Bob’s Burgers: Why Gene is the ultimate middle child

In its first episode of December, Bob’s Burgers focuses on our favorite middle child in “All That Gene” which is one of many examples of Gene’s affiliation.

On Bob’s Burgers, it feels like all of the characters are important. Each member of the Belcher family has a role and they play it to perfection. As far as characters go, the kids are arguably the most popular especially Louise and Tina. If there’s one character who truly lives up to their title though, it’s Gene Belcher.

In a lot of ways, Gene is the ultimate middle child. While he might not be anything like Jan Brady or Lisa Simpson, Gene has all the classic signs of being a middle child. As the only boy of the group too, Gene’s already at a disadvantage. Being a middle child is a huge part of this character but it probably isn’t how most fans would describe him. Let’s get into why Gene is the ultimate middle child and which episodes show that much.

Before getting into the examples, there will be spoilers from this week’s most recent episode of Bob’s Burgers. If you haven’t watched “All That Gene,” then be warned. If you have, then let’s get into why Gene is the ultimate middle child and which episodes show it best.

1. Middle children usually have strong friendships

One of the major traits for middle children is forming strong relationships. Whether it be with their family members, friendships or significant other, they focus on building strong and long-lasting relationships. Middle children usually aren’t given as much focus as the youngest or oldest so it’s easy to see why they would focus on creating strong relationships with others. They want others to feel important and valued since they weren’t always given the most attention.

Relating this to Gene is pretty easy. Of all the Belchers, Gene is the only one who has had a solid best friend during the series. In Season 8’s “Cheer Up Sleepy Gene,” we were introduced to Alex who is Gene’s best friend. Since then, Gene and Alex have done a lot of things together. Gene also shares a close relationship with Louise as the two are usually partners-in-crime.

However, “Larger Brother, Where Fart Thou?” was easily their best moment. While Gene’s relationships don’t get as much focus, they’re some of the stronger ones on the show.

2. Middle children are usually easygoing

Another trait associated with middle children is being easygoing. Maybe it’s because they’re stuck in the middle but they usually either end up doing what the oldest or youngest wants. It also might have something to do with parents being a little laxer than they were with their oldest child. Middle children are more likely to just go with the flow and not cause any problems as they don’t see the use in it and frankly, who can blame them?

Of all the Belchers siblings, Gene is the most easygoing. Gene definitely goes with the flow when it comes to plans that Louise comes up with or doing whatever the girls suggest. Very rarely does he take up a cause himself? If he does, then he usually has his sisters there to back him up. There are multiple examples of this but one that stands out is Season 5’s “The Kids Rob A Train” in which he goes along with Louise’s plan to steal chocolate.

3. Middle children find creative ways to get attention

This next trait should come as no surprise. Middle children are known for finding creative ways to get the attention on them. Since they’re not the “responsibility” one like the oldest or the baby like the youngest, they need to make sure they get some attention. Their methods might not always be appreciated but they aren’t afraid to go the extra mile. Of all the traits on the list, this one is most believable as most middle children don’t always get attention so they aren’t afraid to do something to get it.

Since the beginning of the series, Gene has always been the center of attention. Whether he’s wearing the burger suit, singing a song or playing on his keyboard, Gene definitely stands out in his own way. Gene will pretty much do anything to get attention in the weirdest way possible. There are tons of examples for this including “Beefsquatch” in which he steals attention away from Bob, “Gene It On” in which he becomes a cheerleader and “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl” where he steals all the attention away from Courtney’s musical.

4. Middle children always get hand-me-downs

This last one isn’t as much a trait, but rather an unfortunate part of being a middle child. If you’re a middle child, then you’re more than likely to get the hand-me-downs from your older sibling. While most people associate this with clothes, it can be anything such as toys, a car or shoes.

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It can be annoying if you’re a middle child but does make sense as there’s no point in getting rid of the stuff when it can be used again. Either way, it’s not the same as getting something new like the oldest usually does.

This week’s episode is the perfect example of that. “All That Gene” features Gene getting handed a role because of Linda. In terms of traditional hand-me-downs, Gene obviously can’t wear Louise and Tina’s clothes. However, this is the closest thing to a hand-me-down. Let’s break down the episode and look at the ways Gene is the ultimate middle child in it.

“All That Gene” begins with Gene doing “The Gene Show” in which he sings, dances and puts on performances in the apartment. Down at the restaurant, Teddy explains that there’s a part in the community theater and Linda quickly decides that Gene must audition. Gene’s audition goes bad so Linda bribes the director to give Gene a part if she works at the theater. Rehearsals are going alright until Gene keeps making changes, angering the director.

Mr. Ambrose tells Gene the truth about what Linda did and the following day, Gene explains that Linda hurt his feelings by lying to him. Eventually, Gene decides to stop being “extra” and play the role as the director wanted. The episode ends with Linda explaining that Gene is awesome the way he is and his extraness ends up saving the show since all the actors were sick.

“All That Gene” has multiple examples of Gene being the ultimate middle child. As noted above, he’s given a hand-me-down part in the play by Linda. The other trait the episode features are Gene finding creative ways to get attention. Whether it be with “The Gene Show,” him remixing Quiet Eli’s part or him saving the play, Gene doesn’t step out of the spotlight much once he gets there. “All That Gene” is easily one of the biggest examples of Gene’s middle-childness.

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

What did you think of “All That Gene?” Do you think the episode personified Gene’s traits as a middle child? Be sure to let us know in the comments!