The Simpsons: The Burns and the Bees

I haven't been laughing out loud much lately while watching The Simpsons. I still think I enjoy more episodes than I don't enjoy, but it's more of a pleasant enjoyment, not a side-splitting, pause-the-TiVo-because-I-can't-stop-laughing enjoyment. "The Burns and the Bees" was entertaining and pleasant enough, and there were some genuinely funny moments, but overall there wasn't much that stood out.

The episode opened with Mr. Burns flying to Billionaires Camp, where he sported a "Billionaires Rule" T-shirt. I'm a sucker for some Burns tomfoolery, so I was a fan of these portions of the episode. The "campers" were roasting jewels over an open fire and telling ghost stories about the Securities and Exchange Commission. There was also a classic Simpsons biting the hand that feeds them moment when Rupert Murdoch came cackling out of his cabin to change his net worth from $6 billion to $7 billion.

At the camp, Burns played The Rich Texan in a game of poker and they both ended up betting people. Burns, of course, put Smithers on the line (and Smithers did his part by placing himself on the table), and The Rich Texan bet his basketball team, the Austin Celtics. Burns won, and now he owned a basketball team.

There was a lot of potential in this, but it didn't go too far. Instead of a story about Burns running a basketball team (which could have been similarly brilliant to Burns running the company baseball team in the classic "Homer at the Bat"), the situation introduced Mark Cuban to the mix. Cuban, the wild and crazy owner of the Dallas Mavericks, did a great job making fun of the way people see him. His best and most telling line was "Hold that thought. No one's paid attention to me for ten whole seconds." But Burns' actions to become more like Cuban were weak and didn't elicit as many laughs as they idea could have turned out.

Meanwhile, Lisa became the champion of the dying bees. She learned from Groundskeeper Willie the plight of the bees when she witnessed his dead colony. Willie's bee tombstones were a great example of how recent episodes of The Simpsons can be fun to watch, while not offering up as many big laughs as they used to. "Buzz Aldrin," "Bee Arthur" and "Bee Bee King" were cute but obvious jokes. And the "Jerry Seinfeld" wasn't a very strong choice, either.

The two storylines met when Mr. Burns set out to destroy the home of Lisa's new bee colony to build a sports arena for his new team. This led to a town hall meeting which gave me my favorite throwaway line of the night: Mayor Quimby: "I regret to inform you we are not offering child care tonight. I don't know who that guy was you were leaving your kids with."

The citizens voted for Burns, and Lisa thought all was lost. But Homer, with the help of Moe, took Lisa's bees, crossed them with Africanized bees and created mutant super bees, or something. It all ended with the mutant bees, not surprisingly, taking over the new arena.

Again, with an episode like this, I'm never really annoyed by anything or find myself frustrated with plot. I just don't laugh as much as I would have liked. There were a number of funny lines and moments, but nothing built up to anything phenomenally funny. Is this due to familiarity? Have I seen it all before from The Simpsons? Or is it just lazy writing? I'm going to chalk "The Burns and the Bees" up to lazy writing, because I think the series can still do better than this.

The Simpsons: Mypods & Broomsticks

My initial reaction to the Apple Computers and the might-be-terrorists plotlines in The Simpsons was that this was old news. Apple has been skewered before, and the "not actually a terrorist" storyline has turned up in loads of comedies in the past few years. But then it hit me that both Apple and, unfortunately, terrorism are still a big part of our culture. So, really, The Simpsons aren't behind the times due to their drawn out animation schedule, they've simply reached their time to put in their two comedic cents. And for the most part, it was a funny episode.

The first act primarily focused on the Simpson clan's experience at the mall's new Mapple store. Not hard to figure out the target here. The store was stark and the equipment very familiar looking. There was even a "Brainiac Bar" where Comic Book Guy could spout off his complaints. The scene had some great moments. One of my favorites was when Lisa admitted she couldn't afford a myPod and asked to purchase some ear buds just so she could look the part. The "myPhonies," of course, cost forty dollars. There was also a great parody of Apple's famous "Big Brother" commercial from the '80s, which had Comic Book Guy angrily throwing a sledgehammer into a giant screen showing Mapple president Steve Mobs.

The remainder of the episode, for the most part, focused on Bart's new friendship with Bashir and his family, who had recently moved to Springfield from Jordan. When it came out that Bashir is Muslim, certain townsfolk became suspicious. Homer, at first, was not, but he was easily swayed by Moe, Lenny and Carl… and scenes from the Simpsons version of 24. After inviting Bashir and his family to dinner, Homer tried to uncover their secret terrorist plots. I especially enjoyed Homer's vision of Lenny giving him advice on how to handle the situations that arose: "The doorbell will tell you when they're here."

The family left the dinner offended, and Homer begrudgingly went to their house to apologize. Upon arriving, he noticed lights inside the garage and peeked in to see Bashir's father handling boxes of dynamite. Homer thought this proved him right: "Everybody is whatever I think they are." From there, it was typical Homer. One highlight included a Three's Company-type moment where Homer would only hear a portion of what Bashir's father was saying. He'd catch the "I love blowing up buildings," but miss the "safely and legally to make room for new buildings." Homer thought the Springfield Mall was in danger, but in fact, it was the old, abandoned Springfield Mall that was set to be demolished. Bashir's father explained to Bart how carefully he planned the implosion so no other buildings would be affected, and Bart wisely asked, "Did you factor in one bald idiot?"

The story ended with all being forgiven at a "Pardon My Intolerance" meal. As a whole, this part of the episode was funny and strong and gave the now familiar "suspected terrorist" plot a Simpsons twist. Unfortunately, the remainder of the Mapple storyline was less impressive. It's always fun to see an "Itchy and Scratchy" cartoon, but elaborate doesn't always equal funny. The rest of the bits -- the pricey download bill, the visit to Mapple headquarters -- weren't as effective. And Lisa's final scene as a costumed myPod handing out flyers was a very anticlimactic punch line. But factor out Lisa's involvement after act one and I had myself a decently funny episode of The Simpsons.

The Simpsons: Homer and Lisa Exchange

There are two ways of looking at my expectation level for this episode after the shockingly bad trip into the pasts of the Simpson family members. You could argue that because things seemed so bleak, any speck of creativity or humor would shine in comparison. On the other hand, you could also say my claws were only sharpened. Thankfully my praise for this episode is earned and there are few items which I can take my sharpened claws to.

Lisa becomes an expert at solving crossword puzzles and enters a tournament, where Homer gets involved with an underground betting ring. Voices include crossword editor Will Shortz and crossword creator Merl Reagle as themselves.

Besides Homer's participation in underground betting, our favorite Safety Inspector found yet another calling in life. Yes, another. Sure he's climbed The Murderhorn, gone to space and as we saw earlier this season, become a bounty hunter. But this episode saw one of the most inspired choices in years for a Homer storyline. So inspired I wish it hadn't been used as filler for the beginning of an episode which it ultimately had no connection with. For a free beer, Homer dumps Principal Skinner on behalf of Ms. Krabappel. Word spreads that Homer has the gift of not only taking the pressure off the dumper but also leaves the dumpee feeling great.

In a nod to Hank Azaria's character Agador in the 1996 film The Birdcage, Azaria once again rolled his R's and put on a heavy Latin accent to play Julio, the soon-to-be spurned ex-lover of Homer's old roommate, Grady.

