Reviews - Season 4
Season 4 saw the show hit its first, and perhaps highest, creative peak. Defining a zany, literate, and quick-paced comedic style that would later influence "Family Guy" immeasurably, the series sent some of its finest installments to air. The mix of killer parodies, biting social commentary, and a healthy dose of tasteful insanity that made Season 4 what it was made for a steady stream of brilliant material. Classics like "Mr. Plow", "A Streetcar idd Marge", and "Last Exit to Springfield" still show up in lists of fans' favorite episodes today with regularity.Grade: B+
I have a deep and profound dislike of Marge Simpson. She has been at the front of some truly awful episodes, and for the most part, she just is not a funny character. Say what you will about her talent at playing the "straight man" to Homer's jokes, there really isn't a lot to give Marge the title of a "funny" character. That being said, I can say this probably the high-point of Marge-focused episodes. Period. No doubt in mind, I think this episode could serve as Parody 101 for the rest of television - 3 of the most incredible parodies ever seen on this show all make their appearance in ONE episode. Seeing a great parody can sometimes lift an episode - to see 3 perfectly executed hilarious references to "The Birds", "The Great Escape", and "A Streetcar idd Desire" is almost too much for me to take. On the strength of the plot, the hilarious jokes, one of the funniest pieces of slapstick I've ever seen (Homer crashing into the candy machine), and the superb parodies, I could be satisfied to give this episode a seal of approval right there. But to top off this incredible mix of everything "The Simpsons" does right, there's the sheer brilliance of John Lovitz's guest-starring role. Llwelyn Sinclair is quite simply the best work John Lovitz ever did, "The Critic" notwithstanding. The lines that spew from this bedraggled director's mouth had me near tears. It adds just the right amount of hilarity to counter Marge's seriousness. I am truly in awe every time I see this episode. Hats off to the writers - the show will never again give us a new episode at this level, but that's not the writers' fault - this is right up there at the pinnacle of comedy.Grade: A+
This is a good old classic episode that has made me really appreciate Seasons 3-5. This was a period in the show where satire was king, and the writing from this time was unprecedently good. This episodes's concept is absolutely golden - Homer staying home from church, enjoying a great day, and deciding to form his own religion. The entire plot of the story churns ahead, and there isn't a single scene in the whole episode that distracted from the main concept. As well, one of the best Simpsons moments in history occurs in this episode - Homer's infamous "conversation with God". I always am convulsing with laughter after watching this scene, because the sharp wit of the satire and Homer's true-to-character well-meaning dumbness make a perfect combination. On the strength of this scene alone, this episode is a hands-down classic. But, to top it all off, throughout the entire episode there are little moments of hilarity, from the little Indian boy in Apu's shop with a gun, to the volunteer firefighters, to the scenes of the family at church, to Homer explaining his new religion to Moe. Scene after scene delivers a lot of laughs, and gradually the episode becomes one big blur of funny moments. "Homer The Heretic" is a perfect episode to show to someone who has never seen the show, as a shining example of why we love it so much...Grade: A+
Season 4, like all previous seasons of the show, was not devoid of missteps. Most frequently the problem was material too serious for its own good - while "The Simpsons" can excel with dramatic material (see "Lisa's Substitute"), minutes that lack anything really comedic can be poison. "Lisa The Beauty Queen" is hurt by such issues of comedic vacuity, but more prevalent is issues with the plot. Too many scenes are packed into too small a space, with a style of peeks into Springfield that would be more in place in either "22 Short Episodes About Springfield" or an HBO drama. There's just far too many short scenes. This could have been exploited incredibly well if they all had gags or comedic material attatched, but too many are just mild social commentary or serious character reflections. All this is made even more irritating by what the episode does right - the opening scene at the school carnival is absolutely hilarious, moments with Krusty are chuckle-inducing, and Bob Hope's cameo is priceless. But these bright spots only rise above the rest of the episode, which is, unfortunately, a sorry mess. It gets points for trying, but "Lisa The Beauty Queen" pales in comparison to its company among Season 4.Grade: C+
9F04 "Treehouse of Horror III"
