Ambergris (Bob's Burgers)

"Ambergris"
Bob's Burgers episode
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 18
Directed by	Don MacKinnon
Written by	Scott Jacobson
Production code	4ASA06
Original air date	April 20, 2014 (2014-04-20)
Guest appearances
Zach Galifianakis as Felix Fischoeder Bill Hader as Mickey Kevin Kline as Calvin Fischoeder Dom Irrera as The Nose

"Ambergris" is the 18th episode of the fourth season of the American animated comedy series Bob's Burgers, and the 63rd episode overall. Written by Scott Jacobson, the episode sees the Belcher children—Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman), and Louise (Kristen Schaal)—discovering a lump of ambergris, which they decide to sell illegally with the assistance of former bank robber and family friend Mickey (guest voiced by Bill Hader) upon discovering its high monetary value. Meanwhile, Mr. Fischoeder (guest voiced by Kevin Kline) brings in his neurotic brother Felix (guest voiced by Zach Galifianakis) to help Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) fix the plumbing system in his restaurant's bathroom.

"Ambergris" originally aired on April 20, 2014 on Fox and drew an audience of 1.52 million viewers. Nonetheless, critical reviews of the episode from The A.V. Club and Paste were generally complimentary towards its humor and plot lines, with the latter review giving particular praise to Galifianakis' guest role as Felix Fischoeder.

Plot

While scavenging for washed-up treasures along the beach, Tina, Gene, and Louise stumble upon a mysterious, strange-smelling lump and decide to keep it, intrigued by its peculiar nature. Back at Bob's Burgers, Mr. Fischoeder informs Bob that his neurotic brother Felix will be stepping in to handle some "landlording" duties around the restaurant since his inheritance has recently run dry. This news unsettles Bob, who reluctantly asks Felix to call a plumber to fix the bathroom's ongoing water issues. Felix, as eccentric as ever, hesitantly agrees.

Later, Tina does some research on the lump and discovers it's ambergris—a rare substance produced in the digestive systems of sperm whales that is highly prized by the perfume industry. To their shock, they learn that ambergris can fetch up to $30,000 on the black market. Despite the fact that selling ambergris is illegal, Louise becomes consumed by the idea of profiting from their find and enlists her siblings in a scheme to sell it. To help execute their plan, they recruit ex-bank robber Mickey, who now works at the Wonder Wharf.

Meanwhile, Felix returns to the restaurant and enthusiastically unveils a grand plan to completely renovate the bathroom and host a lavish unveiling party. Bob strongly objects, but Felix barrels ahead with his extravagant vision. As the bathroom plans spiral out of control, Louise becomes increasingly obsessed with the ambergris and its potential value. Mickey contacts her with a lead—a co-worker nicknamed "The Nose," known for his expertise in sniffing out authentic ambergris. Louise, determined to maximize their profit, meets The Nose alone and decides to cut Mickey out of his promised share, much to the dismay of Tina and Gene.

The trade takes place, but Louise is shocked when she receives only $12 instead of the anticipated $30,000. She discovers a note from Tina, who had switched the ambergris with a cantaloupe wrapped in dirty socks before the trade. Furious, Louise chases after Tina and Gene, who are now trying to return the ambergris to Mickey. However, when they find him, Mickey reveals that he plans to use the money from the ambergris to buy a tank and resume his life of bank robbery. Horrified by Mickey’s intentions, Tina and Gene grab the lump and flee, triggering a chaotic pursuit involving Louise, Mickey, and The Nose.

The chase culminates in a tense standoff, with everyone cornering Tina. In a moment of quick thinking, she hurls the ambergris into a deep fryer, where it melts into an unrecognizable mess, effectively ending the conflict.

A week later, Felix’s highly anticipated bathroom unveiling party takes place, attended by the Belcher family, the Fischoeder brothers, Teddy, and an eccentric Brazilian DJ. However, the bathroom’s ultra-modern design proves to be a disaster—none of the guests can distinguish between the sink and the toilets, and the plumbing remains dysfunctional. Felix, seeking validation, asks his brother for feedback, only to receive an indifferent response. Feeling underappreciated, he locks himself in the bathroom in a dramatic tantrum. To coax him out, Mr. Fischoeder and the guests perform an impromptu chant about him, finally convincing him to rejoin the party. In the end, Louise ironically remarks on how grateful she is that she and her siblings “never fight or act crazy.”

Reception

"Ambergris" first aired in the United States on April 20, 2014 on Fox, as a part of the Animation Domination programming block. The episode was watched by 1.52 million viewers and received a 0.6/3 Nielsen rating in the 18–49 demographic, becoming the third most-watched program of the Animation Domination block for the night, but also garnering the lowest ratings of any Bob's Burgers episode to date.

David Kallison of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+ grade, describing it as "funny, with one-liners dropping almost every other beat," and particularly praising "the jokes that are unique to [the show's] characters." Kallison felt that the episode's subplot involving Felix "delivers some good lines" but was "less satisfying narratively" than the main plot, adding that the Belcher children "easily have all the best lines" and noting: "'Ambergris' finds the sweet spot between plot, humor, and sentimentality when it's revealed in the end that that Louise was carrying a fake rock to the deal, thanks to Tina's last-minute switcheroo... Despite the absurdity of the episode, it feels like Tina and Louise really are sisters who really do love each other in a realistically begrudging way."

Robert Ham of Paste rated the episode 9.1 out of 10 and stated that both plot lines "added up to an immensely satisfying episode with some of the most laugh-out-loud moments and lines of the whole season. Ham was complimentary of Zach Galifianikis' guest performance as Felix, writing that he "does a great job playing this whole thing with some of the subtlety he brought to the otherwise unsubtle Due Date."

External links

• "Ambergris" at Fox
• "Ambergris" at IMDb