The Deepening
The Deepening is the sixth episode of Bob’s Burgers’ third season. It was written by Greg Thompson and directed by Bernard Derriman. It first aired on Fox in the United States on November 25, 2012.
Plot
Mr. Fischoeder wants a new attraction for Wonder Wharf and asks the Belchers for ideas. Bob remembers that the town was the filming location of a shark-themed 1980s movie called The Deepening. The original prop shark is up for sale, and the Belchers convince Fischoeder to buy it, though Teddy disagrees.
At the shark’s unveiling, Fischoeder reveals he filled the shark with diesel so it can move, and it starts causing trouble. The Belchers worry the shark will break free and hurt someone. The kids sneak off to Wonder Wharf to steal a fin for a prank, and Louise tells her siblings to pretend they were never there.
The shark escapes and wreaks havoc through Wonder Wharf. Bob, as “Block Captain,” tries to organize the townspeople to stop it, while Tina sympathizes with the shark because of the movie. Each plan to stop it backfires, making the shark more dangerous. Finally, the shark falls into a hole dug by the townspeople, but then burrows into Bob’s basement. Teddy explains his hatred of the shark comes from a past incident as a lifeguard during The Deepening.
Bob and Teddy try to stop it, and Tina suggests filling the shark with ice cream from the soft-serve machine. Bob plugs it in, and the shark, now full of ice cream, stops rampaging. On the news, Hugo takes credit for stopping the shark.
Reception
The episode received mixed-to-positive reviews. The A.V. Club gave it a B+, praising the blend of funny, grounded character work with the monster-movie parody. Paste gave it 8.3/10, noting that the single, focused storyline and the family’s unity against the shark worked well.
Viewership
About 4.66 million people watched it, with a 2.0 rating. It was the fourth most-watched show on Animation Domination that night, behind The Simpsons.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 10:56 (CET).