[7.7/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] Good episode! The A-story has an emotional throughline for both Lisa and Bart, and enough twists and turns in the story to make it fun and even exciting. Some of the modern youth culture gags are either above my head or feel like a grab bag of random trends, but there’s still plenty of solid laughs here. And the B-story is a little wobbly, but Homer’s speech to resolve everything has that classic bit of domestic satirical edge of The Simpsons of long long ago.
I liked the central conflict of this one. Lisa having a falling out with Bart, only to need his help at a disastrous sleepover is some good brother/sister tale. At the same time, Lisa going to the party of what seems like another adorably dorky horse girl, only to find that she’s been brought on as a sacrificial lamb to get the birthday girl into a mean girl clique helps make you feel for our favorite spiky-headed eight-year-old. The mean girls are pretty generic and unmemorable, but Lisa’s plight and Addy’s conflict between wanting to be her dorky self and to be a part of this eat-your-own group of young jerks adds even more backbone to it.
While a little rushed and mean at places, I like Bart coming in to help Lisa get revenge as a rescue, and I particularly appreciate the setup and payoff of the reveal that he’s actually scared of horses, which motivated his attack on Lisa’s collection of equine toys. It’s an odd brand of heart through the resolution, but I’ll take it.
The B-story is the weaker element in the episode, but it has enough soft gags about booze cruises and a broad but well-observed enough point about going out that moves it into positive territory. Plus hey! Given the inclusion of Weezer here, who join prior guest spots from the likes of Blink-182, Green Day, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, all of my favorite bands from when I was 14 have officially appeared on my favorite show, so that’s something!
Overall, this is a solid episode with a strong main story and a good emotional core, which characterizes Matt Selman-produced episodes of latter day Simpsons.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-05-11T22:35:10Z
[7.7/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] Good episode! The A-story has an emotional throughline for both Lisa and Bart, and enough twists and turns in the story to make it fun and even exciting. Some of the modern youth culture gags are either above my head or feel like a grab bag of random trends, but there’s still plenty of solid laughs here. And the B-story is a little wobbly, but Homer’s speech to resolve everything has that classic bit of domestic satirical edge of The Simpsons of long long ago.
I liked the central conflict of this one. Lisa having a falling out with Bart, only to need his help at a disastrous sleepover is some good brother/sister tale. At the same time, Lisa going to the party of what seems like another adorably dorky horse girl, only to find that she’s been brought on as a sacrificial lamb to get the birthday girl into a mean girl clique helps make you feel for our favorite spiky-headed eight-year-old. The mean girls are pretty generic and unmemorable, but Lisa’s plight and Addy’s conflict between wanting to be her dorky self and to be a part of this eat-your-own group of young jerks adds even more backbone to it.
While a little rushed and mean at places, I like Bart coming in to help Lisa get revenge as a rescue, and I particularly appreciate the setup and payoff of the reveal that he’s actually scared of horses, which motivated his attack on Lisa’s collection of equine toys. It’s an odd brand of heart through the resolution, but I’ll take it.
The B-story is the weaker element in the episode, but it has enough soft gags about booze cruises and a broad but well-observed enough point about going out that moves it into positive territory. Plus hey! Given the inclusion of Weezer here, who join prior guest spots from the likes of Blink-182, Green Day, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, all of my favorite bands from when I was 14 have officially appeared on my favorite show, so that’s something!
Overall, this is a solid episode with a strong main story and a good emotional core, which characterizes Matt Selman-produced episodes of latter day Simpsons.