The Simpsons - General Discussion

[BatmanBeatles]

Homer: What if we picked the wrong religion? Every week we're just making God madder and madder.

[Driad]

 

Apu's citizenship test:

Proctor: All right, here’s your last question. What was the cause of the Civil War?
Apu: Actually, there were numerous causes. Aside from the obvious schism between the abolitionists and the anti-abolitionists, there were economic factors, both domestic and inter–
Proctor: Wait, wait… just say slavery.
Apu: Slavery it is, sir.

[honeywest]

Homer: "I didn't lie! I made up fiction with my mouth!"

[Galileo908]

That couch gag was great, that's totally like Homer to change the channel on artwork.

 

Loved the riffs on Disneyland, they nailed every part of modern day Disney so well (like how expensive and crowded everything is). They even covered Disney's assimilation of Star Wars. There weren't even that many rehashes of Itchy & Scratchyland, either.

 

Was not amused by the rehash on the "Homer eats chips in space" bit. But I would've complained if the chips weren't ruffled.

 

I love how Homer's list of Earth's greatest accomplishments include free refills and moon rocks.

 

David Mirkin explained over Twitter why the episode was held over for so long: they tried to retool this into a second Simpsons movie. It seems to not have worked out since we're seeing it now. And I'll admit, this episode really could have benefited from a longer runtime, this one lost steam once the family got abducted. Every single beat was so predictable, and most of those beats were not even funny. I really wish that Rigellian that looked like Lisa had more significance (but I bet in an expanded version she would have).

 

The dullness of this one baffled me, especially since the episode suddenly turned into Star Trek at the end, and that part was fantastic. Although Futurama did it first, their version of the Star Trek credits was great. They even had Burns as that alien at the end (which Futurama did with Kif)

 

ETA: Speaking of Futurama, I realize why this plot was so dull: That show did that one SO much better with "The Problem with Popplers."

Edited January 5, 2015 by Galileo908

[ottoDbusdriver]

And I'll admit, this episode really could have benefited from a longer runtime, this one lost steam once the family got abducted. Every single beat was so predictable, and most of those beats were not even funny.

 

Ain't that the truth.  Once they left the Earth, I didn't even get a mild chuckle out of it.

 

I did like them taking potshots at Diznee buying Cosmic Wars.

 

The dullness of this one baffled me, especially since the episode suddenly turned into Star Trek at the end, and that part was fantastic.

 

Yeah, that was a left turn that came out of nowhere and just seemed shoved into the episode.  Though I did love the end credits.

[Taeolas]

Yeah this ep was pretty much a big WTF for me. The start with DizneeLand was OK, but not great; too many jokes and not enough framework I think.

 

Once they got to the Alien Abduction story arc, it dived into WTFness and never came back out. I was alternating between boredom and wondering what the point of it was. The jokes fell flat for the most part, and there didn't seem to be much payoff in the end. 

 

Frankly, with the Star Trek homage clipshow at the end, I think I would have rather watched THAT than the Rigel 7 story line. 

 

This was partly intended to be The Simpsons Movie 2? Yikes! That was a disaster avoided IMO. Kang and Kodos are better as the Treehouse of Horror characters and NOT in the mainline story IMO. (Ok I can give them a pass for Futurama visits, but that's it)

[Kaboom 2.0]

As someone who has had to go to Disney World every year (to support someone else's athletic endeavors) for the past like five years the way this ep showcased how expensive and crowded DizzneeLand is was spot on, as well Dizznee's assimilation of Cosmic Wars. LOL I immediately thought (paraphrased) "now remember, we're parked in the Itchy lot" when Marge pointed out where they parked the car; I say that to my boyfriend each and every time we park somewhere at Disney World.

 

Having said that I really wanted to like the family's abduction to Rigel 7 but for the most part almost everything in that SL fell flat for me. Once Homer started eating the ruffled chips in zero gravity I thought "soooo...is this entire SL going to rehash other Simpsons' episodes??"

