Review: On 'The Simpsons,' Bart takes the family on a sea cruise
Sunday's episode is a reminder of the pleasures of latter-day 'Simpsons'
"The Simpsons" have another vacation that goes awry in Sunday's episode.
I've written a lot about "The Simpsons" this season, between the two-year renewal, a wave of nostalgia before the airing of the 500th episode, and my feeling that this is one of the stronger overall seasons of the last 10-plus years, and a good example of why I'm glad the show continues to churn out new episodes after all this time.
One of the running themes of what I've written, though, is that even the good episodes, for the most part, involve the show's creative team coming up with new variations on stories they've told at least two and sometimes three times in the past. (Cases in point: "Holidays of Future Passed" and "The Food Wife.") But I got an early look at Sunday night's episode and among the many remarkable things about it is that it doesn't feel like a story I've seen before on the show.
There are elements that will be familiar — it's another episode where a Simpson family vacation verges on disaster — but the main emotional storyline involving Bart is one "The Simpsons" hasn't touched on before, as a fantastic luxury cruise makes him uneasy about the state of the rest of his life. (The episode is called "A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again," and both title and plot are an homage to a David Foster Wallace essay "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again.") I'm always a fan of single-story "Simpsons" episodes, as well as ones built around an emotional issue facing a member of the family, and this has both — in addition to being funny and sweet and clever in its depiction of the Best Cruise Ever.
It's a very good one.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login Signupnathan
April 27, 2012 at 1:14PM EST Reply to CommentThe couch gags are still brilliant. The satire is still sharp.
Mulderism If this were 1997 I would agree with you.
April 27, 2012 at 1:27PM ESTLoretta_ @ Nathan: The pregnant couch from last week was actually incredibly poignant. Loved that one.
April 27, 2012 at 1:28PM ESTLoretta_
April 27, 2012 at 1:27PM EST Reply to CommentI'm not sure I ever mentioned this, but I wanted to thank you for your posts about the Simpsons from last fall that put it back on my viewing schedule for the first time since about 2002 or 2003... this really has been a very good year. And I'm looking forward to the next couple years, as there seems to be some "this is our legacy" end-of-the-run vitality in the show that I think (hope?) will last the next two (presumably final) seasons.
Mark S.
April 27, 2012 at 1:49PM EST Reply to CommentWhat's your take on DFW, Alan?
Brandon
April 27, 2012 at 7:06PM EST Reply to CommentYou know...personally I've never understood The Simpsons backlash. Yeah, some seasons will never touch the magic of others, but even when it's off, it's still pretty freaking funny. I still look forward to every Sunday night with them. Can't say that about Family Guy. Hell, even though it's been the best season in a while, I can't even say that about 30 Rock anymore.
EJ Totally agree. Even the worst episodes of The Simpsons are still better than anything shows like Two and a Half Men, Family Guy etc have ever managed to produce.
April 28, 2012 at 5:48AM ESTBen This show has not Jumped the Shark or even come close to doing so.
April 29, 2012 at 7:29AM ESTgajic
April 29, 2012 at 11:05PM EST Reply to CommentThanks for the heads up, Alan. I would have not watched the episode tonight without your post and I really enjoyed it. I'll have to give some more of the episodes this season a chance.
chip_christian
April 30, 2012 at 11:27AM EST Reply to CommentChekhov's dvd!
Collin
April 30, 2012 at 3:33PM EST Reply to CommentI really got a kick out of the scene when Bart panickley rushes into his estateroom and says to Marge 'really good paintings (painting in hand) are beeing thrown over board'(something to that extent). The camera than reveals the martini and green olive painting, a well known piece crafted by Michael Godard.