Crawl Space (Bob's Burgers)
Encyclopedia
"Crawl Space" is the second episode of the first season of the animated television series Bob's Burgers
. "Crawl Space" originally aired on the Fox network
in the United States
on January 16, 2011.
The episode was written by Loren Bouchard
and Jim Dauterive
, and directed by Kyoung Hee Lim. It received average reviews from critics for its character interactions and storyline. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 5.066 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by David Herman
, Larry Murphy
and Renée Taylor
.
in the attic. When Linda's parents, Gloria (Renee Taylor
) and Al come, Bob realizes that he can pretend that he's stuck in the crawlspace to avoid them.
Linda sends family friend and contractor Teddy (Larry Murphy
) to rescue Bob, who tells him to come back the next day, after the in-laws leave. During the night, the kids overhear Gloria and Al having sex on Gene's bed (Tina incorporates the sounds into a sexual zombie nightmare). The next day, Gloria decides that she and Al will be extending their stay for another night. Linda finds out that Bob lied about being stuck before and is now really trapped, so she cancels Teddy's upcoming visit. Bob starts to go crazy, recording himself with a video camera and befriending Louise's green nightlight. Meanwhile, Gloria makes a tuna burger recipe called Tunami
, which Linda makes it the Burger of the Day. Bob dreams that he goes into a bar and later encounter Louise's nightlight, telling him about the Burger of the Day.
While Bob is trapped, the kids get detention: Louise for lying about Bob's death (and reappearance as a ghost), Gene for sampling Gloria and Al's sexual moment and presenting it as a history report, and Tina for sneaking above the boys' changing room. The concerned counselor, Mr. Frond, believes they are "kids in crisis" and conducts a home visit. At home, Gloria finds Bob unconscious and breaks through the kitchen wall, then orders Mr. Frond to leave the family alone. As she and Al leave, Louise fights Bob for her nightlight.
and series executive producer, Jim Dauterive
. The episode also featured guest appearances from David Herman
as Mr. Frond and Larry Murphy
as Teddy, the first appearances of both recurring characters. Renée Taylor guest stars as Linda's mother, Gloria. The episode carries a rating TV-PG for suggestive dialogue (D), offensive language (L), and mild sexual content (S).
The episode received a mixed review from critics. Rowan Kaiser of A. V. Club rated the episode a C, expressing disappointment with the "evil mother-in-law comes to visit!" cliché
and feeling that many of the jokes fell flat. However, Kaiser found Bob's interactions with his kids one of the highlights of the episode, singling out Kristen Schaal
's parts as Louise as the "best part of both episodes so far."
Bob's Burgers
Bob's Burgers is an American animated television sitcom, which premiered on January 9, 2011 on the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series was created by Loren Bouchard and focuses on the Belcher family, who runs a hamburger restaurant. On April 7, 2011, Bob's Burgers was renewed for a second season...
. "Crawl Space" originally aired on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on January 16, 2011.
The episode was written by Loren Bouchard
Loren Bouchard
Loren Hal Bouchard is a writer, director, producer, composer, and voice actor for several animated TV shows and a co-creator of Home Movies . He is also the creator of Bob's Burgers-Biography:...
and Jim Dauterive
Jim Dauterive
James Thomas "Jim" Dauterive is an American animation producer and writer. Dauterive is most notably known for executive producing and writing several episodes of the animated series King of the Hill, and developing and writing for the new Fox series Bob's Burgers.-King of the Hill:Dauterive joined...
, and directed by Kyoung Hee Lim. It received average reviews from critics for its character interactions and storyline. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed in 5.066 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by David Herman
David Herman
David Herman is an American actor, comedian and voice actor best known as an original cast member of MADtv and for his role as Michael Bolton in Office Space. He is also known for his voice roles on television programs such as Futurama and King of the Hill.- Biography :David Herman was born in New...
, Larry Murphy
Larry Murphy
Lawrence Thomas Murphy is a former Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He currently serves as an analyst and sideline reporter for the Detroit Red Wings on Fox Sports Detroit, and a studio analyst on NHL Network.-Playing career:...
and Renée Taylor
Renee Taylor
Renée Taylor is an American actress, Academy Award nominated writer and one-time director, best-known for having played Fran Drescher's outspoken mother, Sylvia Fine, on the TV series The Nanny.- Career :...
.
Plot
Linda's parents are visiting and Linda annoys the family with her cleaning and preparations. Bob decides to make his in-laws sleep in Gene's smelly room in hope that they'll leave sooner. When Linda forces Bob to fix the leak on the ceiling, he discovers a crawlspaceCrawlspace
Crawlspace may refer to:* Crawl space, a type of basement in which one cannot stand up* Crawlspace , a 1986 horror/thriller film starring Klaus Kinski* Crawlspace , a 2004 animated short film by Peter Sved...
in the attic. When Linda's parents, Gloria (Renee Taylor
Renee Taylor
Renée Taylor is an American actress, Academy Award nominated writer and one-time director, best-known for having played Fran Drescher's outspoken mother, Sylvia Fine, on the TV series The Nanny.- Career :...
) and Al come, Bob realizes that he can pretend that he's stuck in the crawlspace to avoid them.
Linda sends family friend and contractor Teddy (Larry Murphy
Larry Murphy
Lawrence Thomas Murphy is a former Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He currently serves as an analyst and sideline reporter for the Detroit Red Wings on Fox Sports Detroit, and a studio analyst on NHL Network.-Playing career:...
