America's Favorite Non-prehistoric Cartoon Family - The Simpsons Thread

[Ghost from Spelunker]

Don't Fear the Roofer had two more gems:
"I haven't seen this much melted cheese
since I left my Billy Joel albums out in the sun."

"Sorry Homer, but recent historical evidence indicates
that Robin Hood did not actually exist."

 

[Johnny Unusual]

A Star Is Torn

The thing about the Simpsons is that balancing the idea that these people are messed up and dysfunctional and often jerkish but keep our sympathies with them. After all, we can all, at times, be any of those things and while we aren't as consistent in this as many, we can see ourselves in their flaws and journeys. But often, the show just takes these things too far, pushing the characters into unlikable territory. And it can be possible to even make this work if, say, the episode is being more critical of itself and/or society than usual. But some episodes are ostensibly in the corner of a character yet so invested in making a big broad comedy, the end result is an episode that seems content with these characters being monsters.

In this episode, The Simpsons except Lisa, who sings them to sleep. The next day, the Simpsons suggest that Lisa appear in a singing contest that could result in Lisa being a guest in the Itchy and Scratchy Show. Lisa is worried about stiff competition but Homer writes her a song pandering to Springfield citizens that goes over like gangbusters. Homer becomes Lisa's stage manager but soon becomes overprotective, using violence and intimidation to "help" Lisa. When Lisa becomes cognizant of Homer's behaviour, she fires him, which Homer takes badly. Homer starts helping out Lisa's competition, Cameron, and Lisa feels bad about firing her dad for being protective. Lisa sings a sweet song to Homer while Homer reveals he sabotaged Cameron's big act, turning the crowd against him.

Though this episode doesn't bother me as much as Make Room for Lisa, but in many ways it is as bad. Perhaps worse. Not because the jokes aren't as good (they aren't) but because once again Homer is being abusive, this time violently so and not obliviously. Homer beats people up and violently attacks them. Homer strangling Bart is a joke that should have done long before this (they even put a hat on it 5 or 6 seasons ago), but now Homer is now a menace to anyone who gets in his daughters way. It's not as funny as the show seems to think it is and is downright upsetting. And weirdly, the show's thesis by the end is... it's kind of cool with it. Like, it knows it is bad but it's OK because it's for Lisa.

And here's the thing, even though Homer claims this is for Lisa and never directs his rage at her, this is, once again, abusive to Lisa as well as other people. I can only imagine how awful it would be to see your father acting violent and cruel and claiming it is for YOUR benefit. I know the show wants Homer to act badly, then have us forgive him in the end but this is not only beyond the pale, his act of redemption is... another cruel act on behalf of Lisa. Heck, the guy Homer is humiliating never actually does anything bad deserving of his Johnny Rainbow punishment. Homer's monstrous behaviour is never really contended with and it's kind of a "boys will be boys" that we are expected to just accept.

The idea of the episode could work. Homer being a protective stage bully having to contend with his methods is an interesting idea. Similarly, you could even have the episode "forgive" his behaviour in a cynical, ironic way that is a bleak commentary on show business. Instead, we get tinkly music to evoke heartstrings being pulled used without irony, even when the song lyrics are clearly aware of how awful Homer is. And he's just TOO awful in every respect. I feel like there could be a way to sell Homer's bad behaviour and redemption but the show takes it too far, confusing the audacity of his meanness with actual humour and jerkass Homer with someone I could possibly care about.

Other great jokes:

"Good job sweety. Every time you hit that note, I'll shoot a glass with my B.B. gun."

Other notes:

Yeah, this is a bad episode and a clear advertisement for an American Idol contestant but at least there's no Simon Cowell.

I will say, Homer being upset with Lisa until she brings him cookies and he's elated until he eats all the cookies and reverts is very "dog Homer" in a way I like. I wish the rest of the episode had him... not be awful.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Thank God It's Doomsday

In my teens, I was gripped with fear. Coming to the conclusion there is no afterlife nor a God, I was terrified of death, a fear I never shared with my family or friends. Often, I would literally toss and turn and even childishly thrash in bed at the idea of nothingness. I think I didn't tell anyone because I was convinced my Mom would ask me to turn towards religion. My mom's actually been pretty cool with my unspoken of but pretty obvious atheism (similarly, I didn't realize till later my own dad is almost certainly an atheist, or at least agnostic). She knows I don't really care. But I also know if she caught me in uncertainty and in need of direction, she probably would think it would help. It wouldn't, but I understand why it would. A promise of hope that life leads to something and that there's an order to the universe. Even if you have to make up the order yourself.

In this episode, Homer ends up watching a Christian film about the apocalypse and becomes scared at the idea of the rapture. Homer begins doing research and through his own calculations becomes convinced the end is in a week and that the only way he can get into heaven if he acts as a herald. Homer's raving ends up appearing on TV and after reciting a quote from Revelations, seems to predict a disaster. People not only give credence to Homer's beliefs but many want to join him. Homer takes them to what he believes is a meeting place only for the rapture never to occur. Homer becomes persona non grata in town and Homer is ashamed of himself. But Homer rethinks his calculations and ends up convinced the apocalypse is in mere hours. With no one willing to believe him, he drives to the meeting place by himself and seems to ascend to heaven. In Heaven, Homer realizes it means very little if his family is suffering and wrecks heaven until they postpone the end of the world. It seems to be a dream, though God may have restored Moe's Tavern, which Moe sold when he thought the world was ending.

After some episodes I didn't like, Thank God It's Doomsday is a bit of a recovery. It's not perfect and I see a lot of avenues I wish it used this premise to explore, I think it does get to focus a bit on the mentality and moral failing of people waiting for doomsday. Obviously, there is Homer coming up with arbitrary calculations and as ridiculous as it is, it feels as slapdash and preposterous the real thing. I feel like a lot of these predictions might come from opportunists but there are certainly some that come from people who are convinced they get to be the chosen one, the hero of their own story that gets to change the world. And that being able to have that level of control or the knowledge that there is a plan or system is less scary that no one is control of existence and that it is chaos.

This kind of faulty thinking is perfect for Homer and though Homer is often a jerkass in this era of the series, his behaviour is far less disgusting in this one. Yes, mostly he's thinking about himself until the end but he generally seems to think he can help people. The problem, of course, is that he's convinced himself of a fable where he is a hero leading his friends and family to salvation. Even in helping other's, there's an egomaniacal element to it and the episode ends with Homer realizing that he'd rather have his boring life than a heaven without people he loves. It's a nice sentiment, though I think we spend a little too much time in Heaven in the last act. Flights of fancy can be fun for the Simpsons but I feel like the show works best when mixing the absurd with the mundane.

The stuff I find the most interesting is actually breezed past rather quickly. I think I would have liked to see Homer slide into a bit more rather than mostly go all in from the jump because here it feels in the same ballpark as "Homer has a hairbrained scheme" when the reality of having a family member fall into a delusion or paranoia like this is far scarier. The other direction that would have made a stronger last act for me is what they get at with Moe; Homer's predictions wasn't just an inconvenience, it hurt lies. Every few years we hear about people hurt by a doomsday prediction and while it might be easy to laugh at their gullibility, it's actually really sad. Even smart people can be convinced of hurtful, absurd beliefs and they don't deserve to suffer for it. Having Homer contend with realizing he had abused a power he had over people to "save them" may have been more about feeding his ego and/or allaying some sort of fear is a bit more interesting. Still, as it is, it's not a bad episode. And it's mostly worth it for Left Below. Speaking of.

Other great jokes:

"I could be the Rachel to your Jacob."
"OK, but it's hard not to think about their hardship."

"Oh, don't tell me about family suffering. My son went down to Earth once. I don't know what you did to him, but he hasn't been the same since."

Other notes:
I really like Azaria's line reads as sarcastic angry Moe.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Father, The Son and the Holy Guest Star

I was raised Catholic but if you asked me as a kid, I would say I was raised Christian. It took me a long time to realize there were different sects and assumed pretty much any other Christian went to a similar church to mine. I don't think I had any other friends I knew of not raised in a similar church and I didn't know about the different rules and practices. I still feel like I'm learning about stuff, bigger stuff, that makes Catholicism different, like confession and rosaries. I am pretty disinvested from my Catholic roots but I am always interested to see what surprises people about my commonplace upbringing.

