The Simpsons - General Discussion

[Spartan Girl]

Does it bother anyone else that they pretty much retconned Mona’s backstory? The established canon was that Abe let Homer think she died while he was at the movies and he never knew otherwise until they met again in “Mother Simpson”. But the recent episodes like “Forgive and Regret” and “Todd, Todd, Why Has Thou Forsaken Me?” suggests not only that Mona left just because of Abe, but also that child Homer knew that she left.

Also the latter’s episode with Mona’s crack that she was as bad at goodbyes as picking husbands” was completely cruel and contradictory to the heartbreaking flashback in “Mother Simpsons” of her saying goodbye to Homer while he was asleep. What the hell, writers?! I know you can’t stick to your own canon, but at least stop messing up your classic episodes!

Edited July 15, 2021 by Spartan Girl

[Lone Wolf]

On 7/14/2021 at 6:42 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Does it bother anyone else that they pretty much retconned Mona’s backstory? The established canon was that Abe let Homer think she died while he was at the movies and he never knew otherwise until they met again in “Mother Simpson”. But the recent episodes like “Forgive and Regret” and “Todd, Todd, Why Has Thou Forsaken Me?” suggests not only that Mona left just because of Abe, but also that child Homer knew that she left.

Also the latter’s episode with Mona’s crack that she was as bad at goodbyes as picking husbands” was completely cruel and contradictory to the heartbreaking flashback in “Mother Simpsons” of her saying goodbye to Homer while he was asleep. What the hell, writers?! I know you can’t stick to your own canon, but at least stop messing up your classic episodes!

It's annoying, but they've done it before.

Take Skinner (please).  There was an episode that revealed that he was an imposter who had assumed the real Seymour Skinner's identity during the war (I can't remember if this was before or after Mad Men did the same thing with Don Draper), but they also had one that flashbacked to when he was a teenager with a younger version of Agnes.  

I guess after all these decades, there's only so many plots they can write without stepping on each other, and most viewers don't notice or care, but yeah, the inconsistencies and contradictions are irritating.

[Snow Apple]

23 minutes ago, Lone Wolf said:

It's annoying, but they've done it before.

Take Skinner (please).  There was an episode that revealed that he was an imposter who had assumed the real Seymour Skinner's identity during the war (I can't remember if this was before or after Mad Men did the same thing with Don Draper), but they also had one that flashbacked to when he was a teenager with a younger version of Agnes.  

I guess after all these decades, there's only so many plots they can write without stepping on each other, and most viewers don't notice or care, but yeah, the inconsistencies and contradictions are irritating.

I just saw the episode with the flashback where Agnes hid the fact that Skinner got accepted into college with a full marching band scholarship, and thought how can that be? He was Armin at that age. I figured we should just go with it.

[Spartan Girl]

1 hour ago, Lone Wolf said:

It's annoying, but they've done it before.

Take Skinner (please).  There was an episode that revealed that he was an imposter who had assumed the real Seymour Skinner's identity during the war (I can't remember if this was before or after Mad Men did the same thing with Don Draper), but they also had one that flashbacked to when he was a teenager with a younger version of Agnes.  

I guess after all these decades, there's only so many plots they can write without stepping on each other, and most viewers don't notice or care, but yeah, the inconsistencies and contradictions are irritating.

All the more reason why the show needs to end.

[Lone Wolf]

9 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

I just saw the episode with the flashback where Agnes hid the fact that Skinner got accepted into college with a full marching band scholarship, and thought how can that be? He was Armin at that age. I figured we should just go with it.

Like Tony Soprano used to say, "Ah, whaddya gonna do...."

[Spartan Girl]

Jackie Mason passed away

The reunion of Krusty and his dad was one of the series’ all time greatest episodes.

 

[Spartan Girl]

Another reason why the 700th episode “Manger Things” was full of crap: both Rod and Todd were born BEFORE Lisa; they were both in “Lisa’s First Word.” JFC these “writers” really don’t care anymore.

It’s so depressing watching the early episodes and remembering how good it used to be. It really has fallen far. Would it have killed them to just bow out gracefully after ten years when the characters were still likable and the episodes were still fresh?

[Harvey]

4 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Another reason why the 700th episode “Manger Things” was full of crap: both Rod and Todd were born BEFORE Lisa; they were both in “Lisa’s First Word.” JFC these “writers” really don’t care anymore.

