Bob’s Burgers is one of the few shows I know of that regularly still does Thanksgiving episodes. It didn’t happen every year in the early seasons but lately has become a regular feature of the show. Largely and understandably, because Bob is obsessed with the holiday as a chef. There are a lot of great Thanksgiving episodes in the series, and I thought I would put together a short list of my favorites.

Now We’re Not Cooking with Gas

Bob is prepping for his yearly over-the-top Thanksgiving when he is called and told he has finally been selected to receive a Riverbrook Lake Farms turkey – he has been on a waiting list for years – something that brings him great joy. We’ve seen Bob with turkeys, and this time is even more over the top. However, the morning of Thanksgiving, Bob discovers the gas is out. Not wanting to freeze his special turkey, Bob builds a fire outside and attempts to cook it over an open flame, sending the kids to go get more wood. The plan goes… poorly. The fire department threatens to spray him down, and the kids are more interested in getting a large log home rather than helpful pieces of wood, Linda pushes back on him. It’s a great “everything that can go wrong will” episode, but it does ultimately have a happy ending which I liked. It’s not my favorite, but it’s pretty amusing.

Turkey in a Can

I am always a fan of Linda and Gail together, but while they are amusing, Bob really steals the show in this episode. Someone, for some unknown reason, keeps putting Bob’s turkeys in the toilet. Bob begins to slip into madness over this and tries to outmaneuver the turkey destroyer only to keep being outplayed. The butcher also slowly yet surely starts to “fall for Bob” as Bob keeps returning to buy new turkeys. Meanwhile, Tina is trying to convince the family that it’s time for her to move to the grown-up table, something Bob keeps fighting against while trying to save his turkeys. The ending is sweet, but Bob’s descent into madness, and possible bisexuality, is just hilarious.

I Bob Your Pardon

Taking a cue from one of the silliest American traditions, the town decides to do a turkey pardon. Still, the kids overhear that they are planning on taking the “pardoned” turkey to a slaughterhouse anyway. Bob doesn’t particularly care, but Linda wanting the kids to keep their belief in goodness, convinces Bob to help them steal the turkey to take to a farm. The whole thing becomes a farce with various roadblocks to saving the turkey. Ultimately Bob even says that he wants the turkey saved for his kids and starts to work harder towards a solution. It’s a sweet episode that, while not consistently hilarious, has some pretty stellar moments.

Thanks-hoarding

Bob and Linda agree to help Teddy, who is having his family over for Thanksgiving, only to discover that Teddy is a hoarder. While Bob tries to help him learn to cook, Linda tries to help him learn to let go. Both are unsuccessful. However, the episode is pretty hilarious, and some of the things Teddy keeps are amusing. Teddy’s reasons why he hoards ends up being rather bittersweet, and Bob is given a chance to redeem himself and finally make a perfect Thanksgiving dinner.

Dawn of the Peck

My personal favorite Thanksgiving episode, from the moment it opens Jurassic Park style to the very end it’s a hilarious episode. Linda and the kids plan on spending Thanksgiving at Wonder Wharf with the kids going on rides and Linda participating in the “running of the turkeys,” which is accurately described as the running of the bulls but stupider. When the “turkeys” (several varieties of birds) are released, they go crazy and start attacking people. Linda, believing it is the spirit of Thanksgiving, must find her kids and help them get out. Meanwhile, Bob, still heartbroken over not doing Thanksgiving, gets drunk, has an emotional confrontation with his turkey baster, and decides, screw it, I am doing Thanksgiving anyway. This episode is just plain hilarious. Linda is in fine form, and drunk Bob is always a trip.

There are a few other Thanksgiving episodes, and honestly, none of them is a dud. However, if you are looking for just a few to watch, these are my personal favorites and the ones I would most recommend, Especially Dawn of the Peck. So I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving, all my American readers, and a great Thursday, all my non.

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving Bob’s episodes? Let me know.