[7.6/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] Not bad for an episode all the way in Season 21! Marge protesting something dangerous and violent that’s become popular is a venerable tack for her, and the show gets a lot of mileage out of poking fun at the emerging notoriety of MMA. The episode runs out of steam a bit when it’s just Marge shifting from trainer to trainer before the fight (and the stuff with Akira is kind of racist to boot), but there’s a nice progression from Marge realizing the problem, trying to find a way to solve it, and then getting embroiled in a fight herself.
The “fight me to end MMA” thing is pretty sitcommy, but Chett the ersatz UFC owner makes for a solid villain, and while there’s a fair amount of stereotyping women in this episode, Marge finding her pugilistic side to save her son from a beatdown is a nice beat. Plus, I appreciate the cynical ending where Marge does save the day and shut down the UFC equivalent, but by the time she does, everyone’s moved onto the next less-than-dignified piece of entertainment.
Overall, this was a pleasant surprise, with a few jokes that were a little mean for my tastes and a few gags that relied on easy stereotypes, but overall offered a solid Marge story and found the humor in MMA.
Shout by KevibVIP 3BlockedParent2023-12-21T16:30:41Z
Quite a good episode, nothing too memorable either.