[The long of it]
Just before writing this review, I decided to go over what I wrote for "Trash of the Titans (5F09)," the last "centennial" episode. After deciding that show suffered from "milestone episode syndrome," I wrote:
For all the hoopla, "Trash of the Titans" didn't affect me as much as, say, "Lisa the Simpson (4F24)," with Lisa's personal identity struggle. Like I said earlier, "The Simpsons" works best for me when it looks at the day-to- day things, and finds the humor in them. Perhaps they can do that for the 300th episode.
When I wrote that, I never dreamed that there actually would be a 300th episode. Now that it's here, did the writers stick to the show's strength?
Well, kind of. "Barting Over" revolves around Bart suing for, and getting, emancipation from his parents. That's not exactly something that happens every day in suburban America. Neither is befriending Tony Hawk, the professional skateboarder. But the people who wrote episode 300 seem to have a decent idea of why the fans liked the other 299 episodes. "Trash of the Titans" had an out-there plot, wasted Steve Martin in a straight-man role, and focused on just about every negative character trait Homer had. "Barting Over" still has an out- there plot, but improves on the other two aspects.
Like I said, while many people may entertain the idea of walking away from their families, but hardly anyone actually does it. This show does at least build up to it slowly, and it gives Bart a plausible motivation. When he was a baby, Homer and Marge let him appear in a commercial, and then Homer squandered the residuals. After his emancipation suit succeeds, Bart goes to live in a loft in a seedy part of Springfield. It's not an easy adjustment at first -- at one point Bart plaintively says, "I'm going to die in my jammies" -- and these were some of the funniest scenes in the show. Unfortunately, he gets his act together pretty quickly, so this funny phase gets cut short. To be honest, Bart's separation from the family was more compellingly written in "Home Sweet Home-Diddily-Dum-Doodily (3F01)." There are a few scenes showing the family missing Bart, but they go by a little too quickly to register. At least this episode has a more satisfying ending than "Trash of the Titans."
On the other hand, "Barting Over" gets points for using its guest stars better. Tony Hawk lives in Bart's building, and hopes the boy "doesn't mind living underneath a bunch of pro skateboarders who like to party." (Bart graciously says he'll adjust.) An end-of-show contest between him and Homer is good; to help Homer win the boy's heart, he gives him "the ultimate in poseur technology," a computer- driven skateboard. He's even nice enough to lift Homer onto the board. I'm not into the skate scene, but Hawk seems like a personable and fun man. The band Blink 182 also makes a cameo appearance -- and I do mean cameo, since the bandmembers get like one line apiece. At least it's a funny appearance.
The best improvement is easily in the family's portrayal. This show has better balance among the family members, even though it is obviously a Bart-centric episode. It kicks off with a funny Lisa dream, and there's a nice bit of sibling rivalry when she discovers Bart's semi-embarrassing commercial. Perhaps more importantly, Homer is Homer again, a boor who, when it comes down to the brass tacks, does love his son and tries to do the right thing for him. It's much better watching this Homer than the one who threatened to beat Bart 100 episodes ago.
"Barting Over" isn't a best-of-breed episode, but it does at least give viewers an idea of why the series has such staying power. I hope the 400th episode -- and I wouldn't be that surprised if there was an episode 400, by the way -- is at least as good.
[The short of it]
A better "centennial" show than "Trash of the Titans (5F09)," "Barting Over" represents some of the traits that made the other 299 episodes popular. The plot is a bit surreal, but the story line is well constructed and the ending is good. Guest stars Blink 182 and (especially) Tony Hawk come off well. So does Homer, as this episode shows him as an ultimate loving, if errant, father. If this episode is an indication, "The Simpsons" can probably make it to its 400th anniversary show. (B)
[DYNs]
... Marge, when screaming in horror, sounds a lot like Homer? ... if this episode is correct, Homer has less than 50 years to live?
[References]
"Wayne's World" (movie) - Ornette Coleman and Arthur Miller say "We're not worthy" when Lisa walks by, the way Wayne and Garth do
"Perfect Strangers" (TV series) - Bart's ad appears on this series (which wasn't that much better than the parody!)
Michael Jackson baby-dangling incident - Homer holding, and then dropping, Bart from a balcony very similar to this incident
Or is it? The incident happened only a few weeks ago, too recently for the producers to write, record, storyboard, and animate. Unless I hear something official to the contrary, I suggest that this was a spooky coincidence.
