[8.7/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again -- all hail Matt Selman! This is a fun episode that balances multiple stories and running gags and manages to have it all come together nicely.
My natural inclination for this show is to separate everything into A-stories and B-stories, but one of the neat things about this episode is that you can’t really do that. You just have different story threads that get woven together nicely, based on character motivations.
You have Marge wanting to splurge so she can get the perfect instagram photo in Costa Rica. You have Lisa fretting over whether the trip will bankrupt the family and they’ll have to sleep in their sticky-seated car. You have Homer straining to be nice to Patti’s new girlfriend only to have the two of them hit it off and enable one another’s drunken buffoonery. And then you have it all coalescing into the Simpsons exposing the Van Houten’s scam with the villa and an affirmation of the budding love between Patti and Evelyn.
But before both happen, you have some classic writing where the characters hit their lowest point. Lisa trying to expose Kirk, only to embarrass the family and lead to them leaving early is tough enough. But then Evelyn gets Homer drunks and causes the loss of the photo Marge was so desperate for. On top of that, Patti realizes she’s dating “a Homer” -- her worst nightmare.
Everything turns up nicely from there, and in an earned way. The family exposing the real scam with the villa makes for a nice twist and picks up a few details we know about the van Houtens. Marge reassuring Patti about the benefits and most of all the love from being attached to a Homer is really sweet. And Marge taking the joy of the experiences themselves over the need to capture them and show off is a nice beat to end on for her.
Plus the comedy here is solid too! There’s running gags galore, from Milhouse trying to impress Dr. Hibbert’s son, to Superintendent Chalmers trying to supportively parent Shauna, to the shocked monkeys. There’s even some great setups and payoffs, like Lou and his sister bailing on the trip due to the zany sequence in the first act, or Bart’s machete-related promises coming true. Beyond all these characters having something to do here, there’s just more laughs packed into this one.
Overall, this is yet another sign that Matt Selman should be running the show and knows how to bring out the best in modern day Simpsons.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2019-11-19T04:00:24Z
[8.7/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again -- all hail Matt Selman! This is a fun episode that balances multiple stories and running gags and manages to have it all come together nicely.
My natural inclination for this show is to separate everything into A-stories and B-stories, but one of the neat things about this episode is that you can’t really do that. You just have different story threads that get woven together nicely, based on character motivations.
You have Marge wanting to splurge so she can get the perfect instagram photo in Costa Rica. You have Lisa fretting over whether the trip will bankrupt the family and they’ll have to sleep in their sticky-seated car. You have Homer straining to be nice to Patti’s new girlfriend only to have the two of them hit it off and enable one another’s drunken buffoonery. And then you have it all coalescing into the Simpsons exposing the Van Houten’s scam with the villa and an affirmation of the budding love between Patti and Evelyn.
But before both happen, you have some classic writing where the characters hit their lowest point. Lisa trying to expose Kirk, only to embarrass the family and lead to them leaving early is tough enough. But then Evelyn gets Homer drunks and causes the loss of the photo Marge was so desperate for. On top of that, Patti realizes she’s dating “a Homer” -- her worst nightmare.
Everything turns up nicely from there, and in an earned way. The family exposing the real scam with the villa makes for a nice twist and picks up a few details we know about the van Houtens. Marge reassuring Patti about the benefits and most of all the love from being attached to a Homer is really sweet. And Marge taking the joy of the experiences themselves over the need to capture them and show off is a nice beat to end on for her.
Plus the comedy here is solid too! There’s running gags galore, from Milhouse trying to impress Dr. Hibbert’s son, to Superintendent Chalmers trying to supportively parent Shauna, to the shocked monkeys. There’s even some great setups and payoffs, like Lou and his sister bailing on the trip due to the zany sequence in the first act, or Bart’s machete-related promises coming true. Beyond all these characters having something to do here, there’s just more laughs packed into this one.
Overall, this is yet another sign that Matt Selman should be running the show and knows how to bring out the best in modern day Simpsons.