Cape Foure: The Simpsons Madness Goes On...

[Reply #640 on:]

Well, "Mobile Homer" airs tonight. Sounds pretty good.

On a different subject, I can't wait to see "Don't Fear the Roofer". It sounds at least as good as "Mommie Beerest" or maybe even "Sleeping With the Enemy".

TOTPD

[Reply #641 on:]

Show spoiler

Bob's RV roundup. XD Yes, it was in the episode, as was Bob. I totally skitzed out. I missed the credits, so I don't know for sure if Albert Brooks voiced him or not. He did sound a little Rich Texanish, but that could just be due to Albert Brooks last doing to voice 15 years ago.

*Edit* Also, has there been any word on the the producer of season 17 will be? Will it be Jean again? He's a great producer and all, but I'd like to see the tourch passed. (I've heard Selman's name being kicked around on the NHC before)

[Reply #642 on:]

There are two cliches I hate on The Simpsons:

1. The State of Homer and Marge's Marriage and
2. Opposing Family Members Come Together to Save Other Family Member(s) From Death.

This episode had both, and I can't say I really paid much attention to it.

[Reply #643 on:]

Newhook - I think it'll probably be Al Jean again. It doesn't exactly seem like they plan to pass the torch anytime soon, and I'm fine with that. Ever since he's been in charge, the show's improved with each new season so far. 

Also, on a side note, I'm looking forward to Thank God, It's Doomsday. The title intrigues me...

[Reply #644 on:]

Newhook, Jean is already confirmed as the producer on season 17, and possibly beyond.  And I checked the credits....no Albert Brooks in this case.

Anyways, my review:

Started off mostly laughing. Ended mostly cringing.

I think at this point, if I had to pinpoint the biggest problem this season's had, its been in the story writing. At this point the only story/character based episode that I've thought was especcially well written was "Sleeping With the Enemy". On the other hand, "All's Fair in Oven War", "She Used to Be My Girl", "Goo Goo Gai Pan" (despite a couple nice scenes), and "On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister" have all had major problems in the story and character writing. "Mommie Beerest" could also have been written better, though charming character writing at least redeemed it.

This was probably the worst outing in this area for this season though. It seemed to start a mostly pointless and just not very well written "rivalry" between Marge and Homer. None of it felt particularly genuine to me and it just jumped from plot-point to plot-point. The whole middle of the episode basically just consisted of them "competing" and acting mean to each other. The ending consisted of the ridiculous RV chase that somehow miraculously fixed everything, and then hanging around on a ship for some reason. The characters were just portrayed too unlikably, and everything felt too quick and easy, and kind of amateurish.

What saved a lot of the episodes I mentioned earlier was that they were generally funny enough to still be enjoyable despite their flaws. Not really the case here. It started off decently enough. I enjoyed most of the Sunday drive stuff, the garage cleaning, etc. Basically the whole first act was enjoyable on some level, despite a few duds (like Homer's hand in the paper-shredder). After that it petered out almost completely, with a decent line every two or three minutes ("Remember to ask Jeeves" ) but not much more. The ending in particular was just really lame humor wise to me. And there were some call-backs like Propetier Bob that would have been appreciated if they were funny, but in this case just really weren't funny.

Well animated/directed. Mostly funny first act. But other then that not good, and the first real big dud for me this season. Not bad enough to be in the running of worst episode evers of course, but fairly bad.

C-/D+

[Reply #645 on:]

I actually liked Bob's line about tying him to the gorilla and cutting him loose, just because my family tried to return a trailer we bought for camping in the Summer which had a faulty water tank, only to discover that they wouldn't replace it because we couldn't prove it was like that when we bought it. Unfortunitally that was just about all I liked, aside from the garage cleaning which was merely OK.

C-

[Reply #646 on:]

 

Originally posted by Gleno:
Trambampoline....!!

Sorry I came in late....

Clam Chowder!!

 

Originally posted by Juliet:
Future-Drama? I hope it's the one where you see the grown up Bart and Lisa again.

