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

[Johnny Unusual]

The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby

I remember the beginnings of the pandemic era. There's been word going around for a bit and it happened on the eve of a weeklong trip for me and my friends in March of 2020. As it was happening, we decided since we actually weren't going to leave our family cottage for any reason, we'd be fine. Near the end, my mother warned me that the whole world seemed different now and I felt like while I was going to take the pandemic seriously that this still seemed like an overreaction. Indeed it was not. Soon I'd be stuck inside except when I was bubbling with my sister to work as her nanny. Many quarantining people would be stuck inside. And a lot were watching TV. And if this was the episode you tuned into, the world wouldn't seem less grim.

In this episode, Maggie starts a friendship with another baby, Hudson, and Marge encourages it. But soon she has a very hard time tolerating Hudson's snobby and judgmental mother Courtney. Eventually, Marge is so upset, she refuses to take Maggie to any playdates with Hudson. Eventually Marge relents and feels that she and Courtney can be civil for the sake of their kids. Meanwhile, Homer is recruited by Burns to trick Cletus out of the helium on his property but Homer, feeling guilty, ends up helping Cletus get a fair deal.

Yeah, not a lot going on in that episode description, huh? This episode is a complete nothing. A waste of time. Usually, when I'm mad at a Simpsons episode for sucking it's because it has a really shitty or deranged take. Usually when it's just poor TV, I'm like "whatever, it's bad but I can't be mad because this isn't calling Elon Musk the greatest living inventor." But this one just plain old sucks. Both main plots are laughless and joyless, I really don't care and I feel like this is the most checked out I've been in a long while with this series.

I don't think it helps that it's a sequel to a theatrical short that I never actually watched. And also, it's a Maggie episode. Maggie and Marge, I guess but neither are much fun, really. Marge has dealt with shitty mom friends before so this is old news and by the metric, I think Courtney is less bad than... pretty much every mom in Springfield. A lot of them really tend to suck, now that I think about it. And she does kind of suck in a rich white person way but it's also a boring, easy way.

The episode spends a lot of time with Homer and Cletus learning to be friends but really, all of these stories I've just completely detached from. There's just very little character and Homer doing an extended parody of "Best Friends" by Queen because... there clearly wasn't enough episode here. It's so nothing, I'm having a hard time saying anything about it except spending time with it was hard. I was checking my phone, looking at the clock, just trying to get away from it. And it wasn't AGGRESSIVELY awful, just... persistently? I dunno how to explain it. It didn't hurt me but it had such little life, it's a wonder people bothered to let it exist.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Warrin' Priests

When I lost religion in my life, I still had inklings that though I didn't believe, maybe it was still sacred, in a cultural context. I don't really feel that any more but for more mature reasons I do get bothered when a certain kind of atheist gets really shitty about it. Like Bill Maher. Ugh. That jerk. Anyway, I don't really believe in this stuff but I believe in the power of stories and fiction and seeing many of them more as a roadmap and less as a "this literally happened" makes me respect it more. I think belief and religion can be a beautiful thing.

In this episode, a new youth pastor comes to Springfield, Bodhi. Bodhi is very popular almost instantly thanks to his patience, caring and other qualities that Reverend Lovejoy lacks, even when making controversial statements, like sometimes he loses faith or that some elements of the bible need not be taken literally. Lovejoy soon hates that Bodhi is more popular and even worse, he brings in a whole new set of parishioners and soon Bodhi replaces Lovejoy. Incensed, Lovejoy decides to see if he can dig up some dirt on Bodhi and travels to a megachurch in Michigan, Lovejoy is excited to learn that Bodhi did something unforgivable. Lovejoy arrives at church in time to reveal that Bodhi, during a speech, burned a bible to make a point about materialism. The town turns on him, except a few who still care for him, including Lisa, and Bodhi leaves town.

This... this is a weird one. Which is appropriate since it stars and is written by Pete Holmes of You Made It Weird. I mostly know Pete as a guest on other podcasts in the early 2010s where he is kind of obnoxious but in a sweet way. I'm vaguely aware he's a Christian but also he's funny and to my knowledge hasn't done anything shitty like a lot of celebrities who talk about Christianity. And guest written Simpsons episodes are generally interesting to me. I hate Ricky Gervais the dude but he wrote a funny episode, Seth Rogen did one I thought was pretty good and like them, Pete Holmes wrote one that understands the joy of working in this playground and also lets him explore his own interest; Christianity and personal philosophy.

But where it gets weird is how much time each episode in this two-parter (?!) devotes to Pete explaining in great detail his philosophy. Like a lot of time is Bodhi, who is a handsome and impassioned guy, taking time out to go into GREAT detail about why modern Christianity is losing people and focusing less on the specifics of the bible's narrative and semantics and more the general message and how other religions like Buddhism should feel more invited without being asked to change. It's stuff I agree with but after a certain point it isn't narrative or setting a tone. It is to an extent explaining Bodhi's character but I also feel it's rather self-indulgent on Pete Holmes part, wanting to show what a religious leader CAN be in the community.

So what's weird is between this and Lisa falling for the character Pete wrote, it feels like a writer surrogate in a fan-fic. Bodhi isn't perfect but even his imperfections are mostly super charming and great so basically he's perfect. And yet... I don't hate this episode. It's in many ways clunky but I do also find it, as clunky as it is, sincere. Pete Holmes is really trying to say something and he's also a good gag man so there are a lot of really good gags to cover up the problems. It's so weird that it was a two-parter as well and if Bodhi's sermons were shorter, maybe it could be. I think that if Holmes went and dedicated an entire act to a sermon, that might be brave and interesting but really, it feels long-winded. Not incoherent rambling but I feel like it's the excited energy of someone who is really BURSTING to share his ideas. But as a story, it kind of peters out, no pun intended. I'm OK with an ending where Bodhi feels he can't stay but for an episode with so little subtext (and ironically Bodhi is kicked out because Springfielders don't do subtext), it sure could use some finality; either some hope that the message got through to some (one or two characters say it but I kind of wish we saw some LIVE it) or showing that by getting rid of this guy, they are snuffing out the one person who listens to everyone's problems. Heck, it's another episode where Marge worries about Lisa getting her hopes up, risking disappointment and she does and... there's something uncool about not following up on that in the narrative. I kind of was expecting Lovejoy to see the error of his ways, but no, he straight up sucks in this one. He's the bad guy until the end and never questions ousting his guy.

But yeah, it's an episode that should flop really hard and in the end, despite all it's narrative flaws... it's fine. The solid jokes cover up a lot, I think despite it being all about this dynamic new character, he mostly gets the appeal of other characters. Lisa's journey is kind of rehashy and tied up in the "where's Poochy" of Bodhi but I really do feel Pete's trying to do a complete Simpsons episode but in his own way. A lot of people were kinder than I to it but I think it's an episode that is very flawed yet unlike the last one, a very watchable 40-some minutes of television. And it makes me want to see more guest written episodes again. Surprisingly interesting stuff seems to happen with them and while I picked a lot of flaws apart in this episode, it's a unique enough episode that is the kind of thing the show needs now.

Other great jokes:

"Bingo's not for beginners. These letters are very similar. B-13, B as in Balthazar."
"Did he say Galthazar?"
"Gingo!"

"Well, I learn from my mistakes. Malpractice makes malperfect."

"You better sit down. It's a short story... but I'm gonna milk it."

Other notes:
I really could do without Lisa's musical number.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Hateful Eight Year-Olds

I remember when I used to do sleepovers with my friends. It was usually me and a friend named Beeb who was two years younger than me. We got along really well but I remember one day another of his friend came over for a sleepover. It wasn't too bad but over night they did the "hand in warm water" prank and I was not happy about it. I felt really betrayed and it hurt a lot. I don't think he exactly new how badly I felt about it but I new I really preferred the dynamic when it was him and I.

In this episode, Lisa is invited to a sleepover birthday party with a girl, Addy. Before the party, Bart and Lisa have a fight and Lisa tells Bart she is severing their bond. When she arrives, it turns out Addy's family is obscenely wealthy with a horse ranch and she has similarly wealthy friends. At first they are mean to Lisa but Addy promises they're actually nice. However, as the evening goes on, it clearly isn't true. Lisa tries to contact her parents but they are on a cruise and are unaware of the situation. Addy later tells Lisa the girls are mean and she brought Lisa so they could be mean to her and Addy can get along with them, and next time Lisa can bring someone to continue the cycle. Lisa is horrified and ends up calling Bart, pleading for help. Bart arrives but instead of taking her away, he encourages her to get revenge. Lisa ruins the girls hair with hoof hardener but before she can escape, the girls wake up and chase Lisa on horseback for ruining her hair. Soon, they surround Lisa but Lisa pleads to Addy to be her friend and eventually Addy manages to have the mean girls trapped in their safety jackets and leaves them for the night while Bart and Lisa ride off.

