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Before their packed New York Comic Con panel, I sat down with the cast and creator to celebrate this incredible milestone. Like any Bob's Burgers episode, our conversation was a mix of laughter, reflection, and truly one of the most wholesome 20 minutes of my year. From iconic episodes to character growth, the cast shared what keeps Bob’s Burgers a favorite all these years later. Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Eugene (Gene): I have an answer for the show as a whole! I love the Christmas episode, "The Plight Before Christmas," so much. It's the sweetest episode; it's warm and funny. It's the one where all three kids have an event, and the parents can't make it to each one. Loren (Creator): That's an interesting challenge to pick for each character! "Ear-sy Rider" is a great one for Louise. You get to see the beginning of her vulnerability. What is she like without the ears? Kristen (Louise): "Topsy" is also a great Louise episode. It's a good intro into her creativity and how far she'll go to make a point! John (Linda): For Linda, I would pick "Lindapendent Woman," where she works at the grocery store. That one is probably the most Linda-esque. You could start with The Bob's Burgers Movie, too! Loren (Creator): For Tina, I love the episode in Season 1, "Sheesh! Cab, Bob?" where she wants to have her first kiss. Dan (Tina): Yes! I was also thinking that one. That's the episode with her birthday! Loren (Creator): Teddy has a bunch like "The Handyman Can," where the gazebo burns down from the faulty wiring and they help him feel better. Larry (Teddy): That one's really sweet. Going back to the very beginning for Teddy, definitely the "Bed & Breakfast" episode. There are some really funny moments with Louise and Teddy. John (Linda): I love that one! (In Linda's voice) The cheese is getting sweaty! Loren (Creator): "Driving Big Dummy" is also great. Bob goes with Teddy, and he finds out what Teddy's day is like and all the people he interacts with. Kristen (Louise): For Gene, maybe I'd pick the one where he's making songs with Courtney, "The Gene and Courtney Show." Eugene (Gene): Right, the Valentine's Day one! H. Jon (Bob): Bob has these different gears; sometimes Bob has these manic episodes, and then he has these very family-oriented, sweet episodes. Maybe the one with Bob and Gayle ["Gayle Makin' Bob Sled"]? Bob often gets overwhelmed by what he has to do — but he gets it done! Kristen (Louise): I think "Insomnibob" is also a really good intro to Bob. He's striving toward being more of a creator, and we see how hard it is to balance that with his life. Kristen (Louise): I get really excited when Rudy's written in, because Rudy and Louise have such a special connection. She really looks out for him and vice versa — and Brian Huskey [Rudy's voice actor] is so funny! Dan (Tina): I was also gonna say Rudy because Brian Huskey is one of my favorite actors, even before Bob's Burgers. I also really like the episode "Beefsquatch," where Nathan Fielder has a lot of scenes with Tina. John (Linda): I love Gretchen. I love mixing it up with Gretchen, like the haircut episode, and also, when they were selling those lady products. (Laughs) Gretchen's always fun! Kristen (Louise): I think it's that the comedy in the show never shifts toward being cynical. There are still lots of funny jokes, but it's all done with a loving nature. When you watch it, everybody's accepting of each other — it's positive. Eugene (Gene): I feel like everyone is such an oddball, but also so warm and sincere in themselves. I see people I know in these very idiosyncratic but oddly relatable characters. I think it's a mix of how both odd and absolutely grounded and warm Bob's Burgers is. Larry (Teddy): I think it's very sweet, but it always comes from a genuine place, rather than being saccharine. It's never too sweet. Eugene (Gene): Yeah, it's not like there's always a happy ending or a sad ending. It is more so a natural ending. Loren (Creator): Yes, the small victories! John (Linda): The writing is incredible. And Loren is a great showrunner, probably one of the best ever for TV shows. He keeps the love and respect for the characters. We have incredible writers, and it's amazing how every single episode is good! I think we have a very good success rate in terms of amazing writing. Kristen (Louise): The art is good on the show, too. The colors are really warm, and that works hand-in-hand with why it feels so comfortable. H. Jon (Bob): (Jokes) It's a soporific, I've heard it puts people to sleep. Kristen (Louise): Everyone needs to sleep! Eugene (Gene): It's the world's funniest Xanax! Eugene (Gene): (Jokes) Yes, next question! (We all laugh.) I feel like Gene originally was sort of, I don't know if the word is dopey, but he became more passionate. It's interesting to watch everyone's characters grow. I feel like Louise was a bit harsher, and then there were so many episodes where you saw her heart. She wasn't any less feisty, but you got a bigger picture. Gene has the same thing where you see these emotional moments, and they add layers and layers over time. Kristen (Louise): I agree! Louise is incredibly smart and feisty. I think she's broken Linda in a few episodes. John (Linda): I love getting to say, "Miss missy!" Kristen (Louise): One of the things I’ve loved about Louise is that behind her whole smart, feisty vibe, there’s this deep loyalty. No one matters more to her than her family and friends. She always has their back, and they always have hers. It’s just so lovely. The way they write Louise over all these years is saving the vulnerability until it's really earned, so it impacts in a very special way. Dan (Tina): For my character, Tina, I realized early on as a voice actor that even though she’s meant to be monotone and low-energy, I shouldn’t try to sound that way. I'm like that, so I should actually try to be high energy, and it'll still come out low energy. (We laugh.) Parallel to that, Tina developed a kind of intense perseverance — she knows what she wants and goes after it. She doesn’t question herself with thoughts like, "Should I want this? Should I not?" I think that's something she evolved into. H. Jon (Bob): I'll say for myself, Bob has definitely changed. I think in the early episodes Bob was a little more caustic, and that may have been my fault. To Loren's credit, maybe it was a more caustic show in development before it actually got on the air. It was a little sharper in tone, right? Loren (Creator): We thought we had to have an "edge" in order to be on that lineup. They told us you're going to come on after The Simpsons, but the thing I always heard is, you're going to come on before Family Guy. I was worried about that, but the network never told us to put in more "bite" or more "edge." They always met us where we were at. Larry (Teddy): Teddy's friendship with the Belchers has grown, and he's become more inclusive in the family. But I think the show has maintained a line of how much he's dependent on that family and having them in his life. Loren (Creator): With Teddy's character, it's a nice way to see the family. You get to see that they're both meaningful to each other. He comes to the restaurant, and you start to see the Belchers through his eyes. The fact that Teddy's become like an uncle just speaks to the draw that this family has. John (Linda): (In Linda's voice) Alriiiight! Linda's becoming more of a mother. I feel like these are my children, Louise, and Gene, and Tina. The love she has for her children, the love she has for Bob, and her family — it's a loving family. She started off as an impersonation of my mom, and now Linda has her own family dynamic. I like diving into all her backstory. She's a very emotional person like me, and she leads with her heart, not necessarily with her mind. H. Jon (Bob): I think Linda is really the driver of the show. She's the one guiding the entire family and business. Her positivity and her energy consistently keep the whole thing going. John (Linda): Aww! It's a beautiful love story, Bob and Linda — they're a beautiful couple. It's a great example of a loving relationship.