"Treehouse of Horror III" brings up a bunch of of wonderful academic exercises in terms of what makes an episode of "The Simpsons" good. Perhaps the question most strikingly brought to mind by the episode is what exactly the value of a legendarily hilarious gag is. The episode, in terms of sheer quantity of laughs, isn't exactly a great success. The "King Homer" sketch is a brilliant parody of "King Kong", but it's nothing more or less than a well-executed send-up of the original - in terms of any real comedic meat, something you can laugh at, it's sparse at best. So, again, "Treehouse of Horror III" brings to mind - can a handful of feats of true genius make up for a relatively average episode? Can they pull it up to the almost intangible level of "classic", or do they just stand as diamonds in the rough? It's a tough call. Homer's exchange with the evil goods/frogurt salesman, the idea of an "evil" switch, King Homer falling off a skyscraper due to a lack of breath, Krusty becoming a zombie, Homer's skil with a shotgun - there's a good haul of great moments in this one. And, really, the episode proves that quality triumphs over quantity time and time again. I could get picky about the many 30-second dead spots in the episode, but in this case the appeal of the many great jokes in this episode far out-weighs such notions of nit-picking. In the end, the question is answered - a handful of wonderful comedy can raise an average episode to great heights.Grade: A-
9F03 "Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie"
Episodes like this one tear me apart in a way that I never thought possible. It's a deeply flawed episode, with levels of over-simplification , repetition, and general un-funniness that, if they completely made up the episode, would make me give it something around a D. But buried inside of this episode, almost unfairly, are three to five gags that are absolute gold. When I say absolute gold, I mean better than funny jokes in the best episodes the show ever aired. Homer's incredible knowledge of the Supreme Court was one of the most brilliant comic ironies the writers ever put forth. "Steamboat Itchy" is a hilarious send up of the Disney cartoon which introduced Mickey. And towering above all is the Itchy and Scratchy and FDR vs. Hitler cartoon, perhaps one of the ten funniest scenes in the entire history of the show. It's so gleefully insane that it makes you laugh in a way that almost hurts, as you marvel how one thing could be so funny. Incredibly good moments aside, however, they can't make up for the overall episode. Bart's misbehaviors and aborted punishments fill up far too much screen time, showing in three or four incidents what one scene would have perfectly illustrated. The downright stupid "stripper or Supreme Court Judge?" theme wore thin quickly, as well. And while the episode is punctuated with the previously mentioned moments of comedic genius, far more gags fall absolutely flat. In short, it's an episode that unfairly traps some wonderful moments which could have wonderfully added to another installment of the show. The episode is fairly fun to watch, and on a good day it might give you the buzz of episodes which more rightly deserve the "classic" moniker. But seen for what it is, "Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie" has very little to offer.Grade: C
Mr. Burns' strange association with the Simpson family pops up again and again and again over the course of the show. To see Mr. Burns actively trying to woo Marge Simpson, however, is a decidely fun twist on the usually antagonistic nature of their interactions. Although Mr. Burns' attempts to woo Marge form the centerpiece of the episode, its merits lie in pretty much every but the central plot-line. It's initially entertaining, but the abrupt turns in their relationship and Burns' flimsy infatuation hurt its plausibility. As well, Mr. Burns thrives in an environment where he can play off a character with at least some comedic personality, but Marge is a comedic "straight man" through and through and cripples the ability of the writers to churn out hilarious Burns passages. Apart from the interplay between these two characters (which takes a surprisingly short amount of screen time) the episode succeeds beautifully. Homer's rivalry with the never-seen character "Tibor" is incredibly funny. Tom Jones and "Surly Joe" are two new characters who add a taste of originality to the episode. Waylon Smithers' buried love for Mr. Burns is in classic form, especially the legendary "flying through the window" dream involving Mr. Burns. And above all, Bart's sub-plot of crying wolf is hilarious. From quips like "oww.... my ovaries" to the brilliantly ironic conclusion involving an actual wolf (and a bad-ass Scottish janitor), it supplies all the comedic material needed to sustain an episode of this kind. It's dull at points, and there are some jokes that misfire. But by the time the touching conclusion of the episode rolls on-screen, the episode will have an endeared itself to you.Grade: B+