In this episode, Bart is falsely blamed for a prank by Willie and expelled. With few affordable options, Bart ends up going to a Catholic school and though he gets sternly punished by his teachers, he ends up making a friend with Father Sean, who manages to make religion appealing to Bart. So much so, Bart starts following Catholic practices, much to the ire of Marge and Homer. Homer decides to give Father Sean a piece of his mind only to also become enamored of Father Sean and the rules of Catholicism and decides to convert himself. Marge gets upset and goes to absurd lengths to try to convince Bart to stay protestant. Marge, Reverend Lovejoy, Flanders, Homer and Father Sean end up in a paintball stand off in a religious fair until Bart convinces the two sides they have more in common than they do differences.

This episode isn't particularly strong but it is one that is interesting to me. It treats a lot of the stuff I grew up with as fascinatingly alien to Homer and what is novelty to him becomes in a weird way a novelty to me. Unfortunately it is also an episode that REALLY gets into the 'hilarious' ethnic stereotyping of some of the cultures were Catholicism is widespread and it's pretty hokey stuff. A lord of the dance reference? And the reference itself is the joke? Like it's funny that Bart and Homer are doing that thing? Even in 2005, this was a pretty worn out gag, right? But Homer being excited for pancake dinners and fish on Fridays brought some weird memories from my youth.

What the episode is actually does attach to something interesting that I feel doesn't get fully explored. In this episode, Marge is very upset when Homer and Bart plan on converting. We've seen this in Marge before, the idea that someone who is usually good is so scared for her family's soul that she goes to great lengths when she feels they are threatened. I feel like I've seen this kind of anxiety before in my life and have, in a way, felt it early on in my religious life. I know that after I stopped believing, I felt like I couldn't tell anyone in my family this, so as to worry them. And I know it might for some. When my uncle stopped going to church, my grandmother was worried for him. When my sister showed no interest in baptizing her child, my great aunt suggested sneaking into her room with some holy water. Weirdly this bothered me more than my sister, though I get her take: so what? It's not actual magic. But to me, it was the principal and I didn't like the idea of someone presenting themselves as pious doing weird, underhanded um, baptisms.

And I guess I wish this episode explored that a bit more. By the end, it's time for things to wrap up so Bart gives a speech and that's about it. But I don't think we dig into the roots of Marge's religious anxiety and we aren't given an interesting way to deal with it. Father Sean isn't a particularly interesting character but by Simpsons' standards he's a mostly decent guy who seems to come by his faith honestly, as are his methods for making religion appealing, unlike the hokey ways Marge comes up with involving born-again rock bands and paintball. I kind of wish it really got into the idea of this appeal being further divorced from the message of faith, continuing Marge's blindspot from She of Little Faith. It's an interesting and believable flaw to give Marge as a decent character but I don't think this episode reckons with it properly.

Other notes:

Liam Neeson is pretty decent in the episode but I feel like he's mostly the kind of character who is kind of cool and gives info to characters but doesn't have much going on beyond that.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Home Away from Homer

I remember something Stan Lee claiming his serialized stories were powered by the illusion of change. Such a thing is even more king in a traditional sitcom. You need to have a character learn something and come to the conclusion that they have changed in this respect but remain otherwise the same outside of a certain reference. When you start having characters learn the same lesson repeatedly, then you start to wonder what the point even is. Of course, you can make a show about people failing to learn a lesson (I'm pretty sure that's what much of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is all about). but with the Simpsons, characters usually do. And at some times, the lesson starts as something else and winds up being "let's bury the hatchet, we need the status quo."

In this episode, Flanders is a little light on cash and decides to rent out his room. The two tenants are in fact secretly cam girls making softcore pornography in his house. When Homer finds out he finds it hilarious and shares the info with everyone in town. When Ned finds out, he is humiliated, so much so he is inspired to move to Humbleton, a town that makes Flanders' favourite collectible, Humbleton Figurines. Homer finds himself bullied by his new neighbor, Coach. Meanwhile, Flanders loves his wholesome new town but when he is asked to shave, Flanders takes a stand. Homer eventually asks Flanders to return and Flanders, rather fed up with Humbleton, agrees to come back.

Home Away from Homer's has several story beats that have potential but I feel like none of them have time to completely bloom. The closest thing is the arc of the first act, exploring Homer humiliating Flanders to an extent that hurts him too much. Sadly, it really amounts to another "Homer is a jerk to Flanders and then needs to make up for it" with little to offer. But the idea of humiliation being the starting point is a bit different than what we usually see. After all, Flanders is usually happy to be a doormat but it's one thing to be pushed around but it's another to have your dignity stripped away. The build up itself puts Homer in a weird place where he's watching softcore porn with his son which is... uncomfortable. But the emotional payoff could have had potential, only for the show to sidestep it and simply be a thing that can be apologized for.

The other aspect is both Homer and Flanders are put in positions counter to their usual neighbor relationships. Homer gets a bully, which is a bit of a more predictable set up but one that could work while the Humbleton story has Flanders being society's bad boy as he refuses to conform. But I feel like these should have been their own episodes, as nothing pays off with either of them. An episode about Flanders finding something he refuses to budge on in a community as Flanders as Flanders sounds not only like a lot of fun but also has potential to tell a story with the character without the Simpsons and lets him stand on his own. Instead, Flanders doesn't even get to win his battle against society, he just heads home when someone apologizes.

I also think a Flanders-focused episode is less fun since he's more or less become the resident evangelical conservative, a far cry from the kind-hearted yuppie from season one. That's not to say that the character doesn't have good stuff left in him (I think his brief relationship with Krabapple actually worked). I feel like the fun of the character is that he was one of the few truly decent people in the series and that luster worn off. When they allowed him to be angrier, it didn't hurt him, but when they allowed his Christianity to extend to constantly complaining about gays and abortion, it's just less fun. This is no slight on Harry Shearer, who still manages to give the character humanity but the taint hurts it. And I think the worst part isn't that he believes shitty stuff, it's that it's less of a character choice but a series of "it's for the gag in this moment" decisions that snowballed.

Other great jokes:

Spoiler: Spoilered because I'm not sure these terms are acceptable anymore

"Mom, am I a butch or a femme?"
"Honey, you can be anything you want to be."

I do like the words as written as a nice message. Also, of course Simpson of this era are making the Queer Focus magazine featuring leather boys on the cover.

"Bart, don't make fun of grad students. They just made a terrible life choice."

Other notes:
Jason Bateman does some decent acting in his little cameo.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Bonfire of the Manatees

Now onto season 17. When I'm finished this one... I'll be halfway done. Oof. That said, for all the show's flaws in this era, it is interesting to watch for when it is surprisingly funny or insightful. Mostly there are ideas that sound great but only partially pan out. Despite my complaints, I do feel most of the time the writers mostly aren't phoning it in... at least in any given episode's origin. However, the problems, as I mentioned too often is that 1) the characters often aren't likable and the episode usually doesn't justify it (there are lots of great works with unlikable characters but I want a reason to keep coming back) 2) "fuck, this aged poorly/I realize now this was never cool" 3) the episode doesn't make the time to explore it's ideas properly (or isn't capable of doing it well and concisely) and 4) simply falling into old traps. Sadly, this is an OK episode that also shows the series hasn't shaken $4.

In this episode, Homer's terrible gambling decision puts him in deep to the mob. But luckily Fat Tony is willing to forgive the debt... if Homer allows his house to be used in a porno film he's producing. Homer tries to keep Marge in the dark, Marge drives off to Florida to cool off but as she's about to give up and go home, she meets Caleb, a scientist looking to protect the manatees. Marge is drawn in by his passion and decides to join him. Homer and the kids track her down and though Marge accepts Homer's apology, she feels she can't return from her path. Homer decides to win her back by protecting the manatees from some bullies and after he does, Marge sees Homer is as vulnerable as the manatees and they return home.

This episode has a number of jokes I actually enjoyed. Yes, a lot of them are echoes of older bits but they are solid echoes that manage to give it enough energy to keep it enjoyable. But it's pretty obvious where the problem lies; once again, Homer makes a mess, makes a big gesture and there is no promise he's every going to internalize anything. The cycle continues. And the episode implies Marge recognizes the cycle and her journey is to get out of it and return to it. Like, the episode is very much shining a light on the problem but neither resolving it nor ironically commenting on it. Marge sees the manatee in Homer, a pathetic gross animal that cares. But the difference is the manatees might be thoughtless animals, they don't have her in a destructive cycle. It's an analogy that the last act hinges on and it instead makes Marge content as an enabler.