The Hateful Eight Year-Olds is one of the strongest Joel H. Cohen episodes I've seen in a while and one of the better Lisa episodes. I think a lot of mistakes a lot of the Lisa focused ones make is that while they get that she can be an idealist who can become disappointed with the world she's, like, just a kid. And there's a specific kind of vulnerability to being a kid that the show sometimes forgets. After all, these are kids who often reference Oliver North or Ralph Nader and for the sake of the joke will act jaded or older (I love Bob's Burgers but it's so telling almost ALL the kids references seem to be from three decades before they are born). What I admire is when the show reminds us of that vulnerability by putting us in their shoes and that very much happens in this episode. The stakes are simply having to endure meanness and you know what, that's a lot for anyone but especially for a kid. Lisa spends much of this episode in a little slice of Hell.

I also think that the easy route would be Addy wants someone to help her through a hard time but Addy turns out to be awful, too. So desperate is she to stop being bullied that she not only throws Lisa under the bus, that was her long term goal. There's a horror/thriller vibe to this episode and it's perfect for Lisa's feeling of trappedness. I also think it's an episode that mostly does the Bart/Lisa dynamic right. But is supremely obnoxious but it's clear he is also someone who cares and is visibly hurt (even though he won't admit it) when Lisa claims she's severing the tie and though is willing to let Lisa dangle a bit when trying to get his help, immediately comes to her aid when she realizes how awful these kids are. And they make him getting her to seek revenge with the hate in her heart... truly endearing. It's how Bart does justice and it's part of that "spark" that makes him not just a "bad kid".

The Hateful Eight-Year Olds is a very emotionally alive episode, which is something that the show often forgets to be. I'm a little disappointed that Lisa's revenge plan wasn't a little more poetic but having the girl's hair look like Lisa's is a very nice touch. There are some really great gags, too, like a hilarious parody of the 'teen suicide' show 13 Reasons Why and overall, I just think it's one of those episodes I wish the series would make more of. One where I care about the characters and want to see them overcome hardship and show how much they love each other. This isn't a saccharine episode by any means but it's one that earns it's happy ending for Lisa and Bart.

Other great jokes:
"Once cars were invented, why didn't they just kill all the horses... WITH THE CARS!"

"You know, Lisa's at the sleepover, Grandpa's with the other ones and we are at the marina."
"We are not looking for your sunglasses. It's been six years. They're gone."

"Now that she's dead, she's finally popular"
"I'm gonna ask her ghost to the prom."

"Ew, this phone is made by Subway."
"My dad had to eat a thousand subs to get that!"

"You don't hate horses, you're afraid of them."
"No I don't. I just don't like any animals that work with cops."

"I'm going to help you see this majestic creature has a gentle soul... NOT BEHIND HER, SHE'LL KICK YOUR FACE OFF!"

Other notes:
I don't think I needed a couple minutes of Weezer just playing music.

I will say all the 20 something stars I've never heard of do good work as the mean girls.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Way of the Dog

And... that's a wrap on season 31 of the Simpsons. This season was not super consistent but it cuts all ways. That means while it isn't consistently good, nor is it consistently bad. And even some of the weaker episodes seemed to be trying some new stuff. The worst was usually when it ended in old plot points but even episodes like Better Off Ned found some decent angles to keep things fresh. There was only one episode that really made me mad with it's incompetence and though there were some duds, what remains are mostly positive memories. No, it isn't consistent but the quality of the good seems to be getting stronger again. And luckily, we end with an episode that kind of feels like the positive and negative in a nutshell.

In this episode, when Marge tries to make Santa's Little Helper wear a Santa cap for a Christmas card, he begins to freak out. Soon, Santa's Little Help acts both anxiously and destructively and the family gets worried. The family tries to get help from dog psychologist Elaine Wolf but Wolf fears she's too emotionally worn out to deal with him. When the dog bites Marge, the family tries a vet but the vet recommends putting it down. The family refuses but the vet calls animal control who threaten to take the dog away. Luckily, Elaine Wolf arrives, fearing for the worst, and promises to take care of the dog and study it to discover the root of it's problem. After days of study, Elaine realizes Santa's Little Helper is protecting the Santa cap. She goes to the Simpsons to enquire further and after learning it was the same hat Bart wore when they found it at the track and it was once a racing dog, she realizes the dog has PTSD from it's abusive owner. She recommends confronting his abuser, where Santa's Little Helper is reunited with his mother.

The Way of the Dog is an episode I feel is mostly good with a few unconventional decisions that don't really hurt the episode but prevent it from entirely landing. Like the much less successful (but funnier) Warrin' Priests, the Way of the Dog spends a LOT of time focusing on a dynamic new character, this time played by Cate Blanchett. It's funny that at this stage, the Simpsons isn't a show people really talk about much any more but it still gets some big guest stars from time to time and this is a pretty big one. And she does the comedy very well and I think it is more successful than Pete Holmes superhunk version of himself in being a well-rounded character, even if she too is something of a societal superhero. But I feel like the worry on the end of the Simpsons, while certainly a big part of the episode, should have tied in more to the family (maybe one of the members stays/visits with Wolf and the dog to help see things through).

Or maybe the episode just isn't daring enough. It has a bit of a call back to "Bart's Dog Gets an F" (I love that Bart Gets an F is in the same season and it's almost a shame they didn't put them back to back just for the ridiculousness of the optics) when we see the world through Santa's Little Helper's eyes but maybe they should have had more of the episode literally in his POV. Wolf points out that smell is a big part of that experience so maybe it could have been visualized in a unique way, sort of like the praised comic "Pizza Is My Business" from the Hawkeye series a decade ago.

We get a brief scene but maybe that should have been much of the episode. Otherwise, despite what should have or could have beens, Carolyn Omine is still making a script very much about how we CAN'T completely understand a dog's world and though the Simpsons are loving, sometimes they make the mistake of making assumptions or judgments based on human standards but not treating it with the right kind of care. Marge loves Santa's Little Helper and vice versa but she's clearly in denial about stressing him out while trying to make him wear a Santa hat. I just wish the show got a little more daring by trying to do more to represent that world and use cartoons to see a world alien to our own while still being the same space.

I do have a few issues with the ending, too. Does anyone know if psychologically it IS good to confront your abuser? I feel like maybe only in a certain kind of situation but I feel like it might escalate anxiety overall, especially in pets. This seems like a bad idea. I will also say, when Santa's Little Helper is running off to see "mom" and Homer says "I love happy endings", I was 100 per cent positive the reveal would be he's rushing to a little burial mound. Instead, now... do the Simpsons have yet another pet? They barely remembered they had a pig for a while. I really wouldn't have minded a bittersweet ending rather than just sweet. Still, overall, this episode, clearly intended to be released on Christmas (I'm assuming scheduling issues pushed it to come out earlier than expected... or later if the plan was to have two Christmas episodes this year), feels like a decent bit of warmth through the cool (well, in this century warm) Christmas months.


Other notes:
Again, the Simpsons love Michael York and he's back as another character again.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Undercover Burns

Season 32! Here we are. Deep in the heart of a global pandemic, people are hungry for human contact or at least some sort of distraction. For me, this era is the last year I have looking after my niece and nephew and that era meant a lot to me. The Simpsons currently was way off my radar but I started doing this. That's right, while we haven't reached the end of my journey, we have reached the beginning in a way. I wanted to take advantage of Disney Plus having all the episode to really dig into the show. Back when the AV Club was reviewing classic episodes of classic shows, part of me was bummed that they stopped with the golden era so I was inspired to keep going no matter how deep into the bog I went. Well, I've survived Elon Musk and ill-advised Apu "what can you do" non-apologies and ironically in the heart of one of the darkest periods (and that's saying something) of the world in my lifetime, my favourite show, little by little, seems to be recovering some of it's, as Mr. Burns would say, "VO-DEE-OH-DOH"!

In this episode, Mr. Burns learns he is hated in the plant and decides to out the haters by going undercover with a high tech suit to disguise his face, voice and body. As Fred Kranepool, Burns quickly earns the trust of his fellow employees... but soon starts to see them as friends. Smithers begins getting fed up and when Burns tells him off as Fred, Homer, Lenny and Carl are convinced Fred could make a deal with Burns for better work conditions. Wanting to impress his friends, Burns does to the point to showering them with luxuries, causing the plant to have financial issues. Smithers shows Homer the truth and Homer tries to break off his friendship for the good of the plant but not before a fight breaks out. Burns freaks out when his disguise is compromised and has a hallucinatory battle with Fred. Homer tells Burns sometimes you have to be the bad guy, especially as the boss, and sure enough Burns is the worst soon after.

Undercover Burns isn't a particularly strong episode but it goes down smooth. It's not smart, insightful or really that funny but I smiled throughout. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that David Harbor, an actor I like but don't associate with range or a lot of variation, is doing surprisingly well as Burns thinly-veiled alter ego. It's not just Harbor giving Burns lines but doing little things that give the impression that despite his rough blue collar voice, his way of speaking captures the weird, archaic nature of Burns and it adds a lot of real fun to the proceedings. He's clearly super delighted to do this and brings a real Maurice LaMarche energy that is just wonderful.

