Rate & Review: A Star Is Born-Again (EABF08)

[Cole]

From SNPP (http://www.snpp.com)
In a send-up of "Notting Hill", Ned Flanders begins dating a forgotten starlet. Guest stars Marisa Tomei and James L. Brooks.

Should be interesting to hear James L. Brooks as a guest star ... the thread and poll will be open for review once the episode has aired.

Moderators can edit/add humerous poll options at they please.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

Way out of character for Ned, what were the writers thinking?

the ep had some funny points, but it was just way to far out of character for flanders and the dream sequence with James Brooks was so stupid

2/5

[Rowdy]

I have yet to see it, so I'm just going to save a prominent place here for my review.

EDIT: Watched it and thought that it was similar to the typical Season 12 episode, uninteresting with some worthwhile bits sprinkled throughout. I thought the first act was sorely lacking in nudges to tickle my funny bone, while there's really no way that I could see Flanders doing what he did near the end without being ashamed of himself. 3/5

[Sam]

A Star Is Born Again

Good:

Security Guard.
Hidden Jokes ("Expensive Coffee In Little Cups" "Envy Magazine")
Good characterization all around
Not much Homer for once (not that I don't like him, I just find him overused)
GREAT art direction in the hollywood scene (different animation, coloured sky, "spin out to springfield")
I thought it was heading in a "Flanders goes someplace KEWL!" direction, but I was EVER so releived to hear "then I'll just stay here with you!".
Good use of guest star (Marissa Tomei had no bad jokes, and occupied a major part of the time onscreen)
Cher doll
Apu
Bridget Jones' Diary author (music made it all the more funny)
All 3 acts were very strong
Homer slipping and repeating a sound bite
Once again awesome use of music
Good compact plot (save for the jellyfish beginning)
Cookie Kwan's number on a bench made me chuckle
Good art direction in the 2nd Helen Fielding Scene

Bad:

Pointing out of the "My Best Friends Gay Baby" joke
Maggie suntan lotion (why did it have to have spf 1000?)
Moe wasn't that good in the first scene, but was alot better in his second appearance.
Homer slipping and repeating a sound bite
Rainier wasn't so good
Strange ending (conflict introduced mid-third act)

Overall 4.5/5. Excellent.

(Beep)

[Drayken II]

4/5 we see Ned succom to some natural urges, rather good gags, but too much dumb jokes.

[BigJimW]

The "Benny Hill" reference was cute.

Over all a good episode.

[Kefka]

James L. Brook= useless.

That thing after Homer dropped the Nachoes= Stupid overused soundbyte.

Other then that, it was an alright episode. Kinda weird how Ned and her fucked at the end. Atleast they didn't change Ned so he wasn't religious anymore or something stupid like that.

Also, what the fuck was that shit with the author of "Brigit Jones' diary"??

[homer5000]

Pretty damn good. The Benny Hill parody had me off the seat laughing, though other shows did the parody better, like The Man Show. A tad about it reminded me of "When You Dish Upon A Star". And Flanders having sex was well-done. A good episode, and it looks as if EABF09 will be even better...

Grade: 4/5

[Stackhouse]

... Ned.. :angry:

4.5/10.

It was funny.. but Ned.. argggghhhhhh.... This episode totally screwed over his character.

[doyle]

okay well overall it was good. i loved the british humor thing other than the tetris joke, its my favorite joke of the season. the guest appearance was stupid. ned was somewhat out of character. but the plot held together very well despite a little less humor than usual

[Hans Barber]

i disagree, i thoughtned remained in character pretty well. i thought this was an all round good episode, one of the best of the season. i would give it a 3.5\5. had some good humor in it, the simpsons are making a rebound.
however, the simpsos characters them seleves still seem to be just placed into the episode. seems the writers look to thow in homer when ever they can and at times the rest of the family. but the show is definately getting better.

[BigJimW]

Originally posted by Slappy
A Star Is Born Again

Strange ending (conflict introduced mid-third act)



That was the "Benny Hill" reference I mentioned in the above post. Boots Randolphs "Yaketty Sax" was his theme song.

[gravymaster]

This episode was, without a doubt, a 5/5. I was laughing the whole time, and the story was great. 5/5

[Warren]

3/5

Very good humor wise,but it screwed up Neds character.

[irv]

i thought ned was entirely in character. a sweet episode overall and way better than any of ned's previous "post-maude" episodes. the music was incredibly well done.

the jellyfish washing up on the beach festival at the begginning made me laugh.

also, dear 4000 eleven year olds who post here, the ending was a reference to benny hill.

4 or 4.5/5

good episode. yet another very enjoyable EABF episode. i think the only weak one so far was barting over. THAT = good season. people are just complaining to complain anymore. speaking of which, shouldn't you be protesting the war against iraq?

[Bartman3010]

3/5

It was an enjoyable episode, there were some funny parts in the episode...though I'm rather disappointed since this is yet another love story that fails with some dumb reasons. I'm also wondering why Ned didnt even think about Rachel anywhere in this episode...

[Drayken II]

About Neds character, it needed a change. Lately they have WAAAAAAAAAY overplayed the religious thing.

[Rob G]

I thought it was as good as what we've seen this season.... and this season reminds me of the good ol' days!

[or_smth]

Hmm,
Probably the best episode of the season and it's unfortunate that that isn't saying much. I say it's a 3.5/5 but I rounded down to 3 because I'm a satanistic bastard.