So again, no one learns anything. I know we are supposed to go to square one but the show shouldn't be so defeatist about that, at least without being clever of it. Marge had a good thing going with the manatees and despite the fact that the show wants to see it as affliated with her love for Homer, the manatee relationship is far healthier. A better ending would be Homer showing he loves and trusts Marge and either is willing to let Marge come back when he is ready, willing to pick up the slack for a while or staying with Marge for a while. And the next week, you can just imagine that Marge came back. It's no different than all the times the episodes end with Homer still fired from work again or Bart still expelled from school (which literally happened two episodes ago).

But despite my problem at the core of the episode, I actually found it fun to watch because of the joke telling. This isn't the series at the top of it's game for sure, but Homer, despite being in his destructive cycle mode, is slightly less jerkass, making stuff go down easier. The best jokes are often asides from the main story and as I said, a lot of them reflect the joke structures of episodes past, a lot of them are competent (it also helps that when they do give Marge some jokes, they are perfectly Marge). Alec Baldwin is also in the episode, doing a very good straightman bit. Alec is pretty good with humour, I admit, though it does bother me knowing he's an ass in real life apparently. I'm also not prepared to weigh in on his involvement on the recent "on the set" shooting, as it seems while he has partial responsibility, there was definitely failures on multiple fronts and levels for that to be able to happen. But yeah, the freshness of that tragedy sure makes that weird.

Other jokes:

I think the squalor of Santa's village is good but the funniest part to me was sad Santa reading Tom Clancy's Op Center and casually implying he is dying to a child.

"I'll run the soundboard!"
"And I'll perform in the sex scenes!"
From what I hear of the porno industry, Lenny was the one who made the better call.

"How could you allow this, in the room where we do puzzles."

"We're having lasagna and caesar salad."
"DON'T LAUGH, THEY'RE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN!"

"But we don't have an outhouse."
"My recording studio!"
The "outhouse" joke's been done and it's combined with "farmer into surprisingly metropolitan thing" but it's still funny to me.


Other notes:
Unless I missed something (as I often do), the episode is very unclear how the other Simpsons learned Marge was in Florida. It also sort of oblique that's where it takes place beyond references to it being sort of in the South.

It wasn't funny but I did think the nature of the Professor Pigskin scam was interesting.

Why didn't Homer just go WITH his family while the porno is being shot. Or even take short trip out of town and then have one of his dumb friends make sure things are at least surface level auspicious looking.

"I would do anything to protect another manatee, except harm another manatee."
"But what if by harming a manatee, you save two manatees. But before you answer, consider this; the first manatee is pregnant."

After some shitty rhyming parody names, this episode has some great "terrible" restaurant names: Skobos, Dimwillie's and Burger Plate.

I love how happy the manatee looks in the last gag.

 

[Lokii]

When I'm finished this one... I'll be halfway done.

Yowza. Really puts things in perspective.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

I was slightly wrong but only slightly. there are currently 33 season. But also, I definitely won't be finishing those in time before season 34. Heck, maybe season 35.

 

[Octopus Prime]

Speaking from the future, with a couple of exceptions, season 27 is, in fact, pretty good.

There are itermittent good entire seasons outside the Safety Zone, but you run the risk of finding dragons when you stray from the map

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Oh, I believe you. But I also feel things come in waves, even within seasons. I know part of it when episodes are written, some are meant to be in one season and are pushed to the next but some seasons start strong and end badly and other seasons can go the other way. So far. I have a few hopes for this and next season. Then after that, it's the movie, which I haven't seen in forever.

 

[Lokii]

Play all the Movie games too! Each system got a different version!

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Girl Who Slept Too Little

As a kid I had a hard time sleeping without certain elements. I still even use the white noise of the fan to help me get down but as a kid I need the bathroom light on and the radio playing music to make me feel unafraid. As I grew into teenager-hood, I still had fears keeping me up. The big one was the basic fear of my own mortality, which tore at my mind, and I also had a fear in generals of simply having nightmares. Sleep is a precious thing and to have it robbed by fear was incredibly frustrating. I even would sleep in my parents' or sisters' room on the floor well into a time where it wasn't cool (my early teens, if I remember correctly), because I was that upset. I never shared with my parents why I was so afraid for reasons of religious fear and in my fear, I was truly alone, even when there was someone to keep me company.

In this episode, a stamp museum is being constructed in Evergreen Terrace and the noise drives the Simpsons to distraction, causing the neighborhood to protest. The protest succeeds but in it's place the Springfield Cemetery is moved behind the Simpsons house. Soon, Lisa finds herself unable to sleep due to the spookiness of the graveyard. She begins sleeping in Homer and Marge's bed due, causing everyone to have bad sleeps. It gets so bad that Homer and Marge seek a psychiatrist while Lisa decides to spend the night in the graveyard to overcome her fear. Lisa accidentally hits her head and falls unconscious and suffer from a nightmare. In the nightmare, Lisa finds herself confronted by her monsters who advise her that it's OK to be a scared child and that there are simple things she can do to help herself. Accepting her fears, Lisa returns home with Marge and Homer.

As episodes go, the Girl Who Slept Too Little is one of the strongest in quite a while. It's not perfect, there are some gags that are rehashes of some classics and Homer and Marge are mostly relegated to "Homer does something dumb and Marge grumbles at him." I think some of the darker jokes feel appropriate to the tone but also introduce mild concerns... why doesn't Lisa tell anyone that she definitely just saw a murder (I'd buy it a little more if it was more implied and Lisa can connect some dots but... Lisa is 100 percent right to be afraid. There's a frickin' killer behind the house). I also feel the main idea of the episode, while a constant, doesn't completely land for me in the presentation for reasons I'm not certain of. But these are relatively small complaints in an episode I think does a lot really well. It's an episode that is focused, cares about it's characters and more than that THINKS about it's characters.

It explores one of my favourite recurring themes of the show; that for her maturity and intelligence and wisdom, Lisa really is still just a child. I don't like it when Lisa is a victim of Homer being an ass since the show usually takes it to far but having her contend with her vulnerability is always interesting to me as it grounds her and makes her more than "person who explains things to other characters". Lisa doesn't learn how not to be afraid but accepts she is, despite knowing how unrealistic it is, and that it's OK to have little strategies to help deal. It's an episode that gets to explore a character from an angle we haven't entirely explored. And it's pretty funny. That's what I want.

But more than that, John Frink's script is bolstered by a great level of specificity. Sleeping in your parent's room out of fear is very much an experience for a lot of kids. But beyond that, there's a lot of other stuff. It digs into why Lisa had to a lot of stuff for herself and I feel like "Bart was a handful" is more satisfying than simply "Homer sucks". I mean, he does and he can but I do believe that Bart is wild enough to really affect things for the family dynamic. Then there's a scene where Lisa catches Homer and Marge complaining about their friends. It's not actually "necessary" in terms of plot but I feel like it's great because it's a little play about how adult's world is very different from the expectations parents deliver. Plus it ties into the separateness of the world of adults and kids that is at the core of Lisa's problem. I will also say that when I write these, I have the episode playing in a loop in the background to help me keep in mind and even reconsider my thoughts. As I am writing this, I noticed at the episode's end, it doesn't actually suggest Lisa will be managing her problems on her own. Yes, she figured some things out on her end but it sounds like Marge is still planning to use the book Homer stole from a child psychologist and that this is going to be a work between them. It's a small thing that is easy to miss and think of it as purely Lisa's win, but I like the uncommented aspect that this will be a work in progress. And for a show often too dedicated to the status quo (even as it puts a hat on it's lampshade), I appreciate that. We don't have to see it to know that it will happen. Just without us.

Other great jokes:

I love that moving the cemetery involves "installing" a crow and adding "creak oil".

"Tell us, Mr. Burkhart, what lead you to the magical world of children's books."
"I wanted to be a children's book illustrator ever since Playboy wouldn't publish my cartoons because they were too filthy."

"See here Cartwright, your boys have been eating my apples."
"That doesn't sound like my boys. I'll thank you to keep a civil tongue!"

"Who was filming that scene?"
"Stationary camera."

"I'm not Dr. Nick, I'm Dr. Octopus. I'm going to get you Spidey, then I'll have upside down kiss with Mary Jane."

The Itchy and Scratchy gag is the kind of "dunk on pop culture" thing that usually doesn't do it for me on this show but I love that Scratchy kills himself out of boredom after one line of dialogue in Cats.

