Tonight's two episodes, like a number of season-16s, seem to feel like much earlier ones. This could be partly because they both had premises similar to those seen in earlier years; it might also just be the relatively engaging stories and lack of wince moments. Anyhow, to be brief, I liked "Doomsday"'s plot, and the reprise of Homer's divine experiences was a nice capper to the story. I was happy to see that "crazy scheme" Homer did not appear, but rather "good-natured simpleton" with a touch of runaway idea influence. As usual, it was funny, and although the buildup didn't seem as gripping as that in "Lisa the Skeptic," I still had a good time with it. I'll be happy to get my brain back after the run of double episodes next week, but it's looking like a good May so far.
DYN: ...Bart and Lisa try no alternative routes of escape from haircuts? ...Skinner shops for socks at Bloomingdale's? ...the "Tinkle in the Wind" wind chime stand? ...the rapture book "Any Day Now!"? ...Rev 6:13 does indeed mention what Homer says? ...Flanders does come along to the mesa anyway?
Previous episode references 3F18: Lisa wanting a hairstyle like a real person 9F02, EABF20: Other hairstyles for her 7F76 (Deep, Deep Trouble), MG18: Bart's haircut reminiscent of these 9F08: Same comment, for Lisa 9F01: The husband in "Left Below" makes excuses for staying home from church on Sunday; Homer talks with God in heaven/in a dream AABF14: The rapture comes to Springfield 1F03: A character refers to the book of "Revelations" 2F11, 5F05: Some similar premises and events 3F02, CABF20, GABF01, GABF14 (others?): The many makeovers of Moe's BABF21: Another visit of Homer to heaven EABF18: Tokyo Rose joke DABF18: The Baha Men return to spoof their own song MG20, BABF12: Homer's late-night rapture warning reminds me of the WWIII drill/fakeout
Meta-reference corner Somewhat obvious: the references to Bart's, Lisa's, and Marge's typical hairstyles Less obvious: That the cards are flat reminds us that it's a cartoon, and also of the distinctive silhouette philosophy of Matt Groening Pretty speculative: Marge seems to have designed her kids' hairstyles (from birth, if the flashback episodes are any indication, though I'm sure that wasn't Matt's original intention) - given her quick-roll-call skills in EABF14, I wonder if that's what she had in mind
Also note God's comment of "deus ex machina" near the end of the episode; in its typical sense nowadays, this is a common complaint for the end of many Simpsons episodes (as well as a number of other works), but its use here (presumably the rekajiggering of Moe's) is truer to the original theatrical meaning of a god solving a problem in the story, even if God was not lowered to the scene on a crane.