I liked the use of fantasies in this episode, specifically the HollyWeird fantasy had me laughing out loud. Brooks was absolutely useless but was halarious. It was the 'good' kind of pointless celebrity.

Plot was stupid (Jellyfish -- what the fuck?) then good (Ned Flanders meets a woman, decent story) then bad (Let's make love to Itchy and Scratchy) to worse (What the hell was that ending). It rounded out to a decent episode though.

Question: There was a recurring music theme throughout the episode, can someone identify it for me? I've seen the movie it's from but I forget what it was.

Question 2: What the hell was that British Author parody about it. Were they trying to make fun of stupid British humor is it an actual parody? It seemed pretty stupid anyway

[Bubble Crum]

5/5
Great plot flow and elements. The Characters had actual, meaningful conversations not just lame joke after lame joke.

Pros:
Hibbert Family
Sarah Wiggum
Sara Slone is a genuine character
Lenny
sexy bible
Hollywood fantasy
Chief Wiggums's headshots
Ned's Morals
Fun Run
Helen Fielding

Cons:
Suntan Lotion Maggie
Irish policeman
Moe and Reiner out of nowhere
Quick end

[Gabbo]

Ned did finally sumbit to his urges and there were some good jokes, but the end seemed kind of forced and a few of the jokes just fell flat. 3/5

[SpongeBob No Pants]

what was up with lenny's line, his mouth was not even moving and his voice was all rushed

[Maddog53]

This was the third episode in a row that was really good. I think they are finally heading in the right direction. That being said, i really don't know if I agree with Ned going all the way. It was fine being tempted, I just thought it was quite out of character for him to have premarital sex. However, that is really the only criticism I have of the episode. I found everything absolutely great. I loved this episode. I would give it a 4.5/5, but I voted for a 4.

Originally posted by Kefka
Also, what the fuck was that shit with the author of "Brigit Jones' diary"??

It was a parody of Benny Hill. A English comedian who did that exact same thing on his show. It was very well done. I also liked James L. Brooks' appearance. It was during a dream sequence so it worked that way. Plus it set up one of my favorite jokes of the night. Rod and Tod drive by and say, "We're movie agents now. And wer're Jewish!" Anyway I've rambled on long enough. Great episode.

Maddog.

[TMyst]

I've never seen Notting Hill, and the Jellyfish stuff at the beginning (Ned's first jellyfish festival since Maude's death when she died three years ago, also mentioning that it was May) was stupid, but James L. Brooks was great, Rod and Todd being Jewish movie producers was hilarious, and I also loved Nelson saying "HawHaw! Fight Lupus!"

4/5. With "3rd Grade" and "Barting Over" as the best of the year.

[Moose of Doom!]

That was interesting....

Good-
Ned's Hollywood dream- And we're Jewish!
the Book Club scene- ahh, British humor
Moe's scoops
good use of a celeb voice
My Best Friend's Gay Baby poster- I have a feeling we'll see J.Lo in this soon.
Jellyfish Festival- another Springfield tradition

Bad-
the butterfly into Homer's mouth- pointless
the music- What was the point? Everytime I heard it I thought of Ocean's 11
Homer falling down- 1st time: pointless, 2nd time: just stupid
Suntan Maggie
The kinda rushed ending

Ugly-
the commercial for Agent Cody Banks

[irv]

notice how it said "jim brooks" in the guest starring credits

please read posts before replying, little kids. the british humor joke was explained like eight times already.

also, reserving spots for your reviews = for the horrible faggots.

[no_msg]

When this ep was kicked off with the Jellyfish thing, I really didn't want to like it. I was prepared for another boring and uncohesive fest that shamelessly plugged various guest stars.

But that's not what was shown. This ep was very solid in plot and didn't go too crazy, and had quite a few good jokes.

I don't understand why people think Ned was out of character, though. It's not like he completely voluntarily gave himself to the actress.

One of my favourite bits was the John Williams concert. I recall the use of a John Williams concert being done in an earlier ep this season, but this time I found it really funny. Aside from Homer and the recording being recycled...

Anyway, this was an all-around good ep. As I watched, my score went from 3 to 3.5 to 4. So... yeah, 4/5 from me.

[Gagnonsux]

Very, very good episode 5/5 by season 14 standards. Only a few jokes missed (Jelly fish, a couple sex jokes), but most of it was purely hilarious. I think some could see Ned as being out of character, but I think he just naturally succombed to human urges. The ending was a little abrupt, but the episode was just too funny for me to mind. The Benny Hill send up was classic, and it was great to see two great dream sequences which have been missing over the past few years.

[HomertheGreat]

I really didn't mind Ned having sex. It shows that he is a regular person that has the urges regular men do. I don't find it any different than the time he got drunk in Vegas. Overall very sweet, funny episode that rivals "The Dad Who Knew Too Little" and "Special Edna" for best episode of the year IMO

[Urts]

Very enjoyable episode. The first act was the strongest, but the episode kept up a fairly consistent level of quality. Many supporting characters were used well. It was nice to see Ned open up more, I think it actually helped his character more than it hurt it. Homer was supposed to be obnoxious in this episode, but he was actually very tolerable. The Benny Hill reference was hilarious, and we surely can't forget the most important part of the episode: The return of the Irish cop from "Homer vs. The Eighteenth Ammendment".

What a great Sunday: Excellent Futurama, surprisingly good KOTH, quality Simpsons.

