I think this was the first episode since Bart the Genius that really focuses on Homer and Bart's relationship. Or at least it is the first one that shows Bart's point of view. Up to this point in the series, their relationship has focused on Homer's need to impress Bart. This can definitely be seen most in The Call of the Simpsons and Dancin' Homer. I would argue that Homer's motivation is somewhat similar in this episode. He gets in the war with Flanders because of pride. Homer accepts the fact that Flanders has a better house, lawn, and even wife, but he needs to prove that he has raised the better son. If Bart can win the game of golf, it will prove to Homer that Bart actually respects him.
Bart, on the other hand, once again shows that he is actually a good person when placed under an unfair amount of pressure. Again, going back to Bart the Genius, when Bart starts failing at his new school, he realizes how much he missed his old life as a regular student. Similarly, in this episode, Bart is able to become a pretty successful golfer, but acknowledges the craziness of the situation. I don't really know what this says about him. On the one hand, it kind of confirms his "underachiever and proud of it" persona. He could be successful but chooses not to. But on the other hand, he is the only one acting reasonably in the entire episode. Basically, I think this indicates that Bart will be fine in the long run. He's a little lazy, but can apply himself if he has to.
Flanders is so interesting in this episode. We later learn that Flanders has some pretty serious emotional issues, and you can sort of see them in this episode. The character was introduced as the perfect, annoying, next door neighbor, but it is nice to see the writers acknowledging the fact that a person like that can't actually exist. After all, at a certain point, Flanders is shouting "mercy is for the weak". It doesn't take much for Flanders' perfect exterior to crumble and we begin to see a somewhat nasty guy. It's interesting that something as small as a golf game reveals the true Flanders in this episode. Later in the series, it takes some major events to have the mean person underneath come out. It's probably a good choice to restrict his emotional outbursts to life changing events; he would seem really unstable if his personality changed back and forth on every simple bet.
There were a couple of other inconsistencies with Flanders in this episode. Mainly that he was in a frat! He also seems to enjoy drinking beer. In these early episodes, I think the writers were actually trying to make Flanders a nice, relatable guy (ignoring of course his emotional outbursts). In later seasons, he becomes so overprotective, nervous, and innocent. It's definitely a big change from the somewhat over-eager, friendly neighbor we see in these episodes.
Springfield characters:
Maude Flanders - Maude is introduced as yet another perfect Flanders member. Whereas Todd was introduced as the opposite of Bart, Maude really wasn't compared to Marge in any way (well, except for the butt...). I'm trying to think of any occasions where Marge and Maude butt heads, but can't think of any off the top of my head.
Other stuff I liked:
Moaning Lisa was my roommate Jason's favorite episode of the show. This one was my roommate Sam's favorite episode. He was particularly fond of the "one hand clapping" bit, as well as Homer chuckling "oh Marmaduke" to himself at the breakfast table.
Homer is so belligerent in this episode. Thank god he is not normally like that. Its so rough to see him yelling at Marge to get him a beer at the start of the episode. I can see why Lisa is happy he takes no interest in her.
We can see how Helen gets her gossip. It was a nice touch to have her be the one to answer the phone before passing it to Reverend Lovejoy (who's "Ohhhh Matthew 19:19" quote always makes me laugh)
I smiled when I saw the mini-golf windmill. That place has a very special significance in Simpson lore.
Marge says she's Homer's best friend. That line is so sweet. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced my personal view on relationships comes from Homer and Marge (Yikes, is that a good thing?)
I think in general, the dialogue was really sharp this episode. The entire "name your putter" bit is great and Homer's response to Lisa bringing a protractor is hilarious.
Another episode that I did not have extremely fond memories of, but ended up enjoying a lot.
6/10
Friday, August 16, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
2x05 - Dancin' Homer
I have probably seen this episode less than 5 times in my entire life. Considering this is from the first ten seasons of the show, that points to the fact that this is one of the weaker stories of the season. That being said, I enjoyed the episode much more than I was anticipating. I my enjoyment of it relates directly to my reinvigorated love of baseball over the past 5 years; It has a lot of really solid baseball jokes. That being said, it doesn't come anywhere near the centric episode, Homer at the Bat, which might be in my top 10.
The first act of this episode was surprisingly funny - I really didn't have a complaint about any segment. The one oddity in the first act is the fact that Otto is driving the power plant's bus. I think this shows a dependency on the side characters that we haven't seen before. It could have been anyone driving the bus, but the writers were clever enough to use the bus driver that had already been established in the universe. It's little things like that that make the audience feel like they really get to know Springfield. Although Otto driving the bus might not make the most sense, it was a nice touch.
Speaking of things not making sense, this episode firmly kills all hopes for continuity in the show. The last episode ended with Burns swearing vengeance on Homer, and this one begins with him asking Smithers for his name. Lack of continuity isn't necessarily a bad thing, and I think it's good that they're abandoning it so early on.
The show does a good job of poking fun at baseball while still respecting the game. The sequence where Homer gives a parody of Lou Gehrig's famous speech shows that the writers, and animators, know their history. Even so, the writers have no qualms about saying how boring the game can be. From the long, overdrawn national anthem (by Bleeding Gums!), to the dependence on 78oz beer tubs, the audience either bored to death or intoxicated. On top of all that, most of the isotopes players seem to be either sleazy, overweight, or both. It's not the most flattering picture of the game, but Homer and Burns still find a way to have a great time.
The parts of this episode in Capital City are slightly weaker, but we are given our first musical parody. In fact, it's the first time the main theme hasn't been played over the end credits. The montage of Capital City's sights and Tony Bennett's take on New York, New York gives the episode a somewhat grand scale. I think this might be one of the biggest differences between the first two seasons. The second season, and the last two episodes in particular, almost feel like a saga. In Two Cars, Burns goes through the highs and lows of a political campaign in under 15 minutes. And in this episode, Homer begins a new job, thrives, is promoted, moves to a new city, and fails in 20 minutes. There is so much more going on in season 2 - especially compared to episodes like "the family gets lost in the woods" or "Marge considers having an affair with a bowling instructor".
Springfield Characters:
The Rich Texan - Although the owner of the Isotopes technically is not The Rich Texan, he is essentially a more realistic version of the character that is eventually introduced. In fact, in a later episode, The Rich Texan that we know and love (?) owns the Isotopes and there is no reference to this owner.
The Capital City Goofball - He doesn't appear in a lot of episodes, but I thought he was worth mentioning. I was always very disturbed by the human eyes you can see in the costume. They always looked really sinister to me. My favorite Capital City Goofball moment is when he's one of the celebrities singing "Sending Our Love Down the Well" in Radio Bart.
Other things I liked:
Moe has an ad in the Isotopes stadium. I wonder how the hell he paid for that. That establishing shot of the stadium is also used in the credits of Homer at the Bat.
In the last episode we were introduced to the running joke that Burns was extremely weak (we see that again in this one when Burns throws the opening pitch). However, in this episode, we get Burns' other main joke; he is insanely old. He makes a couple of great references that nobody else in the stadium has any chance of understanding.
I like how Lisa remains enthused and attentive during Bleeding Gum's song. It's a funny little detail and fits perfectly with her character.
Marge can't believe anyone would want a Simpson on a tshirt. That's another nice little bit of meta humor.
Was the Duff Brewery the first reference to Duff Beer? I haven't been paying close enough attention at Moe's.
Overall, it was better than I expected. This season has been a nice surprise.
6/10
The first act of this episode was surprisingly funny - I really didn't have a complaint about any segment. The one oddity in the first act is the fact that Otto is driving the power plant's bus. I think this shows a dependency on the side characters that we haven't seen before. It could have been anyone driving the bus, but the writers were clever enough to use the bus driver that had already been established in the universe. It's little things like that that make the audience feel like they really get to know Springfield. Although Otto driving the bus might not make the most sense, it was a nice touch.
Speaking of things not making sense, this episode firmly kills all hopes for continuity in the show. The last episode ended with Burns swearing vengeance on Homer, and this one begins with him asking Smithers for his name. Lack of continuity isn't necessarily a bad thing, and I think it's good that they're abandoning it so early on.
The show does a good job of poking fun at baseball while still respecting the game. The sequence where Homer gives a parody of Lou Gehrig's famous speech shows that the writers, and animators, know their history. Even so, the writers have no qualms about saying how boring the game can be. From the long, overdrawn national anthem (by Bleeding Gums!), to the dependence on 78oz beer tubs, the audience either bored to death or intoxicated. On top of all that, most of the isotopes players seem to be either sleazy, overweight, or both. It's not the most flattering picture of the game, but Homer and Burns still find a way to have a great time.
The parts of this episode in Capital City are slightly weaker, but we are given our first musical parody. In fact, it's the first time the main theme hasn't been played over the end credits. The montage of Capital City's sights and Tony Bennett's take on New York, New York gives the episode a somewhat grand scale. I think this might be one of the biggest differences between the first two seasons. The second season, and the last two episodes in particular, almost feel like a saga. In Two Cars, Burns goes through the highs and lows of a political campaign in under 15 minutes. And in this episode, Homer begins a new job, thrives, is promoted, moves to a new city, and fails in 20 minutes. There is so much more going on in season 2 - especially compared to episodes like "the family gets lost in the woods" or "Marge considers having an affair with a bowling instructor".
Springfield Characters:
The Rich Texan - Although the owner of the Isotopes technically is not The Rich Texan, he is essentially a more realistic version of the character that is eventually introduced. In fact, in a later episode, The Rich Texan that we know and love (?) owns the Isotopes and there is no reference to this owner.
The Capital City Goofball - He doesn't appear in a lot of episodes, but I thought he was worth mentioning. I was always very disturbed by the human eyes you can see in the costume. They always looked really sinister to me. My favorite Capital City Goofball moment is when he's one of the celebrities singing "Sending Our Love Down the Well" in Radio Bart.
Other things I liked:
Moe has an ad in the Isotopes stadium. I wonder how the hell he paid for that. That establishing shot of the stadium is also used in the credits of Homer at the Bat.
In the last episode we were introduced to the running joke that Burns was extremely weak (we see that again in this one when Burns throws the opening pitch). However, in this episode, we get Burns' other main joke; he is insanely old. He makes a couple of great references that nobody else in the stadium has any chance of understanding.
I like how Lisa remains enthused and attentive during Bleeding Gum's song. It's a funny little detail and fits perfectly with her character.
Marge can't believe anyone would want a Simpson on a tshirt. That's another nice little bit of meta humor.
Was the Duff Brewery the first reference to Duff Beer? I haven't been paying close enough attention at Moe's.
Overall, it was better than I expected. This season has been a nice surprise.
6/10
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
2x04 - Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyese on Every Fish
As Burns and Smithers are looking for someone to eat dinner with, Smithers asks "can we find someone common enough". The camera slowly pans across various power plant workers and rests on Homer scratching himself, eating a donut, and burping. I think this is a great representation of what the show was trying to do for its first ten seasons. In later seasons, the story would have escalated to a whole different level; Homer would have certainly been involved in the Burns campaign in a much larger way. But for now, the Simpson are just a simple and flawed American household reacting to events around them. These early episodes almost seem quaint compared to what the show eventually becomes. It was nice to see the episode open with Bart and Lisa quietly sitting at a fishing hole - it is something you could see two young kids actually doing on their day off.
