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‘Bob’s Burgers’: How They Broke The Mom Mold With Linda

By Rebecca Mills

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Photo Credit: Bob’s Burgers/Fox, Acquired From Fox Flash

‘Bob’s Burgers’ does something, unlike most TV shows. Linda Belcher is a dedicated mother, but she’s also independent and a flushed out character.

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Compared to other modern cartoon shows, Bob’s Burgers is strange. In Family Guy, American Dad and even The Simpsons, all the mothers are portrayed as stay-at-home moms who either resent their husband/family or dedicate themselves entirely to their children. Then came Linda Belcher, a devoted mother who has a job, fun personality, independence and a loving relationship with her family.

The first season of Bob’s Burgers didn’t do any favors, especially not for Linda. At first, she was painted as a nagging and controlling wife/mother. In the second season, the show breathed new life into her character. In the episode, “Synchronized Swimming,” Linda takes advantage of her kids, stands up for herself, and learns a tough lesson. Even though her kids need her, she doesn’t have to do everything for them, and realizes that she needs to let them be independent.

Her loving relationship with her kids is displayed in other episodes such as “Mother Daughter Laser Razor,” a rare Linda-Louise filled episode and “Gene It On.” She is closest to Tina which is why I didn’t include her. There are countless moments between Linda and Tina throughout the series, but her relationship with Louise is rarely noted. Regardless, it’s obvious she cares and loves her children equally.

Being a devoted mother isn’t everything for Linda, though. She works at Bob’s Burgers where she’s the waitress, cashier and sometimes, the cook. Plus, she takes cares of the restaurant’s thermostat and the finances to keep everything going. Linda is a key part of keeping the restaurant afloat as noted by “Lindapendent Woman.”

“Lindapendent Woman” is the obvious example of Linda’s independence. She decides to take another job after feeling unappreciated. She eventually comes back to the restaurant, but it shows she knows her worth. That episode also gives us a better look at Linda’s personality, and how she isn’t always fun. She’s a hard worker and would rather avoid unneeded conflict.

What makes Linda really different though is her personality. Her tendency to sing almost everything, her trademark “Alriiiight!” and positive attitude are just some of her most endearing personality traits. Linda is also known for liking to drink a glass of wine or maybe a few, but she doesn’t have a drinking problem.

Linda’s love isn’t just for wine and her family, though. She also loves Tom Selleck which is whose face she wants her ashes thrown in. Plus she loves a good reality show especially if it’s about the family of raccoons who lives outside her apartment. In this week’s episode, Linda’s newest obsession is the TV show, “Winthrop Manor” and she wins a trip to the set of her favorite show and a chance to live-action role play as their characters. Unfortunately, she loses her love due to being cast as a servant and gets revenge on the uppercase role-players.

In this week’s episode, Linda’s newest obsession is the TV show, “Winthrop Manor” and she wins a trip to the set of her favorite show and a chance to live-action role play as their characters. Unfortunately, she loses her love due to being cast as a servant and gets revenge on the uppercase role-players by stealing their dessert. This is another moment of Linda’s fun personality and how she can find the good in an otherwise terrible situation.

Related Story: ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Keeps Setting Standards For Holiday Episodes

There’s nothing like a great Linda-centric episode to showcase how great she is. From her little quirks to how loving she is, Linda Belcher is unlike any other TV mom. She’s a  fun yet realistic mom, and who wouldn’t love that?

Bob’s Burgers airs Sundays on Fox at 7:30/6:30c.

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