[The long of it]
I might have thought differently if I was fan of their show, but I didn't think having Keifer Sutherland and Mary Lynn Rajskub reprise their "24" characters on the show would work. The fast-paced thriller seemed so different from "The Simpsons" that I figured one of two things would happen: Either the "24" duo's roles would be pointless cameos, or the writers would go so far out of their way to accommodate the "24" universe that the episode wouldn't work as a "Simpsons" episode.
In a way, I was right. Jack and Chloe don't get a lot of screen time in "24 Minutes," and the episode breaks so many "Simpson" rules that it's more like a long Halloween show than a normal episode. In a more important way, though, I was wrong: "24 Minutes" rocked. It may be the best crossover show since 1997's "The Springfield Files (3G01)."
The plot is straight out of any number of thrillers. Terrorists have assembled a bomb, with which they hope to incinerate some major city or event. It's up to our hero to stop them. For "24 Minutes," the basic idea is downsized to a children's level. The "terrorists" are Jimbo and his cronies, and their weapon is a super-potent stink bomb, which they plan to set off at the Springfield Elementary School bake sale. The school's only hope is Bart Simpson, playing the Jack Bauer role as a secret agent recruited out of detention. He's assisted by Chloe O'Brian, er, I mean by Lisa and Principal Skinner, who are operating out NORAD-quality command center deep within the school. (Perhaps it's funded by bake sales.)
The standard thriller plot mechanics translate surprisingly well into the "Simpsons" universe. This is a kinetic episode, with several plot threads that are constantly in motion. Indeed, the screen frequently splits into two or even three parts so we can see the action in two different places unfold at once. As Bart rushes to stop Jimbo, Marge hurries to bake a cake for the sale. It's not a high-stakes venture, yet the writers infuse it with the same sense of urgency as the main story; there is no lull or dead air here. Even though you just know the threads are going to come together, somehow, in the third act, it's fun to see how they are going to get there. Episodes like this prove the writers can incorporate and pace A and B plots well, which makes you wonder why we get so many shows where the subplot seems like an afterthought, or where we don't get to the actual premise until midway through the second act.
Speaking of those split screens, they add a lot in the way of visual distinction. The show is even smart enough to use them, and subtly make fun of them at the same time. Consider a scene in the detention room, when Bart and Skinner negotiate the terms the former will operate under. The animators use a split screen even though the pair are sitting at the same table and could easily fit into one frame. What's more, Skinner actually leans out of his frame and into Bart's, leaving only a random shot of his back and hands in "his" frame!
It's just one clever moment in an episode that's packed with them. Usually, "The Simpsons" works best when it leaves one foot planted in daily reality, satirizing everyday life. Trying to do that with this plot would have watered down its appeal, and probably wouldn't have worked, anyway; the show would have been neither an exciting thrill ride nor a satire of life. No, the writers made a better choice: They plugged elements from "The Simpsons" into an episode of "24," rather than the other way around, and gave themselves a reprieve from the standards that govern the other 398 episodes of "The Simpsons." Of all the stunts in this episode, that might have been the trickiest one of all.
[The short of it]
I was skeptical about the premise at first, but the writers cleverly avoided awkwardly wedging elements of "24" into the "Simpsons" universe. Instead, they made a Simpson-ized episode of "24," and it rocked. It's a kinetic thrill ride that deftly juggles its sub-plots with no "dead air" or lulls, bringing them smartly together in the third act. The episode is visually appealing, too, using split screens (and sometimes making subtle fun of them, too) to show the action unfolding in many places a once. Jack and Chloe's appearance is brief, but funny. On the whole, this is arguably the best crossover episode since 1997's "The Springfield Files." (A)
[DYNs]
... Flanders is placing religious flyers on windshields as Homer and Milhouse roll past in the Dumpster? ... Jimbo's third grade-school picture shows him scared of monsters in the closet? ... Marge's cake is heavy enough to dent the fender of her car?
[References]
"24" (TV series) - well, duh, but let's try providing some details anyway: (Disclaimer: I don't watch this series; what follows is derived from watching the promos for it, and what I've read in the press) - the title is a parody of the series - general premise is similar, with Bart in the Jack role, and Lisa analogous to Chloe - plot line -- Bart/Jack must stop a bomb conspiracy -- evidently has been done a lot on "24" - the normally analog kitchen clock was replaced with the digital type "24" uses? - credit typeface similar - I assume the series does a lot of the split-screening that characterizes this episode - and of course, the actors who play Jack and Chloe show up to voice their "24" characters
Sun-Maid (brand of raisins) - Marge uses Sun-Made brand (which cleverly reverses the pun made by the original brand)
TCBY (frozen-yogurt chain) - Jimbo reverse-engineers the acronym to "That Container of Botulized Yogurt" (the initials actually stand for "The Country's Best Yogurt," BTW)
[FFF]
Introductory captions:
SPRINGFIELD NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
AVAILABLE FOR WEDDINGS HOMER SIMPSON
ATM USER
DEVOTED FATHER OF TWO BART SIMPSON
TWO MONTHS SOBER MARGE SIMPSON
UNEMPLOYEDBart's condiment portrait:
PUT ME
ON YOUR
WIENERMatchbook on Bart's pocket:
HOUSE OF
BLUESANAHEIM
Bake sale flyer:
SPRINGFIELD
ELEMENTARY
BAKE SALE FRIDAY
3 p.m.Tin of chewing tobacco:
BIG CHIEF
ROTTEN CHEEKS
CHEWING
TOBACCO CHEW WITHOUT
RESERVATIONS!Springfield Shopper headlines:
Mayor's Breath Still Problem
Corn Less Popular
Bake Sale
TodayField Agent whiteboard:
FIELD AGENTS
(LIVING)
------------
SHERRI
TERRI
WENDELL
MILHOUSEBart's detention-cell "tattoo":
[skull]
DEATH
BEFORE
HOMEWORKRaisin box:
SUN-MADE
RAISINSMoe's DIY book:
BE YOUR
OWN
DENTISTHistory books in the ducts:
1950s 1990s
HISTORY BOOKS HISTORY BOOKS
(TOO RACIST) (NOT RACIST ENOUGH)Convenient button label on bomb:
EMERGENCY
O
CANCEL[Oops!]
= The singed part of Marge's hair moves around as she frosts the cake.
[Personal Comments & Observations]
Principal Skinner drives a gray Volvo sedan.
When Agent Bauer summons backup agents to SES, they arrive in white Hummer H1s.