Other notes:

I appreciate that Gravedigger Billy has a slightly lighter voice.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Milhouse of Sand and Fog

Being a good person takes a lifetime to learn. I love working with kids but its apparent a lot of them don't know where the line is. It's not that they are bad kids (even the kid who was literally jumping on a house stating with neither joy nor sadness "I'm a bad boy.") but I think a normal amount of childish selfishness can cause cruel behaviour in good kids. Learning to understand get beyond this is often a hard but important process that can lead to some painful lessons.

In this episode, a drunken meeting at the Simpsons leads Kirk and Luann van Houten to try again at a relationship. Milhouse is excited at first, until he remembers the advantages of being a child of divorce and he and Bart decide to break them up. They decide to plant a bra to make Luann think Kirk is cheating. However, Luann finds Marge's nametag in her bra and confronts Homer. When Homer questions Marge, she's offended by Homer's mistrust and kicks him out. Bart confesses he caused the mess in the hopes that it will bring them back together but Marge feels the problem is deeper than that. Bart tries a hairbrained scheme to bring them back together and ends up endangering himself by accident. Homer and Marge save Bart and Marge realizes Homer does trust her.

Milhouse of Sand and Fog is an episode with a very promising first and second act, but a frustratingly sloppy third where, once again, the episode is resolved with shenanigans. And once again, the episode tries to put a hat on it but this isn't a delightfully meta subversion, it's a dodge from characters to really confront stuff. Marge is understandably upset that Homer didn't trust her but the episode is just saying "now you trust me" and it doesn't really ring true. If anything, it seems like they didn't know how to settle it in a satisfying way. We know they aren't going to separate but the show is increasingly bad at showing what Marge sees in Homer.

The first acts, though, ring a little more real. It's not particularly "romantic" but it sells the idea that Kirk and Luann, both feeling vulnerable, would try to make another go of it. And I think the idea that Milhouse would chafe at his situation and having to deal with the fact that he doesn't get the advantages he experienced. Despite the fact that the episode ending in a scheme, having a scheme to get them back together and tearing apart the Simpsons is something that can work,. And there are a few funny lines. But the end result is a message that you shouldn't do crazy schemes like in the movies instead of being about Bart and Milhouse realizing the damage they might be doing emotionally in trying to manipulate their parents. I feel like where it starts is a place where we care a little, at least, and they treat their parents someone trying to be sweet to their kid while rekindling a romance. But then it's just yet another episode that threatens to split up the parents. It only occurs to me now these episodes are like the 50s/60s Superman "imaginary tales" where they wonder what if Superman and Lois married, except in reverse.

The episode was written by Patric Varrone, who wrote some very good Futurama episodes (in particular "The Sting") and knowing that, I can't help notice Bart's role feels largely like Bender, as there are a lot of lines here I could imagine him saying to Zoidberg (Milhouse). I particularly like the idea that he's banished Milhouse's imaginary brain and must spend another year "looking for his brain." I should also point out this is an observation, not a complaint, as Bart is still recognizably Bart in words and deeds, but with elements I note being key to Bender. I feel like his amorality is shining through a bit more strongly, with a bit of extra opportunism and bravado. But despite an injection of a more consistently good show, it falls back on the same old bad habits other writers seem to lean on.

Other great jokes:

"Don't worry dad, I'm saving one for you. I'll just leave it here in the dog's mouth."
"BART! That's a really bad storage area."

"I have a message for your wife; stop sleeping with my husband."
*taking message* "with my husband and you are?"
"The wife of your wife's lover."
"Does she know what this is regarding?"

"Where are you staying?"
"You know the four seasons? I'm experiencing firsthand because I'm sleeping in the park."

Other notes:

The use of Phantom Planet's "California" didn't make me laugh but somehow it did capture my attention as Snoopy held up an off-brand OC cast. Weirdly great needle drop that enhanced a weaker joke.

Erasing all the save games is a solid punishment, parents.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Treehouse of Horror XVI

Man, I remember tuning into these shows only for them to be pre-empted by sports. As someone who is deeply disinterested on sports on the TV, I was pretty angry at baseball for this. It was a different age because I can't imagine this being an issue now when I simply stream pretty much anything. No more Halloween episodes in November and praying that the game will end in time for the show.

In this episode, three more Halloween tales, after Kang and Kodos accidentally destroy the universe in trying to get a baseball game to end. The first tale, a parody of A.I - Artificial Intelligence, Bart falls into a coma and is replaced by a robot. When he wakes up, the new family dynamic throws things into chaos so Homer decides to abandon Bart, Bart returns with stolen robot parts to exact revenge on the robot who replaced him. Then, in a parody of the Most Dangerous Game, Homer and other Springfieldians are invited to a dinner by Mr. Burns where he announces he will hunt them for sport. Everyone but Homer is killed and ends up being saved by Marge. In the last story, a witch is wins a Halloween costume contest but when the Springfielders learn she's a really witch and isn't technically wearing a costume, they strip her of her prize. Angered, she curses the town to become the costumes they are wearing, causing chaos. Lisa finds that Maggie's witch's costume means she's capable of releasing the spell but soon half of Springfield is pleading for her to retain the curse as their costumes are advantageous, while the others want to return. Confused about what to do, she simply turns them into pacifiers and flies off.

So far, Marc Willmore has written three episodes while producing many more. This includes Midnight Rx, which is was a pretty interesting, if flawed, episode and the Bart of War, an episode that conspicuously doesn't address the racist elements at the heart of it save for one line of dialogue. He also did one Halloween short which was decent enough but sadly none of these measure up to the mild standards of that. They are not without their good points but really it's a bit of a disappointing special.

The first one is the most story-heavy, which isn't necessarily the bad thing but as a parody of AI, it's not that interesting. The family preferring the new son to the old is fun in potential but it's a bit of a predictable track and doesn't say much about the family's relationship with Bart in an interesting way. Bart's replacement isn't a particularly interesting antagonist or character and I don't think they are using the framework of the parody to say anything of note on the source material or aside from the obvious "Bart is a brat" why the Simpsons going through this would end differently.

The second story is actually kind of weaker. It's much more of a gag-focused bit of business where we get to see funny ways Burns kills the various cast members. There's a quick bit of lawyer jokes were the Blue Haired Lawyer comes up with a way for Burns to literally get away with murder, only to be murdered, but other than that, no commentary, little character and it's not very funny. Worse, it has one of the shows most questionable jokes about Apu (and that's saying a lot) where Burns literally sniffs him out because he smells like "fear mixed with curry." Fuck.

Well, at least the last one actually has a joke about racism instead of being racist where Dr. Hibbert wins second place for his Dracula costume, which Quimby calls a Blacula costume. It's also the segment that isn't a parody of anything. That said, I've seen the conceit before three times; the most closely related is a Buffy episode 7 years prior with almost the EXACT same premise: a magical curse turning people into their Halloween costumes. It was a fun episode but creator Joss Whedon's shittiness pretty much guarantees I won't be returning to any of his stuff ever. I also remember similar ideas in a Darkwing Duck episode and even a classic Looney Tunes where Bugs and Elmer Fudd keep changing personalities depending on the hats they are wearing. This one does what neither of those episodes did which was raise the question about people who would be happier being the costumes. I like the idea that might dress as the person we want to be and what is a curse for some might not be for others. But we don't get to spend to much time with this, it's just sadly too short with the set up and all. Though, that said, the set up is probably the best part, as the idea that Springfield is indifferent to the existence of witches save for if they win a $25 gift certificate through lies of omission.

Overall, it's a pretty underwhelming Halloween episode. Happy kagami biraki everybody!

Other great jokes:

"And a robot would take your mind off your dead son."
"I thought you said he was in a coma?"
"They're pretty much the same thing. Except this way, I get to keep billing you."
"You said that already."
"WELL YOU DIDN'T LAUGH THE FIRST TIME!"

I love that after abandoning Bart at the side of the road, he still takes time to dispel the lie he told about a toy store.

"What kind of motive do you think he has?"
"Ulterior."

"Sucker! $25 won't buy you have a Balance Bar. I kid but our prices are very high."

"Ah, well, this still beats bein' Moe."

Other notes:

I feel like each of these story's endings feel like time was up and they needed something. The first with Homer waking up possessed is the most non-sequitor.

The animators and Tress MacNeille are having fun with that witch.

