Biggest Unanswered Questions In Bob's Burgers

A dysfunctional yet lovable family of five is a recipe for animated success, and Fox's adult animation "Bob's Burgers" is no exception. Following the day-to-day lives and capers of the Belchers — Bob (H. John Benjamin), Linda (John Roberts), Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman), and Louise (Kristen Schaal) — the show has been a comedic hit since it first aired in 2011. Still going strong after Season 13 aired in late 2022, fans have had a lot to discuss over the years. The Belcher world introduces viewers to a never-ending wealth of side characters, from the perpetually nervous guidance counselor Mr. Frond (David Herman) to the always irritable art store owner Edith Cranwinkle (Larry Murphy).

With all of these new additions come many storylines — and even more questions. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that "Bob's Burgers" opens up more questions than it does answers. The characters are incredibly easy to love, but they can often come with unanswered mysteries, particularly surrounding their long-term personal development. With the 2022-released feature film not offering up too many solutions, it's up to us to try and crack the case. Here's what we know about the biggest unanswered questions in "Bob's Burgers."

As much as we think we know the Belchers, we actually know very little about their background. Linda's parents make an early appearance in the Season 1 episode, "Crawl Space," before being visited later at their retirement home in Season 3's "It Snakes A Village," while Bob's dad doesn't appear until the Season 5 episode, "Father of the Bob." Though the episodes explore precisely how their parents shaped Bob and Linda's characters, it's never actually specified where either family comes from. The mystery extends to the elusive after-life presence of Bob's mother, Lily, who is referred to in passing in a handful of episodes.

With such an experimental culinary flair and his signature dark features, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that Bob could be European. Teddy (Larry Murphy) does make a passing comment about Bob possibly having "Mediterranean blood," which quickly gets shot down. As for Linda, her unmistakable New Yorker twang could lend itself to being Italian American. Perhaps that's why they hate Jimmy Pesto (Jay Johnston) so much.

An ongoing thread throughout the 13 seasons of "Bob's Burgers" is Louise's bunny ears. Ever since the show's pilot episode, she's been shown to wear them, including during early flashback scenes in episodes such as Season 2's "Mother Daughter Laser Razor." When Logan (Kurt Braunohler) ends up stealing her ears in the Season 3 premiere, "Ear-sy Rider," we never see her head, with Louise keeping it covered with a hooded sweatshirt until she gets them back. In other episodes such as Season 2's "Food Truckin'," Louise is seen hanging upside down until her hat falls off, though the camera pans away until she has them firmly back in place.

As one of the biggest mysteries in the show's history, fan theories have never been too hard to find. One Reddit user questions whether she is self-conscious about her ears, while another digs further into the idea that the youngest Belcher is reluctantly the spitting image of Linda. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that she might have a genetic bald patch like Bob. There's clearly an emotional connection to Louise's bunny ears, but the answer doesn't get any explanation until the movie — and even then, she still never takes them off.

Always odd and never really understanding the world around him, Mr. Fischoeder (Kevin Kline) isn't a character that's often questioned. As Bob and Linda's landlord, he can frequently be seen sporting a jaunty suit, throwing wads of money around, and riding around aimlessly on one of his many golf carts. Without fail, Mr. Fischoeder will always be wearing an eyepatch — prompting some fans to question exactly why that is. Briefly, viewers were offered some form of explanation in the Season 4 episode "Ambergris." During a private moment, Mr. Fischoeder is heard telling Bob that Felix poked out one of his eyes.

Given the flighty and unpredictable nature of the Fischoeder brothers, it's difficult to tell if this story is completely the truth. Personality-wise, Felix Fischoeder is known for his dramatic flair and tendency to be temperamental, leaning into the idea that he might not have hurt his brother Calvin (Zach Galifianakis) as much as the pair might let on. On the flip side, Calvin is regularly known for teasing Felix and has a penchant for teasing him — what could be a greater humiliation than having to look at an eyepatch as a permanent reminder?

Fans have been present for celebrations of Bob, Linda, and Tina's birthdays, but the other two Belchers have never been included in the annual milestones. Similar to "The Simpsons," – in which some family birthdays get more seasonal airtime than others — "Bob's Burgers" has yet to follow a birthday for Gene or Louise. As an animation set in a certain period of time, it makes sense for the creators to shy away from any storylines that would obviously age characters. But with episodes such as  Season 1's "Sheesh! Cab, Bob?," and Season 5's "Eat, Spray, Linda" not showing all of the Belcher kids living their best lives feels like a missed opportunity.

