Each year, Bob's Burgers has us looking forward to its Christmas episode and this year, we're getting served it a little early.
Regardless, there were so many great episodes of Bob's Burgers in 2024 which isn't something all shows can relate to. In recent years, the show has gone a bit more sentimental with its holiday episodes so it'll be interesting to see where "Dog Christmas Day After Afternoon" will fall.
No matter what type of episode we're in store for, it's bound to find its audience. That's the one great thing about the Bob's Burgers holiday episodes. The show will give us the perfect holiday episode and from there, it's a test to see if the show will top itself or not.
Regardless of your allegiance to Bob's Burgers, we're here to talk about season 15's Christmas episode, "Dog Christmas Day After Afternoon." If you haven't watched the episode yet, there will be spoilers from this point on.
Here's what happened in "Dog Christmas Day After Afternoon."
The episode starts with the Belcher siblings on Christmas Eve, all talking about getting the Game Whiz from Bob and Linda. The next morning, the kids wake up and find out that they didn't get the Game Whiz they wanted. Linda suggests they play with the Color Tron which is basically a version of Bop-It and the kids don't seem to get it.
To try to make it up to the kids, Linda and Bob decide to take them on a drive to see some Christmas lights on Brookside Drive. Once they get outside, the car doesn't start and they're stopped by Mort who offers to let them use the hearse. People are freaked out by the hearse so the Belchers end up, walking around the neighborhood.
While walking around, Gene notices an adorable little puppy and he lures him in with some dark chocolate. He ends up going back to the rest of the family and they agree to go find the puppy. On the way there, Bob finds out that they need to make the puppy throw up and they can't find him so they split up. Tina and Linda are walking while Bob, Louise, and Gene are riding in the hearse.
Once the hearse is stopped, the puppy stops right in front of it and Bob tells them to be calm and try to catch him but he goes into a yard full of Christmas decorations so they can't find him. The family continues to try to get him and Louise is able to get to him. Before time is up, the homeowners are able to get a turkey baster and some hydrogen peroxide to make the puppy throw up.
Despite the puppy throwing up, the kids are obsessed and want to keep him but Bob and Linda explain they can't keep it as it's someone else's dog. The dog's owner shows up and Louise doesn't want to give him up. The episode ends with the dog's owner giving them some money and the following day, the kids are able to get the Game Whiz.
Christmas is a bittersweet affair on Bob's Burgers.
If there's a trend I've noticed in the past few Bob's Burgers episodes, the episodes have relied a lot on sentimental and being more emotional. Heading into "Dog Christmas Day After Afternoon," it seemed like more of the same. However, the writers completely changed it up and honestly, it made the episode all the better.
Seeing the Belcher kids a little sad on Christmas is something that most of us can relate to. We all remember that feeling of not getting that Christmas present we desperately wanted. Of course, things only get worse after finding the puppy and not being able to keep him. Honestly, it's a pretty bittersweet ending yet it worked.
Ultimately, "Dog Christmas Day After Afternoon" hit that sweet spot when it comes to Bob's Burgers holiday episodes. It wasn't overly funny but there were some great comedic moments and it wasn't overly emotional. By the end, the Belcher kids got the Christmas present they hoped for and sometimes, that's all that matters. Seeing that little bit of good karma come back to the Belcher family felt like something we rarely see in the series.
While "Dog Christmas Day After Afternoon" isn't going to upstage any of the show's previous Christmas episodes, it's a good episode. It'll be the perfect thing to watch to get you in the spirit or something in the background while wrapping Christmas gifts.
Bob's Burgers airs on Sundays on Fox at 9/8c.