Unloved by Al its The Simpsons season 15 "And Review Threads Make Three"

[Reply #320 on:]

   

Originally posted by leelaholic:
How could such a fun and hilarious sounding episode possibly "ruin it?"

   

...O wait, I've made myself sad...
I think this is the first time I've ever seen a preview for a new ep and decided not to watch it. I should probably stay open minded, but it just looks so bad.

[Reply #321 on:]

 

Originally posted by Orange:
I hope those commercials for the next ep aren't representing it properly. After so much great stuff in season 15 I don't want an entire episode devoted to Homer throwing pies at people to ruin it.

Yes, this episode stunk out loud.  It was half "dated comic book movie" references, and half "Homer v. Dignity."  I don't think I laughed once, even though this episode had a girl scout getting hit in the face with a pie.

[Reply #322 on:]

I enjoyed it, just for its plain silliness.

[Reply #323 on:]

Typed from NHC as usual.

I said it aloud near the end of the episode, and I'll say it again here. What a weird episode. But by no means should you take that as a negative statement.

This one felt to me much like many episodes of, say, season 5. Silly plot, but hilarious execution that grabs you along with it without asking too many questions. From beginning to end, like last week, I was laughing and enjoying it. It started off decently enough (the reality show bit was clever and definitely better then the entirety of "Helter Shelter", although I didn't care for the title-calling it "Promiscuous Idiots" is too easy a joke to make), then really kicked into gear as it went. Basically there were so many hilarious bits throughout; the jingoistic country music bit (THANK YOU), "We've been getting Pie Man's mail for weeks", all of the power plant scenes, the ending with Bart and Homer on the roof, etc.

And the story was kept grounded enough to work. Just as I figured, they didn't pull some hackeneyed thing about Homer getting super powers for real (or having it turn out to be a dream). And remarkably there was even a sweet element to it with Homer and Lisa. Hardly "deep", but sweet in its own right. The only thing that could've really bugged me was the super Dalai Lama bit, but even that didn't bug me ultimately. Plus the town square scene I thought lagged slightly after so many non-stop hilarious bits, but it picked up again at the end.

Like last week, not much else to say. This was definitely a farcical fun episode, meant simply to make you laugh as much as possible, and as such it succeeded very well for me. I don't have any real major problems with it and it kept me laughing through pretty much the whole thing. One of the best of the season.

B+/A- (might need to watch it againt to settle on a grade between those two)

DYN moments:
-Leopold and Sanjay both appeared holding up the flag, after not appearing for years in each case as far as I know. Herman too, but he has popped up before (including this season in the "Diatribe" phone scene).

-Krusty Burger appeared too, another thing I don't think has appeared in a while, at least with the family going inside (though I guess there might have been one earlier this season)

-More long time-no see appearances: The shower at the plant, a Buzz cola machine, and Homer's mansion (again that might have appeared again more recently than I remember though).

-Ralph finally went to "Bovine University" after all.

[Reply #324 on:]

   

Originally posted by DotheBartman:
Homer's mansion

I don't remember Homer having a mansion...

   

-Ralph finally went to "Bovine University" after all.

Did those look like cows to you? Hmmm?   


Anyhow, this was a great episode. Nothing deep or meaningful, but great nonetheless. I laughed throughout.  The wackyness worked, especially as a parody of the sometimes unintentional wackyness of superhero movies and comics. The sweet bits with Lisa were nicely done. The only negatives are a few failed gags (flying Dalai Lama, and so forth), slightly slow start, and slightly overexaggerated evilness on Burns.  The music and visuals were great, very much in the feel of all of those superhero movies (especially Spiderman, or course).  So many great gags (I'm not going go into them all), excellent use of side characters (police, Brockman). It felt like it could fit in the more classic seasons. A nice A. Up there with the best of the season for sure.

(Plus, I liked that Homer was actually a competent pig judge...)

[Reply #325 on:]

Did I say Homer's mansion?  I meant Burns'.

