Mother’s Day is an unique day when we honour our mothers and other maternal figures. Few television mothers are as musical, humorous, and devoted as Linda Belcher (John Roberts) from Bob’s Burgers. The matriarch of the Belcher family and the wife of Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin), this vivacious mother adds colour to life on Ocean Avenue. Later this month, The Bob’s Burgers Movie will feature her on the big screen for the first time, but until then, let’s take a closer look at how this animated mother goes above and beyond to be the best parent for Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman), and Louise (Kristen Schaal).
The musical mother of three is the Belcher family’s biggest supporter; in fact, Linda is her son’s biggest admirer when he joins the cheerleading squad in Season 4, Episode 20 of “Gene It On.” Linda’s excitement doesn’t end there; she continues to support the interests that all the children have received from her, whether it be Louise’s plans or Tina’s authoring of zombie fanfiction. Linda’s creativity is one of her parenting talents. She uses unconventional thinking to find solutions and rescue the day, even if it hurts the business. For instance, she convinces Bob not to fix the deep fryer in order to send Tina to horse camp and sells the espresso machine to send Gene to baseball camp.
Sometimes, ingenuity can result in dubious strategies. For instance, in Season 4, Episode 19 of “The Kids Run Away,” when Louise flees to hide out with Gayle (Megan Mullally), Tina serves as her eyes and ears to encourage Louise to face her dread of the dentist. Louise’s cavity is eventually triggered by Tina suggesting Louise consume ice cream, which is when Linda resorts to more drastic measures. But as a result of this behaviour, Louise is forced to face her anxieties and visit the dentist again so that Dr. Yap (Ken Jeong) can fix her cavity.
Linda is a devoted protector of her children because she wants to safeguard them and their goals. In Season 4, Episode 12 of “The Frond Files,” when the kids write stories about their school and Mr. Frond (David Herman) doesn’t include them in the exhibit, Linda fights for the kids’ imaginative play; she even takes Gene’s seized keyboard back from Mr. Frond’s office. She is also unbreakable. She gladly puts herself in harm’s way to protect her children from the Scramble Pan in Season 5, Episode 4 of “Dawn of the Peck,” even headbutting a turkey to establish herself as the new alpha and guide her brood to safety.
Linda Belcher works hard to present herself well in their eyes because she cares deeply that they respect and like her. Her children often admire her more because of her openness and her failures, though. In “Sheshank Redumption,” Season 11, Episode 15, when she is imprisoned for defecating in public, she makes an effort to keep Tina, Gene, and Louise from learning about it out of concern that they would accuse her of hypocrisy for breaking the law. In fact, they respect her more now that she has admitted to her errors.
Although Linda Belcher adores each of her children equally, her connections with them are unique and each one brings out a distinct facet of her personality. On the surface, Tina, the oddball kid, doesn’t seem to have anything in common with her mother. In actuality, Tina writes holiday fanfiction and Linda writes stories for the raccoons who dwell in the alley; they both have a positive outlook and a creative imagination.
Additionally, Tina inherited Linda’s determination to pursue her goals, which frequently involve teenage boys. While many moms might be concerned about their teenage daughters being boy crazy, Linda supports Tina in her obsession, as seen in the Season 9 premiere “Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now,” where she persuades Bob to let Tina dress up as a boy and find Damon (Josh Gad). She interprets Tina’s boy-crazy behaviour as a manifestation of Tina’s creativity and romantic optimism. The majority of the boys Tina has a crush on have Linda’s backing, but when one of them hurts her oldest daughter, her mama bear instincts kick in. In Season 8, Episode 8 of “V for Valentine-detta,” Tina’s heart is broken by Jimmy Jr. just in time for Valentine’s Day. Linda takes Tina out to cheer her up and even devises a scheme of retaliation for bringing another girl out on a date. She would do anything for Tina, her tiny sister.
Compared to the other Belcher children, Gene and Linda have the closest relationship. They openly show affection for one another, kissing and sharing food. Gene and Linda even set aside time to go to the spa together. In Season 11, Episode 9, “Mommy Boy,” when Linda begins going to an all-women business group, that time is jeopardised. Jealous, Gene breaks into the meeting to get his mom back. Because she treasures that unique time with her son, Linda assures him that her love for him endures despite their time apart. He has always been a mama’s boy.
Their shared passion of performing is another feature of their connection that distinguishes them from the other Belchers. Gene undoubtedly inherited his mother’s sass and musical prowess. Both of them envision converting the eatery into a piano bar where they can perform show tunes all day, as they do in “The Hurt Soccer,” which is Season 8 Episode 12’s afternoon segment. In the Season 5 premiere of “Work Hard or Die Trying Girl,” she stands up for Gene when Courtney’s father performs “Die Hard: The Musical” as part of his one-Gene performance. To make her son’s wishes come true, Linda goes above and beyond. For instance, in “All That Gene,” from Season 10, Episode 9, she strikes a deal with the producer to obtain him a part in the neighbourhood theatre after he was rejected. She reassures him that his theatrical nature is what she admires most about him and that she would always be his biggest supporter, even when he feels down on himself for being overly dramatic.
While Linda’s relationship with her son is the closest, Louise, her youngest daughter and a “daddy’s girl,” has proven to be more challenging for Linda to connect with. Particularly with Louise, she sometimes go a little too far to prove that her kids like her just as much as she does them. In “Mother Daughter Laser Razor,” episode 10 of Season 3, Linda tries to compel their reconciliation by enrolling the two of them in a mother-daughter seminar after they argue during family game night. Louise adamantly objects and even stages a takeover before leaving to play laser tag. Linda admits that she wishes her youngest daughter liked her but isn’t scared to fight back. Louise is able to apologise to Linda and reassure her mother that she likes her because of her fragility.
Louise shares Linda’s zeal for life, which manifests as mayhem and danger, as well as her unusually large pinky toe. In “Spider House Rules,” Season 12, Episode 17, when Louise begins to feel insecure about it, Linda reassures her that it’s a part of what makes her Louise. Louise is not only a risk-taker, but also intelligent and imaginative, qualities she shares with her vibrant mother. Despite her propensity to flout the rules, Linda wants Louise to see her positive qualities. For instance, Linda sends Louise out to reward her good action with ice cream and reassures her that it’s worthwhile to help others when she receives an in-school punishment for protecting someone from a bully. Louise often needs Linda to step in and encourage her to be the greatest version of herself, whether it is through a tangled adventure or a pep chat.
One of the most morally upright families on television is the Belcher family, and Linda Belcher is a big part of that. In order for her kids to see her as the cool mom that she is, she supports her kids’ interests, stands up for their adventures even when they’re wrong, and puts herself in absurd situations. There is nothing Linda wouldn’t do to reassure Tina, Gene, and Louise of her love for them, even when she occasionally pushes a little too hard for their love (or sings a little too much). I’m pouring you a large glass of wine, Linda!