 

I did enjoy the Star Trek homage at the end and especially seeing Springfielders as Star Trek characters. I actually cackled at the Crazy Cat Lady's cats being the Tribbles and Lenny and Carl as those ST aliens that were black and white mirror images of each other.

Edited January 5, 2015 by Kaboom 2.0

[futurechemist]

Well that happened.  Sigh, I remember when the SImpsons was a realistic show about an average family, not that much different than a live-action sitcom.

 

Part of me wonders if the writers came up with the Star Trek credit idea (or stole the idea from the Star Trek Futurama episode) and then realized they'd need to actually write an episode to support the credits gag.  The credits were hilarious, but were also the best part of the episode, which is kind of bad actually.

 

ETA:  I Just watched the episode where Homer was an astronaut and they used the exact same music in the potato chip scene.  Wow, that's even lazier of the writers than I originally thought.  Boo-urns!

Edited January 5, 2015 by futurechemist

[JTMacc99]

I want those end credits as a calendar or some other type of art that I can hang on my wall. I had to rewind and pause to check out Barney with Patty and Selma as Mudd.  Heh.

[CMH1981]

 

I love how Homer's list of Earth's greatest accomplishments include free refills and moon rocks.

 

Don't forget Grindr...we must never forget that...

 

 

I Just watched the episode where Homer was an astronaut and they used the exact same music in the potato chip scene.  Wow, that's even lazier of the writers than I originally thought.  Boo-urns!

 

I didn't think that was lazy, I thought that was a great call-back to a great episode.  Like was mentioned previously, we all know it was more dangerous b/c they had ridges...lol

 

So the premise of this episode was originally going to be the plot of the Simpsons Movie 2?  They dodged a bullet there, and I think that's a good thing and shows that writers/creators realized that it wouldn't have worked, whereas I could see other animated programs just going for it, even though the plot is flimsy and burns out really early for a feature length movie.

[JTMacc99]

Don't forget Grindr...we must never forget that...

Heh.  That made me laugh.

 

Also funny from the same scene was main alien lady saying something to Homer along the lines of "those are truly wonderful accomplishments" and then hearing somebody chime in with "did we hear the same thing?"

[Snow Apple]

I was also amused until the abduction. The drool was making me sick even if it was only a cartoon.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Based on the production code, this episode should have been shown back towards the end of Season 24/start of Season 25, so it was held back nearly 18 months per @Galileo908's note upthread about the delay based on what David Mirkin said on Twitter.

[JTMacc99]

So apparently Judd Apatow wrote an episodes of The Simpsons in 1990, when he was 22, and it will air on January 11th.

 

Pretty cool. I like this quote from him: "It's a pretty rough script — when I reread it, I wasn't exactly glowing with pride — but Al and the staff did their Simpsons magic on it," the This Is 40 director said. He added that seeing the cast bring his script to life at the table read "was one of the greatest days of my life."

[TVSpectator]

So apparently Judd Apatow wrote an episodes of The Simpsons in 1990, when he was 22, and it will air on January 11th.

 

Pretty cool. I like this quote from him: "It's a pretty rough script — when I reread it, I wasn't exactly glowing with pride — but Al and the staff did their Simpsons magic on it," the This Is 40 director said. He added that seeing the cast bring his script to life at the table read "was one of the greatest days of my life."

 

You I got me thinking on how some old Star Trek episodes were actually written by fans (they used to screen a bunch of scripts and may approve some to be filmed- I think that was how RDM got his start on TNG), and I was wondering if the same can happen for the Simpsons? 

[JTMacc99]

Right now I'm thinking about another meeting...

[JTMacc99]

So, there is this.  It looks like somebody put all of the McBain clips together, and the story kind of works.  Heh.

[radishcake]

That is awesome! I can't wait for "You have the right to remain DEAD!" hee.

[dusang]

There's a franchising expo in town this weekend -- hearing the ad on the radio brought so many quotes to my head!!