Ah, Simpsons bliss. Dispensing with my typical season-related intro, I'll just jump right in to saying that this is a consistently overlooked masterpiece of show-writing. People had doubts about Conan O'Brien when he took over hosting a late-night talk show, but his hilarious success of a show should have been no surprise to those who saw this episode (which he penned). Bart's timid steps into the world of romance conjure up everyone's first experiences with love, capturing youthful uncertainty and insecurity in a way that's a unique part of the show. Laura Powers makes for a hilarious addition to Bart's world, more than his match and a refreshingly "true" teenager amidst a town replete with childhood stereotypes. Her mother, as well, makes for a great new character. Bart's interactions with Lisa, Homer, and Grampa related to his new-found love also make for hilarity, with Grampa's "beard of bees" quip making for one of the funniest comedic constructions I've ever heard. Elsewhere in the episode, Homer appears in a suitably understated sub-plot, which provides an initial reason for Laura babysitting Bart and also serves up Homer in small doses. He's a character who can wear thin when he has an entire episode devoted to him, but in the confined space and focus of a secondary story Homer shines bright. Lionel Hutz, as well, makes a great appearance. The entire episode is loaded with brilliant comedy and a host of great moments for the characters, but at its heart it remains a wise and genuine examination of childhood and life itself, a type of episode which hardly ever fails to be wonderful. Amidst a world of self-help books, psychoanalysis, and group therapy, many would do well simply to watch animated, wonderful nuggets of truth such as this one - you can learn a lot (and laugh a lot) from a few yellow-skinned people.Grade: A
"Mr. Plow" has acquired a huge following among Simpsons fans, who hold it up as a prime example of the type of masterpieces that the older seasons could produce. I personally would put it on a lower tier, clearly a classic but not legendary. The central weakness of the episode is a collection of plot simplicity, unrealistic gags, and strange situations which makes it feel oddly like an episode from the show's awful 10-12 run. It's zaniness of a far more intelligent and far more funny kind than those terrible episodes, but it's still a style more befitting "Family Guy" or "South Park" than "The Simpsons". The show is just too comedically deft to be lowering itself to such strange levels, and it provokes a feeling of disappointment that the episode isn't going for more ambitious material. Nonetheless, despite the intangible unease the episode can bring out deep within, it's still a treasure trove of excellent moments. While all the material doesn't stick, there's enough one-liners and feats of comedic prowess in here to elicit a laugh from even the most stone-faced individual. Homer and Barney team up to fill the episode with good material, with assists provided by Moe, Kent Brockman, Quimby, and others. There's very little to complain about. "Mr. Plow" is a simple, zany, episode with no aim beyond getting you to laugh at anything. That simultaneously makes it very good, and keeps it from being excellent.Grade: A-
Flash-back episodes never fail to deliver. The freedom offered to the writers and animators of the show by transplanting the family to a different time period seems to motivate them to come up with great material, and the consistent quality of these types of episodes ("The Way We Was", "And Maggie Makes Three", "Lisa's Sax") speaks volumes as to how effective a formula the flashback episode is. While the family sits around the living room and trades off one-liners, small vignette-like sequences pop up from the family's past, making you excited to find how the story ends while at the same time keeping the episode from ever losing any vibrancy. For all the advantages offered by such an intelligent lay-out, however, episodes such as this would be nothing without humor, wit, and emotion, which this episode has in droves. The antics of baby Bart are great fun to watch. The strangely antiquated neighborhood where the family first takes up residence is a great allusion to The Godfather and countless other period dramas. And to see The Simpson family take up residence in their now-familiar home for the first time is a satisfying thing to view. But the episode gets launched up another level by its touching third act, an ode to familial love like none the show has ever crafted. Lisa's first utterance, a stammered-out "Bart Bart Bart", dissolves Bart's (and the viewer's own) resentment towards Lisa like a healing balm, wrapping up the plot with all wounds healed. And then, as the episode draws to a close, Maggie's whispered "Daddy", her one spoken word on the show, so perfectly hits every thematic point that the episode was trying to make that you can't help but be amazed. And in that sense, it's much like the episode itself. "Lisa's First Word" is so dead on-target for what was being aimed for that there's little else to do but sit back and wonder how it was ever pulled off.Grade: A+