And damn, stupid mistake with the Bovine University thing.  But my point stands that he finally got to go to some sort of slaughter house.

[Reply #326 on:]

This episode reminded me of an issue of Simpsons comics; It was an ultra wacky story, but it was well told, funny, and ended with a gag ending. Don't confuse this with the Scully style wackiness which is just batshit insane.

That being said, I like Simpsons comics, and I enjoyed this episode; I would like to see them do more episodes like this personally, as the story line wasn't dependant on another past episode, or a rehash of a previous one (Well it was a little like "Homer vs. Dignity" but I'm nit picking there). One or two of the jokes bombed, but the many good ones more than redeemed the episode. Just barely an A- or 4/5, waaaaaaayyyyyyy better than I thought it would be (I guess leelaholic was right    ).

Bring on "The Way We Weren't", my prediction A-/A. Season 15 seemed to go all season 14 on us for awhile (half crap episodes, half good episodes), but it's staring to pick up again.   

[Reply #327 on:]

My review of "Simple Simpson", which I blatantly stole from...myself (meaning it's the one I typed at the NHC):

Well, some good news and some bad news, guys. For one thing, this episode was better than I expected. But, it still wasn't that great. I'll try to review it in chronological order.

The episode started off strong, with the first act containing some really great jokes (Promiscuous Idiot Island, the [/I]Charlie and the Chocolate Factory[/I] parody (i.e. the golden, err...silver ticket) the place setting contest). The characterization was also strong. Homer was actually a parent to Lisa (much like he was to Bart in "I D'oh!-Bot" ) and he wanted to protect his little girl. It is a very redeeming part to Homer's character that he would honestly do something so honestly ridiculous (dressing up as a super-hero) just to help someone he loves (and to avoid getting arrested, but that's just icing on the cake...) Finally, this act wasn't terribly disjointed from the rest of the episode. It introduced Homer as Pie Man, which is the main focus of the episode. So, "Simple Simpson" definitely started off strong.

Act two was also very well-done. It had some great jokes, and some great parodies (i.e. the Homer Marge kiss in the alley, a la Spiderman). The afore-mentioned kiss was something that I really enjoyed, mostly because I am a fan of the Spiderman movie, but it still caused some problems that I'll get to later. Also, Burns was actually in character as the tyrant that he began as (which may be due to the fact that classic-era writer Jon Vitti wrote this episode) and Homer was still devoted to Lisa, upholding his promise to her for the most part.

Act three was where the episode really lost its way. For one thing, Homer began doing Burns's bidding, a la "Homer Vs. Dignity". And even after he asked Marge what Pie Man should do bout being blackmailed, he still didn't really listen to her advice. The fact that Homer would throw a pie at the Dalai Lama was also far-fetched, but it didn't bother me too much. Finally, my problem with the kiss. Marge obviously felt as if she shouldn't have kissed Pie Man in the scene in act two, yet in the end she reveals that she knew that it was Homer all along. Therefore, her guilt for the kiss was completely unjustified, and makes that part of the episode a bit unclear. Of course, I did like her explanation (that you could tell that Pie Man was really Homer) that cleared up the fact that Homer's disguise really wasn't all that effective.

So, the first two acts were strong, and I don't think that the entire episode was a waste. I do hope that Jon Vitti gets rolling here with some better episodes, though:B or 3/5

[Reply #328 on:]

So, Homer was willing to hit a girl scout in the face with a pie, but he couldn't bring himself to do the same to the Dalai Lama?  Pffft.  I'd pie the Dalai Lama before I'd pie a little girl.

And then they showed the one where Lisa's cat gets killed again.  Meh.

[Reply #329 on:]

"Well, what do you expect? When you sign a contract with FOX, of course you're going to be betrayed and humiliated!"

AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

[Reply #330 on:]

 

Originally posted by David A:
So, Homer was willing to hit a girl scout in the face with a pie, but he couldn't bring himself to do the same to the Dalai Lama?  Pffft.  I'd pie the Dalai Lama before I'd pie a little girl.

I don't think it was so much out of respect for the Dalai Lama, as it was out of love for Lisa, and his promise to her.  If Lisa hadn't been there/been a Buddhist, that talking Lama would have been eating crust!

[Reply #331 on:]

Holy crap! Leelaholic was right! This episode WAS good! I guess the promo just through me off, since it made it look so stupid. But in fact, it was actually funny, it had some good Homer-Lisa scenes, the Spider-Man parody was funny, and more stuff and... yeah, too lazy to write more.
Grade: 4/5
Also, @ DotheBartman: I'm not sure if it was its last apperance, but we saw Krusty Burger in "Moe Baby Blues" with Moe and Maggie.

[Reply #332 on:]

"Simple Simpson"

I could see people knocking it, but I liked it. It was wacky, but in a good way (like "I, D'oh-bot" ). As Shadowstar said, the Homer/Lisa scenes were great. It's always nice to see Homer watching out for his kids. The Dali Lama could have easily made the episode go sour, but no. His part was fairly well handled.

A- (One of the best this season in my opinion)

   

Originally posted by Shadowstar:
Holy crap! Leelaholic was right! This episode WAS good!

Originally posted by Newhook_1:
I guess Leelaholic was right  <IMG SRC="http://peel.gotfuturama.com/ubb/eek.gif">

<IMG SRC="http://peel.gotfuturama.com/ubb/tongue.gif">

[Reply #333 on:]

I might be the only one, but I thought the Dali Lama flying away was funny.  It reminded me of Lucy Lawless or even Hugh Downes (sp?) in Family Guy's The Kiss Seen Around the World.  For some reason its very funny to me when a person randomly flies away, I mean it's completely rediculous.  That can be funny too, no reason, just something funny.

[Reply #334 on:]

I didn't like the Dalai Lama flying away because it was probably the most obvious joke they could have made (plus, people flying always looks cheesier than normal on the Simpsons... which you wouldn't expect, but it is).  I did like how he recognized Homer, though. 

Semi-related topic: I'm really looking forward to the upcoming flashback episode... could be the best all season (or the past few seasons, even), if done right.  Let's hope it is...

[Reply #335 on:]

Time for another belated review.

The Wandering Juvie
Boo for reuseing a joke from an earlier episode! Boo I say! I know it's a fairly common occurance which most shows fall prey to, but boo anyway!
In any case, I caught the last two thirds of it, and now it's the day after and I can barely remember it... no good....
I do remember being astonished at how good this episode looked, though... which is odd, as I usually don't notice things like that...
So yeah... I guess it's forgetable... but so many things are for me these days... can I borrow someone elses brain for a while?

[Reply #336 on:]

Promo card (sorry for the late response)

"Simple Simpson"

[Reply #337 on:]

Yay, now we can speculate on a show that we've already seen based on a promo card taken from the last scene of the episode! Really, though, I find it interesting that they would use that as the promo card when Bart's role is limited to... that. 

[Reply #338 on:]

Well, a lot of the time Fox puts out promo cards that have very little to do with the episode's plot. The most recent example is the "My Big Fat Geek Wedding" cards. They both featured Matt Groening, even though he has very little to do with the progression of the episode.

The biggest reason for having cards that have little to do with the episode is that promo cards aren't supposed to give too much away, but are still supposed to give you a rough idea on what the concept of the episode is. In the promo card above (thanks, BTW, Leelaholic), you get the idea that the episode is about superheroes, but you don't get much more than that.

And, in the case of the "My Big Fat Geek Wedding" cards, Groening was probably featured because of the fact that the show's creator was going to appear in the episode, which is (apparently) a big deal.

[Reply #339 on:]

Well It still didn't bring in extra viewers apparently.

