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Reviews
The Simpsons: The DeBarted (2008)
Near Perfect Spoof
I've seen The Departed. I loved it. Then I heard The Simpsons were going to have their way with it. Now in the past I've loved what they have done with bits from other movies and using them in the show. And earlier this season they took Eternal Sunshine and turned that into something magical. But I would be the first to tell you that there is no way in this day in age that The Simpsons could strike gold with spoofs twice in a season, not anymore. But my god, they did it.
It is hard to take a movie that is over 2.5 hours and transform it into 20 minutes of show, but they added all the classic moments from the movie except the final shock of Leo getting it in the head and in return Damon gets it too. If Donny and Bart got attacked some how in the end this would have been amazing. But the jokes the story, everything was solid. The subplot with Homer and the new car was decent, but not great. It still had great laughs with the climate controls battling each other. I also enjoyed how Homer gets his old car back.
Solid voice talent, sound, story, finale. 9/10 If only next week's will be as good.
The Simpsons (1989)
The Duel Series of The Simpsons
I propose the duel series theory to everyone who loves The Simpsons. This is a way one could also continue to love this proposed idea.
It is common knowledge that the series took a dive around season 10. And by dive I mean they changed course, Homer got a little more less intelligent and the episodes seemed to have only half the heart.
Now for the idea that we treat The Simpsons with a duel ideology. On one side there is the golden standard of The Simpsons and probably television in the 90s, which ended in the middle of season 10. After that we are greeted by a different show. A new retelling of the show even. This is the zany and crazy Simpsons. It is the point where the show became so huge it had to do something different to keep people watching. The story lines became wacky and disposable. Case in point can you quote more lines pre season 10 or post season 10? Are there lines worth remembering? Ask yourself that.
After season 10 we are given a sitcom where crazy ideas are thrown around. Homer has a different job every week and character who were had very tiny roles are now given bigger and more time. Also, this is the time when Apu is hardly seen and heard even less. The new Homer has no time to visit the KwikiMart because he is doing all these crazy jobs. Comic Book Guy, Grounds Keeper Willie, Profesor Frink and Ralph are becoming more mainstay. They are given a line in nearly every episode just so they can get a cheep laugh, but is it memorable? Hardly.
Next case, think about memorable Ralph lines. Then find out where those lines came from? They are prior to season 10 and this new consistent Ralph is less memorable.
Even amazingly good episodes like Eternal Moonshine from this season lacks the pop to be memorable. Sure it was a very well done episode and we all know it because it was recent, but a few years down the road will you remember anything from it other than the plot? Will you remember the dialogue that made it so good? To be completely honest the only episode with lines that are worthy of remembering are from The President Wore Pearls episode and that was because it was done via catchy and good song parady.
I know a lot of you are going to disagree with what I'm saying. You will call it all classic and call me crazy and saying I just have a small brain and cannot remember the lines and the stories. But I ask you to sit for a minute and think. Can you recall 100 moments after season 10? 50? 25? 15? There are 200 episodes to choose from, can you do it? Now I'm not saying it was bad after season 10, I still watch every new episode with my friends like I did 7 years ago and I still laugh, the show has always been funny. I'm not saying it hasn't been. I'm just saying it's not a memorable type of humor. I will always cherish seasons 1-9. They are my childhood and I will always see seasons 10-whenever as the show that continued in place of the Golden Age of The Simpsons. Which is The Simpsons, but still feels like a different series within the series.
The Simpsons: That '90s Show (2008)
One of The Worst Ideas Ever
Again in trying to be funny by having a joke about the show's age and longevity compared to modern times this episode takes us to the 90s before Bart was born. Having loved the earlier seasons this episode should be burned. Bart grew up in the early 80s and not the early part of the 21st century.
That being said, this episode is just one big 90s joke. It even gives us Marge with a Rachel from Friends hairdo. It lacked wit and contained jokes run in the dirt by everyone 10 times over. Including the Back to the Future gag of 'hearing that sound you've been looking for' and Homer doing every classic Seinfeld moment in under 20 seconds. I tried to close my eyes so I could be taken away from this ungodly episode.
Shame on you writers for making this episode. This made me cry for all the wrong reasons!
The Simpsons: The Way We Was (1991)
Top 10
This is The Simpsons at their best. Flashback episodes always give something more than a regular episode. This is the episode as to how Homer and Marge fell in love. It's great, with Homer never giving up on Marge and then Marge goes to Homer when she realizes how great he really is.
It has the laughs you need, the heart, a sensitive storyline along with Artie being an ass. It's the perfect mix of emotion.
Best part of the episode and one of the best in the series is the scene on the stairs where Marge questions Homer as to why he won't give up, it just has that emotion newer episodes lack. Homer's dedication to never give up on Marge, even after he has her then looses her is beyond amazing.
Can they ever match this greatness again. I hope so.
The Simpsons: E Pluribus Wiggum (2008)
Starts Out With Less Than What It Ends With
This must be one of the few opened-ended episodes of The Simpsons. And I must admit I started out thinking it was going to be another piece of trash handed out by the writers, but what I got what a completely oblivious view of the election race. Unlike previous episodes they didn't have the top candidates next to Ralph running. They were only mentioned in playful passing. I do have to admit I really liked the Fred Thompson joke about him being in Die Hard 2. But this episode is really good at showing what people who don't care about politics can really do to harm the process.
This wasn't a straight forward episode but a very good parody on politics. Good job writers for doing it yet again this season!
The Simpsons: Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind (2007)
One of The Season's Best
Much like the statement of "The End" on the back of the boat followed by a question mark at the end of the episode, if this really was the end I would be happy instead of mad.
If you are like me, then you might have noticed the decline of the show over the past few years. Then came the Simpson's Movie and the Simpsons were back, or as back as they possibly could be. But then the 19th season started and even though it started strong, that idea was quickly swept away. But the season has taken a slight turn for the better, Episode 8 gave us Sideshow Bob and his family, which is always pleasant, then came this episode. Episode 9 is the closest they have come to bringing back the charm of their former selves in a very long time. Yes the plot is crazy, but they wrap is all up. Everything gets explained in its own crazy way. But there is also the emotion factor which is back. There have been many episodes where Homer might loose Marge (tons), but none quite like this. The plot itself involves Homer drinking a forgetful shot, possible domestic violence, Flanders, suicide, realization of faults and clips from every previous episode to show what Homer has gone through in his life (yes, they show something from all of them). Frankly I would have liked to see Homer travel back to an episode from the first season to seek help, that would have made the episode timeless, but what they did I can also settle for. The whole time lapse seen of Homer's life flashing before his eyes was damn good as well.
If the rating system went to 9.5 I would give it that score (only seasons 3-7 are 10s in my book) but 9 for what I've seen of late is amazing. Lets hope this is a welcome change for the new year, but deep inside I fear it will not.
Futurama: Bender's Big Score (2007)
Futurama's back and it's a great mix of classic characters and episode viewpoints
It starts out with its common humor and gags but within it all it tosses in so many moments from previous episodes and so many characters and it does it perfectly. And the moment you realize who Lars is there is that extremely sad realization because you know what is coming after all he has gone through. It was a Jurassic Bark moment where you tear up. The ending is classic with Bender's line.
I'm glad they didn't miss a beat with the flow of the show and how well they expanded it to fill movie length. I would like to see how it will be broken into 4 episodes. An idea I can put on the table about those episodes; one of them will be the saddest episode of Futurama ever, and I will love every minute of it just as I did this movie!