Rating: 4/5

[Sam]

People...they weren't ruining his character. They were giving it another dimension...one that, in my opinion, makes sense. He is religious, and that and easily-convinced go hand in hand (no offense meant to religious people)

(Beep)

[Number Two]

4/5 pretty good.

[Mafia]

lets see. i expected bad out of this episode. What did I get?

I lol-ed a lot. more in the second act.

-Hollyweird
--Jim Brooks was pointless... but pretty funny as the devil.
--"We're producers now. And we're Jewish" I found this pretty funny.

-British humor
--Ah... I loved that.

-Homer
--Repeating gag sucked.
--was okay.

forgetting that format... I liked the press scenes. "Is it true you are planning to kill Sara Sloane just like you last wife?" The Share-Crow was pretty good.

I'd say the weakest act was the 1st act. Strongest was the second. Pretty satisfying ending, imo.

For this season: 9/10 (4)
For the show: 6.2/10 (3)

[irv]

Originally posted by no_msg
When this ep was kicked off with the Jellyfish thing, I really didn't want to like it.

the fact that you even still watch the show is astounding.

[Handsome Pete]

Hmmm...not too bad. I actually thought the characterization was decent for the most part, but this was mostly for the supporting cast. OFF, on the other hand, just didn't seem right (well, Homer was alright). I will let it slide since the focus is on Flanders, though. A decent plot also seemed to give this episode another plus.

The actual set-up of the episode was a little bizarre to me (Jellyfish festival? Okay...), but it does seem to fit in with Springfield, and some of the jokes from the supporting characters were good...except for Ralph, I didn't like how he was used. Some jokes were rather good (unfortunately, I can't think of any specific examples), but others didn't fare so well, particularly the Bridget Jones's diary author and the Benny Hill stuff. Just seemed too cartoonish, too strange to be in an episode like this. I hope I'm not the only one who thinks this. The joke wasn't all bad, though, since the quip about British humor being sophisticated was good. I did know they were going to do something weird after she said that, though.

Okay, I've sorted out my thoughts in broken English, so I suppose it's time for a rating. 3/5, or, at the most, a 3.5. Overall, the pros were more numerous than the cons, and some jokes were pretty funny. It was good that Tomei wasn't used like most guest stars on the show now. If only Brooks and the author who's name I can't remember followed this...

And the recurring theme in this episode was Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. When you know someone who's majoring in music, you learn these things.

[Toxic Monkey]

meh...twas okay. funniest moments were the benny hill references/gags, and we finally get to see more of the supporting characters/families (the hibberts, the wiggums).

3.5/5 (voted 4/5 though)

[America: Fuck Yea!]

did anyone else think the return of the Leftorium was a great move...?

5/5

[Wavy Gravy]

This episode surprised me. It started weird, developed into a great story, and ended weird again. The scene with the jellyfish was more than a little odd (especially Ralph's scene, although the line was funny). Seeing Ned at the Leftorium was a nice reference. Marisa Tomei did a fine job as Sara Sloane - the voice was fitting and she didn't overdo anything. The development of their relationship was good to see (the paparazzi scene was okay), and Ned's Hollywood fantasy was great (I had no idea how they would fit Jim Brooks into the story successfully). Of course, Ned actually giving in to Sara's desires was kind of an unexpected and unwanted left turn, and it kinda brought the episode down a bit. But it was still an otherwise fine episode. I give it a 4/5.

[Bubble Crum]

Originally posted by or_smth



Plot was stupid (Jellyfish -- what the fuck?) then good (Ned Flanders meets a woman, decent story) then bad (Let's make love to Itchy and Scratchy) to worse (What the hell was that ending). It rounded out to a decent episode though.



They never had sex to Itchy and Scratchy, it was the music composer.

P.S. No more "what the hell with the Benny Hill reference" comments please!

[irv]

it's interesting how ratings of the episode are affected because idiot fucking retard kids don't understand the references in the episode or aren't educated enough or are too inept to have any clue about that jellyfish thing. evidence that the show is as good as it's been in five years, and also evidence that elementary schools in this country are going to shit. it's only too bad that these very fifth graders post in general discussion.

[Tomacco]

The board is running sllllowww.

Anyways, 4/5 from me probably.
I thought it was fantastic, but I found Ned's decision about the sex was rushed, and yeah, they waited too long to introduce it. From then on in, the episode went a little akward, but that was only for a minute. There were some real laugh-out-loud moments, like Ned's Bible dancing dream, and his fantasy sequence with Brooks. The British comedy joke was funny and Family Guy-esque. Everyone was pretty in-character. Ned was in character for the most-part, except I didn't like another penis joke about vegetables. I thought those were gone. Oh well, the episode had a lot of sex anyways. No biggy.

The episode somehow really had that season 7 episode feeling to it, like "A Fish Called Selma". You're probably lying if you say you NEVER thought about that episode once during tonight's show. well, maybe you didn't, but I did.

And there was a recurring background music theme going on during the show, and I KNOW I've heard it on some other show before, I think during a romantic montage of some sort. I think it was either The Critic, or even maybe an older Simpsons I can't remember. Somebody please help me out with this one.

[Maddog53]

Originally posted by Tomacco
And there was a recurring background music theme going on during the show, and I KNOW I've heard it on some other show before, I think during a romantic montage of some sort. I think it was either The Critic, or even maybe an older Simpsons I can't remember. Somebody please help me out with this one.

I only know it from Ocean's 11. When they are standing in front of the fountain, other than that I don't think I can remember in an earlier episode where they used this music. Maybe someone out there is smarter than me though (probably).