He stumbled upon the backroom shenanigans while at a crossword competition with Lisa. Did anyone take special note of Homer saying, "Gambling is a more sound investment than any stock, bond or real estate investment"? I pondered this line for minutes. Unlike South Park, where the animation can be tweaked up until the day before air, writers of The Simpsons must predict what will be timely months from the time they put pen to paper. In a good economy, this line could be taken as, "Oh, that Homer. An economist he is not." But as more and more global economies circle the drain, Homer is once-again, the idiot savant font of wisdom. Emphasis on the "idiot." Intentional or not, the line was an all-around great Simpson-esque observation of our current predicament.

In what could be described as both a heartwarming story and an Emmy grab, Homer found his relationship with Lisa non-existent when he admitted to betting against her in the contest. At least his bet paid off. Ultimately Lisa lost to Crossword Shark Gil.

This episode provided a healthy balance of humor, story and heart. Exactly what makes a great Simpsons episode! If there's a formula, then that's it. It may not always equal gold but it at least seems in line with the classics of the past. Homer really seemed to find his niche as an ender of relationships.

The Simpsons: Dangerous Curves

I understand that The Simpsons have been on television for a very, very long time. I also understand that this is animated series and the characters do not age. This, of course, messes with the timelines and back-stories established by the series. Although these people are frozen at their current ages, the years are moving forward around them. Basically, anything that occurred "five years ago" in season two happened in 1988. Today, if the show refers to events from five years ago, they're talking about 2003. But the timeframe of events can be largely overlooked if two things remain consistent: the stories stay true to the characters, and the episodes are funny.

Unfortunately, "Dangerous Curves" just wasn't all that funny. As for staying true to the characters, it could have been worse. Personally, there haven't been many recent flashback episodes that I have enjoyed. The first ten or so seasons of The Simpsons did a fantastic job of establishing the Simpson family back-story. Episodes looking back from this era successfully stuck close to that reality. The latest flashback episodes, however, have changed a number of ideas. Last season's "That 90's Show" really irked me by establishing that Marge broke up with Homer and attended college before getting knocked up with Bart. That information changed the way I viewed Marge. She was no longer the innocent girl who fell for a boy, got pregnant before getting married and struggled to make it all work. "Dangerous Curves" doesn't do that type of damage, but it does throw near-infidelity into Homer and Marge's life.

"Dangerous Curves" was crass, cold and seriously lacked laughs. The situations were very forced and the timing was incredibly hurried. All that said, I did find Bart and Lisa as the bickering couple in the pedal car to be very funny. It added a fresh twist to this generally stale outing. And, of course, there were other fun laughs, including Alberto's 45 minutes of silence to complete his "Or should I say 'glide'" statement and Ned Flanders' quip about Homer's "single entendre." But none of that could make up for the poor story being told or the overall unfunniness of the episode. And did the writers of this episode really think that a "Cereal Killer" video game was an original and hilarious idea? That was just lazy, lazy filler.

The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XIX

The traditional Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" has reached its XIX installment. And if I've learned anything from the Rocky movies, it's that XIX is a really big number. Multiply that big number by the three shorts in each episode and you get… a lot of "Treehouse of Horror." As any Simpsons fan knows, this is a chance for the series to tell a few short tales of the strange and bizarre, and usually the gory and gross. This year is no exception.

The opening segment, once simply an introduction/warning from Marge, has evolved to become almost a fourth short story in the episode. This year it's a mini-adventure with Homer going to vote. Doesn't sound very frightening, until you realize the electronic voting machine is changing votes. That, and it's eating people. It's a quick, surprisingly timely segment that serves its purpose of setting the tone for the rest of the episode.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining installment of "Treehouse of Horror." Of course, I have my favorites so it's not likely that these three segments will immediately be considered top-tier. But, really, they get the job done, providing some laughs and grossing me out just a bit. It is Halloween, after all. The first segment is an enjoyable parody of the Transformers. Heck, even the title of the segment transforms with humorous results. The story itself is rather predictable, but seeing transforming robots destroying Springfield is never a bad thing.

The second segment is the one I'm most disappointed in because the idea had so much potential. Homer accidentally kills Krusty (one of the best deaths in "Treehouse" history) and is then touted as an expert celebrity killer. An ad agency then hires Homer to kill celebrities so they can use their likenesses in their commercials. Great idea, right? Well, its execution doesn't quite live up to that potential. There are still some laughs, but their choice of some of the celebrities is a little strange: George Washington? Golda Meir? It was also disappointing that no actual celebrities did a guest voice. This would have been a great opportunity for some self-deprecating. Still, a number of the bits are entertaining, and you should definitely check it out if only for the fun, shot-for-shot homage to the Mad Men opening credits.

The last segment, as is often the case, is the best this year. Another great homage, it tells the tale of Milhouse waiting for the appearance of The Grand Pumpkin. This parody of the classic Peanuts Halloween special earns points right off the bat for the nostalgia factor. To see the Simpsons characters that I have loved for 20 years filling the roles of the Peanuts characters that I've likely loved even longer is just too good not to enjoy. This segment may not be all that gory, but it's funny and, quite honestly, it will just make you feel good. I won't say who plays whom, though some are fairly obvious, but there's one specific choice that works incredibly well.

Whether or not this year's "Treehouse" is up to the standards of past outings is up for debate, but I can't deny the fact that missing it would make the Halloween season feel incomplete. The fact that XIX is funny, entertaining and even nostalgic only makes this yearly tradition that much better. And as the years move on, I might just find myselff adding one of these segments to my own personal list.

The Simpsons: Double Double Boy In Trouble

I have talked about how The Simpsons has become like an old friend. Sure, the quality of the episodes may not be the same as in its heyday, but the series is packed with characters that I have grown to know and love. So come Sunday night, whether it's a fantastic episode or one that's trying too hard, I'm happy to sit down with these old friends and watch their adventures.

"Double Double Boy in Trouble" was one of those pleasant, "hanging out with the gang" experiences. It was a far from groundbreaking episode, to be sure, but my familiarity of the characters and the fair amount of laughs made for yet another pleasurable viewing experience from this 20-season-old stalwart.

And the episode began in a very familiar fashion: with Bart causing trouble. The writers fully realize that this is a commonplace situation, so Bart's exclamation of "Look at me! I'm doing stuff," was humorously self-aware. Bart's behavior in the Kwik-E-Mart drew Homer away from buying the last lottery scratch ticket from Apu. Lenny purchased the ticket instead and ended up winning $50,000. In a great line, Homer declared that Bart had reached "a Dennis-level of menace."

Meanwhile, Lenny took his winnings and threw an extravagant party for his friends. While there, Bart got into the gift bags and turned on all the Vac-U-Bots, changing their settings to "malevolent sentience." Homer and Marge had had enough and started listing possible punishments. Again, this is nothing new, so it was funny to hear Marge run through a generic list -- "no more TV," etc. -- only to finally land on "no more non-dice board games." ("You can't take away my Balderdash!")

The episode then introduced Bart's doppelganger in the form of Simon Woosterfield. Simon is one of the heirs to a tremendous fortune, but he confided his general unhappiness to Bart. Tired of being harassed by his parents and excited to live the life of the wealthy, Bart switched identities with Simon. This, of course, is a tried and true sitcom plotline, and one that The Simpsons have used several times before in various forms. But there was enough humor to keep me distracted from feeling like I've seen this all before.

