[Editor’s note: contributing writer Maurice Tougas is a big fan of Bob’s Burgers and especially this one particular Christmas episode — so much so he sent me a similar rave review in 2024. Mr and Mrs brioux.tv watched the episode last Christmas and boy is he ever right. This is an animated gem that belongs up there with Rudolph, The Grinch and Charlie Brown.]
The list of TV Christmas classics has been pretty much static for years.
There’s A Charlie Brown Christmas, of course, the perfect Christmas ‘toon that has delighted audiences of all ages – and produced seasonal music classics – since its debut in 1965. Then there’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, a 1966 masterpiece of animation from legendary cartoon director Chuck Jones. And then there’s the human cartoon character, Mr. Bean, in the hilarious Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean from 1992. (I have to confess, every time he gets his head stuck in that giant turkey, it makes me laugh.)
Classics all, but I would like to add one more to the pantheon of great Christmas comedies.
Bob’s Burgers has been reliably delightful for its entire 16-year and counting run, and never more so than in a Christmas episode, The Plight Before Christmas (season 13, episode 10). It can be streamed, available on Disney+.
The story is vintage Bob’s Burgers. The Belcher children – Tina, Gene and Louise – all have commitments to Christmas events on the same night, at the same time: Tina is appearing in a Thundergirls Christmas pageant; Gene is playing a xylophone concert at school; Louise is reading a poem she wrote at the local library (which she claims is about where reindeer poop goes). Bob and Linda – well, Linda mostly – are in a panic, trying to figure out a way to attend three events simultaneously, resulting in the usual Belcher family chaos.
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Bob and Linda decide that since they can’t be in three places at the same time, they’ll just have Louise read the poem to the family later that night at home. But Tina realizes, too late, that Louise is going to read a heartfelt poem about how much she loves her family. Meanwhile, Gene’s music teacher can’t attend the concert, resulting in an inexperienced substitute (guest voice Tinay Fey) having to conduct the xylophone orchestra.
The first two-thirds of the episode (co-written by series creator Loren Bouchard) is just what we expect from Bob’s; funny and heartfelt. But the last third elevates this episode to classic status.
While Gene’s xylophone concert miraculously concludes with a captivating performance (a special instrumental arrangement of Philip Glass’s Mishima/Closing, according to the internet), Louise reads her poem. And it’s perfect, sweet without being saccharine, delivered with a slight catch in the throat by the wonderful comic actress Kristin Schaal (The Last man on Earth).
As embarrassing as it is to admit, the combination of the poem and the music brings me to tears every time I’ve watched it, and I’ve watched it more times than I care to admit. Music is an essential part of Bob’s, and the episode ends with a gorgeous string selection playing overtop of a silent scene of the family celebrating Christmas, followed by a snippet of a song called, “Around the Tree,” sung by Gabriella Wilson, who goes by the name H.E.R.
The Plight Before Christmas is perfect, very funny and deeply touching, accented by beautiful music. If you’ve never seen it, or heaven forbid you’ve never seen Bob’s Burgers (seriously?), watch this episode. And have some tissue nearby.
