$pringfield (or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)
I don't play video games as much as I used to. I definitely get in an hour a night but a lot of that is "Ringfit Adventure" which is great but more of a duty than just a fun time. But there have been times when games have taken up too much mental space and I could only think about playing them again. Games are great but they can undeniably be addictive. Heck, I play a match three game daily. But I'm really glad that never transitioned to gambling. I went to a casino once and spent a couple bucks on games but nothing clicked. Also, when I lived in Japan, I lived above a pachinko parlor (which I really need to write about some time) and having been in one, it is an absolute assault of sound and senses with its lights, shockingly loud noises (as loud as you think it might be, its worse than you think) and heavy cigarette smoke. It always bums me out to see such an addiction and the fact is, it can happen to anyone.
In this episode, Springfield is hit with a heavy economic downturn that is damaging the town. At a town meeting, it is decided that gambling could be legalized in Springfield, which is almost instantly enacted. It seems to work and Homer gets a job as a blackjack dealer. When Marge pays him a visit, she starts to play and soon becomes cripplingly addictive. Homer ignores this until a nocturnal incident makes Marge realizes she's been spending too much time at the casino. But soon Marge is back at it and Homer ventures back into the casino to make Marge see she has a problem.
Its funny, I feel like I've been complaining a bit about story structure in a way I can see people not giving a shit about (considering the quality of the show and in particular the jokes at this point, I don't blame them). But I feel the kinds of things I might complain about in other episodes are perfect for what the episode is about. Its a Marge episode and there's actually not that much Marge. But that's the point, as her gambling makes her absence keenly felt and we see how it affects her family and her role in it. I think there's a lot to say beyond that in regards to how Marge is viewed within her family and discussing if the show is presenting the damage as mostly related to her maternal role but there's only so much time in the show and I feel like there are people who could unpack this better than I.
Anyway, Marge's absence is perfect for the themes. It also makes sense that the show can't fix Marge by the end. It comes up now and then from then on but the show never does much with it beyond then. The show points out with a joke that Marge should get help but for utilitarian purposes they don't bother (though Marge going to get therapy is a great episode in a few seasons). But the problem is never completely solved, it is only acknowledged with the hope that Marge will get better. And while there might be a more elegant solution, I'm pretty OK with this ending for what it is about. It might be slightly more responsible to actually have Marge at least say she's going to get help because man, people miss the point of jokes sometimes and showing this happen to one of our beloved characters might help others want to seek help. But what it does do is show that no one is immune to addiction. Making Homer addicted wouldn't nearly have the same impact or dramatic weight as someone as clean cut as Marge.
In fact, a lot of the humour related to Marge are people making assumptions about this. I said before that people put Marge in the "nag" box when she's usually just sensible and in this episode people wait for Marge to come down on gambling and there's a great recurring bit where Homer remembers Marge as being staunchly anti-gambling. The fact is Marge is the second most likely Simpson to want to try new things (Homer wants new endevours but he has to be FORCED out of a comfort zone, since, ironically, stupid risk IS his comfort zone). So I like that people are jumping to conclusions about Marge's squareness and it emphasizes the point that addiction can happen to anyone, not just the raging ids of the world.
Though the episode is primarily a Marge/Homer episode, it also works as an ensemble episode with two b-plots: Mr. Burns opening a casino and turning into Howard Hughes and Bart opening his own surprisingly successful kids casino. I also gained new appreciation for the first act and establishing Springfield's dire straights. I didn't appreciate before that the silly Homer with glasses bit works on its own as a tiny comedy plot but also continues establishing the economic troubles of Springfieldians, letting Homer escape with a gag. There's a lot of great stuff going on with it and interestingly Burns himself becomes addictive, unable to turn away from watching his business thrive (despite Homer's terrible blackjack dealing), he loses touch even more than usually and becomes unhinged. Probably not the most sympathetic mental illness portrayal but it keeps with the theme, at least.
$pringfield is a strong episode and is chalk full of great gags. I love Homer's fear of the boogieman quickly escalating and then blaming Marge for him "acting stupid", which is a pretty funny indictment of the family dynamic that Marge's gambling is hurting. There's an incredible bit of Burns laughing for over a day at his own act of incredible cruelty and punctuates it with revealing that its even worse than we thought. While the episode definitely has something to say, I feel like the writers found legalized gambling was very fertile comedic ground. It certainly bore some great comedic fruit.
Jokes I missed before:
Oof, as far as jokes that got cut for syndication, the Rain Man parody is one of the ones I'm more thankful for missing for years. I've never seen the movie but I'm given to understand that it might not be the most accurate portrayal of autism
he said with intentional understatement. And this is somehow worse probably.
Jokes that aged weird:
I feel the Liza Minelli slam aged weird, even more than a lot of celebrity slams of the era. I think people are mostly pro-Minelli. Though for me, I mostly think of her as Lucille 2 (from a show that aged worse than that joke, sadly)
I missed how smug and musclebound Homer is in his photographic memory.
Other great jokes:
"News on Parade Corporation Presents News on Parade... Corporation... News."
There's a little back and forth of grunts between Smithers and Burns I like. Like it's not "funny" but its a weird touch I like.
"Once something has been approved by the government, its no longer immoral."
"We got more more gongs than the breakdancing robot that caught on fire."
"I'm gonna give you my lucky hat. I wore it the day Kennedy was shot and it always brings me good luck."
""Well, he sure showed me."
"Vera said that?"
"I said hop in."
"You made her cry. Then I cried. Then Maggie laughed. She's such a little trooper."
"I'm Idaho"
"Yes, of course you are."
Other notes:
Man, there's something too real about Krusty's awful "herpes" bit. I feel like one of the writer's say this for real and just put it in the show.
I sincerely don't know if this guy is trying to pitch a casino.
After hearing about so many professionals refusing to do the "someone clearly inferior to you beats you at the thing you are best at" joke, I'm going to give props to Gerry Cooney for doing it.
Watch this. Its interesting.