A Look Back at the Classic Bob’s Burgers Thanksgiving Episode “Turkey in a Can”

Bob’s Burgers has become a staple show for many to watch around the holidays thanks to its trademark humor and heartwarming family dynamic. One episode that truly captures the spirit of the Belcher family during the holidays is the season 4 Thanksgiving episode “Turkey in a Can.” This fan-favorite episode first aired back in 2013 and perfectly encapsulates why Bob’s Burgers is so beloved. Let’s take a look back at this classic Thanksgiving episode.

Overview of the Episode

The episode begins with the Belchers preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. Bob is excited to prepare the turkey using his special 3-day brine recipe. However, the holiday prep gets complicated when Linda’s sister Gayle arrives along with her numerous cats that Bob is allergic too.

The next morning, Bob is horrified to find that someone has dumped his lovingly brined turkey in the toilet as an act of Thanksgiving sabotage. Furious, Bob interrogates the family but no one confesses. He brines another turkey only to find it also in the toilet.

After a couple more ruined turkeys, a delirious, sleep-deprived Bob prepares one last turkey. He falls asleep on the kitchen floor to catch the culprit. The next morning, the turkey is once again in the toilet. The family reveals that in his exhausted state, Bob had been the one sleepwalking and dumping the turkeys, believing them to be one of the kids he was potty training.

Bob has no memory of this and is devastated that he ruined his own Thanksgiving. But the family reassures him and in the end, they are able to enjoy a loving holiday together.

Why This Episode Represents the Heart of Bob’s Burgers

“Turkey in a Can” has become a classic for several reasons that represent the core of what makes Bob’s Burgers so special:

1. The humor: The entire mystery of who is sabotaging the turkeys creates great comedic moments. Highlights include Bob’s delirious interrogation of the family, his awkward encounters with the flirtatious butcher, and the absurd reveals of where the turkeys end up.

2. The heart: At its core, Bob’s Burgers is about the loving Belcher family. Despite the turkey chaos, they come together in the end for a touching holiday meal. The episode also explores Bob’s anxieties about his kids growing up.

3. The characters: The episode utilizes the entire ensemble well. We get classic Louise scheming, Gene’s ridiculous Thanksgiving songwriting, and Linda and Gayle’s eccentricities. The characters’ quirks are on full display.

4. The Thanksgiving spirit: Bob’s loving devotion to preparing the perfect turkey and the family coming together captures the warmth, family bonding, and chaos that often comes with Thanksgiving. The episode truly gets at the core of the holiday.

Why “Turkey in a Can” Stands the Test of Time

While Bob’s Burgers has produced many other great holiday episodes, “Turkey in a Can” remains a fan-favorite for several reasons:

• For many, it was the first great Bob’s Burgers holiday episode, setting the tone for the show’s unique brand of seasonal storytelling.

• The mystery storyline, the perfect use of the ensemble cast, and the absurdist humor combined to create an instant classic.

• It introduced memorable characters like the flirtatious butcher whoBob continues to encounter in later episodes.

• The episode perfectly balanced the show’s trademark combination of humor, heart and highlights of the Belcher family dynamic.

• Thanks to its strong writing and story, the episode remains endlessly rewatchable year after year.

Favorite Moments

Some of the best moments that showcase the humor, heart and spirit of the episode include:

• The entire Belcher family dressed up fancily for Thanksgiving dinner, showcasing their dysfunction and eccentricities.

• Bob’s increasingly unhinged behavior as the turkey sabotage drives him mad, like interrogating the family and his delirious late night turkey protection.

• The montage of the family chaos on Thanksgiving day, set to a piano version of the show’s theme song.

• Bob solemnly eulogizing his toilet turkey: “He was a good turkey. He wasn’t great, but he was good.”

• The ultimate reveal that a loopy, sleepwalking Bob was the culprit all along.

Lasting Legacy

“Turkey in a Can” helped cement Bob’s Burgers as a hilarious and heartfelt show to watch during the holidays. The Belchers’ eccentric but loving Thanksgiving carries on the classic sitcom tradition of holiday episodes centered on family bonding and seasonal chaos. Nine seasons later, Bob’s Burgers continues producing some of the most iconic Thanksgiving episodes on TV. But for many fans, “Turkey in a Can” will always remain a landmark episode that first showed how well the Belchers could honor the holidays. This Bob’s Burgers Thanksgiving classic is sure to be rewatched and cherished for many seasons to come.