Maddog.

[NoOneFamous]

I enjoyed this episode, but nothing really stands out in it. Ned's storylines have become somewhat boring, and I really wish they'd just forget about him and stop showing episodes about him dating and whatnot. On the other hand, this was the best Ned episode since Maude died.. and hes finally shown some character development, rather than just being used as the "funny religious freak" hes been used as lately. The entire episode was pulled off pretty well, and by that, I mean there weren't any wacky suprises or crazy surreal humor.

Good:
- The plot stayed realistic and didn't do anything wacky.
- There was little to no "shock humor."
- The pointlessness of the Jellyfish celebration.
- Great use of background music, it made it seem more dramatic.
- "I havent felt this good since we stole the 2000 election!" "Yeah, I voted for the green M&M!"
- Homer's Nacho scene, and that they continued it.. its no Sideshow -Bob with the rakes, but its still funny.
- The Author running around - awesome! Not only was it making fun of lame British humor, it was also a great Benny Hill parody. -Hilarious, even if it was kind of out of place.
- Lots of subtile returns of things from old episodes (Cookie Kwan, Leftorium, concert hall, pointless ceremonies, etc). They were great because they fit right in, rather than feeling like they were only there as a past episode reference, like Stampy in Large Marge.


Bad:
- Lenny in the second act... he sounded weird, and it didn't match his mouth.
- Ned's Hollywood dream sequence - it was weird and James L. Brooks was wasted.
- Ned's sex scene in the 3rd act... it was just awkward, especially since it was Ned.

All in all, I give it a 4/5. Nothing memorable and I'm sick of Ned Episodes, but a good, solid episode with no major flaws.

[no_msg]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits


the fact that you even still watch the show is astounding.

This board is divided amongst two types: the optimists and the pessimists. I am actually one of the former, and find it annoying to see people like DTB come in and blatantly point out the show's obvious decline in quality over the years.

However, the only difference between me or any other of the board's "optimists" and one of this board's "pessimists" would be that we have hope for the future of the show. When pricked, we do bleed. When a corny joke happens, we do not laugh. This ep looked like it was going to be a failure, and it wasn't at all.

Maybe you should read my whole post before you start acting like a jerk.

[Simpson Purist]

7/10, pretty decent episode but no big laughs.

Pros
-Suntan Maggie
-Homer isn't a jerk (YAY!!!)
-Guest stars were nicely used (JIM BROOKS IS EVIL I TELL YA!)
-Balanced pacing, no herky jerky between acts
-Sher-Crow
-Great hallucination
-I love the use of "Clair de Lune"
-The little Keystone Cops/Benny Hill thingy with Helen Fielding

Cons
-Lenny's voice was off during his "Ebay" remarks, this ticked me off a bit
-Homer's choosing between boobs or nachos
-Ralph drifting out to sea by the jellyfish
-Why did this episode air two weeks after Valentine's Day

[Moleman...Hans]

Good episode, 4.5/5. one of the best of the season. Benny Hill thing was funnyand the Rodd & Todd thing was funny. Voted 4/5.

[Mafia]

i was noticing the music in the second act. i thought it was great. Marge's voice seemed more in key in this episode.

I did not know of the exact British humor that the Benny Hill joke was, but I had seen that before in different British comedies, which made me laugh about a great parody.

Judging by the couch gag: Matt Groening is God and Jim Brooks is the devil. It is odd seeing James L. Brooks for executive producer and Jim Brooks for guest star. Good joke there.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

i just wish ned would find a new wife, and all of this guest star girlfriend shit would stop

what ever happened to rachel?

[Tomacco]

YES, thanks! I heard it on Oceans Eleven! Somehow I thought The Critic. I dunno why. Maybe it was because in one scene, Ned was dressed similarly to Jay Sherman. Oh well.

The use of music was excellent in this episode, and really brought back the old episode feeling.

From the past few episodes, the show does feel like it's being re-born. The show now feels like what the old episodes would be like if they were made now. Hope you understand what I mean.

And am I the only one who liked the Homer/nacho joke?

[Simpson Purist]

Originally posted by Tomacco

And there was a recurring background music theme going on during the show, and I KNOW I've heard it on some other show before, I think during a romantic montage of some sort. I think it was either The Critic, or even maybe an older Simpsons I can't remember. Somebody please help me out with this one.

It's "Clair de Lune", by Claude Debussey

[Stina]

It was an okay episode.

3/5

[Bubble Crum]

Is it Sher-crow or Cher-crow?

Rachel and Ned never dated, just spent friendly time together.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

its sheryl crow

[Moose of Doom!]

Wait, what was the couch gag? I missed it

[BigJimW]

The second episodes classic line:

"Cletus. If I find pig lipstick on your collar again, I will not let you sleep in the sty anymore."

Second episode was also good. :)

[SpongeBob No Pants]

it was the marrionette rerun

[Tomacco]

HAHAHHA! YES! Another LOL moment - the Cher crow!

[Bubble Crum]

Originally posted by SpongeBob No Pants
its sheryl crow

No it was DEFINITLY Cher. The clothes and the music back me up. Why whould the paparazzi surround Sheryl Crow anyway?

Sorry for posting so much.

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
the fact that you even still watch the show is astounding.
Read the rest of his post. He liked the episode, moron.

[Gabbo]

Originally posted by Tomacco
And am I the only one who liked the Homer/nacho joke?

I actually liked that joke too. When it returned to him still on the ground after a few minutes, I cracked up.