"Future-Drama" is the on where you see grown up Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. There's a rumor that Maggie could even talk.

[Reply #647 on:]

 

Originally posted by evan:
There are two cliches I hate on The Simpsons:

1. The State of Homer and Marge's Marriage and
2. Opposing Family Members Come Together to Save Other Family Member(s) From Death.

This episode had both, and I can't say I really paid much attention to it.

Same here. I hate those episodes because you know Homer is going to act pathetic/whiny or do some sort of stupid scheme and they end up back together. I avoid watching these episodes now. The Guest Stars in these episodes are mostly quite bad.

[Reply #648 on:]

Oh, god, this sucked! It started out okay, but then the plot got all weird and wacky. (Bart and Lisa driving an RV? What the fuck?)

Rating: D+

[Reply #649 on:]

Well Bart's driven a car in the past. In fact so has Lisa and it didn't bother me.
I wish people would stop talking about wackiness as if its bad in itself. same with guest stars, there's been less wackiness and guest stars this season than in previous classic seasons anyway.

[Reply #650 on:]

 

Originally posted by User_names_suck:
 there's been less wackiness and guest stars this season than in previous classic seasons anyway.

In all fairness Season 16 isn't over yet, so there's time...

[Reply #651 on:]

But based on the infomation we have there probably won't be. But the point is its such nonsense, most people here have come to accept that actually Simpsons today doesn't rely on guest stars, wacky plots and jerkass homer but we still ocassionly get stupid comments that aren't actually true.
By all means critcise away, DTB is very defensive of new Simpsons, but he's given this episode a very harsh review, and its fine because he points to actual parts of the episode as a way of criticisng it and doesn't resort to hyperole.

[Reply #652 on:]

I must have dozed off at some point, because when I started watching it, it was an episode about Homer not having life insurance, and then all of a sudden it was an episode about Homer buying an RV.  I still don't know how that happened.

The best part was when they played "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" at the end.  Then they ruined that by playing the Johnny Cash song from those hotel commercials over the ending credits.

[Reply #653 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nurdbot:
 Same here. I hate those episodes because you know Homer is going to act pathetic/whiny or do some sort of stupid scheme and they end up back together. I avoid watching these episodes now. The Guest Stars in these episodes are mostly quite bad.

User has it right.....know what you're talking about first.  Neither of these things were really problems in this episode, and I didn't even like it for god's sake.  There weren't any guest stars at all for one thing.

And yeah, wacky is not inheritely bad.  Many great episodes have wackiness in them.  I didn't think the RV chase thing was very well done, but the problem wasn't the wackiness, just that it wasn't very well written as part of the story.

[Reply #654 on:]

Well wackiness seems to be bad for the current Simpsons writers. They seem to use it as an excuse to end any problem. The episode, in the middle, was about Marge and Homer disagreeing about the money that Homer brings in for the family. Then, one car chase/car crash later, they were all on a Turkish ship eating dinner, like everything was all right again. I mean, come on!

[Reply #655 on:]

I'm talking about all Homer-Marge Marriage Problem Episodes post Series 9, Bartman. Unless you consider Weird Al a good guest star.

I hope you feel real bad now.

[Reply #656 on:]

But this one didn't, 'Mommie Beerest' Kind of was and it didn't. 'Co-dependents' day didn't. Well ok a band was playing in the background but their was no speaking part.
'Geek Wedding' had Matt Groening and 'Diatribe' had clancy/pynochon and the olsen twins but they had no bearing on the plot. Their very quick appearnces I admit I don't really enjoy most of these appearnces but I don't really see why its such a big problem.

Weird Al I do kind of agree that its a bigger problem because it was longer, more unbelivable and used to develop the plot. But it still doesn't throw me into a fit of rage like it seems to for you.

[Reply #657 on:]

I'm tired of being fed the same plot over and over, but that's me.

A little bit of originality is all I ask.

*Minor character is killed off*

Awww, forget it.