Not only is this something that viewers have picked up on (via Reddit), but fans have also rightly assessed that Tina has had two birthdays, (turning 14 in Season 12's "Some Like It Bot Part 1: Eighth Grade Runner") and classmate Regular-Sized Rudy (Brian Husky) had his party shown in the Season 6 episode, "House of 1000 Bounces." Thanks to small details — such as Gene not being allowed on the trapeze in Season 8's "V for Valentine-detta" as he is under 10 — Gene and Louise's ages of 11 and 9 are fully locked in. The explanation could be as simple as holding Gene and Louise's birthdays back to be explored at a later date, but there's a definite hesitancy to see the youngest Belcher kids get any older.

Throughout "Bob's Burgers," one thing is perfectly clear — the Belcher family is poor. Struggling to pay Mr. Fischoeder on time and frequently visiting the bank across the road to get mortgage extensions, Bob in particular is clearly in over his head. Trying to woo his way to a loan in Season 2's "Bob Day Afternoon" gets Bob embroiled in Mickey's (Bill Hader) stand-off with the police, while Christmas episodes such as Season 3's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins" highlight that Bob and Linda can barely afford to get the kids presents — including Tina's dry-erase board. Fans have pondered exactly just how poor they are, given how difficult it is to define.

Some financial experts have taken it upon themselves to provide an answer where the show creators haven't. Laura Allan from Movoto (via IndieWire) estimates the Belcher family pays an average of $3,924 in rent a month, based on real-estate averages and some deep-diving guesswork. 10K Productions take their breakdown a step further, factoring in rent, restaurant funds, and family expenses to leave around $18,000 over for the family each year. While we're unlikely to get a concrete answer, fans are right to assume that the Belcher family will always be living from paycheck to paycheck.

Aloof and out-of-the-box, Mr. Frond is regarded as unusual in all forms. As the main school counselor at Wagstaff, the Belcher children often have run-ins with him outside of the classroom. Across the show's 13 seasons, one of the smaller details that we learn about the character is that he doesn't drink. In the Season 4 episode, "Bob & Deliver," Bob and the kids see him in a kitchen supply store, with plans to make alcoholic drinks before changing his mind. This is followed by not being invited to the weekly gossip at Wagstaff in Season 8's "Mission Impos-slug-ble" because he doesn't drink and then downing a bottle of wine out of stress on his date with Gayle (Megan Mullally) in the Season 6 episode, "The Cook, The Steve, The Gayle & Her Lover," which ends poorly.

There arguably doesn't need to be an explanation as to why Mr. Frond doesn't drink. But in order to learn more about his character and backstory, it would be a nice detail to explore. Described as geeky, incompetent, and perpetually flustered, it is a creative decision that fully leans into his character. Fans have speculated (via Reddit) that he might be a recovering alcoholic, or that turning to alcohol is a byproduct of his typically stressful job.

When it comes to paying attention to small details, "Bob's Burgers" is second to none. From the recurring business name jokes during the title sequence to Bob's very own burgers of the day, fans can assume that no stone is too small to be left unturned. However, neighbors and loyal customers Teddy and Mort (Andy Kindler) prove to be the exception to the rule. Where most major side characters have been kitted out with surnames — think the Fishoeder brothers, Phillip Frond, and Edith Cranwinkle — neither Teddy nor Mort has been given their own.

The closest we can get to establishing an answer is the listing of Teddy's Funko Pop doll as "Teddy Francisco." There's no outright mention of this in the show, but fans have commented on Reddit about the obvious choice of names (such as Mort being a mortician), but few have been able to conclude why they are called singular names only. It could be a way for creators to distinguish Teddy and Mort in terms of importance to the Belchers or simply a case of letting things slip by the by.

As Jimmy Pesto Jr.'s (Benjamin) best friend, Zeke (Bobby Tisdale) could be described as a loose cannon. First appearing in the Season 2 premiere, "The Belchies," he's since been a prominent fixture on our screens. Not a lot is known about Zeke, especially in connection to his family. He speaks in a distinctive Southern accent — something that isn't questioned until the Season 3 episode, "Broadcast Wagstaff School News." After being revealed as the "Mad Pooper," Zeke's reasoning for his actions during an on-camera interview for the school news channel is that his "family moves around a lot."