 

[FelixSH]

I don't have anything to say about the episode. But I remember, sometimes, when I wanted to watch my dialy sitcoms, and I couldn't, because a soccer match was running. It was the WORST.

 

[Octopus Prime]

I think this is the post Safety Zone Halloween episode that stuck in my mind the most, and even then I keep forgetting the second segment ever happened

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Interesting. Is it because you liked it or was there just something striking to you about it in general?

 

[Octopus Prime]

Little of column A, little of column B

Liked the bit with Bart being completely dismissive of the tragic abandoned robots

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Marge's Son Poisoning

As I get older, I worry I don't spend enough time with my parents. Now, a lot of people usually spend less, as I still see them twice a week but I always think perhaps our quality time is mostly limited to meals. And I do worry about them; in the pandemic, my dad, who has mobility issues, gets out less often than usual and I feel like he needs some stimulation. The care aspect can also be a big drain on my mom, who used to be able to take trips and vacations while I help him with his meals. It's funny, because as a youth, I felt maybe I spent too much time with my folks, at least perhaps compared to a lot of kids my age, and lived with them for much of my life.

In this episode, Marge buys a tandem bike with the hopes that someone will ride with her but everyone else is pretty disinterested. When Bart sees Marge looking bummed, he changes his mind and decides to join her. The two end up taking trips to a teahouse in the quaint community Springshire, but when the shop closes down, the two decide to move teatime to Bart's treehouse, which Marge cleans up. But when some bullies press Bart, calling him a mama's boy, he lashes out at his mother and tries to reassert his own identity. When he sees his mom feeling bad about what happened, he tries to make it up to her by inviting her to the school's karaoke night. When Marge observes the mother-child relationship between Agnes and Seymour Skinner, she worries she and Bart are headed in the same direction and encourages him to be a little hellraiser again.

Marge's Son Poisoning is mostly an episode I quite like. The jokes aren't top tier but the are consistent and solid enough and there's not a lot of eye-rolling stuff and most important is that it is a decent character episode. It's one that clearly put a lot of thought into the dynamics of character relationships and mixing them up in a way that makes sense. Bart is still a troublemaker at heart but he isn't mean for the sake of mean as he is often written in this era. I don't feel like it bends over backwards to get Marge and Bart together because they are already close. The difference is to make his mom happy he's embracing his mom's energy.

It's an episode, though, that I feel writer Daniel Chun has very specific ideas and themes it wants to tackle and it takes the time to really explore it. The idea is Marge realizes she's inadvertently guilting Bart into forcing an identity onto him beyond their usual time together. There are things Bart should feel bad for, like when he blows up at his mother but Marge realizes she needs to let Bart be his own person. Marge is never forceful in trying to get Bart in line and I don't think any time she makes Bart feel guilty it's an intended manipulation. Daniel clearly cares for both Marge and Bart and wants to explore how they can be close in a healthy way and finding that they need their own identities.

I do think that Marge assuming they'll have as toxic a co-dependent relationship as the Skinners is a bit far. And I feel like there's a bit of thinking in lines that is potentially fraught, albeit in ways I can't quite decode or articulate (save that I feel like "emotional hostage", a term I associate with shitty boyfriends, might apply). I like the idea that Marge starts to realize why kids need space to do their own thing and have separate identities. I feel like the b-plot, Homer becoming an arm-wrestler, actually does try into the main theme, with the idea that Homer's absence is key to Marge needing Bart's time, but it's not particularly memorable save for one or two good Moe bits. Though it isn't a perfect episode, it's the kind of imperfect episode I like. It gives a crap about it's characters, it loves them and lets us love them even when they are jerks and it really does let the theme run through the episode and explores it pretty thoroughly while still being a story rather than an academic exercise.

Other great jokes:
"He's only faking loss of vitality, Reverend."

"Ooh, small hill. Pedal, pedal, pedal! Now enjoy scenery. Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!"
This is what indie games are and I am into it.

"Mom, who's Neil Young?"
"He was a singer in the 60s, like the Archies or the Banana Splits."

"I'm joining the professional arm-wrestling circuit."
"And how will this affect your job at the power plant?"
"Negatively I assume."

"I don't want to see you turn into that."

 

[Johnny Unusual]

See Homer Run

It's easy to be cynical about politics and probably right. But cynicism shouldn't become despair, that helps no one. But the fact is even people who go in with good intentions can have their priorities messed up by the priorities of the system. There are some people I'm sure went into politics grabbing for power but it might be worse that someone who believes in something can put that on the backburner simply to stay in power. I think to be a good citizen means expecting the people you want to win might let you down and be willing to hold their feet to the fire on bad policies rather than letting one slip by in the hopes that they'll make better decisions down the line or that it is an aberration. One aberration can easily become a pattern. And speaking of....

In this episode, Homer's poor reaction to a father's day gift break Lisa's heart and has her cynical about her father. Homer tries to win her back by becoming the school's safety mascot, the "Safety Salamander". Homer does a bad job at first but makes a big splash after saving people from a car pile-up. At the ceremony to celebrate Homer, Mayor Quimby's competence and integrity is called into question and soon the town is calling for a recall election. The recall election campaigning begins with a large number of citizens emerging as candidates and Lisa encourages Homer to run. Homer becomes a front runner and is convinced to keep his costume on to win votes. However, after Marge washes the soon, it falls apart and Homer loses his base. Though Homer lost the election, he gains his daughter's admiration.

See Homer Run isn't a bad episode but it is terribly pedestrian. Homer messes up with Lisa, she gets upset about it, Homer makes big strides to win her back. It's pretty formulaic stuff. It doesn't add a lot to the equation except they add the crisis of "now Lisa hates men" and it doesn't feel particularly organic or necessary. Where it does appear the episode is actually trying is in political commentary, albeit not entirely successfully. It tries to keep timely as it is clearly mirroring the California election where a bunch of d-list celebrities or weirdos attempted to get elected governor. It decides to do this by having pretty much the wackiest Simpsons characters run for mayor.

It isn't fresh or strong but it has some interesting ideas. I think the strongest area is about the performative aspect of politics. Homer needs to keep wearing his silly suit and people are less interested in his policies and more the spectacle of Homer. But it sadly doesn't go that much deeper than that and that's where it falters. We know that Homer's policies are dictated by Lisa but for an episode where at the heart of it should be a Homer/Lisa tale, it doesn't factor into it as much as it should. If it did, I feel like the sweet ending would have been earned, where Homer and Lisa reconcile as Homer tried to make the future that Lisa would want to see.

So basically, it's an episode that feels like a mash up of better episodes; one of the many "Homer needs to win back Lisa" episodes and the end of "Simpson and Delilah", where Homer loses his hair and immediately loses a plum gig not on true merit but purely on optics. And this could work but I feel like it's too interested in press conference gags than the fuel behind them. Yeah, a political episode is going to have a lot of these scenes but the build up takes a lot of time away from adding some real depth to the nature of Homer's campaign, that despite being Homer, he might be able to affect positive change but people are attracted to the sideshow. There are other ways to go; Lisa could have mixed feelings at Homer being capable of being doing good at the cost of a more superficial political campaign and Homer sacrificing his dignity. But as it stands, it is yet another empty re-hash. It does have a few good jokes, though.

Other great jokes:

"G'arr! This is the worst father's day ever!"

"Sure, it's easy to point out my faults, it's a little harder to shut up."

"What happened to the last safety salamander."
"He fell asleep in the suit and suffocated."
"I could do that."

"What protects you if we crash?"
"A metal bar at tooth-level."

"Expand my brain, learning juice!"

"They love this suit, just like they love their stupid American flag."
This speaks to me.

Other notes:

Man, lots of jokes about stem cells in the last 10 episodes. Incredibly of it's time.

 

[MetManMas]

"They love this suit, just like they love their stupid American flag."
This speaks to me.

Same.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Last of the Red Hat Mamas

This year, two couples, who were among my parents' closest friends, moved away. My parents were happy for them but I imagine they were a bit gutted. They still have close friends but even with our province at Level 3, getting out with friends was proving increasingly difficult. It's hard to make grown up friends at the best of times and it's certainly harder in a pandemic. The best way to make friends is probably finding an activity or group to be part of but even in this respect, putting yourself out there can be a bit intimidating.

