[7.7/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] I like the ecumenical message here. There’s a rush to the finish to be sure, but it feels appropriate to the show’s worldview to conclude with Bart declaring that Christianity’s “big stupid differences are nothing compared to the big stupid similarities.” There’s some cynicism to the ending as well, particularly the way the game of telephone through the ages results in more division, but I still enjoy the balance there.
There’s also more laughs here than in a lot of post-classic Simpsons. Not all the jokes are flawless (the shtick with Grampa getting batteries for his pacemaker out of the smoke detector is particularly facepalm-worthy). But despite the fact that most of the jokes aren't particularly deep, they do bring the laughs. The show finds fun ways to riff on Catholicism, Marge’s and her cohort’s concern that Homer and Bart are leaving Protestantism behind, and even a school-sponsored Medieval pageant. The observations here aren’t terribly novel, but there’s a lot of cute gags to keep the audience smiling.
Liam Neeson also does a nice job bringing warmth to the role of Father Sean. In truth, he’s not the best voice actor here, but his greatest asset to the episode is providing a friendly vibe that you can believe Bart and Homer would feel pulled toward, and he does that with ease. There’s some nice character-writing involving him too, where Bart is miffed over being blamed for Willie’s prank, and Father Sean being the only one who believes him. It proves the motivation for Bart’s conversion, and there’s a sense of forgiveness and understanding to his approach that works as a throughline for Bart and Homer finding themselves compelled by him.
Again, the satire here isn’t especially deep, but there’s still some amusing bits about religion in general and some well-observed interludes about why people choose a religion and what they want out of it for themselves and for their family. Season 16 is far from the show’s strongest season, but this is one of those episodes that ought to be included in any list of post-classic highlights.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-03-18T01:08:19Z
[7.7/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] I like the ecumenical message here. There’s a rush to the finish to be sure, but it feels appropriate to the show’s worldview to conclude with Bart declaring that Christianity’s “big stupid differences are nothing compared to the big stupid similarities.” There’s some cynicism to the ending as well, particularly the way the game of telephone through the ages results in more division, but I still enjoy the balance there.
There’s also more laughs here than in a lot of post-classic Simpsons. Not all the jokes are flawless (the shtick with Grampa getting batteries for his pacemaker out of the smoke detector is particularly facepalm-worthy). But despite the fact that most of the jokes aren't particularly deep, they do bring the laughs. The show finds fun ways to riff on Catholicism, Marge’s and her cohort’s concern that Homer and Bart are leaving Protestantism behind, and even a school-sponsored Medieval pageant. The observations here aren’t terribly novel, but there’s a lot of cute gags to keep the audience smiling.
Liam Neeson also does a nice job bringing warmth to the role of Father Sean. In truth, he’s not the best voice actor here, but his greatest asset to the episode is providing a friendly vibe that you can believe Bart and Homer would feel pulled toward, and he does that with ease. There’s some nice character-writing involving him too, where Bart is miffed over being blamed for Willie’s prank, and Father Sean being the only one who believes him. It proves the motivation for Bart’s conversion, and there’s a sense of forgiveness and understanding to his approach that works as a throughline for Bart and Homer finding themselves compelled by him.
Again, the satire here isn’t especially deep, but there’s still some amusing bits about religion in general and some well-observed interludes about why people choose a religion and what they want out of it for themselves and for their family. Season 16 is far from the show’s strongest season, but this is one of those episodes that ought to be included in any list of post-classic highlights.