[9.5/10] Louise loves her family. Despite a certain mercenary bent, and above-it-all attitude, deep down, the youngest Belcher kid cannot help but appreciate her mom and dad and siblings as something that gives her holidays, and her life, incredible meaning. That is a simple idea, but a powerful one. The characters who put up the most emotional walls tearing them down in choice moments of openness and affections is an old trick, and also one that's undeniably effective.
So is the setup of “The Plight Before Christmas”. Three Belcher kids have important events at the same time in the lead-up to Xmas, and there’s only two Belcher parents to witness these important moments. What can they do?
The answer is try to make it work! There’s a great franticness to Bob and Linda trying to have at least one parent at Tina’s Thundergirls pageant, Gene’s xylophone recital, and Louise’s poetry readings all at the same time. Poor Linda being emotionally ripped in twain at not getting to see all of them is both hilariously over-the-top and sweet for how devoted a mom Linda is to her kids. Bob urgently trying to sneak out of Gene’s musical performance to cram in Louise’s poem, only to get messed up by a rock-headed cab driver and a jog to the wrong library makes for great stakes and great comedy.
So does Gene’s part in this episode. The humor comes from the fact that the music teacher is out with a family illness, In her place is a flummoxed substitute who knows nothing about music (Tina Fey) who has to try to make heads or tails of the regular instructor’s bizarre notation and a group of sixth graders who know as much about playing the xylophone as they do about social security taxes. The terrible, out-of-sync playing in the first half of their concert is a laugh all its own.
I really like the solution though. Gene proposes that they play “fewer notes”, actively removing some of the keys from the various xylophones so that they can better coordinate and play their parts. It is, admittedly, a bit of a stretch that they could go from junk to funk so easily. But it works in the moment, playing off Gene’s intuitive understanding of melody and sense of creativity, and the central idea of the episode -- that drilling down to something essential and earnest pays incredible dividends.
There’s a lot of laughs in Tina’s pageant as well. The Thundergirls’ troop leader and her overmatched efforts to put on this well-balanced but elaborate presentation of world traditions is a comic delight. Linda’s confusion with Tina being “a star”, not “the star” is on brand and very funny. And one of Tina’s fellow thundergirls envying Tina’s part in such a nothing play lends itself to both humor given the stakes, and eventually, one of the episode’s most clever twists.
In a sideways fashion, Tina may be my favorite part of this. I love the fact that she’s the one who realizes, despite Louise’s protests that she’s there to read a poem about poop, that she’s actually going to read something from the heart and is nervous about anyone else hearing it. I love that Tina selflessly encourages Linda to skip her pageant so that she can be there for Louise’s reading. And when Linda feels pressured to keep stage-handing the pageant, the twist of Tina giving the role of the star to her envious co-star, so that by god, someone will be there when Louise spills her guts, is one of the most wholesome and heartstring-tugging moments Bob’s Burgers has ever pulled off, which is saying something.
Not for nothing, “The Plight Before Christmas” is a tribute to the craft of their series. There is incredible power in a montage -- the way the cinematic form can blend images and sounds to capture something deeper, bigger, and more piercing than dialogue alone. The soundtrack of Gene’s performance, the smiles it puts on the faces of the people listening to these kids finding their way, the tension of whether Lousie will open her heart in public or take the ironic prankster route, the pathos of Linda unable to enjoy all her babies’ triumphs at once, the surprise of a loving sister making the frantic journey to a vulnerable moment to show support where it’s needed most -- I’m getting misty-eyed again just thinking about it. Bob’s Burgers rarely gets this artsy, but when it does, it packs a wallop.
So when Tina does arrive in time to show her sister that she cares, to give her the thumbs up, to listen to whatever she has to say, it’s extra moving. Tina, more than any member of the Belcher family, knows what it means to express yourself through the written word, and how vulnerable an experience that can be. She recognizes the opportunity to facilitate and foster a sister who sometimes struggles to present that more sincere side of herself, and vindicate the beauty and acceptance of that.
Louise’s poem is pitch perfect. It’s not overly flowery or tin-eared for something an elementary school student might write. And still, it’s earnest, about how on the day of the year when kids are supposed to be the most excited about the toys and trinkets under the tree, what she appreciates the most are the people she’s sharing the day with. The sentiment is lovely, and it has extra force and resonance coming from someone who’s stingy with that kind of sincerity, who finds the strength and feels the support, to where she’s comfortable expressing such a personal sentiment in front of the whole world (or at least the denizens of the Belcher’s local library).
