Simpsons Season 15 Review Thread: Crap... or not?

[Reply #480 on:]

   

Originally posted by leelaholic:
Most Futurama fans bash The Simpsons just because it's The Simpsons!!!! What've YOU been smoking???

Okay, I know hyberbole is a great thing when you're making a point, but: you keep saying  how Simpsons-bashing is the #1 past-time on PEEL, and yet I can't find any threads about it. Any links?

Besides I'm sure you can find Simpsons-fans who bash Futurama simply because it isn't "The Simpsons" or "Simpsons in Space".

Dancing on top of the world, looking down on creation.....

[Reply #481 on:]

 

Originally posted by Teral:
  Besides I'm sure you can find Simpsons-fans who bash Futurama simply because it isn't "The Simpsons" or "Simpsons in Space".

Like Fox executives 

[Reply #482 on:]

Hey, I detest those who think Futurama is Simpsons in Space. They suck donkey balls.

[Reply #483 on:]

And I hate those people that don't like Futurama, simply because it isn't "Simpsons in Space". They're just as bad.

[Reply #484 on:]

 

Originally posted by sheep555:
 Like Fox executives   

Agreed. Thats why Futurama never got a fair shake. It had to compete with the simpsons. A ten year old piece of garbage that needs to be put out to pasture but FOX is too stupid too see it.

[Reply #485 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mouse On Venus:
 Well you're no better: you just complain about all the A stories that have any sort of depth or emotion to them and then call everyone else a "fucking moron" for not liking the more shallow, joke-ahoy approach that you abuse yourself over. Hmm.   

 I know you confessed in an earlier thread that you had a strange obsession with having the last word in everything, but there comes a point where you really stop having anything worth saying. You passed it several weeks ago.

I'm sorry
I'm really not saying things should be purley joke based.
I just dont care about a dog especially a fictional one. And I'm also not intrested in fry and leela and generally all guy trying to get the girl stories. but thats beside the point.
Its a case of me being annoyed at people being so ready to nit pick and dismiss the simpsons as shit. They provoked the 'fucking morons' comment

[Reply #486 on:]

 

Originally posted by Otis P Jivefunk:
 You thought it was a pathetic attempt too! Yet you like a lot of modern Simpsons. Actually, why doesn't that suprise me...

Meh. Just didn't work for me. There are a lot of modern Simpsons episodes I like more (President Wore Pearls, My Mother the Carjacker, Tis the Fifteenth Season, etc). Other than "Luck of the Fryrish", Futurama "emotional" episodes never work for me (which explains my utter hatred of "Devil's Hands" ) because they never bother to build up decent empathy. Simpsons emotion, though, can work well when done right (My Mother the Carjacker, Lisa's First Word, Mother Simpson, ect).

[Reply #487 on:]

 

Originally posted by leelaholic:
 

Originally posted by Otis P Jivefunk:
 You thought it was a pathetic attempt too! Yet you like a lot of modern Simpsons. Actually, why doesn't that suprise me...

Meh. Just didn't work for me. There are a lot of modern Simpsons episodes I like more (President Wore Pearls, My Mother the Carjacker, Tis the Fifteenth Season, etc). Other than "Luck of the Fryrish", Futurama "emotional" episodes never work for me (which explains my utter hatred of "Devil's Hands" ) because they never bother to build up decent empathy. Simpsons emotion, though, can work well when done right (My Mother the Carjacker, Lisa's First Word, Mother Simpson, ect).

You have an avatar from 'Devils Hands' right at this moment, yet you have an utter hatred for it... Hmmm....

Anyway, like I said, I'm not suprised. I just feel sorry for you, that you've missed out on nearly all the amazing emotional Futurama moments. You have my pity...

Personally, I think Futurama's emotional moments far surpass any of The Simpsons. No Simpsons ep has ever made me cry, and Futurama has. So for me, that proves it. Each to their own I guess, like I said before, I'm not suprised...

[Reply #488 on:]

 

Originally posted by Otis P Jivefunk:
 You have an avatar from 'Devils Hands' right at this moment, yet you have an utter hatred for it... Hmmm....

Leela's opera dress = GREAT
Everything else = SUCKS

But, like you said, each to their own. I guess it's just that I've been wathing The Simpsons for so long, and I got into Futurama kinda late. Naturally, this would cause me to have more empathy towards The Simpsons. The reason I still liked LOTF, though, is probably because it would get anyone. "Carjacker" may not get EVERYone like "Fryrish", but it got me more than Futurama emotion did. But, like I said, The Simpsons just strikes me as a more empathetic show.