It’s so depressing watching the early episodes and remembering how good it used to be. It really has fallen far. Would it have killed them to just bow out gracefully after ten years when the characters were still likable and the episodes were still fresh?

The show is still much better than 99% of what is on Television though.  If so much trash can exist, why shouldn't this, when this is actually quality?

[Spartan Girl]

35 minutes ago, Harvey said:

The show is still much better than 99% of what is on Television though.  If so much trash can exist, why shouldn't this, when this is actually quality?

Because it stopped being “actual quality” about 20 years ago. Now it’s just recycled plotlines.

[nuraman00]

On 5/16/2021 at 6:27 PM, M. Darcy said:

I was actually wondering about that. The Third Man is one of the greatest movies ever made but do most people know about it nowadays? If you haven’t seen it, it’s really worth watching. 

I watched it a few years ago.  I liked it.

 

There were a few points I had, when watching, which made it seem outdated when watching now, but overall there were a lot of good things about the movie, including the zither.

[nuraman00]

I liked the "Mother and Child Reunion" episode. 

 

Didn't like "The Man From G.R.A.M.P.A." episode.

 

These below are empty, but when watching the finale, I thought of these which I have.  The tequila in each of those has been gone for a few years.  Two of them are by Kah, the third from Sangre De Vida.

 

 

 

 

[Galileo908]

And we're back!

Season 33, Ep 1: The Star of The Backstage

Quote

A musical comes to life in Springfield as Marge stages a revival of her beloved high school show -- but her wonderful memories are threatened by the return of a rival from the past.

Aris 9/26/21

[Galileo908]

NO NO NO. Marge did NOT go to high school during Y2K. This isn't right. But I did like how all we saw was the ending, which of course, nothing happened. The songs were pretty fun, but none of them were that funny.

"In my imagination, I sound like a Disney Princess." I see what you did there. But MAN, Kristen Bell is such a completely different voice to where it was jarring. I like how Marge was the stage manager in the High School plays. I did like her plot, though. She wasn't part of the crew, so she missed out on...everything. Including a party at HER house, that she wasn't invited to (and the resulting lawsuit forced her family into bankruptcy, which is why Marge never went to college). THAT was pretty low. I liked Marge's mom chewing out Sasha in one of the pictures at the end.

I feel like Marge was justified on outing Sasha as a fraud...but that was still really mean of her. Sigh. At least she was idolized by the younger stage managers...who came out of nowhere.

Seriously, the Streetcar musical means nothing, apparently.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Galileo908

[Spartan Girl]

I really hate how they keep changing the timeline.

Just now, Galileo908 said:

I feel like Marge was justified on outing Sasha as a fraud...but that was still really mean of her.

Not really that justified. Her sole motivation was blaming Sasha for the fact that she wasn’t popular, when it was really because people were turned off by her stick-in-the-mud control freak ways and constant need for appreciation that comes off as obnoxious and cloying. But as usual, she found found someone else to scapegoat for her shortcomings. At least this time she was called out on it, even if Homer was obligated to do it delicately because she’s so thin-skinned. Sometimes, your real voice is the one you deserve, Marge.

[DoctorAtomic]

I know Marge wasn't in high school then, but a play about y2k is funny. 

I liked the songs even if they weren't meant to be comedic. 

[Galileo908]

13 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I know Marge wasn't in high school then, but a play about y2k is funny. 

I wasn't against the Y2K play, but the fact that it was Marge's *high school* play? That just took me out of it.

[M. Darcy]

Bart’s line about Rent and Mimi made me laugh. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

53 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

I really hate how they keep changing the timeline.

Agreed.

[SoMuchTV]

12 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

15 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

I really hate how they keep changing the timeline.

Agreed.

I actually find that part kind of funny and "part of the joke" you might say.  I mean, if it's a given that the Simpsons don't age, they would either have to keep the "present day" as 1989 (if we want Marge and Homer to always have been teens in the '60s/'70s), or put them in a moving window of time where they were always teens "20 years ago" (which is what they seem to be doing). 

Or I guess a third alternative would be to keep their youth back in the '60s/'70s and just ignore the fact that too many decades have passed for that to make sense.  Because of course everything else in their universe makes total sense (LOL).

[DoctorAtomic]

They probably didn't think the show would be on for 400 years, so the decision on the Simpson's past was kind of made for them. 

