Reviews - Season 13
Season 13 continued much in the vein of Season 12. A masterpiece came one week, followed by a complete travesty the next. Compared to the later run of season 14-16, the show was amazingly inconsistent, but at the same time "great" episodes seemed to come far more frequently. It was as if the writers had decided at the beginning of the year to devote most of their time to half of the episodes, and leave the rest for hurried completion after their best creative energies had been spent. All in all, the season's respectable amount of great material kept it a notch or two above the show's worst seasons.CABF18 "A Hunka Hunka Burns In Love"
Well, I was frankly surprised with this one. I expected a dumb Homer and Mr. Burns plot, a la "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" or "Homer Vs. Dignity", but the concept, as well as the jokes, kept this one well above the level of crap. Far and away, this episode is the best of the new season. Homer getting a job as a fortune -cookie writer was fine, although I was scared the episode would spend too long on it. Then, when the episode begins to center around Mr. Burns, the episode really starts to get going. The Smithers jokes, and the first look at Burn's new gal were well-done, as well. I loved seeing the voice of Elaine from "Seinfeld" Simpsonized. The subsequent jokes featuring on Mr. Burns, as well as the hilarious "aphrodisiacs" gag, left me laughing loudly for the first time since "Trilogy Of Error". Then, when Snake's kidnapping takes over the plot focus, the episode dips a little, but the conclusion, as well as most of the jokes used, were still up to par. Overall, this episode was really satisfying to watch. Long Live Non-Mike Scully episodes!Grade: B+
CABF19 "Treehouse Of Horror XII"
Well, after weeks of delays, the Halloween special finally aired, six days after All Hallow's Eve. Regardless of the air date though, it was a new episode! Anyway, as always, the "TOH" format was there, with three seperate stories. The opening credits were fairly funny, and the Simpsons dressed as Flinstones was a nice touch. The first story, "Hex In The City", was just downright bad. Stupid jokes, a bad plot, and really dumb appearences sunk this one quickly. The only halfway good thing was the leprechaun, but he got old very fast. I would have to give this story a D. The second, "House Of Whacks", is the best one of this episode. Pierce Brosnan has a great guest appearance, Marge, for once, is not a dumb character, Homer says some great lines, and the plot works. And, to top it all off, you get a great parody of "2001" throughout. This one gets a B+. The final story, "Wiz Kids", was dissapointing. It could have been much better. So many great possibilities for parodies were there, but they botched it, and hey, I can't stop them. Mr. Burns has an okay part, but Smithers' snake steals the show. Bart, Lisa, Milhouse, and the other kids are all predictable, too. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. What helped this episode was the end credits scene, which was very original, we've never seen something like that before. Well, that about wraps it up - this was a so-so episode, but for a Halloween special it was mediocre.Grade: C
Well, I never expected good things from this episode. Another boring guest-star, and a hackneyed plot description kind of did this one in from the start. But make no mistake, this episode earned its bad review. First off, there was the horrible plot. Scenes switched without any rhythm, the chain of events didn't make any sense, and the ending was absolutely horrible. Then, R.E.M. embarassed themselves with a horrible guest performance, I don't know why they were even on the show anyway. All the jokes, from every characters, fell flat as well. And to top it all off, they waste Moe's once-per-year go as the focus of an episode on this crap. Oh well. I guess you could focus on the few good moments, but let's hope that this is the last episode we see from Mike Scully and that this is the worst this season has to offer.Grade: D
Well, this episode started out solidly. And, in fact, throughout the entire show, it never faltered in terms of plot. Everything flowed, and for once the Simpsons didn't go to some sort of festival to start it out. The flashbacks to Homer were very funny, I wish there had been more of them. But there were two main problems with the episode: first, it seemed very short. Maybe it was the first act, I don't know, but I could swear it was barely twenty minutes long. Secondly though, and much more concerning, was the obvious lack of humor. It seemed as if the writers had to trade away the normal Simpsons jokes in favor of a plot that worked and made sense. Although there were a few good gags, especially the Springfield Gorge bit, I never really laughed out loud. Ah well, I guess it's an improvement over the Family-Guy-esque episodes we've been seeing of late (no offense to Family Guy, it's just not "The Simpsons"). But thankfully, this is the last we'll see of Mike Scully. A solid ep.Grade: B-
Well, I was really surprised with this one. I was expecting a Season 12-esque flop, but this episode turned out to be very good! Ironically, the funny concept of Bart and Homer chained together did not contribute much to the laughs; the scenes in-between, with the other characters, and before and after the chaining, were very good. Jane Kacyzmark made a very nice guest appearance, and all the characters delivered at least one good line. As well, for once, Marge and Homer were like partners, which is much more enjoyable to watch. In fact, the only bad part of this episode was the ending, which was melodramatic and predictable. However, this looks a great start to the new season!Grade: B-