In this episode, Homer embarrasses Marge in a public event and alienates her friends from her. Marge realizes how few friends she has and Homer tries to find some for her. After he fails, Marge wanders the streets and meets a group of women from an organization for women of a certain age; the Cheery Red Tomatoes. Marge gets along with them well but when she becomes a full member, she learns that the Tomatoes have an ulterior motive; steal a million dollars from Mr. Burns. It seems the year previous, Burns took back a charitable donation from the organization for a children's hospital at the last moment. Marge is pressured into helping them steal the same amount in the form of Fabergé eggs and she joins them in their house. Homer learns of her plans and tries to stop her, only to accidentally blow the plan. However, when Burns sees the criminals, he decides no jury would convict them and lets them go. Marge reveals she hid one egg in her hair and the Cheery Red Tomatoes are grateful but decide to keep a distance to be safe.

It's another episode where Homer or Marge decide they need a new friend. Usually, this speaks to me but there's very little to the formula this time and in fact kind of a bad message. Not the part about stealing, I'm pretty OK with that. The problem is not that Marge joins the heist but that she's pressured into it by her friends who threaten to withhold their friendship if she doesn't help. Heck, it's not even that, they specifically try to shame her as being unworthy. It's not a great friendship in that respect. Now don't get me wrong, there's an element where it could be about how a friendship requires a certain level of reciprocation that Marge might find difficult and then bump it to be a ridiculous degree. But the episode doesn't quite sell that Marge should be with these people.

The episode does try to counter this in one respect; casting the always lovable Lily Tomlin as Tammy, the leader of the Tomatoes. It's understandable why she would be great as a friend for Marge. But beyond that, the episode isn't bad but mostly kind of hollow. Despite the heist aspect, a lot of it feels like the show in pure formula mode and nothing lands in a way that really lasts. Yes, we have moved beyond jerk-ass Homer for the most part, as even when Homer does something dumb in the episode, they give it a motivation of love, like trying to protect Maggie or find a friend for Marge. But clearly it isn't enough to make a strong one.

The episode also has a b-plot with Lisa and Milhouse. I feel though the show hasn't done it's explicit episode where the writers make clear their intent to ship them but I've always hated it. These are both loveable characters but the writers themselves both made great arguments in their alternate futures that it's a completely bad match all over. This one is a bit shallow but it actually does one of the better arguments that there is story potential there. That said, I almost would prefer simply having Milhouse being more a mutual friend, as I think Milhouse works equally well with Bart and Lisa.

Other great jokes:

"*gasp* ROAD RUNNERS ARE REAL!"

"Remind me Smither, while we're out I need to get my eyes re-balled and my brain flushed out with vinegar."
"Yes, sir. Oh, and your knees will be back from the shop tomorrow."

Other notes:
I'm impressed Cherri and Terri know that Rome was founded by twins (at least in myth)

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Italian Bob

The Simpsons is a show where 17 season in, the formulaic episode types start to merge together. The next episode is a Christmas anthology episode. It's not a bad approach to freshen things up. After all, isn't it fun to take something someone is familiar with and toy with it? But are the results more of the same x2 or something unique?

In this episode, Homer is given an assignment from Mr. Burns to pick up a luxury car on his behalf in Italy. The Simpsons head to Italy to do some siteseeing, only to have a car accident where Burns' car is damaged. The Simpsons wheel the car into a small village where they are told the Mayor speaks English. The Simpsons are shocked to learn the Mayor is Bart's mortal enemy Sideshow Bob... and Bob is equally shocked and upset. He reveals he originally absconded to Italy to forget about Bart and ended up becoming a local hero by using his giant feet to crush grapes for wine-making. Bob was not only beloved by the town but found a wife and had a child. Bob, desperate not to lose his new life, pleads with the Simpsons to keep his secret in return for fixing their car and the hopes they can stay out of each other's lives forever. However, during the big send-off for the Simpsons, Lisa gets drunk and accidentally reveals Bob's past. Bob becomes an outcast and immediately declares a vendetta against the Simpsons. But to Bob's surprise, just as he is about to give up after a setback, Bob's mother and son vow to join in their revenge. The Terwilliger family attempts to assassinate them during a production of Pagliacci starring Krusty but the Simpsons are saved at the last minute by the star.

Even when unsuccessful, Bob episodes are a treat, if only because Bob is such a fun character and Kelsey Grammer always does quality work with him. From what I hear, the real Grammer is kind of a shitty dude but I can't deny he elevates the episodes he's in. And in here, he does get to play a few different levels and even adding pathos to smaller lines. Even in re-hashing the Bob tries to go clean premise, he finds new notes to play, even in such a broad episode. And he's clearly having a ball getting to do opera, which he does quite well.

But does the episode work as a whole? No. But there's good stuff in here. The first act is fairly standard "the Simpsons are going to ______!" stuff, for better and worse. It's definitely not as offensive as it has been but a lot of it is pretty standard jokes about the country they are in. And the last act becomes a little more slapdash, landing on the assumption that Bob's adorable murder kid will steal the show. And hey, I LOVE cute things; I like Baby Yoda and the Muppet babies but Bob's son Gino was not nearly as funny as the show seems to assume. But worse, the climax ends in an unsatisfying way where the episode sort of... ends. Ends in a way where it makes it apparent there's no interest in creating a real conclusion in terms of themes. It's frustrating, as the build up from act two should give us a lot to work with.

The strongest is the middle act by a wide margin. I like Bob's backstory for the episode, which is fun, and the dynamic of the Simpsons having to protect their old enemy for their own convenience. I kind of wish it took a different direction, maybe saving the reveal for the last act and either having the Simpsons struggle with not revealing to these nice townspeople that their genuinely nice mayor has done bad stuff and may still be unstable. Or also exploring is Bob's anger birth merely from desire for revenge or would he be predisposed to such behaviour even if Bart wasn't around. Still, the middle part is pretty fun and has the most fun dynamics of the episode.

Other great jokes:

"I thought of that joke because I slept in a cave last night."

I LOVE that Bob is the kind of jerk who would try to correct the Italian folk on how to speak proper Italian.

Other notes:

Diversity Tales is another "this PC stuff has gone to far" bit that must have felt played out and outdated even when this episode aired.

I feel like I should have mentioned this.... maybe 5 seasons ago, but I swear this show is going far deeper into Homer strangling Bart now that it openly calls it child abuse than when it was just "this wacky dysfunctional family." Like, it goes deep.

The Mussolini/Trump joke aged more accurately than anyone feared.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Simpsons Christmas Stories

Oh, Christmas. I loves it. Particularly the lighting. It's probably why I don't take down my Christmas stuff until March, because in the covid age, the nights seem even bleaker and I have an even greater need for some goddamned color. There's something about Christmas lights that are soft and sweet in a way that I find much nicer than any regular lamp and sets a mood of serenity to me.

In this episode, three tales of Christmas. First, Homer retells the nativity with he as Joseph and Bart and Marge as Jesus and Mary. Then Grandpa recalls being trapped on an island during World War II where he meets and saves Santa. And finally, a collection of short skits on Christmas eve, many of which are set to the Nutcracker Suite.

As anthology episodes go, this is OK but not among the strongest to be sure. I wouldn't call any tale top-tier but I feel like as goofy fluff, it mostly hits my Christmas buttons and would probably make for a good thing to play in the background while I'm wrapping gifts or something.

The first tale is enjoyable enough and while there are a few dumb jokes, I didn't mind it at all. The strongest stuff isn't actually the Simpsons clan but some fun jokes from other characters like Moe and Lenny and Carl. It actually tries to add a touch I like in theory, the idea that Joseph not being the father might initially make him feel like an outsider in his own family but while it is there, it doesn't amount to much.

The second tale is the strongest if just for going places. It's no parody, it's just a weird, wild tale that manages to fit a surprising amount of plot in it's short run time, at least compared to what the show often has to try to do in a single story act. We get grandpa introducing and re-uniting with his long lost brother, Grandpa and Burns trapped on an island and then a reindeer dogfight. This story is nothing if not willing to swing for the comedy fences. But as wild as it is, the best stuff is mostly small business between Burns and Abe that makes me laugh.

The last segment is the weakest but it is trying to ambitious with a musical. But it's an Alf Clausen musical and while he's done AMAZING things for the show, it feels like a lot of the music he does at this stage of the show feels a little flavourless. But while it is my least favourite segment, I do appreciate that it goes for visuals and even ends with the soft glow of the fireplace and a bit of cliched sweetness. And all honesty, I don't mind because while it doesn't make me laugh or cry, it's a nice happy holidays send off, even if I'm lukewarm on the episode as a whole.

