[8.5/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] This is another one of those Simpsons episodes that was reportedly made as a possible finale during one of those rocky periods where it seemed like the show might be coming back. If that had been the case, it would have been a fitting series finale, one that gives us a glimpse into the family’s future while embracing the parent-child stories and wide-ranging humor that have long been the show’s trademark (and both starting and ending the series on Xmas would have been a nice touch as well).
There’s three major stories here, and each of them is good with a touch of intergenerational understanding. The slightest of them is Maggie’s, who’s pregnant and trying to make it home to Springfield for Xmas. There’s some laughs to be had in her journey, mostly for the Mad Max style vicissitudes of air travel in the future.
The episode also finds a nice (if silly) excuse for her not to speak (with the irony that she’s a rockstar and the “voice of a generation”), and I like the homages to the Xmas story, a pregnant lady trying to find room at the inn-tensive care unit. Both her and her offspring enjoying a pacifier brings things full circle, and Grampa’s comment about giving unwed mothers a break on Xmas is a nice one.
The Homer/Bart/Jeff & Skippy story is an uplifting one as well. I like the central tension, where Bart’s kids think he’s a lousy father much in the way that young Bart felt about Homer. And to rub salt in the wound, Homer turns out to be a fantastic grandfather (potentially because he stopped drinking!), having some Royal Tenenbaums-referencing fun with the kiddos. Homer using his position as fun grandparent to convince his grandkids to cut their dad a little slack, and Bart telling his sons that they’re the best thing in his life turns out to be a really sweet and earned moment, one that helps resolve a lot of father/son grief that’s run through the series.
(That said, the bit with Homer and Grampa reconciling as well feels way more tacked on.)
Last but not least, there’s the Marge/Lisa/Zia story. Here too, I like the intergenerational parallels, with Zia all but blocking out Lisa from her life, and Marge relating to her daughter’s frustration but recommending a hands off approach. Lisa resenting Marge’s blasé attitude but then realizing it’s not only right but the thing that helped make her the woman she became is likewise really heartwarming, especially with their drunken twilight hug. Lisa finding Zia’s “ultranet” room and learning that her daughter does admire her is the icing on the cake.
Not for nothing, the best scene in the episode comes when Bart and Lisa drink together in Bart’s old treehouse, confiding their beefs with their parents to one another, finding paths forward to their problems with their kids, and in Bart’s case, telling his sister that he too always looked up to her. It’s one of the most human moments The Simpsons has ever offered its fans, and I’m still impressed by the honesty and sweetness of the scene.
The only catch to all of this is that the “We’re in the future!” gags are very hit or miss. Some of them still tickle the funny bones (Kearney telling his car “computer, hospital” and it taking him to the Computer Hospital was a good one), some are just cute like Bart’s schoolroom/apartment setup, and even gags I wasn’t crazy about have layers to them (the Ralph clones). But there’s still some late-season cringe factor and lameness to some of these gags, especially with Milhouse as Lisa’s husband(!)
Still, if this had been the end, I think it’s one most, if not all, Simpsons fans could be happy with. It pays tribute to the family and their relationships with one another, points us in the direction of a still cynical but hopeful future for them, and checks in with the rest of the town to include them in the capstone. We’re close to a decade since this episode aired and The Simpsons shows no sign of stopping, but when it does, the show would do well to match the level of achievement of this wry but heartfelt yuletide outing.
Shout by KevibVIP 3BlockedParent2024-01-23T10:32:34Z
Crazy that this could have been the last episode. It was a nice one and it would be fitting to end it with a Christmas episode.