As I mentioned way back in the beginning of this blog (Almost three weeks. What a ride.), The Simpsons was the first television show I loved enough to watch it over and over and over. As I was less internet-savvy in these days, I couldn't access episodes online and spent over a year catching up on re-runs on CBC and Fox (when we had cable) just to see every episode, which was a long (but rewarding) process. And while the show has gotten on in the years, it's still entertaining (The move into high-def actually helped the show quality-wise) and I can't really recall ever hating an episode. It might not be at it's peak anymore but it can still pack a punch.
Like tonight's episode. It uses a classic premise (Homer tries to get somebody to like him) to start the story (and the old "guest stays at The Simpsons home" premise comes into play later), utilizes a big-name guest star (Keifer Sutherland playing a character somewhat like Jack Bauer.) who factors into the plot in a major way, and features the results of the fan-participation gimmick introduced in the previous season's finale. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing (Using a classic premise and having a big guest star factor heavily in the plot happened in the peak of the show to and the Nedna thing wasn't that bad) as long as they keep the show funny and thankfully, this episode was plenty funny.
.After a decent opening scene with Homer making up words to Police classic Walking on the Moon as he comes into work late (I'm not counting Comic Book Guy pointing out that at some point, the results of the fan participation gimmick.) and a good gag with Homer messing with the punch clock so he appears to have come in early AND worked late, Homer finds out that the plant has a new security guard Wayne (Sutherland) who's gruff and keeps everyone at a distance. Homer tries to befriend him and one night, after being caught in a rain storm, a hail storm and running out of sidewalk (it's being replaced by a pay sidewalk) Wayne has no choice but to accept a ride from Homer and agrees to get one beer with him. But when Snake holds up the bar, Wayne is revealed to be a Jack Bauer-esque action hero and saves the day.
Of course, Wayne is also haunted by constant flashbacks to a dark, traumatic past (In a great gag after Wayne tells Homer this, we learn that Homer is haunted by flashforwards to a dark, traumatic future) and loses his job when one of these flashbacks has him attack Mr. Burns, while he's trying to give Wayne a silver helmet for his brave actions. Wayne's flashbacks are funny (though the one at the end involving him having to write a propaganda musical about Kim Jong Il goes on a little long), especially during a scene where Wayne, who is now a guest at the Simpson household is having flashback nightmares and talking loudly in his sleep about his nightmares. Wayne is forced to confront his past though, when old enemies discover he's alive and kidnap Homer as bait. The kidnapping leads to a couple great gags (Homer getting distracted during the recording of the hostage video, and the revelation that Homer has a tracking device on him because some were in a bowl and he swallowed them) and a good action sequence. Then, with Homer safe, Wayne is about to set off on his own again when Marge realizes a place where someone with his training and violent tendencies would fit in: the DMV.
As I mentioned above, this is a pretty standard episode with a lot of enjoyable gags throughout. There are some weak jokes (Marge has a Top Chef fantasy sequence, which only seemed to exist to shoehorn in another guest star and wasn't that funny springs to mind.) and the scenes concerning the Ned Flanders/Edna Krabapple pairing fell kind of flat (though I actually love the idea of the two dating, which was confirmed after a mislead. It could lead to some interesting things down the road.) Also I don't think any of the good jokes or moments will stand out to me if I try to remember this episode later on the way moments from other episodes old and new (including Keifer Sutherland's last guest appearance in season 18). But this was a solid premiere, and I enjoyed it more than the last season premiere The Simpsons did (and that one had The Flight of the Conchords in it.). So this is looking to be another good season from reliable old Simpsons. And with episode 500(!) on the horizon, it should be a big one.
Grade: Awesome! (Good)
Memorable Moments
-Oh there was also a Taiwanese dramatization of Wayn'es rescue at the bar, which is funny becuase those animations are always pretty ridiculous.-Good background gag: A sign at the power plant that says "Don't Do This" with an image of a mushroom cloud on it.
- Carl: What's what the new security guard? He's acting all aloof. By the way, that's my word now - "he's."
- Homer: I guess it's not much when you look at real problems in the world like Major League umpires not using instant replay.
-A good "where is Springfield" joke:
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