Oh, those ears! Iconic, pinkish-purple ears. They’ve adorned Louise Belcher’s noggin for seven years. And as season eight of Bob’s Burgers kicks off tonight (8:30 on FOX), the precocious child’s alter ego, Kristen Schaal, talks burgers and booze with The Cocktail.
Burgers Without Borders
When we last saw Bob and the fam, they were catering a wedding. Everything that could go wrong, did, and Bob was admiring the work of Doctors Without Borders and wanting to make a difference. So we started off asking Kristen if this season would take us on a Burgers Without Borders. “Ooh I hope so. Yes, yes we will.”
That sounded more like wishful drinking thinking than an actual episode in production. So we painted a picture of Bob serving up burgers in the Sudanese desert while Louise complains about the smell of livestock. “Oh my gosh. What a mess. Yeah I guess the people do need a burger out there.”
We’ll keep an eye out for that episode.. we want producing credits!
Fresh Food
Burgers are like animated characters: it’s hard to keep them fresh for long. Now that Louise and Kristen have been symbionts for eight seasons, she told us it’s all about knowing yourself and your character. “I guess one of the ways they keep the characters fresh is, I think they do a good job of, we know who Tina is, we know who all the kids are.”
“For example Louise, we know she’s tough, we know she’s sort of, I don’t know, a little bit conniving. Like she’s always sort of playing, she’s got a gamer’s mind on.” But it’s not just about gaming the system. That’s where Kristen has to help color in Louise. “She does have a vulnerable side too. Like she is still a little girl who just needs her family. So there’s lots of little treasures that they keep inside each of the characters that they only reveal in moments that are really earned. And I think that’s what keeps you watching them too. Because you really just believe them.”
“I guess when I play Louise I just like it because she does feel like the smartest one in the room, even though she’s not always correct. She still might be the smartest one in the room Yep, that’s one of my favorite things.”
Ears To You!
So what about those ears? Actors in non-animated shows generally get to keep some outfits from wardrobe or totally bogart a prop or two. But Bob’s Burgers is a cartoon, and stealing a microphone cable just doesn’t carry the same sentimental value.
But surely, we thought, FOX must have gotten her a hat with those iconic ears. We were sorely mistaken. “I don’t have. They’ve never made me ears. They don’t really make merchandise at FOX.”
But when the network drops the ball (come on, FOX, really?), look for the fans to step up. “Someone knitted me some pink bunny ears that I have. And I think there’s another pair from ETSY that I got in my possession somehow. So I’ve got a couple pair at home, yeah.”
The Critic’s Cocktail Recommendation
Today we’re turning over bartending duties to our guest. We asked Ms. Schaal what would be the perfect cocktail to have as you dine on one of Bob’s signature burgers, like Fifty Ways To Leave Your Gouda.
She does not disappoint, and comes up with a tasty concoction that we made right away.
“Probably a passion fruit gin drink would be delicious with that.”
We love a passionate woman!
Cheers!
Critic's Cocktail 