“The Plight Before Christmas” cuts the treacle a bit with an adorable, teasing declaration of “You love your family!” from Tina on the drive home. But it leans back into the sweetness with another heartwarming montage of the exact sort of family joy that Louise penned a paean to. Linda tends to her husband’s knees while they remark on the gob-smacking poem their daughter wrote. Gene shares their momentous achievement with the teacher in the hospital via Bob’s camcorder. And most of all, the Belchers sit around the tree, opening their gifts, basking in the exact sort of enervating togetherness the youngest member of their clan gushed over in a tense but courageous way.
How is a show this good at a holiday episode in its eleventh at-bat? That's its own sort of Xmas miracle, one that's as worth of celebrating this time of year as any, and a vindication of the spirit of the season, that asks for kindness, support, honesty, and acceptance from all of us, and invites us to revel in the spaces where we find such comfort, solace, and care.
Chibnall went all out on this one, didn't he? Loved it. So intense and that cliffhanger at the end makes me want to scream.
I don't fully understand how that Brandon dude fits into the whole thing, but I assume he is in some way connected to the Cybermen or the Timeless Child? It's an interesting storyline and it provided a nice contrast to all the futuristic space stuff. It seemed so lovely and quiant... and then it got weird. I hope next week we'll get all the answers because I'm currently pretty confused.
On another note, I truly hope we're getting rid of one or two companions (or maybe even the whole squad). I don't know if it's because there's three of them or if it's just bad writing, but despite the copious amounts of backstory we've gotten for them, they still feel paper thin. And their dynamic with the Doctor is pretty much nonexistent, I don't feel any connection there. I remember crying my eyes out over Twelve and Clara when she left (yes, I loved Clara, yes, I know I'm in the minority, leave me alone). I was sad for days. I still feel sad when I think about it and it's been 4 years! Give me that kind of relationship between Thirteen and a companion, I'm begging. Because right now, I don't think I'd bat an eyelash if any of these three left/died.
Still an awesome episode though! Can't wait for next week.
Being the first season after the movie, this season's felt like it's had something to prove, to bring on new viewers won from the movies and keep old viewers by showing the spark hasn't died so many seasons in. It's been a dang good run, but this episode in particular stands not just as the best of the season, or the best of the last few years, but one of its best period. It's funny, but more than anything it's overflowing with heart, it capitalizes on over a decade's worth of connection to this family and even minor characters like Gene's music teacher to show how much these characters have grown and how deep their love for each other runs.
Gene showing his music expertise and creativity to save his recital not just for himself but for his favorite teacher. Bob and Linda trying so hard to achieve the impossible. Louise exposing that beating heart and being that vulnerable kid who acts like she doesn't care because it makes things easier not just for her but everyone else too. And Tina seeing through it and having the maturity won over the series to know that some pageant doesn't matter half as much as being there for her sister. It all intertwines in a beautiful musical climax that honestly left me undone. I've been with this family for a decade, and episodes like these make sure I'll stay for decades more. This is an instant Christmas staple.
Quite entertaining, walking the line between funny and cringe worthy. The Doctor's daydreams feel like they become repetitive fairly quickly, but there's creativity in all of them (Paris waving from his lonely table was great). I'd imagine that the cast were able to have some fun with this one. The alien race also managed to feel both highly inventive and extremely familiar, and I think that sums up much of the episode.
In the end, it made me laugh and that counts for something. Robert Picardo shines on this show with whatever he's given, and here that's certainly a lot. I felt a bit put out at Janeway's initial reticence to give him any recognition for who he is because of what he is. By now the Doc has proven time and time again that he's more than just his programming, and Janeway has even dealt with this specific issue previously. Yeah, the Doc was probably asking for a bit too much in being granted emergency command of the ship, but it's true that the crew treats him without much respect.
Season 6 is doing pretty well so far (apart from the opener), it feels like all of these episodes are finally placing characters front and centre instead of plot. I wonder if it's going to keep this up...