The majority of the laughs in this ol' switcheroo came from Bart's new, wealthy lifestyle. His bedroom was especially memorable, with a candy corn volcano, a ceiling from one of Saddam's palaces and a Joe Montana poster that was actually the real Joe Montana holding a pose. Eventually Bart learned that Simon was standing in the way of his half-brother and sister receiving their full inheritance and that the siblings planned to off him. Lisa, meanwhile, had figured out Simon's rouse based on his politeness and reluctance to punch. Simon confessed to the trickery in time for the family to save Bart from being killed on an Aspen ski trip.

Aside from everything going back to normal so quickly at the end, the story as a whole was interesting and the jokes were funny enough to illicit several audible guffaws. But the other important factor that made "Double Double" enjoyable was the 19 previous seasons of the series. Being so familiar with Lenny made his "friends" party that much funnier. And my shared history with Milhouse made his visit to Bart as Simon a standout moment in the episode. Milhouse regarding the half-brother and sister: "They're beautiful. I mean just the girl. I didn't notice the beautiful boy." Apu, Krusty, Wiggum and Mr. Burns also added great bits to this episode. They're old friends, just like the series. And, yes, sometimes friends can let you down. But when they are there to make you smile and laugh, it sure feels good to know they're still around.

The Simpsons: Lost Verizon

The Simpsons kicked off their 20th season in style, with the Homer-and-Marge-centric episode, "Sex, Pies, and Idiot Scrapes". This episode, Bart proves that just because you don’t age doesn’t mean you’re not out of touch. When Bart misses out on an embarrassing Skinner situation because he’s the only kid without a cell phone, he goes on a cellular quest that leads the Simpson family all the way from the well-manicured greens of the Springfield Glen Country Club to the stone-carved steps of Machu Picchu.

Though “Lost Verizon” is a mostly solid episode, it feels like a missed opportunity for a show that garners more grumbles than acclaim these days. The first ten minutes sets up a premise that would have filled a full 22 minutes during the early seasons: Bart, wanting a cell phone, tries to earn some cash at a snooty country club. Not bad. The show has certainly done more in the past with flimsier ideas. I mean, Bart’s already worked at a burlesque house and a mob hangout—why not a country club? But like so many latter-season episodes, Bart’s desire for a phone is only a means to one ridiculous end after another.

After a short-lived career as freelance golf ball scavenger is squashed by “Greenskeeper” Willy, Bart lucks into a phone thanks to the temper of special guest star “Boston-comedian-turned-movie-star-turned-basic-cable-notable” Denis Leary, whose discarded cell phone Bart uses to make prank phone calls and do despicable things like spending all of Leary’s money on Yankees hats and Derek Jeter jerseys (the horror!).

But even Leary is only a stepping stone to the second act plot of Marge activating the phone’s GPS tracking chip so she and Homer can keep an eye on Bart. Even this vaguely coherent plot thread falls apart at the end, when everyone except Bart ends up in Peru for some reason.
Just because The Simpsons has covered so much narrative ground over the past two decades doesn’t mean the writers should give up on coming up with a single storyline for an episode. One of the reasons people abandoned the show is that it stopped making sense. A single episode might have half a dozen plot threads, each more disposable than the last, none of which had any effect on what happened the following week.

Here’s hoping “Lost Verizon” is just a hiccup on The Simpsons‘ return to Sunday night dominance. The main reason I hold out hope is that I laughed. I laughed a lot—at dumb stuff like Everybody Poops: The Movie and Marge getting collection notices for frozen peas, to smarter material like the owner of the Bergman-inspired Swedish bar Bart prank calls threatening him with “If I ever get my hands on you, I’ll show you the futility of human endeavor!” At the series’ lowest point a couple years back, I went through entire episodes without cracking a smile. That I’m laughing again means they must be doing something right. Now all they have to do is stop trying to hard.

The Simpsons: Sex, Pies, and Idiot Scapes

After starting as a series of short wraparounds for The Tracy Ullman Show, The Simpsons begins its 20th season, tying the series-longevity record set by Gunsmoke. After a Boba Fett/Carbonite-inspired couch gag, the season premiere featured loads of action, a few cameos and even some light baking.

I returned to Springfield to find the Simpson family attending the first booze-free St. Patrick's Day parade the town has ever held. Despite not having alcohol, Mayor Quimby is determined to make the parade a success with floats and folk dancing where you don't move you arms. The Protestants and Catholics won't let these pleasantries ruin their riot, however. Even Homer and Maggie get in on the act — the riot act, that is.

Around the corner, Marge bumps into bakery owner Patrick Farrelly. After tasting Marge's cupcakes, he asks her to come work for him. She accepts the position and then sees her husband being placed in the back of a police car.

Homer's bail is set at $25,000. He's referred to bail bondsman Lucky Jim, voiced by Jackie Brown's Robert Forster. It's at Lucky Jim's that Homer meets Wolf the Bounty Hunter. Apparently this meeting is all one needs to become a bounty hunter oneself. Using the promise of "bail jumpers welcome," Homer runs a condo scheme to catch his prey. Local jailbird Snake (was that Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a brief cameo as Snake's baby mama?) is taken in by Homer's ruse. However, Snake pulls a gun and shoots. It is rival Ned Flanders who saves his neighbor's life by sliding a sheet of bulletproof glass in front of Homer's head. After this close encounter, Homer pays Ned half the bounty and invites him to become his partner in hunting crime.

When sisters Patty and Selma come into Marge's new place of work searching for suggestive cannolis, she begins to put the pieces together. She's working in an erotic cake shop! After initially being disgusted, Marge realizes there's no harm in what she’s doing.

Throughout Springfield, the Simpson/Flanders team is taking out the trash one criminal at a time. They've also mastered the art of the stakeout. Unfortunately, the fruitful partnership goes belly-up when Ned feels as though Homer isn't obeying the law in his hunt for Springfield's scum.

Homer's been so busy catching criminals he forgot about his own debt to society. After missing his court date, Ned is given the mission of bringing in his old partner. Homer returns home to find Flanders waiting in his darkened living room. Once Homer knows the score, he wastes no time fleeing. In an action sequence that evokes the free running opening of 2006's Casino Royale, an extremely lively Homer and Ned chase each other through the streets and construction sites of Springfield.

Suddenly Homer is given the upper hand as Ned hangs from a construction beam. Remembering the good times the two had as partners, Homer saves his neighbor from plummeting. But this is Homer I'm talking about here. After letting go of the beam, the two plummet into a section of wet cement. Ned regales Homer with passages from The Bible before Springfield's Finest show up to take him away.

With quite a hefty societal debt to repay, Homer sits in his cell reading a letter from Marge. Apparently she's used all her "new baking skills" to make him something to remind him of her. Inside the accompanying box, Homer finds a white sheet cake with lettering reading "To the love of my life!"

The Simpsons: All About Lisa

"Applause is an addiction, like heroin or checking your e-mail." -- Sideshow Mel

Well, another season of The Simpsons has come to an end. As with the last few seasons some stuff was good, some was okay, and the rest should have gone back to the Writers' Room for further revision ("Treehouse of Horror", anyone?). Most of the weak stuff landed in the first half of the season for some reason -- maybe everyone was tired from the completion of The Simpsons Movie. The second half picked up steam, thanks to some solid episodes featuring Lisa and Bart.