"Brawl In The Family" definitely started out giving me high hopes. A scene of Homer and Bart fighting over a game of Monopoly sounded great before I even saw it, and the jokes didn't disappoint. Many great one-liners got thrown around, all of them funny. And the second act, as well, was funny enough to keep the episode in the realm of "good". But the third act was another complete nose-dive that we were so used to seeing from Seasons 11 & 12. A smooth-running good story got wrecked by the re-appearence of two idiotic characters, the "floozies" from "Viva Ned Flanders". The reactions of the Simpson and Flanders clans were stupid, as well; the children and Marge seemed to forgive Homer and Ned way too easily. As well, nothing about the women were funny, which just meant for a third act that made me want to scream "end it before it's too late!". So, unfortunately, an episode that could have been great was almost completely ruined by a stupid continuation of a bad episode. I guess I'll just have to try and forget it...Grade: B-
Well, we here at SW saw it coming, and predicted this plotline quite some time ago. Lisa's already condemned Jebediah Springfield, Whacking Day, and of course meat. It was only a matter of time until she found Christianity to be unfulfilling. But, out of all the religions she could've chosen, I have to say that I think Buddhism suits her the best. I think in later episodes, this concept os Lisa being Buddhist may come in handy. My favorite thing about this episode was the plot. I think this is the best plot out of the season 13 episodes (although "the Blunder Years" comes in a close second place). Though it wasn't that funny, it was still probably the best of the season so far. It had some nice gags like the hampster going into space (which, by the way, was an excellent parody of "Apollo 13"). Overall, I liked it.Grade: B+
DABF03 "Sweets And Sour Marge"
As I have voiced mumerous times, I am not a fan of Marge Simpson. She's not a funny character, she's predictable, and all the episodes featuring her seem to be her working against a larger force or supporting the little guy, which Homer does enough for comfort by himself. But, granted, this episode turned out alright. Although some unrealistic moments almost sent it under (cough) giant rolling human ball (cough), the overall plot worked very well. And, thankfully, Ben Stiller gave a great guest performance, playing very well into the "evil corporate tycoon" type of character. All the jokes of him being evil were great, and helped the episode leave me in a good mood. Homer was in better form than usual, as well, displaying the kind of not-so-stupid Homer we used to love, that Al Jean has promised to bring back. The episode was definitely solid, although I couldn't help wanting a little more.Grade: C+
Well, I definitely thought that an episode with John Lovitz returing couldn't be screwed up. As well, this episode has a great concept, of Marge's old flame Artie Ziff coming back. While I liked the connection with the season 2 episode "The Way We Was," they really botched this great idea. It begins with Homer having a problem with snoring that drives Marge crazy. After a few sleepless nights, she goes to Patty and Selma's house where they see Artie Ziff in all his glory on TV. For me, a lot of this first act seemed tedious and unfunny, especially the parts where Homer was snoring. Then, after a stupid and pointless scene with Marge's sisters, we get to the main part of the episode, with Artie Ziff coming back. Here, I wish they could have added some kind of satire of Artie being a dotcom millionaire, or at least more than just one Bill Gates line. For the rest of the episode, the jokes kind of hit and miss. The re-enacted high school prom was funny, especially seeing Willie with an afro, but many of the gags just don't work. And, as well, it was kind of predictable how Artie was going to make a move on Marge, and how Homer would begin feeling uncertain about his marriage. This part really annoys me; Homer decides to leave and, for no reason at all, Lenny decides to come with him. Then while they are leaving, Lenny acts like the same thing had just happened to him and Carl, even though it hadn't. In the end Marge picks up Lenny and Homer, who had taken up jobs at an oil pump in West Springfield (which is the size of Texas for some reason...) in Artie's helicopter who explained to him that nothing had happened and Marge was all his. Though this episode had some good moments and a few funny one-liners, the bad use of a great concept was really what killed it.Grade: C
Finally, I can say that the horrible, horrible memories of Mike Scully are gone. This was an episode I really enjoyed watching. Homer, the best character on the show, was the funniest I've seen him in years! The entire first act was a great success, with all the movie gags going over great, as well as the hilarious scene with Drederick Tatum's statue! The moment when Homer hits his jaw is definitely a classic. The second act and third acts, as well, was hilarious, especially Homer's great line when dancing "I'm so horny!" and Marge not understanding him and thinking he said something romantic. The changed Homer, as well, provided for some great gags, although I'm beginning to get a little sick of scenes with Lenny, Carl, Homer, and Moe in the bar. And the third act, although it was all over the place in terms of plot, was exceptional as well. The Popeye parody was classic, especially all the little details, and the donkey getting stronger and falling down was hilarious as well. Overall, for the first time in quite a while, I was completely satisfied with an episode. Go Al Jean!Grade: B+
