[7.2/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] There’s a good aim in this one. The notion of Barney realizing that he has a drinking problem, working to fix it, and Homer begrudgingly but eventually earnestly trying to help him is a good motivator for the episode. The approach isn’t always perfect, but it’s grounded in both Barney’s efforts at self-improvement and the friendship between him and Homer.
The only catch is that this is season 11, so things start to spin out of hand at some point. Homer basically acting like a jilted high school girlfriend is pretty dumb. Bits like Barney actually living above Moe’s strain credulity. And the episode doesn't really spend much time on the transition being hard for Barney, putting more of the focus on the effect of his sobriety on Homer, which is a little off.
The B-plot is also entirely insubstantial. Bart and Lisa trying to take a picture to go on the phone book cover so as to win a bike is a fair enough spine to hang jokes on, but most of those jokes are mild at best. The ending with their embarrassing baby picture being the thing that wins is a nice twist, but otherwise the whole thing’s pretty forgettable.
The best thing you can say about the B-story is that it ties nicely into the main story. The whole episode has a light clockwork quality to it, with helicopter lessons figuring into Barney’s resolution to get sober, Bart and Lisa’s being trapped in a forest fire necessitating his new skills, and Homer’s efforts to help him get through his nervousness to save his kids all sort of revolving around the chopper piloting. It’s not flawless, but it definitely works.
And hey, I’ll happily cop to being amused by drunk Homer. His incoherent ramblings are a good laugh, and Lisa’s sharp “what?” reaction is a great line read.
Overall, this one has a little more intention and focus than a lot of other episodes from this era. It does a nice job of focusing on the characters, even if their reactions get a little cartoonish at points, and ties things together nicely in the end.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2019-05-18T20:17:45Z
[7.2/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] There’s a good aim in this one. The notion of Barney realizing that he has a drinking problem, working to fix it, and Homer begrudgingly but eventually earnestly trying to help him is a good motivator for the episode. The approach isn’t always perfect, but it’s grounded in both Barney’s efforts at self-improvement and the friendship between him and Homer.
The only catch is that this is season 11, so things start to spin out of hand at some point. Homer basically acting like a jilted high school girlfriend is pretty dumb. Bits like Barney actually living above Moe’s strain credulity. And the episode doesn't really spend much time on the transition being hard for Barney, putting more of the focus on the effect of his sobriety on Homer, which is a little off.
The B-plot is also entirely insubstantial. Bart and Lisa trying to take a picture to go on the phone book cover so as to win a bike is a fair enough spine to hang jokes on, but most of those jokes are mild at best. The ending with their embarrassing baby picture being the thing that wins is a nice twist, but otherwise the whole thing’s pretty forgettable.
The best thing you can say about the B-story is that it ties nicely into the main story. The whole episode has a light clockwork quality to it, with helicopter lessons figuring into Barney’s resolution to get sober, Bart and Lisa’s being trapped in a forest fire necessitating his new skills, and Homer’s efforts to help him get through his nervousness to save his kids all sort of revolving around the chopper piloting. It’s not flawless, but it definitely works.
And hey, I’ll happily cop to being amused by drunk Homer. His incoherent ramblings are a good laugh, and Lisa’s sharp “what?” reaction is a great line read.
Overall, this one has a little more intention and focus than a lot of other episodes from this era. It does a nice job of focusing on the characters, even if their reactions get a little cartoonish at points, and ties things together nicely in the end.