Luckily, The Simpsons ended on a strong note with the Lisa-centric season finale. Once again going back to the on-going theme of how success can corrupt Lisa, I was treated to an episode featuring her turn to work with the famous Krusty the Clown. I say 'her turn' because older brother Bart had worked for Krusty in the past. And, like Bart, Lisa usurped Krusty's fame to become the star of the show.

You would think Krusty would have learned his lesson.

The situation on how Lisa became famous was different from the way Bart did. With Bart, the success was unintentional -- it stemmed from a catch phrase ('I didn't do it') that swept the country. With Lisa, it was more a manipulation of Krusty that permitted her to rise to the top and become Springfield's Entertainer of the Year. Of course, with that fame comes consequences.

While this was a Lisa-centric episode, it was also one that heavily featured Krusty the Clown. I havn't really seen Krusty in a major role on The Simpsons in quite some time. So, it was fun to see him at his most Krustiest. He was really on the rampage during this episode -- showing the viewers all of the traits that I have come to enjoy. This was also an opportunity to see more of Krusty's television past as he was celebrating his 4000th episode ('I never thought I would make it past 400 episodes'). It was hard to tell if the older versions of the Krustketeers were really old or just recently grown up. If recently grown up, that means Springfield didn't have color television until much later.

This episode also featured the heavy presence of Sideshow Mel, who was the narrator of this installment as well as Lisa's guide through the rigors of stardom. I don't get to see or hear too much of Mel. It seems that he has the same type of theatrical and cultural background of one Sideshow Bob; yet, he seems more comfortable in his role as Krusty's sidekick. He also seems to be one of the more grounded characters on The Simpsons, which made him a good moral compass for Lisa.

Now a brief go-around on the other events that happened during 'All About Lisa':

A rare parenting moment between Homer and Marge. Through an agreement, Homer spoke to Bart about his clown issues in exchange for Marge to handle talks about piercings and strange feelings.

Gabbo's back! The last place I saw the wooden dummy that brought Krusty down was in The Simpsons Movie. You know, the appearance of Gabbo may have been a bit of foreshadowing to the fate that Krusty would encounter this episode.

Comic Book Guy has returned, and is still in the Android's Dungeon. I believe that this is the first time viewers had ever seen CBG with his hair down. And, should probably be the last time.

The second story of the night wasn't that bad at all. I don't see Bart and Homer bonding too much these days. So, having them collect coins was a good touch by the writers. Nice how Homer was able to get the 'Kissing Lincolns' penny from Mr. Burns.

Drew Carey -- Hmmm. The animated version of Drew just didn't have the right feel to it. Perhaps because the real life Drew is shaped like an animated character.

Bart doing Carrot Top shtick at the auditions for Krusty. I enjoyed his impression of a Jack-o-Lantern.

The Simpsons: Mona Leaves A

"Mom, I can't believe you're here! You keep disappearing and reappearing and it's not funny! You're just like that show Scrubs" -- Homer to his mother after her unexpected return.

What I thought to be a sweet story about the return of Homer's mother turned out to be a huge joke fest. Well, actually more a joke fest during the second half of the show than the first half. The first half was actually kind of sad as Homer couldn't take one more of Mona Simpson's promises that she had stopped running from the government and was now ready to devote her time to Homer and his family. The second half was a totally different Simpsons episode.

This has been done many times on the show, but it seemed like such a drastic change in tone that it was hard to grasp. One moment, Homer is mourning the loss of his mother and wallowing in guilt that the last thing he said to her was said in anger. The next moment it's a parody on James Bond movies. Yes, it was really Mona's last protest request, but it really didn't play out that way.

Fact is, when Homer was tied to the chair in the missle silo and the door opened I really felt that it was going to be Hank Scorpio who walked through. Now, that would have been pretty cool and fit right in to the whole James Bond motif that was being built. Alas, it was only Mr. Burns who entered. While not as good as Hank Scorpio would have been it was nice to see Mr. B. in this small role since he has barely been around this season. Plus, it gave Homer the setup to tell his boss he would need Thursday off.

Getting back to the first part of the episode -- the return of Mona Simpson. There were some good moments between Homer and his mother during this installment, particularly when Homer expressed his feelings of disappointment to his mom about all of the times she was not there for him. Homer has been disappointed many, many times over the 400-plus episodes of The Simpsons, and he has rebounded fairly quickly from most of them. But, this was someone he loved and cherished. Which meant that the disappointment he felt wasn't going to be washed away any time soon.

The predicament Homer fell into -- angrily asking Mona to go away shortly before she died -- is one very common in real life. None of us really know when our last day will be on solid ground. Yet, we are always walking out of the house angry for some reason, or leaving work in a snit due to something a co-worker or manager did. Then, when the people we were angry with unexpectedly pass away, enormous guilt sets in because we never got the chance to say good-bye or 'I love you' or millions of other positive and nice things. This is where Homer was this episode and, although it was a bit jokey, it was done tastefully.

Other memorable things that went down this week:

Moe playing with the emotions of all of the parking lot drivers at the mall. I knew that someone like Moe existed! In addition to positioning themselves at malls they also have personnel down at the beach who load up their trunks with their chairs, umbrellas and beach bags thinking they are going to leave, then it turns out they're just dropping everything off so they can walk the boardwalk. By the way, if it sounds like I'm bitter, you're absolutely right.

Ah, the Stuff-N-Hug: one more store to add to the ever-growing list of mall offerings the Simpson family will probably be banned from, especially after Homer destroyed their entire stock of talking hippos (thanks to the speed-recording efforts of Bart). Best lines from this vignette: "How much love do you want in your Stuff-N-Hug?"; "I want all the love!" -- Squeaky-voiced sales person and Ralph Wiggum.

The ESPY Awards featuring Lance Armstrong and Fozzie Bear. Pretty funny since, after grabbing Fozzie and throwing him away, the puppeteers hand continued to speak 'Wokka, Wokka.'

The discovery of Mona by the fire. It was a little silly at first, but became sad when he found out his mother was dead. The scene where Homer softly calls out "Mom?" with the shot of house exterior was a nice touch.

Cameo appearances by Seth and Munchie at Mona's funeral.

Homer using his chain-and-block device not once, but twice in the episode. Although, he wasn't sure what to initially do with the chain and block when he saw them in the silo.

Poor Lenny -- his mother won't even talk to him. However, she is more than willing to speak with Carl and happy to let Moe know that she wishes he were her son.

The religious debate with Apu and Ned. Apparently, religion is confusing but the sing-a-longs are fun.

The nice tribute to Mona Simpson at the end of the episode.

The Simpsons Will Turn 20 Next Fall on Fax

I knew The Simpsons had been on the air for a while, but this is pretty mind-blowing: The show has just been officially renewed for a 20th season on Fox. That ties it with Gunsmoke for the title of longest-running primetime TV series . . . ever. Pretty big stuff for a cartoon family whose youngest member still sucks on a pacifier.

The news follows the announcement that the show's voice actors struck a deal for more money — a four-year contract that will earn them each about $400,000 per episode. That's a lot of — sorry, guys — d'oh. (Speaking of which, here's a fun fact from Fox's press release: The dominance of The Simpsons is so great that "D'oh" is an official word in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Twenty years is an awfully long time for a TV show to stay relevant. I remember watching the early years first on the Tracy Allman Show and then watching the reruns at least 3 times a night on WGN or TBS many years ago. Yet the show still pulls in between 6 and 8 million viewers per week, and the success of last summer's The Simpsons Movie proves that it still has a huge audience. So here are my questions for you: Do you still watch The Simpsons? How long have you been a fan? And do you see yourself sticking with it till the end?

