With the 12th season wrapping up, and a feature film on the way, now is as good a time as any to discuss the vivid and uproarious people that inhabit Loren Bouchard’s animated sitcom “Bob’s Burgers”. Bob’s Burgers is a surprisingly charming comedy about the Belcher’s, a strange, lower-middle-class family who run a burger joint in an ocean-side town “Seymour’s Bay”.
Like another great animated classic, The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers is full of unique and colorful characters who make the misadventures of the Belchers an unforgettable viewing experience. Supported by fun animation and expert voice acting, audiences have fallen in love with these weird players and their ludicrous antics.
10: Hugo Habercore
Unlike Jimmy Pesto Snr, (who gets the prestigious prize of being the most infuriating character in Bob’s Burgers), Hugo the health inspector is a heel that brings delight whenever he barges into the affairs of the Belcher family. Voiced to perfection by political commentator and self-described “has-been” comedian, Sam Seder, Hugo is a perfect mix of obnoxious and helpless. He is a stubby, nebbish man, desperate to assert his dominance over others while barely hiding his lack of self-esteem. From the get-go, Hugo plants his flag as the Belcher’s most threatening antagonist, exacerbated by his unhealthy obsession with cleanliness and undying love for Linda. What makes him so much fun, is that he’s not just a plot device, but an entertaining character in his own right.
Despite his annoying behavior and obnoxious treatment of his put-upon underling, Ron, Hugo is just a lonely man who desperately wants to fit in. Though his treatment of Bob is hilariously biased and intimidatory, viewers can’t help but root for Hugo to find happiness when he briefly dates Gretchen ("Lobsterfest"), or when he finds peace in a nudist colony (“Nude Beach”). Of course, it’s just as funny when his contentment inevitably collapses, and he’s relegated once again, to the sad-sack bane of Bob’s existence.
9: Gene Belcher
It’s not supposed to be easy being the middle child, but Gene Belcher (Eugene Mirman) relishes every second of it. Possibly the most upbeat in the Belcher clan, Gene is also a gluttonous, grubby pre-teen who suffers from a short attention span and unmatched naivety. Canonically the character with the best calves in the family (according to Linda), Gene’s love of creating wacky music is the perfect excuse for the producers of Bob’s Burgers to write hilarious, goofy songs. Many of the best episodes of the series (“Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl”, “The Itty Bitty Ditty Committee”) revolve around Gene and his obsession with being a musical Diva.
Out of everyone in his family, Gene has the least amount of agency, mostly following the orders of his sister Louise; yet his value as a loyal sidekick is unmatched. Gene’s positivity and lust for life are infectious. He doesn’t have a cruel bone in his body, which makes for great comedy when he gets into a quarrel with bullies or unwittingly enables his family’s worst tendencies. When he grows up, he’s likely to be a brilliant avant-garde musician or underground fashion designer.
8: Edith and Harold Cranwinkle
“The customer is always right?” Wrong! As their last name forecasts, Edith (Larry Murphy) and Harold (Sam Seder) are grouchy old-timers without even the faintest hint of patience for “tomfoolery”. The owner of the local arts-‘n’-crafts store, 'Reflections', Edith is a dictatorial busybody who berates everybody. Harold is technically a co-owner of 'Reflections', but it’s clear who wears the pants in the relationship. Many of the greatest moments in the series take place within their store, as they extort absurd amounts of money from the Belchers who're simply wishing to buy a little glue or crêpe paper for a diorama or Halloween costume.
As the only shop in Seymour’s Bay with a quality selection of art equipment, the Cranwinkle’s have an inflated sense of self-worth. They may be judgemental and holier than thou, but this doesn’t stop them from being thieves ("The Bleakening") and verbally abusive to their customers. They aren’t the most three-dimensional characters, but every time they show up, they guarantee a belly laugh or two.
7: Tammy and Jocelyn
Tammy (Jenny Slate) and Jocelyn (John Roberts) are both amusing individual players, but when they are together, they are the funniest duo in Bob’s Burgers. Tammy is the perfect foil for Tina, but by herself, in episodes like “Sit Me Baby One More Time”, and “Sleeping with the Frenemy”, Tammy can get on the viewer’s nerves as much as she does Tina’s. This is why Jocelyn makes such a welcome pairing with Tammy. The interplay between them is both complementary and competitive.
Whether they’re dual anchors on Wagstaff School News or performing in a gut-filled Thanksgiving play dressed as turkeys (“The Quirkducers”), Tammy and Jocelyn are Bob’s Burgers uproarious parodies of spoiled valley girls and superficial brats. Their passive-aggressive banter and constant need to one-up each other directly conflict with their friendship, making every scene with them a tiny comical subplot in itself.
6: Zeke
It’s bizarre that possibly the most outwardly feminist character in Bob’s Burgers is a loudmouthed, 13-year-old jock, but then again, Bob’s Burgers is a bizarre show. Zeke (Bobby Tisdale) is a perfect reflection of how Bob’s Burgers takes old clichés and tropes and turns them on their head. Initially weaved into the narrative as Jimmy Jnr’s meathead friend, Zeke seemed just to be a discount Nelson Muntz. In season one, he is introduced as a stereotypical jerk to serve as one of many antagonists to Tina. After the show settled, however, Zeke turned out to be one of the most empathetic and self-aware characters in the series.