In the case of tonight's episode, we were shown two topics that have not yet been seen in Springfield. The first is politics. Interestingly, one of the main political figures, Mary Bailey, is never seen again in the show. Looking at the series as a whole, it is a bit odd that Burns was not running for Mayor against Quimby. One could argue that Bailey is necessary because she provides a wholesome candidate to counter Burn's evil, but I think it would have been nice to see how Quimby charms the voters. Nevertheless, The Simpsons presents politics as a ruthless, fickle business. In one of the best scenes of the episode we are introduced to Burns' campaign team. One side of the table contains everyone who will make Burns look good, and the other side has all the people who will slander Bailey. I also really like the end of the episode. When it is clear that Burns has blown his chances in the election, his campaign manager leaves him without a second thought. Burns is suddenly just an old man who can't even flip a table in his rage.
I also really like how the episode focused so much on Burns. Just like in Treehouse of Horror, the Simpson family was really secondary to Burns' story; Burns would have had trouble interacting with any common family. Burns trying to bribe the safety inspectors is absolutely classic Simpsons - in fact, it's not the last time we'll see a scene like this. The neatly arranged table of money is a funny image, but my personal favorite Burns bribe is in a later episode where the inspectors can pick between "the washer and dryer where the lovely Smithers is standing or you can trade it all in for what's in this box." And even though there's no reason to feel sympathy for Burns, I began to feel a bit sorry for him when his bribe was rejected and he begins drinking alone in his office. I'll chalk it up the sense of moodiness in this scene to the excellent animation. Overall, we finally got to see a more sympathetic side to Burns. But not too much, of course, seeing how the episode ends with him swearing vengeance on Homer.
Finally, the episode ended on another great bedroom scene between Homer and Marge. These seem to be a theme of this season, and I absolutely love it. At least 3 episodes this season end with Marge turning off the light. Just like in other episodes, Marge comforts Homer by reminding him who he is. Just like how his regained baldness won't ruin his life, Marge shows Homer how Burns' temporary anger won't be a problem either. All of these scenes are combining to show the audience how much Homer really needs Marge. It makes the episodes where they are having marital troubles all the more powerful. In Life on the Fast Lane we really didn't have very much information about the couple; from now on, those episodes will care even more weight.
Springfield characters:
No new ones. Sorry, Mary Bailey.
Other things I liked:
"I'm Bart Simpson, who the hell are you" is another classic Bart-ism. I'm enjoying how there has been very little Bart this season. The premiere focused heavily on him, but since then there has been almost nothing.
Burns' campaign ad is great. My favorite part is how there is a random elephant standing in the room for Burns to use as an example. Visual aids always help...
Burns' tirades about taxes are also hilarious. The entire dinner is so painfully scripted that having Burns yell at the family doesn't seem too out of place.
This is the first time we have seen a "Burns is weak" joke. Expect many more in the future.
Homer really shouldn't be worried about Burns' threat since it is clear that Burns can't even remember Homer's name
"Imperial and Godlike" are interesting polling opinions.
The episode wasn't unbelievably funny, but it kept pushing the envelope in terms of ambition for the show.
5.5/10
In the case of tonight's episode, we were shown two topics that have not yet been seen in Springfield. The first is politics. Interestingly, one of the main political figures, Mary Bailey, is never seen again in the show. Looking at the series as a whole, it is a bit odd that Burns was not running for Mayor against Quimby. One could argue that Bailey is necessary because she provides a wholesome candidate to counter Burn's evil, but I think it would have been nice to see how Quimby charms the voters. Nevertheless, The Simpsons presents politics as a ruthless, fickle business. In one of the best scenes of the episode we are introduced to Burns' campaign team. One side of the table contains everyone who will make Burns look good, and the other side has all the people who will slander Bailey. I also really like the end of the episode. When it is clear that Burns has blown his chances in the election, his campaign manager leaves him without a second thought. Burns is suddenly just an old man who can't even flip a table in his rage.
I also really like how the episode focused so much on Burns. Just like in Treehouse of Horror, the Simpson family was really secondary to Burns' story; Burns would have had trouble interacting with any common family. Burns trying to bribe the safety inspectors is absolutely classic Simpsons - in fact, it's not the last time we'll see a scene like this. The neatly arranged table of money is a funny image, but my personal favorite Burns bribe is in a later episode where the inspectors can pick between "the washer and dryer where the lovely Smithers is standing or you can trade it all in for what's in this box." And even though there's no reason to feel sympathy for Burns, I began to feel a bit sorry for him when his bribe was rejected and he begins drinking alone in his office. I'll chalk it up the sense of moodiness in this scene to the excellent animation. Overall, we finally got to see a more sympathetic side to Burns. But not too much, of course, seeing how the episode ends with him swearing vengeance on Homer.
Finally, the episode ended on another great bedroom scene between Homer and Marge. These seem to be a theme of this season, and I absolutely love it. At least 3 episodes this season end with Marge turning off the light. Just like in other episodes, Marge comforts Homer by reminding him who he is. Just like how his regained baldness won't ruin his life, Marge shows Homer how Burns' temporary anger won't be a problem either. All of these scenes are combining to show the audience how much Homer really needs Marge. It makes the episodes where they are having marital troubles all the more powerful. In Life on the Fast Lane we really didn't have very much information about the couple; from now on, those episodes will care even more weight.
Springfield characters:
No new ones. Sorry, Mary Bailey.
Other things I liked:
"I'm Bart Simpson, who the hell are you" is another classic Bart-ism. I'm enjoying how there has been very little Bart this season. The premiere focused heavily on him, but since then there has been almost nothing.
Burns' campaign ad is great. My favorite part is how there is a random elephant standing in the room for Burns to use as an example. Visual aids always help...
Burns' tirades about taxes are also hilarious. The entire dinner is so painfully scripted that having Burns yell at the family doesn't seem too out of place.
This is the first time we have seen a "Burns is weak" joke. Expect many more in the future.
Homer really shouldn't be worried about Burns' threat since it is clear that Burns can't even remember Homer's name
"Imperial and Godlike" are interesting polling opinions.
The episode wasn't unbelievably funny, but it kept pushing the envelope in terms of ambition for the show.
5.5/10
Monday, August 12, 2013
2x03 - Treehouse of Horror
Treehouse of Horror - a tradition unlike any other. For the 16th episode of a series, Treehouse of Horror is a very surprising change of pace. The biggest change that comes from the new format is that nothing in this episode is canon. This allows the writers so much more freedom; they can kill off characters, introduce aliens, or blow up the entire town. The possibilities are almost endless; it quickly becomes clear why this became a yearly event. I think this is another example where The Simpsons lays the groundwork for future shows. Family Guy is essentially always operating in a Treehouse of Horror universe. None of the characters actions have any real consequences, and it allows for the outrageous sequences that show is known for. This may be one of the reasons why the writers have expanded this 3 mini-episode, non-canon format into other genres over the past couple of years. Tall tales and other historical events are seen through the eyes of the Simpson family and it allows for the level of craziness that is seen on other modern cartoons. This seems like the thousandth time I've said this, but this is another huge step in The Simpsons becoming something more than a show about a family. In fact, the family is almost secondary; any characters could be in these stories. The meat of Treehouse of Horror lies in the spoofs and references to other genres.
Bad Dream House is a great first segment for the Treehouse of Horror series because it is generic enough not to be a carbon copy of a story, but still contains many references. It almost throws every haunted house cliche at you - my personal favorites were the walls bleeding and the ancient Indian burial ground (which contained Mahatma Gandhi's grave). This segment also used the characters' personalities well. Each of the family members interact with the house in a way that makes sense. Marge scolds it as if it were a misbehaving child, Bart tries to bully it, and Lisa psychoanalyzes it. A potential problem with the segment is that the plot is fairly thin and nothing really happens. This is a somewhat common problem for Treehouse of Horror segments. There just isn't enough time for a complex plot and all of the jokes and references, and personally, I am happy that they stick with the jokes.
The second segment in these episodes are traditionally the worst, and I think that's true in this episode. The ultimate reveal that Kang and Kodos did not have a sinister plot is pretty great, and the How to Cook for Forty Humans bit is a classic. It's funny that Kang and Kodos become icons of the Treehouse of Horror episodes because I think Sorak the Preparer was the funniest of the aliens. I always feel so bad for that guy.
The Raven is an absolute masterpiece. This is another example of The Simpsons actually teaching me. This segment introduced me to the poem, and it was so well done that I immediately wanted to learn more about it. I distinctly remember my 7th grade teacher offhandedly mentioning The Raven and feeling great about myself for knowing what he was talking about. James Earl Jones does a great job as the narrator, but I think Dan Castellaneta deserves a lot of credit for his work as the protagonist. He is actually able to make some of the lines funny and is a hilarious contrast to the imposing voice of Jones. The segment also allowed for some really creative animation.
Springfield charcters:
There wasn't a singe character outside of the family members in this episode. The Halloween segments only get better as more characters get involved.
Other things I liked:
The opening gravestones are a Treehouse of Horror tradition for a couple of seasons. The best one in this episode was definitely Disco. I think it eventually becomes too hard for the writers to think of new gravestones, so the tradition dies with "Gravestone Jokes" being written on a gravestone in a later season.
There was one Treehouse of Horror tradition that was missing from the episode. I think in all future Halloween episodes, everyone in the credits are given fake "scary" names. For example Matt Groening tends to go with the relatively simple "Bat Groening"
"Its pretty tame by today's standards" is an interesting quote to have in the episode. I wonder if this episode was actually a problem for the network at the time. It's hard for me to tell if Marge's warning to families is a joke or not. I'm sure some families took it to heart and some disappointed kids were sent to bed early.
Homer using an entire bottle of lighter fluid is a joke that is used again later. Although the second time he does it, it surprisingly creates a perfect fire in the grill.
It's hard to rate this episode against a traditional episode. But in terms of a Treehouse of Horror episode, it is one of the better ones, mostly thanks to The Raven. I feel like we've had 3 classic episodes in a row!
8/10
Bad Dream House is a great first segment for the Treehouse of Horror series because it is generic enough not to be a carbon copy of a story, but still contains many references. It almost throws every haunted house cliche at you - my personal favorites were the walls bleeding and the ancient Indian burial ground (which contained Mahatma Gandhi's grave). This segment also used the characters' personalities well. Each of the family members interact with the house in a way that makes sense. Marge scolds it as if it were a misbehaving child, Bart tries to bully it, and Lisa psychoanalyzes it. A potential problem with the segment is that the plot is fairly thin and nothing really happens. This is a somewhat common problem for Treehouse of Horror segments. There just isn't enough time for a complex plot and all of the jokes and references, and personally, I am happy that they stick with the jokes.
The second segment in these episodes are traditionally the worst, and I think that's true in this episode. The ultimate reveal that Kang and Kodos did not have a sinister plot is pretty great, and the How to Cook for Forty Humans bit is a classic. It's funny that Kang and Kodos become icons of the Treehouse of Horror episodes because I think Sorak the Preparer was the funniest of the aliens. I always feel so bad for that guy.
The Raven is an absolute masterpiece. This is another example of The Simpsons actually teaching me. This segment introduced me to the poem, and it was so well done that I immediately wanted to learn more about it. I distinctly remember my 7th grade teacher offhandedly mentioning The Raven and feeling great about myself for knowing what he was talking about. James Earl Jones does a great job as the narrator, but I think Dan Castellaneta deserves a lot of credit for his work as the protagonist. He is actually able to make some of the lines funny and is a hilarious contrast to the imposing voice of Jones. The segment also allowed for some really creative animation.
Springfield charcters:
There wasn't a singe character outside of the family members in this episode. The Halloween segments only get better as more characters get involved.
Other things I liked:
The opening gravestones are a Treehouse of Horror tradition for a couple of seasons. The best one in this episode was definitely Disco. I think it eventually becomes too hard for the writers to think of new gravestones, so the tradition dies with "Gravestone Jokes" being written on a gravestone in a later season.