[Reply #489 on:]

 

Originally posted by leelaholic:
 

Originally posted by Otis P Jivefunk:
 You have an avatar from 'Devils Hands' right at this moment, yet you have an utter hatred for it... Hmmm....

Leela's opera dress = GREAT
Everything else = SUCKS

Harsh words, especially from a Futurama fan. It wasn't just emotion and Leela in an Opera dress...

[Reply #490 on:]

 

Originally posted by leelaholic:
But, like you said, each to their own. I guess it's just that I've been wathing The Simpsons for so long, and I got into Futurama kinda late. Naturally, this would cause me to have more empathy towards The Simpsons. The reason I still liked LOTF, though, is probably because it would get anyone.

 It didn't get me. Leela's Homeworld and Jurrasic Bark got me more.

[Reply #491 on:]

I generally never feel moved by anything
LOTF moved me a bit.
Leela's homeworld sort of didn't work somehow.
maybe its katey's acting that doesn't convince me

But simpsons moved me more with mother simpson
and in 'and maggie makes three' for some reason rewatching life on the fast lane did as well

[Reply #492 on:]

I will say about Leela's Homeworld that it wasn't so much the reuniting with her parents that moved me as it was the end montage. Why I did I won't go into, but it kinda tapped into some personal feelings of mine so y'know...

[Reply #493 on:]

 

Originally posted by Otis P Jivefunk:
 Harsh words, especially from a Futurama fan. It wasn't just emotion and Leela in an Opera dress...

Yeah, it was only Leela in an opera dress. 23 minutes of fake emotion followed by an annoying song and an ending so hokey it belongs in a "Little Critter" book.

I'm sorry, but I seriously don't like that episode.

[Reply #494 on:]

 

Originally posted by leelaholic:
   

Originally posted by Otis P Jivefunk:
 Harsh words, especially from a Futurama fan. It wasn't just emotion and Leela in an Opera dress...

Yeah, it was only Leela in an opera dress. 23 minutes of fake emotion followed by an annoying song and an ending so hokey it belongs in a "Little Critter" book.

I'm sorry, but I seriously don't like that episode.

It wasn't only Leela in an Opera dress, that's what I was pointing out. Maybe that's all you saw in that ep as value to you, but there was a hell of a lot more to it than that, fact. Just because it didn't affect you, doesn't mean to say it's "fake". And the ending was a touch of class, nothing "hokey" about it. It brought just enough closure to be satisfying, but left things open ended too.

[Reply #495 on:]

There is (IMHO) no episode of The Simpsons that reaches the emotional levels of Futurama. I like both shows, and The Simpsons does have elements I prefer over Futurama - some of the funniest jokes I've ever heard have been on The Simpsons.

However, what The Simpsons cannot do is get real emotion out of an audience, which is in part due to the surroundings. Thing about films that made you cry - chances are the event was a lost love, or death of a parent. The Simpsons is never going to do the latter, and love stories can rarely be accomplished in twenty minutes.

The two deaths that stand out in The Simpsons (for me) are Bleeding Gums Murphey, which was handled in a very sensitive way. That was a good episode, and it paid off. The other death is the death of Maude Flanders, and I don't think I'll be hearing anyone on the board telling me that was handled with emotion (because it wasn't. It was poorly written, and poorly staged).

What gives Futurama the edge is the fact that stories are carried over from each episode, including the love between Leela and Fry. Jurassic Bark was a great episode, The Sting was just as good, and although I don't think TDAIP was the most emotive show in the series, it was certainly very powerful.

[Reply #496 on:]

I have to disagree with that, sheep. I can't say much about now, because none of the newer Simpsons have the emotion to face up against Futurama. Rewind to the early years. Go back to "The Way We Was," "Lisa's Substitute," "Lisa's Pony" "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?" "Lady Bouvier's Lober" "And Maggie Makes Three" "Lisa's Wedding" "Mother Simpson" etc.