Though his family has been introduced during different episodes, a lot of the facts remain unclear. Zeke's father is supposed to have a girlfriend called Cheryl, but it isn't clear whether she is the same Cheryl that is later mentioned as a stepmother. He also has a 44-year-old brother which is loosely explained, alongside a mention of his father's newborn baby which is never seen. As far as family dynamics in "Bob's Burgers" go, Zeke's might just be the messiest.

Whenever she appears on our screens, fans can guarantee that Aunt Gayle will be a force of nature. As Linda's somewhat unstable sister, her character — as much as her behavior — is completely unpredictable. Alongside her cats Mr. Business, Pinkeye, and Jean Paw'd Van Damme, Gayle has plenty of issues of her own. During the course of the show, we learn that she sends $100 to a pig each time she eats a ham sandwich, pretends that she is escaping a nuclear apocalypse every night, and fakes injuries for attention (particularly in the Season 6 episode, "Gayle Makin' Bob Sled").

It's safe to say that there's every reason Gayle should be routinely seeing a therapist. Except, in spite of all of the odds, there's no apparent indication that she does. Caring more for her cat's welfare than her own, the closest Gayle has noticeably got to see a therapist is one disastrous date with Mr. Frond. Though Bob and Linda are more than aware of Gayle's tendencies, they're reluctant to intervene. Therapy is expensive, and the family's continued money worries could be the main reason why Gayle has evaded going.

Louise Belcher doesn't have many friends, other than reluctantly buddying up with siblings Gene and Tina. She often uses Regular-Sized Rudy when she wants something, but only has one other significant friendship — with possible nemesis, Millie Frock (Molly Shannon). Introduced to fans in the Season 4 episode, "Fort Night," Millie convinces herself that the two are best friends when in reality she only makes a nuisance of herself. Things step up a gear in Season 5's "The Millie-Churian Candidate" when Millie runs for school president in order to have direct control of Louise. Though her adoration of the youngest Belcher is obvious, Millie's reasons for why aren't as clear.

Stalking and antagonizing Louise at the same time as hardly saying a word, Millie keeps ignorant of the fact Louise wants to be left alone. As the only person that Louise is afraid of, it could be argued that Millie thinks she has a special effect on her, convincing her to join a trick-or-treating gang when they first meet. Fans have frequently discussed how creepy they find the character (via Reddit), with others hinting that Millie has started to show some character progression.

Larger than life and twice as loud, Linda Belcher is a personality that cannot be missed. Almost always in an infectiously good mood, Linda is known for making up corny songs on the spot and her love of all things dinner theater. In more than a few episodes, Linda is shown to have a fairly interesting relationship with alcohol. After watching the show "Cake" in the Season 2 episode "Bad Tina," Bob explains to the kids that Linda pounded down the wines during the show's intermission — leading Linda to say "Mommy doesn't get drunk, she just has fun." She also sells the "wine shoe" in the Season 6 episode, "The Hormone-iums."

Her seeming obsession with wine has prompted some fans to wonder whether she's actually an alcoholic. Some fans are quick to point out the obvious (via Reddit), while others are more on board with Linda's thinking, claiming the problem would come if Linda was unable to pry a drink out of her hands. The idea that liking wine equals alcoholism can be debated, but the decision does shed a light on interesting family dynamics. While some see Linda's enthusiasm as rather dark, others see her joyful booziness as further proof of the Belcher love and support for each other.

As the local cop who is sparingly on the scene, Sergeant Bosco (Gary Cole) is a man who prefers to have the job done for him — then he'll take all of the credit. First seen in the Season 2 episode, "Bob Day Afternoon," Bosco has been on the case for some of the town's most high-profile cases, from the robotic shark that runs wild on the Wharf to Edith's quilt square stealing at the retirement home. Divorced, slightly narcissistic, and once thought to be in the Navy, Sergeant Bosco ticks all the boxes for a classic TV cop, except for the fact he's absolutely terrible at his job.

Taking a leaf out of Chief Wiggum's book, there is never a case that Sergeant Bosco completes with any kind of skill. While trying to catch the Little Boy Bandit in the Season 4 episode, "I Get Psy-chic Out Of You," he asks the newly-not psychic Linda for her help — a move that no competent officer would make. It begs the question of how he got his job in the first place, with his elderly mother, a string of ex-wives, and other background information providing no answer. Fans on Reddit agree that he is an incredibly cool character, though his competency leaves a lot to be desired.