Bob’s Burgers: Assessing season 5, its impact and likability

By Rebecca Mills | Jul 1, 2018

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

For the first July assessment of Bob’s Burgers, it’s time to talk about season 5. With a focus on music and Bob, there’s a lot to talk about.

It’s officially July 1^st and thus the start of another month of assessing Bob’s Burgers. For the entire month of June, it was all about the first four seasons and in July, we’ll continue up until season 8. Let’s talk about season 5 first, though.

Each Sunday, I’ll discuss a season, talk about what made the season stand out, some memorable episodes and if I consider it a favorite. As per usual, I’d love to hear feedback from fellow Bob’s Burgers fans including your thoughts on the season, your favorite episode from each season and general thoughts.

As noted above, the one major “fun fact” about season 5 is its emphasis on music. A lot of the episodes feature a song or some kind of musical moment. If anything, it helped cement the show’s decision to release an album. We were also introduced to some new characters who would appear in later seasons.

With the stability of seasons 3 and 4, season 5 had some breathing room. Even so, the show kept its formula and humor the same. One note for season 5 is its focus on Bob as a lot of episodes center around him. Each season seems to have a certain character they focus on and season 5 was Bob’s.

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Keeping in the same vein as season 4, season 5 didn’t do anything drastic. The show was pretty secure in its identity and didn’t want to change much. As for memorable episodes, season 5 has a handful of them.

The first and likely most popular episode of season 5 is “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl.” For the season 5 premiere, Bob’s Burgers started off huge with a musical-themed episode. The twist is the two musicals are Working Girl and Die Hard, written by Gene and Courtney. The episode has great songs, an awesome mash-up and a guest appearance by Carly Simon.

There wouldn’t be a memorable episodes list without a holiday one. For season 5, I’m going with “Father of the Bob.” It’s the first time we meet Bob’s father and also learn a bit more about Bob’s childhood. With this episode in particular and future ones, the show focuses on parenting especially fatherhood.

Another memorable episode is “Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise.” A Bob and Louise episode, we watch as Bob hires Logan much to Louise’s dismay and the strain it puts on their relationship. This is a huge turning point for Bob and Louise as they’re usually on each other’s teams.

The last episode to make my list is “Hawk & Chick.” Another Bob and Louise-centric episode makes the list. Throughout the episode, we watch the internal struggles Bob and Louise have about the possibility of a future conflict. It’s incredibly touching and another rare moment for Louise.

Season 5 is a tough one to pinpoint as far as fan reaction goes. There are a lot of good episodes while others aren’t so memorable. Would I call it a fan favorite? Maybe but I don’t see as much hype around it.

Next: Bob’s Burgers: Assessing season 4, its impact and likability

Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of season 5. I have some favorite episodes, but it’s not one of my favorites. However, some of my favorite episodes are “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl,” “Friends with Burger-fits,” and “The Gayle Tales.”

Do you consider Bob’s Burgers season 5 a favorite of yours? What are some of your favorite season 5 episodes?