L'il Hard Dad

"L'il Hard Dad" is the 14th episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Bob's Burgers and the overall 81st episode, and is written by Nora Smith and directed by Chris Song. It aired on Fox in the United States on March 8, 2015.

Plot

Bob becomes obsessed with his new automatic helicopter. When it falls apart for no reason, he enters into a battle with the manufacturer in order to receive a refund. Gene assists Bob in his quest, but things quickly get out of hand and end in a crazy helicopter battle. Meanwhile, Louise and Linda help Tina prepare for her oral book report on The Call of the Wild.

Reception

Alasdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+, saying, "Lil’ Hard Dad" is a fine episode that keeps a particular focus on the Belcher family, with only the helicopter hobbyists and the cameos from Jocelyn and Teddy at the end distracting from the dedicated exploration of the Belchers’ own unique brand of crazy. This isn’t the kind of hugely ambitious episode that redefines what Bob’s Burgers can be, but it doesn’t need to be. This episode succeeds because it identifies unusual ways to combine the five core characters, and those interactions are just unfamiliar enough to add that extra zip to the gags."^[1] The episode received a 1.2 rating and was watched by a total of 2.56 million people. This made it the fifth most watched show on Fox that night, behind Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Simpsons, Family Guy and The Last Man on Earth.^[2]

References