[A policy change]
Toward the start of the 11th season, I announced that I was dropping the short version of the review "until I decide differently." Well, I've made that decision. Hari will hopefully be joining me for 12th (and later) season capsules, so including the short review will make things easier for him. And now, on with the show!
[The long of it]
You might not realize it if you don't immerse yourself in "Simpsons" production trivia, but a big change is about to take place behind the scenes. Mike Scully, who has served as executive producer of the show for four years, will be finishing his term. Succeeding him will be Al Jean, a popular writer from the show's popular early years. Fans (well, the old-school fans anyway) are looking forward to seeing what the new "administration" will bring.
They're going to have to wait. Each year, a few episodes are held over to be broadcast for the *next* season, giving the producers a head start (and some buffer if something goes wrong during the off- season). At the end of the 12th season, a record five episodes were allocated for next year, and "The Parent Rap" is one of them. Fox bills this episode as the start of "The Simpsons'" 13th season, but it's really more like a continuation of last season. Like last season, it has some moments where the show is in good form, but on the whole feels a little tired.
The story begins with Bart and Milhouse having a little unsupervised fun in Chief Wiggum's police cruiser. Bart lands in juvenile court, where he has the unfortunate luck to draw Judge Constance Harm (Jane Kaczmarek). As her name intimates, she's not inclined coddle criminals. She throws the book at Bart ... and at Homer. Deducing that the problem is a lack of parental supervision, she orders that the pair be tethered together until further notice.
Now, if you imagine two characters unwillingly tied together, you can probably predict the sort of jokes that would follow. One man cramps the other's style, they bicker, and they even grow closer. Pretty much all of that happens here. There's a good scene where Homer coaches Bart at a school baseball game, and then is literally dragged around the bases when the boy hits a homer (the baseball kind). A father-son bonding scene at the nuclear plant is nice. Most of the rest is okay, but not spectacular.
"The Parent Rap" declines when a fed-up Marge slices through the tether. Judge Harm communicates through the equipment that is neither realistic nor all that funny. Then, she decides Marge is no better a parent than Homer is. The couple is sentenced to be put in the stocks. I'd hate to see what she does to adulterers in her court. They crash around for awhile, and then decide to get revenge on Harm. Marge never seems quite like herself in this story, and especially so in the third act. At times, she's concerned with the well-being of her family, and with others' estimation of her parenting skills. At other points in the show, she's curiously indifferent to Homer and Bart's predicament. One night, she and her husband kiss passionately in front of their son, who's three feet away (but thankfully stops short of making love). Later, she goes along very willingly with Homer's revenge plan. This is the Marge who was the family's stable center for the show's first six seasons? This is the Marge who, in "Home Sweet Home-Diddily-Dum-Doodily (3F01)," was so anxious to get her kids back she went through a humiliating parenting course? In tonight's episode she's really all over the map. If I never saw "The Simpsons" before, I really would say that she's about Homer's equal in the parenting arena.
There are some other problems with the show. Bart has a speech at the end about how good his parents really are, but it sounds contrived. There have been "Simpsons" episodes that make moral points before. The trick is not making it sound like someone said, "Okay, we need to get serious right here." The trick eludes this show, alas.
As Judge Harm, Jane "I dare you to spell my last name correctly without looking it up" Kaczmarek does a fine job. Amazingly, her hard-nosed character is actually toned down in comparison to Lois on "Malcolm in the Middle." It would have been nice to see her go full blast on tonight's show.
As I mentioned, this show fits in well with the previous season. It has some good scenes, an interesting premise, some attempts at "sincere" moments that aren't as adroit as what we got in, say, the first season, and some questionable characterization. Whether for good or bad is up to the individual viewer to judge. Perhaps we can tether the current production crew to the original one, and hope the old team can pass on the secrets to the new guys.
[The short of it]
The new season is starting out a lot like the old one ended, and given that this is a hold over episode that makes some sense. What's more puzzling is Marge's caring-to-callous (and back again) personality changes. There are some good jokes here -- I liked the school baseball scene -- but nothing to write home about. Jane Kaczmarek is fine as hard-nosed Judge Harm. On the whole, I judge the season to be off to a so-so start. (B-)
[DYNs]
... Wiggum's police car is old enough to predate transmission shifter interlocks? ... the adorable statue of Justice in front of the juvenile courthouse? ... this is the first time we've heard Judge Snyder's first name? ... Marge can cram all her hair under a little burglar's hat? ... there doesn't appear to be any easy access to Judge Harm's houseboat by land? ... Moleman recovered quickly from his run-in with Homer's car?
[References]
"The Parent Trap" (movie) - episode title a spoof
~Judge Lance Ito - during the O. J. Simpson trial, kept little hourglasses and things on his desk, kind of like Judges Snyder and Harm do
Judge Judy (judge and TV series, all in one) - Constance Harm like this no-nonsense judge
the 8th amendment - bars "cruel and unusual punishment"
"rope-a-dope" (boxing move) - Bart uses this as a nickname for Homer
President Bush's daughters - Moe alludes to their being busted for underage drinking
"Thumbelina" (children's story) - one of the pro wrestlers is called, "Rumbleina"
[Previous Episode References]
[2F22] Frink's flying motorcycle
[5F03] Bart rides in a police car
[AABF22] A Simpson takes mood-altering drugs
[BABF03] Homer attacked by cobras; maybe this is the cause of his
night terrors[FFF]
Miranda teleprompter:
+------------------+
|YOU HAVE THE RIGHT|
| TO REMAIN SILENT |
| (PUNCH IN BELLY) |
+------------------+MIRANDA RIGHTS TELEPROMPTER
Picnic banner:
PROMISING YOUNG
ATHLETES PICNIC
|
VRoadside punishment sign:
SPANK THE
BAD PARENTS
FROM
YOUR CARWhat the Simpsons think of Judge Harm:
BIG MEANIE
Springfield Shopper headline:
PAIR SINKS JUDGE'S HOUSE
QUILT RUINED [pic of boat]
[ sinking ][Oops!]
= Was there some sort of edit after Judge Harm's introduction? It sounds as though Marge was cut off in mid-sentence.
= Homer puts up his side of the banner with two nails, but later shots show it is clearly hanging by one.
* The newspaper has a picture of the boat sinking, but there didn't appear to be any photographers around when this happened.
[Personal Comments & Observations]
Bart's blackboard punishment, "Nobody reads these anymore," wryly suggests people aren't paying as close attention to the show as they used to.
A riff from Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" plays during the closing credits.
Sometime during the 50s or 60s, a vagrant named Miranda was arrested (I forget the charge; it might have been something like loitering) and put on trial. He lost. Normally, that might have been the end of it, but his lawyer made a novel appeal. Mr. Miranda was a poor man, with little knowledge of both English and the way the U.S. justice system worked. At the start, he didn't even know he was entitled to a lawyer. Miranda's lawyer argued that the cops should have advised his client of his rights after his arrest. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court, where Miranda prevailed. The rights that you are supposed to be advised of popularly became known as the "Miranda rights." Reading them to a suspect is "Mirandizing" him.
Today, when the police arrest someone they have to read that little spiel that begins, "You have the right to remain silent." (The punch in the belly is a recent addition, evidently.) To be completely on the up-and-up, some policemen read the rights from a little card, rather than relying on memory. As far as I know, nobody has anything as elaborate as Wiggum's teleprompter.