I do have complaints but even they don't rub the shine of the things I like in this episode. It's more that it's a bit of a bummer more couldn't be done with a rather enjoyable central performance. See, the problem is that it hits a few well-played notes from classic Burns episodes; Burns actually becomes friends with Homer, Burns grows something of a conscience and a bit of empathy, the lesson is the boss is the bad guy. And, of course, everything is set to zero. I don't mind that, Burns needs to be the evil antagonist of the show, representing capitalist horror. But Homer telling Burns "you got to be the bad guy" doesn't ring true to me.

In fact, I think a lot of the issue is, in seeing unions fighting incredibly money hungry creeps, I can't buy the idea that Burns giving stuff up is hurting his bottom line as a genuine threat and even more than that, equating the kind of humane treatment Homer and Co. have been denied with "going to far". Sometimes you do have to put your foot down if you are in a certain position but seeing this being "the plant will be better with Burns back in charge treating everyone like shit" isn't really played with enough irony or cleverness to work. Keep in mind, I do like this episode as a fun diversion and I think that's what David Cryan's script is going for but I like the potential of seeing what happens when empathy enters Burns world and not a lot is done with that and if anything, it would be fun if the back to square one played more like a tragedy, of a man who finally found his humanity and then got bored with it or found it cramped his style to have to do the hard work of feeling for someone. As is, it's a not bad but very pedestrian.

Other great jokes:

"The only union that concerns me now is the union of men. What would you know about that?"
Even without context, very clear who Mr. Burns is talking to here.

Other notes:
The first episode Alex Désert plays Carl.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

I, Caraumbus

Ambition. I have a little, but not a lot. I want to work well at a job I like and do the best I can. I do want to rise the ranks but frankly this is a job where that would mean dealing with confrontations with parents and I'm easily intimidated. Once I'm done school, I'll technically be set to have more responsibility and I suspect due to my seniority, some of my higher ups will be interested in seeing if I can handle it. I'm interested to but in all honesty, I'm just happy putting in a good work day, then crashing in the evening. I'm getting older and frankly. I am happy to leave the stress to simply working with kids.

In this episode, the family is at a museum when Marge and Homer have an argument about Homer's lack of ambition. There, a museum curator decides to relate the tale of the Roman gladiator-turned-senator Obessius. Obessius was raised to be a farmer and tireless hours made him strong. After his father sold him into slavery, he became a gladiator, and a skilled one. He makes a promise to his gladiator friends that should he be freed, he'll release them. Obessius catches the eye of Marjora, the daughter of a powerful businessman and after they have sex and she is heavy with child, Obessius is freed to marry her and his friends are kept as slaves. Marjora convinces Obessius not to free them and pushes him to be more ambitious. After Obessius slaves come up with an idea to grow his business, he still won't free them but he tries to become a senator. The Emperor won't have it but another Senator, Montimus, offers to help Obessius if he kills the current Emperor, paving the way for Montimus' rule. Obessius does so and becomes a powerful senator but when Marjora tries to push Obessius to become emperor, he won't. Instead, Marjora has Montimus asassinated and installs her son, Bartigula, as senator. Born into wealth, delusional and cruel, Bartigula is a terrible leader and when Obessius calls him out on it, he's sentenced to death in the gladiator pit. Obessius is offered freedom but he gives it to his slaves, though they aren't grateful as they had been asking to be freed for most of their lives. Obessius faces the danger alone and challenges Bartigula, a battle that ends with them both dead, followed by Marjora who kills herself in a fit of woe. In the present, the family argues about the point of the story.

I, Carumbus is another not-in-continuity tale, a parody of I, Claudius, which I've not seen or read but am told is top notch TV (Patrick Stewart's in it! And others, I assume). Written by Cesar Mazariegos, this one is in an in-between spot; it's by no means bad but it's not particularly strong either. I don't think it's lazy in painting it's setting or it's references but the story itself is a kind of basic Roman tragedy of ambition (interestingly, putting Marge once again in a Lady MacBeth-type role, which they literally did over 10 years ago). I was worried that it was going to go into some heavy-handed Trump stuff but it only makes the briefest of stops there, instead wisely choosing some more timeless allusions to the problem of America being a new Roman empire. And even then, I kind of get why everyone is fighting over the meaning of the ending; there are a loose collection of ideas but I don't think it holds together as a whole.

So as a more complete piece of art it is lacking but what about as a fun diversion. Well, it is that, but not a REALLY fun diversion. More getting through the whole thing and thinking "that was pleasant". I will say it's more clever than funny. Not in terms of the bigger story structure but in terms of smaller jokes about the setting. Apparently history geek and podcaster Mike Duncan (The History of Rome, Revolutions) was a consultant and there are a few spots it seems clear the writing found something interesting and potentially funny and did a decent job of working it into the plot, mainly that ammonia was once the main cleaner for laundries so Homer's business puts out pee pots to get more material and do better business. Obviously Cesar thought it was funny (maybe a little) but more than that, it actually does work in terms of having characters come up with a clever solution to a problem.

So I don't have strong feelings on this one but it's a pretty easy watch with a few good jokes. And I will say, it did somewhat made me think "I kind of want to learn more about Roman history". That said, I feel like it could have been more substantive but instead I feel like it was echoing the more substantive messages of the original I, Claudius and various political thriller tragedies. That said, I'm also glad it didn't get too heavy-handed either. So the episode teeters in the middle, neither failing nor completely making a strong case for it's existence. I wish it was funnier or deeper, sure, but I had a pleasant enough evening with it at least.

Other great jokes:

Quality use of Jasper. The first one is a oldie but a goodie type joke but the second one really made it work.

"Does anyone think it was weird that dad killed me?"

Other notes:

Wow, deep cut to use the theme song to the Roman Holidays, the Hanna Barbera show no one remembers.

 

[Daikaiju]

Wow, deep cut to use the theme song to the Roman Holidays, the Hanna Barbera show no one remembers.

Daikaiju remembers, and will remember this.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Now Museum, Now You Don't

I love the arts but just straight up art? I've never really been that guy. Granted, there's lots of comic art I love and sometimes I will go expand my horizons in a museum but mostly I take a quick look at a picture and move on. Shame considering how much blood, sweat and tears go into pieces of art. Intellectually, I appreciate the power and beauty but often when it is not in the context of a narrative, I'm a little more detached, even when it is undeniably beautiful. Still, there will always be pieces that completely make me stop for a moment, grabbing my attention for longer than I expected.

In this episode, Lisa is home sick and decides to study art for fun. Through this we have a Lisa imagining herself as Leonardo da Vinci, creating art and inventions but accidentally giving her church weapons to hurt others. Then, she tells Bart the story of the impressionists, where Bart and friends imagine themselves as young upstarts trying to paint their feelings rather than literal things and standing up to the establishment by impressing the emperor. After Maggie imagines herself as Cupid battling other cherubs, Lisa tells the tale of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and how the latter eventually learns to respect the gifts of the former. The episode ends with Moe singing his own rendition of Vincent.

Now Museum is one of the more generic anthology episodes all over. You'd think an episode about art would allow for experimentation but aside from some lovingly crafted parody art in the Kahlo section, this episode is generally kind of a snooze. The script goes to Dan Greaney, who has written only sporadically and whose work is a mix of surprisingly good and swing and a miss (swing is good, though. Diggs is a swing and a miss but at least he was *trying* for a sensitive portrayal of mental illness in this series.) This is kind of neither, a real generic outing in terms of how we get to see these characters.

The first story is a "Lisa/Leonardo is the best" and there is some conflict but frankly I just feel they put Lisa in here because she's the smart one. Similarly, Bart is the artistic rabble rouser but this bothers me less because it's much better than "Bart's a fucking moron" portrayal, especially in episodes that seem Lisa-centric. The Kahlo/Rivera one isn't all that interesting either and despite some well done art parodies that I feel like the art team worked hard at, I wish he had some more real representation of the amazing art she did affecting the style of the show, sort of like Julie Taymor's movie Frida did at times (too my memory, anyway, it's been a long time since I've seen it).

Overall, I really have little to say, even as an anthology, there's very little there. There are a couple snicker-worthy gags but a lot that's really hackey, like the invention of the Pizza section which just devolves into mascot references. The Noid shanking Little Caeser feels more like a kid doodling their own Mad Magazine segment rather than a properly conceived bit. Like, I didn't cringe at a lot of it but at the same time I was kind of waiting for something fun to happen. Which isn't to say it's all bad but it feels a little more like Airplane!-style of throwing lots of spaghetti to see what sticks to the wall and in the end, only a couple.

Other notes:
Hank Azaria no longer voices Bumblebee Man starting this episode. That honour goes to voice actor Eric Lopez.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Treehouse of Horror XXXI

A little early for Halloween but whatever. That's the one thing I'll forgive this episode for.

