Notes for HABF05 (My Fair Laddy)

S17E12 My Fair LaddyliveFeb 26, 2006, 8:55 PM ET54 minutes after the credits6 posts by 3 posters
6 posts
Matt Garvey

I kind of wish I had known this was going to be a musical episode beforehand. Not that I dislike them (I do quite enjoy 3G03, EABF20, and many classic isolated songs), but it does help to prepare my brain. Anyhow, I'm a little ambivalent about this episode - Willie's plot was obviously an interesting parallel to "My Fair Lady," but it didn't really make me care very much, and I wasn't particularly wowed by the songs (but that tends to get better with time). Within the framework, it was funny enough. I did like Homer's subplot, in part in fact because I could identify with his search for an out of production item. I'll reserve any more judgment on the episode until I see it again later - it looks like it could turn out to be good. I'm also happy that we're now pretty much in full swing with scheduling of new episodes for the second half of season 17!

Just a few notes...

DYN: ...this is the first episode this season with a repeat couch gag? ...Lisa seems to have significantly less stubby fingers (see end of act 1)? ...Agnes seems to be in this episode just for sitcommy, gross comic relief?

Previous episode references 3F01: Bombardment! (in a fashion) 8F16: Potential romance between Edna and Willie indicated 5F15: Willie's shack destroyed (by Bart)

Oops! Perhaps it was from the network feed, WJW in Cleveland, or Adelphia, but perhaps not. About 18 minutes (in real time) from the start of the program, as Willie picks up Bart and Lisa by the noses, the transition from the wide shot to Willie's POV of Lisa had about 7 frames of the new shot on top and the old one on bottom, then a few frames of a bunch of pixellated artifacts as the new shot took over. Did anyone else get that?

harriswestMatt Garvey

(snip)

With that title and guide listing, I have to wonder what you expected! <G>

Not nearly as funny as Willie in 1F18 ("greased Scotsman"). A formulaic send-up of My Fair Lady; the blue pants and bombardment subplots should have been better developed or left out altogether in favor of more "fish out of water" scenes. The writers just phoned this one in IMHO. C-

Mike Harris Austin, TX
Matt Garveyharriswest

harriswest wrote:

Well... I expected basically the same type of thing without lots of musical numbers. It all seems so clear now...

harriswestMatt Garvey

Yeh, that whole hindsight thing. "It's just like Pygmalion, but with songs!" <G>

...I'm funnin' ya, no harm meant. <G>

Mike Harris Austin, TX
Aaron Hirshbergharriswest

That movie about that Lady who was Fair, but I can't seem to remember the name of the movie!

Aaron Xpac3 Mvx3vm