Episode two of The Simpsons is what I consider to be the first real episode. Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire could have easily been a one off special, similar to A Charlie Brown Christmas. This is the episode where we find out if these crudely drawn characters actually have what it takes to tell a 22 minute long story. And judging by this episode, the answer is mostly yes. While the conclusion is slightly weak, the episode features some good jokes, nice family moments, and the continued assertion that the Simpsons are the most realistic American family on tv.
The majority of this episode focuses on the Simpsons being a simple but flawed family and why that's a good thing (in fact, that is pretty much the theme of the first season). Springfield Elementary School is set up as a place where the students can have fun. The establishing shot shows the kids playing marbles and jumping rope - probably two of the simplest pleasures of recess as a kid. Bart is a troublemaker at the school, but his actions are more of an inconvenience to the administration rather than being hurtful to other students. You really get the sense that Springfield Elementary is an idyllic school; the kids students are appropriately happy, the principal is appropriately strict, and the teachers are appropriately disengaged. The only student to break this happy image is Martin, the one student who doesn't belong. Martin doesn't belong because he isn't simple like the Simpsons and he is almost presented as a villain because of it. Bart shouldn't be a sympathetic character, but he is. I don't think the writers are saying that Martin's intelligence, or the intelligence of the students at Bart's new school is a bad thing. But they are saying that there is something missing from that school that the Simpsons, and most of America, have. The Simpsons are flawed; they laugh at the opera, go out for cheap frosty chocolate milkshakes, and argue over a scrabble game. But they are able to survive just as well as the students at Bart's new school, and have more fun doing so.
This episode also does a good job developing Bart's character to something more than an obnoxious rebel. You can really see how much he craves Homer's approval. At the start of the episode, Bart transfers schools because it will be easier for him. But as the episode progresses, he continues the lie because he realizes Homer is proud of him. My favorite scene in the episode is where the two are playing baseball together. Bart knows that he should come clean and end the charade, but he enjoys Homer's love too much to do so. It's an incredibly relatable moment. My only problem with the episode is the ending. Homer gets so angry at Bart, and for a good reason. But I wish he showed a little more compassion and realized the reason why Bart continued the lie. At the same time, Homer's imperfect parenting only adds to the realism and simplicity of the family, which works well with the theme of the show.
Springfield Characters:
Martin: A character you are meant to hate right from the very beginning. As the show goes on, they start to add a little bit of humor to him, but in this episode he's only annoying. It's funny that he gets so much screentime so early on because he definitely a background schoolkid as the series goes on.
Milhouse: Milhouse had one scene in the last episode, but it was so short it wasn't worth mentioning. In this episode, he gets a little more time, but his character is essentially the same. As of now, he is only acting as Bart's #2. Milhouse is a great character with a lot of depth and I can't wait for him to become more than Bart's random friend.
Dr. Pryer: The first character that would seem like an obvious regular but isn't. He might appear in one or two more episodes, but that's it. It's actually pretty remarkable that the writers have never gone back to the school counselor for any storyline.
Maggie: Maggie is already a genius (her e=mc^2 blocks are a nice touch). This is probably Maggie's biggest character trait so it's awesome to see it so early. It's also funny how a story about Bart faking his genius opens with Maggie displaying her genius.
Lisa: Lisa is already way smarter than she was in the pilot. I don't think she has a single line in the episode where she isn't being a know-it-all. She's not nearly as obnoxious as Martin though - a line that the writers had to tread very carefully
Other things I liked:
The opening credits are slightly different. As the show establishes its universe, regulars will begin to populate the streets.
Bart's math problem was a cool, trippy sequence. Very cartooney
Bart continues to create fake lyrics to songs. The writers seem to go through phases where they are obsessed with certain jokes (for example, Bart's prank calls to Moe will last for several seasons). I wonder when the fake lyrics will stop.
The teacher at Bart's new school is so obnoxiously wonderful. RDRR makes me want to storm out of the classroom every time
My favorite joke of the episode is when we see that Skinner has turned Bart's graffiti into a piece of art.
Overall, I think this episode would work really well as the pilot for the show. It focuses on the family dynamic, which is the core of the show. And more specifically, it Bart and Homer take center stage, who are probably the two main characters in the early seasons. Again, not nearly as funny as later seasons, but the writers are laying good groundwork
6/10
No comments:
Post a Comment