I love this episode, but I think that Flamin' Moe's was the clear divergence from realistically based stories to more outlandish plots.
[7.4/10] I’ll admit, this one isn’t as good as I remembered it being. It’s golden years Simpsons, so it’s still quite good! Just not at that top tier, side-splitting brilliance that I remembered.
Despite that, there’s a lot to like here. A lot of the Cheers references are over my head, but I know a lot of Simpsons writers started there, so it’s sort of a fun in-gag, and the parody of the theme song is a classic. There’s also a lot of nice, semi-random bits, like Bart’s prank call gone wrong/right, Moe luring Aerosmith on stage with the promise of pickled eggs, and Moe continuing to believe that a marketing mascot is a real person. The laughs are definitely there; they’re just a little random rather than something that emerges from the situation.
That said, there’s a good emotional throughline here, with Homer feeling put out by a good friend who steals his idea and gives him no credit, and Moe eventually feeling guilt and trying to do the right thing before his callousness toward Homer comes back to bite him. There’s a certain poetry in the two of them ending up back where this whole thing started, with Homer as Moe’s only customer. It’s probably too much to call it sweet or a fully-developed emotional story, but the basic beats are there, and it’s good enough.
Plus I really enjoy a great deal of the animation and cool sequences here. A lot of these earlier seasons are rougher in terms of the nuts and bolts aesthetic of the show. For instance, you see a lot of Homer and especially Moe drawn off-model here. But you also get some really creative framings and imaginative set pieces, like Moe butting his head into the frame to take credit for the drink, the lighting and framing of Homer lurking in the rafters, and Homer’s whole “town of Moe’s” nightmare. Plus, in Homer’s famous “I was being sarcastic” speech, there’s some delightful movements and gestures from him.
The only thing that holds this one back is it’s a little thin and shallow. The opening bit with the sleepover is pretty extraneous (and has more chuckles than guffaws). The appearance of Aerosmith doesn’t amount to much. And the parodies of news magazines with “Eye on Springfield” feels overextended as a gag.
I don’t wanna slate this episode too hard. It’s funny! It’s good! It just doesn’t hit the heights you’d like or expect for a classic like this one.
Shout by Mista LukaBlockedParent2022-01-14T10:34:10Z
"Flaming Moes" is a great episode that sees Moe become famous after stealing Homer's idea. I found this one highly entertaining, with quality humour and a solid exploration into Homer and Moe's relationship. I wasn't a fan of Aerosmith's guest appearance in this one, being rather unremarkable and ultimately not amounting to much, but the rest of this episode is a hit.
Overall, a classic outing.