In this episode, four tales of terror. First, Homer fails to vote against Donald Trump and the apocalypse happens. Then, in a parody of Toy Story, Bart's toys are fed up with his abuse and gruesomely transform him into a toy. Then, in a parody of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Homer accidentally unleashes Homers from alternate universes when he toys with a mysterious machine in the nuclear plant. When Homer tries to put them back, he must face an army of Mr. Burns and loses, though Burns puts everyone back himself when he learns of a universe where he is someone else's sidekick. And in the final tale, a parody of Russian Doll, Lisa finds herself stuck in a time loop with Nelson and can only get out of it by killing Gil.

So while I largely stopped with the Simpsons for a good long while, I couldn't help but watching any time a new Halloween special came out. An old tradition. And by this time, I was well into my reviews of this series. I even checked to see if I commented on this episode. If I did, I think I would have restated that staying out of the later seasons was a wise choice because I thought this episode was pretty crappy. Written by journeyman TV writer Julia Prescott, it's an episode that I'm bothered less by the fact that it has REALLY gotten away from Halloween stuff (only the middle segment acknowledges it) and more by the fact that the logic and storytelling are subpar. After the heavy handed opening segment (though frankly, I don't mind taking time near the election to remind everyone that the last four years are terrible, including a rare acknowledgement of COVID in fiction) the first real segment is a whole lot of nothing. It feels more like a tribute to EC Comics, which I appreciate, but mostly I feel like it doesn't have a lot going on. Bart tortures the toys so the toys torture him. That's about it.

The second one is a fun idea: let's have many different versions of Homer, but somehow comes across as really lazy. Let's be clear; when Family Guy outdoes your Disney parody before they are owned by Disney and after you are, something has gone wrong. Disney Princess Homer needs a good song or a funny one (her song is neither) and there isn't any clever flourishes. Similarly, anime Homer has the slight distinction of looking *slightly* like Majin Buu (which I feel is intentional) but that's about it, and it's more broad and obvious anime gags. And the reasoning to get the Homer's home (Lisa explains Homer will die repeatedly which... huh? Why? Even in the logic of silly comedy?), it all leads to some pretty generic storytelling, even in the now well-worn world of multiverses*.

But somehow it's the Russian Doll parody that bothered me the most. It's not very funny but beyond that, it has logic problem. Why are the characters trying to get OTHER people killed by Gil? And more than that, how do they go BACK EVEN FURTHER IN TIME TO KILL GIL THE NIGHT BEFORE? Or... it takes place after? In which case, how does that help? And it's not like Gil is the only cause of death. Why is Gil at the root of things. I know the logic of comedy has to be loose but there needs to be consistent INTERNAL logic or, if you break it, you need either to hide it or make it part of the joke? Because this just feels like laziness. It's weird to through one of the show's big annual traditions to a newcomer. I don't know if Julia was making waves in the writing room or something but this is her only Simpsons credit but I feel like she's not a very good fit. Maybe there were other circumstances: she was rushed or this was a rough script and someone else did the next pass. But frankly, it's one of the worst anthology episodes and that is saying a lot.



*The latest fad.

 

[Büge]

Now Museum, Now You Don't

It was inevitable that The Simpsons would start borrowing episode titles from The Venture Brothers.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The 7 Beer Itch

There are some actors for whom I find their ability and charm instantly help a project. I can think of a few cases of films and shows that whenever the actor is onscreen, not only does the acting save it, but the directing and writing suddenly seem a lot more lively. One example I can think of is Willie's Wonderland, a Five Nights at Freddie's rip-off which is a painfully dull slasher until Nic Cage is on the screen, at which point it livens up completely. His character is interesting, the tone is better and it becomes a drag to leave him behind. So what a shame it is when an actor capable of that is trying their best but no one else is.

In this episode, The Simpsons head for a vacation at a vineyard... all except Homer. Stuck without his family, he heads to Moe's where he meets Lily, a British wanderer whom everyone else loves. Lily immediately falls for Homer but Homer is oblivious. Eventually Burns catches site of Lily and uses Homer to trick her into a date. She isn't having it and walks out with Homer and she finally lets her feelings be known. Homer isn't interested but Lily is persistent and almost tricks him into coming over, only to think of Marge and return home. Lily returns to England heartbroken but meets a Homer-esque man and finds her own happy ending.

Ugh, this was bad. I'm one of the people who is more willing to give the later seasons a chance. I always am hesitant to use language like "zombie Simpsons" because sometimes, not as often as I'd like but more often than you'd expect, there's still life in the show. Performances, scripts, animation. Granted, sometimes only one of those factors is cooking and aren't strong enough to save the others but usually it feels like an effort. But this season has mostly been a stinkeroo. Even the one episode I like isn't particularly strong, it just has a decent performance anchoring it. And this episode in particular is very bad.

The first problem is that it's a regurgitation of much better episode and with little thought on how to alter it to take it into an interesting new angle. We've had people into Homer before like Mindy and Lurleen Lumpkin. In both cases, the romance actually felt plausible; Mindy, though a bit of a shallower character, is basically just sexy lady Homer and Lurleen is someone who saw Homer as someone who is full of love and helped her dream come true. The big problem here is... why the fuck does Lily care about Homer. The fact is, this is an easy fix; Lily's character's deal is that she has a love for live. Homer can be a lazy slob but he can also be a "big fat dynamo", a living id who can be fun at parties. That version of Homer is missing, in his place a sadsack moping about his family. Even if the idea was "Lily wants someone to cheer up", it doesn't fly because he seems fine later, just oblivious.

Homer isn't even tempted in this one. To a certain extent, I'm fine with that because no one fucking believes there's real stakes in trying to split up Marge and Homer. But rather than making Lily seem as cool as she has been, she's just kind of a creep who can sing good. I also don't like the structure: the Burns element adds little. I guess the point is Lily doesn't care about money, just one person but that's basically been established and Lily somehow becomes less and less of a character as the episode continues, just a sexy romantic lady into Homer. And it's a shame because Lily is voiced by Olivia Colman, a really funny, talented actress. She was one of the few good things in the interminable Secret Invasion (even more than Sam Jackson, who was trying dammit) and is the kind of guest star perfect for the show. But instead, they stuck her as the best woman in the world, mooning over Homer and I feel like we get no real insight into either character. It's a romantic episode that doesn't care about love, a comedy with few good jokes and a character piece lacking in character. There are far worse episodes but this is an episode that really is an exhausted sigh of a thing. A real "what's the point?".

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Podcast News

I got into podcasts around 2007, in the earliest days of it. I was living in Japan and I wanted something to listen to when I puttered around the apartment and my two go-tos were Doug Loves Movies (still going) and the Paul Goebel Show, which was hosted by the TV Geek from the early 2000s game show Beat the Geeks. I kept going with other shows like the Nerdist (before I found out Chris Hardwick was a creep, though he was dropping little red flags on some other shit that I was losing patience with), Battleship Pretension, Comedy Bang Bang and How Did This Get Made? And for a while, it became the joke everyone had a podcast. But it really made sense for comedians, as it was a great way to build up an audience with complete creative control. It was Serial that made a big splash in the main stream and I feel like a lot of people outside my own space equate podcasts with either true crime or history. But true crime was never my thing, I was always more into entertainment and comedy. Frankly, I just wanted an escape.

In this episode, Lisa and Marge get hooked on true crime podcasts and go to a live taping. When Kent Brockman covers the story, he begins to see his own irrelevance. Meanwhile, Grandpa starts to date a former TV starlet but when they are out on a cruise, the woman falls overboard and Grandpa is the prime suspect. Kent jumps on the bandwagon and produces his own podcast, Guilty Grandpa, about the case. He paints Grandpa as a villain and the Simpsons' attempt to do PR damage control backfire. Despite initially resisting, Lisa and Marge start to become convinced and even grandpa, who can't remember the event, becomes convinced after hearing that Grandpa was to inherit a lot of money. However, Dr. Hibbert appears to present evidence that exonerates Grandpa, as the actress was actually still alive and faked her death. Brockman turns on his podcast and vows to focus on less sensational journalism and Grandpa finds out he forgot that he and the starlet actually conspired together to fake her death for the insurance money.

Podcast News is not a particularly strong episode but it's far less sloppy than most of the season. Written by David X. Cohen, who worked on Futurama as writer and producer, there's a lot of good ideas within the episode and I feel it at least wants to be somewhat critical of true crime and I do think it has a few things to say; that the media can wear people down to the point where they might believe a lie (it takes brainwork to even debunk obvious lies in one's own head) and that there's something sinister about focusing on conjecture in trying to understand a crime rather than just reporting facts. But frankly, what is done hear ends up being done much better and more deeply a year later with one of my own favourite mystery shows, Only Murders in the Building.

And that's a show that, even though there's a clear love of true crime, where sometimes characters do face that they are trying to make entertainment out of a death. Granted, not enough that the characters don't keep going because the show is still something more of a fantasy for true crime fans, even if it is one deftly written with rich characters. But I think selling real murder as entertainment can have a pretty awful effect and is pretty predatory. I'm not going to shame everyone who makes true crime but I do think it is important to consider that something sad can be put through a machine that turns it into a fun game.

