Hey hey, I'm back! I've been on the road for about a week and missed all my pals at alt.tv.simpsons... somehow I managed to get back with no severe withdrawal symptoms. Anyhow, as for tonight's episode, to be short, I enjoyed the small-scale feeling of the plot, as well as its basis in characters (even if half the major players are ones we've never seen before and never will see again). The ending was a little odd, but good endings are so hard to come by these days. Till the next season...
DYN: ..."Hunch" (well, "Hunch!") is also the name of a musical in "The Critic" (Another Jean/Reiss/Brooks/et al production)? ...there have been precisely 2^9 episodes of Hunch? ...Krabappel signed Lisa's spelling bee certificate? (Is this a goof, then?) ...the baseballs Homer gives Buck are animated in a rather low-tech way?
...no one is standing at Tabitha's concert? ...Buck assumes one has to be on the blimp to request a message for it?
Previous episode references AABF07: Homer on the Isotopes bandwagon 2F15: "Krusty's sad last days" picture seems to be from this episode (well, 2010 is approaching) 8F19: Dressing room "romance" similar in parts
Note For all of you who have been waiting anxiously for my Openings file on SNPP to get updated, you'll get to see a new heading or two when I get that finished... what is with all the new screwy openings this season?
A HANDFUL OF NOTES about HABF14 (The Monkey Suit) Not bad, but seemed a bit aimless at first and not super at the end. In parts I was reminded of 5F05, as I expect many were (I haven't read last week's notes on a.t.s yet), which seemed to do a better job with a similar subject. (In both, I enjoyed the discussion of Marge's spirituality.) Even though both episodes had a resolution of sorts, this one seemed a bit too forced - like it was felt necessary but wasn't really. -"Kellog's" and not "Kellogg's"? -DABF06: Milhouse "Wassup!?" -3F03: Lisa and Skinner butting heads similarly -lots of camera angles played with for some reason -5F02: Marge whiffing at batting cage reminded me of this
OH GREAT, something else to worry about (Don Del Grande, take note): I didn't think to wonder what would happen when HABF08 (Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife) and its live-action opening repeated, but I guess I should have. Good thing I tuned in, and hopefully I can record it on the third airing, but that opening is gone now. (A matter of rights?) Not having taped it, I can't say for sure, but its odd timing seemed to be the same as that of the live-action one, and I think the sax solo was the same too. On the other hand, the blackboard gag was different ("I will not laminate dog doo") and the couch gag is a repeat of GABF08 (the spit, reminiscent of season 3 DVDs). What will happen on repeat, in syndication, on DVD? Only time will tell!