[Hapablap]

This one gets a 5/5, possibly the best this season. An actual story with funny jokes all the way through. My favorite parts probably the British humor reference going into the Benny Hill bit. (probably my fav. tv theme song).
And I'm really glad Ned did bang her. I kept thinking theres no way a heterosexual man would actually pass it up after so long, but really expected him to turn it down. It wasnt so out of character, Ned has had sex before, and he did try to resist. Its good to see him make the realistic choice.

[Handsome Pete]

I posted what the music was in this episode beforehand, but I guess no one noticed. Oh well.

I just came to post here because I finally remember a good gag in this episode: Cletus, as a reporter, commenting on how good Flanders's carpet felt on his toes. Good stuff.

[Mafia]

my mistake. something already posted.

Anyway, I'm feeling good about the show right now. I've liked all of the EABF's.


EDIT: Response to below.

There is 1 show that survived with no plot: seinfeld

[SpongeBob No Pants]

true this episode had a story, but the simpsosns is a comedy, not a drama

i'd take a wacky homer adventure that has me laughing out loud, over a serious ned episode that only has me smiling at best

[Capitol City Goof]

4/5. My favorite episode of the season so far. That Benny Hill/British humor bit was grerat, and I don't think it stretched Ned's character too much.

[HomertheGreat]

Originally posted by SpongeBob No Pants
true this episode had a story, but the simpsosns is a comedy, not a drama

i'd take a wacky homer adventure that has me laughing out loud, over a serious ned episode that only has me smiling at best

but what's wrong with the occasional serious, sweet episode. And I didn't even think that this episode was a drama type, it had some great gags. Some of the greatest episodes have been serious. (Moaning Lisa, Lisa's Sub, Bart Sells His Soul)

[SpongeBob No Pants]

yes, some of the best have been serious eps, but lisa's sub had asweet humourous quality, that tonight episode was lacking

[Gabbo]

Yah, if the show was only humor and no plot or seriousness(is that a word?), we would get bored pretty fast.

[Tomacco]

This episode was serious and comedic, exactly how "A Fish Called Selma" is.

[Mr. Plow]

4/5 or 5/5. What a great episode. It was a really sweet episode the entire time, with great moments. The music was a great addition to the episode as well. Great stuff.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

but i think they sacraficed ned's character, just so they could squeeze in a few sex jokes

the episode was good, but it could have been better

[Maddog53]

To all the people who are wondering if it was a Cher-crow or not: it would have to be or else the reporter saying, "Did you know your daughter is gay," would make no sense. For those who don't know, Cher's daughter is gay.

Maddog.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

of course it was cher

[ShadowBun]

Hmmm...

"This is turning into Spongebob No Pants!" LOL!!

A Star is Born-Again started off a little shaky, but soon evolved into a smart, funny and very well-paced episode. I thought Flanders' character was VERY, VERY well-done (the Leftorium scene and all his Flander-isms) throughout the first two acts and half of the last one...

...BUT WHY DID HE DO IT? I'm sorry, it just really bugs me...it seems so dang out of character for him to. I mean, it's NED. I didn't really have a problem with Apu doing it (last season), but if Homer can resist temptation twice (Lurleen and Mindy), FLANDERS of all people should be able to!

It just really hurt his character in general for me, and seems to contradict a lot of the things he's stood for the past 14 years. Flanders is one of my favorite characters, but I just think this episode altered him a bit too much. This is even more out-of-character than the Vegas thing! And, because they broke up like a minute later, the sex scene was utterly pointless! I know this is a debatable thing and a lot of people will disagree saying it was time for him to move on, but it just didn't work for me.

On the plus side, they did a great job of him fighting the decision to do it and thinking about it. Aside from the end, it's the best use of Ned since...Hurricane Neddy or something. Or even past that. This episode felt Season 9-ish, and I was leaning towards giving it a 5/5 until the writers pulled a strange one on us. As it is, 4/5. Lots of laughs, good story, unfortunate ending.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

Originally posted by ShadowBun
Hmmm...

"This is turning into Spongebob No Pants!" LOL!!


that's my name don't wear it out

[|RABiD|]

YES! The best Ned episode in a long time! I don't know what you guys are talking about out-of-character for Ned. I thought the episode was very well character centered and pulled out the right kicks at the right time. I loved the Homer/nacho joke! That had me cracking up! and i enjoyed Jim Brooks in Ned's dream sequence. Marisa Tomei played Sara wonderously! A 4/5 for me or a 9.1/10.

[FrankysteinMark II]

Definatley the best of the season. I liked how they brought Ned's old side out, but gave it a new edge. The jellyfish festival was a weird way to open it but it was still pretty funny and the song was good (one line was something like "I try to talk but you paralyzed my tongue). Did Sara remind you of Rachel Jordan at all? I forgot what happened to her at the end of "I'm Goin' to Praiseland."
The only bad parts of the ep was Homer, with a lot of stupid lines (and here I am especially referring to the nacho thing). Again I loved that jewish producer line. 4/5 I hope they continue this way instead of the usual crap.

