[8.1/10] I normally write a lot about story when I’m reviewing Simpsons episodes, if for no other reason than the storytelling is usually so good! But that’s hard for an episode like this where the real glory of it is in the comedy! Comedy is harder to write about, not just because it’s one of the most subjective elements, but because it’s hard to talk about why something’s funny without just seeming like a mechanical bore.
But this episode is very funny! I laughed out loud multiple times, and while much of that comes down to individual gags, there’s a few overarching approaches that pay humorous dividends. One is how well the show manages to integrate Rodney Dangerfield into the world of Springfield. For one thing, Larry’s character design is a nice halfway point between the real Dangerfield and Mr. Burns. For another, the show finds lots of great opportunities for his brand of self-effacement and insult humor to flourish. There’s even some fun winking gags where Larry dances around Dangerfield’s “I get no respect” catchphrase or says to himself, “Hey, who am I talking to?”
But they also find humor in the comic pairings. It’s hard to imagine two characters less alike in temperament than Rodney Dangerfield’s public persona and Mr. Burns. Making Larry into Mr. Burns’s long lost son brings plenty of opportunities for the contrast between Larry’s lazy, boorish bent and Mr. Burns’s uptight vengefulness to create laughs. It also makes for a nice excuse for Larry to interact with stuffy stiffs he can throw comic barbs at.
Then again, it’s hard to think of two characters more likely to find common cause than Dangerfield and Homer. This episode plays a lot on the kind of raunchy comedies Dangerfield made in the eighties, and it’s fun to see Homer (who loves those sorts of movies!) becoming such fast friends with Larry over common interests like being unmotivated and going drinking.
Otherwise, the story here does what it needs to. Larry’s hidden parentage gives him a good reason to come to Springfield and produces a vaguely emotion-based conflict. His connection to Burns and the plant gives him a reason to run into Homer again and connect with The Simpsons. And the prospect of he and Homer’s friendship leading to a phony kidnapping to remind Mr. Burns of his love for his son is a crazy scheme but one dumb enough for Homer to try, making for some third act fireworks. It’s not the show’s most compelling work, but it’s sturdy and makes plenty of room for the jokes.
Those jokes are the star of the show here. Apart from Dangerfield’s schtick, Marge’s pronunciation, Homer having to hear Flanders prattle on about cider, and the usual chestnut of Springfield PD’s ineptitude all bring the laughs. The episode gets some strength from taking a final left turn away from the usual emotional reconciliation and poking fun at how Dangerfield’s movies often end with inexplicable parties, but on the whole, this is just a gag-fest, and a great one!
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-07-21T15:53:27Z
[8.1/10] I normally write a lot about story when I’m reviewing Simpsons episodes, if for no other reason than the storytelling is usually so good! But that’s hard for an episode like this where the real glory of it is in the comedy! Comedy is harder to write about, not just because it’s one of the most subjective elements, but because it’s hard to talk about why something’s funny without just seeming like a mechanical bore.
But this episode is very funny! I laughed out loud multiple times, and while much of that comes down to individual gags, there’s a few overarching approaches that pay humorous dividends. One is how well the show manages to integrate Rodney Dangerfield into the world of Springfield. For one thing, Larry’s character design is a nice halfway point between the real Dangerfield and Mr. Burns. For another, the show finds lots of great opportunities for his brand of self-effacement and insult humor to flourish. There’s even some fun winking gags where Larry dances around Dangerfield’s “I get no respect” catchphrase or says to himself, “Hey, who am I talking to?”
But they also find humor in the comic pairings. It’s hard to imagine two characters less alike in temperament than Rodney Dangerfield’s public persona and Mr. Burns. Making Larry into Mr. Burns’s long lost son brings plenty of opportunities for the contrast between Larry’s lazy, boorish bent and Mr. Burns’s uptight vengefulness to create laughs. It also makes for a nice excuse for Larry to interact with stuffy stiffs he can throw comic barbs at.
Then again, it’s hard to think of two characters more likely to find common cause than Dangerfield and Homer. This episode plays a lot on the kind of raunchy comedies Dangerfield made in the eighties, and it’s fun to see Homer (who loves those sorts of movies!) becoming such fast friends with Larry over common interests like being unmotivated and going drinking.
Otherwise, the story here does what it needs to. Larry’s hidden parentage gives him a good reason to come to Springfield and produces a vaguely emotion-based conflict. His connection to Burns and the plant gives him a reason to run into Homer again and connect with The Simpsons. And the prospect of he and Homer’s friendship leading to a phony kidnapping to remind Mr. Burns of his love for his son is a crazy scheme but one dumb enough for Homer to try, making for some third act fireworks. It’s not the show’s most compelling work, but it’s sturdy and makes plenty of room for the jokes.
Those jokes are the star of the show here. Apart from Dangerfield’s schtick, Marge’s pronunciation, Homer having to hear Flanders prattle on about cider, and the usual chestnut of Springfield PD’s ineptitude all bring the laughs. The episode gets some strength from taking a final left turn away from the usual emotional reconciliation and poking fun at how Dangerfield’s movies often end with inexplicable parties, but on the whole, this is just a gag-fest, and a great one!