DABF06 "The Bart Wants What It Wants"
(by guest writer Ben Bromfield) I was not very impressed with this episode. I didn't absolutely hate it, but I was definatly not impressed. The reason for this was that Homer, one of the greatest television characters of all time, had one of his worst episodes ever. Not only was he more stupid than usual, he just didn't say much that made me even crack a smile. That is a big problem. The concept was okay (Ranier Wolfcastle's daughter, Greta falling in love with Bart). There were a few funny moments (not many). But it was truly lacking that big fat oaf we all love so dearly. Also, when the Simpsons follow Greta and Wolfcastle to Canada where his new movies being shot, I don't know about you all, but I wanted to hear more Canada jokes. This is probably because they only got there with five minutes left in the show. I think the writers should've focused more on the Simpsons traveling to Canada, and a little less on Bart and Greta. Overall, this episode really wasn't great. It wasn't complete trash but I was really disappointed in Homer. However, the Seinfeld parody at the end was really nice. That bumped up my rating from a "C-" to a "C."Grade: C
DABF07 "The Latest Gun In The West"
Oh, man. This episode was a flop for the ages. After a solid run of episodes for most of this season, and no glaring screw-ups, all the writers of the show had to do was keep us happy with the style the show had grown into. So, what the hell was this? This episode felt so much like "Simpsons Safari" or "Pokey Mom" that I was scared. Stupid jokes throughout, an idiotic, predicatable plot, and absolutely none of the satire that makes this show what it is is just the tip of the iceberg for the flaws in this episode. First off, why the hell was the entire first act devoted to Bart being chased by a dog? Although there were a few funny moments, the first act was stupid, and didn't have any bearing on the rest of the episode. I tried to be generous after this, but then the stupid second and third acts came in. Buck McCoy is a stupid, unfunny character with an annoying voice, and I didn't once laugh at anything he said. And overall, the plot of the last two acts was stupid. Bart, America's misfit and resident badass, is taking a cowboy as his idol? Right. A Western craze hitting Springfield? Sure! Stupid ideas like that, as well as the discontinuity with Krusty's show (wasn't it permanently cancelled last season), as well as it not seeming to be a kid's show anymore, just generally annoyed the hell out of me. To top it all off, somehow the show made the recovery of a drunken cowboy, which is a pretty good concept, I guess, seem completely unfunny. And don't get me started on how a cowboy managed to foil a bank robbery led by 3 hardened convicts with high-class guns, or why they were on a first-story window looking out anyway. Overall, I guess there were about 3 funny moments in the entire episode. But the completely unforgiveable plot and flow of the episode really sunk it. I sincerely hope this is the last flop we see for quite a while from the new season.Grade: F+
DABF08 "Tales From The Public Domain"
Well, the last few seasons have really found the writers having fun with alternate episode formats, for the most part in good ways. And this episode is no exception. Overall, this episode gave me that good old fuzzy feeling after watching something very funny, and without a doubt the best thing on television. I think, barring a few blunders, this season is shaping out incredibly well. On to the actual stories. The first, with "The Odyssey", was easily the best. Because I know a lot about all three of the stories in this episode, including this one the most, all of the parodies that people do not get if they are not familiar with the literature were readily apparent to me. Anyway, Homer was in great form, and a large collection of one-liners and jokes that play on the good old-fashioned characters, just in different settings, were great. Barney was definitely a good plus to see in his good old drunken form, and the "trojan wood" line was hilarious. The second act, with Lisa as Joan Of Arc, was a bit of a drop-off, but the overall satire saved this act from any real problems. The repeated cracks against the French, hurling humans in the catapult, the bit with Wiggum, the hilarious part with Hans Moleman, and many other parts worked, although overall it wasn't very funny. But the act was a solid follow-up. The final act, with Bart as Hamlet, is probably only funny is you are familiar with the story, which I am. Many of the jokes were well-done parodies of the actual play, and the deaths were funny, although the act felt a little rushed, and the ending was stupid. The final part with the family, and the Ghostbusters theme, for some reason wasn't unfunny to me, and it felt like the zany family we all loved to me. Anyway, overall I thought this was a great effort from the show's writers. Keep it coming!Grade: B+