Still, while it's doing better things than most of the season, the episode falters in... being a mystery. There's a mystery but not one explored well, there's a sudden answer and it's neither satisfying or a particularly funny subversion of expectations. I feel like Who Shot Mr. Burns?, there should have been more work in creating the mystery, lots of specifics for people to chew on and either pay those off or go the other way and reveal most of it as red herrings. I feel like the show does a bit of decent work in backing the poor Simpsons into a corner but as I have said before, the real triumph is getting us into an emotional headspace, especially when the chips are down, and there's really too much detachment, even more pointed with how poorly thought out the big reveals are. It's watchable enough but really doesn't take nearly enough advantage of the genre it's parodying, nor is it harsh enough. Though considering Yeardley Smith has been hosting her own true crime podcast for six years, it's hardly surprising.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Three Dreams Denied

We all have our dreams, I guess. The thing about that is fiction is also all about that but because "dreams" are such big, encompassing things, sometimes the weight of what that means is lost. In a show like the Simpsons, big dreams can change from week to week depending on what the writer wants the characters to care about. And it can also mean that writing about a dream can simply be a "thing the character wants", if not written well enough. For example...

In this episode, Comic Book Guy gets to go to the San Diego Comicpalooza and comes to the conclusion that if he asks a good enough Q & A question, he might be chosen to write for Marvel. He creates a question he is sure is gold but panics and forgets it in line, embarrassing himself. Eventually being frustrated with Ralph allows him to be comfortable with himself again. Lisa loses first chair saxophone to a cheater who has beguiled her to mess her up but Lisa learns she likes just playing for playing, not for status. Bart becomes a voice actor but is horrified to find his character is a princess. Bart is mocked and bullied as school but eventually the character is a popular ass-kicker and Bart is doing well.

What even is this? This is one of the few episodes of the later season I tried to watch in a while and I found it an even worse degradation of the show. A lot of people are surprised I'm willing to defend late Simpsons and I understand their shock... because episodes like this exist. There's so much going on that represents almost EVERYTHING I hate on late stage Simpsons. The only small solace is that by this point it's dropped some of the shittier points of view I associate with the show from a decade prior; "ironically" prejudiced jokes, straight up transphobia and old men yelling at PC clouds. But in every other way, it's a real slog of an episode. It doesn't balance it's three disparate stories with the vague theme of "characters don't get what they want but find what they need". That's just, like, a general storytelling conceit, not really a strong theme, especially for an episode where things don't connect that well.

Obviously the big points are the ones I always harp on; poorly constructed storytelling, poor character construction and just not funny. Any one of these elements being strong can save or at least buoy an episode into watchable territory but Danielle Weisberg's script is just a hodgepodge. If anything, it feels like, as this was her first episode as credited writer, she would never get another chance to write an entire episode and lumped her three big ideas together. One of these could have been a decent episode. Another one... a serviceable generic episode. One I don't think ever had a chance. I'm talking about the Comic Book Guy one. Comic Book Guy... I won't go far as to say "he'd never have a good episode" because with the right writing and approach anything is possible. But it's a bad sign when a character who represents toxic fandom (which the show seems to equate with just fandom) is your entry point and his happy ending seems to non-ironically be finding his toxicity again. It feels more like an excuse to do nerd jokes and even then they are all obvious, toothless and uninspired. It's a bizarre conceit for an anchor story anyway and doesn't really address the ridiculousness of it. It's just bad.

Not much better is Lisa's story and there's less of it. Lisa falling in love with some bland dude is really tiring (agree with @Tegan ; either non-cis male crush or don't bother. I don't care when the 8 year old falls in love) and I feel like it's all a dull rerun of previous Lisa stories. Very much no-there there. Bart's has the most potential, a story about him feeling insecure playing a girl then owning it could be fun but it has a lot of issues; Bart has no agency in the resolution. I expect that in a b-plot but this is a shared tiny a-plot and I'd rather Bart make some decisions rather than letting it happen to him. Also... is Bart just a voice actor now? And for an episode about voice acting, you'd think a cartoon show could have more fun with the ins and outs of it like Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie. Yes, it's been done but I feel like it's a rich vein. And also, having Dan Castellaneta play a voice over artist really just feels like Dan said "I wanna do a lot of shtick" and the writers caved. But I guess what bothered me is for a show about dreams, there's no weight. What is it like to be close and lose it? Or not be close but feel like you are? What does it mean to dream without acting on it (Comic Book Guy had years to try to do something with his dream)? Or the work of reality takes the shine off the dream? It's an episode that lack curiosity and I think that is a damned shame because as bad as this episode is, even the dull Lisa one could be greatly improved with genuine insight rather than characters just being OK. Being OK is fine but give me some real wisdom rather than just "I'm done now."

I'm done now.

Other notes:
It's weird for the show to name drop Marvel a lot but the panel doesn't guest star any Marvel writers/artists, which seems like it would be an easy get.

 

[Octopus Prime]

Podcast News is another episode my father really loved, owing to him being a big True Crime fan.

Had to pause, repeatedly, to explain what a podcast is, but he got the gist of it.

“Some people see a neck and think ‘that’s a place to put a scarf. Other people see one and say ‘I should strangle that’” is a good line

 

[Purple]

I mentioned this a couple years ago when I randomly sat down and watched the then-most-recent season, but it's so so weird that we have this Halloween episode bring us "Disney Princess Homer" and then three episodes later, we have Bart as a princess (kinda) and like... what the hell writers? Why did you have princesses on the brain this bad? I mean, I can kinda see how it happened. You're working for Disney now, you're parodying Spiderverse, your brain goes Elsa Frozen Pregnant Spiderman, you get that out of your system and feel dirty about plugging Old Man Disney's stuff and want to balance it out with some low-key promotion for Disenchantment... but it's not really leading into jokes anywhere.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

I mentioned this a couple years ago when I randomly sat down and watched the then-most-recent season, but it's so so weird that we have this Halloween episode bring us "Disney Princess Homer" and then three episodes later, we have Bart as a princess (kinda) and like... what the hell writers? Why did you have princesses on the brain this bad? I mean, I can kinda see how it happened. You're working for Disney now, you're parodying Spiderverse, your brain goes Elsa Frozen Pregnant Spiderman, you get that out of your system and feel dirty about plugging Old Man Disney's stuff and want to balance it out with some low-key promotion for Disenchantment... but it's not really leading into jokes anywhere.

It's also weird how Marvel enters into the show lately. Its not just the synergy but it's the weirdness. I feel like full synergy we are going to see branding and such but mostly it's namedropping Marvel and dumping on DC. Not the movies, just the company. And also... is it a Marvel panel? Seems like some generic panel. It all feels weird but in a way I can't articulate why that goes beyond the weird synergy the Simpsons had done in the last few years, usually really gentle jabs at the boss, the lightest of taps. This is less than that to the point of why even bother. It's not even that it bothers me but like I said there's something odd about it and I can't tell what it is.

That said, I'm not surprised Disney would be disinterested in not drawing attention to comic creators but I feel like the people working on the Simpsons might.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Road to Cincinnati

So what makes for a great non-Simpsons lead of an episode? That's tough, I think even as someone as one note as Duffman could be given depth with the right angle. But some have tried with little success. I feel like the people writing a Comic Book Guy episodes mostly go too soft and are just content with nerd references than exploring the dark side of fandom. On the other side, even though he's had his share of bad episodes, Moe is much more dependable because the writers get the appeal; he's sleazy but there's a sadness and tragedy to his own self-sabotaging behaviour and a desire to be a better person. You need something you can hang on to, a Bart-like spark that allows them to get into predicaments and certain elements that allow them some merit, often unexpected.

In this episode, Superintendent Chalmers is going to Cincinnati to attend Educon, an educators convention, where he will give the keynote speech. Skinner wants to go with him but Chalmers would rather take Principal Finch. But the next day, Finch is suffering from food poisoning and Skinner arrives to take him to the airport. On the plane, Chalmers' fear of flying causes him to panic, getting them kicked off the plane and Skinner promises to drive Chalmers there in his mother's Buick. Chalmers has a hard time tolerating Skinner and eventually when they take some hitchhikers, they annoy him so much that Chalmers fails to pay attention to the road, causing a big crash. Luckily the judge is a cantankerous older woman and Skinner knows how to deal with her, like he does with his own mother. Eventually, they also get into an altercation with cyclists, which Skinner also saves him from and helps further by getting them a free stay at a bed and breakfast. However, Skinner overhears that Chalmers is planning to fire Skinner. Skinner goes on a tirade and accidentally lets slip that he was responsible for Finch getting food poisoning and a fight breaks out. Skinner quits and storms off and Chalmers makes it to his speech, only to find he's lost his notes. Chalmers wings a speech blaming Skinner only to realize his genuine humanity just as Skinner arrives with his notes. They patch things up and Skinner keeps his job.

