Bit annoying how Homer seemingly doesn't care as much as he could've about ruining Herbert's life, but on the other hand Herbert could've given him a budget.
I do like the throwaway joke about the orphanage guy not being able to find his twin brother when it's clearly Dr. Hibbert.
Pretty good overall though, and it gives Marge a much-needed break.
Herbert sux. He is a pain.
[7.5/10] This is a good one. Like a lot of early episodes of the show, it’s not as laugh out loud funny as a lot of later episodes would be, but it has a low-key sort of situational humor that still really clicks with me. There’s a supreme, comic irony at Herb’s anxiety that his company is failing in the market because it’s lost touch with the common man, something he comingles in his own mind with his lack of roots, only to find that getting in touch with those roots and the most common of common men, ends up being what ruins him. Honestly, it’s almost literary (as Lisa might say, “how Dickensian”), though less prone to straight up gags.
Still, there are some superb jokes in this one! Homer’s obliviousness to the hints dropped by the director of the Shelbyville orphanage had me in stitches. The gag about the car designer calling to tell the Simpsons the exact opposite of what he just told Herb is a really funny bit. And even the reveal of Homer’s monstrosity of a car in the perfect reveal.
That’s the thing about this episode. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s hard to point to any major flaws beyond the fact that it’s a little mild. There’s a firm sweetness despite that mildness. Part of the reason that Herb’s cutting declaration that he has no brother at the end of the episode hurts so badly is because his and Homer’s reunion is incredibly heartwarming. It’s clear what the meeting means to each of them, and that helps give the proceedings a little extra oomph even if the humor is more conceptual than knee-slap-worthy.
Still, I like the mix between the sweetness and the laugh-worthy with Herb’s adventures with the family. His joy at playing with Bart and Lisa is infectious, and whether it’s the combination boat ride/pony ride, him lamenting that his wasted his life in boardrooms when he could have been watching cartoons, or even just getting Bart to call him “Unkie Herb”, there’s a recognizable sense of delight he has getting to be part of a family for the first time that’s very cute, with just enough cynicism and mild tragedy involved in the whole thing to avoid being cloying.
Homer’s adventures trying to design a car are pretty fun too, from his clear ignorance and lack of vision at first, to the ridiculous ideas he spits out like a machine gun once Herb imbues him with some self-confidence. The show seems to be taking aim at “the common man” here, or at least at Homer, and his pie-in-the-sky, outlandish ideas sell that perfectly.
The only thing about this one that I don’t really like is the Grampa material. He’s more of a jerk than usual here, and the backstory elements feel somewhat out of step with the character’s usual vibe. But that’s a minor complaint at best.
Overall, I probably still like the sequel episode to this one better, but it’s a nice introduction to Herb, it has a great concept behind it, and the laughs are gentler but still firmly present.
Shout by Mista LukaBlockedParent2022-01-07T06:01:35Z
“Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?“ is a slight improvement from the previous two episodes, though still not very good, in my opinion. I enjoyed Danny DeVito’s guest appearance, and some of the jokes were pretty good. However, I didn't like how the Simpsons’ indifference to ruining Herb’s life in the end, especially Homer. His car was pretty cool, though.
Overall, a decent episode that could have been better.