The Bob's Burgers Scene That Proves Bob Is The Best Cartoon Dad
We've grown to love the Belcher family since the premiere of "Bob's Burgers." Sure, we never get tired of hearing H. Jon Benjamin give life to the perpetually put-upon father Bob, while his wife Linda (John Roberts) and three children never seem to run out of unhinged behavior to subject him to. But all of that would be little more than a gimmick if there weren't a heart and soul keeping everything relatable. Even when the show is at its most raunchy and risque, there's always the knowledge that what we're ultimately watching are the travails of a family very much like our own.
This sentiment goes back even to the series' earliest seasons. In 2013, Hollywood.com ran a commentary by the site's staff arguing that "The universal humor of the issues that Bob and his family of five handle are so funny because everyone has experienced them at one time or another." The same piece later reminds us that Bob's frustrations aren't just punchlines in and of themselves: "With Bob though, it often comes with love. And extreme aggravation."
How true. Bob's connection with his family is clearly on display countless times throughout the series, from when Gene (Eugene Mirman) starts dressing and acting like him to when Louise (Kristen Schaal) starts to fear losing touch with her father in Season 5's "Hawk & Chick" (via IMDb). However, there's one scene in particular that has fans of the show feeling all the feels for the Belcher patriarch.
Bob lies to protect Tina
The scene in question is from Season 3, Episode 7, "Tinarannosaurus Wrecks." This episode starts with Bob deciding to give his eldest and still growing-up daughter Tina (Dan Mintz) a chance to get some experience behind the wheel of his car in the grocery store parking lot. Tina, who is all of 13, accidentally hits the car of Bob's gloating rival, Jimmy Pesto (Jay Johnston). Bob covers for Tina, and the rest of the episode's hijinx revolves around trying to keep the truth from a crooked insurance adjuster named Chase (Bob Odenkirk).
Throughout the episode, Tina is wracked by guilt to the point where she thinks she's cursed. When Chase invites Bob and the rest of the Belchers to cater a party at his home, Tina is on the verge of cracking. Bob turns away for a moment, leaving her supervising the grill. He then turns back to find that not only the grill has caught fire but that the flames have spread to the sides of Chase's home.
Bob's first concern is always his kids
Given how much grief his kids' eccentricities can cause him, it would be a fairly predictable animated sitcom move to have Bob full of constant resentment towards them. That he isn't is precisely what makes him an endearing character. When he sees Tina near a spreading blaze, the first thing out of his mouth isn't about the burgers or Chase's house. It's "Tina!" He then runs over to her to move her away from the open flames.
"Why does it make me so happy that a cartoon parent cares about his kid getting burned?" asks one comment, left by cariad, on a YouTube clip of the scene. "They have, no joke, the healthiest cartoon relationships I've ever seen." The comment has been liked over three thousand times, and other comments share similar sentiments.
Granted, a father's love and concern for his kids shouldn't be all that revelatory, even when the family in question is animated. A quick scan across other cartoon sitcoms reveals that, oddly enough, it is.
"American dad's dad Stan would've criticised Haley for the fire and would've done nothing," commented another YouTube user, Mark Casadevall. "Family Guy's dad Peter would've just pushed Meg into the fire and then do nothing... Bobs Burger's dad Bob moves Tina away from the fire to keep her safe. This is why he's the best dad out of the three." No argument here.