There was one Treehouse of Horror tradition that was missing from the episode. I think in all future Halloween episodes, everyone in the credits are given fake "scary" names. For example Matt Groening tends to go with the relatively simple "Bat Groening"
"Its pretty tame by today's standards" is an interesting quote to have in the episode. I wonder if this episode was actually a problem for the network at the time. It's hard for me to tell if Marge's warning to families is a joke or not. I'm sure some families took it to heart and some disappointed kids were sent to bed early.
Homer using an entire bottle of lighter fluid is a joke that is used again later. Although the second time he does it, it surprisingly creates a perfect fire in the grill.
It's hard to rate this episode against a traditional episode. But in terms of a Treehouse of Horror episode, it is one of the better ones, mostly thanks to The Raven. I feel like we've had 3 classic episodes in a row!
8/10
Sunday, August 11, 2013
2x02 - Simpson and Delilah
As cliched as it sounds, the great thing about The Simpsons is that it often subverts your expectations. The show constantly seems to lead the audience towards an obvious moral only to steer away at the last minute. In an animated show that was aimed at a younger audience, Bart's studying would have earned him an A. In There's No Disgrace Like Home, the family's therapy session would have been a success. And in this episode, Homer would learn that confidence leads to success, and that his hair wasn't really necessary. In fact, Karl's parting words indicate this exact sentiment. He tells Homer, "It was never the hair, it was you". However, it quickly becomes clear that the people of Springfield only care about appearances. Even when Homer gives a dazzling speech, it is not nearly impressive as a haired Homer muttering something about tartar sauce. So while we don't get the moral we were expecting, we get one that is just as fulfilling. Like many of the episodes so far, the moral of Simpson and Delilah is that it is ok to be a Simpson. They are clearly flawed, but that doesn't make them bad. As Marge says, "you are so beautiful to me".
The highlight of this episode for me was without a doubt Karl. Karl is a rare character in The Simpsons universe because he is so genuinely selfless. Almost every character in Springfield is self interested in some way, but Karl only cares about helping Homer. The scene where he gives Homer the umbrella is very touching. He is one of the more mysterious guest stars on the show. He shows up with little fanfare, helps Homer to the best of his ability, and then leaves never to be seen again. He almost seems like Homer's guardian angel. The guest stars early on have all been amazing. I am interested in seeing what season begins using guest stars as a crutch and their appearances are more obnoxious than entertaining.
The other interesting bit of characterization that we got in this episode was with Smithers. Other than perhaps Martin, Smithers is the first regular character outside of the family to actually get some depth. On the surface, we know that Smithers is an obnoxious suck up, but in this episode we see that he is mean and vengeful as well. He's almost the anti-Karl - everything he does in this episode he does for his own personal gain. It's a somewhat interesting choice; Burns is already so evil I am surprised that there isn't a higher-up at the powerplant who is fighting for the little guy. I think this is one of the reasons why the writers end up making Burns somewhat more sympathetic, which is a welcome change. We even see a little bit of that come through at the end of the episode when Burns sympathizes with Homer's hair loss.
Springfield characters:
I didn't notice any new ones - it might be a first for the series.
Other things I liked:
I love how shallow everyone in Springfield is. Even Patty and Selma completely reverse their opinion of Homer after seeing him with a full head of hair. Having a shallow, fickle population fits in well with what we've seen already; we've already seen the town form a pitchfork-wielding mob against a 10 year old boy. I've heard lots of comparisons between the town of Pawnee from Parks and Rec and Springfield, and I think it's pretty good. Both towns are towns of extremes; they either love or hate something. Pawnee has Little Sebastian and Springfield has hair.
These two episodes in season 2 just seem so much happier than season 1. Both episodes have had wonderful montages of characters being happy. Just like with the snow day scene from the last episode, I had a huge smile on my face when Homer ran around town celebrating his hair. I especially love his encounter with the other Dimoxinil user.
I always known the capital of North Dakota is Bismark thanks to this episode. Definitely not Hitler.
There were a couple of quick jokes that could fly by you. My favorite was Dimoxinil promising a free brochure after sending five dollars.
This episode is fairly beloved by the community, and I think it holds up pretty well. There's something just so infectious about Karl, he really makes you smile. The ending is also fantastic. I love seeing Marge repair Homer's confidence by just singing to him - I can't wait until the first flashback episode where we get to see more of them as a couple.
8/10
The highlight of this episode for me was without a doubt Karl. Karl is a rare character in The Simpsons universe because he is so genuinely selfless. Almost every character in Springfield is self interested in some way, but Karl only cares about helping Homer. The scene where he gives Homer the umbrella is very touching. He is one of the more mysterious guest stars on the show. He shows up with little fanfare, helps Homer to the best of his ability, and then leaves never to be seen again. He almost seems like Homer's guardian angel. The guest stars early on have all been amazing. I am interested in seeing what season begins using guest stars as a crutch and their appearances are more obnoxious than entertaining.
The other interesting bit of characterization that we got in this episode was with Smithers. Other than perhaps Martin, Smithers is the first regular character outside of the family to actually get some depth. On the surface, we know that Smithers is an obnoxious suck up, but in this episode we see that he is mean and vengeful as well. He's almost the anti-Karl - everything he does in this episode he does for his own personal gain. It's a somewhat interesting choice; Burns is already so evil I am surprised that there isn't a higher-up at the powerplant who is fighting for the little guy. I think this is one of the reasons why the writers end up making Burns somewhat more sympathetic, which is a welcome change. We even see a little bit of that come through at the end of the episode when Burns sympathizes with Homer's hair loss.
Springfield characters:
I didn't notice any new ones - it might be a first for the series.
Other things I liked:
I love how shallow everyone in Springfield is. Even Patty and Selma completely reverse their opinion of Homer after seeing him with a full head of hair. Having a shallow, fickle population fits in well with what we've seen already; we've already seen the town form a pitchfork-wielding mob against a 10 year old boy. I've heard lots of comparisons between the town of Pawnee from Parks and Rec and Springfield, and I think it's pretty good. Both towns are towns of extremes; they either love or hate something. Pawnee has Little Sebastian and Springfield has hair.
These two episodes in season 2 just seem so much happier than season 1. Both episodes have had wonderful montages of characters being happy. Just like with the snow day scene from the last episode, I had a huge smile on my face when Homer ran around town celebrating his hair. I especially love his encounter with the other Dimoxinil user.
I always known the capital of North Dakota is Bismark thanks to this episode. Definitely not Hitler.
There were a couple of quick jokes that could fly by you. My favorite was Dimoxinil promising a free brochure after sending five dollars.
This episode is fairly beloved by the community, and I think it holds up pretty well. There's something just so infectious about Karl, he really makes you smile. The ending is also fantastic. I love seeing Marge repair Homer's confidence by just singing to him - I can't wait until the first flashback episode where we get to see more of them as a couple.
8/10
Saturday, August 10, 2013
2x01 - Bart Gets an F
What a difference an offseason makes. Just like with season 1, I haven't seen season 2 in years. I know there are a couple of classic episodes here and there in the two seasons, but when I get the urge to rewatch a large chunk of the show, I start at season 3 and above. Because of this, I've always had the impression that the first two seasons are fairly similar in terms of quality and scope. But if this episode is any indication, I couldn't be more wrong.
This episode truly felt like classic Simpsons. The main difference is the production quality and scope of the episodes. In terms of production quality, you can already see the difference in the animation. I'll admit that it feels like I'm nitpicking when I complain about the animation in season 1, but the fact of the matter is that it could be very distracting. The characters were off model and some of the crowd scenes were hard to watch. Compared to season 1, the animation in this episode was an absolute joy. I had a massive grin on my face during the snow day sequence because everything was bright, smooth, and most importantly, familiar. It was so great to see so many different characters interacting. The music was another gigantic leap forward in production quality. With Simpson-maina in full swing, you can definitely see the creators pouring everything they have into the show.
In terms of the scope of the show, I think the main difference is that there are now many references to real-world events and pop culture. I always joke that most of my pop culture knowledge comes from The Simpsons but it's probably true. In this episode alone, there are references to Ernest Hemingway, Treasure Island, Peanuts, the French Revolution, the Spirit of St. Louis, King Kong and the American Revolution. All of a sudden the show seems like its taking place in the real world. It's a stark comparison to the last episode of season 1. In that episode, the kids watch The Happy Little Elves while Marge and Homer eat at a generic restaurant and dance to unfamiliar music. I think the world building that took place in this episode was more significant than almost everything that was introduced in the first season.
Bart has some great character development in this episode as well. This is the second episode of the series where we've seen Bart have problems academically. In both episodes, you can see that Bart really cares about how others perceive him. He's tormented in Bart the Genius because he loses the respect of his friends. In this episode, he is driven by the fear of humiliation of being held back a grade. It is so important to show Bart as a venerable, self-conscious little kid. His popularity outside of the Simpsons' universe was so massive that he could have easily turned into a character that was untouchable. Do The Bartman was probably the height of Bart-mania. I think it's a pretty embarrassing skit and shows how close we were from losing the character entirely. It was so risky to show Bart crying (and even praying!) in this episode, but I am incredibly thankful that they did.
Springfield characters:
Quimby: We don't see much of Quimby's personality here but we hear the one thing he's most famous for: his Kennedy-esque voice. As Quimby gets more screentime, it becomes clear that he is a pretty terrible mayor. He is corrupt, a womanizer, and does not care very much about his city.
Other things that I liked:
Going back to the scope of this episode, the opening credits have been cleaned up and Springfield-ized. The music sounded crisper and there are now regular characters like Burns, Smithers, and Moe in the background. I also like how Jacques, the sexy French bowler is in the credits even though he is not a regular.
The Itchy and Scratchy was great. It was the first time I've seen the episode and understood the title "Let Them Eat Scratchy". I love how the episode starts off in a French revolution setting with a guillotine, and then ends with the usual cartoon nonsense of Itchy using dynamite on Scratchy's head.
Marge continues to see the best in her son. She buys his illness (made clear from the great line "Homer, bring up the tv - Bart's got his vision back") and truly believes that Bart works hard. Maybe it's not exactly what Bart needs, but it is reassuring to know he has a loving family.
Bart is an underachiever and proud of it. That line has always stuck with me.
The over the top snow day scene ending with Bart's face pressed against a window is my favorite scene in the show so far.
This was an amazing episode. After a summer of hype, The Simpsons came out of the gate strong.
8/10
This episode truly felt like classic Simpsons. The main difference is the production quality and scope of the episodes. In terms of production quality, you can already see the difference in the animation. I'll admit that it feels like I'm nitpicking when I complain about the animation in season 1, but the fact of the matter is that it could be very distracting. The characters were off model and some of the crowd scenes were hard to watch. Compared to season 1, the animation in this episode was an absolute joy. I had a massive grin on my face during the snow day sequence because everything was bright, smooth, and most importantly, familiar. It was so great to see so many different characters interacting. The music was another gigantic leap forward in production quality. With Simpson-maina in full swing, you can definitely see the creators pouring everything they have into the show.
In terms of the scope of the show, I think the main difference is that there are now many references to real-world events and pop culture. I always joke that most of my pop culture knowledge comes from The Simpsons but it's probably true. In this episode alone, there are references to Ernest Hemingway, Treasure Island, Peanuts, the French Revolution, the Spirit of St. Louis, King Kong and the American Revolution. All of a sudden the show seems like its taking place in the real world. It's a stark comparison to the last episode of season 1. In that episode, the kids watch The Happy Little Elves while Marge and Homer eat at a generic restaurant and dance to unfamiliar music. I think the world building that took place in this episode was more significant than almost everything that was introduced in the first season.