Some prime examples are when in "I Married Marge": a flashback episode where Homer and Marge just got married and Bart is not far from being born. After all the new baby stuff gets repossessed, Homer feels he is too incompetant to care for his wife, and leaves, but sends every dollar he earns to her and the baby. Marge finds Homer at the Gulp 'N Blow and begs him to come home. Homer exclaims, "Look at me.  I'm a trainee. They won't even tell me what's in the secret sauce! I can't even afford you a decent wedding ring." Marge tells him any ring is fine as long as it's from him. Homer then pulls out an onion ring and puts it on her ring finger. Now you cannot watch that scene and think it is not heartfelt. The episode goes on when Marge leaves and Homer is more determined than ever and barges into Mr. Burns' office and gets the job. He prances out happily, "Only in America could I get a job!" ....and so on.

Another is in "Like Father Like Clown" where Krusty reveals that he is Jewish and was shunned by his rabbi father for being a clown. At the end, when they're reunited, that is better than any Futurama emotional moment.

Not lightyears better though, I still love the moments in episodes like "Time Keeps On Slippin'" and "I Roommate" and "Jurassic Bark" where we actually see Bender care about someone other than himself. I also liked "Devil's Hands" and various other moments in the show. But one thing Futurama did was gave us two episodes solely based on emotion: "Leela's Homeworld" and "The Sting." While "Sting" was OK (definitely NOT as good as you all say), "Leela's Homeworld" was one of the worst episodes. EVER.

So, no new episode emotion holds a candle to Futurama, but the classic episodes have them beat.

[Reply #497 on:]

Meh. I won't deny that the things you've mentioned are emotional, but never has Simpsons emotion hit me with the full force and intensity of Futurama emotion, except maybe for the ends of "Mother Simpson" and "My Mother the Carjacker".

[Reply #498 on:]

Damn, Shadowstar stole my point. The Simpsons WERE emotional. Check out season 2...there is some beautiful, touching stuff in there. The characters were real people! But over the years, the characters have been so inconsistent, it's hard to care about them anymore. All the emotion seems so forced and phony. I mean, why should I care? I don't even know who they are anymore.

Although, I strongly disagree with this:

 

By Shadowstar:
Another is in "Like Father Like Clown" where Krusty reveals that he is Jewish and was shunned by his rabbi father for being a clown. At the end, when they're reunited, that is better than any Futurama emotional moment.

Sorry, I didn't find that episode very emotional. Futurama's kicks that episode's ass, if you ask me.

I might be willing to agree that classic episodes of The Simpsons handled emotion better than Futurama, if it weren't for Luck of the Fryrish. Luck of the Fryrish choked me up more than any other comedy I've ever seen.

 

Originally posted by David A:
I don't really like the way that the cat storyline was resolved.  Lisa's cat dies, so she gets a new cat that looks the same and she gives it the same name?  It's not that simple.

So then I found a new shell! It looked just like my old shell, and it was in the same dumpster where I left my old shell, but this one had a live raccoon in it! Pretty good story, eh, Hermes?

[Reply #499 on:]

Personally, while I love "Jurassic Bark", I generally find that classic-era Simpsons episodes are much, much better at conveying emotion then Futurama.  Futurama still did a very good job (maybe this isn't saying much, but its one of the few shows that has legitimately touched me), but it just lacked the complexity of character and of character study to work on the same level as classic Simpsons.  Just take the Fry/Leela relationship.  With Homer and Marge they try to establish reasons on both ends for them being together, and show things from both of their perspectives.  But, if you think about it, "The Sting" is the only "shippy" episode of Futurama that isn't completely from Fry's point of view.  In fact they all follow the same basic formula.  Leela is the "object" Fry tries to acquire, and we watch him try and mostly fail miserably.  Leela's character was often a bit thin in those episodes, and in some cases (like with "Parasites Lost" ) was downright unlikeable.  Mind you, I like all those "shippy" episodes a lot too, and they're usually very touching (although I felt the stuff in "The Farnsworth Parabox" felt kind of crammed in).  Just trying to provide an example of why, to me, The Simpsons usually did its emotion and character depth much better.

[Reply #500 on:]

I hate to say it, but Season 15 does seem to be an improvement.  Treehouse of Horror XIV was hilarious, especially when Bart and Milhouse got that stopwatch! 

[Reply #501 on:]

I loved emotional episodes like Lisa's Substitute and Dead Puttin' Society. The Simspons also put morals on higher ground back in the old days. Like Lisa vs. Homer & The 8th Commandment and the one where Lisa wrote the political essay stands up against corrupted government. You just don't get episodes with this genuine feel anymore.

