[7.4/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] This is a weird episode of The Simpsons. It’s founded on three very outsized ideas: 1.) Homer snores to the point that Marge gets literally no sleep and becomes a veritable zombie, 2.) Artie Ziff pays Our Favorite Family a million dollars to spend a weekend with Marge and 3.) when Homer thinks he’s lost his wife, he goes to become a suicidal roughneck in the oilfields of West Springfield.
But if you can accept the otusizeness of the premise it’s an oddly sound episode of the show. The motivations are clear. Artie wants to win Marge back. Marge is put off by her onetime date’s creepiness, but needs the money to afford a surgery for Homer that will allow her to sleep again. And Homer’s willing to tolerate Artie’s “sick idea” to be able to provide for his wife’s slumber, until he thinks he’s lost her and has no reason to go on.
The execution of these things are more than a little cartoony, and the situation isn’t exactly relatable here. But the core emotions here: regret, exhaustion, heartache, are all real enough to give the episode something to make you care about the characters in this situation, which is more than you can say for a lot of Simpsons episodes from around this time.
Hell, there’s even some good setups and payoffs. Reintroducing Artie as the inventor of a machine that turns modem noises into easy listening sets up the resolution of him inventing a machine that turns Homer’s snores into “sweet dreams.” The quick establishment of Artie’s helicopter provides a reason for Marge to turn to him when she needs to cover a lot of ground quickly to find her husband. Hell, there’s even some contrition and character growth from the unscrupulous nerd, realizing he cares enough about Marge to tell Homer he’s won, in order to make her happy.
Is it the world’s most well-told or realistic story? Absolutely not. But the bones of this one work, and it makes me willing to forgive some of the show’s excesses as it began the second Al Jean era.
It doesn’t hurt that the gags are pretty good here, if you can stand Homer as a total dolt and some very outsized gags. The Lenny/Carl humor here almost qualifies as bait, but it’s funny enough not to care about that. Homer’s idiocy over thinking that if Marge marries Artie in his attempt to go “back in time” with a recreation of their senior prom, he’ll never never be born, is absurd, but still amusing. And fourth wall-nudging gags like the kids wondering where their parents are when Marge and Homer leave Artie’s boat in a huff, or Grampa remarking on Homer bowling a perfect game tickle my funny bone.
Overall, this is not a high water mark for the show by any means, but as much as this one stretches the bounds of the show’s reality and sense of scale, its ability to seize on the characters’ wants and feelings, while spinning up some good laughs, makes it surprisingly enjoyable despite its excesses.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-09-21T20:35:24Z
[7.4/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] This is a weird episode of The Simpsons. It’s founded on three very outsized ideas: 1.) Homer snores to the point that Marge gets literally no sleep and becomes a veritable zombie, 2.) Artie Ziff pays Our Favorite Family a million dollars to spend a weekend with Marge and 3.) when Homer thinks he’s lost his wife, he goes to become a suicidal roughneck in the oilfields of West Springfield.
But if you can accept the otusizeness of the premise it’s an oddly sound episode of the show. The motivations are clear. Artie wants to win Marge back. Marge is put off by her onetime date’s creepiness, but needs the money to afford a surgery for Homer that will allow her to sleep again. And Homer’s willing to tolerate Artie’s “sick idea” to be able to provide for his wife’s slumber, until he thinks he’s lost her and has no reason to go on.
The execution of these things are more than a little cartoony, and the situation isn’t exactly relatable here. But the core emotions here: regret, exhaustion, heartache, are all real enough to give the episode something to make you care about the characters in this situation, which is more than you can say for a lot of Simpsons episodes from around this time.
Hell, there’s even some good setups and payoffs. Reintroducing Artie as the inventor of a machine that turns modem noises into easy listening sets up the resolution of him inventing a machine that turns Homer’s snores into “sweet dreams.” The quick establishment of Artie’s helicopter provides a reason for Marge to turn to him when she needs to cover a lot of ground quickly to find her husband. Hell, there’s even some contrition and character growth from the unscrupulous nerd, realizing he cares enough about Marge to tell Homer he’s won, in order to make her happy.
Is it the world’s most well-told or realistic story? Absolutely not. But the bones of this one work, and it makes me willing to forgive some of the show’s excesses as it began the second Al Jean era.
It doesn’t hurt that the gags are pretty good here, if you can stand Homer as a total dolt and some very outsized gags. The Lenny/Carl humor here almost qualifies as bait, but it’s funny enough not to care about that. Homer’s idiocy over thinking that if Marge marries Artie in his attempt to go “back in time” with a recreation of their senior prom, he’ll never never be born, is absurd, but still amusing. And fourth wall-nudging gags like the kids wondering where their parents are when Marge and Homer leave Artie’s boat in a huff, or Grampa remarking on Homer bowling a perfect game tickle my funny bone.
Overall, this is not a high water mark for the show by any means, but as much as this one stretches the bounds of the show’s reality and sense of scale, its ability to seize on the characters’ wants and feelings, while spinning up some good laughs, makes it surprisingly enjoyable despite its excesses.