Bart has some great character development in this episode as well. This is the second episode of the series where we've seen Bart have problems academically. In both episodes, you can see that Bart really cares about how others perceive him. He's tormented in Bart the Genius because he loses the respect of his friends. In this episode, he is driven by the fear of humiliation of being held back a grade. It is so important to show Bart as a venerable, self-conscious little kid. His popularity outside of the Simpsons' universe was so massive that he could have easily turned into a character that was untouchable. Do The Bartman was probably the height of Bart-mania. I think it's a pretty embarrassing skit and shows how close we were from losing the character entirely. It was so risky to show Bart crying (and even praying!) in this episode, but I am incredibly thankful that they did.
Springfield characters:
Quimby: We don't see much of Quimby's personality here but we hear the one thing he's most famous for: his Kennedy-esque voice. As Quimby gets more screentime, it becomes clear that he is a pretty terrible mayor. He is corrupt, a womanizer, and does not care very much about his city.
Other things that I liked:
Going back to the scope of this episode, the opening credits have been cleaned up and Springfield-ized. The music sounded crisper and there are now regular characters like Burns, Smithers, and Moe in the background. I also like how Jacques, the sexy French bowler is in the credits even though he is not a regular.
The Itchy and Scratchy was great. It was the first time I've seen the episode and understood the title "Let Them Eat Scratchy". I love how the episode starts off in a French revolution setting with a guillotine, and then ends with the usual cartoon nonsense of Itchy using dynamite on Scratchy's head.
Marge continues to see the best in her son. She buys his illness (made clear from the great line "Homer, bring up the tv - Bart's got his vision back") and truly believes that Bart works hard. Maybe it's not exactly what Bart needs, but it is reassuring to know he has a loving family.
Bart is an underachiever and proud of it. That line has always stuck with me.
The over the top snow day scene ending with Bart's face pressed against a window is my favorite scene in the show so far.
This was an amazing episode. After a summer of hype, The Simpsons came out of the gate strong.
8/10
Thursday, August 8, 2013
1x13 - Some Enchanted Evening
The Simpsons ends its first season on a somewhat unremarkable note. Much like the entire season, there's nothing particularly wrong with the episode, but it doesn't come anywhere close to the humor and complexity of later seasons. Again, the problem comes down to the fact that the show was still only about the family. There are nice moments between all of them, but having an episode without a single regular Sprinfieldian is crazy considering what the show becomes. (edit: shoot, Moe and Barney are in the episode! Well there are VERY few regulars). It would have been a really interesting experience to watch this season live. Reviewing these episodes is so difficult because I know where the show eventually goes; I think I would appreciate the smaller, family-driven humor much more if I had only seen the first season.
My favorite part of this episode was actually getting to see Homer and Marge in love. Up to this point, we have had several stories where Marge and Homer's marital problems are resolved because we are told their previously established love is unbelievably strong. It's assumed that they're often happy together, and the moments that we see are dramatic points in their marriage. But the high points of their marriage have been off screen until now. So it's nice to see everything just go right. There of course needs to be some foil to the evening, but I'm glad it was the trouble with the kids rather than Homer screwing up. I also think it's remarkable how sexual the show is - and sexual in a non-humorous. There's no skirting around the issue; there is literally a scene where Marge changes into lingerie to arouse Homer. By today's standards it's fairly tame, but it is definitely unexpected for an animated comedy. We'll see more of this in other episodes where the kids are gone.
In terms of the kids' storyline, it's nothing special. It's as wacky as we've come to expect from the show, but not nearly as ambitious as episodes like The Telltale Head or Krusty Gets Busted. However, it is the first time we have seen Maggie act way smarter than her age (at least in a way that is relevant to the plot). This is a pretty common theme for the show. Maggie is almost a deus ex machina in a lot of episodes. It's somewhat cute and clever a couple of times, but I get tired of it. I guess there's not a whole lot for her to do otherwise. Maggie's lack of character development is probably the biggest drawback of the show's no-aging policy.
Springfield characters:
Bill Pie (later renamed to Arnie): The local radio weather reporter. His voice is just annoying enough to be on radio. I like how he adds to the chaos of the Simpsons' breakfast by constantly yammering on in the background.
Other things I liked:
Early on in the episode I was thinking that it almost felt like a bottle episode. Obviously once Homer and Marge go out on the town, that no longer holds up, but there were really very little characters in the episode.
I liked the nod to Dr. Monroe's annoying voice. This might be the last time they used him because of that.
Homer standing out in the rain nervously practicing what he was going to say to Marge was a very sweet moment. It's scenes like these that make Homer a likable guy.
Homer's perpetual 5 o'clock shadow.
"If she's convicted we get t-shirts". Seems exactly like what a cheap scandal tv show would offer as a reward.
The very last scene was a nice conclusion to the season. Homer and Marge are simply sitting in bed talking. Homer's line "Lord help me, I'm just not that bright" sums up his character nicely, and Marge's genuine compassion encapsulates hers.
I hadn't seen this season for probably 10 years and I don't think my opinion has changed much. There are a couple of quality episodes here and there, and you can tell that the show has a lot of heart in it. You can also see glimpses of the sheer size the show will eventually reach. However, I don't have a strong desire to watch any of the episodes again and again, with perhaps the exception of Krusty Gets Busted. I think a lot of really innovative shows use their first season as something of a prequel and maybe this indicates trepidation on the part of the network. Even so, it's a glimpse into the universe and sets the stage for what is to come. Off the top of my head, I think both Breaking Bad and Seinfeld fall into this category. The Simpsons certainly does this as well, and it makes me very excited to get into season 2 when the show really begins.
5/10
Favorite episode of the season: Krusty Gets Busted
Least favorite: The Call of the Simpsons
My favorite part of this episode was actually getting to see Homer and Marge in love. Up to this point, we have had several stories where Marge and Homer's marital problems are resolved because we are told their previously established love is unbelievably strong. It's assumed that they're often happy together, and the moments that we see are dramatic points in their marriage. But the high points of their marriage have been off screen until now. So it's nice to see everything just go right. There of course needs to be some foil to the evening, but I'm glad it was the trouble with the kids rather than Homer screwing up. I also think it's remarkable how sexual the show is - and sexual in a non-humorous. There's no skirting around the issue; there is literally a scene where Marge changes into lingerie to arouse Homer. By today's standards it's fairly tame, but it is definitely unexpected for an animated comedy. We'll see more of this in other episodes where the kids are gone.
In terms of the kids' storyline, it's nothing special. It's as wacky as we've come to expect from the show, but not nearly as ambitious as episodes like The Telltale Head or Krusty Gets Busted. However, it is the first time we have seen Maggie act way smarter than her age (at least in a way that is relevant to the plot). This is a pretty common theme for the show. Maggie is almost a deus ex machina in a lot of episodes. It's somewhat cute and clever a couple of times, but I get tired of it. I guess there's not a whole lot for her to do otherwise. Maggie's lack of character development is probably the biggest drawback of the show's no-aging policy.
Springfield characters:
Bill Pie (later renamed to Arnie): The local radio weather reporter. His voice is just annoying enough to be on radio. I like how he adds to the chaos of the Simpsons' breakfast by constantly yammering on in the background.
Other things I liked:
Early on in the episode I was thinking that it almost felt like a bottle episode. Obviously once Homer and Marge go out on the town, that no longer holds up, but there were really very little characters in the episode.
I liked the nod to Dr. Monroe's annoying voice. This might be the last time they used him because of that.
Homer standing out in the rain nervously practicing what he was going to say to Marge was a very sweet moment. It's scenes like these that make Homer a likable guy.
Homer's perpetual 5 o'clock shadow.
"If she's convicted we get t-shirts". Seems exactly like what a cheap scandal tv show would offer as a reward.
The very last scene was a nice conclusion to the season. Homer and Marge are simply sitting in bed talking. Homer's line "Lord help me, I'm just not that bright" sums up his character nicely, and Marge's genuine compassion encapsulates hers.
I hadn't seen this season for probably 10 years and I don't think my opinion has changed much. There are a couple of quality episodes here and there, and you can tell that the show has a lot of heart in it. You can also see glimpses of the sheer size the show will eventually reach. However, I don't have a strong desire to watch any of the episodes again and again, with perhaps the exception of Krusty Gets Busted. I think a lot of really innovative shows use their first season as something of a prequel and maybe this indicates trepidation on the part of the network. Even so, it's a glimpse into the universe and sets the stage for what is to come. Off the top of my head, I think both Breaking Bad and Seinfeld fall into this category. The Simpsons certainly does this as well, and it makes me very excited to get into season 2 when the show really begins.
5/10
Favorite episode of the season: Krusty Gets Busted
Least favorite: The Call of the Simpsons
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
1x12 - Krusty Gets Busted
This is the first episode that I watched while writing this blog that felt like classic Simpsons. There is just so much going on in the episode, so many layered jokes, and the plot hardly focused on the family. The entire time I was watching it, I had a huge grin on my face. If you've been reading these reviews, but not rewatching the episodes, I highly recommend you go back and watch this one.
The first thing to note in this episode is that it is the first of the series to have a big name guest star: Kelsey Grammer. Cheers was arguably the biggest show of the 80s and getting one of the stars to voice act on a bizarre, controversial animated program on a different network must have taken quite some effort. Grammer does an outstanding job as Sideshow Bob, and it surely encouraged the writers to look for more guest stars. Ironically, I think one of the main causes of the downfall of The Simpsons is the overuse of guest stars. By now, being on the show is almost like hosting Saturday Night Live. It seems like something every moderately popular figure in pop culture does, just to check it off their bucket list. However, even if the show relies to heavily on guest stars, the writers at least know when they have hit gold. Sideshow Bob may be one of the best reoccurring characters on the show.
I love Sideshow Bob so much because he is so intellectual and passionate about entertainment, but is completely disrespected for no reason. One of my favorite scenes in the episode is when Bob is reading a chapter from The Man in the Iron Mask. The audience looks shocked, confused, disturbed, and thoroughly entertained. Having a section title Choices, where he discusses preadolescence turmoils is also hysterical. He's a great counterpart to Krusty. Krusty is crude, a sellout, and hates kids. He relies on gimmicks like catch phrases ("I didn't do it") and slapstick for laughs and yet his audience is fiercely loyal to him. Bart's contemplative appreciation ("Comedy, thy name is Krusty") for Krusty's ridiculous antics shows that, in Bart's eyes, Krusty can do no wrong. Don't get me wrong, I love Krusty too, but it is a great piece of commentary about celebrity idolization. Hell, I've even experienced that level of idolization myself - it's the first bit of social commentary by The Simpsons that really rings true to me.
The episode is also fun because it is a pretty good mystery. You know that Krusty isn't going to be the bad guy, but throughout the first two acts, it's pretty difficult to guess who set him up or how the real culprit will get outed. It's the first episode where I felt completely engaged with the entire plot; including the Selma and Patty scenes. The pseudo-Scooby Doo format is a nice change of pace that doesn't feel forced, unlike Bart's recent excursion to France. It also lays the groundwork for outstanding future episodes. Sideshow Bob is a great nemesis for Bart, and its hard to think of an absolutely disastrous Bob episode, even in seasons where the show has lost its magic.
Springfield characters:
Kent Brockman: While Kent Brockman himself hasn't gotten a whole lot of characterization, the writers definitely know what they want out of their news team. The news team is full of personalities that spout off corny jokes and puns in a way too professional manner. They also highlight dumb local news stories over extremely important events elsewhere. My favorite news segment in the series is when the local news is following the assassination of a squirrel that looks like Lincoln. They're great.
In later seasons, the writers try to give Kent Brockman some storylines of his own, and they're generally pretty bad.
