Bob's Burgers Season 11 Episode 8 Review: The Terminalator II: Terminals of Endearment
Sarah Little
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It's always a hoot when Linda's parents visit. Unless you ask Bob, then it's a nightmare from hell.
Bob and Linda tried to squeeze their yearly visit with Gloria and Al on Bob's Burgers Season 11 Episode 8 when the elderly couple had a layover at a local airport on their way home to Florida.
Gloria and Al are your typical sitcom in-laws, with their hearing problems, difficulty with technology, and tension with their daughter's husband. And this airport meet-up gave us all of that and more.
Almost everyone married can relate to Bob and his aversion to his in-laws, but Bob's annoyance with Gloria and Al runs a bit deeper than your average Joe's.
It was sweet to find out that Bob's various problems with Linda's parents all stem from his love for his wife.
You know what they say, if you love something, let it go walking off in an airport.
Louise
It's sort of rare that we see a tender moment between the two spouses since one of the major characteristics of their relationship is their ability to be relatable.
Many of the laughs the show gets are derived from the fact that we can all relate to these characters and the awkward and embarrassing situations they often get themselves into.
But it was nice to be reminded that even though Bob and Linda are married with kids, they still share a love that runs deep.
While Bob was busy being annoyed and trying to make this trip to the airport, the family's yearly visit, Gloria and Al were thriving as the hilarious and clueless elderly couple.
We all know how frustrating it can be to communicate with someone older over the phone. And trying to find them when they go missing in an airport is a feat within itself.
So even though the Belcher family were going out of their minds trying to find Linda's parents, we were laughing at their misery because it's hard not to when Gloria and Al are involved.
Al: All I have is an extra battery for my hearing aid.
Bob: Crap.
Al: What?
Louise: He said crap!
Renée Taylor perfectly captures Gloria's naggy nature as she's scolding Bob and screaming her husband's name. And Sam Seder, who voices Al, sounds like your typical grandpa whose hearing aid isn't working, which will always be funny.
So far, Gloria and Al have only popped up on Bob's Burgers a handful of times, most likely because Bob and Linda like it that way. But I definitely wouldn't mind if their yearly visit turned into a biannual one, especially if that means going back to Florida.
Though it is easy to regard Gloria and Al as the stars of the episode since they were pretty great, the real standout was a character who doesn't even have a name -- the TSA agent.
Bob's Burgers has many side characters that they like to draw from frequently, like Mickey and Darryl, for example. So why can't that now include the TSA agent?
His character, voiced by the hilarious Timothy Simons, did not seem all that special at first. But the more the story at the airport went on, the more we wished he would stay forever.
From his interest in Bob and Linda's story to the revelation that this was his first day on the job, the laughs kept coming.
I seriously hope that this is not the last we have seen of the TSA agent.
The only thing I would ding this half-hour for is the weak "B" story.
Louise and Gene's quest to find a set of wings for the two of them in an airport has comedy gold written all over it.
It would have been nice to see the kids explore the airport a bit more and for them to get themselves into some mischief.
Eat your heart out, Paul McCartney! We've got wings!
Gene
The dreams that Louise and Gene both had about what they would do once they got their wings was funny, but not as funny as it could have and should have been.
With Louise's obsessive nature and Gene's need to be involved in everything, the wings story could have been capitalized more by the writers.
Teddy's random eggplant allergy and subsequent ER visit also felt a bit out of place during the episode, but I will allow it since his embarrassing moments are one of the show's highlights.
Plus, it brings me such joy that he got his snowglobe in the end, along with the kids getting their wings.
It's always nice to see a happy ending for all of the characters on Bob's Burgers, but especially Teddy, who doesn't always have the best of luck.
Thankfully the writers managed to cut him a bit of slack with the snowglobe, even though he still ended up in the hospital because of his love for Bob and his burgers.
All in all, the Belcher family visit to the airport to see Linda's parents was what you would expect from that scenario, but that is not a bad thing.
Since most of the series occurs in the restaurant, it was nice to have a change of pace and have the family go on a bit of a journey.
Teddy: Real quick, can I use your bathroom? I'll be, like, between five and thirty minutes.
Linda: Take it to-go, Teddy.
It was the right amount of funny combined with a sentimental moment between one of the best TV couples and an introduction to a potentially great side character.
Even with a weak "B" story, the episode still managed to produce laughs and some awing -- which is pretty much a win if you ask me.
What do you think, Bob's Burgers Fanatics?
Did you enjoy the Belcher's yearly visit with Linda's parents? Did the wings story disappoint you? And are you hoping that the TSA agent pops up again, too?
Let me know in the comments, and do not forget that you can watch Bob's Burgers online right here via TV Fanatic!
Bob's Burgers airs Sundays at 9/8c on FOX.
Sarah Little was a staff writer for TV Fanatic.She retired in September 2021.
