[4.1/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] Oof. This one starts with a big dose of racism, transitions into a heap of really dumb gags about Mr. Burns dating someone a fifth of his age with Homer’s help, and then transitions into a cartoony and stakes-free hostage situation. This feels like one of those trademark post-classic episodes that’s all over the place and gives into the worst impulses of the series at its nadir.
All the bits about the Simpsons visiting Chinatown and Homer becoming a fortune cookie writer vacillate between being dumb and outright offensive. The middle section of the episode sees Burns dating a young woman played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, with him using Homer to try to seem young and vigorous. It’s implausible that his age is the only thing standing between them, and the montage about him doing young and hip things is awful.
Then, one Snake shows up as Gloria’s ex, and things somehow go even more downhill when he takes her and Homer hostage. The situation is stupid and outlandish, and the whole thing ends with Gloria falling for Snake again out of nowhere in a transparent effort to presto-change-o return things to the status quo.
This one should absolutely be skipped, but for the fact that Gloria shows up a couple more times in random cameos. But that’s not worth sitting through this.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-01-06T17:32:42Z
[4.1/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] Oof. This one starts with a big dose of racism, transitions into a heap of really dumb gags about Mr. Burns dating someone a fifth of his age with Homer’s help, and then transitions into a cartoony and stakes-free hostage situation. This feels like one of those trademark post-classic episodes that’s all over the place and gives into the worst impulses of the series at its nadir.
All the bits about the Simpsons visiting Chinatown and Homer becoming a fortune cookie writer vacillate between being dumb and outright offensive. The middle section of the episode sees Burns dating a young woman played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, with him using Homer to try to seem young and vigorous. It’s implausible that his age is the only thing standing between them, and the montage about him doing young and hip things is awful.
Then, one Snake shows up as Gloria’s ex, and things somehow go even more downhill when he takes her and Homer hostage. The situation is stupid and outlandish, and the whole thing ends with Gloria falling for Snake again out of nowhere in a transparent effort to presto-change-o return things to the status quo.
This one should absolutely be skipped, but for the fact that Gloria shows up a couple more times in random cameos. But that’s not worth sitting through this.