Notes for JABF13 (Crook and Ladder)

Perhaps as if to illustrate how things used to be, this episode had a pretty simple premise (not even a subplot to speak of) and struck me as pretty well-done, right to the end (an unexpected twist ending wasn't even necessary, as long as the humor kept up). While a little heavier on tiny but not-entirely-subtle meta-references than I'd like, the only other thing that really jumped out as annoying was the slightly rake-scenish "mood swings" piece, which was funny, just a little out of style. Anyway, short review and so forth, since I have an exam tomorrow to get ready for, but if the rest of the season goes like this, it'll put me in an optimistic mood for the movie...

DYN: ...another new sax solo? (The last new one was near the beginning of season 16 - see below) ...a lot of Springfield sites seem to be on fire this week? ...despite this having the feel of a "wacky job for Homer" episode, he does come in to work at the power plant? ...the "celebrity congratulations" piece over the Fox-style end credits use the season 1 theme as an underlay (easily identifiable by the part where Bart steals the bus stop sign)?

Previous episode references 8F18 (among others of course): Maggie needs her pacifier 7G02, 3G02: Maggie (and baby Lisa) spell with blocks (3G02 capsule mentions 2F04, but I don't recall that - possibly another recent one) Volunteer firemen group (Homer, Moe, Apu, Skinner) much like: 9F21: The Be Sharps (Homer, Apu, Skinner + Barney/Wiggum) 3F10: The Pin Pals (Homer, Apu, Moe + Otto/Burns) 3G03: Civil War reenactors (Homer, Apu, Moe + Barney) 9F01: Apu was the volunteer fire captain in this episode DABF12, EABF22: Forrest Gump soundalike feather theme heard Sorta: Futurama 2ACV18: Homer's nighttime destruction, locking him in - I'm sure it's like a lot of werewolf/car type things, but I've never seen a werewolf movie

Meta-reference corner (Some things I left out, but a lot of moments seemed to have characters being self-aware of being in a story or on camera) Homer included the omnipresent Matt Groening signature underneath his videotape-domino portrait. Homer introduced the "zombie montage" as it was about to happen. Moe decides to volunteer "too," and Barney wonders why he said it like that. Homer realizes he should be anticipating a fire bell every time he's in a new setting. Moe draws out a sight gag with his business card so we all have time to get it.

Goofs

This episode worked because of the (fast) pacing; especially the first act: wow, really impressive pacing and style. Many of the lame, newer episodes have a slower piece and gaps between jokes...if they can just keep this kind of pace in most of the newer ones, I believe that this will help sustain the show.

There were a lot of LOL moments in this one; -when Moe said about Burns, "I can't believe he stayed in character!" -when Homer was riding the Segways and said (paraphrased), "I'm off to my next morally questionable situation!" -the cat saying that he was Apu reincarnated and then Apu stepping out and saying "You've been Apu'ed!"

Th premise was shaky with the (only) four men doing all of the work on putting out fires...but you have to overlook these things at this point in the series.

"Frankenstein" by The Edgar Winter Group

Maggie spelled out "NO FUTURE" with her blocks. In the rerun shown at 8:30, she spelled out "DON'T FORGET" with her cereal. In

http://www.snpp.com/episodes/7G02.html

she spelled out "E=MC<squared>" with her blocks.

In

http://www.snpp.com/episodes/2F03.html

she spells out "redrum" (murder).

Mr. Museum

"Matt Garvey" wrote in message news:[email]...

The brand-name "SORNY" on one of the boxes being pilfered from Costington's? (Anyone recording this, am I right?)

-- R Flowers

"R Flowers" wrote in news:[email]:

DYN:

Lisa refers to the drug by the real-life name Ambien then quickly corrects herself by saying the fictional name Nappian.

As an Ambien user, I can say that I've never sleepwalked, sleepeaten, sleepdominoed or sleepdriven anywhere. It really does work like a dream.

"Matt Garvey" wrote in message news:[email]...

The brand-name "SORNY" on one of the boxes being pilfered from Costington's? (Anyone recording this, am I right?)

-- R Flowers

Once Upon A Time Matt Garvey wrote:

You can't be serious. It had 2 subplots, and they were both abandoned early in the show: Maggie's pacifier and Homer's sleepwalking antics. And both of them were more interesting than the "volunteer fire department crooks" the show eventually went with.

** Captain Infinity

Captain Infinity wrote:

Well, right, but I wasn't going to count those, because (as you mentioned) they were abandoned early on. They weren't the type of subplot that takes place alongside the rest of the action (to use an apt example, Maggie's adventures at day care while Streetcar was being produced).

Dammit, I want an "I Shoot Your Face" jacket. ):-(

The "I Shoot Your Face Again" jacket looked better.

"Matt Garvey" wrote in message news:[email]...

Matt is exactly right. When I think of subplot, I think of the "B-story." As Lisa said in "Jazzy & the Pussycats," "Who would have thought the stories would intersect?" (paraphrasing).

These prelude storylines are "pre-plots." Sometimes they terminate before the opening credits are done. This episode is unusual in that there are 2 pre-plots, but no B-story.

-- R Flowers

Once Upon A Time R Flowers wrote:

I disagree. There two were the *main* plots of the show. Then unfortunately, they were jettisoned for the B-story with the fire department. The episode lost its focus once it moved beyond the pacifier and the sleepwalking. Those main plots held so much more promise for an entertaining show, unlike the one they eventually settled on. You can, now that the show is over, argue that the fire department story was the "A", but that's only because it was given more screen time, screen time that would have been better spent on the more interesting main plots.

** Captain Infinity

I'll agree with that--the pacifiers led to the sleeping pills, which led to the accident which led to the fire department job. So they were plot setups, not b-stories.

Which reminds me of a

DYN:

The couch gag ends with Maggie getting a new pacifier, and then the story begins with Maggie losing her pacifier?

Possibly 3F20, where a cat on the cover of Cat Fancier mag says to Apu, "Don't make the same mistake I did".

Homer confuses an ordinary English language sentence with a food item.

Sunday night: "soggy, smokey, hero, .... mmmmm, soggy, smokey hero".

http://www.snpp.com/episodes/3F11.html

Homer tries to get the ball out of the sand trap.

Burns: Oh, quit cogitating, Steinmetz, and use an open-faced club. The sand wedge! Homer: Mmm... open-faced club sandwich. -- One-track mind, "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield"

Mr. Museum