[Mafia]

keep in mind, ned once threatened to run people over his car and freaked out on people who helped him. he also got drunk and married another woman in Vegas. Who knows what he did with her... he was drunk... and it was a honeymoon.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

isn't ned supposed to be in his 60's

[Mayor Quimby]

Good episode, I was glad to see Ned used as the main focal point. 4/5

[mathias1979]

One of the better episodes of the season definitely. I gave it 4/5. I guess I'll give it the #2 spot on my top 3 of the season. Anyway...my thoughts:

What I liked:
-Fink's Robot Date
-My Best Friend's Gay Baby
-Classic Homer jokes for the most part(i.e. Wednesday AM Drinkin', and "marge tried to change me till part of her died and she didn't try anymore.)
-The Tabloids displaying Sara's new life as one of sin and filth when Ned's life is anything but
-The whole Hollywood dream sequence
-Classic Ned (for the most part, see below)
-A decent conclusion for once

Things I didn't Like:
-The Ralph floating to sea gag...seemed like they were just trying too hard
-Wasn't big on the British comedy gag, even worse the second time.
-The Homer dropping his nacho's gag
-Ned Having Sex...and I feel the need to back this up. It was way out of character. Yes characters are allowed to grow and change...but I felt this one was just a little too abrubt. A devout religious man doesn't change his ways just like that. I wouldn't have minded if I saw a little more reluctance in Ned's decision making process.

-Matt

[skittlebrau]

Great episode. Most of the recent episodes have been "old-school" season quality. Greatness.

4/5

[DotheBartman]

M-E-H. Meh.

Most of the jokes seemed forced/made no sense, it often felt rushed and I didn't care what was going on, and the guest stars were incredibly lame. There were some moments, sure, but overall just really bland. More stupid sex jokes (the thing about Agnes said by Homer had me groaning), weak, super obvious "satire" that episodes like "Fish Called Selma" did much better, and a bunch of things that had me sratching my head rather then laughing leave this as a mediocre showing. Edit: Gotta agree that Ned suddenly having sex made no sense, and was rushed. Bad, bad characterization.

Rating: C-/D+

Futurama:

The serious part of the story wasn't fantasic here either, but it was at least done decently, and there were lots of great gags. Sad that "Futurama"'s jokes actually made more sense then the ones on The Simpsons. Rating: B/B+

[Ralph's friend]

I give this one a 3/5.
I seem to be the only one who liked the first half more than the second half. I laughed pretty hard for the first 15 minutes, like when marge has to dip homer during the dance, or ned first meets the movie star in his store. But starting with the "benny hill" thing, I didn't laugh once, except for when nelson runs by, laughs at then and says fight lupus. Ha Ha

[Mayor Quimby]

What was with the Moe thing, I didn't understand, can someone please explain.

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by mathias1979
A devout religious man doesn't change his ways just like that. I wouldn't have minded if I saw a little more reluctance in Ned's decision making process.

Anyone might if they were with a hot movie star that wanted to do it... and Ned was reluctant.

[Tomacco]

DTBM, sorry but Futurama was awful tonight. You wanna talk about pointless head-scratching crap? The three main characters become super heroes for no real reason, using creme that just about anyone can use? The only good joke was the IKEA one. The rest fell flat or seemed done before on Simpsons.

The theme song for the heroes was painful. It was childish, drawn out and just brutal. I was shocked with it, seriously.

[Bubble Crum]

Originally posted by ShadowBun

if Homer can resist temptation twice (Lurleen and Mindy), FLANDERS of all people should be able to!



Homer had a wife at home and his love for her restricted him. Ned is only human and had nothing to lose. Plus, he did throw in the "now I want to get married" thing at the end.


As for Futurama, yes, the plot was kinda dumb. However, the Leela missing her parents part made me VERY sad. But I wondered why they didn't stay longer and what the big deal was if she can see them anytime in the sewers? I LOVED the "rancid meatballs" line. It's funny cause it's true!

[thecapecoddah]

4/5, not bad.. I'm really enjoying some of these Season 14 episodes. There were a bunch of great gags throughout the three acts and it's always refreshing to see Homer used basically as a supporting character, where he usually always shines. The breakup at the end was a little too rushed, however. A great episode, but hopefully they'll lay off the "Ned dating someone" plots for awhile.

[brancely]

3/5 Big MEH, IMO.

Some good jokes were the Chercrow and James L. Brooks. It was nice to see Wiggum's wife again. Bad things include the suntan lotion and Ralph with the jellyfish.

So, does Irvine just lurk on this thread and jump on any chance to insult or something? Ten bucks on him being an eleven-year-old himself.

[Old Time Bike]

4/5, good episode.

[TomSledgehammer]

4/5

I support the mocking of British comedy.,

[Kalbelgarion]

I liked it!

Tonight was a very good night for fans of “The Simpsons”. We were treated to two very good episodes that rival “Special Edna” for the title of Best of the Season.

Now, my Pros and Cons:

-Pros:
--The couch gag
--The utter pointlessness of the Jellyfish Festival
--Ned’s walk of loneliness
--The return of the Leftorium
--The introduction of Sara
--Ned’s time spent with Sara around the town
--The great use of minor characters (CBG, Lenny, Moe, Apu, Rod & Todd)
--Ned’s Hollywood fantasy (We’re Jewish!)
--Jim Brooks’ appearance
--The parody of the tabloids and paparazzi
--The British comedy
--The joke concerning the 2000 election (Which is bound to be once again referenced next week)
--Lenny’s E-Bay remark
--The generally balance and sensible plot

-Cons:
--Ralph floating out to sea
--Frink’s Robot Date
--The rushed ending

If there’s one thing that Al Jean has really been able to pull off this season, it’s the strong emotion. A chord has been struck with me many times during this season, whether it was Marge being mugged, Lisa and Homer’s interaction, Ned’s utter despair regarding the Rev leaving town, or Ned’s loneliness and deep sadness in the beginning of this episode. These moments have really brought back memories of times when this type of writing and direction was the norm on this show. If Al Jean has succeeded in one thing, it’s that he was able to put emotion back in the Simpsons.