They actually advanced time on Futurama, so Fry's origin story was always the same, but they weren't on as long. 

[Spartan Girl]

24 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

They probably didn't think the show would be on for 400 years, so the decision on the Simpson's past was kind of made for them. 

They actually advanced time on Futurama, so Fry's origin story was always the same, but they weren't on as long. 

And the writers were far superior.

[edhopper]

I use to be the same age as Homer and Marge, now they are as old as my niece and nephew.

[qtpye]

19 minutes ago, edhopper said:

I use to be the same age as Homer and Marge, now they are as old as my niece and nephew.

It's weirder when you used to be around the same age as Bart and are now older than his parents.

[Lazlo]

19 hours ago, edhopper said:

I use to be the same age as Homer and Marge, now they are as old as my niece and nephew.

 

I turned forty this month. For the first time Homer and Marge would have been in my graduating class... which is wow.

 

Speaking of weird aging things why is Marge's mother so ancient looking and sounding? I mean I guess she always has been but I never really noticed it before because we see her so infrequently. If Marge is in her very late thirties to seems a bit unusual to have a mother who seems to be in her eighties.

[Snow Apple]

1 hour ago, Lazlo said:

Speaking of weird aging things why is Marge's mother so ancient looking and sounding? I mean I guess she always has been but I never really noticed it before because we see her so infrequently. If Marge is in her very late thirties to seems a bit unusual to have a mother who seems to be in her eighties.

Probably being the mother of Patty and Selma prematurely aged her. Didn't she admit there's something evil about them?

Edited September 28, 2021 by Snow Apple

[SmithW6079]

On 9/27/2021 at 11:44 AM, SoMuchTV said:

I actually find that part kind of funny and "part of the joke" you might say.  I mean, if it's a given that the Simpsons don't age, they would either have to keep the "present day" as 1989 (if we want Marge and Homer to always have been teens in the '60s/'70s), or put them in a moving window of time where they were always teens "20 years ago" (which is what they seem to be doing). 

Or I guess a third alternative would be to keep their youth back in the '60s/'70s and just ignore the fact that too many decades have passed for that to make sense.  Because of course everything else in their universe makes total sense (LOL).

Yes, they have to keep upping the timeline or Marge and Homer should be in their late 60s and Bart and Lisa in their 40s by now. Homer was a singing star with the B-Sharps in the 1980s as a young father.

Futurama may have progressed in calendar years, but the characters didn't age. Cuebert and Hermes's son remained the same ages throughout. 

I really liked this episode. I felt for Marge. She was on the outside and didn't know it. I guess I know what it's like to be on the outside, and then, years later, feeling that you missed the best years of your life.

She might have exposed Sasha out of meanness, but Sasha was a liar and a probably a mean girl in high school.

Edited September 28, 2021 by SmithW6079

[blackwing]

I don't blame Marge for outing Sasha either.  Marge always felt left out because she wasn't in the cast and then she found out about all these other times she got left out, including one time where Homer was included but not her, and he wasn't even in the cast.  Plus the whole business about them having a party at her house and burning it down which made her unable to go to college... I can see why she was pissed.

I agree with everyone about the messing of the timeline.  Not sure why the show had to decide that Marge and Homer were in high school in 1999.  Or that all of these people in the play with them are the same age.  Did we know that Helen Lovejoy, Waylon Smithers, Dr Hibbert, Kirk Van Houten were all about the same age, give or take a year or three?  I figured that Lenny and Barney were Homer's age, but didn't know the others had gone to high school with them.

I thought the songs were fairly forgettable.  Not sure why they needed Kristen Bell to sing for Marge... hasn't Marge sang in the past?  I guess this was supposed to be Marge's idealised version of her singing voice in her own mind?

I recognised Kristen Bell's voice instantly, and the opening song was very much like Anna's "For the First Time in Forever".  I actually didn't think any of the songs were that memorable or funny.  I am having a hard time actually remembering any of them, and I just saw the episode last night.  What musicals were the songs supposed to parody?  Besides the Frozen opening number and Marge's Wicked-like song, I'm not sure if I really picked up on any others.  Anyone have any observations?

[DoctorAtomic]

17 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I guess this was supposed to be Marge's idealised version of her singing voice in her own mind?

Marge basically said that before the first number. 