Homer appears to get wrapped up in life crises at an incredible frequency. He's been poisoned at an almost fatal level, lost or quit his job innumerable times, had to deal with the sudden reappearance of his mother, seen his house burn down, and been in enormous peril time and time again. In this episode he has to confront his heart's difficulties supporting his stressful, food and alcohol-heavy lifestyle. Luckily for the viewer this makes for an episode loaded with emotional and comedic quality. Like a myriad of episodes from Seasons 2 and 3, "Homer's Triple Bypass" confronts very sad material in a touchingingly earnest way. You actually feel for Homer and his family throughout the episode, caught in a situation where their only chance for saving his life is loaded with uncertainty. The plot takes us through the episode at a slow pace, giving us a little time for the reality of the situation to set in. The slow plot, as well, also offers ample opportunity for great character appearances - Grampa, Flanders, Chief Wiggum, Dr. Hibbert, Mr. Burns, Smithers, Barney, and the immortal Dr. Nick Riviera show up for wonderful moments throughout the episode's run-time. The family members, as well, all serve up great lines and moments. Homer is un-annoying throughout, making for a sympathetic (but still side-splittingly funny) centerpiece for the episode. And who could not feel inspired by the conclusion - Lisa, a loving daughter, putting her mind and foresight to use to save her father's life. It's one of her finest moments in the history of the show, dropped in amongst dozens of similar pieces of greatness in an episode that makes you wonder whether "The Simpsons" actually slows down time. I, for one, cannot believe that so much great material can be crammed into 22 minutes.Grade: A
Oh Conan O'Brien, how I love thee. The comedic talent lent his writing skills to an earlier Season 4 masterpiece, "New Kid On The Block". He returned to pen this episode, a similarly excellent achievement. "Marge Vs. The Monorail" is packed to the brim with all the great stuff classics are made of. There's hilarious guest appearances (Leonard Nimoy, Phil Hartman), a show-stopping musical number (The Monorail Song), a fantastic parody (of The Music Man, Springfield acting foolishly, Mr. Burns being evil, Mayor Quimby being sleazy, and our hero Homer rising above it all to save the day (and make us laugh in the process). There aren't enough positive adjectives to describe these kinds of episodes - it's a type of attitude the writers took to the material, long forgotten, which filled you with a sense of wonder at how something could be so intelligent, so funny, and so appealing, no matter what age or type of person you are. In the words of Lyle Lanley, throw up your hands and raise your voice - you've found a bona-fide legendary episode.Grade: A
I have issues with the entire Bouvier family as a group of characters. None of them (Marge, Patty, Selma, and Marge's mother Jaqueline) are really that funny. Marge is really a classic "straight man" character to the comedy of Homer, Bart, and other characters. Patty and Selma are good for a chuckle from time to time, but far more often either disgust or annoy. As an occasional observation of how terrible older relatives can be, they're a good addition to the show - but episodes focusing on them just don't work that often. "Principal Charming", "Black Widower", "A Fish Called Selma", and "Lady Bouvier's Lover" may not be bad episodes per se, but it's clear that extended looks at Selma and Patty suffer from both the scarcity of amusement offered by the characters and their lack of any real variety in either mood or character. It's always the same old tonal note - Patty and Selma dissatisfied with their lives, wanting some fulfillment of life, but eventually just settling on the life they lead. "Selma's Choice", weirdly, follows this same basic formula... but whether due to the lack of any male romantic interest or solid appearances from characters other than the "Gruesome Twosome", the episode finds its feet and launches itself nicely above the mediocrity of its Bouvier-focused peers. The animation is simply wonderful, especially on display on the the family's trip to Duff Gardens. That amusement park also makes for a bunch of good laughs, with Surly of the "7 Duffs" one of the stand-outs. Homer is also very funny, and his obsession with a horribly rotten sandwich works well as both comedic fare and a plot device. And then there's Lisa's bellowed "I am the Lizard Queen!!!", perhaps the finest piece of voice-acting that Yeardley Smith, the real-life voice of the character, ever cooked up. On the whole it's a surprisingly good episode from top to bottom, and I hope the writers look to it in the future for a how-to on writing for the Bouvier sisters.Grade: A-
9F12 "Brother From The Same Planet"
It's always so hard to review any piece of entertainment which has received a cult following. Anyone trying to write a true review of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", "Evil Dead", or modern cult hits like "Donnie Darko" or "Napoleon Dynamite" runs up against a fierce wall of devoted fans, eager to tear you to pieces for sullying the id of their object of devotion. I myself would gladly feast on the brains of anyone who dared to criticize "The Blues Brothers" excessively. But sometimes these situations just can't be avoided. "Brother From The Same Planet" is a favorite of many fans, who love the entire episode and especially the character of Pepi (affectionately and entirely incorrectly called Pepsi by Homer). I can see many of the episode's good qualities, and it's certainly an episode with a lot to offer. But