The Simpsons Thread (Worst. Thread. Ever!)

[el badman]

I agree, it's easy to want more of the almight Grandpa these days since most episodes have been really weak recently, but it'd be a shame to see him go down that road as well (his very own episode a few weeks ago was quite good though). The pacing is just so off these days, it almost feels shameful to have a couple of epic moments in the middle of an otherwise dull and mediocre episode...

[Andrew]

It keeps you watching though, the bright spots and episodes that are at least watchable.

[Andrew]

I may be alone on this one, but I thought the latest episode was pretty enjoyable. Chief Wiggum's never really been put in the spotlight like that and while it did suffer from the usual way-beyond-classic syndrome, it wasn't done too badly. Some overexplained jokes (Marge's "I'll just listen to some more out of context") and completely unnatural dialogue (Lou's summary of Homer and Wiggum's friendship) stood out as low points but I liked the ending with Flanders, Bart's quip while trying to flush the Battleballs down the toilet and the things on TV that reminded Homer of Wiggum. No all-time classic, but thumbs up this week all the same.

Also, Lisa notably had no lines in the episode, I believe the first time since Season 4's Krusty Get Kancelled that one of the main characters has had no dialogue (and a very brief on-screen appearance).

[benji]

It wasn't great but I actually liked it. (Going against the majority again!) I'm a sucker for Wiggum though.

Was still only the second best of two new shows this week as American Dad delivered yet another brilliant episode. At least they have that.

Simpsons need to pay attention to American Dad, ignore Seth McFarlane, and deliver character focused plots where you can completely ditch other characters. The best Simpsons episode of the last decade did that, using only Homer as a character, and they'd do well to replicate it. Some of the more tolerable episodes have also focused on fewer characters.

[el badman]

I kinda liked it too. Nothing fantastic but fairly solid episode, and Wiggum can be pretty hilarious. I didn't even notice that Lisa didn't say a thing...

[benji]

Right, nothing I'd really remember, but I didn't mind watching it. Which is a pretty good for The Simpsons this last year.

If I had to hate, the Bart stuff wasn't thought about enough. Homer/Wiggum carried the episode. The Marge stuff was a bit too obvious and way too simple, there were better ways to till that soil.

[Andrew]

Guess I'm not alone after all.

They really give Marge some terrible dialogue at times. I think the aim is to make her come off as good naturedly naive but instead they just make her ditzy or in some cases, seemingly unable to converse in normal English. Lines like "That laughter sounds like the result of misbehaviour" from a couple of seasons ago and listening at the basement door in this episode are prime examples. It borders on Engrish at times.

[el badman]

It's just been really hit and miss lately. That episode was just mediocre altogether. I guess the whale's death was a little unexpected, but everything else about Lisa's ordeal was deja vu and boring. Except for a couple of good jokes (Comic Book Guy's impression of William Shatner), I thought this was a very bland episode.

[Andrew]

Yeah, I wasn't too thrilled with that one. The Shatner joke was good, the harpoon hitting the seagull was nicely staged, I must admit I had a bit of a smirk at them getting "Drop the poon!" past the censors and the stuff with the bullies and Lisa's dream featured some decent jokes but apart from that it was kind of ordinary. Decent enough story but not particularly gripping in execution. Not terrible, not unwatchable, but nothing memorable.

[Andrew]

Oh, Simpsons intro. What have they done to you? (I've got to admit it was creative though.)

I'm not entirely sure what to make of that episode. Neither plot was particularly well developed or anything special, as usual the subplot felt very tacked on and perhaps could've been put to better use as a fleshed out main plot but on the whole the episode was kind of fun regardless. Superintendent Chalmers in a dress wielding nunchucks was a highlight, loved his line about it only being a small part of him. In a weird way, I have to say I liked it for what it was; a silly romp that somehow worked. I don't think I'd care to see too many quite like it though.

[el badman]

To me, this felt like an another episode with a fairly fresh main plot that was ultimately undermined by Lisa's part of the story. I don't know why they feel that 7-8 minutes MUST be spent on her for each episode, as her sub-plots have mostly been mediocre, and even irritating at times.
And I really really hate those extra commercials, it really messes up the overall pacing.

[Andrew]

It's been the story of the season: good, fresh ideas that I wish were explored a long time ago, in part hampered by a subplot that just ate up time and the pacing of the four act format. But as I said, I enjoyed it regardless.

Oh, and Ned's smile while he was talking to Marge about how much he loved monitoring the security cameras was hilariously creepy.

[shadowgrin]

What the hell did they do to the intro?!

[Andrew]

Apparently it was part of a Fox promotion. That also explains the musical clips in last week's Family Guy.

[Andrew]

For what was basically another take on the all too familiar marriage crisis plot, the latest episode wasn't too bad. Perhaps I've grown weary of criticising the show, perhaps I've come to accept it for what it is and only get down on the new eps when I find them really, really awful, but I've enjoyed the last couple of episodes more than I would've expected.

[el badman]

It was alright, but the plot was indeed nothing that hasn't been done before. I did enjoy the Apu flashbacks though, I forgot what they were but I remember a couple of his lines really cracked me up.

[Andrew]

Comparing his wife to the radio DJs because of her annoying chatter during drive time was a pretty good call. The Lovejoys had a couple of good lines too, "Is that a train in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?"/"Both!" isn't particularly original or the epitome of wit but worked in my opinion simply because it was a conversation between the Lovejoys. Or perhaps I was just expecting a more traditional punchline of "It's a train." Homer's "penis shrivelling she-devils" insult towards Patty and Selma got a laugh out of me too.

[Andrew]

Better than the last Sideshow Bob episode in my opinion but ugh, any scene involving Bob and Walt's faces being removed or falling off was very unsettling. Always good to see a cameo by a rake and that classic Sideshow Bob groan, I enjoyed the references to Kelsey Grammer's other memorable roles (and one not so memorable one).

[el badman]

I liked that one, certainly more than most episodes so far this season. But it's kind of sad that it takes yet another Sideshow Bob episode in order to catch a glimpse of the show's past greatness, as it makes it really obvious how much other recent episodes with new characters tend to pale in comparison. Always a safer bet to bring old material back I guess.

[Andrew]

True, though that can also result in unfavourable comparisons to classic episodes (like Lurleen Lumpkin's return a couple of years ago) and unnecessary fanservice (like the new intro).

[benji]

And all the good they've been building up recently goes down in flames.

[el badman]

Yup, that was quite mediocre to say the least. That episode just seemed to go nowhere from the beginning, and the American Idol thing just fell flat. Pretty crappy season finale...

[Andrew]

I liked the running gag with Lisa appearing in the imagination bubble, even when I saw it coming the second time I enjoyed that they ran with it without running it into the ground. Some enjoyable lines here and there, I thought the main plot was alright but ended abruptly and predictably after too many pointless lines from the guest stars. On the whole I liked it a bit too much to call it mediocre, but perhaps just a couple of steps above it.

[benji]

http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1792830

[shadowgrin]

Little Big Girl- Bart steals the family car and meets Darcy. After they begin a relationship, Darcy tells Bart that she is pregnant and they drive to Utah to get married. After being pursued and found by their parents, the families agree for Bart and Darcy to separate, and Darcy's baby to be passed off as a twin with her mother's new baby.

They did that in Season 18? And I thought the 'real' Skinner being shipped out of town tied in a train was a low for the Simpsons' writers.