The Simpsons: Apocalypse Cow

"Sorry, Lise. I can't be a vegetarian. I love the taste of death." -- Bart Simpson

Another Bart-centric episode, which means another decent installment of The Simpsons. Shows that feature Lisa and/or Bart tend to be more interesting in nature because there are more dimensions to these characters than Homer or Marge. Because of their diverse personalities and passions there is more to explore with the younger Simpsons; more unique situations where they can be placed. Sometimes, they are right in their element. Other times they are put in a scenario that they are initially uncomfortable in but eventually adapt. Such is the case of this episode.

One would think that placing Bart in a nature-related environment would be like putting Dustin Diamond into an Academy Award nominated movie: it just seems un-natural. Yet, Bart adapted quite well as a member of the 4-H. Perhaps it was the chance to drive a large piece of farm machinery that drew him to the club. Eventually, driving the harvester across clotheslines and piles of manure (which turned into DVD copies of Pirates of the Caribbean 3) wasn't the only thing Bart expressed interest in. As the Simpson-universe summer began the young Simpson boy took interest in animal husbandry in order to win a contest.

If I think about it Bart has always been a defender of the weak. Yes, he's always on the case of people like Lisa, Martin and Rod and Todd, but he is more than willing to come to their aide when it is needed. That's why he was a good fit for his little runt of a cow named Lou. Through determination and a little help from another 4-H member named Mary (voiced by Zooey Deschanel), Bart was able to pull Lou through his paces and make him a winner. This really made him a loser since Lou was headed to the feed yard and imminent slaughter.

Of course, Bart wasn't going to let Lou get turned into Sloppy Joe without a fight. This is Bart's M.O.: not very nice to humans, but very kind to animals. In the many episodes where Bart has had to make a decision about the fate of one animal or another he has usually gone the side of good.

He made the right decision to save Lou and get him to a better place. Since Bart is a man of action instead of ideas he needed to incorporate Lisa into his plans. With the help of her radical environmentalist friends (who said a prayer to the spirit of the chain link fence before cutting it open) they were able to take Lou to Mary's house. Little did Bart know that Mary was one of Cletus' children ("It was a regular city birth, in a gas station".)

After being a one-joke character for many seasons, Cletus has been promoted to supporting character status as of late. Cletus is a good character to have because it allows the producers of The Simpsons to show the other side of the city that isn't revealed as much. I got to see that side in this installment as, under the rules of the hill people, Bart and Mary needed to get married. Blame it on his request to have her take Lou to keep him safe.

The wedding scene was pretty amusing, but it went so fast that it was hard to catch all of the jokes. Most amusing was the contradiction of the caterer who was trying to properly position the spittoon. Also funny was what Brandine gave Mary as something old (a rebel flag), something new (one of her baby brothers?), something burrowed (a possum?) and Something Stew. Then there was the ceremony itself, where the preacher assumed that Mary was going to say 'I Do' since the hill people didn't really care what the women-folk had to say.

After Lou was rescued by Apu (hey, that rhymes) Marge and the family needed to rescue a cow-costumed Homer (who didn't have much to do this episode) from being made into some very fatty ground chuck at the Laughter House. Sure, it was jokey and you knew that Homer was going to be saved, but it was an amusing moment. The best line of the night came from Bart at the very end of the episode when he said that he was proud to say that he had a cow, man.

Some other observations about this week's episode:

No sub-plot at all this episode, unless I consider Marge and Homer trying to get Maggie to eat greens as a sub-plot. That's okay, because there was enough story that a secondary storyline wasn't needed.

This week's Blackboard joke: A person's a person no matter how Ralph. Meh.

Six hours of Saturday morning cartoons? The Simpsons really do live in another universe! There hasn't been a broadcast network that has shown six hours of cartoons since the late 90's. Then again, there hasn't been a host like Krusty introducing the cartoons in several decades.

The Trans-Clown-O-Morphs harken back to the days when kids were asked to enter the secret code into the decoder rings they found in their cereal boxes to find out the name of the next adventure. Oh, plus The Transformers. By the way, would you ever tune into a episode of the Trans-Clow-O-Morphs?

Homer was very family-oriented this episode as well as fairly low-key. It was surprising to see him pass on having Lou stay with them when Bart suggested it. Usually Homer is all gung-ho for those types of things.

The Simpsons: Papa Don't Leech

SPRINGFIELD: GOOD -- The new town slogan that cost Mayor Quimby the entire treasury of Springfield.

When it comes to supporting characters The Simpsons have them up the proverbial wahoo. Many, like Flanders, Mr. Burns, Apu, and Millhouse, are distinct personalities with lengthy back stories that I know quite well. Others, like Bumblebee Man, Cletus, Kent Brockman, and Comic Book Guy, are known, but only by the stereotypes that they have been given. Fortunately, most of them have been given spotlight episodes to flesh them out a bit more.

While these episodes have been hit or miss, I have always found them to be quite interesting because they gave a different perspective on life in Springfield.

Granted, one Simpson or another was usually involved in their spotlight show, but they were usually in the background. This gave the character, whom we saw countless times on screen with a gag line or two or just in a group shot, a chance to shine and garner a new set of fans. And, since there are probably well over a hundred characters on The Simpsons to explore, and the show has run for nearly two decades, there has been ample time to explore each and every one of them. Which begs the following question...

Why have a spotlight show for Lurleen Lumpkin?

If she was a recurring guest-star like Sideshow Bob I wouldn't have an issue with it as he has appeared many times over The Simpsons run. The thing with Lurleen is, other than some very brief cameo appearances, the last time I really saw Ms. Lumpkin was, well, her first appearance on the show in Season Three!

Again, I refer back to Sideshow Bob. As Bob has appeared at least once every season or two -- the most recent being this season -- viewers know about him and at least a bit of his back story. Lurleen? Other than the brief summary that Bart gave about her this episode no one but the most die-hard and long-term fans knows about her. Because of that lack of back story the viewer uses to determine if they should like or dislike this character, the episode fizzles.

Which is what it did. And, this is coming from someone who saw "Colonel Homer" during its original run and knew the whole back story about Lurleen's unrequited love for Homer (and her apparent obsession with men who looked like Homer). If it was really about Homer coming to the rescue of Lurleen, placing the Colonel hat on once again, and returning her back to the stage I would have had a different opinion. However, by throwing that whole plot about her delinquent father into the mix all I could say was 'What the hell?' to my television, which didn't respond because it's actually a television.

It didn't impress me one bit and, frankly, it all seemed kind of rushed. In the first act I only got about five minutes of Lurleen and her back story. Then, in the second act, I had the delinquent father and the reunion. Finally, in the third act, the Dixie Chicks somehow got involved because Lurleen's father stole one of her songs (more on that below) and made it his own. Heck, even the joke of how the Chicks were now loyal to Fox News and changed their ways about America was unfunny.

I also found the Simpsons, other than Marge, to be unusually subdued. Oh, there was a good Bart-Lisa gag with Homer having a picture taken of his butt and put on a T-Shirt, but for the most part they were a bit quiet. Even Homer was very un-Homer-like, including his dream sequence where he ends up killing his Dad. It was just an off show all around.

