- “Daddy, there's a scary man outside our window.”— Kid in Car about Bob Belcher
"Saving Favorite Drive-In" is the second episode in Season 15, being the two-hundred-and-seventy-eighth episode overall.
Plot[]
When the Belchers visit the local drive-in, Bob comes up with a plan to save the theater from closing. Meanwhile, Linda accidentally insults another mom while on a group text chain, and Louise and Gene hide from Tina after stealing some of her favorite candy.
Full story[]
The Belchers are driving to Cosmic Drive-In for its closing night. Linda mentions how Bob met Ramona there, the "first girl that ever talked to [him]." Linda gets a text message from Maryanne, a fellow PTA member, and voices her annoyance over her poor texting manner in the PTA group chat, which makes it hard to organize school events. Linda texts in the other group chat with other PTA members, excluding Maryanne, to complain about her. The kids express disinterest in the old movie they'll be watching, but Gene and Louise enjoy that Tina'll be sharing some of the candy she saved up while they watch the movie.
Edith goes to the drive-in with Harold while only paying for herself since he's hiding in the trunk. When they reach the front of the movie, Edith realizes the trunk is stuck. Teddy comes with his mom, who is asleep.
The Belcher family is at the drive-in, and as Bob is tuning his radio to listen to the movie for when it shows, he reminisces about going to the drive-in with his dad as a kid. In the flashback, Bob meets Ramona after going to the bathroom during an intermission. He points out that they share a class. Ramona explains how she's moving, and she's here with her mom and her mom's boyfriend, Dave, voicing her delight in never seeing the man again once they move. They both decide to buy popcorn at the snack concession.
Bob returns to reality after hearing Linda panicking. Linda reveals that she realized she had complained and insulted Maryanne in the main group chat—the one with Maryanne. A woman then announces herself in front of the movie screen as Evelyn James, the owner of the Cosmic Drive-In. While she talks about it closing, Bob tells his family they can't let the place shut down. Bob thinks they should do a petition and ask for signatures from every car. As the movie starts up, it almost instantly malfunctions and turns off, which helps Bob be a little less confident in his resolve, but he remains committed. After he gets napkins from his car's glove compartment for visitors to sign on, Linda reveals the group chat without Maryanne in it is panicking over what Linda accidentally texted.
As Bob goes alone to get some signatures, Tina heads to the bathroom, which gives Gene and Louise an idea to take some of Tina's candy from the bag she left behind. They discover her Ka-Bloozies, and each eats one, realizing too late that eating them leaves their mouth blue. They try to wash the color out with water their mom brought and then with some napkins from the car, but neither works.
Bob goes to a car, and a kid in the back informs their dad of the "scary man," which leaves the parents on edge. Bob assures them he's not scary and tries to get the car passengers to sign the petition, but the kids beg their parents not to, insisting that Bob's a murderer. Bob finds someone else instead to sign, discovering an elderly couple. Bob tries to get them to sign, and the older man complains about multiple things that show Bob they're not going to sign. When Bob reaches Edith, she signs it quickly and gets Bob to leave, not wanting anyone to know about Harold, as she resumes trying to pry the door open.
When Gene and Louise see Tina coming back, Louise tells her brother they can't open their mouths around her so she won't find out about the absent Ka-Bloozies. Tina returns, and she begins to explain the rules about her candy, with her final one being not to touch her Ka-Bloozies. Tina reveals there are three Ka-Bloozies for her near the finale. Linda tells her kids about the plan to convince Maryanne she wasn't insulting her. However, Linda realizes she is on a phone call with Maryanne and hangs up quickly.
Bob is in front of the snack concession, trying to get people to sign. The person running the stands asks Bob about what he's doing and offers him some of the burnt popcorn. The episode returns to the flashback of the younger Bob and Ramona getting popcorn. She then tells Bob they could watch the rest of the movie on the tall business sign of the drive-in.
Back in the present, the concession worker agrees with Bob's plan and offers his help. He tells Bob he should start an online fundraiser, and the worker sets up the link for the fundraiser on his phone. Bob comes up with the idea of sharing the link through the business sign. Bob finds Teddy to help fix the sign's lights. The three men climb up it with the worker's ladders, leading to more of Bob's flashback, with Young Bob and Ramona making it up to the sign by climbing the newer rungs on the sign's pole and watching the rest of the movie. As Teddy is figuring out the panel for the lights, Bob puts the link on the sign.
At the car, Linda gets a text from Maryanne asking to call. She tells her kids to be quiet so that she can think, but she gets suspicious of Gene and Louise for actually being silent. They hide themselves and their mouths under a blanket they brought and give an excuse.
Teddy climbs back down and turns on the switch for the sign, lighting it up. He returns to his mom. The employee leaves to return to the snack bar. As he's alone on Cosmic Drive-In's business sign, Bob thinks about himself and Ramona watching the rest of the movie on it. When finishing reminiscing, Bob is about to climb down but accidentally kicks the ladder to the ground. He tries to get his phone out of his pocket to call someone, but he also drops it. Bob resorts to the rusty rungs. He manages to reach the ground but lands in a bush due to a rung giving out.
After talking to her kids about it, with Gene and Louise still under the blanket, Linda decides to call Maryanne and be honest about her frustrations. She goes elsewhere to contact the woman, and Tina also leaves, making an excuse for why. Gene and Louise come out of the blankets, but Tina reveals herself, making them gasp and leave their mouths momentarily open, which shows their blue. She tells her siblings she knew they ate them right away. Louise apologizes for herself and Gene, and Tina decides to still share her candy with them.
Bob makes it to the snack bar to return the supplies needed to change the sign. His disheveled look surprises the employee, and Bob reveals his fall. The worker points out that the drive-in owner is going to the front of the movie screen again. Bob limps to Evelyn and tries to tell her about the sign, but the owner doesn't seem interested. As she is announcing that the movie is about to start again, she discovers the sign is on.
Evelyn lets Bob describe his plan to raise money for the drive-in and then talks about how important the place is to him. He tells her that this could let her keep Cosmic Drive-In up, but then she admits that she wants to sell. Evelyn tells Bob about her plans to retire and then asks Bob about the last time he came here as a point for wanting to sell her drive-in. She assures Bob that his good moments about being here won't leave him, even after she sells the place. Bob lets Evelyn continue talking to her crowd, and with someone else's crowbar, Edith manages to free Harold.
Bob returns to his family, and Linda tells her husband about how she reconciled with Maryanne after finding out that the parent has been busy. The movie then starts, and Teddy comes to them, telling them his mom woke up. Linda offers the handyman some deli meat her family stashed for the movie. The Belchers watch the movie while eating their snacks.
Videos[]
External links[]
- "Saving Favorite Drive-In" on IMDb
- "Saving Favorite Drive-In" press release via The Futon Critic
- "Saving Favorite Drive-In" script via Springfield! Springfield!