[7.1/10] A bit milder of an episode, but still has its moments. I like Derek getting a little focus, and the show building out his relationship with Bean. There’s something compelling about him being lonely given his pressures and isolation and general unsuitedness to be heir to the throne juxtaposed with Bean being subject to the usual gender essentialism and sense of being usurped in her own family. Sure, it’s a little corny that at the end of the day, she proves how much she cares about Derek by risking her life to save him from a monster, but it’s also a little sweet (and the show nicely adds in that trademark Groening dose of cynicism to take the edge off).
I was less enamored with Zog’s “I wish I had gout” B-story. Luci helping people make bad decisions is always a good tack on this show, but the jokes from Zog eating terrible organ foods didn’t have much mileage in them (beyond rampant grossness, which isn't really my thing) and, aside from the Duke of Twinkletown getting attacked by the octopus, didn’t really go anywhere.
But while Derek’s story underwhelmed a bit, his boyish playing and slapstick with Elfo was cute. Really, the only major weakspot in this one was the giant squid, who seemed like a pretty random obstacle whose presence felt contrived. Even there, I got a kick out of the party barge captain coming back for some humor of the mundane amid the fantastical.
Overall, this is a middle-of-the-road episode at best, but one that’s mostly inoffensive, and has a good premise in terms of the main character relationship it explores.
[7.8/10] What I want for Guillermo de la Cruz as a person conflicts with what I want for him as a character. That’s a silly conflict to tangle with because, of course, Guillermo is just a character, not a real person. But part of what makes him so compelling on What We Do in the Shadows is how relatable and real his predicament is, despite the obviously fictional and fantastical circumstances surrounding it.
None of us know what it’s like to be the put-upon familiar for a house full of self-involved vampires. But almost all of us know what it’s like to feel that your hard work is unappreciated, that your contributions are taken for granted, and that you have greater potential that could be realized elsewhere.
That’s the cinch of this series and its blend of the spooky and the mundane -- the situation is ridiculous and the emotions are heightened, but they’re also based on something real. The comedy and the drama work from that amusing but occasionally affecting inflection point.
So for Guillermo the person, I want him to make good on his simple “sorry” note and move out of the Vampire Residence. I want him to become the manager of a Panera Bread or develop his own Shark Tank-friendly business, or just become the vampire slayer-for-hire his Van Helsing roots and preternatural abilities seem to portend. And I kind of want him to make good on his ominous sword-sharpening posture and punish the vamps who’ve strung him along for so many years (not to mention prevent them from, you know, killing more people).
But of course, if he did that there wouldn’t be a show. So for Guillermo the character, I want him to keep orbiting the universe of Nandor, Nadja, Lazlo, and Colin Robinson for as long as the show can get comic mileage out of this collection of knuckleheads. That’s not good for Guillermo, but it's good for fans of the show, and maybe we get to take precedence by virtue of being...well...actual flesh and blood human beings.
Still, however temporary Guillermo’s sabbatical is destined to be given the demands of episodic television, it’s nice to see him making a stand and the utter helplessness of the vamps without him. The state of disarray and uselessness around the Vampire Residence tickled me to no end, and gags about the vamps tripping over various strewn corpses, arguing with one another over who should do the chores, and making faux sacred bargains over picking up dry cleaning had me in stitches.
It’s also nice to see the show picking up on various story threads it’s been saving for a rainy day. The return of the Vampiric Council (and Jermaine Clement’s Vladislav) to make the Staten Island vampires pay for their trespasses is a welcome development after the would-be assassins from the season premiere. The fact that they get blamed for Guillermo’s latent and preternatural vampire-slaying abilities despite viewing him as an incompetent toadie is great bit of irony and escalation. And each incident being recreated for the stage with comical exaggeration and set pieces is a hoot.
But it’s also a good crucible for Guillermo, both to prove his demon-hunting mettle and in his conflicted feelings about his former master. While not quite up to the standards of his supreme slayage in “The Curse”, it’s still cool as hell to see the budding badass swing into the theater, unleash a fury of crosses, stakes, and holy water, and save his vampire buddies’ behinds. That type of absence punctuated by fang-threatening heroics could be a means for the Staten Island blood-suckers to realize Guillermo’s value, even if they can’t remember his last name. (Both “Guillermo Buillermo” and “Mickey Guillermo” as guesses cracked me up.)