[Reply #340 on:]

Well, according to The Simpsons Channel, the ratings have stayed pretty much the same all season (the one exception being "I, D'oh-Bot", which got huge ratings)
 

Originally posted by Gorky:
(thanks, BTW, Leelaholic)

No problem. Glad to do it.   <IMG SRC="http://peel.gotfuturama.com/ubb/smile.gif">


------------------

"A gun is not a weapon, it's a tool. Like a butcher knife, or a harpoon, or... or an alligator."

[Reply #341 on:]

Another thing is that these promos aren't used exclusively as hype for upcoming shows.  They're also used as images in magazines and so forth after episodes have long since aired.  Thus, for the promos they want to have striking images that also hopefully come from a moment in the show that people would remember.  And the ending (on the roof) for that episode is one of the more memorable scenes of it, and makes a good image in general.

[Reply #342 on:]

Yeah, but there were a number of other good homer-strikes-a-pose scenes that would have worked just a well, IIRC.  However, I agree, the end scene was the most memorable by far.  Still, Bart's role in the episode is very minor, while the promo card makes it look like he is a major player. It surprised me, that's all.  Usually when they show something that is unrelated to the plot, it is a guest star.

[Reply #343 on:]

A question about the thread that's been bothering me - it's supposed to be Unloved by All isn't it? Because I've been (rather foolishly) assuming it meant unloved by Al Jean  <IMG SRC="http://peel.gotfuturama.com/ubb/smile.gif">

[Reply #344 on:]

Its a refrence to a joke in Tis the fifteenth season and tile of the episode 'And Maggie Makes Three.

*Edit instead of replying to post below*
 http://www.snpp.com/upcoming/uk.html#newsky

[Reply #345 on:]

Oh, cool. What with Sky's schedule I don't often see new episodes  <IMG SRC="http://peel.gotfuturama.com/ubb/smile.gif">

[Reply #346 on:]

Don't we have a thread for that?

[Reply #347 on:]

NEW SSSSIMPSONS TONIGHT! 

[Reply #348 on:]

 

Originally posted by Woodbot 2.0:
NEW SSSSIMPSONS TONIGHT!   

I've been waiting for this one ("The Way We Weren't" ) since I first saw the promos about a month and a half ago. I'm anticipating it to be one of the best of the season.

And, I know that it's been mentioned before, but J. Stewart Burns, the man who brought us "Moe Baby Blues" is the writer. Granted, he wrote some bad episodes on Futurama ("Mars University", "The Cryonic Woman" etc.), but his work on The Simpsons so far has been great. So, I'm assuming that this, like his better work, will be great.

Of course I could be horribly of base, at which point you can all laugh and point at me  <IMG SRC="http://peel.gotfuturama.com/ubb/frown.gif">...

[Reply #349 on:]

when is the newest episode in the U.K on Sky One? and how do i find out for myself?

[Reply #350 on:]

 

Originally posted by Sal
When is the newest episode in the U.K. on Sky One? and how do i find out for myself?

 

Originally posted by User_names_suck:
http://www.snpp.com/upcoming/uk.html#newsky

[Reply #351 on:]

that is possibly the worst organized website in the world, will some one decythr that ribberish and tell me?

[Reply #352 on:]

Sal, please tell me you're joking...

[Reply #353 on:]

For fucks sake you better be joking. I gave you a link so you wouldn't even have to scroll up or down.

23rd May:  Margical History Tour
20th June: Millhouse doesn't live here anymore.

The Site is like that becuase it contains acres of infomation that is Frequently updated.
(although strangley they still haven't mentioned the fact that the Voice actors contract negotiations are over)

[Reply #354 on:]

I've got a title for the fourth review thread.

"Cape Foure"

[Reply #355 on:]

I doubt we'll get a fourth thread, seeing as how there are only three episodes left in the season.
Good name though.

[Reply #356 on:]

Well the next one could probably just be a general Simpsons thread. That's pretty much what this one has been used for anyway.

