Bob’s Burgers: Which Valentine’s Day episode is the best?

Bob’s Burgers might not be known for its Valentine’s Day episodes, but the show has some good ones. Which one is best, though?

The day of love is almost here. In less than a week, people around the world will be celebrating Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, the Belcher family won’t be as Bob’s Burgers is still on hiatus but no need to worry. If you don’t have Valentine’s Day, then don’t fret as Bob’s Burgers has a handful of Valentine’s Day episodes you can watch to get in the spirit. Personally, that’s my favorite way to get into the holiday spirit.

Since Valentine’s Day is pretty soon, why not look back at Valentine’s Day episodes the show has produced? Unlike the major holidays, the show hasn’t produced an episode every season but they do have a pretty decent backlist. In total, Bob’s Burgers currently has six Valentine’s Day episodes throughout its ten seasons. It’s pretty good considering that Valentine’s Day isn’t a major holiday.

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Unlike the other holiday episodes, it’s hard to pick an episode that’s not as strong. Almost all of the episodes are heavy-hitters. The one that comes to mind as weakest has to be “Bed, Bob and Beyond.” Airing as Season 9’s V-Day episode, this is one that doesn’t really feel like a Valentine’s Day episode at all. The entire episode centers around the kids trying to cheer Bob and Linda up who are fighting.

To try to ease the tension, the kids take turns, telling a romantic story but ultimately, it feels like a bigger distraction. Overall, this episode felt completely out-of-character for Bob and Linda as the two rarely fight. Plus it’s just an odd concept to feature in a Valentine’s Day episode since it’s supposed to be about how much they love each other. Things work out in the end, but it doesn’t negate what a disappointment most of the episode turned out to be.

Next up has to be “Bob Actually.” This episode is no surprise, based on the movie Love Actually and features each Belcher family member in their own Valentine’s Day affair. It’s hard to give an exact synopsis as each storyline is different. However, that’s the reason why this episode ended up so low on my list. Nothing ever gets fully fleshed out and “Bob Actually” feels messy, resulting in a disjointed episode.

This is where it starts to get difficult as these final four episodes are hard to choose between, but next up is “Can’t Buy Me Math.” A Tina-centric Valentine’s Day episode, we watch as Tina and Darryl team up to make their respective crushes jealous. Eventually, Tina starts to have feelings for Darryl who doesn’t reproach them, resulting in a mess for them both. This episode is completely out of character for Tina as she ends up almost ruining a relationship because of a misunderstanding. While it’s a decent episode, those out-of-character moments for Tina are what bring it down.

Coming in at the very middle of the list is “The Gene and Courtney Show.” Serving as Season 6’s Valentine’s Day episode, this one has two good plotlines. First, Gene and Courtney team up to do the morning announcements but after getting back together, lose their magic. As for the rest of the Belcher family, they get entangled in “Donations 4 Carnations.” There isn’t anything “wrong” with this episode, but it wasn’t as good as the next two so if you haven’t watched, then this is a good place to start.

In the number two spot is “V for Valentine-detta,” which was Season 8’s Valentine’s Day episode and what an episode it is. The episode follows Louise and Linda trying to cheer Tina up after her breakup including some possible revenge while Gene and Bob spend Valentine’s Day, doing an activity Linda picked. What makes the episode so good is that it focuses on Valentine’s Day but not solely on romantic love but rather, the love of the Belchers and new friendship. Overall, this episode was funny, heartwarming and unique, resulting in a satisfying watch.

That leaves the number one spot for “My Fuzzy Valentine.” Maybe I’m a sucker for the first episode, but season 3’s “My Fuzzy Valentine” was a great place to start. The episode follows Bob looking for the perfect V-Day gift for Linda with some help from the kids. While at the restaurant, Linda runs speed-dating for singles. The episode does have a happy ending, but it takes some work to get there and I think that’s why it’s such a great episode.

“My Fuzzy Valentine” doesn’t sugarcoat anything, but rather shows the reality of how Valentine’s Day can turn out. Regardless, Bob and Linda still love each other despite the misunderstandings. It was such an awesome starting point in terms of Valentine’s Day episodes and the show has yet to reach that peak yet. Maybe they’ll come close in season 11 but for now, “My Fuzzy Valentine” remains at the top of my list.

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

Which Bob’s Burgers Valentine’s Day episode is your favorite? Do you agree with my rankings? Be sure to let me know in the comments!