, which tends to tug the heartstrings. Linda volunteering to help out at the office at Wagstaff Elementary, only to become embroiled in the mystery of who stole an ersatz Pokemon-themed mash missile is a setup with lots of comic potential. And the fact that Louise is Mr. Frond’s number one suspect, with Linda out to clear her daughter’s name, gives it both a motherly and mystery angle to play.
The humor of it all was on point. Tina’s “secret” wave, Gene’s bathroom business, Mr. Frond talking to his mom about vitamins, and Rudy describing Louise as “complicated” were all fun little side bits. I also love how specific Louise’s criticisms of the mash missile are, (“It has nothing to do with the cards or the world!” was a hoot.) But my favorite comic part of the main story was the interactions between Linda and Ms. Selbo the office attendant. Selbo’s quieter form of quirkiness mixed with Linda’s boisterous peculiarities makes for a good match.
That helps when it’s revealed that Selbo is the actual culprit! This episode keeps you guessing. I figured they wouldn’t actually have Louise lying so directly to her mom, but my certainty in that wavered over the course of the episode, which is a sign of the writer doing their work. (For the record, my guess was Rudy, but I didn’t have a motive.) Involving Selbo, who had a benevolent reason of wanting to prevent kids from using a dangerous toy, ups the ante and gives the hilarious character more to do, which is a positive.
It also absolves Louise. I like how Linda stands up for her daughter, but then believes she might have done it, only to come back around and believe Louise again. The episode touches on something legitimate with this, that Louise is so good at lying it would be understandably difficult for her parents to trust her, even if they love her. And yet, it’s comically on-brand for Linda to believe Louise did it but try to protect her anyway. Their shared understanding once everything’s on the table makes the A-story snap into place.
The B-story is purely comedic, but also very funny. The push and pull between Teddy wanting to update his business card with all kinds of “throw-it-in” overdoneness, while Bob prefers a clean and simple card, makes for a lot of laughs. Teddy trying to adopt the last name “Thunder”, Bob having an “oh my god” about Teddy still thinking his name is Bob Burger, and the pair’s cute little song about trying to design Teddy’s card are all aces.
Overall, the laughs are there, a good mystery is there, and some nice mother/daughter bonding understanding are there too. All the makings of a quality episode!
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2023-03-21T04:57:27Z
[7.9/10] This one was a lot of fun. It’s a Linda-focused story, which always brings the laughs, but also a Linda/Louise story, which tends to tug the heartstrings. Linda volunteering to help out at the office at Wagstaff Elementary, only to become embroiled in the mystery of who stole an ersatz Pokemon-themed mash missile is a setup with lots of comic potential. And the fact that Louise is Mr. Frond’s number one suspect, with Linda out to clear her daughter’s name, gives it both a motherly and mystery angle to play.
The humor of it all was on point. Tina’s “secret” wave, Gene’s bathroom business, Mr. Frond talking to his mom about vitamins, and Rudy describing Louise as “complicated” were all fun little side bits. I also love how specific Louise’s criticisms of the mash missile are, (“It has nothing to do with the cards or the world!” was a hoot.) But my favorite comic part of the main story was the interactions between Linda and Ms. Selbo the office attendant. Selbo’s quieter form of quirkiness mixed with Linda’s boisterous peculiarities makes for a good match.
That helps when it’s revealed that Selbo is the actual culprit! This episode keeps you guessing. I figured they wouldn’t actually have Louise lying so directly to her mom, but my certainty in that wavered over the course of the episode, which is a sign of the writer doing their work. (For the record, my guess was Rudy, but I didn’t have a motive.) Involving Selbo, who had a benevolent reason of wanting to prevent kids from using a dangerous toy, ups the ante and gives the hilarious character more to do, which is a positive.
It also absolves Louise. I like how Linda stands up for her daughter, but then believes she might have done it, only to come back around and believe Louise again. The episode touches on something legitimate with this, that Louise is so good at lying it would be understandably difficult for her parents to trust her, even if they love her. And yet, it’s comically on-brand for Linda to believe Louise did it but try to protect her anyway. Their shared understanding once everything’s on the table makes the A-story snap into place.
The B-story is purely comedic, but also very funny. The push and pull between Teddy wanting to update his business card with all kinds of “throw-it-in” overdoneness, while Bob prefers a clean and simple card, makes for a lot of laughs. Teddy trying to adopt the last name “Thunder”, Bob having an “oh my god” about Teddy still thinking his name is Bob Burger, and the pair’s cute little song about trying to design Teddy’s card are all aces.
Overall, the laughs are there, a good mystery is there, and some nice mother/daughter bonding understanding are there too. All the makings of a quality episode!