Bob’s Burgers: Why are Tina and Linda so underrated?

Tina and Linda are one of the most underrated pairings on Bob’s Burgers. In honor of Season 10’s “Local She-Ro,” it’s time to figure out why.

At the beginning of Season 10, Bob’s Burgers featured multiple episodes in which Bob was paired up with one of the kids. Since then, things have been a bit more sporadic but one person who doesn’t seem to get the same treatment is Linda.

Unlike Bob, Linda usually ends up in the background. Maybe it’s because of Linda ending up being more of the “comic relief” and Tina being a fan favorite. Either way, let’s explore their relationship a little further including Season 10’s “Local She-ro.”

Linda and Tina are pretty similar characters in a lot of ways. Not only do the two look similar but they also share some personality traits. Both are extremely loyal to their siblings, have generally positive attitudes and are incredibly creative. For Linda, it comes out via her songs while for Tina, it’s in her erotic friend fiction. There are other similarities, but those are the three that stand out most when comparing the two.

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The two don’t have many differences but Linda is definitely more reckless than Tina. While Tina is rule-follower, Linda isn’t afraid to break a few. It’s come between the two of them before and gave us one of the first rifts in their relationship.

Additionally, Tina isn’t nearly as open towards people while Linda will start talking to anyone about anything. Maybe it’s because of her teenage awkwardness. Those few distinct differences give us a small idea of why Bob’s Burgers writers don’t seem to pair the two up as often.

A major reason the show could shy away from pairing Linda up with Tina is that Linda is usually paired up with Gayle. During almost every single season, we see Linda having to deal with Gayle or getting embroiled in some plan Gayle hatches. As for Tina, she’s a pretty strong character who doesn’t need to be supported as much. Similar to Bob and Gene’s situation, pairing up Tina and Linda isn’t always exciting unless it’s a high-stakes situation or where one is turned against the other.

Even though there is a lack of love for Tina and Linda’s relationship, the two have been featured in some pretty great moments. Let’s take a brief walk down memory lane and then talk about this week’s episode.

Before getting started though, there will be spoilers from this week’s Bob’s Burgers episode, “Local She-Ro.”

The first episode to come to mind is Season 2’s “Bad Tina.” When Linda finds out Tina’s getting blackmailed, she immediately wants to help and has Tina tap into her creative side. While things go a little off-the-rails, it’s solid advice. At least Linda’s heart was in the right place and Tina didn’t suffer too much blowback.

Moving ahead to Season 4, Tina and Linda get paired up but this time, for a secret mission. In “The Kids Run Away,” Linda enlists Tina to help Louise get a cavity filled by sending them to Gayle’s to get her to leave. Eventually, Tina and Linda win much to Louise’s dismay but it’s still an extremely underrated moment for Tina and Linda. No one even mentions their team-up when talking about the episode.

Before talking about the newest episode, two other episodes stand out. The first episode I’m talking about is “The Gene and Courtney Show.” In the episode, Linda helps Tina put back together all of the carnation cards after she gets them all mixed up.

Even Louise gets in on the fun. While the episode is mostly focused on Gene and Louise, the moments between Tina and Linda are surprisingly funny and a nice break from the story.

Before getting into this week’s episode, Tina and Linda have already been paired up in an episode from this season. “Yurty Rotten Scoundrels” focuses on Gayle, but pairs up Tina and Linda to deal with her rather than just Linda. The three of them make an unlikely trio but it works.

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With those episodes out of the way, let’s talk about the most recent Season 10 episode, “Local She-Ro.” After getting reminded of her report about a place that inspired her, Tina gets jealous of Tammy since she’s writing about New York City. Upon hearing how much Tina loves NYC, Linda wants to show her how great Wagstaff is since Linda didn’t end up going there. Linda hears about Dove Shannon, a singer who moved from New York to Wagstaff and the two go on a quest to find her.

They end up at Treasures of the Tide where the owner tells them Dove Shannon died but they hear her singing so they follow her and she doesn’t want to be bothered. Tina wants to give up but they decide to go after Dove. Linda gets stuck in the mud and finally realizes how ridiculous she’s being. The episode ends with Dove helping them out, Linda apologizing to Tina and Tina deciding to do her report on Wagstaff.

“Local She-Ro” was the icing on the cake when it comes to Tina and Linda’s relationship. It was also a solid pick for Mother’s Day as well. Even though Tina and Linda’s relationship doesn’t get focused on as much, it’s clear they’ve had some memorable moments. While Bob’s Burgers probably won’t feature them as frequently as they should, they’re still a great duo.

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

What did you think of “Local She-Ro?” Do you have a favorite Tina and Linda moment? Be sure to let us know in the comments!