5x04 Rosebud

[9.9/10] What a laugh riot of an episode. I’m not sure there’s an outing in the whole Simpsons canon that has a better laugh-per-minute ratio from this one. And what’s funny is that a lot of the humor is super cartoony, from Burns’ bear-napping attempts, to his taking over the airwaves, to the tag that sees him and Smithers rumbling around a Planet of the Apes-esque future. It’s the kind of thing folks like me tend to hate on the post-classic seasons for, and yet it’s done so well here, with such a consistent and hilarious tone, that you can’t help but love it. (See also: “Cape Feare”.)

But what’s funny is that despite all the insanity, there’s a pretty clear motivation and emotional trajectory. Despite the ample and self-conscious Citizen Kane references, “Rosebud” is somewhat earnest about Burns’s desire for the stuffed representation of his childhood. He finds everything else empty and hollow, and becomes single-minded in his pursuit of his beloved Bobo.

That leads to some neat motivations for the Simpson family when it falls into their laps. The idea of cajoling Burns for more cash leads to some nice bits (particularly Homer trying to exchange for a drink in a fit of desperation), but in the end, he values his daughter’s happiness more than untold wealth. As Bart once put it, it’s downright decent of him.

Naturally, that just escalates things with Burns, who uses his wealth and influence to turn the entire town against the Simpsons (or at least Homer), only to realize that even they can’t do something to make a sweet little baby sad just to make a miserable old man happy.

And yet, in a moment that calls out to “Bart Sells His Soul”, Mr. Burns earns his bear back, giving up on trying to steal the bear from Maggie and an imploring her to love and cherish it instead. It’s that brief moment of humanity that makes him worthy of receiving his Bobo, and a moment of sheer happiness, back again, even if neither are destined to be in his possession permanently. The episode doesn't linger on these things for too long, but it gives the episode a little extra weight and provides a base to help the comedy flourish.

And boy does it! I could just spend this entire write-up listing jokes! 64 slices of american cheese! Have the Rolling Stones killed! How long have we had these fish?! And so on and so on and so on. Showrunner David Mirkin’s mad comic energy is all over this one, with lots of outsized Burns antics and doltish Homer antics to make almost everything a laugh riot from start to finish. There are few episodes of the show as thoroughly marbled with comedy as this one.

Overall, this is one of the show’s absolute high water marks, which brings the funny and then some, and tells an exaggerated but surprisingly potent story all the while.