9/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale. Am I in crazy land? Is that two episodes in a row featuring solid emotional stories with two significant characters on the show? I must be. Marge and Lisa have one of the most meaningful and layered relationships on the show, and having it break a little is a really interesting way to tease out the ways that they're different but still understand and support each other in a way that's hard for the rest of the family. Lisa's not wrong to be hurt that it turns out Marge doesn't like jazz because she knows Marge is the only member of The Simpsons who gets her, but she's also right to forgive and be understanding that it's a sign of love how much Marge tries to be a part of Lisa's world and to lift her up and cheer her on no matter what. Lisa's hurt and Marge's reciprocal hurt are affecting, and it makes their eventual making up over that realization all the sweeter.
Bart's B-story where he learns to bond with Maggie had its moments. Seeing Bart be distraught at how his pranks have lost their luster, and finding new and different ways to prank by bonding with his baby sister led to some cute and hilarious sequences. Homer telling Bart to stop bonding because the best gift to Maggie would be not turning her into him was kind of harsh and a little too neat of an ending, but the road to get there was entertaining.
And the comedy was pretty good, if no where near great. The NYC parodies were a little warmed over, but the jokes about all the screen-to-stage adaptations (and how they all involved finding loves) were worth a few chuckles, and Andrew Rannels was actually very funny in a self-deprecating fashion, especially for a shoehorned in celebrity. All-in-all, surprisingly quality stuff.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-04-13T01:41:55Z
9/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale. Am I in crazy land? Is that two episodes in a row featuring solid emotional stories with two significant characters on the show? I must be. Marge and Lisa have one of the most meaningful and layered relationships on the show, and having it break a little is a really interesting way to tease out the ways that they're different but still understand and support each other in a way that's hard for the rest of the family. Lisa's not wrong to be hurt that it turns out Marge doesn't like jazz because she knows Marge is the only member of The Simpsons who gets her, but she's also right to forgive and be understanding that it's a sign of love how much Marge tries to be a part of Lisa's world and to lift her up and cheer her on no matter what. Lisa's hurt and Marge's reciprocal hurt are affecting, and it makes their eventual making up over that realization all the sweeter.
Bart's B-story where he learns to bond with Maggie had its moments. Seeing Bart be distraught at how his pranks have lost their luster, and finding new and different ways to prank by bonding with his baby sister led to some cute and hilarious sequences. Homer telling Bart to stop bonding because the best gift to Maggie would be not turning her into him was kind of harsh and a little too neat of an ending, but the road to get there was entertaining.
And the comedy was pretty good, if no where near great. The NYC parodies were a little warmed over, but the jokes about all the screen-to-stage adaptations (and how they all involved finding loves) were worth a few chuckles, and Andrew Rannels was actually very funny in a self-deprecating fashion, especially for a shoehorned in celebrity. All-in-all, surprisingly quality stuff.