Bob’s Burgers Season 16 Episode 6 Review: Get Her to the Zeke

Bob’s Burgers Season 16 Episode 6, “Get Her to the Zeke,” brings us yet another Tina-centric episode. This time, she’s playing matchmaker for Zeke. 

Tina wants to go to the upcoming eighth-grade dance with Jimmy Jr, but he doesn’t want to leave Zeke to go alone. The solution? Set Zeke up with the first girl they see. 

Zeke has always been a more goofy character, so it’s nice to see another side of him.

Zeke is trying very hard to impress his date, Penelope, which is actually consistent with his character. Unfortunately, Penelope is a nightmare.

She’s controlling, she’s judgmental, and brings her own food to a restaurant like a maniac. The episode does a great job of making her behavior funny and over-the-top, while never making Zeke the butt of the joke. 

Bob’s Burgers is a comedy, and the characters are young, so obviously the situation is never that serious. But still, Zeke is trying so hard, and it’s a little heartbreaking to watch his date be so mean to him.

It’s also a relief to see that Tina and Jimmy Jr. take note of Zeke’s well-being.

The A-plot is at its best when it focuses more on their concern for Zeke.

Jimmy Jr is Zeke’s best friend, so it makes sense for him to be worried, but it is sweet to see Tina start to relate to him as well.

She and Zeke are both romantics! Of course, she feels bad for putting him in that situation.

With that said, the episode tries to raise the stakes for Tina further. Penelope threatens to set Jimmy Jr. up with her cousin after Tina confronts her. 

The additional conflict feels a bit clumsy and forgettable, given that Tina already regrets setting Zeke up with her at this point in the story.

The episode tries to give Tina another reason to take a hard stance against Penelope when she doesn’t need to do so.

It doesn’t take away too much from the episode, but it does feel a little awkward in its execution. The additional conflict never feels like a threat, and undercuts the parallel the episode is drawing between Tina and Zeke. 

The B-plot sees the return of Hugo, the health inspector, and Ron. They show up at the restaurant with Roxy, the Rat Queen.

She’s here to catch the massive “super rat” spotted in the Belcher’s back alley, and Hugo is here to suck up to her. 

People in Bob’s Burgers either don’t care about their jobs at all or they basically embody their work. There is no in between.

Roxy, in her limited screen time, completely embodies her title as the Rat Queen to hilarious effect. She acts more like a bounty hunter than an exterminator.

Bob is the one who finds the super rat and accidentally lets it into the restaurant. The best part of this reveal is the falsetto H. Jon Benjamin uses for Bob’s reaction. 

The B-plot doesn’t have any connection to the main story, but it’s still fun nonetheless. 

This outing isn’t the tightest episode of the season, but the issues it has are not at all glaring. The episode is still funny and heartfelt, and it leaves you feeling proud of Tina.

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Bob’s Burgers airs Sundays at 9:30/8:30c on Fox.

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