Other great jokes:

"I've got the Messiah's nose. I've got the Messiah's nose."
"Give it back, he'll kill us all!"

"The other tenants have been complaining of the incessant swaddling."

"And did you know... that little baby Jesus... grew up to be... Jesus?
I know, it's weird, right?"

"Oh, Bart, why did you ask him a follow up question?"




Other notes:
When Santa says he'll take him to see his long lost brother, why does it feel intimidating.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Homer's Paternity Coot

I love my parents but growing older means accepting that they aren't perfect. Oh, they are still great parents but sometimes dad tells an ill-considered joke and occasionally make an ill-considered argument that chafes me. My mother is incredibly loving and very concerned for us but sometimes I think she gets a little too worried about things (though her current anxiety is absolutely understandable). But these things also allow me to understand them as humans better and how beautiful they really are. You can still make mistakes and be a really good parent.

In this episode, the Springfield tire fire grows and ends up thawing the ice in the nearby mountains... and reveals a long frozen mailman. The Simpsons receive a long lost letter for Homer's mother Mona and it reveals she was having an affair with a lifeguard. Even more shocking, the lifeguard is convinced that Mona was carrying his child, making Homer question whether Abe is his real father. Homer tracks down the lifeguard and discover he is Mason Fairbanks, a dashing and wealthy adventurer. Homer meets Fairbanks and reveals his suspicions and Mason immediately accepts him as his son. Grandpa is upset by Homer accepting Fairbanks as his dad and Marge suggests they resolve the issue with a paternity test. The tests reveal Fairbanks as Homer's real father and joins Fairbanks on a salvage operation. Through accident, Homer gets trapped and ends up in a coma, where the dreams of the times Grandpa was a good father. When he awakens, he tells Abe that despite his biological father, he accepts Abe as his "real" father. Abe reveals he is his biological father, having switched the tests believing it would make Homer happier and the two reconcile.

This is another perfectly OK episode with some good jokes but without a strong element that makes it memorable. The inciting incident has enough potential drama for multiple episodes, with Abe discovering his wife being unfaithful, motivated by his inattentiveness as a husband. But the episode does explore the other interesting aspect, Homer questioning who his father is, but the problem is it is in a rather rote and predictable way. The message is "blood isn't the same as parentage" and, hey, I agree, but it doesn't get to do much interesting with the message, sadly. I feel like at this point, the show is just a little too content to trot out some decent, time tested messages without much curiosity or daringness to move off the beaten path. Heck, we are only a few seasons away from a confoundly unironic "The Prince and the Pauper" episode.

Still, it is funny quite a bit. AND the actors and director are doing some great work on a technical level, even if to a predictable end. The episode starts with Marge in a pretty good Hitchcock inspired tollbooth scene that really does build goofy suspense with Alf Clausen providing Bernard Hermann-inspired music. Now, I think it is a piece that originated in another episode but all the same while I complain about Clausen's musical number, his pastiches are often really spot on and his Hermann really works in the scene. It also has a funny use of pregnant pauses and a fan set on medium in a brief scene in the Retirement Castle. The episode itself is written and directed by show vets Joel H. Coen and Mike B. Anderson, respectively and I think it's why it is both a well produced and often funny product and lacking a certain amount of freshness.

The episode also features Michael York as Homer's potential dad Mason Fairbanks and he does a really good job at playing at the level of the series; very arch. I feel like I haven't seen enough York films, mostly familiar with him in Logan's Run and the Austin Powers series as Basil Exposition. I don't think York was doing anything particularly noteworthy and I feel like often some of the best guests feel like they aren't cast for sweeps week style promotions (though on occasion that can work out surprisingly well when the actor is both talented and game) but character actors that really sell the humour. They don't even need to get the jokes (see real life jerk Lawrence Tierney who managed to be one of the shows greatest one-off characters despite what sounds like every attempt NOT to be), they just need to play the game properly.

Other great jokes:

There's a lot that works but I love the awkward laughter of the guy on fire as he is clearly waiting for the director to cut.

I love the weirdness of "de-pythoning the fountain."

"Do it Marge. Today 75 cents, in five years, 80. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA assuming voter approval."

"So I assume from all the knick knacks you're some kind of fruitcake?"

The shrunken head bit makes me laugh. If is a bit of a rehashing of a bit but also freshens it up.

"That story had everything. Action, treasure, water, a guy..."

"See Abe, we're still visiting you, even though we have no biological obligation."
"Mom, you said that three times already!"

"So... what setting is that fan on."
".......medium."
"Hm... ...I woulda guessed low."
".....you would guessed wrong."

The Homer's drawing joke is basically the same one from Futurama but Homer's guileless smile completely sells it.

Other notes:
Grandpa has a solid sad old man sitting strategy; sit next to the garbage so people have to come up to you so you can talk at them.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

We're on the Road to D'ohwhere

I like my job of looking after kids but I also like having some time to myself. You don't get a lot of that as a parent, particularly to a younger child, and while someday I might like to be a parent, part of me wonders if I could deal with the constant need for attention from the child, no matter how tired you might be. When I'm working with kids, I often get time for lunch or can go off to do some cleaning while another caregiver can watch the group but juggling stuff can really be tricky and it means sometimes some things end up going slack. And it's got to make for a bad cocktail if a parent's emotional investment is lacking.

In this episode, Bart damages the school and Skinner insists Bart be sent to a special camp in Oregon to instill discipline in him. Homer takes him to the airport with plans to go to Vegas afterwards but the plan is dismantled when it turns out Bart is on the no-fly list. Homer decides to take Bart to Oregon himself seething with anger. Together, the two start to unpack their grievances with each other, briefly bonding over making fun of a loving father and son at a family restaurant. Bart escapes but Homer manages to catch him again and finally gets Bart to their destination. When Homer starts heading to Vegas, he worries he's robbing his son of his childhood, returns to pick up Bart and the two head to Vegas.

I wish I liked this episode more than I did because I feel like it is generally what I want in a Simpsons episode. It is a character-based episode and spends a lot of intimate time between Homer and Bart as they start questioning each other about their decisions. Its clear that the writer does want to explore the relationship between the two and also have the humour of a buddy road movie. The two have been on the road before in Maximum Homerdrive but that episode is more about silliness and while there's lots of humour here, it isn't a wacky tale of robot drivers and a war convoy of truckers. It keeps the story much smaller.

I think where the episode weakens is it feels like while I think it is saying that Homer realizes he shouldn't sacrifice Bart's childhood for his convenience, that's mostly at the end and I don't think it has much real insight into the Bart/Homer relationship. Still, there's stuff I think is interesting; when it comes to discipline, in order to stay firm, I find it easy to miss the forest for the trees and realize that it's OK to bend to an extent to make sure that progress is made. Homer spends most of the trip on the warpath and the two tend to do better when they can communicate. But I don't think we get enough of that, at least without a properly writerly focus onto what the episode is about. After all, Homer became a father pretty young (or not, depending on the continuity of a given episode. I mean, here he says he's 38) and it's probably been a long time since he could relate but I feel like that's not taken into account.

I think one of the other problems is they should have made it almost exclusively a Bart/Homer bonding tale but too much time is spent with a b-plot where Marge uses a yard sale to sell drugs. This one doesn't work for me because to make it work, I feel like Marge has to be tricked into thinking something that is clearly a crime is OK and while that's what the first scene does, she's soon offering "dimebag or keester" and by the end, she clearly knows it is a criminal act. It's not particularly funny and while it sets up the kind-of-cute punchline of the last scene were Maggie and Lisa are the last two standing, the fact that it takes away from a potentially strong story makes me like it less.

Other great jokes:

"Grover Cleveland's second term was, if anything, more uneventful."

"You made that TV show really mad!"

"D'OOOOOH"
"Oh, dang, Homer's not coming."
"Haw haw."
"And Nelson saw something funny."

Other notes:
This is the only episode where it is implied Smithers is trans for a joke because the writers are like "yeah, gay person = wants to be a woman."