Other things I liked:
Once again, Bart's obsession with Krusty is both adorable and hilarious. I love how he defends Krusty by going as far as saying all people with little feet are good-hearted.
I'm surprised that this is the first episode where we see Krusty's show. I know we've gotten an Itchy and Scratchy already, but I don't think it was attached to Krusty. Since the family spends so much of its down time in front of the tv, I would have thought we'd have seen it by now.
One of the first meta jokes of the series. The show acknowledges how strange it is to have an animated show on primetime. These jokes will eventually expand to non-stop jabs at FOX.
It's funny that Krusty's catchphrase in this episode is "I didn't do it." In a later episode, Bart becomes a star on Krusty's show for saying the exact same line. I don't think that was intentional, I think the writers just forgot about this one.
Krusty endorsing pork products is great - we later learn that his family is extremely Jewish.
"Give a hoot; read a book"
In one of the great inconsistencies of the show, we actually see Krusty without his makeup on. In a later episode, it is revealed that Krusty isn't wearing makeup, his face is just white.
I really enjoyed this one and it was a lot more fun to write this review because of that. This only makes me more excited to get to season 3.
8.5/10
The first thing to note in this episode is that it is the first of the series to have a big name guest star: Kelsey Grammer. Cheers was arguably the biggest show of the 80s and getting one of the stars to voice act on a bizarre, controversial animated program on a different network must have taken quite some effort. Grammer does an outstanding job as Sideshow Bob, and it surely encouraged the writers to look for more guest stars. Ironically, I think one of the main causes of the downfall of The Simpsons is the overuse of guest stars. By now, being on the show is almost like hosting Saturday Night Live. It seems like something every moderately popular figure in pop culture does, just to check it off their bucket list. However, even if the show relies to heavily on guest stars, the writers at least know when they have hit gold. Sideshow Bob may be one of the best reoccurring characters on the show.
I love Sideshow Bob so much because he is so intellectual and passionate about entertainment, but is completely disrespected for no reason. One of my favorite scenes in the episode is when Bob is reading a chapter from The Man in the Iron Mask. The audience looks shocked, confused, disturbed, and thoroughly entertained. Having a section title Choices, where he discusses preadolescence turmoils is also hysterical. He's a great counterpart to Krusty. Krusty is crude, a sellout, and hates kids. He relies on gimmicks like catch phrases ("I didn't do it") and slapstick for laughs and yet his audience is fiercely loyal to him. Bart's contemplative appreciation ("Comedy, thy name is Krusty") for Krusty's ridiculous antics shows that, in Bart's eyes, Krusty can do no wrong. Don't get me wrong, I love Krusty too, but it is a great piece of commentary about celebrity idolization. Hell, I've even experienced that level of idolization myself - it's the first bit of social commentary by The Simpsons that really rings true to me.
The episode is also fun because it is a pretty good mystery. You know that Krusty isn't going to be the bad guy, but throughout the first two acts, it's pretty difficult to guess who set him up or how the real culprit will get outed. It's the first episode where I felt completely engaged with the entire plot; including the Selma and Patty scenes. The pseudo-Scooby Doo format is a nice change of pace that doesn't feel forced, unlike Bart's recent excursion to France. It also lays the groundwork for outstanding future episodes. Sideshow Bob is a great nemesis for Bart, and its hard to think of an absolutely disastrous Bob episode, even in seasons where the show has lost its magic.
Springfield characters:
Kent Brockman: While Kent Brockman himself hasn't gotten a whole lot of characterization, the writers definitely know what they want out of their news team. The news team is full of personalities that spout off corny jokes and puns in a way too professional manner. They also highlight dumb local news stories over extremely important events elsewhere. My favorite news segment in the series is when the local news is following the assassination of a squirrel that looks like Lincoln. They're great.
In later seasons, the writers try to give Kent Brockman some storylines of his own, and they're generally pretty bad.
Other things I liked:
Once again, Bart's obsession with Krusty is both adorable and hilarious. I love how he defends Krusty by going as far as saying all people with little feet are good-hearted.
I'm surprised that this is the first episode where we see Krusty's show. I know we've gotten an Itchy and Scratchy already, but I don't think it was attached to Krusty. Since the family spends so much of its down time in front of the tv, I would have thought we'd have seen it by now.
One of the first meta jokes of the series. The show acknowledges how strange it is to have an animated show on primetime. These jokes will eventually expand to non-stop jabs at FOX.
It's funny that Krusty's catchphrase in this episode is "I didn't do it." In a later episode, Bart becomes a star on Krusty's show for saying the exact same line. I don't think that was intentional, I think the writers just forgot about this one.
Krusty endorsing pork products is great - we later learn that his family is extremely Jewish.
"Give a hoot; read a book"
In one of the great inconsistencies of the show, we actually see Krusty without his makeup on. In a later episode, it is revealed that Krusty isn't wearing makeup, his face is just white.
I really enjoyed this one and it was a lot more fun to write this review because of that. This only makes me more excited to get to season 3.
8.5/10
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
1x11 - The Crepes of Wrath
"Certain aspects of his culture may seem absurd, perhaps a little offensive." I feel like that quote by Skinner sums up this episode perfectly. I get the sense that this episode is generally well liked by fans of The Simpsons. At the very least, it is pretty well known; out of all the episodes from seasons 1, I remembered the most details from this one. That being said, I really did not like the episode this time through.
As I was watching it, my main complaint was why Bart was being put through such torture. Granted, by the end of the episode, it makes a little more sense: Bart learns to be more appreciative of his family. But did he have to be sent to French hell in order to learn that lesson? In fact, I think it's lazy writing. Of course Bart is going to prefer the Simpsons family over the most despicable characters ever created in the show. If the Frenchmen had some redeeming qualities, but Bart still missed the quirks of his family, it would have added a little more depth to the story. Instead, Bart's takes a heinous punishment for his bad actions, and we hope that he won't be a troublemaker in the future.
The Adil storyline is a much stronger part of the episode. It benefits from the fact that it is extremely surprising - I don't think anyone saw the sweet exchange student being an Albanian operative. It is one of the first episodes of the show where you will pick up on more details after seeing the entire episode. It is suddenly very funny to see the military officer salute Adil as he boards the plane to America. That kind of joke is pretty ahead of its time for 1990. Shows like Arrested Development have since mastered this kind of humor, but they have the benefit of Netflix, DVDs, and internet forums to dissect the episode. A viewer in 1990 would have one shot to catch all these references. I give the writers a lot of credit for putting these jokes in the show. There aren't a lot of them, but it shows that The Simpsons was once again slowly changing the way television was created.
This episode is also the first time we see Springfieldians function in the real world. We now know that France, and the rest of the world, is out there. That opens up a huge number of doors for the writers. In fact, it almost becomes a yearly tradition to send the Simpson family to another country. These episodes are always fairly gimmicky, relying on stereotypes to provide the humor, but they are a nice change of pace. Just like any other group of episodes that rely on a cookie-cutter formula, some episodes hit and some miss (Australia is great; Brazil not so much). But overall, I'm glad that the writers add this formula to their repertoire.
Springfield characters:
Agnes Skinner: Agnes is half crazy old lady and half over protective mother. I think she's a fairly unpopular character, but I like her a lot. Skinner's authority is constantly challenged when she is around, and we begin to understand where his awkward, apprehensive personality comes from. I like Agnes a lot less when she becomes a horny old lady, but that doesn't happen for a while. For right now, she'll remain hilariously clueless ("No mother, it's just the Northern Lights")
Other interesting things (I really need to find a consistent name for this section):
Bart's crime to get deported seemed appropriately large without being way too over the top. It definitely needed to be bigger than graffiti, and you could imagine a student actually using a cherry bomb (although probably not in 2013). I liked it.
I really liked seeing Homer and Skinner work together to get rid of Bart. Normally Homer blindly defends Bart against Skinner, so it was great to see those two actually high-five.
Marge has officially coined the term "special little guy". It's a cute nickname for her son, and shows that she loves him no matter what trouble he gets into. It actually becomes somewhat of a plot point in Marge Be Not Proud, so it is cool to see her saying it this early on.
Bart's trip to the chateau through famous paintings was really clever. This is a good example of the writers relying heavily on stereotypes or famous images in these abroad episodes, but that part was nicely done. In fact, I feel like the animation style in France was noticeably different than that in Springfield. Maybe I was just looking for things to talk about though...
"Furious political thought" as Albania's main export was hilarious.
"We think Maggie may say a word any day now" - Let's give it about 2 seasons and then we might hear something.
As the debut "foreign location episode", it makes sense that the writers struggled in this episode. There just wasn't a lot of worthwhile screentime in France.
3/10
As I was watching it, my main complaint was why Bart was being put through such torture. Granted, by the end of the episode, it makes a little more sense: Bart learns to be more appreciative of his family. But did he have to be sent to French hell in order to learn that lesson? In fact, I think it's lazy writing. Of course Bart is going to prefer the Simpsons family over the most despicable characters ever created in the show. If the Frenchmen had some redeeming qualities, but Bart still missed the quirks of his family, it would have added a little more depth to the story. Instead, Bart's takes a heinous punishment for his bad actions, and we hope that he won't be a troublemaker in the future.
The Adil storyline is a much stronger part of the episode. It benefits from the fact that it is extremely surprising - I don't think anyone saw the sweet exchange student being an Albanian operative. It is one of the first episodes of the show where you will pick up on more details after seeing the entire episode. It is suddenly very funny to see the military officer salute Adil as he boards the plane to America. That kind of joke is pretty ahead of its time for 1990. Shows like Arrested Development have since mastered this kind of humor, but they have the benefit of Netflix, DVDs, and internet forums to dissect the episode. A viewer in 1990 would have one shot to catch all these references. I give the writers a lot of credit for putting these jokes in the show. There aren't a lot of them, but it shows that The Simpsons was once again slowly changing the way television was created.
This episode is also the first time we see Springfieldians function in the real world. We now know that France, and the rest of the world, is out there. That opens up a huge number of doors for the writers. In fact, it almost becomes a yearly tradition to send the Simpson family to another country. These episodes are always fairly gimmicky, relying on stereotypes to provide the humor, but they are a nice change of pace. Just like any other group of episodes that rely on a cookie-cutter formula, some episodes hit and some miss (Australia is great; Brazil not so much). But overall, I'm glad that the writers add this formula to their repertoire.
Springfield characters:
Agnes Skinner: Agnes is half crazy old lady and half over protective mother. I think she's a fairly unpopular character, but I like her a lot. Skinner's authority is constantly challenged when she is around, and we begin to understand where his awkward, apprehensive personality comes from. I like Agnes a lot less when she becomes a horny old lady, but that doesn't happen for a while. For right now, she'll remain hilariously clueless ("No mother, it's just the Northern Lights")
Other interesting things (I really need to find a consistent name for this section):
Bart's crime to get deported seemed appropriately large without being way too over the top. It definitely needed to be bigger than graffiti, and you could imagine a student actually using a cherry bomb (although probably not in 2013). I liked it.
I really liked seeing Homer and Skinner work together to get rid of Bart. Normally Homer blindly defends Bart against Skinner, so it was great to see those two actually high-five.
Marge has officially coined the term "special little guy". It's a cute nickname for her son, and shows that she loves him no matter what trouble he gets into. It actually becomes somewhat of a plot point in Marge Be Not Proud, so it is cool to see her saying it this early on.
Bart's trip to the chateau through famous paintings was really clever. This is a good example of the writers relying heavily on stereotypes or famous images in these abroad episodes, but that part was nicely done. In fact, I feel like the animation style in France was noticeably different than that in Springfield. Maybe I was just looking for things to talk about though...
"Furious political thought" as Albania's main export was hilarious.
