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Bart develops a crush on the new girl next door, but his heart is broken when she dates Jimbo. And Homer doesn't quite get his fill at a new All You Can Eat Joint and becomes a true American hero.
One word: sop! I can see people getting out their hankies and going, "How sweet," at the end. But cynacism aside this is a pretty good episode especially Jimbo's undoing and Homer's All You Can Eat stint.
Guest Star: Sara Gilbert
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Thanks to Burns' ether induced state, Homer gets the money he needs to start a bowling team. However, Burns' head clears and he wants in. Meanwhile, Bart's inflammatory T-shirt causes a riot at school, resulting in Principal Skinner issuing mandatory school uniforms.
The stress of study killed by one good episode. There's lots of humour, of both the subtle or more in-your-face kind, plot-twists and Simpson-ness in it.
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Homer's jealousy at all the attention his new neighbors, George and Barbara Bush, receives, turns to rage when the former President gives Bart a spanking.
This episode was actually better on my second watching of it but it's still no great shakes. I think George Bush deserves slightly better treatment than this (I know this seems overly kind, but I don't live in the States so I probably see him through rose colour glasses, if only of a light tint).
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Old man Burns discovers oil under Springfield Elementary and creates a sunblocker (that'll stop sun cancer BTW, hehe) and causes a great kerfuffle in the town. Causing even more of a comotion is the fact that he's shot. And if you think that Chief Wiggum and his boys won't investigate the case because they've got more important things to do, like eat, drink and so forth, you're very much in the wrong.
Which is same really because this is a very poor double episode. Feeling very contrived because it seems made bent on dragging ratings and for other money related issues (like promotional tie-ins and more ratings).
Guest Star: Tito Puente.
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There's a new cop in town and her name is Marge Simpson. Her job is to clean up the town of its criminals. Unfortunately, not all the criminals are on the street as Marge soon discovers.
A lot of good laughs and a decent plot but I found something lacking. Some charm which I can't quite put my finger on. Anyway if you've got it on tape look through the magazine rack with the pause button and I'm sure you'll have a fit laughing (or a least a giggle).
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Through a (very funny) misunderstanding, Homer discovers his mother is very much alive, but with a very shady past and the FBI are eager to find her.
Lots of biting wit with a touch of sentimentality add up to one really good episode.
Guest Stars: Glenn Close and Harry Morgan.
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A strong desire to work at home prompts Homer to gain a lot of weight so he can claim work disability.
The fat jokes, the twisted child and parent jokes and the social commentary add up to what? A very good episode. Need I say more?
Guest Star: Joan Kenley.
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Santa's Little Helper's frisky nature nets the Simpsons a new dog and 25 spanking new puppies. When Burns steals the young greyhounds, Bart and Lisa set out to discover why he wants them.
A good episode let down by a too mushy ending. But just watch Burns steal the pups and the singing routine and you'll realize why I love The Simpsons so much.
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Lisa attends the Springfield Renaissance Faire, where a deck of fortune-teller cards spells out future wedding plans.
I guess there really isn't much beneath the surface of this episode, but never-the-less I love it. The ye olde Englishe jokes are wonderful and let's not forget that this is one of the few glimpses we get of the Simpsons in the future. We get to see older versions of Bart, Maggie and Lisa. Look for Maggie not speaking! Hehe.
Guest Star: Mandy Patinkin.
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A trip to a local petting zoo leads to confrontations at the dinner table when Lisa decides to become a vegetarian.
Unfortunately I didn't get to watch the whole episode so I'll refrain from putting any of my usual jaundiced comments down. Damn video had to run out of tape didn't it??
Guest Stars: Paul and Linda McCartney.
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Bart's faith is tested when he sells his soul for five dollars. Meanwhile, Moe turns the Tavern into Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag.
I love this episode. Firstly the whole Uncle Moe part is very funny and secondly the soul part, although probably a bit rich for some, I found very balanced in saying that we shouldn't treat religion too lightly. And all this coming from a person who's the antithesis of religious.
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Homer's latest money making scheme backfires and he goes to Patty and Selma as the last resort to borrow money. Meanwhile, Bart takes up ballet.
The ending's a bit of a sob, sob affair and not really well executed IMHO. But the rest is OK. Guest Stars: Mel Brooks and Susan Sarandon.
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The Thing and I: Bart discovers the 'evil twin' brother he never knew he had, locked away in the Simpsons' attic. Not too bad and good relief after last week's new episode.
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The Genesis Tub: Lisa's tooth-desolved-in-soda science experiment develops into a higher form of life, who eventually see Lisa as God and Bart as the Devil. I loved this one. I mean it's got tonnes going for it: it's about Lisa, she's deified, there's plenty of good lines and a good ending. What's there not to like??
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Citizen Kang: As the election draws near, the aliens Kang and Kodos kidnap and assume the roles of Bob Dole and Bill Clinton. It's up to Homer to expose their evil plot for world domination. Not too bad but a bit long, I thought. Maybe they should have turned The Genesis Tub into the long story, oh well...
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Be prepared to be shocked! Shocked with the tackyness the following "spinoffs" of the Simpsons (presented by Troy McClure). If you think my lines were pretty bad try watching this episode.
Chief Wiggum, P.I.: Chief Wiggum packs in his badge to be a PI in New Orleans. Accompanying him is Principal Skinner. This is the best of the lot. Obviously a send up on Magnum PI, the plot's OK, the lines are good and observations made about the genre even better. Maybe they should have junked the other "spinoffs" and made a whole episode on this one.
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The Love-Matic Grandpa: On his way up to heaven Grandpa's soul gets trapped inside a "love machine" in Moe's The. Tacky, much like the non-descript shows it tries to send up. The only redeeming feature: the animation used in the spinoff title.
