[The long of it]
Pop quiz: What, aside from "You Only Move Twice (3F23)" and an outtake from "138th Episode Spectacular (3F31)," do tonight's episode of "The Simpsons" and the James Bond series of movies have in common?
Okay, here's the answer. Both have the same problem of generating suspense even though the audience can easily guess the outcome. We know darn well that SPECTRE isn't going to kill Bond and take over the world. The interest is in seeing *how* Bond will stop his enemies. Likewise, when Homer and Marge are sentenced to death (and no, you're not seeing things. I really did type "and Marge"), you kind of know they aren't really going to the big couch in the sky. Well, Marge might, but Homer's kind of a franchise player.
I'm getting ahead of myself, though. The story begins innocuously enough for Homer and Marge, when he surprises her with a backyard koi pond. The pond, unfortunately, attracts an endangered caterpillar- like creature, which Homer accidentally injures. He's promptly sentenced to, well, not death -- that comes later. For now, he has to perform community service by taking part in the local Meals on Wheels program. One of the people in his route, Myrna Bellamy, seems nice at first and she convinces Homer to lend a hand with other household chores. What follows is a dramatization of the maxim, "No good deed goes unpunished." She quickly runs Homer ragged with constant demands. When Marge tries to get her to back off, she gets sucked in, too. Soon, Mr. and Mrs. Simpson are running around the Bellamy manor in maid and butler uniforms, at Mrs. Bellamy's beck and call.
Most of the jokes to this point are at least chuckle-worthy, with the highlight for me being Marge's reaction to the koi pond. I also liked the care and feeding pamphlet for "screamapillar," a creature that needs constant reassurance, "or it will die." (It's also sexually attracted to fire.) After a while, though, the screamapillar became mildly annoying, and not in an amusing way. The same might also be said for Mrs. Bellamy as she puts the Simpsons through their paces. I know the point of her character is to be overbearing, but the writers have almost done their job too well. She lacks a quality, like a hidden vulnerability or a funny quirk, to lighten things up and make Homer and Marge's hardship seem worthwhile.
Things take a dark turn when Mrs. Bellamy is murdered by a burglar. Although Homer and Marge come face-to-face with the real killer, it is they who become the prime suspects. There are some funny moments, like Homer using his "killer" reputation to get better service at Moe's Tavern, but not that many. After all, there's really only so much you can do with a murder accusation. (Okay, I did like the fight between Rev. Lovejoy and a Catholic priest. And isn't it nice to hear a Catholic priest joke that doesn't involve sexual misconduct?) Instead, this phase of the story is highlighted by two things. First, there's that suspense I mentioned earlier. As the story progressed, I kept trying to figure out possible ways for Homer and Marge to escape their predicament, only to see them closed off. It really built dramatic tension, as we tried to second-guess the writers, seeing how close they would come to bringing the Simpsons to annihilation. Secondly, I liked the moment Homer does one final, unselfish act for his wife. Not only was it a nice gesture in itself, but it provided welcome reassurance that Homer isn't likely to slip into Jerkass Homer mode anytime soon. Hooray!
Unfortunately, the ending to the show really takes it down a peg. (Yes, a full peg.) I won't spoil it here, but suffice it to say that it hinges on a plot development that was hackneyed even before "The Simpsons" premiered. Yes, I didn't see it coming, but that's because I didn't think I'd see that particular plot device again. It doesn't help that the final scenes just petered out, and it *really* didn't help that Fox promotion chose the closing gag to use in its ads for the show. Nice work, guys.
So, in the end, we're left with a mixed bag of an episode that had some amusing moments, but no knockout gags, and a nice dramatic buildup with a disappointing payoff. It's a shame that this show didn't have one more thing in common with a Bond flick -- a satisfying finish.