"We think Maggie may say a word any day now" - Let's give it about 2 seasons and then we might hear something.
As the debut "foreign location episode", it makes sense that the writers struggled in this episode. There just wasn't a lot of worthwhile screentime in France.
3/10
Monday, August 5, 2013
1x10 - Homer's Night Out
Marge and Homer have marital problems round two. It's a shame that this episode comes right on the heels of Life on the Fast Lane because while I think that it is good, there is no way it can compete with the previous episode. Continuity on The Simpsons is a funny thing. Because I'm writing these reviews, I have been paying attention to continuity more than I ever have before. And honestly, I'm looking at the show with more detail than was intended. In an ideal world, you should be able to look at these episode in a vacuum; it is necessary to understand the characters and their relationships with each other, but their previous actions shouldn't matter. However, it is hard for me to sympathize with either Homer of Marge in this episode because of how they treated each other in the previous one. Marge's fury at Homer seems like a complete overreaction given that she was interested in a suave bowling instructor whose "hips screamed yes yes yes". Similarly, you would think that Homer would be slightly more thoughtful after almost losing his wife. I acknowledge that these criticisms are somewhat unfair, but they are still slight character inconsistencies. (As a side note about continuity, the writers actually call your attention a previous episode with Bart's smashed up piggy bank. They don't often do this, but I thought it was a nice reference)
Another problem with this episode is how dated it is. For the most part, I consider The Simpsons to be fairly timeless. There is the occasional reference that completely flops, but on a large scale, most of the stories could still happen today. This is especially impressive given other shows that were made during the same era. Seinfeld is a particularly brutal example. I would estimate that about 60% of the problems encountered in Seinfeld could be avoided with a cell phone. Up to this point, every episode of The Simpsons could plausibly happen in 2013 (you could make an argument against The Call of the Simpsons, but getting lost in the woods is common enough). This episode is laughably dated; there is no way an entire town would get so obsessed with a random scandalous picture. It broke my immersion, and hurt my enjoyment of the episode more than I expected it would.
This episode does do a good job of giving Marge an interesting reason for her anger. It would have been even more hypocritical if Marge were upset out of pure jealousy (although that's almost certainly part of it). Marge's defense of women further establishes her as a character with a conscious. I was really hoping that this episode would pass the Bechdel Test, but unfortunately I don't think it does. Even so, it's nice to see that The Simpsons is already pushing a little feminism into their stories.
Springfield characters:
Lenny and Carl: Lenny has been in a couple of scenes so far, but never enough to actually get to know him. In this episode, these two could have easily been replaced by some of the bar flies from Moe's, but the catch was that they needed power plant workers. As a result, Lenny and Carl are way hornier than they usually are. Lenny is another one of my favorite secondary characters (I feel like I say this about almost every character I list here). At a certain point in the show, the writers decided it would be hilarious if everyone in Springfield absolutely loved Lenny for no reason. His sudden celebrity is absolutely genius.
Other interesting stuff:
More about continuity: This episode skips ahead 6 months. The show occasionally does this and can get some pretty good jokes out of it. I think it's probably good that they do it so early in the show. It teaches the audience that Bart will always be in 4th grade, Lisa will always be in 2nd, and even though the show will be on the air for 25 years, the characters will never age.
It was nice to start the episode showing more of Marge's love and devotion to Homer regardless of his physical appearance. Again, I'm a complete sucker for this couple, but I think it is especially important to reiterate this again and again in the early years. This way nobody roots for Marge to leave Homer
The speed at which the picture travels around the town shows how big the town is getting already. They're once again able to cut to several characters we know already. The show is ever so slowly becoming about the town
Burns shows a soft side! It's great to see. He's been a complete monster so far, so it is nice to see that even he can get lonely.
Bart's "female man" is a great play on words.
Moe's Tavern's ladies night was hilarious. "The hottest ladies night in months" is one depressed woman drinking at the end of the bar. Fantastic.
I want to like this episode, but there's too much for me to nitpick about. Almost done with season 1!
5/10
Another problem with this episode is how dated it is. For the most part, I consider The Simpsons to be fairly timeless. There is the occasional reference that completely flops, but on a large scale, most of the stories could still happen today. This is especially impressive given other shows that were made during the same era. Seinfeld is a particularly brutal example. I would estimate that about 60% of the problems encountered in Seinfeld could be avoided with a cell phone. Up to this point, every episode of The Simpsons could plausibly happen in 2013 (you could make an argument against The Call of the Simpsons, but getting lost in the woods is common enough). This episode is laughably dated; there is no way an entire town would get so obsessed with a random scandalous picture. It broke my immersion, and hurt my enjoyment of the episode more than I expected it would.
This episode does do a good job of giving Marge an interesting reason for her anger. It would have been even more hypocritical if Marge were upset out of pure jealousy (although that's almost certainly part of it). Marge's defense of women further establishes her as a character with a conscious. I was really hoping that this episode would pass the Bechdel Test, but unfortunately I don't think it does. Even so, it's nice to see that The Simpsons is already pushing a little feminism into their stories.
Springfield characters:
Lenny and Carl: Lenny has been in a couple of scenes so far, but never enough to actually get to know him. In this episode, these two could have easily been replaced by some of the bar flies from Moe's, but the catch was that they needed power plant workers. As a result, Lenny and Carl are way hornier than they usually are. Lenny is another one of my favorite secondary characters (I feel like I say this about almost every character I list here). At a certain point in the show, the writers decided it would be hilarious if everyone in Springfield absolutely loved Lenny for no reason. His sudden celebrity is absolutely genius.
Other interesting stuff:
More about continuity: This episode skips ahead 6 months. The show occasionally does this and can get some pretty good jokes out of it. I think it's probably good that they do it so early in the show. It teaches the audience that Bart will always be in 4th grade, Lisa will always be in 2nd, and even though the show will be on the air for 25 years, the characters will never age.
It was nice to start the episode showing more of Marge's love and devotion to Homer regardless of his physical appearance. Again, I'm a complete sucker for this couple, but I think it is especially important to reiterate this again and again in the early years. This way nobody roots for Marge to leave Homer
The speed at which the picture travels around the town shows how big the town is getting already. They're once again able to cut to several characters we know already. The show is ever so slowly becoming about the town
Burns shows a soft side! It's great to see. He's been a complete monster so far, so it is nice to see that even he can get lonely.
Bart's "female man" is a great play on words.
Moe's Tavern's ladies night was hilarious. "The hottest ladies night in months" is one depressed woman drinking at the end of the bar. Fantastic.
I want to like this episode, but there's too much for me to nitpick about. Almost done with season 1!
5/10
Sunday, August 4, 2013
1x09 - Life on the Fast Lane
This is the first episode of many that focus on Homer and Marge's marital problems. It's a subject that could easily become quickly tiresome, but for the first decade of the show, every one of these episodes is able to provide a very real sense of emotion and weight. Interestingly, most of these episodes focus on Homer's temptation, and we rarely see Marge considering leaving Homer. With very little knowledge of the show, you would guess that Marge would be the one to struggle with the marriage as opposed to Homer. I think this speaks a lot to Marge's character; she is clearly extremely devoted to Homer and very much in love with him. That being said, Marge's temptation in this episode is especially dramatic because we know how much she cares about Homer.
Jacques represents to Marge everything that she has given up because she has chosen to be with Homer. He is rich, suave, confident, and extremely sexual. He constantly flatters her and encourages her, almost to the point of being too forceful. The brief bit of dialogue where he forces her to laugh out loud really stuck with me. He is encouraging her to be open, active, and social; something that she almost never gets while taking care of her kids in the house. This works well because so far in the series, Marge has been so boring. Most of her jokes involve how mundane her life is, and I feel like she often talks to herself without anyone really listening. Jacques is seemingly offering her the opportunity for her to escape all of that, and it is tempting.
The question then becomes why does Marge chose to stay with Homer. And to be honest, this question is the same as why Marge chose Homer in the first place. This is a pretty damn hard question to answer, and I think there are a lot of reasons why Marge stays with Homer. I think the most succinct way of saying it is that Marge loves Homer because of his flaws. There's a wonderful episode in the fifth season (Secrets of a Successful Marriage) that I consider the quintessential Homer and Marge episode. Homer has to once again win Marge back, and he does so by saying he can offer her something nobody else can: complete and utter dependence. We begin to see shades of this idea in this episode. Homer's adorable speech about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is what ends up winning Marge back. She sees that Homer truly appreciates everything she does for him because he'd be a wreck without her. While Jacques is a foreign and exciting idea, Marge realizes that Homer loves her more than anyone else possibly could, and she stays with him because of that. Homer and Marge are one of my favorite couples ever to be on tv and I could ramble on about them forever - I'll stop now, but this episode does a fantastic job at beginning to explore their relationship.
Springfield characters:
Helen Lovejoy - Helen introduces herself as "the gossipy wife of the minister". I don't think her character ever evolves past that point in the entire series. She's a really obnoxious character, but in a good way, unlike the music teacher.
Other random stuff:
Jacques was voiced by Albert Brooks. He played the car salesman from Call of the Simpsons and is known for improving most of his lines. His amazing line about brunch goes through my head every time I eat brunch. He has only been a guest star on the show four times, but he steals the show in each episode. He later voices the character Hank Scorpio, who is largely considered the greatest one-episode character in the history of the show. Also on the subject of Jacques, I think it's hilarious that he has a bunch of bowling groupies that are swooning over him.
We had the first sequence of funny signs (in this case, store names at the mall). My favorite was the International House of Answering Machines.
How dare Jacques try to seduce Marge with onion rings. We later see that onion rings have a very special place in Homer and Marge's history.... "Would you mind if I took it off... The oil is burning my finger."
Bart offers Homer terrible advice. He tells Homer to bottle up his feelings and not talk to Marge. Like father like son.
The ending sequence is very corny, but that's largely due to it being an outdated reference. It is almost a shot for shot duplicate of the ending to An Officer and a Gentleman.
Again, this episode is not nearly as funny as the show's golden years. But its as emotionally riveting as some of the best. It is one of my favorites from season 1
8/10
Jacques represents to Marge everything that she has given up because she has chosen to be with Homer. He is rich, suave, confident, and extremely sexual. He constantly flatters her and encourages her, almost to the point of being too forceful. The brief bit of dialogue where he forces her to laugh out loud really stuck with me. He is encouraging her to be open, active, and social; something that she almost never gets while taking care of her kids in the house. This works well because so far in the series, Marge has been so boring. Most of her jokes involve how mundane her life is, and I feel like she often talks to herself without anyone really listening. Jacques is seemingly offering her the opportunity for her to escape all of that, and it is tempting.
The question then becomes why does Marge chose to stay with Homer. And to be honest, this question is the same as why Marge chose Homer in the first place. This is a pretty damn hard question to answer, and I think there are a lot of reasons why Marge stays with Homer. I think the most succinct way of saying it is that Marge loves Homer because of his flaws. There's a wonderful episode in the fifth season (Secrets of a Successful Marriage) that I consider the quintessential Homer and Marge episode. Homer has to once again win Marge back, and he does so by saying he can offer her something nobody else can: complete and utter dependence. We begin to see shades of this idea in this episode. Homer's adorable speech about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is what ends up winning Marge back. She sees that Homer truly appreciates everything she does for him because he'd be a wreck without her. While Jacques is a foreign and exciting idea, Marge realizes that Homer loves her more than anyone else possibly could, and she stays with him because of that. Homer and Marge are one of my favorite couples ever to be on tv and I could ramble on about them forever - I'll stop now, but this episode does a fantastic job at beginning to explore their relationship.
