“Bob’s Burgers” has been entertaining fans for 248 episodes and a major motion picture since 2011. The animated show follows the shenanigans of the Belcher family — parents Bob and Linda, and children Tina, Gene and Louise — who run a burger shop underneath their apartment. “Bob’s Burger’s” quickly became a favorite to millions and now lives in the pantheon of beloved animated sitcoms. With so many episodes, it’s hard to choose a favorite, but StudyFinds did its best to put together a list of the top five best “Bob’s Burgers” episodes.
“Bob’s Burgers” definitely has some dark humor within its episodes — and a recent study reveals that’s a good thing to like. Those who have an appreciation for dark humor are found to be more intelligent. Analyzing the participants on three dimensions: their intelligence level, predisposition towards black humor, and level of aggression, Medical University of Vienna researchers found that those most interested in dark humor were also the least aggressive and mot intelligent, possessing the highest levels of education.
The animated sitcom is laugh-out-loud funny and easily puts smiles on people’s faces, which can help ease daily stress. Researchers from the Division of Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology at the University of Basel say laughing can serve as a source of relief when it comes to dealing with stress. Their study finds even cracking a smile can help ease the negative effects of stress. Study authors estimate people laugh about 18 times a day. Typically, it’s during interactions with others or experiences that bring them pleasure.
Are you ready to binge-watch hilarious TV? StudyFinds has compiles the top five best “Bob’s Burgers” episodes of all time. Did one of your favorites not make the list? Sound off in the comments below!
The List: Best “Bob’s Burgers” Episodes, According to Fans
1. “Boyz 4 Now” Season 3, Episode 21
This classic from season three tops the list. “When Tina gets concert tickets to Boyz 4 Now, the boy band of the era, Louise tags along,” explains Vulture. “The 9-year-old is less than thrilled to be there (she delivers an excellent, devastating ‘no wonder no one likes women’ line), but she finds herself completely enraptured by the band’s youngest member, Boo Boo (Max Greenfield). The sisters end up sneaking on the tour bus in an effort to get closer to the boys. The episode captures the agony and ecstasy of teen and preteen girlhood, and how (in its best moments) it can be a uniquely bonding experience.”
“As the title likely indicates, ‘Boyz 4 Now’ is a Bob’s Burger episode about a popular boy band, which of course, has Tina and Louise completely enraptured. Knowing these girls, they can’t just enjoy the show – they have to sneak onto the bus and cause problems there,” writes Screen Rant. “This is also the start of the journey of Boyz 4 Now, as they reappear in a few more episodes after this one, becoming a running gag on Bob’s Burgers. The entire focus on Louise and her crush is brilliantly played out with some very funny moments, and there is even a great subplot of Gene competing in a table-scaping event.”
Variety notes that the boy band Boyz 4 Now pays homage to Boyz II Men. “Louise is not one for crushes. She hasn’t hit puberty yet and doesn’t subscribe to her sister’s endless infatuation with boys in her grade. But now, she’s got her eyes on Boo-Boo, the youngest musician of the band ‘Boyz 4 Now,’ a nod to the band Boyz II Men. At a concert, Louise realizes (reluctantly) that she has a crush, and as the boys sing, ‘Let me whisper in your eyes/tell me about the time your goldfish died,’ Louise swoons. They sneak onto the tour bus and find Boo-Boo sitting in a booster seat, and Tina gives the iconic line ‘I put my bra on one boob at a time, just like everyone else.'”
2. “The Hauntening” Season 6, Episode 3
“The Hauntening” is one of the best Halloween episodes from any sitcom — animated or not. “The Belchers know how hard it is to scare Louise, but they pull out every single stop (and then some) to try giving her a horrifying Halloween,” writes Parade.
the hauntening is the superior episode of bobs burgers !!!!!! pic.twitter.com/cD2VxqWeBe
— squid (@veganyogurt) July 23, 2022
“Louise’s cynical nature makes her hard to scare, but that is exactly what she wants to experience each year on Halloween. This year, Bob and Linda take matters into their own hands to create the ultimate scare for their youngest daughter. Unfortunately, Louise is unimpressed, but she ends up with more than she bargained for,” says Collider. “Any episode that peels away Louise’s unflappable facade is a good watch. And, with a 9 on IMDb, it should come as no surprise that one of the Halloween episodes would be rated so highly.”
Looper claims “The Hauntening” is the best “Bob’s Burger” episode ever made. “The show always shines in its holiday episodes, and ‘The Hauntening’ is the perfect Halloween episode, as it manages to be funny and heartfelt, but also genuinely scary. The episode follows a frustrated Louise, who says she’s never been even remotely scared. In an effort to change this, Bob and Linda take the kids to a special haunted house they’ve been working on. Initially, the house seems downright cheesy, but things start to get legitimately frightening, and it seems like they might just terrify Louise after all. ‘The Hauntening’ is special for the way it is able to really dig into the relationships between the Belchers, and specifically the psyche of Louise. It manages the difficult feat of turning horror into a heartwarming moment. Plus, it all culminates in a goofy Boyz 4 Now music video.”
