All's Fair in Oven War
I currently work at a preschool/afterschool program and one of the biggest issues I tend to deal with is hitting. Usually the problem is one of the kids bothers another by intent (usually taking a toy out of their hands) or accident, which leads to retaliation and teaching not to retaliate is one of the hardest parts. It's understandable, as who wouldn't want justice or to protect their own sense of territory. The older kids tend to know better mostly, but I did have to deal with a boy who's father was actually pro-retaliation. I overheard him saying "well, if someone's going to push him, a boy's got a right to push back" which is a toxic influence, especially when the kid treated accidental bumping into as intended attacks. Our instinct is to fight back when we are attacked but the hardest thing and sometimes the best is to strike back, because there is a difference between defending oneself and revenge.
In this episode, the Simpsons get a new kitchen which inspires Marge to up her cooking game. Marge becomes popular in her community with her new recipes and Marge's friends suggest she enter a cooking contest to become the newest mascot for the Auntie Ovenfresh cooking ingredients company. Marge enters "dessert dogs" as a recipe and is accepted into the bake-off. During the event, Marge finds herself bullied by the other participants and eventually her dessert is burnt. Marge tries to salvage it and manages to make it to the judging room at the last moment and finds herself alone with the other entries. Still fuming from her bullying, Marge decides to taint all the other participants' food with baby ear medicine. Lisa sees what her mom has done and is shocked. Only Marge and Brandine remain in the competition, due to her entry looking tainted already. Lisa confronts Marge before the finals and eventually Marge confesses in the middle of the competition and Brandine wins while Marge regains Lisa's respect.
Though the Halloween special started the season, I always consider the first non-spooky episode to tell me if things are starting off the right foot. And considering the first gag is pretty funny, that helped a lot. This episode made me laugh quite a few times and in this era that counts for a lot. The other thing is based on my preschool experiences as of recent, the episode and the ideas of fighting the urge to fight back. And it's easy to say that but the feeling of being hurt and bullied is very strong, making it understandable for seeing someone as sweet as Marge cheat and doing it joyously. The fact is, a story like this isn't about the people who Marge "hurts". They are all assholes and deserve what Marge does. The problem is it's about Marge saving her own soul and integrity, because it is my belief retaliation like this is merely hurting your own soul and ability to be kind.
Oh, don't get me wrong, it's a fairly superficial episode all things considered. The message might speak to me in this time in my life based on my experiences and do it well, but it's mostly a pretty rote sitcom plot. It's really mostly helped that there's a fair number of decent jokes in this one and also allow us to feel for Marge. It's just a competent episode with none of the rough edges or structural issues I feel would plague the show going forward. So it is a backhanded compliment but it's still fun to hang out with my favourite characters being silly in a story that works. The episode is written by Matt Selman, who's written both some quite decent (The Food Wife, The Day the Earth Stood Cool) and a few very weak ones (Girls Just Want to Have Sums, That '90s Show) and I will say in all the episodes I remember, he does seem to dedicate himself to workable, coherent plots.
As for the b-plot, Bart living like a 1960s bachelor is a bit corny and it feels like we've been in similar zones before. But I will say aspects of it remind me of being a kid and completely missing the raunchy undertones of the things I loved. It has it's moments but I think it considers Bart with a bubble pipe and smoking jacket much funnier than it is, especially since this was already done as a one-off joke when Bart has a crush on the older neighbor girl and Bart's "bachelor pad" feels like just another run at Bart's Casino. And I appreciate how that arc ends with Bart horrified at what sex actually is but it doesn't actually make me laugh.
Other great jokes:
A decent number this time.
First gag is a legit GOAT to me.
"A contractor? Those guys are the biggest crooks around. They charge for materials and labor. Pick one, jerks."
"When Virginia Woolf every woman needs a room of one's own, she must have been talking about the kitchen."
I feel like the writers want to sound more literati since Pynchon was coming back. Works for me. Speaking of.
"These wings are V-Licious. I'll put these in the Gravity's Rainbow cookbook, next to the Frying of Latke 49."
"Why thank you Billy."
"DON'T LOOK AT MY HUMAN EYES!"
"Hey Bart, me and Mrs. Krabappel are going to play backgammon if you know what I mean."
"I don't but I hope you win."
"Oh, he will."
"Some men like the challenge. Not me."
"Ribbons and trophies are no comfort on your death bed."
This is a dumb joke but Lisa's last expression makes it for me. Reminds me of when she was told about the birdhouse shaped like a 50s diner.
Other notes:
Thomas Pynchon actually wrote his own jokes, which are mostly puns on his books. I love it.
I think this counts as a future episode, as it takes place "two years later" as a quick gag and it's not like the Simpsons lose their rad new kitchen by the end.
Ugh, I hate that they went with dumb Mad Magazine names for all the characters in the mascot party gag. I feel like there's no reason for it and it isn't funny.
I don't think it's a particularly funny ending but what strikes me is that James Caan is fine after being riddled with bullets in a logic I can only call Jojo-esque (specifically Stardust Crusaders-esque).
If you don't want to bother watching, the final verdict is "yummy, but really the other things that aren't cookie dough don't add much."