Springfield characters:
Helen Lovejoy - Helen introduces herself as "the gossipy wife of the minister". I don't think her character ever evolves past that point in the entire series. She's a really obnoxious character, but in a good way, unlike the music teacher.
Other random stuff:
Jacques was voiced by Albert Brooks. He played the car salesman from Call of the Simpsons and is known for improving most of his lines. His amazing line about brunch goes through my head every time I eat brunch. He has only been a guest star on the show four times, but he steals the show in each episode. He later voices the character Hank Scorpio, who is largely considered the greatest one-episode character in the history of the show. Also on the subject of Jacques, I think it's hilarious that he has a bunch of bowling groupies that are swooning over him.
We had the first sequence of funny signs (in this case, store names at the mall). My favorite was the International House of Answering Machines.
How dare Jacques try to seduce Marge with onion rings. We later see that onion rings have a very special place in Homer and Marge's history.... "Would you mind if I took it off... The oil is burning my finger."
Bart offers Homer terrible advice. He tells Homer to bottle up his feelings and not talk to Marge. Like father like son.
The ending sequence is very corny, but that's largely due to it being an outdated reference. It is almost a shot for shot duplicate of the ending to An Officer and a Gentleman.
Again, this episode is not nearly as funny as the show's golden years. But its as emotionally riveting as some of the best. It is one of my favorites from season 1
8/10
Saturday, August 3, 2013
1x08 - The Telltale Head
This episode veered dangerously close to the after-school-special line that The Simpsons has been straddling for a couple of episodes now. Up to this point, Moaning Lisa is the episode that focuses most heavily on the characters learning a life lesson. However, that episode is somewhat unique because of the relatively dark subject matter in Lisa's depression, and the lack of resolution. In comparison, this episode focuses on the common theme of bullying and ends with Bart apologizing and learning from his mistake. It's a bit too cookie-cutter for my taste.
That being said, this episode once again introduces a style that is used throughout the rest of the show. Whereas The Call of the Simpsons introduced the non-sequitur first act (which was used once again in this episode with a very funny church scene), this episode begins to use Springfield itself as a character. This is partly due to the fact that there are enough established characters for the writers to rely on. For example, I was struck by how we have been introduced to just about every character in the mob. It is a start contrast to crowd scenes from just a couple of episodes ago. If you go back and look at a crowd scene in one of the earlier episodes, none of the characters are familiar, and they are almost distractingly disfigured. But in this episode, we hear familiar voices from the crowd; Krabappel, Krusty, Burns and Smithers all get their own lines.
Furthermore, we actually get scenes that don't involve a member of the Simpson family in any way. When the head is discovered to be missing, we get reactions from the characters we know at Moe's Tavern and the nursing home. To be honest, those two scenes are probably some of the most crucial in the entire series. The writers have realized that the show doesn't have to be about a single family. It's actually about the entire town. This is the reason why the show has been able to survive for over twenty years. There just isn't enough material to write over 500 episodes about 5 characters alone. When I think about The Simpsons as a whole, I certainly don't think about the family itself. In fact, it's hard for me to think about the show on a large scale because it is just too massive. I am so excited to see the writers begin to realize how much potential is sitting in Springfield.
Springfield characters (there were a lot):
Jebediah Springfield - Springfield's beloved founder. Jebediah is a great character because it seems like every story about him is horribly exaggerated and full of misinformation. In fact, in a later episode, Lisa exposes Springfield as a huge fraud. Regardless, I love how whenever Springfield is mentioned everyone in the town is filled with an incredibly passionate and violent sense of town pride.
Reverend Lovejoy - We didn't get a good sense of Lovejoy's character, but he already seems fairly judgmental. From what we heard of his sermon, he uses lots of hyperbole and from what we saw of his speech, he gets very impassioned. As his character evolves, he becomes more like Krabappel - weary and burnt out.
Kearny, Jimbo and Dolph - More students to flesh out the school. Again, a hugely necessary step in making Springfield seem more like a real place. I also like how these bullies are different from Nelson. They're particularly nasty in this episode. As obnoxious as Bart usually is, you can see how he's still a good kid. There's nothing particularly redeeming about these three.
Apu - In this episode Apu is just an Indian guy running a convenient store. I can't wait until we get more of him; earlyApu is a great character (When his wife Majula is introduced in a later season he becomes pretty unbearable and unbelievable)
Krusty the Clown - Krusty had a few brief scenes, but they were surprisingly accurate to his character. He's basically a terrible and corrupt clown. It's fitting that the first episode that we see him he is part of an angry mob trying to kill a child. He is a huge sellout, has no morals, and is a great character. I love the story about his character model too - Krusty has the exact same character model as Homer except for the hair. The idea was that Bart constantly disrespects Homer, but idolizes a clown who looks and acts exactly like him. The writers were even considering making Homer actually be Krusty and keep the secret from his family. Luckily they thought this was unfeasible.
Other stuff I liked:
The Sunday School bit was hilarious. That poor teacher. It must be brutal to have Bart poke holes in everything you're saying. I wonder what kind of reception this episode had from the church. It certainly did not paint religion in a very good light (later episodes that focus entirely on religion do a much better job of showing the pros and cons).
Bartmania continues with the first instance of "Cowabunga". I think we've heard just about every famously terrible Bart line to be printed all over Simpsons merchandise ("cowabunga", "don't have a cow", and "eat my shorts" to name a few).
I liked the cloud-gazing bullies. A pretty common joke in The Simpsons is showing the soft side of bullies, and they started it here.
Homer's love of bowling is introduced. This seems like a very old-fashioned hobby, and it goes away after about 10 seasons. The next episode (which is a great one) features bowling heavily.
A pretty standard episode for the first season. Nothing too spectacular, but nothing horribly jarring.
5/10
That being said, this episode once again introduces a style that is used throughout the rest of the show. Whereas The Call of the Simpsons introduced the non-sequitur first act (which was used once again in this episode with a very funny church scene), this episode begins to use Springfield itself as a character. This is partly due to the fact that there are enough established characters for the writers to rely on. For example, I was struck by how we have been introduced to just about every character in the mob. It is a start contrast to crowd scenes from just a couple of episodes ago. If you go back and look at a crowd scene in one of the earlier episodes, none of the characters are familiar, and they are almost distractingly disfigured. But in this episode, we hear familiar voices from the crowd; Krabappel, Krusty, Burns and Smithers all get their own lines.
Furthermore, we actually get scenes that don't involve a member of the Simpson family in any way. When the head is discovered to be missing, we get reactions from the characters we know at Moe's Tavern and the nursing home. To be honest, those two scenes are probably some of the most crucial in the entire series. The writers have realized that the show doesn't have to be about a single family. It's actually about the entire town. This is the reason why the show has been able to survive for over twenty years. There just isn't enough material to write over 500 episodes about 5 characters alone. When I think about The Simpsons as a whole, I certainly don't think about the family itself. In fact, it's hard for me to think about the show on a large scale because it is just too massive. I am so excited to see the writers begin to realize how much potential is sitting in Springfield.
Springfield characters (there were a lot):
Jebediah Springfield - Springfield's beloved founder. Jebediah is a great character because it seems like every story about him is horribly exaggerated and full of misinformation. In fact, in a later episode, Lisa exposes Springfield as a huge fraud. Regardless, I love how whenever Springfield is mentioned everyone in the town is filled with an incredibly passionate and violent sense of town pride.
Reverend Lovejoy - We didn't get a good sense of Lovejoy's character, but he already seems fairly judgmental. From what we heard of his sermon, he uses lots of hyperbole and from what we saw of his speech, he gets very impassioned. As his character evolves, he becomes more like Krabappel - weary and burnt out.
Kearny, Jimbo and Dolph - More students to flesh out the school. Again, a hugely necessary step in making Springfield seem more like a real place. I also like how these bullies are different from Nelson. They're particularly nasty in this episode. As obnoxious as Bart usually is, you can see how he's still a good kid. There's nothing particularly redeeming about these three.
Apu - In this episode Apu is just an Indian guy running a convenient store. I can't wait until we get more of him; earlyApu is a great character (When his wife Majula is introduced in a later season he becomes pretty unbearable and unbelievable)
Krusty the Clown - Krusty had a few brief scenes, but they were surprisingly accurate to his character. He's basically a terrible and corrupt clown. It's fitting that the first episode that we see him he is part of an angry mob trying to kill a child. He is a huge sellout, has no morals, and is a great character. I love the story about his character model too - Krusty has the exact same character model as Homer except for the hair. The idea was that Bart constantly disrespects Homer, but idolizes a clown who looks and acts exactly like him. The writers were even considering making Homer actually be Krusty and keep the secret from his family. Luckily they thought this was unfeasible.
Other stuff I liked:
The Sunday School bit was hilarious. That poor teacher. It must be brutal to have Bart poke holes in everything you're saying. I wonder what kind of reception this episode had from the church. It certainly did not paint religion in a very good light (later episodes that focus entirely on religion do a much better job of showing the pros and cons).
Bartmania continues with the first instance of "Cowabunga". I think we've heard just about every famously terrible Bart line to be printed all over Simpsons merchandise ("cowabunga", "don't have a cow", and "eat my shorts" to name a few).
I liked the cloud-gazing bullies. A pretty common joke in The Simpsons is showing the soft side of bullies, and they started it here.
Homer's love of bowling is introduced. This seems like a very old-fashioned hobby, and it goes away after about 10 seasons. The next episode (which is a great one) features bowling heavily.
A pretty standard episode for the first season. Nothing too spectacular, but nothing horribly jarring.
5/10
Friday, August 2, 2013
1x07 - The Call of the Simpsons
What a weird episode. As much as I was looking forward to Moaning Lisa, I was really unenthusiastic about watching this episode tonight. I hadn't seen it in years and I have always remembered it as one of my least favorite of the series. It's hard to tell if the episode is really that terrible, or if I'm biased from preconceived notions, but I didn't enjoy it very much.
Probably the most notable event of the episode is that we finally see the beginnings of the format that the show ends up using. More specifically, the first act of the show usually has nothing to do with the rest of the episode. In this case, there were a bunch of jokes about car salesmen, which was completely separate from the main plot about being lost in the wilderness. It's an interesting format because it essentially lets the writers write small skits. If they have a good bit about going to the movies, for example, they can have the family go see a movie and then at the commercial break introduce the real plot. I actually think this format might be the genesis of pretty much all the humor of Family Guy. Family Guy relies so heavily on non-sequiters, it takes this idea to the extreme. The Simpsons devotes the first act to a random funny event; Family Guy will cut away from the main plot every thirty seconds to tell random jokes.
In terms of character development, there wasn't nearly as much in this episode. Once again, Bart and Homer were paired together, and Homer tries to show Bart how much he knows about the wilderness. It's the second episode in a row where Homer's only concern is looking cool in the eyes of his son. I think that's pretty different than the Homer we saw in Bart the Genius. That Homer wanted to spend time with Bart, this one wants to impress him. As Homer's character gets more defined, I think we see a lot more of the later. Homer becomes more childish and less secure in himself. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing; I love naive Homer. It's just interesting to think that the most responsible we'll ever see Homer is in episode 2.
Marge and Lisa once again prove that they're the only ones in the family who can function as real people. It also shows that they're good at adapting to their surroundings - a skill that is necessary in the Simpson family. Marge calmly picking up a squirrel and neatly placing it on a log was pretty funny too. The only problem I had with Marge this episode was why in the world she let Homer take Maggie with her. For the first time, Maggie had a couple of scenes that were hers and hers alone. These are always a little hit and miss. I can think of one outstanding success (the great escape) and some other average sequences, but in general, I like Maggie the most when she's making subtle jokes in the background.
