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