5 Best Bob's Burgers Valentine's Day Episodes
"Bob's Burgers" may be best known for its excellent Thanksgiving-themed episodes. Being a chef gives Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin) a unique perspective on that particular holiday that tends to get overlooked by other sitcoms. However, one shouldn't ignore the many superb Valentine's Day episodes the animated show has put out over the years.
Bob and Linda Belcher (John Roberts) are the rare sitcom couple who actually seem to like each other. That means there are opportunities to further explore their relationship in such holiday specials beyond the "husband forgets entirely about Valentine's Day" plots so many shows rely on. Plus, Tina Belcher (Dan Mintz) obviously has an obsession with Jimmy Jr. (Benjamin) that has ample opportunities for romantic storylines.
It's good that "Bob's Burgers" didn't go for its dark original concept, or else such lovey-dovey plots may not have worked. As it stands, the show can become a go-to source for single people and couples alike when Valentine's Day rolls around. Here's your guide to the five best "Bob's Burgers" Valentine's Day episodes from worst to best from a writer who specializes in watching and analyzing adult animated sitcoms and may have dressed up as Bob Belcher on more than one occasion for Halloween.
5. The Gene and Courtney Show (Season 6, Episode 7)
When it comes to the Belcher kids, Tina gets more of the love-centric storylines, but Gene (Eugene Mirman) has an on-again/off-again relationship with Courtney (David Wain). This relationship once again takes center stage in the Season 6 Valentine's Day episode, "The Gene and Courtney Show." The pair are tasked with providing the morning announcements to spice them up, and through working together, their feelings for each other reemerge, even though Gene totally broke Courtney's heart in Season 3's "The Unbearable Like-Likeness of Gene."
Courtney's the one who ultimately halts their romance from progressing any further this time around, but honestly, it's not cool of Gene to keep messing with Courtney's emotions like this. After all, he dated her initially even though he didn't even like her and publicly embarrassed her last time. "The Gene and Courtney Show" at least provides some greater emotional maturity for Gene, as he realizes it's okay if he can't be with Courtney now, but their whole relationship tends to leave a bad taste in the mouth.
Tina's B-plot is solid. She obsesses over the fact none of her classmates sent her a carnation. The highlight of the episode might be the end, where Bob and Linda realize they didn't do anything for each other because they were too busy with other things. It's relatable to any couple who's been together for so long that they completely overlook Valentine's Day but still want to make out with each other.
4. V for Valentine-Detta (Season 8, Episode 8)
Jimmy Jr.'s a bit of a putz, as he frequently toys with Tina's feelings for him. This comes to the forefront of Season 8's "V for Valentine-Detta" where Tina bemoans how Jimmy Jr. is spending Valentine's Day with another girl. Bob and Linda were supposed to have a romantic Valentine's excursion in a limo, but now, the Belcher women come together for a girl's night out to cheer Tina up in said limo, and it's exceptionally sweet.
Linda, Tina, and Louise (Kristen Schaal) may be very different women, but they're all there for each other. And if Louise is going out and about on Valentine's Day, you better believe she's going in monster make-up. It's also nice to see the theme of female empowerment extending to the girl Jimmy Jr. went out with instead, Becky (Minty Lewis). Becky wasn't intentionally trying to hurt Tina by going out with Jimmy Jr., and by the end, she, too, comes out for the girls' night. Jimmy Jr.'s the jerk in this scenario, and it's nice to see the girls uplifting one another.
Bob and Gene get a mild B-story in this episode by taking a trapeze lesson together. Similarly, Bob and Gene have very divergent personalities, so it's nice to see them bond over something. If nothing else, "V for Valentine-Detta" deserves recognition for introducing audiences to Nat the limo driver, voiced by Jillian Bell. She's easily one of the best recurring minor characters to come on "Bob's Burgers," and overall, this episode shows that Valentine's Day doesn't always have to be about romantic love. The love within families is just as worthy of being celebrated.
