Reviews - Season 8
Season 8 was the last truly great season of the show. Its resume of hilarious episodes is positively obscene; eternal fan favorites "Homer Vs. The 18th Amendment", "You Only Move Twice", "The Springfield Files" and "Homer's Phobia" are just some of the greats to come from its ranks. Although its quality was tempered a bit by a few unremarkable episodes, its effectiveness at its best rivals anything that aired in the history of the show. From the end of Season 8 on, the show would remain in catch-up mode, trying to get back to the level of humor this season so consistently provided."You Only Move Twice" is an undeniable classic. Besides being respected among the core "Simpsons" fandom, it is popular and memorable even to casual viewers of the show. It's safe to say that a central reason for the episode's appeal is its gentle parody of the James Bond franchise, and the idea that Homer is unwittingly working for a supervillain. What is so strange about the episode, given the parts of it that stick in your head, is that up until the very end of the second act there are no obvious indications that Hank Scorpio is an evil mastermind. And there's no fundamental necessity for it, plot-wise; Homer gets through the entire story not realizing what Hank is up to, and the episode could have filled time in the third act with further family tensions and concluded in a respectable fashion, still retaining a lot of its humor and a wonderful main plot arc. Viewers would have been none the wiser - it's not a plot twist that would have been felt in its absence. Yet to imagine "You Only Move Twice" without its all-gonzo, all-brilliant, triumph of a story turn is almost painful. It's all bonus, but it's a spectacular bonus that turns what would have been a great episode on its own into something legendary.
The general premise for the episode, often underlooked due to attention on Hank Scorpio, is very strong. The real story starts in the first moments, and not a single scene strays from the main idea. The move from Springfield is well-handled, gliding over the obvious logistical difficulties in a way that doesn't rush the exit but is also not too sudden. Each character's time in Cypress City is given attention, and the difficulties of the non-Homer Simpsons are given real weight. Their experiences are sad, Marge's particularly, but the writers are careful not to make the segments too depressing, keeping the episode's gleeful intentions unhindered. And Homer's final decision to move the family back is, again, not rushed, but also not dragged out too long. The pacing, throughout, is one of the episode's strongest aspects, and keeps the entire enterprise from collapsing under the weight of all the stories being told.
But, despite how funny and well-written the main story is, it's all eclipsed by the monumental presence of Hank Scorpio. Albert Brooks turns in an insane, impossibly energetic guest star appearance, one that has to rank on if not at the top of the short list of the best in the show's history. From the first appearance, at the Simpsons' doorway, Scorpio makes the entire episode feel fresh and exciting, even a good ten years after its airing. Despite the episode's clear focus on Homer, he actually winds up being used fairly sparingly, and intriguingly often as the straight man to Scorpio's antics. It's not a normal role for Homer, but it works exceedingly well, an inventive use of the character that shows the possibilities in not putting Homer annoyingly front-and-center. The decision to keep the exact same tone in the two characters' conversations throughout is yet another stroke of genius, making the third act a surreal celebration of the best in deadpan humor. The James Bont sequence ends with one of the most unmerciful and hilarious jokes in the history of the series, and somehow Brooks makes Scoprio insane and charming enough that while he slaughters ranks of the nominal "good guys" in increasingly horrible ways it just gets more and more funny. It's pure insanity delivered with the highest craft by remarkably intelligent creators and performers, and it works beautifully.
But it's not the insanity, itself, that makes it funny - a lesson that has gone unheeded in countless following episodes of this series and others. It's the little touches, the foundation provided by the grounded and excellent main story, that allows the unexpected launch into the atmopshere to succeed. There may well have been two great episodes in here, one a grounded family story about moving between towns, one a completely nutcase supervillain send-up. But fused together they make for a Frankenstienian masterpiece. "You Only Move Twice" was a risky move that succeeded as well as anyone behind it could have hoped for, and there hasn't been an episode since that matches it. This marked the dizzying high point for the late-era "Simpsons", when the writers could still mix insanity, intelligence, and good storytelling and make it beautiful fun.