It makes sense that Zeke and Gene become such good friends (“Stand by Gene”) as they are both cut from the same cloth, even if Zeke is a little more rounded. Zeke is a cheerleader for others and has hidden depth, exemplified by his crush on Tina (“UFO No You Didn’t), the self-defense class he runs for women (“The Quirkducers”), and his self-sacrifice for his classmates ("The Silence of the Louise”). If you’re feeling a bit low on self-esteem and need a pick-me-up, Zeke will always have your back. Even if you two start off fighting, by the end, he’ll be your best friend.
5: Bob Belcher
It would have been easy for Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) to be the straight man, comedically becoming irritated whenever his family does something crazy, but Bob is just as nuts as the rest of his family. He has an unhealthy obsession with thanksgiving, has heartfelt conversations with his ingredients, and he often ends up having to climb out of a hole he’s dug himself into. For all his talk about “Staying out of it”, he always finds himself in the thick of it. Even though he always starts out as the “Average Joe”, by the end of an episode, you can often find him stripping, dancing, or making large, embarrassing speeches to crowds of strangers, all to prove his dedication to his family.
We love Bob despite his many flaws (He can’t walk up a flight of stairs without fearing a heart attack) because he’s a fantastic father who would much rather enable his kid's weirdness than stifle them. It also doesn’t hurt that his love of puns and genuine enthusiasm for cooking is heart-warming. Bob trusts Linda and the children, no matter how silly their shenanigans are. Every scene he argues with Teddy over some trivial nonsense will have you howling with laughter.
4: Louise Belcher
While every other character was finding their footing in the early seasons, Louise Belcher burst fully-formed onto the screen thanks to her memorable character design and an irreplaceable performance by Flight of the Conchords actor, Kirsten Schaal. Though Bob and Linda are the parents, it is really Louise who runs things. Her opportunism is responsible for so many of the escapades the Belchers get into every week. Her ability to influence other people is intimidating. At only 9 years old, she’s on track to become a brilliant politician or a genius supervillain one day.
The devastating mortal enemy of Mr. Frond, Louise is so much fun to watch because of her many contradictions. She is the smartest member of her family, yet naïve enough to believe in monsters (“The Bleakening”). She’s exceedingly confident but goes to piece when she loses her trademark ‘Bunny Ears’ (“Ear-sy Rider”). She’s extremely mature for her age, but still has a co-dependent relationship with her ‘Kuchi Kopi’ night light (“Flu-ouise”). Louise may be the youngest Belcher, but her entrepreneurial, adventurous spirit is the glue that holds Bob’s Burgers together.
3: Linda Belcher
In improv comedy, there is a saying when you are confronted with a choice: don’t say “No”, say “Yes, and…” This might as well be Linda Belcher’s mantra. When presented with a goofy situation, she optimistically sets out to take full advantage. Linda (John Roberts) tackles life by the horns and aspires to have as much fun as possible along the way. For both the audience and her family, she is the life of the party, and her enthusiasm is infectious.
Partial to drinking, (to say the least), Linda is far from a perfect mother, but she may be the most supportive Mom in all media. When her kids want to do something dumb or go on a wild-goose chase, Linda is right beside them giving advice and creative input. It’s unclear whether Linda has absolutely no self-awareness, or if she simply doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her, but regardless, the end result is a comedy goldmine.
2: Teddy
“Teddy, you’re the dangerous Uncle we’ve always wanted” – Louise Belcher
Handyman and obsessive 'Bob’s Burgers' customer, Teddy, is a truly strange man. Teddy’s personality is hard to put a finger on. Is he depressed, enlightened, content, or none of the above? He is an enigma who is both a simpleton and an extremely capable tradesman. With the amount of time he hangs around the restaurant with his reluctant “best friend”, Bob, Teddy might as well be a member of the family.
Teddy is impossibly gullible and suggestible to even the most absurd schemes hatched up by Linda and the Belcher kids. He is always poking his (butt-shaped) head in the Belcher’s business and joining them in their antics. He has a knack for getting on Bob’s nerves, to amazing comedic effect, amplified by Linda’s constant empowerment of his worst and most obnoxious tendencies. The vocal performance by Larry Murphy is probably the greatest asset to the character and is always a delight to hear.
1:Tina Belcher
It’s particularly strange how one of the most honest portrayals of a teenage girl on TV is one voiced by a 40-year-old man, (Dan Mintz). Tina has the fortitude and consistent moral compass we all wish we could adhere to. She’s self-aware and contemplative while also being appropriately naive as any teenager is. Like another great cartoon character, Daria Morgendorffer, she is a monotonal outsider sporting glasses and unfashionable clothes. However, Tina is nowhere near as book-smart or wise as Daria. What makes Tina so lovable is that she is unapologetically herself.
A much lazier show would relegate Tina to an ostracized punching bag for the more popular kids in school, à la Meg Griffin, but Tina’s situation is far more nuanced and complex. Like a real student, Tina doesn’t know precisely where she fits in. In one episode she could be the belle of the ball (“Mazel Tina”), and in the next, she could be struggling to maintain any relevance with other kids in her school (“Bad Tina”). Whether she’s fantasizing about being romantically involved with zombies, or objectifying men’s posteriors, Tina is an honest portrayal of how confusing it is to be a hormone-ravaged teen.
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