The only good thing to come out of this episode is I finally got a few new songs. I liked her "Daughter" song as it was more upbeat and the entire Simpson family got involved rhyming to the word "daughter" (Harry Potter, Estee Lauder, etc). I enjoyed Lurleen's sad country ballad as well, only because I got to see Maggie (who has been incredibly ignored this season) pull a little Back to the Future gag by holding up her toy telephone to the air vent so the unibrow baby could hear the song.

I'll be honest...I had a feeling that this would be a mediocre episode at best after three fairly strong outings. I can only hope that the writers and producers over at The Simpsons will reconsider the next time they decide to give a solo opportunity to a supporting character many people don't remember.

The Simpsons: Smoke on the Daughter

The was something very reassuring about this episode's couch gag on The Simpsons. Mostly, I think it was the Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner reference in the opening sequence. It was a great reminder of the early, innocent days of cartoon comedy, where smashing into a painted wall was all you needed (or wanted) for a laugh. But the couch gag was able to give the joke a smart, modern Simpsons twist by having Homer crash through the painted couch while the rest of the family was able to comfortably sit. It was a genius bit, combining your basic pratfall with something far more surreal. And that, to a great extent, defines what The Simpsons is all about.

But an episode of The Simpsons does not live by its opening couch gag alone. "Smoke on the Daughter" started very, very strongly, with jokes hitting their mark almost nonstop. But after the first act, the pacing slowed, the funny stuff became more spread out and the overall result was a decent, though not entirely satisfying, episode.

Fictional preteen female wizard Angelica Button made another appearance in this episode (I believe it's just her second), and the results were hilarious. The Angelica Button series of books is, of course, a parody of the Harry Potter series, and in this episode, The Simpsons delivered a send up of fans lining up at midnight to get their hands on the latest edition. This segment had everything you could want: numerous Springfieldians dressed as their favorite Angelica Button character, Skinner complaining that the line should be a "spoiler-free zone," and Comic Book Guy "flying" his broom away in embarrassment. All the necessary jokes were here, from the frenzy of the crowd trying to get the book, to reading said book as quickly as possible. The Simpson family finished (and discarded) theirs on the car ride home.

But this fantastic opening had nothing to do with the remainder of the episode. Instead, focus turned to Marge's desire to become a ballerina -- it was a goal she had stored away in her Shattered Dreams Box, which she kept in the Disappointment Closet. But when Marge didn't qualify and Lisa was touted as having the balance of a natural, the focus shifted to Lisa. At that point, it appeared the theme of the episode was going to be Marge living her dream through Lisa. Though there were a number of such references (my favorite being the line "Lisa the dancing Marge girl"), the actual plot revolved around Lisa thinking she needed to smoke to stay focused and thin and be a better ballerina. The smoking storyline walked the line between funny and preachy, though the preachiness was diminished a bit by the fact that everyone pretty much agrees that smoking is bad for you.

Meanwhile, for no clear reason, Homer and Bart had befriended a family of raccoons who had stolen all of their beef jerky. Yeah, I know. That sentence doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The beef jerky storyline was quite weak, saved only slightly by the fact that the raccoons resembled the members of the Simpson clan. Tying the two stories together was a stretch -- Homer used daddy raccoon to steal the ballerinas' cigarettes -- and was ultimately a let down.

Some of the other highlights from this installment:

Apu and Flanders. I have barely seen these two characters this season, so it was good to have them back if only for a short period of time. I like how Ned was blacking out all of the 'hecks' and 'darns' from the Hardy Boys book.

Bart rising up from the piles of sweaty leg warmers in a parody of Martin Sheen's Captain Willard character from Apocalypse Now.

Chazz Busby = Bob Fosse -- the great musical choreographer who directed the Academy Award winner All That Jazz.

Overall, this was an episode that began very strongly, starting with a classic couch gag and a lot of quality, rapid-fire jokes skewering fan culture, but when the main story began, the comedic pacing just couldn't hold up. There was still plenty to make me laugh, it was just more evenly spread out, making this a good episode, but not great.

The Simpsons: Love, Sprinfieldian Style

Story Bridge -- Homer actually does something nice for Valentine's Day and takes Marge, Bart and Lisa to the carnival, where the kids run free. This gives Homer and Marge some quality time in the Tunnel of Love. I have never been in a Tunnel of Love before, so I will have to take as fact that it features scary creatures dropped from the ceiling to allow couples to hug each other for comfort.

Course, not all goes as planned. And, in a very rare occurrence (this season, at least) of Bart's impish side he decides to mess things up for Homer and Marge by pouring gelatin into the Tunnel of Love's river. The result: Homer and Marge get stuck and end up telling pop-culture-related stories about love.

Bonnie and Clyde -- Marge is Bonnie and Homer is Clyde. This was an interesting little tale because, even though it was for laughs, it did prove the point that sex and violence are strange bedfellows. I found this segment to be the weakest of the three stories. Possibly because it was shorter than the other two. I did like a few things, though, like Burns and Allen portraying Bonnie & Clyde on a radio show, and the racially insensitive cartoon featuring the Woody Woodpecker-like Robby Robin. The end scene was a take-off of how Bonnie and Clyde eventually perished in real life and in the movies, except with Marge and Homer talking about their relationship as they were pelted by hundreds of bullets. I thought Bonnie's mention that they should see other people at that point was pretty amusing..

Shady and the Vamp -- "You're pretty feisty for a upper-class bitch." -- Homer as Shady

A play on Disney's Lady and the Tramp was the strongest story of the three and, being serious, could have been a whole episode in itself. I can't recall if I have ever seen The Simpsons as animorphic characters before, but it was a bit weird to see them all as dogs. Having said that, it was actually quite sweet as Shady was ready to be with the Vamp (Marge), then had second thoughts, then rescued his puppies from the evil dog catcher. There were a number of elements from Lady in this story, including the scene where the two dogs share a spaghetti dinner together. With Homer being Homer, no matter what shape he takes, he fought for his food and accidentally sucked Vamp's head into his mouth when they shared the same spaghetti strand.

There was also a musical number during this installment--something we have barely seen at all this season. Again, even though it was for laughs, I thought that it was done very well. Also appearing in animorphic form were Moe as Shady's bulldog friend, Selma and Patty as a pair of Siamese cats, and Bart and Lisa as the puppies. Also making an appearance was Goofy (or someone like Goofy), who was unfortunately gassed by the dog catcher. Luckily (I guess) Goofy survived and said the whole ordeal was better than working for Disney.

Sid and Nancy Vicious -- "The Sex Grahams Featuring Billy Pistol" -- Sign at the San Antonio Arena displaying the show after The Sex Pistols and Billy Graham

Bart is Johnny Rotten and Nelson is Sid Vicious. But, of course. Also appearing in this take-off of Sid and Nancy was Lisa in the role of spelling bee champion Nancy Spungen. The drug of choice: chocolate in all of its forms. This was a pretty entertaining chapter, with a number of stereotypical references to London of the 1970's. I liked how Johnny was spitting apple juice into the crowd rather than something stronger. The best line of the night was when Sid and Nancy were kicked out of CBGB's--Comic Book Guy's Bar. Damn, why didn't I think of that reference sooner? Frankly, I was ready for Comic Book Guy to spit out "Worst. Concert. Ever."