[Reply #357 on:]

THE WAY WE WEREN'T:

Show spoiler

Awesome ep. In my opinion, the best this season. Flashbacks are great because they allow opportunity for fresh jokes based on the time period and age of everyone. All of the characters got to do something so Homer didn't feel overused. I especially liked Patty and Selma's appearances. As for continuation, this flashback sequence fit in nicely. The beginning was fantastic just because it passed by quickly leaving a lot of room for complicated 'first kiss' story.

My only complaints: end seemed a little rushed, but it still made sense. Homer wasn't Milhouse's first kiss and it seemed kinda weird that the fat camp was so bad at getting kids to lose weight.

Favorite Lines:
"Osama, I'll write back someday"
"Row or Wade..."
"We know all there is to know about men... except what's from the waist down, but we have our theories based on a G I Joe doll we once bought."

And could someone tell me, was it Patty or Selma who kissed Homer?

a definite A

[Reply #358 on:]

Another fine episode from J. Stewart Burns. As before, he produces something that could go down as a potential classic later on (though I like Moe Baby Blues more in terms of comparisons).

Tomacco said many of the things I would say, but eh, it bears repeating. This episode got everything rolling quickly and didn't waste time in the first act on any wacky tangents. It started the intrigue of the story and used characters really well also. The story was in fact very well written overall; a little cliche in some ways (which is typical of the flashbacks anyway), but with plenty of Simpsons charm that kept it all interesting. Nothing tear inducing this time, but plenty of genuinely sweet moments abounded nonetheless, and it got me caring what was going on.

What also benefited this episode was that it was hilarious throughout, especcially starting in act two. Again there was great use of side-characters throughout, both in the present (loved the cameo from McCallistar) and in the past with many Springfieldians as kids. Meta-references were abundant but were all well-used and generally in a good context with the episode (the only slightly annoying one was pointing out the joke behind the phone prank thing, but it still worked otherwise). There weren't any misfires I can remember (outside of possibly Moe pointing out his own joke) and it was just filled with great moments; the Homer/Marge dream sequence bit, the tree breaking, all the fat camp sequences, etc. The humor was also well used in the storyline and never "intruded" on the sweet moments; if anything it usually aided them and was worked in well.

Also should compliment the animation direction again. The dream bit was of course the highlight but it was very good in general.

Overall another fine episode. I don't have any real complaints and I thoroughly loved it. With that said I may need to watch it again to fully evaluate it, but I think I'll go with...

A (possibly A-)

DYN moments:
Sherri and Terri actually spoke. When was the last time THAT happened? (although maybe I'm forgetting something recent)

Homer, of course, seems to remember that he supposedly ruins Lisa's future wedding. But how does he know about it? Wizard, or maybe Lisa told the family about it later.

Is it just me, or did I see a young Mike Reiss at the fat camp? (kid with black hair similar to Mr. Bergstrom)

[Reply #359 on:]

Saw it, loved it. So many great things at play... writing, animation (I don't normally notice animation, but this is the fourth time this season that I have specifically been impressed by it... that's incredible), humour. The (many) meta-refs were surprisingly well done (Moe's line was potentially bad, but surprisingly funny, as was Homer 'remembering' the events of Lisa's Wedding). One small gripe was the kid versions of the Springfield (and Shelbyville) adults... they just looked like shorter versions of the adult designs. Of course, that is all you can really do in this style of animation if you want it to be clear who they are, but I did say the gripe was small. I liked how they intertwined the stories, they didn't do it as much as they could have (such as in Trilogy of Error-style), but still used the dual-story format well and kept it from just being a re-hash of what had already been seen a few minutes earlier.  As a whole, the episode was charming, cute, and funny, a well deserved A-A+ range. 

Final thought: I thought that Homer's fall down the cliff was very reminiscent of his fall down the gorge in Bart the Daredevil in the way it looked. It sure added to the classic feel of the episode.