Still one of my favorite episodes!
[8.1/10] What a treat this show is in its golden years. I feel like I’m always talking about the structure of these episodes, but it really helps the show succeed. You have Bart’s misadventures with his report card in the first act, leading the disappointing reality of Kamp Krusty in the second act, leading to the final straw and revolt in the third act. It helps give form and a point to each part of the story.
There’s something relatable about Bart having his hopes pinned on good (or at least decent grades), and scheming and crumpling when it looks like he’s not going to get his dream summer. There’s something absolutely hilarious about the distance between expectation and reality when the Simpsons kids arrive at Kamp Krusty and see the shoddiness of the facilities and the cravenness of the staff. And there’s something absurdly fun about Bart’s blind hopes curdling into revolutionary fervor when his favorite T.V. clown doesn't show up.
It all makes the perfect bed for comedy. There’s outstanding comedic cynicism in Mrs. Krabappel telling bart to have a D-lightful summer, or Homer telling Bart that he needs to learn to work hard for things only to shush him to hear the lottery numbers. There’s a lot of good Simpsons swerves like that, like Bart telling Homer he’s a great dad only for Homer to then ask him to fetch a roller skate out from under the mower.
Things pick up even more at the camp, with the cavalcade of cruelties the writers’ room came up with for the camp each topping the last. (My personal favorite was the “imitation gruel” and Dolph’s tagline.) Bart’s Lord of the Flies style revolt leads to great bits on the camp’s “liberation” (like poor little Crandle finally getting his insulin), and the solution, with Krusty taking the kids to Tiajuana, is a nicely exaggerated balm. This episode feels like it has David Mirkin’s sensibilities given how outsized things get at points, but it never stops being fun.
Plus the side bits are all laugh-worthy too. Homer and Marge having lots of childless fun is full of great one-off gags, like Homer’s fireworks bit. And Krusty’s misadventures in England are a good for a laugh as well.
Overall, this episode has all sorts of fun observations and the trademark comic exaggerations that make Simpsons great, fitted into a structure that keeps the episode feeling light and propulsive.
Shout by Mista LukaBlockedParent2022-01-20T14:37:44Z
"Kamp Krusty" is a high-quality premiere to this fourth season of The Simpsons that sees Bart and Lisa endure horrible conditions at, yes, Kamp Krusty. While this episode feels rushed at points, one can't deny the hilarity of this one throughout. The opening scene, in particular, was highly creative and humorous. I loved seeing Barney pretend to be Krusty, too. It's hilarious moments like these that make The Simpsons such an enjoyable show to watch, at least at this point in its run.
Overall, great start.