Overall, this was a decent episode of The Simpsons. I tend to like the trilogies that they present once or twice a season (except for the most recent Treehouse of Horror episodes...Yuck) since it gives the writers a chance to work outside of the confines of Springfield. This time around they seemed to focus on the stories themselves rather than overload them with gags as they tend to do. The result were some pretty nice stories.

The Simpsons: That 90's Show

When I first heard that this episode of The Simpsons was going to flashback to the 1990s, I thought it could be a fun episode. Then I wondered if they'd do something really cool and interesting and actually go back to an episode or era I'm already familiar with since The Simpsons aired throughout that decade. But what "That '90s Show" did was neither cool nor interesting. Instead, it insulted lifelong Simpsons fans everywhere.

With this episode, the writers chose to change the history of the Simpson family. No longer does Homer get Marge knocked up after high school, forcing him to find work at the nuclear power plant. No longer are the kids born in the '80s, when "a young Joe Piscopo taught us how to laugh." That's all been erased and rewritten. And it simply never should have happened.

To a degree, it's understandable. It's understandable that an animated program with characters that never age that's been on the air for nearly two decades would have trouble keeping up a consistent, believable timeline. So maybe -- maybe -- they could have gotten away with a big change like this if the episode had been a memorable laugh riot. But it wasn't.

After Lisa calculated the logistics of what year Bart would have been born, Marge and Homer shared the story of Marge's time in college. Instead of a barbershop quartet, Homer was singing "inoffensive urban-like hip-hop smooth grooves." Instead of raising her children in the Lower East Side of Springfield, Marge was falling for her cultural history professor. It all felt so wrong.

Were there some funny moments? Sure. The Simpsons does have a knack for mocking the '90s. They did it for, like, ten years. There was a great bit with Homer dividing up his and Marge's belongings: "I'll keep the LPs, and you take the CDs. I'll take the typewriter, you take the computer. I'll take the Enron stock, you take the Microsoft stock." And I got a kick out the Back to the Future reference to how grunge music may have started: "Kurt, it's Marvin. Your cousin, Marvin Cobain. You know that new sound you're looking for?" But nothing was funny enough to cover up the fact that "That '90s Show" was thumbing its nose at all the great, established, hilarious moments and episodes I've come to love and cherish.

I like the Simpsons. People have made all sorts of arguments about how the show isn't as funny as it used to be (and it's not), but I still enjoy it most of the time. But to any diehard fan of The Simpsons, "That '90s Show" was an abomination.

The Simpsons: E. Pluribus Wiggum

"To Springfield!"
"Which one?"
"The one where The Simpsons live."

My oh my, was this a jam-packed episode of The Simpsons or what? I haven't seen this many sight gags in one installment of the show for the longest time. Not only that, but this was probably the first episode of the season where Homer and the rest of the family took a back seat to the rest of Springfield's citizens.

That's not to say that the Simpsons were entirely missing from this episode. It was Homer's accidental destruction of Fast-Food Boulevard (1972-2008) that actually helped move the presidential primaries up to a time before the New Hampshire primaries. If you think about it, Homer has probably done more damage to Springfield in the time he has lived there than any alien invader or army could do. If Springfield existed in the real world the place would be utterly and totally broke, or bonded up for so many generations that the ape people who conquered Earth in the 27th century would be left with the burden of paying that bond off.

Besides Homer, every other member of the Simpsons crew had something to do this week. Lisa was at the forefront since her former "boyfriend" Ralph Wiggum was the person picked to run for president. Lisa hasn't had a good episode all season -- she usually gets at least one a round -- so it was nice to see her defending Ralph from the Democratic and Republican representatives who wanted him to run for their party.

While there were a few good laughs in this episode, and I found the show as a whole pretty entertaining, there were some disappointing points. One was the amount of time it took to bring Ralph in as the presidential candidate. It took nearly two whole segments before the young Wiggum's name was even mentioned. Then, he only got one segment, at the end, to do what he needed to do. Hey, I understand that this episode was a take on the hype that surrounds the presidential primaries (even more so this time around than last), and they did a good job at showing all of the absurdities.

Another disappointing...well, more weird than disappointing...matter was the way the episode ended. After Ralph became a bit more coherent and devious (to the point where Lisa actually exclaimed 'Whhaaaaaattttt?') all I saw was a joint campaign ad from the Democratic and Republican parties --- the donkey and elephant kissing was a bit disturbing for some reason --- featuring Ralph. Once his campaign slogan appeared the show ended and the credits rolled.
Perhaps I've gotten used to an episode of The Simpsons being tied up in a nice bow after 22 minutes.

Moving on, Dan Rather and Jon Stewart were the guest voices on this week's episode. I didn't expect too much from Dan, so I thought he was used pretty well, especially where his voice just drips of elitism when he introduces a member of his panel from print media. I thought Jon Stewart was used pretty well, even though he only had one scene. What really got me were the first few lines where he asks himself if he should tell people he's Jon Stewart since they already know who he is. I also thought his interactions with Krusty were fairly amusing.

Here's just a sampling of what I found good:

The appearance of Cheesy McMayor seen on the Town Hall Stage. Gee, he looks and sounds an awful lot like Mayor McCheese from McDonalds past.

Bill Clinton asking the air 'When is she going stop holding that over my head' when he asks Hillary what he did so wrong for him to be putting up campaign signs on people's lawns.

A return of the Republican Party headquarters for Springfield as well as those who are part of the committee.

The Democratic Party headquarters is in a Trader Earth's, which is making fun of the Trade Joe's organic supermarket chain.

Homer's phone call to the mailroom guy to get him out of the way so Burns could go home. His use of 'Happier...Happier' is something that is utilized all of the time on the show.

The Simpsons: I Don't Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

If I don't make it, feel free to re-marry from anyone on the list on the bulletin board in the closet. -- Marge, during her hostage scare

I had two good things happen in this episode of The Simpsons. First, I finally had an episode that didn't focus on Homer. Second, I had a guest voice that was actually utilized. Actually, there were two guest voices used well; I just didn't know about one of them until the credits were rolling. More as I progress.

This was another episode that could be filed under 'Marge's Heart is too Big to Keep Her Promises' with a sub-heading of 'Marge Gets Involved With a Convict. Again.' I know that Marge is one of the nicest people to live within the confines of Springfield. Sometimes, her achievements in niceness backfire on her, as they did this week.

All Marge was trying to do was to get Dwight David Diddlehopper, voiced by Steve Buscemi, to give himself up after a botched bank robbery. But, because she promised to visit this bug-eyed criminal in prison she gave herself more trouble. This is fairly typical Marge when it comes to the criminally insane. When she tried to help Jack Crowley get back to society in the episode 'Pokey Mom' all she got was trouble.

I think that this is Marge's bane of existence. When Homer gets into trouble he can, for some reason, get out of it without too many repercussions. For Marge, though, there's always some type of effect from the promises she makes. Take a look at what happened here. If Marge had visited Dwight he would have served his sentence. Because she avoided it he escaped and stalked her throughout the town. Of course, this is all animated, so none of my ravings mean anything at all.