Grade: A+
(Reviewed November 26th, 2006) One greatly noteworthy aspect of this episode is the fact (that in the writer's eyes) this was the peak of the stunts Bart pulled; working in a burlesque house seemed to be the finale for craziness featuring Bart, and although I guess it was about time, it's also sad to see because from this point on it was Homer's show and "The Simpsons" definitely declined. Regardless, this episode should in no way be judged by the weak era it began, but rather by the good standards of the previous five fantastic seasons that it upheld. Homer and Bart home alone in this episode is funny, entertaining, and intelligently mocking of men in a way that so many Homer-Bart pairings aren't, and pretty much every bit with Homer in this episode works perfectly. The early parts of the episode are solid, too, but the episode really doesn't find its way until the scenes with the burlesque house start up. Bart's wide-eyed innocence and utter non-chalance in a weir situation are great, and the reactions of the townspeople are good to see too. Really, the first two acts are par for the course for great Simpsons episodes, except perhaps the tacked-on Lisa and Marge set-up, which while funny and serving a plot purpose, seems like a last-minute addition to show what they were doing. The episode truly hits its stride and finds its own unique place in the "Simpsons" universe with the third act, and the unforgettable musical number "We Put The Spring in Springfield". A great musical number in an episode always, always contributes to an episode's quality, and when it comes at the end and on top of an already great streak of comedy, the episode easily crosses the boundary into legendary. The song is hilarious, catchy, long, and intelligent - everything you could ever want. Then to top it all off, you get a great, great mockery of how spur-of-the-moment and unrealistic an impromptu song-wide musical performance would be when Marge shows up. This episode smacks of polish the whole way through, and a slightly underdeveloped sub-plot isn't enough to take the spring out of this episode in Springfield.Grade: A
The one, over-arching, wonderful phrase to describe Season 8 as a whole is "over-the-top hilarity". The writers seemed to shunt aside subtle references for outright parody. Running social commentary became sparse social comments, freeing up more time for comedy. This was a delicate balance, and in later seasons the show tipped too far over towards trying to make you laugh, losing sight of what made you care. But with episodes like "A Milhouse Divided", the sweet spot of episodes trying to be "funny" was reached. And how funny it is. The episode is replete with many a smile-inducing lines, and a handful of epic comedic setpieces. The family's dinner in front of the tv; Homer expressing his desire to drive around in a van "solving mysteries"; Kirk being fired from the cracker factory. Kirk's hilariously inadequate love song turned every sitcom convention on its head, showing us a goofy well-meaning man not getting the girl. And almost as an afterthought in the middle of the episode, the funniest slapstick gag in the history of the show, bar none: Bart's non-chalant smash of a chair onto Homer's head, and the side-splitting reaction that ensues. The simple list I provide doesn't really do this kind of comedy justice. So much happy laughter when you're watching television is greater than the sum of its parts, giving you a euphoria that can last well after the end credits roll. I'm amazed that this is but one episode in a season of 22 - it has enough funny moments to last a season of most sitcoms. The plot of the episode is lavished with attention as well, showing a logical and touching juxtaposition of the married lives of Bart and Milhouse's parents. You feel for all those involved, and if it can wear heavy sometimes it's forgiveable. For the plot is just an added bonus, an ancilliary extra that gives you even more justification for having such a good time. The achievements of this episode are all comedic, and they are enough to put even the classics to shame.Grade: A
"Homer's Phobia" is an episode that is worthy of the golden days of the show. Making great use of the character John, the episode even has a nice morality theme dealing with Homer's homophobia. But even without this, it is a down-right funny episode, from John's quips ("no, ultrasuede is a miracle, this is just good timing')to Homer's fear that Bart is turning gay ("there are only two types of people who wear Hawaiian shirts, Marge: gay guys and big fat party animals. And Bart doesn't look like a big fat party animal to me!") this is an episode that makes you remember the times when 'The Simpsons' was the epitome of perfection.Grade: A
4F14 "Brother From Another Series"