) to rescue Bob, who tells him to come back the next day, after the in-laws leave. During the night, the kids overhear Gloria and Al having sex on Gene's bed (Tina incorporates the sounds into a sexual zombie nightmare). The next day, Gloria decides that she and Al will be extending their stay for another night. Linda finds out that Bob lied about being stuck before and is now really trapped, so she cancels Teddy's upcoming visit. Bob starts to go crazy, recording himself with a video camera and befriending Louise's green nightlight. Meanwhile, Gloria makes a tuna burger recipe called Tunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
, which Linda makes it the Burger of the Day. Bob dreams that he goes into a bar and later encounter Louise's nightlight, telling him about the Burger of the Day.
While Bob is trapped, the kids get detention: Louise for lying about Bob's death (and reappearance as a ghost), Gene for sampling Gloria and Al's sexual moment and presenting it as a history report, and Tina for sneaking above the boys' changing room. The concerned counselor, Mr. Frond, believes they are "kids in crisis" and conducts a home visit. At home, Gloria finds Bob unconscious and breaks through the kitchen wall, then orders Mr. Frond to leave the family alone. As she and Al leave, Louise fights Bob for her nightlight.
Production
"Crawl Space" is the second episode of Bob's Burgers and was written by series creator Loren BouchardLoren Bouchard
Loren Hal Bouchard is a writer, director, producer, composer, and voice actor for several animated TV shows and a co-creator of Home Movies . He is also the creator of Bob's Burgers-Biography:...
and series executive producer, Jim Dauterive
Jim Dauterive
James Thomas "Jim" Dauterive is an American animation producer and writer. Dauterive is most notably known for executive producing and writing several episodes of the animated series King of the Hill, and developing and writing for the new Fox series Bob's Burgers.-King of the Hill:Dauterive joined...
. The episode also featured guest appearances from David Herman
David Herman
David Herman is an American actor, comedian and voice actor best known as an original cast member of MADtv and for his role as Michael Bolton in Office Space. He is also known for his voice roles on television programs such as Futurama and King of the Hill.- Biography :David Herman was born in New...
as Mr. Frond and Larry Murphy
Larry Murphy (actor)
Lawrence Murphy Jr. is an American actor, voice actor, and comedian based in New York City.-Life and career:...
as Teddy, the first appearances of both recurring characters. Renée Taylor guest stars as Linda's mother, Gloria. The episode carries a rating TV-PG for suggestive dialogue (D), offensive language (L), and mild sexual content (S).
Burger of the Day
- "Never Been Feta (comes with FetaFetaFeta is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. Feta is an aged crumbly cheese, commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture. It is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads Feta is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. Feta is an aged crumbly cheese,...
)" refers to the saying, "Never Been Better" but got changed to "Foot Feta-ish" - "Tunami (with tunaTunaTuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
)" refers to the disaster, tsunamiTsunamiA tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
, yet also spells "I'm a nut" backward. This is a reference to the film The Shining, in which "RED RUM" written on a wall, spells "MURDER" when seen in a mirror. In this case, it could be seen as referring to Bob's mental breakdown, while trapped in the wall between his restaurant and home.
Cultural References
- Linda said that her family are like 'a bunch of ChewbaccaChewbaccaChewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
s' - Tina has a nightmare of zombies making out ever since she watched Night of the Living DeadNight of the Living DeadNight of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
at a young age - Gene asks Bob when he first discover the crawlspace that does he see a lion, a witch or a wardrobe. A reference to the novel, The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeThe Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Published in 1950 and set circa 1940, it is the first-published book of The Chronicles of Narnia and is the best known book of the series. Although it was written and published first, it is second in the series'...
. - He claimed that the novel is written by Salman Rushdie which is not true.
- Al's magazine he found has a cover of the women from the 2000 film Coyote Ugly (film)Coyote Ugly (film)Coyote Ugly is a 2000 romantic comedy/drama based on the actual Coyote Ugly Saloon, set in New York City. The film stars Piper Perabo and Adam Garcia...
and Gene thinks that they are already dead. - Bob uses Gene's video camera to record himself, a parody of The Blair Witch ProjectThe Blair Witch ProjectThe Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film relates the story of three student filmmakers The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur...
. - Louise's friend asks Bob that is he the ghost from the 1990 film, GhostGhost (film)Ghost is a 1990 romantic drama film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. It was written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker.-Plot:...
. Another girl asks if he is the ghost from Ghost DadGhost DadAs part of the publicity for the movie, a Ghost Dad novelization written by Mel Cebulash was released the year of the film's debut.-Critical reaction:...
. - Bob dream of him in the bar parodying the scene in The Shining where Jack goes to the bar and talks to the waiter in the facility.
- Gloria breaks through a wall with Bob saying "Here's Bobby!", a reference to the line from The Shining, "Here's Johnny!".
- Bob calls Linda "Nagatha Christie", a play on novelist Agatha ChristieAgatha ChristieDame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Crawl Space" was viewed by an estimated 5.066 million viewers and received a 2.5 rating/6% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, a drop from the pilot episode.The episode received a mixed review from critics. Rowan Kaiser of A. V. Club rated the episode a C, expressing disappointment with the "evil mother-in-law comes to visit!" cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
and feeling that many of the jokes fell flat. However, Kaiser found Bob's interactions with his kids one of the highlights of the episode, singling out Kristen Schaal
Kristen Schaal
Kristen Schaal is an American actress, writer and comedienne, best known for her role as Mel in the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, as Louise in Bob's Burgers and as a contributor on The Daily Show.-Early life:...
's parts as Louise as the "best part of both episodes so far."
External links
- "Crawl Space" at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- "Crawl Space" at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...