The writers are clearly having fun with Skinner's pointedly one time only secretary Myrna.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

My Fair Laddy

A good parody is tough. You should be able to either to express a deep love or at least incisive understanding of the subject and either deconstruct it or perhaps use it to deconstruct something else. Infamously, the Seltzer/Friedberg film series of parodies sort of killed off the parody film for a while by being merely a series of soulless references. There were some great parody movies after, though, including Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and They Came Together, but what began with the films of Mel Brooks (yeah, Airplane popularized it but Brooks' Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein set the templet). These are films that mostly aren't interested in a conventional moral but exploring the mechanics of the very films they are parodying. Unfortunately, as parodies go, this episode isn't a success.

In this episode, Bart's attempt at revenge on an abusive new teacher accidently ends with Groundskeeper Willie's shack being destroyed. The Simpsons take him in while the shack is being rebuilt and Lisa notes Willie seems worryingly content with a debased lifestyle. Lisa encourages him to improve his lot and she makes a bet with Bart that she can transform Willie into a perfect gentleman. She eventually does and she impresses everyone at the school when she reveals the debonaire "GK Willington" as Groundskeeper Willie. But once the bet is won, Willie realizes he has little to do with his newfound civility. He becomes a Maitre D, only to find the job frustrating and humiliating. Willie decides to return to school and his old personality.

The Simpsons musical parody episodes becomes sort of a trend for some fairly sloppy story telling in the name of following the tracks of what they are parody. It isn't quite slapdash as a lot of the weaker Halloween segments but I do find the parodies of musical numbers fairly weak. I'm sure this is just to satisfy cast members who want to do some singing and it's nice that they get to but I wish that they get better songs to work with. I've never seen My Fair Lady, though I'm certainly familiar with the overall structure having seen endless homages to it (and Pygmalion) in pop culture to get the general vibe. But in all honesty, if this is somehow subverting the original material in any way beyond Willie just being next level wackily deranged, I don't know what it is.

My other issue is that in order to specifically includes elements from the play, it... kind of makes no sense? They don't even make a joke out of the nonsense. Like, Lisa does make a bet with Bart but no stakes are ever given and Lisa says "I bet you" and Bart barely seems like he has an opinion or care in that moment and then is taunting Lisa to concede her bet two scenes later. And what the Hell does a science fair have to do with Willie appearing as a gentleman. It isn't knowingly goofy, it's just awkwardly messy. The episode doesn't necessarily need stakes on Lisa's end but in the first act and second act, it acts like there are some for her despite evidence to the contrary.

I think my other problem is the episode is so determined to get us back to square one (which they do lampshade) that it's kind of a bummer that the show comes to the conclusion that Willie just wants to live in filth. It would be one thing to demonstrate that his civilization has nothing to with humanity but it barely works. I kind of like the idea that Willie finds his new job treats him with equal amounts of disrespect and that some people in similar positions of respect use it to be abusive but I wish it was more about that. Or perhaps that the show could imply Willie is taking something with him from his time with Lisa when he returns to his own world but the trajectory isn't empowering to him, despite getting to beat up Krusty, it's just him back in his crapshack.

Other great jokes:

"How long is this commercial anyway?"
"I don't know, I've never made it to the end."

I do like Moe's desperate billboard.

Other notes:

It seemed like Martin's device for measuring surprise was building to a joke... that never came.

I don't know why but I love Krabappel going "I get THAT reference." It's not a strongly funny line and no shade on Marcia Wallace but it's not like it's the greatest line read. I think I just relate to the smug pride of getting a reference and feeling the need to comment on it.

I will say by the metrics of this show, the trans joke isn't great but far less offensive than most. Someone just tells a stupid wiener joke and no one says becoming trans masc is gross or a lie. So... small favours really.

Huh, that one guy in the background looks familiar...

Wait a minute...

RUN KRABAPPEL!

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Seemingly Never-Ending Story

It's a true cliche that stories help us make sense of the world, putting order and meaning to the chaos of the world. Because the world is made up of stories, but unlike those we make, there's no real end, simply an infinite tapestry with everyone's stories flowing into each other. When we make a story, we can put things in perspective and even in tall tales reveal what we value and understand. Even narrative attempts to embrace the very nature of our chaotic interconnected world still ends up in a box where we can generally understand things, even if it is a challenge with intentionally missing details as in the work of avant garde types like David Lynch. No matter how experimental you get, it's still all artifice and even if you aren't trying to say something and simply want to explore a feeling, it all comes back to the teller of the tale and how they want to convey those ideas.

In this episode, the Simpsons get stuck in a cave and Lisa tells Homer a true story to keep him entertained. In it, she runs afoul a ram that chases her onto Mr. Burns property. Burns and Lisa are chased into the attic and to pass the time, Burns tells about how he worked at Moe's Tavern. After losing a high-stakes scavenger hunt with Rich Texan, Burns lost everything and was forced to work at Moe's. While there, Burns discovers a note Moe hid that promises treasure. It turns out a year prior, Moe met Krabappel when she first moved to Springfield and the two fell in love. Edna doesn't like bars due to her experience with her alcoholic ex-husband, so Moe planned on leaving his tavern but was struggling for cash, When Snake, before he was a criminal, wanders into the tavern with ancient gold coins he was planning to donate to the museum. Moe secretly robs him and he and Edna plan on skipping town with their wealth. But when Edna goes in to quit her work, she meets Bart (there for some mischief) and his cover story convinces Edna to stay and help him. Moe hid the gold and Burns, now knowing the location, steals it. Burns gets his property back in exchange for the gold except his plant, which Texan will only give him in exchange for Burns' missing scavenger hunt item: his picture with a smiling child. When the ram makes it into the attic, Burns attempts to save Lisa from the ram. Lisa is impressed and takes her picture with him, allowing him to reclaim his camp. As Lisa's story ends, Homer reveals that he took the family on a trip to the cave to find gold. It turns out he saw Rich hiding the gold in the cave so he wouldn't have to claim it on his taxes. Burns, Moe, Texan and Snake all arrive to claim the gold in a Mexican stand-off and Marge horrified by their barbarism, throws away the gold. The men (except Burns), feel unburdened by greed with no object to project it on and they happily leave. In the end, the episode turns out to be recalled by Bart explaining why he didn't study for school.

"The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" is an episode that actually holds up fairly well more than I expect. Not that it is a top-tier episode but it is swinging for the fences in terms of ambition. It's not just the episode is stories within stories, it's that when we get to Moe, the story goes from just fun to quite engaging. Now it's not perfect, the resolution at the end feels kind of like a lazy "green-eyed monster" tale and there are a lot of jokes that don't work. But there's also a lot that actually works great and I do feel like Ian Maxtone-Graham is making an episode that's fun but really is about stories and how and why we tell them. It even starts with the myth of an indigenous peoples to exemplify that our religions might all be considered stories. But while I think that silliness is first and foremost on the menu, this is aiming for more substance than "22 Short Stories About Springfield". Now "22" is by far the superior episode but it is primarily a series of comical sketches while this gimmick episode definitely is one tale made of many.

At the heart of it is Moe's story and it is the best part of the episode. When done right, I always do like a "Moe falls in love" but I like the non-comical dramatic specifics, like Moe using the coins to play his song over and over as he sits and sulks. Lisa's story is fun but it's more like a framing device within a framing device in purpose. Burns' is also a fun lark of silliness but it lacks the meat of Moe's tale. It might be trying to be stories within story but that's the part that isn't just the best, it matters the most to the plot. When it ends, the episode gets a little weaker, including a climax that, despite having an all-time great line, is overall a bit of a weak ending to a pretty fun episode. I think it has the most character and even the most happenstance, in good way.

So this is an episode about people trying to make sense of their circumstances by telling stories. I won't go as far as to say that there's a weakness here, but I do see untapped potential. I feel like Burns' momentary act of heroism feels like it should be inspired by a conclusion he comes to while telling the story or that the very telling of the story changes the teller. I suppose it's not fair to review based on what could have been, despite that being my favourite thing to do and as it; is, I think Maxtone-Graham does some good stuff with the structure of the episode and despite my dislike of the ending, I think he incorporates the gimmick into the story well, which tends to make for a better gimmick episode. Simpsons has no shortage of gimmick eps but I feel like the did pretty good here, making for a fun lark.

Other great jokes:

"With no where to turn, I spent the first three days with relatives"

"And who would suspect me, Prof. Jailbird."

"Texas left. Which is your down."

Other notes:

Col. McBragg... just exists in the Simpsons world I guess. I can live with that.

 

[Octopus Prime]

“It’s the Boogiemans Grandpa!” Is worthy of a chuckle

 

[Büge]

"Mad beast!"
"Liberal midget."