rather than words like "excellent", "legendary", and "amazing", I think more subdued adjectives are meritied. It's a good episode, with tinges of greatness - but nothing more. It's a little bit dead for the first act, and then has a somewhat repetitive plot from that point on. I think as a 19 or 20 minute episode it would have worked very well, but it seems to pad its length with scenes that repeat the same idea over and over - Homer being a jerk, Tom being "the man" - which makes the episode seem to spin its wheels for too long without going anywhere. A plot with some weaknesses isn't enough to kill an episode, and it doesn't here - but it's enough to throw off the comedic timing and the rhythm of the episode, knocking it from the realm of the Season 4 masterpieces into the more minor-league fare. Good jokes abound - Bart's death-ray gun, Tom and Homer's fight, and an amazing scene where Homer confronts Bart in the exact manner of a husband fearful of a wife's unfaithfulness - but after dragging early and stalling late, the jokes alone aren't enough. There's just too many little problems for me to ignore, but I won't begrudge the fact that the episode holds a lot of great humor for a viewer willing to overlook some flaws.Grade: B+
Oddly, "I Love Lisa" is an episode that's taken a while to win me over. I really disliked it the first time I saw it, but with each viewing since that day I've enjoyed it more and more. Now, with many run-throughs of the episode under my belt, I'm willing to concede that it probably isn't going to improve any more in my eyes. The only reason for that, though, is that it's held in as high an esteem in my eyes as all but the best episodes of the series. It's funny and touching the way that only Season 4 (and to a lesser extent 3) are. I don't think Ralph is as great a character as he's cracked up to be, but despite the fact that he's pretty much just a one-liner machine he handles himself very well as a character in this episode. He doesn't wear thin, an accomplishment un-matched when other minor characters (Comic Book Guy, Professor Frink, and others) are thrust into the spotlight. But what's truly on display in this episode is that there isn't a character who doesn't make a comedic contribution. Miss Hoover, as well as acting afficiando Rex, provide laughs. Chief Wiggum makes a great older version of Ralph, and his mix of utter corruption and utter incompetence is side-splitting. Willie, Lunchlady Doris, and Principal Skinner also offer up good lines. Krusty's anniversery show works well as the central plot device, but also offers up flashbacks that provide laughs and fodder for exasperated Krusty observations. Bart's antics at the school play and Homer's words of wisdom to Lisa are similarly priceless. There's just such an abundance of great humor in this episode, coming from so many characters, that it's a bit over-whelming. Coupled with a really solid plot and the show's typical serene outlook on love, it's almost no wonder that I didn't appreciate the episode for what it was the first few times I saw it. It's such a towering achievement that it takes a few viewings to really soak in what it is your looking at - a masterpiece.Grade: A+
"Duffless", when its 22 minutes are up, feels a lot like a buffet. The entire episode plays a lot like a sketch comedy show, with different styles of humor overlapping throughout. As Homer faces giving up beer and Lisa conducts a science experiment on Bart, there's such an overload of scenes and gags that the viewer is almost overwhelmed with how much comedic material is being projected. It's a testament to the writers that in the midst of this collection of excellent gags, the two plot strands stick out as some of the best-done plots in the history of the show. Both Bart and Lisa's interpersonal conflict and Homer's intrapersonal struggle play out in wonderful arcs, peaking with conclusions that are great examples of biting social commentary and pure heart, respectively. Much like "Separate Vocations" from Season 3, "Duffless" offers hilarious jokes amidst a fantastic plot foundation. The firm basis that such a well-done plot provides frees up the writers to go absolutely nuts, from a Frank Sinatra-inspired ode to beer-buying to Homer's not-so-epic confrontation with a giant spider. It's an episode decked out with strange moments, but, once again like "Separate Vocations", it triumphs through comedic inspiration and a healthy amount of heart. "Duffless" isn't a style of episode that should be attempted often, but when it works episodes like this succeed incredibly. It's the best kind of episode, the type that hurts your ribs and warms your heart at the same time.Grade: A+
9F15 "Last Exit To Springfield"