Springfield characters:
Tood: Todd is basically Bart's version of Flanders. I think the writers wanted to make Todd annoy Bart in the exact same way Flanders annoys Homer, except by doing kid things. It's funny how the family isn't overly religious yet, because that's their defining characterization later on
Other things I liked:
Since this episode was kind of a dud, most of my notes are jokes that I thought were funny. I really enjoyed the newscaster interrupting a presidential address to have a story on bigfoot. The news segments only get better when Kent Brockman is created.
All of the car salesman bit was great. I love how he tries every trick in the book. From calling Homer a god to blaming the pricing on someone else (he's not the owner, even though his name is on the sign... Long story). Homer is the perfect sucker in that scene
The music seemed very loud and out of place this episode. Most of it was in the Maggie scenes, which is understandable. But even when Homer and Bart were walking around, I was pretty distracted by it.
Definitely the most cartooney episode yet. An RV plummeting off a cliff is about as cartooney as you can get
A pretty sweet ending to a bad episode. Are all of these tender moments too sappy? I haven't thought so yet, but I could see other people rolling their eyes at them.
2/10
Probably the most notable event of the episode is that we finally see the beginnings of the format that the show ends up using. More specifically, the first act of the show usually has nothing to do with the rest of the episode. In this case, there were a bunch of jokes about car salesmen, which was completely separate from the main plot about being lost in the wilderness. It's an interesting format because it essentially lets the writers write small skits. If they have a good bit about going to the movies, for example, they can have the family go see a movie and then at the commercial break introduce the real plot. I actually think this format might be the genesis of pretty much all the humor of Family Guy. Family Guy relies so heavily on non-sequiters, it takes this idea to the extreme. The Simpsons devotes the first act to a random funny event; Family Guy will cut away from the main plot every thirty seconds to tell random jokes.
In terms of character development, there wasn't nearly as much in this episode. Once again, Bart and Homer were paired together, and Homer tries to show Bart how much he knows about the wilderness. It's the second episode in a row where Homer's only concern is looking cool in the eyes of his son. I think that's pretty different than the Homer we saw in Bart the Genius. That Homer wanted to spend time with Bart, this one wants to impress him. As Homer's character gets more defined, I think we see a lot more of the later. Homer becomes more childish and less secure in himself. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing; I love naive Homer. It's just interesting to think that the most responsible we'll ever see Homer is in episode 2.
Marge and Lisa once again prove that they're the only ones in the family who can function as real people. It also shows that they're good at adapting to their surroundings - a skill that is necessary in the Simpson family. Marge calmly picking up a squirrel and neatly placing it on a log was pretty funny too. The only problem I had with Marge this episode was why in the world she let Homer take Maggie with her. For the first time, Maggie had a couple of scenes that were hers and hers alone. These are always a little hit and miss. I can think of one outstanding success (the great escape) and some other average sequences, but in general, I like Maggie the most when she's making subtle jokes in the background.
Springfield characters:
Tood: Todd is basically Bart's version of Flanders. I think the writers wanted to make Todd annoy Bart in the exact same way Flanders annoys Homer, except by doing kid things. It's funny how the family isn't overly religious yet, because that's their defining characterization later on
Other things I liked:
Since this episode was kind of a dud, most of my notes are jokes that I thought were funny. I really enjoyed the newscaster interrupting a presidential address to have a story on bigfoot. The news segments only get better when Kent Brockman is created.
All of the car salesman bit was great. I love how he tries every trick in the book. From calling Homer a god to blaming the pricing on someone else (he's not the owner, even though his name is on the sign... Long story). Homer is the perfect sucker in that scene
The music seemed very loud and out of place this episode. Most of it was in the Maggie scenes, which is understandable. But even when Homer and Bart were walking around, I was pretty distracted by it.
Definitely the most cartooney episode yet. An RV plummeting off a cliff is about as cartooney as you can get
A pretty sweet ending to a bad episode. Are all of these tender moments too sappy? I haven't thought so yet, but I could see other people rolling their eyes at them.
2/10
Thursday, August 1, 2013
1x06 - Moaning Lisa
I was really looking forward to this episode. My old roommate, Jason, is just as big a Simpsons fan as I am, and he claims this is his favorite episode (He says his favorite line in the whole series is "Lisa, you stay away from that jazz man!"). Having not seen it in years, and knowing it is in the notably weak first season, I have always been fairly skeptical. And after watching it... Sorry Jason, it's not the best episode of the show. But for season 1, it is pretty outstanding. First and foremost, we finally get an episode that doesn't focus on Homer and Bart. Lisa finally takes the spotlight, and as a result, the episode is much more thought provoking than any others so far.
The main issue I was struggling with while watching this episode is what is really making Lisa sad. From the very start of the episode, her sadness is very ambiguous. The episode opens with Lisa looking at herself in the mirror, Homer pounding on the bathroom door, and Lisa quietly sighing. Clearly something is wrong, but we really have no idea what it could be - I really love that opening. Later in the episode, Homer sits Lisa down on his lap to find the source of the problem and she gives him a very vague answer about the world being a hard place. It's a problem that any angsty elementary school could have; especially one who doesn't fit in with anyone else. As a side note, it's pretty remarkable that Lisa doesn't have any friends at school - even once the series establishes more of its universe. I think this makes Lisa's stories far more diverse. Telling a story about Bart's relationship with Milhouse or one of his other friends is an easy fallback and has been done countless times. Lisa has had the occasional guest star friend, but she has never had a regular character as a safety net for slow weeks in the writers room.
Anyways, as the story progresses, it becomes clear that Lisa's real issue is the same one the other members of the family have been dealing with: she doesn't know how to accept being a Simpson. Her song to Bleeding Gums Murphy is all about Homer, Bart, and even Marge neglecting her at home. We quickly realize that small sigh at the start of the episode was about starting another day in a house with her father banging on her door. She wants to be more than a Simpson. Homer dealt with this problem in Homer's Odyssey and There's No Disgrace Like Home. The resolution to both of those episodes was something along the lines of "it could be worse, make the best you can out of it." In one episode, Homer happily accepts a slightly better job, and in the other, the family embraces their dysfunction and gets a new tv for doing so. I really like how in this episode, Lisa doesn't fix her problem. By the end of the episode, she's slightly less miserable because Marge gave her some support, but nothing else has really changed. It will actually take work for Lisa to accept being a Simpson and find her place in the family, and future episodes continue to address this point (e.g. Lisa the Simpson).
Marge continues to be a really great character. You can see that in this episode because she really believes in the terrible advice she's giving Lisa. That scene has always stuck with me because Marge cares so much for her daughter but doesn't know how to help her. It shows that Marge is fallible and doesn't really know what she's doing.
For the first time there is a recognizable B story in an episode. So far every episode has been one continuous story about a single character or a group of characters. In this episode, Bart and Homer's videogame duel has nothing to do with Lisa's story. As is to be expected with a B story, there was very little character development other than showing Bart and Homer can hang out with each other. Other than that, there were some ok jokes (Bart beating Homer by the age of 4) and the resolution was unexpected. Can't complain too much.
Springfield Characters:
Mr. Largo: To be honest, I didn't even know that this was the music teacher's name even though he is in many episodes. He's a pretty terrible character. Generally grumpy, mean and unfunny. Later they make him gay, but its pretty inconsequential. I think the writers just wanted to have a regular character around if they ever needed to two or more gay characters in a scene (the first always being Smithers).
Bleeding Gums Murphy: Unlike Mr. Largo, Bleeding Gums rarely appears and is a great character. I can only think of one other episode that he appear in (although I have a pesky feeling that I'm forgetting another one) and in that episode he serves as a great mentor to Lisa.
Other things I liked:
I feel like this episode was the prettiest one so far. Some of the shots of Lisa riding on her bike in the moonlight are really beautiful. The tone of the episode definitely dictated the art style.
Out of all the family members, Maggie is the best at embracing the Simpson in her. I love the scene where she chooses the tv
Oh yeah, Lisa plays the saxophone! We've seen that in the title sequence, but this is the first time it's actually shown up in the show.
Lisa episodes are always pretty outstanding until the end of the golden age (season 9? 10?). This one was my favorite episode so far
7/10
The main issue I was struggling with while watching this episode is what is really making Lisa sad. From the very start of the episode, her sadness is very ambiguous. The episode opens with Lisa looking at herself in the mirror, Homer pounding on the bathroom door, and Lisa quietly sighing. Clearly something is wrong, but we really have no idea what it could be - I really love that opening. Later in the episode, Homer sits Lisa down on his lap to find the source of the problem and she gives him a very vague answer about the world being a hard place. It's a problem that any angsty elementary school could have; especially one who doesn't fit in with anyone else. As a side note, it's pretty remarkable that Lisa doesn't have any friends at school - even once the series establishes more of its universe. I think this makes Lisa's stories far more diverse. Telling a story about Bart's relationship with Milhouse or one of his other friends is an easy fallback and has been done countless times. Lisa has had the occasional guest star friend, but she has never had a regular character as a safety net for slow weeks in the writers room.
Anyways, as the story progresses, it becomes clear that Lisa's real issue is the same one the other members of the family have been dealing with: she doesn't know how to accept being a Simpson. Her song to Bleeding Gums Murphy is all about Homer, Bart, and even Marge neglecting her at home. We quickly realize that small sigh at the start of the episode was about starting another day in a house with her father banging on her door. She wants to be more than a Simpson. Homer dealt with this problem in Homer's Odyssey and There's No Disgrace Like Home. The resolution to both of those episodes was something along the lines of "it could be worse, make the best you can out of it." In one episode, Homer happily accepts a slightly better job, and in the other, the family embraces their dysfunction and gets a new tv for doing so. I really like how in this episode, Lisa doesn't fix her problem. By the end of the episode, she's slightly less miserable because Marge gave her some support, but nothing else has really changed. It will actually take work for Lisa to accept being a Simpson and find her place in the family, and future episodes continue to address this point (e.g. Lisa the Simpson).
Marge continues to be a really great character. You can see that in this episode because she really believes in the terrible advice she's giving Lisa. That scene has always stuck with me because Marge cares so much for her daughter but doesn't know how to help her. It shows that Marge is fallible and doesn't really know what she's doing.
For the first time there is a recognizable B story in an episode. So far every episode has been one continuous story about a single character or a group of characters. In this episode, Bart and Homer's videogame duel has nothing to do with Lisa's story. As is to be expected with a B story, there was very little character development other than showing Bart and Homer can hang out with each other. Other than that, there were some ok jokes (Bart beating Homer by the age of 4) and the resolution was unexpected. Can't complain too much.
Springfield Characters:
Mr. Largo: To be honest, I didn't even know that this was the music teacher's name even though he is in many episodes. He's a pretty terrible character. Generally grumpy, mean and unfunny. Later they make him gay, but its pretty inconsequential. I think the writers just wanted to have a regular character around if they ever needed to two or more gay characters in a scene (the first always being Smithers).
Bleeding Gums Murphy: Unlike Mr. Largo, Bleeding Gums rarely appears and is a great character. I can only think of one other episode that he appear in (although I have a pesky feeling that I'm forgetting another one) and in that episode he serves as a great mentor to Lisa.
Other things I liked:
I feel like this episode was the prettiest one so far. Some of the shots of Lisa riding on her bike in the moonlight are really beautiful. The tone of the episode definitely dictated the art style.
Out of all the family members, Maggie is the best at embracing the Simpson in her. I love the scene where she chooses the tv
Oh yeah, Lisa plays the saxophone! We've seen that in the title sequence, but this is the first time it's actually shown up in the show.
Lisa episodes are always pretty outstanding until the end of the golden age (season 9? 10?). This one was my favorite episode so far
7/10
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