So is the Road to Cincinnati a good case for a Skinner episode? Well, he's been the focus of some classics before but I feel in the last couple decades, once his relationship with Edna ended, he's mostly been in an antagonistic role with a few exceptions. And hey, Chalmers even got his own not-bad episode, too. And I think that for the modern age, it shows that while I wouldn't want them to have a spin-off, there's still power in the Skinner character. The joy of him is that like Marge, he's incredibly square and guileless but he's also someone who is a little more cowardly and needy. Meanwhile, Chalmers is the straight man but while a lot of straight man deal with an erratic fool, this one deals with someone who is bland to a degree that takes him right back around to ridiculous.

The Road to Cincinnati is probably the strongest episode of the season so far. There are a few laughs, a strong sense of character and a decent story. I will say, though, the decent story is also a story we've seen many times before. It follows the classic road movie formula, where two very different people are forced to travel together, deal with friction, and then come together over their shared humanity. And this version of it does nothing new. It does it well, but it beat for beat follows the formula where the straight man is driven up the wall by the funny man, but the funny man also gets him out of scrapes with his own unique skills and the straight man sees his value. It's all very Planes, Trains and Automobiles but with Skinner and Chalmers, which is no small thing.

I will say, the classic falling out scene that happens in all of these movies (often multiple times) works here because while Skinner has been mad at Chalmers before, this really does feel like Harry Shearer is letting the 20 some years he's been feed abuse by the Chalmers exploding. Chalmers began as one writer describes him as the only grown up who recognizes how ridiculous this is and will also prod at Skinner's lies until it's time to back off. But then he sort of evolved into this bully where the way he treats Skinner goes beyond mere authoritarian annoyance into often being a jerk. Skinner exploded at him a couple times (one of my favourite is the Chalmers Teddy Roosevelt episode) but this is satisfying until, once again, Skinner gives him rope to hang himself. Now I'm not going to go to bat for this one in a big way. It's merely a competant episode following the trail blazed by so many before. But it is a pleasant ride down that trail, a dependable one and as much as I want Simpsons at this stage to really experiment, I'd rather a nice pleasant ride than a drunken spree through incomplete stories until the clock runs out.

Other notes:
Man, all the WKRP references put the nostalgia in me. Also, I still can't make out ANY lyrics in the end theme.

Something about a bartender and... um, rock and roll in our hearts?

EDIT: Oh, there's a reason for that...

Ellis recorded the song as a demonstration for Wilson, and as he had not yet written lyrics for it, Ellis mumbled nonsense words. Wilson chose to use the demo version because he found the gibberish lyrics funny and a satire on the unintelligible lyrics of many rock songs.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Sorry Not Sorry

As an educator, I have both more and less respect for the teachers in the Simpsons than before. More because the character of Mrs. Krabappel, though often checked out, also is shown spending a lot of hard work trying to care for her charges. And being an educator indeed doesn't pay all that well and can be emotionally draining at times. But also, most of them suck and are often abusive and manipulative. Obviously the degree depends on the episode. After all, the characters are flexible in a lot of ways that allows them to be slightly different in different episodes yet still allowing them to feel consistent, to an extent. But some characters just suck the whole way through.

In this episode, Ms. Hoover enrages Lisa by cutting her presentation short and giving the entire class a B- grade. Lisa calls Ms. Hoover a hack and refuses to apologize. Lisa goes to detention and the next day still refuses, even when Hoover threatens her educational future. Lisa does take a course about apologies that asks her to put herself in Ms. Hoover's shoes. Lisa decides to follow Hoover home and finds that she leads a very harsh, pathetic life, suffering from serious back pain. Lisa decides to use her own money to by a massage chair for her and apologies. Hoover doesn't accept immediately but Hoover begins to come around.

OK, so... this is an episode putting me in mind of an episode that just gets more frustrating the more I think about it, Make Room for Lisa. In that episode, Homer basically spends the episode gaslighting Lisa, not out of evil but simply because the episode treats him as a thoughtless dope and it ends with Lisa apologizing because he takes her to the museum, at least. This has more nuance to it and like Make Room for Lisa, potentially interesting ideas that are kind of scuttled because the person Lisa needs to apologize to fucking sucks. And I think the problem is the show thinks that Hoover might be worthy of forgiveness because she has a bad lot in life, which doesn't track considering she's just a shitty teacher.

Look, as an educator, I have my share of flaws but Hoover generally comes across as a bully and learning more about her doesn't change that, it only means that she's projecting her pain onto someone else and it's not Lisa's responsibility to fix it. Now what I did think was interesting was when Marge says that a seed was planted. To me, that does say there's a little more going on; yeah, we can complain about when someone sucks but there are times making that first move to mend, to take it on yourself to help someone even if they don't deserve it is the work of a bigger person. Maybe the point should be we live in a harsh world and it's OK to be angry but sometimes we have to help, even when someone makes it hard.

But this episode isn't quite so deft as to make it work. Putting aside that eventually Hoover does accept the apology (if the idea that a seed of goodness is planted in her... seeds take a while. Shouldn't the point be in small ways or something), she fucking sucks. She's using her power to bully an eight year old and handles Lisa extremely poorly. There are times with kids you need to draw a line but threatening to follow her around and fuck up her academic life is terrible and even if we can sympathize and empathize with other aspects, that's not really enough. Ms. Hoover has been painted as a shitty teacher for a while but she's also a low-key blank slate. The only things we seem to get is she doesn't like Lisa for being very smart, she's single and she drinks a bit. I think there is room to make her a somewhat sympathetic characters despite sucking but this episode really can't make that work. If anything, the episode where she accepts a massage chair that an 8 year old bought her with college money and she can barely acknowledge a thank you only goes to prove "fuck Ms. Hoover."

Other notes:
The episode is written by Nell Scovell, creator of the 90s sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch and also writer of a true classic Simpsons episode "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish" from WAY back in season two (she also worked on a couple episodes of the new MST3k seasons).

 

[Johnny Unusual]

A Springfield Summer Christmas for Christmas

By December 2020, the year had been completely dominated by Covid. Some people made big changes, taking up new hobbies or learning new skills. Me... not so much. By Christmas, I just wanted to spend a little more time chilling with family and friends. It was certainly an era of asking for comfort. Some people find that in the Hallmark/Lifetime/Netflix Christmas movies. Do they suck? Yes. I find them truly unwatchable. I've only seen clips of a few and only watched one full one because it was on How Did This Get Made? (for reference it was the actual movie the 12 Pups of Christmas). As someone who is a sucker for cozy Christmas classics and a bit of hokeyness but these things seem in a world divorced from what I like about them; ridiculously chaste romances set in a completely sterile version of a small town that feels more like a case for why you should move to a city; because it doesn't feel like someone surgically removed it's soul.

In this episode, Mary Tannenbaum, a movie producer for Heartmark, must complete production on a Christmas movie filming in Springfield to get a promotion, despite her dislike of Christmas movies. Staying with the Simpsons, who have turned their house into an Air B n B for people working on the film, Mary stays in Bart's room, much to his chagrin. Meanwhile, Lisa starts following Mary around as she tries to make the film, only to be mocked by the "small town" Springfieldians for her big city ways. She also gets into an argument with Skinner who is hosting a produce festival focused on lettuce and tomatoes but the two make peace when Skinner agrees to help set-build in exchange for the use of the town centre for his festival. During the festival, which is also being used as a film set due to some last minute planning, Bart launches a revenge prank in hopes of ending production which leads Skinner and Mary spend the night trapped in a gazebo where they fall in love. But just as Mary starts to win the town over, Bart uses footage Lisa took of Mary badmouthing the town to make her persona non grata. Mary reveals to Marge that her husband died on the set of Jingle All the Way, making her hate Christmas movies and Bart and Lisa reveal this to the town, who forgive her. Mary wants to leave her fiancé for Skinner but Skinner chides her for wanting to leave a handsome surgeon.

A Springfield Summer Christmas for Christmas is possibly one of the best made episodes in a while and that's also what makes it hard to watch, to an extent. See, while the Halloween special doesn't take full stylistic advantage of it's ideas, this does but it has to live in a world that I have to cringe if I watch it. It perfectly captures the feel of those cynical holiday specials where the formula is down to a science. It's an episode where even the soundtrack perfectly captures the cheesy "whimsy" music and just... puts me on edge. It's a good script from Jessica Conrad, there are funny gags and I think it really understands why and how these specials "work". But there's a certain kind of parody that's so dead on, usually mocking something hackneyed and to make that point, it must become the monster.

Keep in mind, the episode mostly commits but it isn't like when Amy Pohler and Will Ferral did that straight faced Lifetime movie. There are still classic Simpsons bits around the seams and some are very funny. But it's an episode about an all-new character who is basically every lead in these films who leaves the city to live in a conspicuously wealthy looking small town (save Springfield isn't conspicuously wealthy). The episode is a nightmarish simulacrum of such films and putting in boring-ass Skinner as Mary's (perfectly cast with Ellie Kemper) unthreateningly handsome boyfriend is funny and makes sense. There's a lot of mocking of the behind the scenes nightmare these films are but somehow it is an episode that mostly decides to mock the formula without much deviation. So while it isn't completely straightfaced, it comes close (seriously, despite my complaints about Bleeding Fingers skewing too cinematic, it is a pitch perfect soundtrack here, the epitome of white people pablum.)

