33x07 A Serious Flanders (2)

[8.0/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] Another enjoyable round of The Simpsons poking fun a prestige T.V. tropes, from the seemingly saintly figure with a secret dark side, to more heavy-handed symbolism and speechifying, to conveniently connected backstories, to the inevitable Difficult Man:tm: holing up in a cabin in the middle of the wilderness. Cesar Mazariegos, Matt Selman, and the show’s creative team definitely know these shows well, and that makes them good both at skewering them and playing them straight.

(And hey, I like the little details and shoutouts, like Chief Wiggum having a big mouth billy bass on this wall. Hello fellow Sopranos fans!)

But there’s a legitimate emotional core here! I like that Ned has his very own “I did it for me” moment a la Breaking Bad. Acknowledging that he wanted the credit for the money he donated isn’t the worst sin in the world, but it’s true to the Coen Bros.-influenced spirit of showing how one small mistake or bad moral choice can spiral out into a complete catastrophe. There’s even some good payoff with Ned finding the strength to fend off his attacker when the assassin (truthfully) badmouths Ned’s grandfather.

I like the strife between Homer and Marge too. It feels very Tony and Carmella/Walt and Skyler-esque, which is again true to form for the show’s inspirations here. Marge seeing Homer try to save big bucks instead of their dear neighbor, hating him as the king of selfishness afterward, but keeping up appearances for the kids and for their business is an interesting beat for them. I like the moral flip of Ned becoming a pariah despite his good deeds, and Homer being mistaken for a hero despite his bad deeds. Marge seeing that, despite her view of her husband, he’s actually been secretly supplying Ned in his inevitable winter shack is a nice way to resolve it.

And I appreciate how the end comes for the debt-collector. Again, with the heavy-handed symbolism, I like the focus on the killer’s obsession with balance, only to be distracted by Ned throwing his ledger and then drowning when he can’t quite “balance” on an ice floe. It’s amusingly on the nose, in the way a lot of lesser attempts at prestige drama storytelling are, with just enough punch to feel legitimate. And the “netflix fast forward through the dramatic speech” gag was the icing on the cake.

It’s not all perfect. The two junior assassins’ gripes with one another (I assume a reference to The Americans) wasn’t much to write home about, and the payoff to the last episode’s cliffhanger wasn’t flawless or smooth. But this was still a lot of fun for someone like me who loves all the shows The Simpsons is spoofing here. The commitment to the bit is endearing, and I continue to admire the show for taking a format-bending swing like this so late in its run.