3. “Housetrap” Season 5, Episode 19
Coming in third on the list is “Housetrap” which becomes a memorable noir mystery on a dark and stormy night. “Teddy has quietly become one of the most casually devastating characters on TV. He spends much of his life reeling from his divorce and grappling with loneliness, which is why it’s such a pleasure to watch the series-long arc of him slowly becoming the sixth Belcher family member,” writes Vulture. “In ‘Housetrap,’ he finds a connection with Helen (Kaitlin Olson), a wealthy widow whose beach house he looks after. On a particularly busy workday, the Belchers volunteer to help Teddy prepare the house for a storm. When Helen returns home early and the group (including Teddy) ends up rained in overnight, Linda and Louise begin to suspect that Helen was behind her husband’s death.”
She’ll Be Comin’ Round The Plantain Burger (comes with plantains) – $5.95
from Bob’s Burgers – S5 E19 “Housetrap” pic.twitter.com/zIyFNK0qnz— Bob's Burger Of Day (@bobsburgerofday) May 11, 2015
“A trip to a fancy house near the beach thanks to their friend Teddy leaves the Belchers stranded when a massive storm blows through,” notes CBR. “While Linda and Louise poke around the house, they find pictures of the owner, Helen, and her late husband Larry. Using what little they know, Linda and Louise string up a series of conclusions on what caused Larry’s demise. When Helen unexpectedly shows up, Linda and Louise are on the lookout and convinced that their entire family is in danger of facing the same fate as Larry.”
Parade calls “Housetrap” a very entertaining murder mystery. “The Belchers tag along with Teddy to a stranger’s home, where he’s in charge of putting away patio furniture for its owner, Helen (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s Kaitlin Olson) before it rains. Louise and Linda get nosy, Bob gets ‘loopy’ and we get a potential murder mystery and fantastically entertained. The show also points out that the upper-middle class (and 1%) families and wealth we often see on TV isn’t the reality for many Americans: The kids are excited about drinking water ‘from the fridge.'”
4. “The Oeder Games” Season 5, Episode 21
Looper calls “The Oeder Games” a “hysterical parody of ‘The Hunger Games.'” “‘The Oeder Games’ finds all of Mr. Fischoeder’s tenants heading to his estate in the wake of an upcoming rent increase. The eternally scheming Fischoeder offers his tenants an opportunity: If they play his game, the winner will have their rent reduced by half, though everyone else will be saddled with the increase. Though the ever stoic Bob tries to remain steadfast in refusing the increase, everyone else agrees to play, forcing Bob and the rest of his family to participate in an epic water balloon fight. ‘Bob’s Burgers’ has a real knack for making good use of its large ensemble cast, and in ‘The Oeder Games,’ everyone gets a chance to shine.”
“This is another fun episode centered around one of Mr. Fischoeder’s zany propositions. He raises everyone’s rent, hoping they would come to his house as he had an ulterior motive. When they do, Bob steps forward to represent everyone,” writes Game Rant. “Mr. Fischoeder decides to lower rent down again, but only to the business owner that wins his game of death water balloons. If the title wasn’t obvious already, the episode is based on The Hunger Games series. Bob tries his best to keep everyone together but slowly loses his sanity along the way. It is a priceless Bob moment.”
Screen Rant says the episode “delivers great jokes” and fleshes out the relationships between the characters. “‘The Oeder Games’ was the season five finale. In this episode, Bob learns he could face a rent increase and he convinces his other tenants to go to the landlord and refuse it. However, when the landlord Mr. Fischorder offers a water balloon fight for one tenant to get their rent cut in half, with the rest getting the hike, it is every person for themselves.This episode was a great one, with friends and neighbors turning on each other for self-preservation, resulting in one of the most ridiculous competitions imaginable.”
5. “Bob Day Afternoon” Season 2, Episode 2
Rounding out the list is “Bob Day Afternoon.” “When a robber takes hostages at the bank down the street, Bob’s Burgers becomes the temporary police negotiation headquarters in ‘Bob Day Afternoon,'” writes Vulture. “Sergeant Bosco (Gary Cole) is at the helm of the operation. In an attempt to drum up some publicity, Bob volunteers the restaurant to deliver meals to the hostages. The robber, Mickey (Bill Hader), takes a liking to Bob and ends up holding him hostage as well. Mickey begins to panic and Bob has to coach him through the robbery.”
Chard To A Crisp Burger – with swiss chard – $5.95 from Bob’s Burgers Season 2 – Episode 2 : “Bob Day Afternoon” pic.twitter.com/DlUZbCPGtx
— Bob's Burger Of Day (@bobsburgerofday) November 3, 2014
“A robber named Mickey (played by one fabulous Bill Hader) holds up a bank across the street while cops post up at Bob Belcher’s restaurant. Bob shows off his pettiness when he’s determined to make Mickey admit his burgers are better than Pesto’s pizza, even while a hostage situation is happening right behind him,” notes Parade.
CBR reveals “Bob Day Afternoon” was given an exemplary 8.6 rating on IMDB. “During a hostage situation at the bank, the police use Bob’s restaurant to direct their operations. When the robber, Mickey, demands food to be delivered, Bob sees this as an opportunity to give his restaurant some publicity and agrees to deliver the food to the bank. Once Bob makes his way into the bank, Mickey takes him hostage and Bob is forced to work with the police to help everyone escape while staying on Mickey’s good side. Meanwhile, Louise utilizes this situation as an opportunity to interview Mickey as her topic for a school report.”
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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.