 

Helen: Hmm, Pita.  Well, I don't know about food from the Middle East. Isn't that whole area a little iffy?
Hostess: Hey, I'm no geographer.  You and I -- why don't we call it pocket bread, huh?
Maude: Umm, what's tahini?
Hostess: Flavor sauce.
Edna: And falafel?
Hostess: Crunch patties.
Helen: So, we'd be selling foreign...
Hostess: Specialty foods.  Here, try a Ben Franklin.
 

Although, to be honest I could really go for a pretzel right about now.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

One courtesy of my father: While channel surfing, he came across a Japanese film called "Ichi the Killer" and made an Itchy & Scratchy joke.

[radishcake]

 

Bart has a new accomplice and best friend when Homer is hypnotized at the circus and believes he is a young boy again.

 

[radishcake]

 

When inventor Elon Musk lands in Springfield, he and Homer become fast friends and revolutionize the town's nuclear plant. But when Musk goes overboard and Mr. Burns wants him removed, Homer must figure out a way to break up with him.

 

[Brandi Maxxxx]

So apparently Judd Apatow wrote an episodes of The Simpsons in 1990, when he was 22, and it will air on January 11th.

I remember Apatow mentioning this on a talk show ages ago (November 2012 if Wikipedia is right). I know it takes time to make an episode but that seems ridiculous.

[Aprilshowers]

This episode did not fit in the Simpsons sphere so a big fail for me. Only thing that could have saved it if professor frink was somehow involved or it was a crystal ball seeing into the future sort of plot like they have done in the past, or the obligatory "it was only a dream". This episode was the worst I've ever seen. Sad part is the beginning was hilarious.

[Taeolas]

Yeah a trailer reset-button wrap up would have been better here. Show Lisa or Homer waking up and the old "To serve Man" twilight zone ep on the TV (implying it was all a dream) would have been perfect here (and a tie back to the THOH). This was so unSimpsony, that it's one of the few times I wouldn't mind a reset button and/or Dream episode.

[honeywest]

Homer: "Ooh, I don't like the sound of that funeral march."

 

Skinner: "Are you adequately prepared to rock?"

[BatmanBeatles]

"Mmmm, sacrilicious."

[radishcake]

Block party Sunday 1/11/15 all times EST: looks like the theme is UP with Kids of Springfield!

 

3;30 pm "Bart's Friend Falls in Love" Ep.23 Sn.3
Bart becomes jealous when Milhouse falls for a girl who transferred to their school.
4pm "Lemon of Troy" Ep.24 Sn.6
Bart and his friends march on Shelbyville when Springfield's lemon tree is stolen by a gang of children from across the border.
4:30pm "Bart on the Road" Ep.20 Sn.7
Using a fake driver's license, Bart rents a car and embarks on a Spring Break road trip with his friends. A special bond develops between Lisa and Homer after Skinner invents Go To Work With Your Parents Day.
5pm "Das Bus" Ep.14 Sn.9
Bart, Lisa and their classmates fight for survival when they become stranded on a remote island. Homer starts his own business on the Internet.
5:30pm "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken" Ep.11 Sn.10
The children of Springfield rebel after Wiggum enforces a curfew.
6pm "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore" Ep.12 Sn.15
When Milhouse and his mother relocate to Capital City, Bart strikes up a friendship with Lisa; Homer makes money by pretending to be a transient.
6:30pm "The Debarted" Ep.13 Sn.19
Bart befriends a new kid at school, unaware that he's a snitch; after his car is damaged in an accident, Homer ends up with a fancy loaner.
7pm "Hardly Kirk-ing" Ep.13 Sn.24
With Bart's help, Milhouse transforms into his father; Homer discovers a talent for finding things in hidden-picture books.

[Galileo908]

Written by Judd Apatow...20 years ago. But anyway, this was an actually funny episode.

 

"Snowmen Don't Have Carrot Penises."

 

Really loved that couch gag. The worried face on Maggie was what made it for me.