"Last Exit To Springfield" is typically brought up as one of the nominess for the coveted "best episode ever" title. It deserves to be thought of so highly, even if it isn't the best episode the show ever produced. The problems of reviewing it are two-fold - first off, everyone agrees with you, making anything you say just a repetition of what they already knew. I haven't met a fan who doesn't adore the episode, and I'd be hard-pressed to find proof that they even exist. The second problem is a personal one - I've espoused the greatness of the episode many a time, seen it even more, and have generally thought the episode to death. I have little else to offer that isn't either a) a repetition of what everyone else already knows, or b) a lazy reiteration of what I've said before. So, with that preface in mind... what is there to say? It's a classic. Homer and Mr. Burns combine for legendary exchange after legendary exchange. Batman, Yellow Submarine, and The Grinch are parodied perfectly. Labor relations are sent up with reckless abandon, and Mr. Burns is probably reaches his peak of comedic success in this episode. There's just not anything bad to say about it. I wish I could come up with a more original outlook on the episode, but if you want the perfect proof that the episode is a classic, just take your own opinion on it and use that as your review. You think it's excellent, too, and you're absolutely right.Grade: A+
9F17 "So It's Come To This: A Simpsons Clip Show"
Let's get one thing straight - clip shows suck. They're evidence of either sheer laziness on the part of the writers, or the over-stressing of writers by deadline-oriented network executives. Either way, they're a pretty cheap excuse for an episode, giving you awkward "setting-up" scenes and then clip after clip. The episodes also age terribly, given that the clips which were once a joy to see again are now scenes that the viewers have seen hundreds of times. All in all, clip shows from "The Simpsons" have for the most part not been a good endeavor, just like most shows. This first clip show is probably the best though, due to the fact that the material which is new is quite funny, and the episode also takes shots at itself at a few intervals. It's not enough to make it a great or even a good episode, but it keeps it from being bad. I'm a bit regretful that the premise of an April Fool's day-themed episode was wasted on a clip show, but it works very well here. The jokes last just long enough to push the episode into its core clip-showing phase, saving the writers from repeating themselves or wearing thin the viewer's patience. As for the rest of the episode, aside from a few good scenes and one-liners from Homer and Grampa it's mostly clips. There's just not a lot here to really anaylze - it's a collection of clips with some surprisingly good filler material, nothing more. As such it gets a low grade, but it has glimpses of what could have been a very good episode.Grade: C
"The Front" is an episode content to spin its wheels, with the audience getting a good idea of what it's going to see by the middle of the second act. It's all recurring gags and repeated situations in this one, but the material the writers are working with is rife with more than enough comedic possibilities to be recycled for the length of the episode. Homer acts stupid in class, Itchy murders Scratchy in various inventive ways, Grampa writes rambling letters, Roger Meyers Jr. views Grampa's senility as the persona of a good writer, characters speak in Pig Latin, and Krusty suffers from nicotine withdrawl - the jokes repeat themselves over and over, with nearly every variation of the jokes explored. But somehow, with just the right of golden era magic applied, the episode just narrowly dodges becoming the stale experience it should have become. The sheer richness of the main premise - Bart and Lisa ghost-writing Itchy & Scratchy scripts for Grampa - provides the episode with enough wind its sails to survive. The repetitiveness of the jokes can be noticed, but it doesn't keep most of them from hitting their mark. The one part of the episode not pulling its own weight is Homer's sub-plot - his experiences graduating from high school make for quite predictable comedy, with a few chuckles hardly justifying the screen time devoted to its narrative arc. But it's really the only blemish on what is a remarkably well-done episode. It may be arrogance on the part of the writers to let one concept do their work for them, but they get away with it.Grade: B+
Ah, satire. The amount of social satire in Season 4 petered off as it neared its completion, but not before delivering one giant gift from heaven - this episode, with its lampooning of fake politicians, the mob mentality, slavery to tradition, public school inspections, and religious education. There's hardly anything the episode doesn't touch, landing punches left and right as it pulls down American flaw after American flaw into a maelstrom of crazy gags, razor-sharp one-liners, and the sensual crooning of R&B legend Barry White. It's an episode that can be too strange for its own good, but also stands as an episode with something to offer for everyone. Fans of social satire, slapstick, absurdity, and one-liners will all find something they like here, making it an episode that can be enjoyed on as many (or as few) levels as the viewer desires. The more you want out of it, the more "Whacking Day" delivers. And, when all is said and done, it has the "Evil Homer" dance, perhaps one of the ten funniest gags ever made during the entire run of the show. All the pieces add together to hand Season 4 another masterpiece.Grade: A
