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Tag Archives: The Simpsons Season 10
“Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo” and the Inscrutability of The Simpsons’ Fall From Grace
There’s a cottage industry devoted to trying to explain how and why The Simpsons fell from greatness. Every year or so, there’s a new YouTube video, or multi-part essay, or investigative deep dive that claims to have the answer for what made the show plummet from its perch as a pure television achievement to a series that became nigh-unrecognizable, both to casual audiences and the show’s biggest fans.
But as I discussed on The Simpsons Show Podcast, the truth is that there isn’t one answer to that question, let alone an easy answer. Everything from an exodus of talent, to a shift in the approach used to make the show, to the inevitable cracks that emerge in long-running series, contribute to the “why” part of it. And elements as varied as differences in the storytelling, technological changes in the animation, shifts in the characters’ personalities, and changing trends and norms in T.V. humor contribute to the “how” of it.
The Simpsons Botches the Relationship Between Homer and His Daughter in “Make Room for Lisa”
Homer and Lisa have the richest, most complicated relationship on The Simpsons. The series will no doubt continue doing Homer and Marge relationship episodes until the sun burns out, and Marge and Lisa have an undeniably special kinship, and Homer and Bart never fail to make a stellar comic duo. But Homer and Lisa are complete opposites who, nevertheless, love each other dearly. That means there’s always fertile ground to cover about how a father and daughter learn to relate to one another and, gradually, understand each other a little better.
Posted in Television, The Simpsons
Tagged Homer Simpson, Lisa Simpson, Mike Scully, The Simpsons S10E16, The Simpsons Season 10
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“Bart the Mother” Bridges the Gap between Mother and Son at the End of The Simpsons’ Golden Era
It’s deceptively simple. At the end of “Bart the Mother”, Bart understands his mom a little better after being a surrogate caregiver to some “kids” of his own. And Marge has her belief in the essential goodness of her “special little guy” rekindled when she sees his efforts to protect them, the same way she tries to protect him. By the time the credits roll, a mother and her son have been broken apart and fused back together, stronger and closer than ever.
There’s something a little T.G.I.F. about that. But as I discussed on The Simpsons Show Podcast, what separates this episode from its Miller-Boyett counterparts are the three things that always elevated The Simpsons above its contemporaries: smart storytelling, a keen understanding of its characters, and even in shaky Season 10, superb comedy that could still bring the laughs.