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The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour: The Simpson family hosts a 70's-like variety show. Filled with all the tacky humour and canned laughter. We also find that Lisa decided to boycott the show. A very, very good decision, I must say. Yet another feather in her cap...
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Guest Stars: Tim Conway and Gailard Sartain.
A new guy at the power plant, Frank Grimes, who's always had it, ummm, hard in life isn't too keen on his new work mate, Homer, because, well, he's the exact opposite of him work ethics wise.
This one is very good episode. I was kind of wondering whether the writer's would make another botch of it by going for the soft (read happy) ending, but they didn't. A good dose of irony, commentary and, of course, humour.
Guest Star: Frank Welker.
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Marge becomes the "Listen Lady" when the people of Springfield turn to her after Reverend Lovejoy loses interest in helping people. Meanwhile, Homer sets out to discover why his face is on a box of dish soap.
Ah finally something worth writing about. A lot of interesting things happen and all of them are nice in their own way. We finally learn more about Reverend Lovejoy which is also a plus.
Guest Star: Sab Shimono, Gedde Watanaabe and Frank Welker.
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Lisa is given the chance to eulogize about recycling and Mr. Burns' money pile dries up to the point that his power plant is put into receivership.
Another Lisa episode and there's a giggle here and a giggle there, a few good lines, but certainly not a good episode by any stretch of the imagination. More proof that new writers are needed.
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Yes a Lisa episode. No not a good Lisa episode. More stuff that happens and tangible proof that the writers should be a bit more lucid when writing.
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Not too hard to guess the ending but otherwise good. The visions-animation is very, very nice indeed.
Guest Star: Johnny Cash (how very appropriate)
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So very, very disappointing. There might have a been a good gag or two in there but the beginning, middle and end were so bad that I failed to notice in my total disappointment. I won't spoil any of the plot for you because you'd be able to guess it for yourself. Take two asprins and watch something else, or go to sleep early, anything ...
Guest Star: David Hyde Pierce
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Thankfully they refrained from hiring The Nanny's nanny, Fran Drescher, because it would have made for a quite unbearable half hour. As it is this episode isn't too bad, it's been a while since the Simpsons sang so it's a welcome return of sorts. I would've prefered something to do with the Flintstones though, I mean they did equal their record in this episode.
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Funny if you like The X-Files because Anderson and Duchovny take shots (with the help of the writers, of course) at their show. Leonard Nimoy is superb, I think, in his role although the ending is very poor. The Simpsons writers obviously still have a little to learn about writing X-Files-like scripts.
Guest Stars: Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny and Leonard Nimoy
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This episode is so good I have choice but to watch it again. Even better than Mountain of Madness because it has a point. Itchy and Scratchy here are parallel to The Simpsons.
Guest Starring: Alex Rocco
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Head and shoulders above the rest of the episodes from this season.
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Better than most this season, but let down by little inconsistances which keep on sticking in my mind, eg. why is Maude Flanders in the club? Afterall in the previous episode Ned is said not to have taken out insurance because he considers it gambling. If that's gambling, surely investing in the sharemarket is too... Hmmm...
Guest Stars: Jack Lemmon and Joe Mantegna
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Interesting but let down by a poor ending.
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Quite good although I thought at Lisa's age (8) she was still in the "Ew! Boys!" frame of mind.
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Such a very good idea but only solidly executed. Some of the best parts are when Luanne burns all of Kirk's stuff and tells Marge to forget about the "old Luanne", whom Marge (and the audience) hardly knows at all, and the ending.
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This is certainly more like it. Funny, entertaining and with a bit of meaning, although I'm not too sure I agree with it though. So far so good, just a pity then that the ending's so poor.
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Two new episodes in the one night from Channel TEN! Wow! They must be really kind ... in (hopefully) getting rid of all the lame episodes in one night. This one isn't particularly well written nor thought out, although the basic premise is intriguing. Still it's better than the season opener ... (see below)
BTW does anyone else see the similarity between Burns' child and J.T. Barlows (the talk back radio host who pressures Mayor Quimby into releasing Sideshow Bob, and runs Bob's Mayorial Election Campaign) in Sideshow Bob Roberts (2F02)?
Guest Starring: Rodney Dangerfield
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All I've got to say is that no matter how truly awful this episode was (as it really was shocking) it heralds in a new series of The Simpsons. I mean if that's the best I can say about the episode it must be really, really bad, huh?
Guest Starring: Michael Buffer and Paul Winfield
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(just because it was the beginning of the new season)
I actually thought that this would be a two-part end of season thingy, you know like Who Shot Mr. Burns ... but it wasn't. Some biting commentary, some good lines but it certainly didn't live up to its full potential ... or maybe I was hoping for something that much better. I think, maybe, they relied too much on the "feel good" factor. I wonder if we'll see more of the "cool" Lisa? Good, but I'll say it again, not great.
Guest Starring: Christina Ricci.
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Not really that great but the message was good, and the guest stars lift this episode out of its mediocrity (or maybe if you're really cynical, sinks it even further).
Guest Stars: Cypress Hill, Peter Frampton, The Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth.
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The last star was for getting the guest stars together for the episode.
I like, I like. Hopefully Pauline Hanson (I hope I spelt that right) watches the Simpsons and gets the message about immigrants. As tempting as it is for me to make a snipe at her, and people like her, I'll refrain ... I'll let the rating speak for itself
Guest Star:
Joe Mantegna
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Proficient without being outstanding. Grandpa's recollections of the WW2 are more amusing, and interesting, than the search for the treasure itself.
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