[Reply #502 on:]

I don't think I've seen that Treehouse of Horror Fred, can you fill me in on it? 

[Reply #503 on:]

Treehouse of Horror XIV

"Reaper Madness" - Homer the new grim reaper and our hero must learn to reap what he sows (and pull a fast one on the almighty).

"Frinkenstein" - Soon to be Nobel-prize winning Professor Frink reanimates his father for some gruesome body parts-swapping.

"Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off" - A parody of Clockstoppers, starring Bart and Milhouse.

Frinkenstein wasn't that great, but Reaper Madness (notice the clever ref to Reefer Madness) was, and "Stop the world, I want to goof off" was absolutely hilarious.

@Fred: If you think THOH XIV was an improvement, wait 'till you see My Mother the Carjacker, The President Wore Pearls, Tis the Fifteenth Season, and other gems. 

[Reply #504 on:]

 

Originally posted by leelaholic:
Treehouse of Horror XIV

"Reaper Madness" - Homer the new grim reaper and our hero must learn to reap what he sows (and pull a fast one on the almighty).

Ugh.  That was the weakest of the three segments.  It had some funny bits, but when The Simpsons uses an idea that was already done on Family Guy I start to agree with the folks who say that it's time to put the show out to pasture.

 

"Frinkenstein" - Soon to be Nobel-prize winning Professor Frink reanimates his father for some gruesome body parts-swapping.

This one is worth watching just because Jerry Lewis provides the voice of Frink Sr.

 

"Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off" - A parody of Clockstoppers, starring Bart and Milhouse.

   It wasn't a parody of Clockstoppers.  It was a parody of an old Twilight Zone episode.

 

@Fred: If you think THOH XIV was an improvement, wait 'till you see My Mother the Carjacker, The President Wore Pearls, Tis the Fifteenth Season, and other gems.   

I agree.  A lot of the recent episodes have been good.  So good, in fact, that I actually look forward to watching television on Sunday nights, despite the disturbing lack of Futurama.  (The fact that Arrested Development is shown on the same night helps too.)

[Reply #505 on:]

I know that it was a Twilight Zone parody. It's just that those descriptions are cut and pasted from SNPP. They're the wrong ones.

On a related note, Reaper Madness did NOT suck!!!

[Reply #506 on:]

 

Originally posted by leelaholic:
On a related note, Reaper Madness did NOT suck!!!

I didn't say that it did.  I said that it was the weakest of the three segments.  There's a difference.

[Reply #507 on:]

Oh, okay 

[Reply #508 on:]

Actually I thought Reaper Madness was better than Frinkenstein.

[Reply #509 on:]

Same here. Frinkenstein wasn't that good, but I really liked Reaper Madness and Stop the World, I Want To Goof Off.

[Reply #510 on:]

I thought it sucked big time.

[Reply #511 on:]

Mind telling us why?

[Reply #512 on:]

Probably because there were no spaceships and lasers.

[Reply #513 on:]

If there was no spaceship, then what were Kang and Kodos orbiting Earth in? 

[Reply #514 on:]

A flying saucer

[Reply #515 on:]

I've noticed that a lot of season 15 episodes have details that wouldn't be in previous years. Like in The President Wore Pearls, when Ralph held a sign that said, "I like purple". In "Tis the Fifteenth Season", when Homer momentarily thought he was "Unloved by Al (Jean)". And, of course, in "I, D'oh-bot" when Maggie was bouncing around in the back of Homer's robot. 

They aren't real jokes, but still really funny.

[Reply #516 on:]

Yep, those little tidbits are part of the wacky tone of the show now. Sometimes they can be bad, but those ones you mentioned were pretty good, and at least made me smile.
Also, does anyone think that Ralph is losing his touch? He used to be funnier, but now it seems that the writers are trying to hard to make jokes for him. (IE: "A Star is Born Again," "Marge vs. etc." ) Although did like the "I like purple" sign.

[Reply #517 on:]

 

Originally posted by leelaholic:
And, of course, in "I, D'oh-bot" when Maggie was bouncing around in the back of Homer's robot.   

So, if Maggie was in there, was she crushed to death by the Frink robot?  I mean, Homer popped out, but as far as we know, Maggie was still in there.

But hey, if Maggie dies they can just have another baby and name her Maggie.  It works for cats, right?   

[Reply #518 on:]

They could call her Maggie II, but when she dies the next baby will have the same name.

[Reply #519 on:]

funny