[7.4/10] I appreciate how this is rooted in Homer’s love for Marge, and the lengths he’ll go to try to keep her secure and happy. He’s a big giant dope, so a lot of his efforts in that regard are misguided, but he means well, and is willing to do just about anything to keep her happy. More than “complete and utter dependence,” it’s that kind of devotion which helps account for why such a senseless numbskull is worthy of a great person like Marge.
Granted, the episode is also rooted in some pretty tired and at times cartoonish antagonism between a husband and his in-laws. Despite that, the shared enmity between Homer and his sisters-in-law is longstanding and goes to some fun places here. As cruel as they can be, and as sitcom-y as the setup feels, there’s something undeniably funny about the gruesome two-some ordering Homer around. Most of it’s so mundane, but bits like him having to rub their feet or bark like a dog are so silly to work despite a fair amount of vindictiveness behind the whole thing.
Bart’s B-story is also a lot of fun. He too has a tidy little arc, one where he doesn’t want to do ballet, finds he loves it, but is afraid that if his peers find out, he’ll be laughed at and beaten up. It creates a nice dilemma for Bart and puts him opposite an almost unrecognizable vocal performance by Susan Sarandon who does a superb job as his ballet teacher. (Her delivery of “So many of your heroes wear tights, like Batman or Magellan” tickled me pink.) I also love the cynical ending here, where the show suggests a traditional ending where Bart’s fabulous dancing wins over his fellow students, only to swerve when they make fun of him and attack him just as much despite being wowed by his performance moments ago. It’s a nice example of the show acknowledging how kids actually are, as opposed to their usual (or at least formerly) angelic depictions on T.V.
The humor here is also quite good apart from the core of either stories. There’s some nice gags about pointing out T.V. contrivances, like the television turning on just to deliver a plot-relevant commercial for Homer or Bart commenting on Lisa leaving him after her words of encouragement despite the fact that he clearly needs medical attention. I also enjoyed Chief Wiggum interacting with Mel Brooks, riffing on his classic bits. And small jokes like Barney smoking the cigar with the plastic on, or Marge gushing over “Montreal Morn” coffee, or Bart chewing on the drywall have that classic Simpsons zing to them.
Apart from the jokes, though, it’s just a great Homer episode. We see him trying and failing, and even keeping vital info from his wife, but he’s so sweet and well-intentioned in all his screw-ups that you can’t help but keep rooting for the poor dope. He does all this, resorting to putting his hated sisters-in-law in a position of power over him, because he wants to keep Marge happy. It’s that kind of selflessness that causes him to fall on a pair of nicotine grenades for Patty and Selma, despite how much he’d like to see them demoted and shamed as karmic recompense for all they’ve put him through.
It’s a nice way to resolve the episode and put Homer and Patty and Selma’s relationship in some state of resolution too. The Bouvier sisters are never going to truly accept their brother-in-law (the line “Once you plant the seeds, you throw away the envelope” is a particularly cruel burn), but they see a certain decency in him that Marge always saw in her husband. That one act is a great way to vindicate his devotion to his wife above all else, even the relatives he could so very much do without.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-05-28T05:00:33Z
[7.4/10] I appreciate how this is rooted in Homer’s love for Marge, and the lengths he’ll go to try to keep her secure and happy. He’s a big giant dope, so a lot of his efforts in that regard are misguided, but he means well, and is willing to do just about anything to keep her happy. More than “complete and utter dependence,” it’s that kind of devotion which helps account for why such a senseless numbskull is worthy of a great person like Marge.
Granted, the episode is also rooted in some pretty tired and at times cartoonish antagonism between a husband and his in-laws. Despite that, the shared enmity between Homer and his sisters-in-law is longstanding and goes to some fun places here. As cruel as they can be, and as sitcom-y as the setup feels, there’s something undeniably funny about the gruesome two-some ordering Homer around. Most of it’s so mundane, but bits like him having to rub their feet or bark like a dog are so silly to work despite a fair amount of vindictiveness behind the whole thing.
Bart’s B-story is also a lot of fun. He too has a tidy little arc, one where he doesn’t want to do ballet, finds he loves it, but is afraid that if his peers find out, he’ll be laughed at and beaten up. It creates a nice dilemma for Bart and puts him opposite an almost unrecognizable vocal performance by Susan Sarandon who does a superb job as his ballet teacher. (Her delivery of “So many of your heroes wear tights, like Batman or Magellan” tickled me pink.) I also love the cynical ending here, where the show suggests a traditional ending where Bart’s fabulous dancing wins over his fellow students, only to swerve when they make fun of him and attack him just as much despite being wowed by his performance moments ago. It’s a nice example of the show acknowledging how kids actually are, as opposed to their usual (or at least formerly) angelic depictions on T.V.
The humor here is also quite good apart from the core of either stories. There’s some nice gags about pointing out T.V. contrivances, like the television turning on just to deliver a plot-relevant commercial for Homer or Bart commenting on Lisa leaving him after her words of encouragement despite the fact that he clearly needs medical attention. I also enjoyed Chief Wiggum interacting with Mel Brooks, riffing on his classic bits. And small jokes like Barney smoking the cigar with the plastic on, or Marge gushing over “Montreal Morn” coffee, or Bart chewing on the drywall have that classic Simpsons zing to them.
Apart from the jokes, though, it’s just a great Homer episode. We see him trying and failing, and even keeping vital info from his wife, but he’s so sweet and well-intentioned in all his screw-ups that you can’t help but keep rooting for the poor dope. He does all this, resorting to putting his hated sisters-in-law in a position of power over him, because he wants to keep Marge happy. It’s that kind of selflessness that causes him to fall on a pair of nicotine grenades for Patty and Selma, despite how much he’d like to see them demoted and shamed as karmic recompense for all they’ve put him through.
It’s a nice way to resolve the episode and put Homer and Patty and Selma’s relationship in some state of resolution too. The Bouvier sisters are never going to truly accept their brother-in-law (the line “Once you plant the seeds, you throw away the envelope” is a particularly cruel burn), but they see a certain decency in him that Marge always saw in her husband. That one act is a great way to vindicate his devotion to his wife above all else, even the relatives he could so very much do without.