[blackwing]

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Marge basically said that before the first number. 

Yes, I did hear that.  I just think it was particularly jarring.  We have heard Marge sing before, and she sounds like Marge.  There was never before any suggestion that she knows she is a bad singer but in her mind, she is amazing.  The closed captioning even had the indicator "Disney princess singing voice:" for the Kristen Bell songs, which I did find amusing.

But I have never minded Marge's actual singing voice.  I think it's part of her character.  Just seemed a bit weird to me that she has sang so many times before, and it's only now that we find out she wants to believe she sounds like a Disney princess.

[SmithW6079]

On 9/29/2021 at 10:15 AM, blackwing said:

What musicals were the songs supposed to parody?  Besides the Frozen opening number and Marge's Wicked-like song, I'm not sure if I really picked up on any others.  Anyone have any observations?

I assumed the high school musical was parodying "Rent," especially the opening song: pretentious all-cast numbers, self-absorbed cast.

Edited October 1, 2021 by SmithW6079

[Perfect Xero]

On 9/28/2021 at 5:25 PM, Lazlo said:

 

I turned forty this month. For the first time Homer and Marge would have been in my graduating class... which is wow.

 

Speaking of weird aging things why is Marge's mother so ancient looking and sounding? I mean I guess she always has been but I never really noticed it before because we see her so infrequently. If Marge is in her very late thirties to seems a bit unusual to have a mother who seems to be in her eighties.

She turned 80 in "Puffless", she was also a smoker and lived with heavy smokers, so that probably doesn't help.

Much like with Abe, I think the writers just thought having the grandparents be older was funnier.

Edited October 1, 2021 by Perfect Xero

[Galileo908]

Season 33, ep 2: Bart's in Jail

Quote

When Grampa falls victim to a phone scammer, the Simpsons set out a mission of vengeance to get his money back.

Airs 10/3/21

[Galileo908]

Okay, that phone scam was...depressingly realistic. It's not the lottery that requires your social security number, but WOW. It happens every day (and Grampa was FAR from the only old person to fall for a scam). Yeah, Bart being in jail and needing bail money DOES sound like Bart. This whole episode was more PSA than anything, where even Marge loses faith in the world. I liked the ending, though, where Grampa restored her faith in humanity.

I wish there was more of that All-Homers Knives Out spoof.

I liked the two Scam therapy groups, and Grampa's three hour long patter (involving vaguely racist "Breezies" and "Smushers"). Also liked Burns being scammed by being swindled by the "power company."

I honestly like how they shoehorned in Bill Cipher: he's an avatar of Loki that appeared in a hallucination. Of course he'd command people to buy crypto. (EDIT: Noticed Jesus was among the other Loki avatars) I also like that Alan Cumming voiced Loki, reprising his role from Son of The Mask. Also perfect that he's responsible for blackout dates in Disneyland annual passes.

And someone took my idea for an All-appetizer restaurant.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Galileo908

[DoctorAtomic]

They ripped the NCAA nice too. 

The quality prattle was a highlight. For some reason, the family being Dutch got me out loud. 

I got one scammer so mad he hung up on me! 

[Galileo908]

 

[Spartan Girl]

I know you guys are sick of me ripping on Marge, but why must every episode wind up revolving around her in some way like her view is the end-all-be-all of the universe? Couldn’t this have stuck with Grampa getting revenge for getting scammed?

[ottoDbusdriver]

9 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

They ripped the NCAA nice too. 

Twice -- once by Marge, once by Loki.

I liked the book that Abe was reading before he got the scam phone call -- "What to Expect When You Are Expiring".

[honeywest]

Lisa: “Dad, that’s Latin—the language of Plutarch.”

Homer: “Mickey Mouse’s dog?”

[KWalkerInc]

I wonder why the Treehouse of Horror episode is so early this year (this Sunday).  The only possible preemption for baseball from the schedule I saw is on Halloween itself, so they could have had the episode on October 17 or 24.  They're showing other new episodes on those dates.

[Snow Apple]

I like the Halloween episodes but there's a football game right before it, so I wouldn't be surprised if it'll get delayed by 30-60 minutes. As usual.

[Galileo908]

Season 33, Ep 3: Treehouse of Horror XXXII

Quote

Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite," Bambi's revenge and much much more are featured in the annual Halloween special.