I give this episode a 4.5/5. Here are the rankings thus far:

Pray Anything-4.5/5
Special Edna -4.5/5
A Star is Born Again –4.5/5

The Dad Who Knew Too Little -4.5/5
The Great Louse Detective -4/5
I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can -3.5/5
Strong Arms of the Ma –3.5/5
Bart vs. Lisa vs. 3rd Grade -3.5/5
Barting Over -3/5
Large Marge -3/5
Treehouse of Horror XIII -3/5
How I Spent My Strummer Vacation -2.5/5
Helter Shelter -1/5

With a little bit of luck, the extremely promising “Mr. Spitz…” could be this season’s first 5/5 episode. :)

[DotheBartman]

Originally posted by Tomacco
DTBM, sorry but Futurama was awful tonight. You wanna talk about pointless head-scratching crap? The three main characters become super heroes for no real reason, using creme that just about anyone can use? The only good joke was the IKEA one. The rest fell flat or seemed done before on Simpsons.

The theme song for the heroes was painful. It was childish, drawn out and just brutal. I was shocked with it, seriously.

It did feel a tad rushed at points, and the story was strange, I'll give you that. But I dunno. I actually found things to laugh at during Futurama, wheras with Simpsons I often wasn't even sure where the jokes were. So I dunno...perhaps I'm just sick for good with the new episodes. Considering how much season 2 I've watched lately, I know its not that I'm sick of the show in general.

I DO have some hope for next week's, as it MAY have some of the legitimate satire the show has been missing for years. But if it just ends up being 23 minutes of bizzare jokes, guest stars, and sexual innuendo, it might be one of the last nails in the coffin. I've already been sorely let down by the otherwise promising "Pray Anything", so I, shall we say, pray it doesn't happen here too.

[Eddie]

Fairly good. Nothing all that outstanding, but it was definitely better than "I'm Goin' to Praiseland," but not as good as "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly." It was funny, but not especially funny. :( 2.5/5.


GOOD STUFF:
--the appearance of Hibbert's kids
--the Sea Captain's appearance
--seeing the Leftorium again
--"We're as open as a tomb on Easter!"
--the new mall store names
--it was a well-put together "Notting Hill" parody
--"Spongebob 'No-Pants'"
--Marisa Tomei's voice work
--James L. Brooks' appearance
--Rod and Todd
--book club scene
--John Williams doing "Itchy & Scratchy" music
--the reference to that "Gosford Park" dude :D


BAD STUFF:
--All the jokes related to the Wiggum's
--the return of the Scottish security guard
--Homer's Agnes Skinner-related comment
--Cletus as a reporter again ;-/
--the dancing Bible
--all the close-ups on Ned's face (huh?)
--Ranier Wolfcastle's appearance
--Ned's dream sequence about L.A.
--Apu getting rid of his kids?
--Homer's nachos thing
--The sex scene
--Cookie Kwan...again??
--bad ending

[Handsome Pete]

Originally posted by Kalbelgarion
If there’s one thing that Al Jean has really been able to pull off this season, it’s the strong emotion. A chord has been struck with me many times during this season, whether it was Marge being mugged, Lisa and Homer’s interaction, Ned’s utter despair regarding the Rev leaving town, or Ned’s loneliness and deep sadness in the beginning of this episode. These moments have really brought back memories of times when this type of writing and direction was the norm on this show. If Al Jean has succeeded in one thing, it’s that he was able to put emotion back in the Simpsons.

Agreed. The emotion the show has been displaying lately has been very genuine, no matter what episode it is. For example, I really didn't like "Barting Over", but I did like how Bart missed his family for one part of the second act. It was just done so well. The rest of the episode didn't seem to be, but that's just my opinion...

Off topic a little bit, Futurama wasn't the best it could be (too wacky, even compared to the show's normal level of wackiness) but it was still somewhat solid. I must have missed some episodes, though, as I didn't know that Leela had found her parents.

[Tomacco]

The couch gag was re-used from "Blame it On Lisa" by the way.

[mintjellyonthelam]

3/5

Some great gags (Apu and Mia Farrow,the Cher dummy,"We're Jewish!") but Ned was ruined! I almost threw up when I saw Sara and him under the blanket. What were they thinking!!!!!!

[SpongeBob No Pants]

so is the sea captain gay or what?

[HomertheGreat]

nah I think it was just a lame joke, Moe has had a lot of gay jokes this season but I still don't think he's gay

[SpongeBob No Pants]

but this is not the first sea captain is gay joke that has been used

[Kalbelgarion]

There's an old urban legend (with some fact mixed in) that says that Seamen, when out to sea for very long periods of time, oftentimes resort of homosexuality in the absence of a woman. (Similar to the "Your day in the barrel" joke) This is what they are referencing. Nothing more.

[Tomacco]

Sea Captain is simple. He likes women, and he would want to get together with a woman, but out at sea, he's always alone with men, and settles for them sometimes out of desperation.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

oh, o.k.

[Andy]

This episode was surprisingly pleasing. Flanders seemed to be more human than in recent Nedcentric eps. The story stayed on track all episode, and there were plenty of funny scenes.

