29x05 Grampy Can Ya Hear Me

[7.5/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] This episode featured three stories into a short run time, neither of which felt like it was really the “lead” story, and none of which blended together or were balanced especially well. But each was enjoyable on its own terms, with some good laughs and heart mixed in, so while “Grampy, Can Ya Hear Me” is no more than the sum of its parts, it’s at least as good as the sum of its parts.

The weakest of the stories is Lisa freaking out about having put “million” on the answer to a test when she meant “billion.” Lisa enlisting Bart to help do something devious, freaking out over cheating, and generally worrying about her grades are all notes the show’s hit several times before, and there’s nothing new or novel about the approach here. And what’s more, the story just kind of peters out. But it’s cute enough, and there’s some good Bart and Lisa interactions, so it gets a pass.

The nominal A-story is Grampa annoying his family and making everyone around him miserable (another note the show’s hit many times over) but then having his world changed when he gets hearing aids. What initially starts as a joyous awakening to sound turns sour when he can suddenly hear people maligning him under their breaths. It’s a fairly mild emotional obstacle, but it works well enough, and while the finish, featuring the family saying kind words about Grampa under their breaths (while amusingly reading from a script), is a bit of cheap sentiment, but it works well enough in the moment.

And the last story centers on Principal Skinner learning that as a young man, he had been accepted to Ohio State and would have been able to live out his lifelong dream of becoming a marching band instructor (and even become a tittle!), but that Agnes lied to him about it. (I guess we’re just ignoring the Armin Tamzarian stuff again, which hey, no big complaints here.) Most of this story feels like an excuse for some Ohio State alum on the writing staff to have fun with their alma mater, but it’s a solid story, and the show wrings some good gags from it. Like the Grampa story, there’s a bit of cheap sentiment in Agnes admitting that she lied because she didn’t want Seymour to leave, but it too is good enough to pass muster.

Lastly, the comedy in the episode is solid if not overwhelming. The jokes about the planetarium are good fun, and I appreciate the continuity nod about Homer’s “astronaut discount.” The references to Requiem for a Dream and Trainspotting were amusing in a Simpsons context. And on the whole, while there weren’t a lot of guffahs, the episode provided plenty of Hibbert-esque chuckles.

Overall, a bit of a disjointed episode, but also an genial one.