[6.6/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] I just never know what to do with these sorts of episode, where there’s plenty of moments that make me laugh, and some clever gags, but a story that is some combination of idiotic and insane, and a script which deeply misunderstands the show’s characters.
There’s plenty of laughs to be had here. The drummer from Cyanide (a loving tribute to Poison) declaring that the band “need[s] a ride home!” is funny for reasons I can’t quite articulate. The whole routine with Marge and the Springfield Mental Asylum Marching Band is a classic bit of Simpsons lunacy. And even Marge’s parole hearing has some choice moments.
But god, this whole thing makes no sense. The script zips to shoehorn The Simpsons into Otto’s wedding. It then lumbers its way into a bizarre tale about Marge thinking Becky (the latest vagabond to bunk with Our Favorite Family) is trying to “usurp” here. Then finally, we get an extended riff on Marge being a notorious crazy woman on the run. It requires tons of leaps of logic, and a complete misunderstanding of Marge.
The characters are generally mean. The plot developments make no sense. And the ending is complete nonsense, with the whole swerve that Marge was imagining it all being subverted by the fact that Becky apparently was planning to kill Marge. What the hell? Were the writers just hellbent on doing a half-assed parody of Hand that Rocks the Cradle-style movies? And of course, Homer is at his jerkass worst throughout this one.
That’s the tough thing about these episodes under showrunner Mike Scully. If your whole goal is just to laugh, without the humor having to come from character or a coherent story or anything that really makes sense, then there’s still plenty to like. It’s just that it’s the only thing to like, and laughs alone aren’t enough to sustain an episode that goes this far off the rails.
(As an aside, there’s an odd bent toward continuity in this one, between the setup from Apu’s wedding still being in the Simpsons’ backyard, various incidents from Marge’s past being brought up in her commitment hearing, and that commitment hearing being presided over by her and Ned Flanders’s old psychiatrists.)
Shout by Caleb PetersBlockedParentSpoilers2022-06-09T06:50:48Z— updated 2024-03-08T06:21:12Z
I actually really like this episode, it gets to the main plot pretty fast, has some great jokes, and Becky going "oh I actually was trying to steal your family, I had a place to bury you and everything!" at the end was great - if a bit out of left field, but I doubt she'll ever re-appear so it's fine.
Having stuff leftover from Apu's wedding (which was like, half the season ago) is a bit odd, but maybe they aired it out of order by accident? (though that probably isn't the case)
Plus, Homer isn't as much of a dick like he has been as of late! (Though he should've told Marge about the breaks, but hey I predicted that's what would happen, so that's neat)
But overall, it's a very good pre-conclusion to the season.