Guess Who's Coming to Skinner
It's interesting to see how the Simpsons has presented teachers in its nearly 4 decades of existence. The show comes from a place of healthy anti-authoritarianism, and that can include the people who educate us. But while many times teachers appear as checked out, the show would change a bit as teachers as villains was flying less in a world were educators where being trained more on empathy. Mrs. Peyton, Bart's teacher following Mrs. Krabappel's passing, is interesting compared to the other characters. Not only is she far less cartoonish and humourous, she represents what, in general, a good teacher is these days, making the incumbent teachers look pretty poor a lot of the time. With education under attack in America, presenting them as checked out seems a little like it's tipping it's hand to an ugly political view. Still, Skinner, who is more of an administrative role than a hands on teaching one, can be allowed a little more leeway...
In this episode, Bart causes problems on a field trip (and sending him to the hospital), causing him to lash out at Homer and Marge right before spring break. With Agnes out of town, he decides to spend spring break doing school paperwork when he discovers a boy living in the library. Skinner discovers while the child, Hub, attends classes, he's not actually an official student. Chalmers insists Skinner keep a child living in the school under wraps and Skinner must take care of the boy. He reluctantly asks the Simpsons for advice, though it becomes apparent the two parenting styles conflict. Though Skinner is initially put off by Hub's problem child behaviour, Skinner and Hub soon bond, though Skinner can't get a straight answer about what happened to Hub's parents, as he always tells tall tales. When school starts up again, Skinner decides to take Homer and Marge's advice, both trying to nurture his gifts and go tough on him when he tries to back down. To this end, he enrolls him in the school play, Peter Rabbit, where he plays Farmer McGreggor. Skinner soon becomes over protective, taking over the play to give Hub a bigger part and fighting with Mrs. Peyton when she is frank about Hub. When Mrs. Peyton reminds him he's his educator, not his father, Skinner decides he may want Hub as his son and prepares adoption papers. On the night of the play, Hub runs away. It turns out Hub is from a wealthy family that dropped him off at a boarding school and Hub ran away. Hub goes on to give his own version of his play where he lets Skinner know he appreciated what he did for him.
The Simpsons has had it's share of overly-sappy so this isn't nearly one of the weakest ones in that regard. But in the end, it has a great idea but merely an OK episode. I'm not a big fan of John Frink as a writer but he's been turning in better scripts lately. I feel like he's doing more emotional episodes lately, even in the wild Prof. Frink episode this season. I might be kinder to this one because it is about child education, a subject that means a lot to me, and while Skinner's early episode behaviour should 100% get him ultra-fired, it does come from a place I can understand. I see parents judging educators and vice versa because they all have different jobs. Parents only have to deal with a few kids (outside of some big big families), while educators have to juggle a lot. Teachers lead with empathy but there are very clear and hard lines to showing affection and love. In many ways they are all looking to the same goal, the welfare of the child, but there are SO many different approaches and ways to reach the goal that it can feel frustrating when one side looks at the other as someone who is making it harder.
This episode takes that into account to put Skinner into the shoes of a parent. There is a lot that could be covered that isn't, like Skinner's own emotionally abusive upbringing (level of abusiveness ranging on how awful or sympathetic they want Agnes to be that week), but instead it is more about what it is like to cross that line from a childless educator to a parent, where things become more personal and intimate, to see them in a very different space. So in that respect, it goes a somewhat predictable but still successful route. And there are some jokes that land quite well. But for whatever reason, this one never gets more than OK from me. I think it's because I never clicked with the Hub character. It can be tricky to form a new character (interestingly, Hub had been into some background shots in the last few seasons), a unique child and I think the idea works but I think the relationship never gets to the point where it breaks my heart by the end.
For what it's worth, this episode has a murderer's row of voice talent. Keiran Culkin is Hub and Kurtwood Smith as a small role as Hub's dad. Karen Gillen appears... as Willie's wife. I guess that's something sticking around, I guess. Also, Barry Sonnenfield as a tailor. Good voice talent but... kind of a weird mix. Still, I think every piece (acting, directing, writing) is solid but somehow it never coalesces into a greater whole. A shame. And maybe I'd be harsher if I was not invested in the subject matter. Personally, I find it to be a decent little outing but not one of the stronger episodes of the season.
Other great jokes:
"Wait, I didn't write any of this mouse junk!"
"You didn't write anything, you just ran the room."
"Picking good stuff is as hard as writing good stuff."