Therein lies the alternative to either tossing away the status quo or slavishly maintaining it on What We Do in the Shadows. There is, however frayed and comically exaggerated, genuine affection between Guillermo and his master. Guillermo may be ready to move out, but he can’t bear the thought of his erstwhile taskmasters being killed, especially on account of his actions. Nandor is domineering and oblivious to his familiar, but also plainly misses Guillermo while he’s gone, even if he can’t admit it.
The answer to what to want for Guillermo, then, may be the same one that less-serialized but still character-developing sitcoms found back in the day -- detente. I can want Guillermo to assert himself and achieve some measure of independence, while also gaining enough respect and appreciation from Nandor to stick around and continue fueling stories for however long Jermaine Clement and others want to tell them, giving us both growth and preservation.
That too can be a stumbling block though. Other mockumentary shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation began to feel sanded down in later seasons, when a combination of audience affection and the inevitable entropy of T.V. camaraderie softened the shows’ initial character conflicts and made almost everybody into good friends. There’s grand humor and pathos in Guillermo’s dynamic with his dismissive vampiric overlords, and you’d hate to lose that entirely, even if it’s more of a concern cerca episode one-hundred than episode twenty.
Still, in its second season, What We Do in the Shadows raised the bar both in terms of its humor and its character work, proving that Clement and his team can adapt and roll with the punches. We saw Nadja amusingly conversing with an old woman she used to haunt when she was a little girl. We saw Colin Robinson gain a promotion that literally went to his head. And we saw Lazlo steal the show with his turn as a regular human bartender serving human alcohol beer.
But we also saw Nandor offer an earnest plea to Guillermo to come home, make concessions in order for that to happen and even make a show of good faith by finally turning his former familiar into a vampire. It’s the sort of brief bit of sincerity that makes this deeply silly show a little more than just a weekly gag-fest. And it shows that maybe there’s a way forward for Guillermo -- one that can make both him and us happy.
Sometimes the best way to commentate on human society is to put it through a mirror and pretend it's an alien society instead.
I'm not sure what the show is saying with Beata's apparent happiness with her delay of Angel One's "evolution" though. To put what's happening there into a human historical context, she's effectively exiled the suffragettes of our past to minimize their impact on public opinion. Of course, the men of that period in our history would have been equally smug at managing to suppress the voices of women demanding equal rights, but I'm not sure the tone of this episode quite works. It comes across as kind of saying "this is an OK solution"—which I would expect is not what the writers intended.
Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, the drama over a mysterious virus that spreads at an alarming speed clearly arose out of the need to effectively imprison the away team and Odin survivors on the planet, so they couldn't simply beam away before Beata's execution order was, well, executed. It was meant to force Riker into giving that very Picard-esque speech, and it did. It just did so in a very transparently plot device–like way, unfortunately.
I do think the subject matter this episode tried to tackle was important. It still is. The execution (sorry, these puns just write themselves!) left me wanting, though.
9.8/10. What an amazing episode. Everyone is perfectly in character, and there's so many little comedic bombs where the episode just lights the fuse and then waits for them to go off. The twist that as tortured as Louise was by her mom forcing a slumber party on her in an attempt to socialize her daughter, she ended up finding something of a kindred spirit is perfect storytelling, and the fact that her "dull" classmate is not only as conniving as Louise, but finds a friend who doesn't care about the bed-wetting problem she tried so hard to avoid gives the episode just enough heart.
Plus Linda, who may very well be my favorite character, is in rare form. The way she envisions life as a television show, from the idea that Louise needs a slumber party, to the idea that Tina should be the blase older sister and Gene should be the pesky brother, is true to her character. The way she got sidetracked by a pair of raccoons, for whom she's concocted an elaborate backstory and power struggle is hilarious and delightful, made all the better by the way she's indoctrinated an enthusiastic Teddy and roped Bob into the event. She's just a barrel of laughs.
And everybody else brings the laughs and the great character-based comedy we've come to expect from the show. Bob's reluctant but unexpectedly invested response to everything is great, and though Tina, Gene, and Teddy are all smaller parts of the episode, they each get some quality laugh lines. Plus the slumber party attendees, and the manner in which they're given quirks and dispatched, is perfect, especially Bob and Linda's interactions with the germaphobe. Just a laugh-a-minute episode with storytelling that builds and builds and enough of an understated emotional kick at the end to give it all a touch of heft. Truly superb stuff.