DABF09 "The Old Man And The Key"
Well, this is overall an episode the reminds me of the show's zany roots. The show has begun a shift towards more off-the-wall plotlines, but as long as the jokes, satire, and quality of the characters stay intact, I'm okay with the evolution of the show. This episode is one where I can't really go into much detail and the specifics, but the overall feeling was great. Overall, it was very fun to watch, as overall I felt (a rarity in new episodes) as if there was a clear plot, however weird it was. Grampa episodes are hard to botch, and his senile moments contained their usual hilarity. His romance at the Seniors Center, although already been done before ("Old Money") is decent, the steady string of jokes about old people is very funny. As the episode progresses, you see how the plot moves along setting up gags and one-liners. My favorite part of the episode was the absolutely great satire when Grampa and Homer switch roles. The great flip-flop is punctuated with some great culture references, especially when Grampa plays really old music that angers Homer. After the great first two acts, however, the episode takes a slight dip in quality, and runs the risk of becoming a little too zany. However, it treads the line well, and all the jokes, from "Bronson" Missouri (hilarious) to the great dance number made me laugh. As well, Grampa and Bart as a team are great, and all their jokes once they are in Missouri are hilarious. So, overall, I thought this was a fun-filled episode, that definitely picks up my spirits, and makes me think this season is definitely going to revitalize the show. If the great writing continues, and the jokes keep coming, the show is going to remain the best on television!Grade: B
Well, there's usually one true vacation episode each season, and this one is it. However, unlike previous outings by "The Simpsons" writers, this one actually worked! With a clear plot, no stupid gags, no annoying idiotic Homer moments, and jokes that come the whole time, this episode is a reminder of what makes the show great. The setup is very clear, and well done: Lisa drags the family to Brazil, after a $400 phone bill informs Homer and Marge she has a pen pal there. The opening act is definitely the best, with many great jokes, including the hilarious telemarketer quip - "She hung up on me!" and then him crying. After the great jokes, the solid beginning to the episode, and the clear plot, I thought this episode couldn't go wrong, and it didn't. The gags kept coming, from the Brazillian kids show, to the many citizens of Brazil the Simpsons meet while vacationing. Because there were jokes almost nonstop throughout the episode, a few weren't that good, but that's to be expected, and you forgot any of them quickly. The satire that makes the show great was all over the place to, from puns, to Lisa talking about where Springfield is, and saying how if you look at the clues, you can find where it is, which is a shot at all the hardcore Simpsons fans. Overall, I can't remember a bad thing about this episode, except for a few parts that were a little too weird, and the horrible ending with Bart in the snake. But the episode was a definite winner, and I think this season is turning out great. A solid one to watch.Grade: B+
This episode was probably the most highly anticipated of this season. With Homer getting addicted to medical marijuana, I thought the hilarious jokes would fly, but alas, I was wrong. This episode is a hallmark of wasted potential. Although there are many hilarious moments (mainly to do with marijuana, and Homer's stoner lines), the overall episode didn't flow at all, and there were a lot of stupid moments that were trying for a laugh and failed. To start with, the entire first act felt like a waste - Genetic engineered vegetables = Marge growing own = Birds coming = Scarecrow = Homer getting scared = Homer getting hurt. The first eight minutes had me yawning, wondering if the writers had really completely botched this great concept. Luckily, the second act was great, and it probably saved the episode. Every marijuana joke was hilarious, and the Phish cameo was great. Otto was in true form as well. But then, when I'm just beginning to enjoy the episode, the ridiculous third act comes along, focusing on Burns, and how Homer can't laugh at his jokes because he's not high. Riiiiggght... where did this come from? Anyway, the episode felt like a pile of crap after that, and the overall feeling I got from it was of how much better this episode could have been. If the greatness of the second act had stayed, I would have given it a hands-down A, but a botched plot and two-thirds of the episode being stupid really brings this one down.Grade: C
