[8.0/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] As a devotee of so-called prestige television, this was right up my alley. I loved the homages here, from Fargo, to Breaking Bad, all the way to Dexter’s famous grapefruit (I agree, it’s not subtle). And while I admire both the tributes and the guest stars (Brian Cox!Timothy Olyphant! Cristin Miloti!), I actually love the way The Simpsons apes these shows in this one.
It’s not just a Simpsons episodes with a few call-outs to prestige T.V. The episode actually goes pretty big in terms of its formal audaciousness, using flashy HBO/AMC/FX trademarks like split screens, match cuts, and unique framings for various scenes. It’s more of a prestige drama starring Simpsons characters than an episode of The Simpsons that happens to be about those sorts of dramas. I appreciate Matt Selman and company being willing to really go for it in terms of the look and feel of the episode.
And it’s a good melding of the two sensibilities as well. I like the raw story here. Ned Flanders finding a bag of money that accidentally gets him wrapped up in the world of crime is right out of Fargo (which makes me chuckle a little since for years, fans joked about how Fargo film star William H. Macy would make a good live action Flanders). There’s some real meat to his story, from wanting to honor his grandfather, ginning up some jealousy from Homer, and wondering if he’s being karmically punished for taking some pride in his good deed when he donates the purloined cash to a local orphanage.
It pushes Ned out of his comfort zone, not only having to deal with gangsters, but also feeling like he has to lie to Marge (albeit to protect Homer and reckon with his motivations for putting his name on the donation (even if it’s technically his grandfather’s name). It’s a character study for Ned, in a way not unlike legitimate award-winning dramas, and I dig that.
At the same time, Brian Cox’s debt collector character is the perfect spoof of a premium crime drama heavy. (My prediction: He’s actually the young hippie to whom Flanders’ grandfather loaned money for bread, hence his start with “debts”.) Cox’s delivery is fantastic, and his goons roughing up folks in unique ways, especially Comic Book Guy, is a lot of fun,
Of course, it’s pretty clear that this is a What If? or Treehouse of Horror-style non-canon story once Disco Stu and Mr. Burns bit the dust. But even there, the show does well at mimicking Sopranos-style violence, with a humorous twist. (I loved how aghast Snake was when he finds the scene at the donut shop.)
The romance angle with Barbara, the manager of the orphanage, is a little odd in the finish, but still amusing. She seems perfect for Ned, and the pair having a lovely, quaint time, only for Ned to find out she’s Sideshow Mel’s wife who has an “arrangement” with her husband. Their scenes together are amusing in the squareness, and I guess the reveal works in a “this would freak Ned out and make him wonder if he’s being punished” sort of way, but it’s a little out there.
Still, I appreciate the continuity of it, since Mel has mentioned his wife Barbara before! In the same vein, I love that the mix-up with the goons kidnapping Homer instead of Ned comes from Homer’s well-established trait of “borrowing” all of the Flanderses’ stuff. These are some nice touches, pulled from past episodes and used for good purposes in the new one.
On the whole, this is a big swing for The Simpsons, which I always admire, but this one connects much better and much cleaner than the average post-classic episode. You love to see it.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-12-04T20:49:46Z
[8.0/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] As a devotee of so-called prestige television, this was right up my alley. I loved the homages here, from Fargo, to Breaking Bad, all the way to Dexter’s famous grapefruit (I agree, it’s not subtle). And while I admire both the tributes and the guest stars (Brian Cox!Timothy Olyphant! Cristin Miloti!), I actually love the way The Simpsons apes these shows in this one.
It’s not just a Simpsons episodes with a few call-outs to prestige T.V. The episode actually goes pretty big in terms of its formal audaciousness, using flashy HBO/AMC/FX trademarks like split screens, match cuts, and unique framings for various scenes. It’s more of a prestige drama starring Simpsons characters than an episode of The Simpsons that happens to be about those sorts of dramas. I appreciate Matt Selman and company being willing to really go for it in terms of the look and feel of the episode.
And it’s a good melding of the two sensibilities as well. I like the raw story here. Ned Flanders finding a bag of money that accidentally gets him wrapped up in the world of crime is right out of Fargo (which makes me chuckle a little since for years, fans joked about how Fargo film star William H. Macy would make a good live action Flanders). There’s some real meat to his story, from wanting to honor his grandfather, ginning up some jealousy from Homer, and wondering if he’s being karmically punished for taking some pride in his good deed when he donates the purloined cash to a local orphanage.
It pushes Ned out of his comfort zone, not only having to deal with gangsters, but also feeling like he has to lie to Marge (albeit to protect Homer and reckon with his motivations for putting his name on the donation (even if it’s technically his grandfather’s name). It’s a character study for Ned, in a way not unlike legitimate award-winning dramas, and I dig that.
At the same time, Brian Cox’s debt collector character is the perfect spoof of a premium crime drama heavy. (My prediction: He’s actually the young hippie to whom Flanders’ grandfather loaned money for bread, hence his start with “debts”.) Cox’s delivery is fantastic, and his goons roughing up folks in unique ways, especially Comic Book Guy, is a lot of fun,
Of course, it’s pretty clear that this is a What If? or Treehouse of Horror-style non-canon story once Disco Stu and Mr. Burns bit the dust. But even there, the show does well at mimicking Sopranos-style violence, with a humorous twist. (I loved how aghast Snake was when he finds the scene at the donut shop.)
The romance angle with Barbara, the manager of the orphanage, is a little odd in the finish, but still amusing. She seems perfect for Ned, and the pair having a lovely, quaint time, only for Ned to find out she’s Sideshow Mel’s wife who has an “arrangement” with her husband. Their scenes together are amusing in the squareness, and I guess the reveal works in a “this would freak Ned out and make him wonder if he’s being punished” sort of way, but it’s a little out there.
Still, I appreciate the continuity of it, since Mel has mentioned his wife Barbara before! In the same vein, I love that the mix-up with the goons kidnapping Homer instead of Ned comes from Homer’s well-established trait of “borrowing” all of the Flanderses’ stuff. These are some nice touches, pulled from past episodes and used for good purposes in the new one.
On the whole, this is a big swing for The Simpsons, which I always admire, but this one connects much better and much cleaner than the average post-classic episode. You love to see it.