The first thing that must be said here is simple - this is a very off-the-wall episode. It opens with a visibile virus taking out citizens in Springfield one by one, and culminates in the unveiling of a Frankenstein-ask amalgamation of Marge's hairdo and the 39th U.S. president, Jimmy Carter. The stops along the way aren't much more sane. This sort of thing would get very old, very quickly if every episode was this wacky, but the occasional veer into insanity is forgivable if some comedic mileage can be gained out of the trip. With this episode, however, I couldn't help but feel a wasted potential. The show manages to be very, very funny with conventional material all the time, so when the show is amping up the unrealistic elements I'd like to at least maintain the normal level of humor. Instead, "Marge In Chains" drops off a bit from the normal hilarity of Season 4, with significant amounts of comedic deadspace, missed opportunities for jokes, and some gags that simply felt forced. There's some brilliant material, too - Grampa and the alligator, the folly of Springfield municipal planning, Wiggum shooting at the Osaka flu, and every single scene with Lionel Hutz - but the broad strokes of the episode, both plot and humor-wise, left something to be desired. The construction of the episode is also more than a bit weird, with Marge's actual arrival in jail coming very late in the game. The expectation would be that the episode would exploit the idea of Marge in jail for a lot of its humor, but those parts, if anything, are the weakest in the episode, and apparently the writers realized that the funny moments would largely come from other sources. So, in short, "Marge in Chains" succeeds as an exercise in wacky humor, but sacrifices its cohesiveness, connection with the viewer, and ultimately its contribution to "The Simpsons" canon by refusing to stay with a single concept or conform to realistic plotting. It's by no means a disaster, and compared to material from other seasons it holds up well, but in a season wherein episode after episode is funny, confident, and intelligent, being fairly funny, underconfident, and sporadically intelligent isn't enough.Grade: B-
"Krusty Gets Kancelled" is about as epic as "The Simpsons" gets. Krusty's show, one of the enduring institutions in Springfield, is hammered by the newcomer wooden dummy dubbed "Gabbo", and it's up to Bart, Lisa, and a horde of guest starts to bring the show back in high style. So many things are done right in the episode that it's easy to forget how difficult an undertaking this must have been to attempt. The numerous guest stars are all used in a textbook fashion, poking fun at the celebrities without embarassing them and inserting them into the episode in ways that feel organic to the plot of the show. Especially impressive is Johnny Carson, who reminds the viewers why he's one of the most enduring entertainment personalities of the last half-century. The threat to Krusty from Gabbo feels very real, and the writers spend an impressive amount of effort selling Gabbo as a real series, rather than just as a thin foil for Krusty. Arther the ventriloquist is well sketched-out from his brief character moments, and Gabbo's appeal as a "cute character" is used to fuel both a wicked self-referential joke from Bart and a deft bit of black comedy involving Mayor Quimby. Krusty is written the way the character always should be, as a seasoned entertainer weary of the machinery of the entertainment business, but his ability to appeal to his audience never feels lost. The desparate attempts of Krusty to stay relevant with a disturbing ventriloquist and the beyond-hilarious "Worker and Parasite" are fantastic jokes, as well, pushing forward the decline of Krusty's show and the desparation of the situation while providing fantastic comedic material. Above all, the success of the episode lies in its energy and confidence - every comedic interlude still manages to keep the plot moving steadily forward, and by the closing image of the show a remarkable amount of plot material has been conveyed without ever losing focus or shortchanging the humor. And, crucially, the episode manages to be funny even in its grander conception; a stock Hollywood rise-and-fall-and-redemption plotline is applied to a clown of dubious talent with a show that apparently airs merely in one city. It's a very amusing premise, and somehow the whole thing works without feeling completely ridiculous. The writers are conscious of the fact that the guest stars, Krusty's behavior, the history of the Krusty show, and the general tone of the episode are incompatible with the idea of a daytime kids show, but this disconnect is exploited for comedic material rather than simply ignored for convenience. In short, "Krusty Gets Kancelled" is the epitome of knocking an episode out of the park. It isn't the best episode of Season 4, by a wide margin, but few episodes in the entire history of the show manage to realize such lofty ambitions. Much of the appeal of "The Simpsons", more than a decade after this episode aired, can still be found throughout this classic.Grade: A+
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