So overall, despite my cringing at times as if this was an episode of Nathan for You, I think this is a well-done episode. I do wish it got more ambitious; I feel like some shows might start with a parody and then take a bizarre left turn. But I also admire commitment to a bit, the decision to intentionally be a worse comedy to become a satire of not just bad comedy but terrible storytelling. Still, the abyss stares back; if you want to become this, it also means a bit of damage to watchability. It's the issue I have going back to the Simpsons Smiletime Variety Hour; it's a great parody but I'm only laughing sporadically and grinning mostly out of embarrassment. Yet, I really admire the episode for it's commitment and, most importantly, casting our greatest natural resource; Richard Kind. If anything, I hope his character, Film Director, is already being spun off into his own series, but I can understand he's hard to get on a weekly basis. Lot of irons in the fire, that Richard. After all... he's one... of a... Kind!

Other great jokes:
A nice touch: Mary's handsome surgeon boyfriend straightening his stethoscope before work.

"I'm sorry, is something funny?"
"Oh, just you city folk and your legume milks. That and this Pearls Before Swine comic. I was laughing at both things simultaneously."

"This movie might just be good enough to fold laundry to."

"As long as the attractive white people make with the closed mouth smooching, nobody's complaining."

I love Lisa's reaction to her loving the movie is "Mom, uh... no."


Other notes:

MERRY KINDMAS

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Dad-Feelings Limited

I love kids. I love working with them, playing with them, even though the hard times with them can be hard, stressful and painful at times. Also, some of them just punch me. But I also wonder if I could be a good father. I think because I am good with kids, people seem to assume so but I feel like there's a difference between being good with kids and really having to share your life with them. After all, I live alone and I feel that outside of work, I get to enjoy just being selfish, living on my own and doing what I want. I often think I do want kids but I also wonder if I lack a certain element to be a good father.

In this episode, Homer and Marge, desperate for adult friendship outside of their lives, wind up at Moe's trivia night and making a team with Comic Book Guy and Kumiko. They become friends and when Kumiko comes over, she spends time with Maggie and suddenly wants a baby. Comic Book Guy is resistant, causing a strain in their relationship while Homer and Marge decide to help Kumiko convince Comic Book Guy she wants kids. Homer and Marge leave their kids with Kumiko and Comic Book Guy and the kids actually manage to bond with him over a movie, convincing Comic Book Guy he might want them. However, when the kids get a scare and come to Comic Book Guy for help, he suddenly gets spooked and runs away to his childhood home. The Simpsons decide to get him back and we learn of Comic Book Guy coming from a family of eccentric collectors who had a hard time expressing love, instead lost in their own worlds of collecting. The breaking point came when Comic Book Guy perfected a curve ball and was given a chance in little league, only to be thrown off by the absence of his father. losing the game and escaping pain in the world of comics. Eventually, Comic Book Guy's father, Postage Stamp Fellow, reveals he was too scared to come because if he lost, he wouldn't know how to give comfort. Instead he bought Comic Book Guy a Sandy Koufax-signed baseball that he had never given him as a sign of love and together they play catch. Comic Book Guy decides he's ready for kids and he and Kumiko begin to work on it.

So I feel like this and the Christmas episode are the signs of the show picking up but I need to be honest, I have very mixed feelings on the episode. I think objectively, it is a higher quality episode than we've seen in a while from the writing to the directing (I won't put the voice acting up there but it works). I think this and the previous episode have a lot more personality than most of the season so far so I'm really glad about that. So where do I struggle with it. It's less this specific episode but more the fact that Comic Book Guy is getting a weird amount of play lately. As a character who largely represents toxic fandom, it's weird that he's making a transition to somewhat cynical nerd when I feel like the problem he often represents is still a big problem in the circles of fandom. I mean, having him not being a racist, sexist jerk, I'm fine with but even then he represents the kind of gate-keepery creep who excises fun. And most of the episodes he features in don't really justify this turn. I feel like the problem I have is less this specific episode and more this direction for the character; ironically, one of the few times I don't need a character necessarily to be less toxic, just less... prominent. Too much of him, really.

But outside of the trend, this episode itself is OK. My other big problem is the last act; not the story, which is fine (though it's weird that the Simpsons are commonly tasked by other people to mediate disputes between loved ones, like they are being given Grand Theft Auto missions). It's well-directed and a loving tribute to the films of Wes Anderson but I'm not sure to what end. I get it from the more obvious angles; his film are about complicated dads who aren't great or are down right bad at love and it is about people who wants things "just so". But at the same time, in doing so, it really just feels like an echo of Anderson and as a loving tribute, it doesn't really get clever with the format and that's a bit disappointing. I love his films but he really is ripe for parody and yet I feel like most of the parody is on the obvious stuff, like his love of aesthetics and quirk, and maybe not anything less superficial. This is better than a lot but I feel like it doesn't have a lot to do with it's solid facsimile.

Over all, I do think it helps that it is an episode that speaks to me as someone who wants kids but am not sure I have the emotional giving to be a parent. I like to give emotionally but then I also like to have a lot of space to just stop and be in my own world. I think there are a lot of people who think me as kind but I'm not the best listener and feel like I'm often too self-focused, though I try to be better. This is one of the better arguments that there is something to do with Comic Book Guy but before him, I'd rather the show work on fixing characters like Flanders. And it's wild we have TWO Comic Book Guy episodes this season. Ryan Koh's script is good and I think what he and long time director Chris Clements do with it is the best version of what this could be (aside from the fact I think the Wes Anderson segment could be done better). I'll just say; this was fine, no more Comic Book Guy episodes until at least season... 41? Do we have a deal?

Other great jokes:
Something about the Bart looking-kid is funny to me. Low key funny but still, I'll take any funny I can.

"But I don't know much about babies except how to dress like one."

"Oh, Homey that was so dangerous. I feel like Mrs. Dracula."

Other notes:
Won't lie "I will make love to you as the trans gremlin from Gremlins 2" hits weirdly close to home. I feel like 80s cartoons and kids media with aggressive ladies who want to cover you with hugs and smooches with insane aggression was something that awoken something in me, despite my strong "consensual touching" and "bodily autonomy" stances.

Calling Gremlins 2 "underappreciated by still terrible" is a low key. I'm just going to chalk it up to the mistake I made; Koh hasn't seen it in a while and assumed it aged like Animaniacs, not realizing it holds up quite well.

Oh, yeah, and Dan Aykroyd is in this.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Diary Queen

Edna Krabappel wasn't the most important character in the series but I feel like over the course of the series, she often comes off pretty well. Yes, she is cynical and is often checked out and, like most Springfielders, has other huge flaws like letting Martin be her clear favourite but I think the show was good about making her a compassionate teacher, even if the overt joy of her profession is gone. A lot can be owed to the writing and the performance and some of her traits that Marcia Wallace gives her that are initially played for laughs, like loving sex, become actually a point of pride for her, that she won't be shamed for that and I think that's a good approach. The show is poorer for Wallace's passing because through the highs and lows, I think Krabappel is a consistently strong character.

In this episode, Bart buys a bunch of books from Flanders' yard sale and discovers one of them is Edna Krabappel's diary. Reading it, he gets some inside scoops for pranks but then reads a section that makes him think she sees a lot of promise in Bart. Bart is moved and decides to live up to his potential. After getting a good grade, Lisa becomes suspicious and learns the truth... and the fact that Bart missed his section was actually about her cat. Lisa doesn't want to derails Bart's progress and hurt his feelings but also lying makes her nervous, especially if Bart learns the truth later. Lisa becomes anxious, especially when Bart gets overtly cocky and risks humiliating himself at the spelling bee. Lisa finally tells Bart the truth and it breaks his heart. Flanders comes over to cheer Bart up and reveal with evidence that she did see potential in Bart and in fact wanted to stay in Springfield to help boys like him. Flanders is overcome with curiosity himself and learns how much Edna cared about him.

Diary Queen was designed to be, a few years late, a loving send off to Edna Krabappel, a very important and beloved character in the series. There are a lot of ways this could have gone wrong; become too treacly, kind of accidentally insult the character and because this is an episode about Bart, again treat Bart like a stupid. The episode does try to walk a fine line. It also falters a bit. But not into terribly embarrassing territory. I do wish it was better but it's not bad and I think it makes more positive choices than negative ones. That's said, it's really just OKish and not much more.

What it could have done, that I hate, is have Lisa be smug about the revelation (they've written Lisa as needlessly mean to Bart before, particularly in terms of academics) or that Bart is just stupid and conflates academics with intelligence instead of recognizing that Bart is a different kind of intelligent than Lisa. It falters here a little (Lisa sadly calls Bart a "phony" which makes no sense; HE DID get good grades and improve his behaviour. Those are things that happened, even if the motivator was a misconception) and I think that it might be more interesting if the episode is about Bart learning the difference between potential and talent, where he assumes he's good NOW and not in need to keep working hard. I also have a small problem with Flanders' evidence in that it is a little too convenient. I would believe she would talk about Bart's potential but as a big life decision, maybe name drop a few of her kids including Bart or just say the kids of Springfield (especially since it is a shitty school that needs all the good teachers it can get) but it just felt too easy.

