We'll Always Have Bob's Burgers

There was an ever-evolving and rotating set of shows on our favorite streaming platforms that Kara and I would typically watch together. But Bob’s Burgers was “our show.” And by that, I mean the show we had to watch the premiere of each new episode side by side, in the same room, at the same time. No exceptions. God forbid, if we queued that thing up and the episode progress bar at the bottom was at the credits, there would be hell to pay. I found out once, the hard way.

I haven’t watched an episode since she passed. I can hear the “Awwwww”s from here. But before you go proclaiming that “just the sweetest thing ever,” know that the non-act of watching the show was far sadder than saccharine. Initially, at least. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to watch it without her. I simply couldn’t bear to. Even the thought of the show’s opening theme would prompt the shedding of lovelorn tears, and those were already ample enough. However, as time went on it did become more of a conscious decision.

Whether honorific or curse-avoidant, I felt that betraying her afterlife trust would be devoid of benefit. I was sure she’d be fine with me tuning back in, just like everything else I knew she’d be cool with, new relationships, etc. Hell, her energy might have been chomping at the bit this whole time for me to start it back up just so she could watch it with me.

I don’t know. Maybe someday I will watch it again without her. But do I really want to risk it? What if the quality of the writing on the show happened to take a nosedive after I stopped watching? That would just add insult to injury.