Given my tendency to be intensely negative, I try to approach all the new episodes as optimistic and open-minded as I can. Sure, the show isn't as great as it used to be, but there are still some great laughs and episodes left to see. But "Gump Roast" is just not a good episode. I didn't think a clip show could be screwed up, but except for two or three great moments, nothing of the original material worked. First there's the clips: it's hard to really grade these, but overall, I thought the choice of clips wasn't great. There were characters such as Maggie reminiscing about things they hadn't been there to see; there were drawn out portions of unfunny Season 10 and 11 scenes. Overall, I'd have to say there were a lot of great flashback moments - but I have to say that there could have been a LOT more flow between them, and there were some great moments from the recent seasons that weren't picked up. That aside, I think the non-clip parts of the episode were almost 100% pure crap. Three, count 'em, three moments kept this episode from being the worst it could be - the part where Homer parodies Forrest Gump, the hilarious moment when Kang and Kodos turn out to be Christian, and the ending song. Even there, though, there were a lot of sudden transitions into clips, and the final song, though funny, wasn't something we should be hearing during a Simpsons episode. The scenes in the roast were idiotic, and I still don't know why Kang and Kodos were there, so I just won't go into those drawn-out, awkward moments. This episode can't be all bad, because it has clips, but in the future, I hope the writers find a better way to present funny moments from the past!Grade: D
Now that's a Simpsons episode! Just watching "I Am Furious Yellow", I know "The Simpsons" has made it back to being worthy of being called the best show on television. The jokes just flew throughout this one, and I don't think I've laughed so hard at a new Simpsons episode in a LONG time. For once, the writers managed to keep it simple, and to make sure the plot kept on topic - Bart creates an internet cartoon called "Angry Dad", about Homer, which leads Homer to become even angrier than normal. That kind of simple plot really helped set up the episode for all its jokes. All along, there are some great moments, and really funny one-liners, like Krusty's hilarious quote... "Krusty: Get me that animal that chomps on my groin! Secratary: You mean Susan Antwon?". As well, the satire of both comic strips and internet businesses really added a lot to the episode. Although the jokes about the dotcoms seemed a little dated, the great take on how the bubble burst was well-done, especially the scene with the Repo Man. One of the highlights of the episode was definitely the parody of "The Hulk" with Homer - if you know anything about the character, the animation was dead on, and Homer's funny yells were just icing on the cake. This episode was almost flawless in its jokes and satire, and made me feel really optimistic about where this show is going. If Al Jean can keep up the good work, we may be able to see more of these instant classics, and less of the stuff from the past two seasons.Grade: A
This episode really feels like a mixed bag to me. Watching it, I never saw any glaring problems, but overall, "The Sweetest Apu" never really made me feel like like laughing hard, or really enjoying the episode. There were a few funny moments, but throughout the episode, there were a lot of drawn-out, beating the joke 'till it's long dead moments, like Homer backing up with the music, the part with Manjula's lawyer, and scenes before Homer tells Marge about the affair. As well, after Manjula finds out about the affair, the plot was incredibly predictable, and it felt very rushed - in the span of a few minutes, they're back together again, and I obviously never thought the episode would end with them apart. At least in other sentimental episodes, where Homer and Marge are fighting, you can wonder if Marge will really take him back this time. Anyway, this episode really didn't have any big, annoying problems, but it's still one that I will forget before the end of this season. The magic of "The Simpsons" is that it's full of memorable moments and original ideas, and this episode really felt like something out of any other prime-time sitcom.Grade: C-
DABF15 "Little Girl In The Big Ten"
"Little Girl In The Big Ten" really clinches this season as the best one since Season 9, which feels like a very long time ago. This episode was a great example of why I love the Lisa-inspired episodes - it had a good concept, good character use, and an excellent subplot that tied in at the end. I don't think I've seen an episode in quite a while with as good a use of two seperate stories; the switching between Bart being in the bubble and Lisa trying to fit in was great. As well, the entire story seemed to move along nicely, weaving in many characters, giving some great moments, and never feeling like a connect-the-dots plotline. Homer, too, was in great form; the writers seem to be getting that in episodes where you are not featuring Homer, you only need to see a little of him. His lines about college were great. The part of the episode where Lisa is fitting in with the college students reminded me of some other scenes that have been used in other episodes, but hey, it worked. One other classic scene, as well, was the excellent college course about Itchy and Scratchy. "The Simpsons" is great at parodying itself and its fans, and the great jabs at reading too much into a cartoon were very funny. Overall, this episode was a solid one, with a few little problems. If the writers keep making ones like these, I'll be more than satisfied.Grade: A-