 

Really loved the reveal that there was another safety inspector in 7G and he's been covering for Homer all these years. That explains so much about his job and how he can get away with, well, being Homer.

 

So much of Homer's dialogue just screamed "this was written by a kid in the 90s." Essentially, Homer got hypnotized into thinking he's Peter Griffin.

 

I'd say I wish we saw more of Itchy & Scratchyland, but we already spent ten minutes in Disneyland last week. But I liked the Soarin' spoof, complete with MST3K reference.

[Taeolas]

Itchy and Scratchy Land's visit was more enjoyable than the Diznee Land visit last week, as was the wrapper all around it IMO. A decent story with some touching moments between Bart and Homer.

 

I'm wondering if the eps are running shorter than they used to, or if they've actually decided to start doing credit gag scenes now, on top of the couch gag scenes? Seems we're getting a lot more pre-credit scene lately than we used to.

 

Nice to see the Je suis Charlie Maggie scene. That must have been the fastest Simpsons has ever reacted to current events I think.

[Canada]

This is the best episode of the Simpsons I've seen in a long time.  Loved it!

[JTMacc99]

I laughed REALLY hard at the sequence where Bart considered not pranking Homer while he slept, decided to stick the pencils in his nose and tennis ball in his mouth, which naturally resulted in 10 year old Homer acting like an annoyed 10 year old in a grown man's body, and then Bart flat on the floor; "Touche"  Heh.

 

Also awesomely silly was Chalmers adding the gun and bullet going through Skinner on that drawing.  I wonder if that was in the original script, because when this was originally written, the show was just starting to explore their relationship.

[JTMacc99]

I almost always refer to Massachusetts as Taxachusetts. 

 

And the longer I live in New York, the more I realize that I should be so lucky to live under Taxachusetts tax laws.  Which is sadly taking some of the fun out of it for me.

[peeayebee]

I absolutely loved Homer's line, "I'll be amazed if I'm astounded." I need to use that.

 

I also liked that after Wiggins was hypnotized, the next scene shows him with Maggie in his "pocket".

 

Written by Judd Apatow...20 years ago.

Really?

[Galileo908]

Really?

Well the writers provided some updates (like Homer's search for Wifi, the Soarin' parody, etc) but the first draft was a 20 year old spec script written by Judd.

[peeayebee]

Thanks. I didn't know that.

[maplebrew]

Nice to see the Je suis Charlie Maggie scene.

 

 

Was glad for that too, especially from a cartoon show that, at it's best, is a cultural satire. 

[honeywest]

Homer: "But Marge! I was a political prisoner!"

 

Marge: "Oh, for God's sake. How were you a political prisoner?"

 

Homer: "I kicked a giant robot in the butt! Do I have to draw you a picture?"

[Aprilshowers]

Easily best episode of the season maybe even last couple of seasons. Loved everything about it and definitely had old school feel to it even with the updates in technology and stuff.

 

They need Apatow on the staff stat!

[Iboatedhere]

There was a wicked snow storm a few years ago and I called the Facebook album where I uploaded all the pictures "Call Mr. Plow".

[M. Darcy]

Das Bus is still one of the all time greatest episodes. 

 

They taste like burning! 

[radishcake]

Block Party for 1/18/15 - All times EST (looks like they moved this week up a half hour) - I just had an emergency appendectomy so my theme generator isn't working! Post your ideas please so we can figure it out! 

