After rewatching this episode it is hard to believe that this show was ever considered edgy. After all, this episode contains this exchange:
Homer: I love you, Marge.
Marge: You tell me that all the time.However, throughout the first several seasons the show established a reputation of dysfunction, sarcasm and exaggeration. So much so that George Bush publicly slandered the family. And while this episode is somewhat mild, you can see some of these elements begin to emerge. Bart's laser is a good example of the cartoonish exaggeration that newer seasons use as a crutch. Homer clearly cares about his family, but solves his problems in the most roundabout way possible. And some scenes are frankly bizarre and uncomfortable, like Lisa's introduction to the series as a scantily clad tribal dancer (what the hell). None of these elements cross the line, but it is easy to see how it would raise a few eyebrows here and there.
Personally, I was not allowed to watch The Simpsons as a child because of this reputation. I probably started watching the show around 7th grade after marathoning a few episodes at a friend's house and going straight to the store to buy the season 3 DVDs. I distinctly remember showing my parents When Flanders Failed to convince them the show had some heart and was more than just dirty jokes. Looking back on it, this episode could have done the trick too.
One of the things that The Simpsons does so well is establish an absolutely massive universe. It's reached the point that no matter what a scene calls for, there is almost certainly an established character that can fit the role required. So as I begin reviewing these episodes I am going to pay special attention to the introduction of all the wonderful characters of Springfield to see how they've changed over the year.
Principal Skinner: One of my favorite characters. He is given a very brief introduction where he awkwardly announces each performance in the school play. Not a whole lot to go off of.
Patty and Selma: Pretty much nailed their characters from the beginning. They hate Homer, they're boring, and the kids hate spending time with them. To be honest, the don't get much character development until they begin to explore Patty's romantic life (other than the wonderful episode Selma's Choice). They're not my favorite characters, they have somewhat repetitive jokes, but they do occasionally give Marge a chance to defend Homer which is always nice.
Flanders: In this episode he is pretty much introduced as the anti-Homer. He's a wonderful father, is planning the perfect Christmas, and his children love him. I think as the show progresses you begin to see that Flanders is incredibly flawed and frankly pretty sad. It's a necessary addition to his character, because as of now, he's just the obnoxious neighbor.
Smithers and Burns: Smithers gets one line in the episode. He uses it to prove how useless he is at the power plant. I love it. I wish his character didn't go down the "I'm obsessed with Mr. Burns" path. Burns has a brief scene where he plays the most evil boss in the world. I like this introduction for him. He's one of the more cartooney characters on the show, so this exaggerated entrance serves him well
Moe and Barney: Surprisingly, Barney gets the most screentime of any secondary character this episode. I like Barney and like it when his horrible life choices work out for him. Moe is my favorite secondary character of the entire show. His scene showed us nothing of his true character other than that he can be compassionate towards his regulars. Can't wait for more Moe.
Finally we have the main family. Marge doesn't get much screentime, and when she does she is playing the role model. Constantly loving, caring, and supportive, but can still be pretty funny with morbid humor (i.e. Snowball II). In this episode Bart is an over-exaggeration of his bad-boy self. I would expect this to continue for the rest of the season. The Bart centric episodes where he shows character development are some of the best of the series, but those are a few seasons away. Lisa is really interesting in this episode. She has moments of weirdness (the opening dance), immaturity (Pony Pony Pony), and intelligence (her speech to Selma). I think as the series goes on, her immaturity goes away in favor of her brains. I think this is good because she helps ground the show in some realism, but at the same time, she's still in the 2nd grade. She becomes so smart and Homer becomes so dumb that Homer loses almost all opportunities to be a good father to her. That being said, when the two characters have an episode together, it's some of the best Simpsons out there. Lastly, we have Homer. I love early-season Homer so much. He cares so much but has so much to learn. My favorite scene in the episode is where he convinces Bart to let him bet on Santa's Little Helper. He gets so wrapped up in love and family and Christmas that he wants to make a horrible decision, but he's so genuine about it that it's impossible to say no. It's what makes Homer's bad parenting acceptable, and it explains why Marge would fall for him in the first place.
Overall, not a hilarious episode, but a nice introduction to the characters. And the added bonus of the Christmas charm helps it out a lot - I watch it every December. 6.5/10
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