[7.1/10] I rewatched this one mainly for the Michael Keaton cameo, and it lives up to the billing. Keaton doesn’t do anything particularly funny despite his reputation for comic chops, but he’s nigh-unrecognizable as Jack here, and brings a weathered soul with an underlying decency that’s necessary to make the plot, such as it is, work.
It’s the plot that’s a problem. Most of it is solid, with Marge seeing the potential in an inmate with an artistic bent, only to see a few warning signs here and there, but there’s something that feels too cynical about its trajectory. There’s definitely something minorly subversive about taking the old “light in dark places” storyline and showing that there’s just more darkness there, but Jack’s lying and authority-bucking cycle never really has a center or someone to root for.
It becomes particularly confused in the finish. The episode wants you to be on Marge’s side, thinking there’s something to Jack that only she sees, but then it wants you to be mad at Jack for lying to Marge, but then it also wants you to be sympathetic to Jack since Skinner is a jerk to him. In better hands, that could be complex, but here it just feels muddled.
Then there’s the B-story with Homer’s “spino-cylinder” in a pretty tepid riff on chiropractors. It’s a mostly inoffensive bit, but it doesn’t provide much comedy and feels inessential compared to the main plot. By the same token, the humor in the episode is not outstanding, but there’s plenty of laugh-worthy moments. As much as I cringe and facepalm my way through the Scully years, I always forget that he knew how to get a laugh, even if the foundation for it was built on rocky terrain.
All-in-all, this is a fine episode for people wanting to see Keaton’s brief visit to The Simpsons, but never rises above “fine.”
Shout by Caleb PetersBlockedParent2022-06-13T07:16:32Z
I'm quite disappointed they sent Jack back to prison in the end, they could've kept him around for a bit. He was noice.