[Reply #658 on:]

I've decided to do the almost impossible and compile my Top Ten Simpsons episodes ever! (bearing in mind I've only seen the first 13 Seasons in there entirety, but I have seen roughly a quarter of Seasons 14 and 15). This list is subject to change, however this is how feel right now...

Otis' Top Ten...
01) "Lemon of Troy"
02) "Bart Sells His Soul"
03) "Treehouse of Horror VI"
04) "Homer the Heretic"
05) "Trilogy of Error"
06) "Sideshow Bob Roberts"
07) "Dead Putting Society"
08) "Itchy & Scratchy Land"
09) "Saturdays of Thunder"
10) "Homers Enemy"...

[Reply #659 on:]

Nurdbot, I was talking primarily about this episode.  It did not have any guest stars (actually a guest voicing from Albert Brooks would've been nice....).  And user's right, some of the other recent ones don't really have major appearances ala Wierd Al.

[Reply #660 on:]

 

Originally posted by Otis P Jivefunk:
Otis' Top Ten...
01) "Lemon of Troy"
02) "Bart Sells His Soul"
03) "Treehouse of Horror VI"
04) "Homer the Heretic"
05) "Trilogy of Error"
06) "Sideshow Bob Roberts"
07) "Dead Putting Society"
08) "Itchy & Scratchy Land"
09) "Saturdays of Thunder"
10) "Homers Enemy"...

Yeah! I've only seen four of your top ten, which leaves plenty of Simpsons greatness for me!

[Reply #661 on:]

 

Originally posted by Otis P Jivefunk:
I've decided to do the almost impossible and compile my Top Ten Simpsons episodes ever! (bearing in mind I've only seen the first 13 Seasons in there entirety, but I have seen roughly a quarter of Seasons 14 and 15). This list is subject to change, however this is how I feel right now...

Otis' Top Ten...
01) "Lemon of Troy"
02) "Bart Sells His Soul"
03) "Treehouse of Horror VI"
04) "Homer the Heretic"
05) "Trilogy of Error"
06) "Sideshow Bob Roberts"
07) "Dead Putting Society"
08) "Itchy & Scratchy Land"
09) "Saturdays of Thunder"
10) "Homers Enemy"...

No offense, but exept for number 1, that's the worst top 10 list i've ever seen, just my opinion.

Here's mine. Feel free to criticize it.

1) "Duffless" (4)
2) "Last Exit To Springfield" (4)
3) "Treehouse of Horror V" (6)
4) "Deep Space Homer" (5)
5) "Cape Feare" (5)
6) "Lemon of Troy" (6)
7) "Mr. Plow" (4)
8) "The Springfield Files" (8)
9) "Marge on the Lam" (5)
10) "Homer the Vigilante" (5)

[Reply #662 on:]

Can't be botherd to sort things into a top 10  right now but here's all 25 of my A+ episodes.

Simpson and Delilah
Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish
Lisa's Substitute
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
Flaming Moe's
Separate Vocations
A Streetcar Named Marge
Homer the Heretic
Duffless
Last Exit to Springfield
Homer's Barbershop Quartet
Rosebud
Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song
Sideshow Bob Roberts
Treehouse of Horror V
And Maggie Makes Three
Lisa's Wedding
Bart Sells His Soul
Mother Simpson
Lisa the Iconoclast
Bart on the Road
Much Apu About Nothing
You Only Move Twice
The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
 Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment

[Reply #663 on:]

 

Originally posted by Lrrr_2004:
  No offense, but exept for number 1, that's the worst top 10 list i've ever seen, just my opinion.

I like what I like, and don't follow general fan favorites. All the eps I listed I think are awesome eps, they are awesome eps...

[Reply #664 on:]

My top five...

1. "Mother Simpson"
2. "Cape Feare"
3. "Bart Sells His Soul"
4. "Homer the Heretic"
5. "Lisa's Substitute"

[Reply #665 on:]

Here's my Top 20 list. It's not EXACTLY in favoured order, although I would definitely like 1-5 more than 6-10, etc. and I wouldn't say it's fully correct, since I'm just going by memory and have more than likely missed out some favourites (I know I'd like to include a flashback episode or two in there, but it's so hard to decide which ones are the best - they're all good...)