"Psycho" (movie) - the way Bart stabs the Homer "bust" is similar to the motion Anthony Perkins uses - the signature music plays, too
"Pinocchio" (children's story) - Homer thinks the "J" in "WWJD" stands for "Geppetto," the man who originally carved Pinocchio
Absolut vodka - mural on loft similar to their ads, which use the Absolut vodka bottle in various witty image-puns
"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (TV series) - Bart says he's "going to make it after all," a line from the show's theme song - he throws his hat in the air, a gesture from the opening theme
"Casablanca" (movie) - Homer says, "of all the sites on all the webs and I have to click onto his," echoing (paraphrase alert!) "of all the gin joints in the world, she has to walk into mine" - "As Time Goes By" plays in the background
Condoleeza [sic?] Rice (national security advisor) Lisa Marie Preseley (actress and Elvis's daughter) - Cletus and Brandine's daughter named Condoleeza Marie
The WARPED tour (music and gen-X sports festival) - the Skewed tour has a similar name, focus (or is there actually a Skewed Tour in real life?)
Viagra (impotence medication) Rogaine (baldness medication) - combined into Viagrogaine
[Previous Episode References]
[CABF22] Judge Harm appears, and doesn't think much of Homer's parenting skills [AABF06], [DABF01] Homer's "Vegas wife" mentioned
[FFF]
Kennedy Center marquee:
KENNEDY CENTER HONORS
SALUTE 'EM BEFORE THEY DIELabels on the family's videotapes:
MARGE AND
HOMER BART SAD [Lisa adds an apostrophe before the "S"]
GET DIRTYLegal firm directory:
BADGER, HAGGLE & BILL
LUVUM & BURNHAM, FAMILY LAW
HACKEY, JOKE & DUNNITRoad hazard sign:
MAN
SOBBINGLoft building mural:
ABSOLUT KRUSTY
Bart's arm-writing:
MR. AWESOME
Festival banner:
THE SKEWED EXTREME
SPORTS TOUR
MUSIC, MAYHEM AND MASTERCARDSkateboard settings:
AUTO-
OFF AWESOMEHomer's future gravestone:
HOMER
SIMPSON IMPOTENCE
SPOKESMAN[Personal Comments & Observations]
Bart says that he can't remember being in a commercial, and then snacks on a Butterfinger. In our universe, Bart starred in several Butterfinger commercials.
When Marge asks how many times Homer has done something crazy, Lisa increments a counter and says, "300," referring to Fox's claim that this is the 300th episode of "The Simpsons." Marge is surprised, saying she's sure it was 302 -- referring to the fact that this is actually the *302nd* episode to air! Then again, maybe this really is episode #300. After all, it aired on Fox, which gave us an episode that aired before the season premiere, and a show that aired after the season finale. Given this history, a 300th episode that airs *after* the 301st almost makes sense.
Lisa dreams -- literally -- of being feted at the annual Kennedy Center Honors. As implied in the dream, the honors are given on the basis of lifetime achievement, as opposed to a singular accomplishment like the Oscars. The awards committee usually singles out five people each year, and goes for a mix of people who are well-known (Paul Simon and Elizabeth Taylor) and those known mostly to Bravo!-watching yuppies (like, um, Ornette Coleman and Arthur Miller). The ceremonies themselves are pretty classy; celebrities who know the honorees laud them, while the honorees them selves sit in a balcony box.
If you're wondering what the rainbow-colored sashes were for, those are given to the honorees. If there's also a statuette or plaque, then I don't know what it looks like.
In the garage, Lisa is unwittingly rescued by an old book of Mad Libs. A Mad Libs book had several short paragraphs with strategic words replaced by blanks marked "noun" or "adjective" or other parts of speech, so you'd have sentences like "[Name] is known to history as the [noun] who invented the [adjective][noun]." You'd get your friends to fill in these blanks without knowing what the context was; all they'd get as a clue was "Name," "adjective," or "noun." When you finished, you'd have humorously bizarre sentences like, "Moe Szyslak is known to history as the terrier who invented the atomic booger." Good fun in the pre-Nintendo era.
I only have the energy to do one of these reviews a day. You'll get my review for tonight's other episode tomorrow.