Now, for a few months I've ranted how the guest voices were not being used to their maximum ability. This episode that argument can stand down as Steve Buscemi had a fairly meaty role as Dwight. Maybe this was to make up for the small cameo he had as himself in the episode 'Brake My Wife, Please'. Whatever the reason, Steve did a good job in the role. He even had a catchy phrase -- a loudly snarled 'Dammit!'. The funniest time that this was used was when he escaped the penitentiary through the prison waste pipe, only to realize that the Clean Spring Water pipe was just a few feet away.

Another guest voice on this week's show that took me by surprise was Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Since she wasn't credited in the promos for the show I didn't realize that she was Snake's (Three D's?) girlfriend until I saw her name in the credits. I wondered why Snake's scene, where he complained about his biography being edited in Wikipedia, was included. It was a small moment in the episode but it was used well.

While I thought the episode was funny and focused well on Marge, I do have one small complaint. When am I going to see some Bart/Lisa episodes? These two have have had very little screen time over the last month ... I don't think Bart said more than one or two words this entire episode.

Over to the highlights:

Blackboard gag: I am not a FDIC-Insured Bank

Firsts of the season: Homer having a conversation with his brain, and an appearance from Gil.

Poor Gil, the man has worse luck than Britney Spears.

Homer working on his Superman novel after arriving early for Lisa's award ceremony.

'Oh great! We're being robbed by Johnny and Clyde.'

Chief Wiggum not understanding that a robbery was in progress. Finally, with stick figures he realizes that it's a 'shootie-stealy'.

Marge's re-marry list: Lindsay Naegle, Booberella, Bly the Dancer, Also: Feed Cat

Krusty is named worst clown of 2007 by Laffways magazine, beating out even Carlos Mencia.

Dwight being hit by countless blue-dye packs, including one shaped like a bank employee.

Chief Wiggum learns hostage negotiation tactics from a DVD of, what else, The Negotiator.

Ted Nugent wants you to say 'No' to a proposition banning crossbows from schools.

Johnny Stabbo's many references to the electric chair.

While scanning the skies of Springfield to land at the penitentiary we see Ralph Wiggum flying away while holding a number of balloons.

In the Itchy & Scratchy episode -- is it me or were the jet pilots wearing X-Wing fighter helmets?

Names of various rides at Plaster Mountain Theme Park: Dilbert's Flying Cubicle, Tilt N' Spew, Mr. Frogs Mild Ride, FedEx Presents: The Bathroom, It's a Long Line

Krusty and Dr. Hibbert meeting up at the amusement park and talking about their harrowing hostage experience. Seems to me they were referencing The Nine in that scene.

The Simpsons: Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind

I should have known this episode of The Simpsons was going to be different as soon as I saw the Couch Gag, which panned from the Simpson family all the way out to the edges of the known universe and then back into Homer's head (resulting in a statement of 'Weird' from Homer). From that point on the show took on a surreal feel as Homer tried to find out why his family was gone and his dog was angry at him. Along the way he encountered friends and family who guided him along his journey of memory recovery. Eventually, it led to a journey into Homer's deepest recollections.

By far, this was the most interesting episode of The Simpsons this season, incorporating humor, romance, and a little bit of science fiction into a tidy little plot. Not only were there elements of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind sprinkled throughout, but there was also a smattering of It's a Wonderful Life and Total Recall added as well. True, it was another Homer-centric episode -- one of too many this season, but the writers gave the show enough of a twist to keep it intriguing for me.

I think the most enjoyable part of the episode was Homer's journey into his memories via Professor Frink's memory machine (a Deja Viewmaster, as Homer mentioned). Using stills from the 400 previous episodes to show the memories he kept was a great idea. Some of those images were from all the way back in the first season. It was actually a nice tribute to the long history that the show has had. And, at least during the journeys without Memory Bart and Memory Lisa, it was taken pretty seriously.

The other part I enjoyed was Homer reliving his 39 (still?) years on the planet as he was falling to his supposed death. I thought it was great how they incorporated all of the stages in his life into such a short span of time. My favorite was all of the costumes Homer was shown wearing during the last part of the scene.

Some other items that tickled my fancy:

The prehistoric squirrel from Ice Age makes a cell-animated appearance in the first few moments of The Simpsons.

Moe's video on how to make the drink that blots out a person's memory. He pauses on a particularly bad shot of him, and his frame-by-frame movements don't make him look any better.

Krusty pulling a Mel Gibson at the Latin Grammy Awards.

Courtesy of Bart, Homer replacing the memory of his very first kiss with Marge with his very first kiss with Apu.

Speaking of Bart, he can whoop the ass of a 10-year-old and 20-year-old Homer.

While Homer is reliving his life he is shown drinking probably hundreds of cans of beer to make some wonderful designs.

Patty and Selma pushing Homer off of the Suicide Bridge than feigning agreement that it was all in the plans for his surprise party.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I don't know why this episode of The Simpsons was kept until now to air. Granted, it wasn't the Best. Episode. Ever. Yet, it was one of those installments that should be given a better slot to gain interest. Frankly, I would have rather seen this during November sweeps than an episode where a guest voice is underutilized.

The Simpsons: Funeral for a Fiend

Welcome to the Frasier reunion. Yes, not only did Kelsey Grammer reprise his role as Sideshow Bob Terwilliger in this episode of The Simpsons but David Hyde Pierce returned as Cecil Terwilliger and John Mahoney come in as the boys' father. While Pierce and Mahoney did have their moments it was all Grammer this episode as a Sideshow Bob coming apart at the seams. And, that's appropriate, as it was the tenth time that Bob has appeared on the animated comedy.

For the most part this episode was entertaining. Plus, it also brought a bit of continuity into the show, something that comes and goes on the program. The Simpsons needs to keep things straight when it comes to its Sideshow Bob appearances because there is so much history with the character and fans would probably cause a minor uproar if they saw the slightest change. With the other characters this isn't done so much. For example, what happened to Milhouse's new James Dean attitude he developed a few weeks ago?

The episode featured the usual jokes you'd find in a Sideshow Bob vehicle. Bob's cleverly planned plot to kill Bart and the rest of his family goes horribly wrong in the end due to some quick thinking by a Simpson child. This time around it's Lisa. I've noticed over the years that most of his plots are foiled by either Lisa or Bart, or a combination of the two. I still remember the episode "Black Widower" when Bart had to draw diagrams for Homer to let him know that Selma was in trouble with her new beau, Bob.

For a minute there I did believe that Sideshow Bob had finally kicked the bucket. I mean, the show has to end sometime. So, why not start to kill off some of the characters? What made me believe that was not the funeral itself but Cecil's little speech to Bart on the sidewalk near his home. Then, the minute passed, and I realized that Bob could never be killed and that it was all a clever ruse. Plus, some individual attempt on Bart's life had to take place.

Some of my favorite moments during the Sideshow Bob scenes:

Bob mentions that his fake commercial led him to direct a feature film -- The Hills Have Eyes 3: The Hills Still Have Eyes

Lisa mentioning Bob's misquotes of Shakespeare, which he really takes to heart.

Snake appearing at Bob's funeral and then again as a cellmate of the Terwilligers.

Mother Terwilliger. Turns out that Bob got his hairstyle from his mother.

Time to talk about the scenes that brought the return of Sideshow Bob. Other than the appearance of the Mr. Sparkle commercial during Lisa's first scan, the Tivo moments didn't do anything for me. Even Marge staying up all night watching television wasn't new -- the whole family did it years ago when they first got cable.