[The short of it]
This was a mixed bag of an episode with some amusing moments, but no knockout gags. Rather than focusing on humor, the show instead works on building dramatic tension, putting the Simpsons in peril and letting the audience guess how they'll escape. Unfortunately, there's no real payoff, due to the abrupt (and contrived) ending. Another minus is a key supporting player who's a little too annoying for her own good. An unusual, and not entirely satisfying, episode. (C+)
[DYNs]
... "Lenford?" ... the first portrait Homer walks past in Myrna Bellamy's home resembles previous drawings of John Swartzwelder? ... Homer is shown drooling in the local news graphic? ... Otto has redecorated his bus grille to resemble a tombstone? ... Springfield Penitentiary doesn't segregate its male and female prisoners? ... Homer's prison number is 5191? ... while Marge's number is 6711? ... George Bush the Elder is an execution witness?
[References]
"The Crying Game" (movie) - title of episode a spoof
"The Fugitive" (TV series) - Homer (Marge, too) accused of a crime actually committed by someone else - the real culprit had a distinctive physical trait (one arm for the series, braces in this episode)
P. Diddy (musician and music producer) - Otto calls Homer "H. Diddy"
O. J. Simpson (football player and murder suspect) - local paper trumpets the "Ho. J. Simpson" trial
"Dead Man Walking" (movie) - warden announcers Homer as "dead man walking"
"The Green Mile" (movie) - warden says Homer is walking "down the green mile" - big prisoner is also from the movie - as is the lovable mouse
"Temptation Island" (TV series) - one of Fox's reality series is "No Pants Island" (which, come to think of it, is a pretty good description of "Temptation island)
[Previous Episode References]
[DABF02] Lisa strikes the Buddhist meditation pose [1F01], [AABF03] Simpson aquarium seen [2F20] Homer falsely accused of a serious crime [3F09] George Bush the Elder seen [CABF03] Criminal case and trial turns out to be a ruse
[FFF]
Homer's marriage tips, as recorded by Moe:
* MAKE EVERY DAY A CELEBRATION
OF YOUR LOVE
* SURPRISE HER WITH PASTA SALAD
* PUT A MINI-BERET ON YOUR WANGPamphlet:
[giant 'pillar]
[on a rampage ]
SREAMAPILLAR
C A R E
T I P SHomer's book of stories:
CLASSIC
CHILDREN'S
STORIESMeals on Wheels van:
MEALS ON
WHEELS[plate on wheels]
MoW hat:
MEALS
ON
WHEELSStuck jar:
BUTTER
PICKLESHomer's butler bag:
DOILIES --
SOILEDChurch sign:
First Church
of Springfield IF YOU WERE
A PASTOR, YOU'D
BE HOME NOW!Otto's bus banner:
SPRINGFIELD DEATH TOUR
Here's an obscure one -- blocks in Maggie's room:
E
D P
A ONewspaper headline:
HO. J. SIMPSON
TRIAL STARTS TODAYGil's courtroom reading:
EARN
BIG
$$
IN
TV REPAIRJail sign:
SPRINGFIELD
PENITENTIARY NOT AFFILIATED
WITH
DEATH ROW
RECORDSReality show sign:
You're On
FRAME
UP![Personal Comments & Observations]
According to most environmentalists and scientists, one of the biggest threats to our animal populations is encroaching human development. As our subdivisions, shopping plazas, and commercial districts grow larger, their forests, fields, and streams grow smaller. In an effort to correct the balance, laws have been passed requiring the preservation of natural habitat -- especially if an endangered critter is found living on the land. The laws keep developers from paving over all of America, which is good, but there have been some hitches. People who buy land with the hope of establishing a home there have been unpleasantly surprised to find they can't build anything, because an endangered bird or beetle has beaten them to it. Parks and other useful public developments have been delayed for the same reason.
In a related vein, landowners are not permitted to kill or harm endangered animals. The law applies to you even if you didn't intend to kill the animal, and even if you didn't know that it was endangered. At least no one has been required to personally care for the animals -- yet.
* Meals on Wheels is a real program in the United States. Volunteers take meals to the homes of shut-in, mainly elderly, people who have signed up to receive the assistance, just as Homer does in tonight's episode.
* Hmmm, now that I think about it, maybe Matt Groening was a little too quick to quash rumors of the show's demise. Just think of how tension-packed the execution scene would have been if viewers had been wondering if maybe this really was the end of Homer, after all.