With its twelfth season well underway, Bob's Burgers continues to give its single-episode characters their time to shine, whether it's Violet and her family making some big changes to the Belcher house decor or a giant ventriloquist dummy strapped to the back of a truck. It is clear from the start the amount of care and attention put into the creation of each character, including the one-off personalities who grace the screen for only a few minutes.
It says a lot about a show when even the one-timers leave a lasting impression. Luckily enough, Bob’s Burgers is filled with these kinds of characters. Maybe they offer an explanation as to why a certain recurring character is the way that he is. Or perhaps they are so wonderfully strange it’s hard to stop thinking about them. No matter the reason behind their greatness, there are plenty of characters who have a lot to offer during their brief moments on screen.
Moolisa - Season 1, “Sacred Cow”
When a documentary filmmaker drops off a cow in front of the restaurant, Bob is faced with a tough choice. Should he leave the cow outside and drive away customers or find a way to remove it? He ultimately decides to bring it upstairs, where the family quickly realizes that Moolisa can’t make it back down on his own.
While Moolisa doesn’t talk (aside from speaking to Bob in a dream) his presence leads to several comical situations. There’s something undeniably humorous about seeing Bob’s legs popping out from behind a cow in a wig as he tries to push it down the stairs. Moolisa’s death even leads to the creation of one of Bob's best pun burger names…the Rest in Peas.
Barbara Bunkley - Season 3, “My Fuzzy Valentine”
Although she doesn’t appear in the present, Barbara Bunkley is an old girlfriend of Bob’s. While he’s scrambling for a present for Linda on Valentine’s Day, he remembers a romantic date they went on years before and attempts to find the old machine they used to measure their love. The problem? It wasn’t Linda, but Barbara Bunkley.
Barbara Bunkley is another character who gives us a little glimpse of Bob as a young man. As wonderful as the Belchers are as a family, it is always interesting to piece together what Bob’s life was like before them. The search for the love testing machine also creates an exciting adventure away from school for the kids and their dad, an oddly endearing bonding moment.
Meryl - Season 6, “Secret Admiral-irer”
When Tina volunteers at a nursing home, she meets Meryl, a resident who has a piece of mail from an old admirer. Tina reads the letter and writes a response, pretending to be Meryl, which results in the pair reuniting for a dance.
Meryl is voiced by the late Cloris Leachman, who brings out the sweetness of the character. In a small twist, the Admiral that Tina has written to is proven to be a real person, a tender moment which validates her dedication to bringing the two elderly individuals together. Meryl opens an important avenue for Tina and Gene to have a sweet sibling moment, proving that seeing the good in people can pay off, contrary to Louise’s beliefs.
Moody Foodie - Season 2, “Moody Foodie”
The Moody Foodie shows up in disguise at the restaurant and the Belchers take turns trying to impress him, to no avail. Eventually, Bob takes the food critic hostage and cooks him up a burger so delicious that he can’t stop eating it long enough to call the police.
Not only is the Moody Foodie voiced by the one and only Patton Oswalt, he ends up providing the perfect opportunity for Bob to shine. Despite underperforming when he makes the first burger, he rises to the occasion the next chance that he has. The appearance of the Moody Foodie also gives us a glimpse of what each Belcher looks like when they're at their most nervous, including an angrier side of Bob that rarely surfaces.
Bronconius - Season 4, “The Equestranauts”
Bronconius is introduced when Tina attends a convention dedicated to her favorite toy horse television show, which turns out to be hosted by a large group of adult men. These grown, male fans have named themselves “The Equesticles”, a play on the title of the program, “The Equestranauts”.
Bronconius kicks off the action by swindling Tina’s toy horse, Chariot. Being the caring father that he is, Bob does his research and goes undercover to the Equestra Con convention to retrieve the horse. Not only does the appearance of Bronconius allow the audience to see Bob in a horse suit, at a club drinking next to someone named Sunpuddle, it also brings the Belchers together to save their dad. One might even say it’s a bond of friendship greater than any force in the universe.
Derek Dematopolis - Season 4, “Purple Rain-Union”
Derek Dematopolis the dermatologist. An old high school crush of Gayle’s, he makes his appearance when the two sisters perform with their old high school band, The Ta-Tas, for their reunion. After some hesitancy, the group plays a tribute to Derek, written and sung by Gayle herself.
The song alone is enough to make anyone grateful for the existence of Derek Dematopolis. Gayle starts by covering Derek’s neck hair (“your neck hair makes me weak”) and goes on to proposition him (“let’s you and me make a we-union”). Incredible songwriting skills and a passionate performance, all inspired by this one-off character.
Flips Whitefudge - Season 7, “Bob Actually”
As an attempt at impressing Linda for Valentine’s Day, Bob decides to learn how to dance. He enlists the help of Teddy and the two of them take a dance class together. While there, they are confronted by the teacher’s son, Flips Whitefudge, who challenges them to a hip-hop dance off.
Flips Whitefudge approaches Bob and Teddy with an explanation for how everything he does is “hip-hop”. His energy and confidence, paired with his incompetence when it comes to the dance battle, make him an easy character to enjoy. Plus, it’s always amusing seeing Teddy, someone who could almost be part of the Belcher family, and Bob react to unfamiliar situations, especially since they tend to have opposite opinions.
Talking Toilet - Season 3, “O.T.: The Outside Toilet”
Leave it to Gene to fall in love with a talking toilet in the middle of the woods. The toilet warms him up and cracks a few potty-themed jokes, even as its battery is dying. On a mission to keep the toilet charged and safe from a prowling toilet thief, Gene asks his friends to help him move it.
The toilet is played by none other than Jon Hamm, whose signature smooth voice captivates the attention of Gene. It’s not often that an esteemed actor voices a talking toilet, a surprise that adds to the overall light-heartedness of the episode. In addition to the jokes, the toilet frequently misunderstands Gene, responding incorrectly to his questions and comments. There’s nothing like hearing “you would like to vomit” as a response to a declaration of love.
Duval - Season 3, “Mutiny On The Windbreaker”
Bob cooks beside Duval for one night as the guest chef on the boat, The Windbreaker. The questionable practices of the ship’s head chef quickly become apparent, as Duval sweats into the soup to “save on salt”.
Duval’s unpredictability and strange habits make him a perfect single-appearance star. This episode is sprinkled through with a handful of delightful quotes by Duval which describe his personality and can be thrown into conversation when needed. One such moment occurs when he is hiding in the cooking pot, casually saying, “I am the spaghetti”, when Bob comes searching. Another is when Duval wants to appear casual by “humming like normal people”, a decidedly suspicious statement in itself.
Warren Fitzgerald - Season 6, “Pro Tiki/Con Tiki”
Bob’s childhood friend, Warren Fitzgerald, is brought up in several episodes before he makes his on-screen appearance. Fresh from selling his company, Warren comes to visit Bob and offers to invest in the restaurant. His money, as it turns out, comes with Warren’s vision of creating a tiki bar burger experience.
Voiced by Chris Parnell, Warren is a deep well of stories and provides insight into Bob’s past. He also has endless tales about the extravagant things he’s done, like paying upwards of a thousand dollars for a burger. Additionally, it’s satisfying to see another character appreciate the work that Bob puts into his business, even if they don’t quite see eye to eye as far as the overall look of the restaurant.