Season 8 could be seen a a collective middle finger thrown from the show's writing staff towards all previous conventions of realism, characterization, and style. Sprawling and absurd concepts and plots provided a wackier (and in many cases more funny) view towards the citizens of Springfield. "Brother From Another Series" fits in well amongst such a crowd. The central joke is that Sideshow Bob, voiced by Kelsey Grammar, meets up with his long-lost brother, Cecil, and the two re-connect. What makes this concept so delightful is that Cecil is voiced by David Hyde Pierce, who plays Kelsey Grammar's brother in the much-beloved television show "Frasier". The small references to "Frasier" form a collection of inside jokes that makes anyone in on the gag smile with glee. The show even shifts into the dry wit and sardonic dialogue that made "Frasier" famous, providing a wonderful homage that is still clearly recognizable as "The Simpsons". The multi-level genius of such a concept makes for an episode where even the joke-less moments bring amusement. The plot provides an outrageous scenario suitable for a Sideshow Bob episode, with the Springfield Dam so crucial to the story providing a locale for some rather excellent animation, as well. And all comedic conceit and wry "Frasier" in-jokes aside, the episode serves up a few of the funniest jokes I can remember. The "Cousin Merle" jokes bring making fun of hicks to another level, Sideshow Bob and Bart's fall from the dam is slapstick at its best, and Chief Wiggum and Lou's infamous "Sergeant" conversation also results in one of the best comedic banters the two cops ever participated in. Almost every episode from this era of the show earns a positive grade, and it almost can't be helped given the incredible consistency of the show. But "Brother From Another Series" earns its grade with flying colors, needing no support from the classics it is surrounded by.Grade: A
An often-overlooked feature of a show that's constantly lauded and praised for its writing, characters, plots, stories, and humor (all deserved, of course) is the fact that "The Simpsons" is also a great example of how good animation directing can improve a show greatly. This episode is a tremendous example of that. Throughout watching it (when I wasn't laughing at the great one-liners dotted throughout) I was struck by the tremendous animation direction of the whole episode, and how it improved the drama and some of the gags; Dr. Hibbert's "bad babysitting" declarations, with the exact same framing of the characters in both cases... the great use of light and shadow when Chief Wiggum sees Lisa with the wheelbarrow... the hilarious shots of the stores on the waterfront... even the slightly weird gag of Homer being caught in the fountain is made great by the way the water traps him. In addition to this fantastic, fantastic direction (I can't really find an example where Jim Reardon doesn't deftly improve a scene) there are a multitude of entertaining moments. Keen social commentary pops up in the aforementioned fountain scene, and in the screamed assumption "and she's on druuuuugs!" by Helen Lovejoy, which basically sums up everything that's wrong with hysterical adults quick to jump to the worst conclusions about young people. Two plots intersect to great effect here as well, making sure that Lisa and Bart's rivalry never becomes tired. And it's always great to see Bart and remember why he truly is this century's Dennis the Menace... the inventive and outrageous ways he sets out to ruin Lisa's babysitting career are inspired. And after it all, the episode's denouement wraps it all up nicely - giving the moral of good work and gaining trust making up for mistakes without resorting to a far-too-obvious "this is what we've learned" moment. A fantastic episode.Grade: A
4F21 "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson"
Well, season finales tend to always leave a sour taste in a loyal Simpson's fan mouth. It means that our beloved show has finished yet another great season (and Season 8 was no exception), and that the show is one step closer to retirement. But as with almost every episode from Season 8, "The Secret War Of Lisa Simpson" really delivers. It is one of the last episodes where you can really see Bart and Lisa work as a team, and those are the kind of episodes that this reviewer loves best. The idea in the first place of this episode is great: Bart shipped off to military school! Lisa coming along to find a place she can really learn! A great concept. Every scene of the hazing they endure is classic, especially the push-ups scene where Lisa utters on of her most famous quotes - "is there any answer I can give that won't result in more push-ups??". William Dafoe also makes a great guest star as the Commandant. Bart and Lisa's subsequent training in the military is also great, too, with many good jokes about the army, and their former schools. And, like any good episode featuring Bart and Lisa, there is a touching climax, complete with a great finale. A fitting end to the golden era.Grade: A-
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