| “ | Ah, I can't wait to see the Old Mill Drawbridge. When we were in high school, Linda and I used to go there all the time. We smoked so much... meat there. | ” |
"The Right Tough Stuff" is the fifteenth episode in Season 14, being the two-hundred-and-seventy-fifth episode overall.
Plot[]
When Gayle tells the family she's sending in an audition tape to be on Tough Stuff Island, Linda is determined to make her tape boring to save her from being humiliated on a rejection reel. Bob struggles with his new electric grinder while the kids secretly attempt to make Gayle's tape more interesting.
Full story[]
The Belchers are in the restaurant, and Bob has just come out from under the basement after grinding up hamburger meat and suggests he might buy a new grinder after pointing out the problems the grinder has. Gayle announces herself and reveals she plans to film an audition tape for Tough Stuff Island. Louise points out how her aunt could win a million dollars on the obstacle show. Gayle asks Linda if she could help her film it and offers extreme ideas her sister could film her doing and discloses her finale of ripping off her shirt at the end of the tape and exposing the "Cast Gayle" message on her belly. Linda is unsure about helping due to how challenging it sounds, which upsets Gayle and makes her tell her sister she'll film herself instead.
At Supplies Party, Bob is shopping for a new meat grinder and contemplates buying one since hand-crank ones are not available and only electric ones are much more expensive. When a salesperson tells Bob that it only takes a minute to grind the amount Bob grinds in a half-hour, Bob quickly takes out his credit card to purchase the new one.
Bob and Linda are in bed, getting ready to sleep. Bob reads the manual for his grinder, and Linda watches a video about Tough Stuff Island. Linda expresses annoyance over Gayle wanting to audition, saying only young people are qualified, and points out how they're no longer young. She brings up how she always used to be able to do splits while dancing until she couldn't at her cousin Teresa's wedding. The rest of the video shows clips of people's auditions, as well as humiliating ones from those who failed. It shocks Linda, and she tells her husband that they must help with Gayle's tape to make sure it is as dull and unforgettable as possible so she doesn't become one of the show's humiliation clips. Bob makes an excuse that he has to work at the restaurant and test out the new meat grinder.
It's morning, and Linda, Tina, Gene, and Louise come down to see Bob already at the restaurant. Bob points out how quick it was to grind all the hamburger meat with the new grinder. Linda informs Bob she and their kids will be going to film Gayle's audition tape. Louise has a list of daring ideas, which Linda tries to shut down without revealing her plans. She tells them the tape should be "normal."
Linda and the kids are at the playground with Gayle, and Linda tells her sister they should begin the tape by doing step-ups on a wooden beam. Linda starts recording Gayle doing these exercises, and Louise keeps suggesting twists that Linda dismisses to make it seem more compelling. She sends her older siblings to attack Gayle for the tape, which ruins the clip.
At the restaurant, Bob serves Teddy a Burger of the Day. Bob probes Teddy, asking him if it tastes different, which Teddy fails to notice. Bob explains how he bought a new meat grinder, and Teddy takes another bite and believes he's tasting something else this time that's "different but really good, but not too different." Bob takes Teddy down to the basement to see the new grinder and points out his new spare time, mentioning how he started organizing the shelves on this floor. Teddy sees the old meat grinder on the shelf and suggests Bob should cover it so it doesn't have to look at Bob using the new one. Bob abruptly ends their conversation as they go back upstairs.
Gayle is at the beach with Linda and her kids, and Linda tells her it's time for Gayle to run. Louise continues to suggest ideas, with Tina and Gene joining in, but Linda manages to film Gayle without her kids' interference this time. They move to an empty football field for Linda to record Gayle running up a set of stairs, which Linda states will be the finale. Her kids protest, pointing out how this last clip is boring, but Linda records it without interruption again.
After Linda shows her family the edited audition tape in the apartment living room, Bob is the only person to flatter it. Gayle complains about how Linda edited her ripping off her shirt after climbing the stairs. Louise pulls her mom and siblings aside into the kitchen, where Louise tells her mom the tape won't make Gayle a contestant on the show. Linda disagrees, but Louise suggests Gayle should climb something after hearing her bring up that she's a good climber. Linda corrects her daughter, telling her Gayle was one, and points out she wouldn't be able to climb the Old Mill Drawbridge and leap into the canal like how they were able to as teenagers. Linda ends the discussion and returns to the living room without her kids. But what the Belcher kids do is decide that if they ask Gayle if she could climb the bridge, then they must film her doing so for her tape.
In the early morning, Gayle picks up Tina, Gene, and Louise and takes them to the drawbridge. She asks the kids why Linda can't come, and they make an excuse. At the apartment, Linda has just woken up and goes to the kitchen to see Bob, who has already cooked breakfast and eaten his. Linda tells her husband that he doesn't have to wake up early anymore to grind up the meats, and Bob explains his body is hardwired to do so. Linda asks Bob if their kids had any breakfast, and Bob points out how they were gone and tells her the story they told him before realizing they weren't being honest. Linda tries to call Gayle's phone, but Tina, Gene, and Louise hide Linda's call to deny their mom the chance to speak to her sister.
Louise films Gayle climbing up the drawbridge while her siblings watch, but Bob and Linda suddenly arrive after Bob drives them there. Linda shouts for the recording to cut as she blocks Louise from filming. Gayle asks if they're cutting, but Louise brushes it off, and Gayle continues to climb as Linda glares at her kids. Without Gayle listening, Linda expresses how furious she is at her kids and points out how she has no chance to get on the show. Tina, Gene, and Louise disagree and say they believe their aunt does, which surprises their mom. They tell her she has what it takes, and Louise points out how Gayle is continuing to climb the bridge. Linda looks at her younger sister as the kids state they want to be like Gayle when they're her age. Linda realizes her sister can climb the bridge and rouses her sister to continue. Gayle is now at the top of the bridge, and she rips off her shirt to expose the "Cast Gayle" message. She leaps into the canal and shouts, "Cast me!" The Belchers cheer when Gayle lands.
Bob returns to Supplies Party to return his new grinder. He expresses that the hamburger meats taste different. He states that the old grinder gave the burgers more texture and concludes that he misses it.
Eight weeks later, the Belchers are in the living room to watch Gayle's audition clip in the Tough Stuff Island video on TV. They cheer again when they see Gayle's leap into the canal. Gayle calls Linda, asking if they saw it, and she confirms. Linda consoles her sister from the phone as she complains about how she didn't get cast onto the show and states she was technically on it.
At night, as Linda is getting ready for bed, Linda has an idea and gets up and tries to do a split. While initially tricky, she realizes she managed to do a split. Linda calls for her family over to witness her achievement and tells them to come quickly after realizing she can't get up.
Videos[]
External links[]
- "The Right Tough Stuff" on IMDb
- "The Right Tough Stuff" press release via The Futon Critic
- "The Right Tough Stuff" script via Springfield! Springfield!
| Season 14 Episode Navigation | v • t • e | |
|---|---|---|
| Fight at the Not Okay Chore-ral • The Amazing Rudy • The Pickleorette • Running Down a Gene • Bully-ieve It or Not • Escape from Which Island? • The (Raccoon) King and I • Wharf, Me Worry? • Fraud of the Dead: Zombie-docu-pocalypse • The Nightmare 2 Days Before Christmas • Mission Impossi-Bob • Jade in the Shade • Butt Sweat and Fears • The Big Stieblitzki • The Right Tough Stuff • To Catch a Beef | ||
| ← Season 13 | See also: Episode Guide | Season 15 → |