[6.9/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] This is a tough one to grade. It has the basics of a well-built episode. You have a clear instigating event, an obvious conflict and difficulty to be resolved, and enough ups and downs to make the resolution less than inevitable. There’s even the faintest hint of thematic depth, with Comic Book Guy being upset that Homer wrecked a treasured collectible that reminds CBG of his relationship with his dad, and then settling their feud by wrecking a treasured collectible that reminds Homer of his relationship with his dad. It’s a little rickety in places, but it does the basics right, which is something.
And yet, the humor is really hit or miss. There’s a lot of very cartoony gags (like the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang bit or Marge getting literally tied in a knot) that rub me the wrong way. But there’s also some good lines, like Lisa telling her pet that cats are polarizing, or Homer warning Marge that CBG is a fat lazy slob, so she should beware of falling in love with him. Plus, bringing back Guillermo Del Toro is a blast for me, and the whole “mitigation video” conceit, while often feeling a little disconnected from the main story, it at least a good setup for jokes.
The end result is an episode that feels pretty pitched to the middle. Not great. Not terrible. Some laughs. Some stinkers. Solid enough, but not a stand out in either direction. About par for the course for this show in season 30.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-03-06T04:35:39Z
[6.9/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] This is a tough one to grade. It has the basics of a well-built episode. You have a clear instigating event, an obvious conflict and difficulty to be resolved, and enough ups and downs to make the resolution less than inevitable. There’s even the faintest hint of thematic depth, with Comic Book Guy being upset that Homer wrecked a treasured collectible that reminds CBG of his relationship with his dad, and then settling their feud by wrecking a treasured collectible that reminds Homer of his relationship with his dad. It’s a little rickety in places, but it does the basics right, which is something.
And yet, the humor is really hit or miss. There’s a lot of very cartoony gags (like the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang bit or Marge getting literally tied in a knot) that rub me the wrong way. But there’s also some good lines, like Lisa telling her pet that cats are polarizing, or Homer warning Marge that CBG is a fat lazy slob, so she should beware of falling in love with him. Plus, bringing back Guillermo Del Toro is a blast for me, and the whole “mitigation video” conceit, while often feeling a little disconnected from the main story, it at least a good setup for jokes.
The end result is an episode that feels pretty pitched to the middle. Not great. Not terrible. Some laughs. Some stinkers. Solid enough, but not a stand out in either direction. About par for the course for this show in season 30.