Radio No You Didn't

"Radio No You Didn't" is a stellar episode and one of this season's best by far. Engaging, heartfelt, and unlike anything the series has done before, this might be a new all-timer for Bob's Burgers. Although it maybe could have used one or two more laughs here and there, this episode more than makes up for it by injecting a surprising amount of suspense in some scenes and providing all the endearing warmth Bob's Burgers is known for throughout the rest. Cristin Milioti did an excellent job as Bob's grandmother Alice, vocally crafting a charming, three-dimensional character in her first ever appearance. This is a very high-tier episode. I can't recommend it more.

I'm impressed with the storytelling in this, and Sauce Side Story from last season. I can't recall if the creators had drawn from this well prior to season 12, but this genre of episode is the creative kick in the pants the triptychs were earlier in the series, though seemed to have worn thin recently. When they have Bob, and Linda in Sauce Side Story, telling a story about their family history as a framing device for a story set in the past, with a new cast of characters, it has the effect of making me perk up my ears, lean in, and get absorbed in the narration, same as Tina, Gene, and Louise. The muted color palette of the story-within-a-story, meant to evoke events taking place some 80 years ago, also give the episode more interest. This one even has a Hitchcockian plot concerning Bob's grandma Alice's suspicions about a neighbor. All the more impressive considering, when you account for the narrative bookends of Bob explaining the history of the antique radio cutting into the already slim run time, you're left with 16-18 minutes to get immersed in the core story. If the pattern holds, Loren Bouchard is doling out this sort of episode as a once-a-season event, so as not to wear out their novelty. A very well done episode.