I had a little time this morning so I translated one of my German episode reviews into more or less understandable English. I�m rather shocked by what I hear about season 13, it seems to me that the show isn�t getting better (as some people thought) but just worse and worse. Well, I haven�t seen the new episodes yet and maybe it�s Scully�s last revenge before DABF. Let�s wait and hope.
Here�s a new classic episode review by me, this time about 4F01 "Lisa�s Date with Density".
Season 8 is again a season of noticeable decline. In great season 7 we had lots of dark character moments and episodes about issues like soul existence or rassism but season 8 goes again more in the direction of simple comedy and funny but rather pointless parodies (Bond, Rocky, X-Files etc) and also in the direction of character distortion and strangely abrupt endings with songs and music.
However, two 4F episodes were going in a different direction than the season mainstream and had a tendency toward the classic style of the first years: 4F04 "A Milhouse Divided" and 4F01 "Lisa�s Date with Density" which were both a good combination of season 8 modern episodes and classic episodes, noticeable for example in 4F0F with the serious and reality-based marriage plot (season 2 style) and with its balance to fun material like "Stoner�s Pot Palace" or Homer�s monkey-navigated jetplane over the alkali flats (season 8 style.) It�s a good mixture of both elements of the show.
So what lifts especially 4F01 above the normal comedy/parody niveau of season 8? I�d say it�s the mere fact that the episode has not just a good balance between humor and content but also that the content works on a much deeper level than you can see on the "surface" and that the story had a hidden complexity. That�s classic style at its best.
At first sight it seems to be a rather simple episode about Lisa who delevops for rather unbelievable reasons a crush on Nelson Muntz and tries to change him. At second sight there�s a much deeper level about the mentality of bullies and about social reasons like family background or about what people would do to fit into groups. All these reasons are often responsible for the development of a bully character. Lisa tries to change Nelson into a better person but she fails for the simple reason that she didn�t understand the true background of Nelson�s behaviour (a fact that shows that she still has the naivety of a child - despite of her wish to act like an adult.)
All her efforts to change him in the "fast way" by simply changing his clothing and trying to force him to believe in "new values and virtues" (parallels to "Pygmalion") can only led to Lisa�s final failure and many scenes and subtle elements show that she and Nelson never think on the same level and when the group of other bullies arrives and Nelson wants to fit into the group her failure is complete. I�d say the episode implies questions whether behaviour is based on social background or whether there are other reasons which cause and influence it. Nelson himself seems to be mostly a product of his background and Lisa�s point of view to see him as "misunderstood" is finally wrong. Lisa didn�t see Nelson only as a friend but also as (intellectual?) challenge and as object of social study but she fails because of her wrong way of consideration.
Parts of the story and especially the observatory scenes clearly refer to the movie "Rebel Without A Cause". We can use the term here for Nelson who doesn�t even know the reasons for his behaviour so he is in fact the rebel without a cause. He does�t know why to nuke the whales but he nevertheless thinks it should be done ("I dunno. Gotta nuke something"). Maybe Nelson (who�s "captured" in his role) as well as Lisa (who sees her own mistake to late) are somehow tragical characteres in the story while the final Milhouse ending is lastly positive and uplifting - the season 2 style again.
Beside the subtle content there�s a lot of well-written humor (like Nelson�s version of "Joy To The World") in good balance and never disturbing the main plot with too loud jokes or stupid slapstick. Homer�s wacky scheme with the telephone and the dial machine wasn�t really necessary and is more of a modern element but it doesn�t bother me. The true greatness of the episode is probably not the humor but the social content and commentary. Ironically, it�s an episode written by Mike Scully (at least with his name on the script).
Some 44 seconds were cut in syndication, including a small part of the "Milhouse likes Lisa" scene and a dialogue between Lou and Chief Wiggum. There are a couple of other cuts but mostly single lines so no big harm is done. However, uncut versions are always better.
I�d say it�s one of the rare excellent episodes in season 8 with true content and with a real ending and without the usual tendency toward superficial parody. It draws partly from "Rebel" but it never loses its identity, the balance is quite right. Together with 4F0F a good combination of classic years and modern style, because of its hidden complexity of course better than 4F04. I give it a grade A.
I could name now another so-called "episode" about bullying but then I�d need a big load of swear words and a big big grade F and I don�t want to do that. Let�s say 4F01 is the one and only true Simpsons episode about bullying and the reasons.
Chris
P.S. I�m rather happy despite the bad news about season 13. We have daily season 11 this week on TV but next week they�ll start the show from the very beginning on with daily season 1 and I hope it means that they�ll show now all seasons and all episodes uncut and daily in correct order. So I say "Eat my Shorts" to seasons 11,12 and 13 :-).