 

2:30pm:  "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jómer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)" Ep.9 Sn.8
After ingesting several Guatemalan peppers during chili cook-off, Homer experiences hallucinatory visions that inspire him to find his true soul mate in life.
3pm: "Lisa the Vegetarian" Ep.5 Sn.7
Lisa turns vegetarian after her family visits a petting zoo.
3:30pm: "A Fish Called Selma" Ep.19 Sn.7
Troy McClure stages a Hollywood comeback when he begins dating Selma.
4pm: "Homer the Smithers" Ep.17 Sn.7
Homer acts as Mr. Burns' assistant while Smithers is away on vacation.
4:30pm: "The Joy of Sect" Ep.13 Sn.9
Marge tries her hand at deprogramming after her family is brainwashed by a religious cult.
5pm: "Mayored to the Mob" Ep.9 Sn.10
Homer takes on the mob when he acts as Mayor Quimby's bodyguard.
5:30pm: "Weekend at Burnsie's" Ep.16 Sn.13
When Homer is attacked by crows, he's prescribed medical marijuana to help relieve the pain…leading Burns to promote his happy employee to executive vice president of the power plant.
6pm: "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" Ep.2 Sn.14
When a hidden camera tapes Homer lamenting that having a family meant kissing goodbye his dreams of becoming a rock ‘n' roll star, Marge enrolls him a fantasy rock star camp run by The Rolling Stones.
6:30pm: "Simple Simpson" Ep.19 Sn.15
Homer confronts evildoers in the form of his crime-fighting alter ego, the Pie Man—until Mr. Burns blackmails him into throwing a pie at the Dalai Lama.
7pm: "Don't Fear the Roofer" Ep.16 Sn.16
Homer ends up in a mental institution after Marge grows convinced the contractor he befriended is a figment of his imagination; Marge allows Santa's Little Helper to stay at Grampa's retirement home.

[Kromm]

Really?

 

Judd Apatow's 25-year-old The Simpsons script gets air date

[Iboatedhere]

It looks like something to do with dreams or visions.

[BrokenRemote]

You know, I find myself in the FXX re-watchings getting more and more annoyed by Marge. I know logically I should be more annoyed with Homer, but he never was smart, really. I feel like Marge on one hand celebrates her career as housewife to a ridiculous degree (like ironing the garbage bags), to the point where it seems like a mental illness, but somehow resents it to a ridiculous degree, too. Homer is annoying, but his nonsense keeps the cheap laughs coming. Marge just exudes...I don't know, misery!

[Kaboom 2.0]

Just returned to town and immediately watched this and wow, I loved it. Bravo to Judd Apatow for such a great episode. I think my favorite sight gag must be Maggie in Wiggum's pocket. Second one is at the very end when Sven Golly has hypnotized poor Wiggie yet again and leaves him in that X-Men movie-like Magneto prison cell…and then Loki appears. Ha!

 

And as someone who rides Soarin' at DW almost every year, I would pay good money to experience Soarin' Springfield, odors and all. :-D

[M. Darcy]

Feel better!

They just said "25 of the best episodes ever" so maybe no theme?

[Spartan Girl]

 I feel like Marge on one hand celebrates her career as housewife to a ridiculous degree (like ironing the garbage bags), to the point where it seems like a mental illness, but somehow resents it to a ridiculous degree, too.

 

 

Exactly.  I really hate how much of a contrarion she is.  She'll go full bitch on Homer for everything, but she'll enable Bart to no end and even let Moe sexually harass her without saying boo.  And she acts like a complete martyr to her family all the time, but whenever Lisa says she doesn't want to get married, Marge immediately assumes something is wrong with her.

[JTMacc99]

My take is that this show is a social satire more than anything else.  And the never aging characters, even the main characters, need to play many parts depending on who or what the show is satirizing that week.

 

There is a baseline Marge character, but one week the show needs her to fit the role of enabler and the next week it needs her to fit the role of bitter housewife. 

 

In my opinion, all of the characters work like this on The Simpsons. Bart swings from sweet kid to borderline evil.  Homer's all over the place with his personality traits. That's simply the way it needs to be to do what this show does.  There can't be perfect continuity with either the things that happen or with the characters themselves.

[Spartan Girl]

I agree that all the characters are getting more annoyingly one dimensional but I just can't reconcile this Marge with the same Marge that used to tell Lisa that it was okay to be however she wanted to be.

 

It also doesn't help that Marge's voice has gotten even more grating in recent years.  I don't know how Julie Kavner can keep doing it.