Airs 10/10/21

Yeah, the entire lineup tonight are the Halloween episodes, weird that they're so early.

[ottoDbusdriver]

That was ..... underwhelming ..... for a Halloween episode..

[Galileo908]

Barti: Well, Disney synergy didn't stop this from being incredibly gory. Buuuuut Marge lives in this version. Boo. Buuuuut Burns is totally the hunter that killed Bambi's mom.

Bong Joon-ho's This Side of Parasite: I thought this was fun despite never seeing Parasite. Seems like EVERYONE in Springfield lived under the Wolfcastle house. I honestly wish there was more of the Itchy & Scratchy Snowpiercer spoof. WHY was that only thirty seconds?

Nightmare on Elm Tree: Holy crap, an actual segment about the treehouse! Springfield has been invaded by weirder things. This time it was sentient trees.

"Lousy treehouse. Every year, it's three scary stories. Two of them good, and a lousy one in the middle." Too true, Homer. This one was no exception. Except that there's five segments this time. I liked that the trees won (and celebrated around a pile of corpses Whoville style). I got a laugh out of the Treehouse calling Groot a "brain-damaged tree."

Ooh boy, trans joke with Audrey II identifying as a tree and calling itself a "trans-plant." It's 2021, why did that get the greenlight? That took me right out of the episode.

The Telltale Bart: Edward Gorey segment! So many shoutouts in this. Woodrow and Edna! Lisa Lionheart! Bastille Day!I was surprised it was so short. 

Dead Ringer: Oh hey, a Ring parody with a haunted TikTok. Something Amphibia did last year. But I liked it, definitely the best segment of the night.

Abe's rambling at the haunted video gave me the biggest laughs of the night. "I like the old movies where the combing was implied." Poor Abe, still couldn't help getting scammed with offering the demon his credit cad number. And poor Lisa, trying to befriend the demon is what defeated her.

1 hour ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

That was ..... underwhelming ..... for a Halloween episode..

Not the worst, but definitely a letdown after last year.

Edited October 11, 2021 by Galileo908

[M. Darcy]

14 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

Yeah, the entire lineup tonight are the Halloween episodes, weird that they're so early.

Heh, it seems that with baseball,  the schedule to show it is just anytime in either October or November. 

[DoctorAtomic]

Actual Halloween is on a Sunday too, so I imagine there might no new programming. 

[Galileo908]

Season 33 ep 4: The Wayz We Were

Quote

Evergreen Terrace is overrun with traffic, and Moe has a faithful choice to make.

airs 10/17/21

[Galileo908]

Couch Gag: The stop motion segment was really well done. When you get the people behind Robot Chicken to do a Little People-inspired medieval dragon raid, you expect quality.

I liked the Caveman segment, especially how each character rode an animal that totally fit them. Patty rode giant Jub-Jub while Homer rode a giant sloth.

I can't believe the show remembered Ruth Powers! And they brought back Pamela Reed for it! And the show remembered Maya! She was from season 20. In my opinion, I think she was less developed than the first time she appeared. She just felt...there, really. "Putting up with Moe" is certainly a personality on this show. But I did like Moe's nagging self-doubt (personified by pop culture characters), it was brutally relatable. He can't help but be Moe, self-destructive and no filter on his mouth. I was honestly surprised that the episode ended with them still together! I wonder how Moe will ruin his own life now?

"Look at all these middle fingers raised towards the lord!" Flanders even had his cocoa from the movie!

I need to pause to see all the captchas. I saw Lisa, Homer, Dog from CatDog, Patrick, The Brain, and Yosemite Sam on the "hyperintelligent cartoon character" one. Also caught Lurleen on the Bebop Jazz Musicians one. I honestly love the callback at the end. I wouldn't have known the stone fruits one.

Edited October 18, 2021 by Galileo908

[DoctorAtomic]

The baby is the nice one, and she shot a guy! 

[Tachi Rocinante]

One of the worst episodes in a very long time.  I FF'd multiple times, and I've never done that with this show.

[qtpye]

10 hours ago, Tachi Rocinante said:

One of the worst episodes in a very long time.  I FF'd multiple times, and I've never done that with this show.

I just don’t care about Moe’s love life. Also, it has been established that Moe is a creep and I can’t get excited about a nice lady marrying him.

I guess the Simpsons are still trying to peddle that the love of a good woman will change a man for the better.