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‘Just One Of The Boyz4Now For Now’ – Bob’s Burgers season 9 episode 1 review

Welcome to our episode-by-episode reviews of Bob’s Burgers’ ninth season. Fun times ahead!

SPOILER ALERT!
Serial

The news that Bob’s Burgers was returning with a musical episode was, for want of a better expression, music to my ears. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of tune-free episodes that are absolute perfection, but when Bob’s Burgers does original music, it rarely knocks it anywhere other than out of the park. Combine that with the return of Louise’s secret not-so-secret obsession and Tina’s disturbingly overt obsession Boyz4Now and you’ve got all the ingredients for a perfect curtain raiser to the season.

“My Annie wig! I knew she’d live to dance another day”

After Boo Boo tragically left Boyz4Now, the band became Boyz3Now and their album Three Is More Than Four was a total flop (what a shock!). Now they’re in town searching for a new Boo Boo, something Louise considers impossible. (“They’re never going to find someone as slappable as Boo Boo to take his place. His face fits right in my tiny little hand.”). So that means a convention centre full of boys aged 11-17, a veritable “smorgasboyd” that Tina will find irresistible. Gene not interested though, he’s waiting to replace Baby Spice, which will take a while as “she’s just a baby.”

True love often arrives in a shower of paper napkins

Of course, Tina just has to walk outside the restaurant before she runs straight into a Boyz4Now hopeful called Damon (voiced by Josh Gad) and falls hopelessly, creepily in love with him, setting in motion her plan to disguise herself as a boy and sneak into the auditions to find him again. Tina’s collision with Damon sets in motion the episode’s running theme. Every time she meets a boy, she falls hopelessly in love with them via an imaginary boyband music video playing in her head, each one of which is absolute genius. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but it would be between ‘Friend Zone’ and ‘No Pants In Space’, the latter featuring a reunion between The Book Of Mormon stars Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells.

Welcome to the friend zone. Population: you

While Tina searches for Damon, the family are protecting a baby rat that Teddy found. Naturally this means Bob falls in love with the baby rat and Hugo turns up for a surprise inspection. It’s always fun to set Bob against his rival (in Hugo’s mind anyway) and Bob’s irrational connection to unexpected things is part of why he’s so darn lovable.

If Teddy offers you a box, do NOT take the box

In the end, Boo Boo returns, which was inevitable, but his unveiling unleashes another flight of fancy from Tina, literally this time, as she soars away with the band on a white unicorn while they sing ‘The Right Number Of Boys For You Is Four Forever’. It’s a guaranteed hit, but I’m still humming ‘Friend Zone.’

Store next door: Paul’s Risers – Bleachers, Platforms and Stages (Paul Reiser? Mad About You? Aliens? Never mind)

Pest Control: Fleas Just Not That Into You

Burger of the Day: The Dragon Fruit Me Straight To Hell burger (Sounds disgusting)

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