1. You Only Move Twice
2. Marge vs the Monorail
3. Homer's Phobia
4. Behind the Laughter
5. The Springfield Files
6. The PTA Disbands
7. Lisa's Wedding
8. Deep Space Homer
9. Mother Simpson
10. The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
11. Homer the Smithers
12. The Simpsons' 138th Show Spectacular
13. Grade School Confidential
14. The Last Temptation Of Homer
15. Bart on the Road
16. Weekend At Burnsies
17. The City of New York vs Homer Simpson
18. Trilogy of Error
19. Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily
20. Moe Baby Blues

*Sits back and dodges the various items thrown from every other PEELer* 

[Reply #666 on:]

No no, it's clool to see 'Trilogy of Error' on your list  ...

[Reply #667 on:]

Yeah, but I thought that Hungry, Hungry, Homer was better than Behind the Laughter. Extra points for creativity, maybe?

[Reply #668 on:]

I enjoyed Hungry, Hungry Homer, but I just don't think it's Top 20 material. It's a little boring at times, and the first act at Blocko land lacks any humour, except for the part when Homer presents the store clerk with his own "gift." 

[Reply #669 on:]

Everyone who didn't put Homer Bad Man on their list deserves a spankin'.

Which, it turns out... is everyone.

No need to pack pants, people!

[Reply #670 on:]

"Homer: Bad Man" is a very good episode, It's probably one of my top 30 favorite episodes.

Ashley: Hmm. Homer, I thought you were an animal, but your daughter said you were a decent man. I guess she was right.
Homer: You're both right.

[Reply #671 on:]

Homer Badman would have to be top ten for me actually.  Fantastic episode, and more relevant then ever right now.

[Reply #672 on:]

I love 'Homer Badman' too, it'd probably be in my top 30 although I haven't seen it for years. Roll on Season 6 DVD's!...

[Reply #673 on:]

Oh yeah, I forgot all about Homer Badman! Replace it with "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily" in my list. 

[Reply #674 on:]

Homer bad man just falls short for me A/A+.

Simply on account of the plot just being a series of t.v parodies, it kind of doesn't go anywhere, even though that's the point/ its just a millionth of an iota short of full marks however.

[Reply #675 on:]

Its true that the middle kind of turns into a bunch of tv parodies, but to be fair they serve a real purpose in that one.  Its not like other episodes where Itchy and Scratchy or some Fox show are just inserted for a few laughs.  The point was to illustrate how the media (primarily television) takes incidents like that and runs with them, and how they manipulate the facts and how it shapes the opinions of everyone watching.  It wasn't like "Animal Survivor" or whatever; they had a legitimate point to make.

[Reply #676 on:]

Also, it's the funniest thing I've seen all decade.

[Reply #677 on:]

'Homer Bad Man' managed to get into my top five...
"So Mr Simpson, you admit you grabbed her can? *pause* Mr Simpson, your silence will only incriminate you further. No, Mr Simpson! Don't take your anger out on me! Mr - Mr Simpson! Get back! NOOOOOO!"
"*quickly* Dramatization - may not have happened!"

[Reply #678 on:]

Someone on Jump the Shark said something about the Simpsons that I fully agree with. It's become a watered down South Park.

[Reply #679 on:]

Since some PEELers were doing the top ten lists, I might do one.

These aren't 'top ten', they are just episodes I really liked (and they're in no order):

Lemon Of Troy
The Call Of The Simpsons
Brother From Another Series
Bart's Comet
Itchy And Scratchy Land
Brother From The Same Planet
Trilogy Of Error
The City Of New York VS Homer Simpson
Dumbell Identity
Treehouse Of Horror 6
Kamp Krusty
Bart On The Road
Cape Feare
Treehouse Of Horror 3
Duffless
Homer The Great
My Sister, My Sitter
The Springfield Files

They're my Favourites. I just know I've forgot to put some on there, though.