3. Bob Actually (Season 7, Episode 9)
Taking a cue from "Love Actually," the Season 7 episode "Bob Actually" presents several stories of love centered on the Belcher family. Everyone gets a chance to shine in this one, with a few different fun storylines. Tina has a chance to kiss Jimmy Jr. on a trampoline so that they can have a "sky kiss," which is a problem because Tina had chili the night before if you catch our drift. Gene develops an infatuation with a cafeteria worker, while Bob takes hip-hop dance classes to impress Linda.
However, the standout storyline in this episode belongs to Louise, who's never one to really be into the whole Valentine's thing. She soon suspects Regular-Sized Rudy (Brian Huskey) has a crush on her only to learn he actually wants to give a Valentine's gift to Chloe Barbash (Stephanie Beatriz), a more popular girl who wants nothing to do with him. Louise wants to spare Rudy's feelings, but he winds up getting hurt by Chloe, leading to Louise sharing a kiss with him by the episode's end.
Louise tends to put on a tough exterior, but this episode (along with plenty of other more recent ones) shows how, deep down, she truly does care about her friends and family. Overall, "Bob Actually" gets points for how ambitious the story is with each member of the Belchers getting time to shine. It comes to a head with a sequence of kisses, with everyone getting some kind of joyous conclusion. It's just the thing to fill your stomach with butterflies on Valentine's Day.
2. Can't Buy Me Math (Season 5, Episode 11)
Tina may have a perpetual crush on Jimmy Jr., but she pretty much falls for any boy who gives her a modicum of attention. That's on full display for Season 5's "Can't Buy Me Math," where Tina teams up with Darryl (Aziz Ansari) so that they can both land their dream crushes. The plan is simple: Darryl and Tina can go to the Valentine's Day dance together and win Cupid's Couple because two nerds dating is extraordinarily cute (per Darryl's logic). This would allow them to break up and get with other people they actually want to be with, but Tina can't help herself from genuinely falling for Darryl.
It's great to see Darryl getting some attention in an episode and utilizing some good, old-fashioned social engineering. It's also a great showcase for Tina because while she falls in love with every boy, she doesn't really know all that much about love. She should know Darryl doesn't like her back and that he's only pretending so that he can date someone else, but she's so desperate for any romantic validation that she sees it as real. These sorts of misunderstandings result in Tina becoming more well-rounded and more knowledgeable in the ways of love, growing more mature as the series goes on.
Bob and Linda also get plenty to do, as Linda plans a week full of Valentine's activities. They play off one another amazingly in an "odd couple" sort of way where Linda pursues these ill-advised Valentine's adventures while Bob points out what's wrong. But even Bob, as stuffy as he can be, will still give Linda a strip tease by the end because he's willing to get outside of his comfort zone if it makes her happy.
1. My Fuzzy Valentine (Season 3, Episode 13)
Remember earlier when we said a lot of sitcom dads tend to forget Valentine's Day? In the show's first Valentine's outing — Season 3's "My Fuzzy Valentine" — Bob's not much better. He remembers the holiday but celebrates it with ... heart-shaped pancakes. It's not exactly the height of romance, so the kids convince Bob to find a better gift for Linda, and while they're all out, Linda hosts speed dating with the restaurant's customers.
Bob figures the best gift for Linda would be Dr. Love Love's Testometer that they played on an early date. Bob eventually finds it after a wild goose chase, but he realizes that he played the love tester with a different woman on another date. He brings it back to the restaurant as Linda's getting arrested (speed dating gets a little out of hand), and Linda loves that he put in all that effort to make her happy even if the gift itself wasn't actually meaningful. It's a perfect exemplification of Linda as a character and her relationship with Bob. Some may scoff at the sentiment, "It's the thought that counts," but for Linda, the thought is everything. Bob ran around town and spent far too much money on a love tester that actually wasn't significant to her, but Linda's smitten that Bob went through all that trouble because he thought it would make her happy.
"Bob's Burgers" came out the gate strong with a Valentine's Day episode that shows why Bob and Linda are goals. And that relationship only gets stronger with each passing holiday special. So cuddle up with a loved one or a glass of wine and watch "Bob's Burgers" this Valentine's Day to let Bob and Linda show you how it's done.