Still, I don't think it is a bad episode. Bart isn't stupid, Lisa cares about him and wants him to succeed and people aren't too jerky. The episode is written by show vet Jeff Westbrook and I appreciate that a longtime writer worked on this on but as a send off, it's not a big tearjerker, it's just an OK watchable episode. It is a shame because I think there are a lot of potentially emotionally engaging elements to this episode that don't really get dug into and the emotion it does get feels a little perfunctory. But considering a lot of the huge misses this season, it's not an insult to one of the most beloved characters and performers on the show.

Other notes:
Frankly, I think the episode should have just not used the archive voice. Recognizing the episodes they come from make it weird.

New voice alert: Mario Jose is Julio... for exactly one episode. Maybe they'll bring him back later.

 

[Daikaiju]

Diary Queen

Edna Krabappel wasn't the most important character in the series but I feel like over the course of the series, she often comes off pretty well. Yes, she is cynical and is often checked out and, like most Springfielders, has other huge flaws like letting Martin be her clear favourite but I think the show was good about making her a compassionate teacher, even if the overt joy of her profession is gone. A lot can be owed to the writing and the performance and some of her traits that Marcia Wallace gives her that are initially played for laughs, like loving sex, become actually a point of pride for her, that she won't be shamed for that and I think that's a good approach. The show is poorer for Wallace's passing because through the highs and lows, I think Krabappel is a consistently strong character.

In this episode, Bart buys a bunch of books from Flanders' yard sale and discovers one of them is Edna Krabappel's diary. Reading it, he gets some inside scoops for pranks but then reads a section that makes him think she sees a lot of promise in Bart. Bart is moved and decides to live up to his potential. After getting a good grade, Lisa becomes suspicious and learns the truth... and the fact that Bart missed his section was actually about her cat. Lisa doesn't want to derails Bart's progress and hurt his feelings but also lying makes her nervous, especially if Bart learns the truth later. Lisa becomes anxious, especially when Bart gets overtly cocky and risks humiliating himself at the spelling bee. Lisa finally tells Bart the truth and it breaks his heart. Flanders comes over to cheer Bart up and reveal with evidence that she did see potential in Bart and in fact wanted to stay in Springfield to help boys like him. Flanders is overcome with curiosity himself and learns how much Edna cared about him.

Diary Queen was designed to be, a few years late, a loving send off to Edna Krabappel, a very important and beloved character in the series. There are a lot of ways this could have gone wrong; become too treacly, kind of accidentally insult the character and because this is an episode about Bart, again treat Bart like a stupid. The episode does try to walk a fine line. It also falters a bit. But not into terribly embarrassing territory. I do wish it was better but it's not bad and I think it makes more positive choices than negative ones. That's said, it's really just OKish and not much more.

What it could have done, that I hate, is have Lisa be smug about the revelation (they've written Lisa as needlessly mean to Bart before, particularly in terms of academics) or that Bart is just stupid and conflates academics with intelligence instead of recognizing that Bart is a different kind of intelligent than Lisa. It falters here a little (Lisa sadly calls Bart a "phony" which makes no sense; HE DID get good grades and improve his behaviour. Those are things that happened, even if the motivator was a misconception) and I think that it might be more interesting if the episode is about Bart learning the difference between potential and talent, where he assumes he's good NOW and not in need to keep working hard. I also have a small problem with Flanders' evidence in that it is a little too convenient. I would believe she would talk about Bart's potential but as a big life decision, maybe name drop a few of her kids including Bart or just say the kids of Springfield (especially since it is a shitty school that needs all the good teachers it can get) but it just felt too easy.

Still, I don't think it is a bad episode. Bart isn't stupid, Lisa cares about him and wants him to succeed and people aren't too jerky. The episode is written by show vet Jeff Westbrook and I appreciate that a longtime writer worked on this on but as a send off, it's not a big tearjerker, it's just an OK watchable episode. It is a shame because I think there are a lot of potentially emotionally engaging elements to this episode that don't really get dug into and the emotion it does get feels a little perfunctory. But considering a lot of the huge misses this season, it's not an insult to one of the most beloved characters and performers on the show.

Other notes:
Frankly, I think the episode should have just not used the archive voice. Recognizing the episodes they come from make it weird.

New voice alert: Mario Jose is Julio... for exactly one episode. Maybe they'll bring him back later.

I think this episode is another point towards eventual Supreme Court Justice Bart.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Wad Goals

Why does Bart work. And when does Bart work. That can be a hard question because I think the initial appeal of Bart during Bart-mania missed who Bart is when the show is at it's best. After all, Bart is an anagram of Brat (intentional, according to Groening) and one of his core features is him making trouble. But Bart doesn't work because he's a "bad kid". He's mischievous and rebellious but it comes from a place of joy and sometimes defiance. Sometimes the defiance is misplaced but it isn't a bad instinct. Frankly, I'm surprised there hasn't been more "activist Bart and Lisa" stories, considering they would still handle it all differently (the Bart Vs. Itchy and Scratchy is a good one but I feel like there are more angles). But Bart is a kid who worries that he is bad sometimes, mostly when he worries his mom or other people he loves. When he hurts some one and realizes it, it hurts him, even if he is a bit resistant at first. But too often, the show itself will miss this, just having Bart be a completely un-empathetic jerk. Now to be fair Bart is still a boy and empathy must be learned. I know a lot of good kids who struggle with that. But episodes where Lisa mocks Bart for being an idiot with no future is an insult to both characters and I much more appreciate it when the show can remember it wasn't Bart being transgressive that made him great but instead showing the virtue of who he is, even the stuff some people assume are "bad."

In this episode, the kids of Springfield discover a golf course and Bart realizes he can make big money as a caddy, especially if he flatters all the golfers. At first, Marge is proud but when she sees him sucking up to the golfers, she has a visceral reaction and wants Bart to stop. Bart won't and Marge begins a grassroots campaign to try to close down the golf club, helped by Lisa who objects to it on various ethical grounds. The golf club's president, Bildorf, with whom Bart wants to get in the good graces of, talks to Bart about trying to change his mom's mind but Bart instead talks about how golf is better than religion, inspiring Bildorf to transform golf into a religion and his club into a tax-free place of worship. Marge takes some time to explain to Bart her main worry of him being a suck up is he'll lose the part of him that doesn't the approval of others. When Bildorf makes it clear Bart, despite his money, will never be a part of the golf club and looks down on him despite helping him, Bart decides to get revenge by renting out a ton of ATVs to his friend to ruin the golf course. Bildorf is unbothered but is eventually arrested for another crime.

Wad Goals is a surprisingly strong episode. We've seen Bart make some money in the golf world before as a b-plot but this episode has a lot going on and really gets the character of Bart; the strength of his spark, how he can be swayed the way society is and how he is an intrinsically good person in the end. I also think it helps this is an episode very much about how much capitalism sucks, which more often than not, the Simpsons is properly cynical about (despite having some weirdly pro-Burns episodes. I feel like having a more overt capitalism president will leave that in the dust for a while, I hope, though the season did open up with an ill-considered "boss needs to be the bad guy" message). And in this one, I think it is smart about it.

I think what it shows is there are many reasons golf is detrimental to society but Marge is caring about the personal impact. In this case, she is seeing someone's special element snuffed out and she can't articulate why until the end. She calls it sucking up and it is but I think she realizes that the end what it all means; that the rich can buy justice and it's not impossible to pay their humanity away. But Bart's justice and goodness runs deep; when he realizes the big man not only doesn't care about the worker, even when they do something invaluable, Bart not only takes them on, he recruits the people he refused to share with and has a win by, well, sharing. His power alone isn't enough but it sure makes a ruckus when he shares it with others and despite being obvious in retrospect, the reveal he spent his money on not something for himself but something for everyone was a pleasant surprise.

It's not perfect. There's a weird SJWs joke that with no pay off except Lisa explains the meaning of the word to not-terminally-online people. The sex cult ending to wrap things up feels more convenient. If anything these two could actually solve each other if Bart weaponized Marge's ill-considered petition but while it would be funny to have the same kind of people golf club types would utilize turn against them, it might also make online CHUDs heroes, even if on accident, and I don't trust the Simpsons to do the needle threading to make it work. But overall, this is a strong episode because it is one that gets the Bart/Marge dynamic. Marge struggles with Bart's behaviour but she knows it's part of his humanity, maybe his most valuable part. And so does writer Brian Kelley. And I hope the rest of the creative force on the show keep it in mind as well.

Other notes:
Bildorf is a weird name and is it... a portmanteau of "bill" (as in dollar) and Dorf? Anyway, he's voiced by Stephen Root and that's always a treat.