Well, that was up and down. I liked the endeavor to try something new (while returning to Bart's original character), and if this isn't related in some way to the recent Banksy couch gag I'll eat my ironic hat. The twist ending was actually fairly fun - the sting and undercover Shepard Fairey bit, the suitable punishment... though the actual disappearing Bart finale broke the streak. (See more negative below.) But overall, from act 2 onward it was positive.
But the Kwik-E-Mart subplot was really kind of weird, especially as it's a convenience store and not a grocery store! It's never really been in competition with one, though I know occasionally it seems to be (Monstro Mart?), and that always seems weird. At least it got very little time devoted to it. The swap of Apu and Snake was kind of fun, I admit.
And what's the deal with the birthday call? The bunny chewing through the phone wires was kind of clever, but the rest was ridiculous. Why didn't Homer tune in the show (didn't Paula say it was live? maybe that she'd call live from a taping, but the show had clearly begun by the time the call was to come)? Why did Marge seem so blah about it if there was absolutely nothing problematic about the birthday party to begin with? (Homer HAD gotten a nice present, and the autograph! It might have been more interesting if she'd offer to call instead of sign it.) Why does their voicemail seem to work like a hotel phone? Why did Paula get so pissed off at each attempt on air instead of remaining professional and laughing off? (That one at least has some potential as something to point out. Alas...) And how did both Paula and her audience know what Marge looked like to make sketches/ effigies? Maybe - as shown last time - the Simpsons are just that notorious around town.
Anyway.
DYN: ...the monorail and 3-eyed (cawing SNPP) crows in the couch gag? ...how season-1/Matt Groening sketchy Marge's image seemed on the TV show? ...Carl's dangerous/sophisticated line seems to be redubbed? Is this like a game now, spot the loop?
Previous episode stuff 7G11, DABF16, EABF19: Varied birthday (or other) presents for Marge GABF08, LABF09: Frank Gehry referenced 7G02: Skinner "I am a weiner" graffiti redone DABF13: Slightly similar theme BABF01: Bart's head blows up in his nightmare much like it did in "Life's a Glitch, Then You Die" Movie, NABF05: 1PHL07 license plate returns LABF08: More a capella credits 7F18, AABF15: Art show stuff
Meta -Homer hums the theme song while driving to work. (Interestingly, one of several examples on its own show happened in a new The Cleveland Show tonight!) -Snake isn't Jailbird but just Bird when he's working at Swapper Jack's -More like a return to roots, but Bart's graffiti, El Barto, etc. (+7G02 reference above) -Play on "ay caramba" in the name of Bart's show -"Drunken Doh-nuts" (no apostrophe) in one of his tags
Goofs -Homer's rearview mirror disappears - not uncommon in animation or live action, but he was just looking at it! -See also act 1 notes
What? I don't know what the elaborate couch gag is supposed to be. I am going to guess it's a reference to some current TV show I don't watch... but which?