Well, I think I'm going to have to forgo my usual long, detailed review for this episode. There isn't much to talk about. There are definitely some hilarious moments in this episode, namely the scene with the priests fighting, and with Moe being scared of Homer, but there are also some long-winded, annoying scenes. Overall, the plot, story, and character use were also all average, adding up to a decent episode all-around, until the ending that could best be described as "mediocre". Fine, it kind of works with the story and stuff, but they can come up with better ways to end an episode! It just really felt like the entire episode was negated by that end scene, which had some funny lines, but really threw the entire 20 minutes off its tracks. Oh well. I have to say I enjoyed this episode, but it's not the kind I will be raving about for a while. A perfectly normal episode, and a funny one at that; I hope the show continues to keep serving up episodes where I can see nothing glaringly wrong with them . A good one to see once, but nothing to remember.Grade: B-
DABF17 "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge"
When "Behind The Laughter" first aired at the end of Season 11, it capped a batch of episodes that was, up until that point, the worst "The Simpsons" ever produced. "Behind The Laughter" was very, very good - and appeared even better in contrast with the weak episodes leading up to it - and patched up a lot of the wounds Season 11 inflicted upon the show's health and reputation. Season 13 was nowhere near as weak a season as Season 11, but it was hardly a return to the glory days. While rarely dreadful, the show had become increasingly inconsistent, and pronounced differences in quality from week to week resulted in a season that, prior to its premiere, provoked a thoroughly ambiguous reaction. It was tough to decide whether its strongest episodes should be focused on, or whether its frequent lapses should be highlighted instead. If anything will tip the balance in terms of Season 13 assessments, it's "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge". Like "Behind The Laughter", "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge" is an immensely strong finale, highlighting the possibilities the show's remaining strengths and accomplishing with ease tasks that left its immediate predecessors baffled.
There are very few bad things to say about this episode. There are occasional bad jokes, of course, but even the classics are not immune to this, and the clunkers' impact is lessened by drawing upon the sympathy capital the episode accrues after each increasingly funny moment. The plot is somewhat sparse on exposition - Homer isn't actually seen doing anything that really merits control of the city police - but the implied off-stage story progression is adequate. One of the easiest things to criticize this episode for would be that it lifts plot elements from previous episodes of the show, but even that is not a particular weakness; the parts are mined for their best qualities, blended together well, and feel original. If the episode is a Frankenstein, it is a monster of exceptional craft. The heat wave, the town riot, Quimby's political ridiculousness, Wiggum losing his job, Maggie shooting someone - the elements combine to foster real feelings of nostalgia, drawing upon familiar conventions and beats of the series and presenting it with confidence.
The episode's strengths are, obviously, more readily apparent. The jokes are consistently funny, and usually better than par for an episode from a double-digit season. Despite being the centerpiece of the episode, Homer isn't overused. It's been demonstrated time and time again that it's both easy and ultimately damaging to use Homer too much, but the writers have still abused the character the vast majority of the time since Seasons 7-8. Seeing the writers rein him back and save the full unleashing of his character for the most crucial moments is pure joy. With Homer not chewing up all the scenery, many other characters are given time to shine. Lenny and Carl get some wonderful interactions, the Simpson family provides their fair share of one-liners, and seemingly every major (or minor) Springfieldian is given a joke or two. The episode deftly draws upon all the resources available to writers operating in the Simpsons universe, neglecting to spend time on any one character for too long, which adds even more energy to the plot. The episode even makes room for a killer parody. The dead-on take on the opening credits for "The Sopranos" eats up a large portion of screentime (perhaps too much), but is so lovingly crafted that it can easily be forgiven.
"Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge" is intelligent in a way that the series has largely lost sight of. It's an intelligent, absurdly well-crafted riff on previous "Simpsons" themes, the established characters, and even other pop media. It never stays with an idea for so long that it gets boring, but also manages to have enough substance in its uncomplicated main narrative that it eliminates the need for a sub-plot and allows time for exploring as many comedic angles as possible of the central story. "Homer becomes the police" sounds like a lazy plot pitch, but when the idea is fully fleshed-out, infused with enthusiasm and care, and used to support an entertaining, varied mix of comedic tangents, it works wonderfully. "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge" stands right up there with golden-age "Simpsons" material, and stands as a major reason why Seasons 14 and on have seemed weaker compared to Season 13. Pure excellence.
Grade: A
(Reviewed November 3rd, 2006)Legal Notice and Disclaimer: "The Simpsons" TM and FOX and its related companies. All rights reserved. This site, its operators, and any content on this site relating to The Simpsons are not authorized by FOX.