Btw, I saw The Dad Who Knew Too Little for the first time tonight... despite the chase scenes, it wasn't that bad of an episode. Homer and Lisa had some good funny moments in that one.

So overall a good hour of OFF tonight.

[Dennis]

I don't think it was great, but I don't think it was bad either. 3/5.

Also, for some reason, that did not sound like Marisa Tomei to me!

[YesMan]

Originally posted by ShadowBun
...BUT WHY DID HE DO IT? I'm sorry, it just really bugs me...it seems so dang out of character for him to. I mean, it's NED. I didn't really have a problem with Apu doing it (last season), but if Homer can resist temptation twice (Lurleen and Mindy), FLANDERS of all people should be able to!

Lets not forget, Homer is married. While Flanders, being widowed, it would be perfectly ok for him to have sex with another woman.

Personally, I thought this was a fairly good episode. Pretty humorous all the way around. Some good gags, a fairly solid plot, with decent charactorization (though they may have forever tarnished Flanders' character).

Good to see the Hibbert family, Sara, and a few other seldom-used characters getting some lines.

I'm tempted to give this one a 4/5, so I think I will! This goes down as a "Good" episode in my book. I'll say this, it surpassed my expectations. :)

[no_msg]

About Ned - despite his pious ways, he was widowed, and it was a movie star. A very hot movie star. I think that justifies it, more or less.

[Bob Underdunk T]

Way too much sex.
Out of character Ned. But mostly way too much sex.

3/5


Mr. Spitz looks promising.

[BigJimW]

Originally posted by Number One
4/5, not bad.. I'm really enjoying some of these Season 14 episodes.

Eric, face it... You'd enjoy any episode of The Brady Bunch. :LOL:

[SpongeBob No Pants]

i can see why fox cancelled futurama, tonights ep was so bad, hopefully (as much as i love Futurerama) it can go away and the talent behind it can come back to the simpsons

[Max Power]

First of all, what you talkin' about, Sponge?

Second of all, pretty good ep. It had it's moments so I give it a 4/5.

[jagrmeister]

Ha Ha. I'm not laughing from the jokes of that Simpsons episode. I'm laughing at its sheer stupidity. "A star is born" plumbed the depths of idiocy. Gags were horrible; worse than a bad Saturday Night Live skit. Al Jean should be fired. Childish political potshots like the "stole the 2000 election" conspiracy mongering, likely introduced by left-wing nutcases on the staff, should be excised. Whoever writes the "gags" were Homer alternates between two emotions like gawking at the babe and moaning at dropping his nachos should be shot. Just a complete joke; an unfunny one at that. Commenting further on this excrement is a waste of time.

[thecapecoddah]

Originally posted by BigJimW
Eric, face it... You'd enjoy any episode of The Brady Bunch. :LOL:

That cute Marcia made watching every episode worthwhile. But, enough about my unhealthy obsessions.. that's in the past, now.

[okayagain]

I enjoyed it, it had a lot of good jokes and the story was not bad (save for quickie get-the-guest-character-outta-here). I had a bad feeling about this one, but they surprised me by not doing anything extremely stupid, and the many chances it had. The only bad things about it was the jokes were mainly chuckles, nothing out loud, and a few jes' plain horrible scenes (I don't need to point out Homer's nacho incident).
3/5

[ShadowBun]

On a side note, I actually enjoyed tonight's Futurama a lot. Sure, it was a little far-fetched (aren't they all?), but the writing and lines kept me chuckling throughout. Decent dose of emotion as well...4/5

King of the Hill was a bit dull throughout, but it climaxed well and had a nice ending. Peggy was...kind of annoying in her fit mode. 3.5/5

[Tirefire]

Without a doubt for me, this had one of the best shock value moments I've ever seen on the show, even counting the old seasons. She's walking down the stairs in the dress and one of the boys says "Daddy, where do babies come from?" It may have been the among the top 3 hardest laughs I've ever had during the Simpsons. The episode had other good moments. I didn't like the episode any after the people ran through the woods for the disease, the name isn't coming to me, but anyways, I give it a 4.5/5 and a 5 on the voting.

[Channel Surfer]

My review here: http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/EpisodeReviewPage/showid-146/epid-177847/blockid-79455/. Based off the comments here, I'm sure most people will agree with me.

Ned: "I guess unlike the Bible, this isn't going to have a happy ending." I loved that one-liner :LOL:

4/5, or a B/B-

The "Futurama" reminded me of a stretched out version of TOHX's middle act (basically a general parody of every superhero cliche), but with a more developed plot and some heart. B/B-

The "King of the Hill" was...O.K. (strong first act). But this is quite possibly the most annoying Peggy has ever been on the show. C+/C

[JonMDavis]

2/5

The Benny Hill bit was done pretty well, but the only other joke that I liked was the Jim Brooks line in the credits. I ABSOLUTELY hated how they had Ned have premaritial sex. Terribly out of character or completely useless. Once again, I didn't like Moe's role, as it was really stretched out and overdone. I'll have to watch it again, but it seems to be yet another forgetable episode.

[homer5000]

This is gonna sound extremely stupid and inconceived, but I didn't get the Jim Brooks thing in the credits that well.

And, jesus plays the hits, I'm NOT an 11 year old!

[Tomacco]

There was a James L Brooks thing in the credits? I think I missed it. Somebody?

Was it just that they listed him as Jim Brooks guest voicing?

[Andy]

I think he's just referring to the fact that he's credited as "Jim Brooks" despite telling Ned he'd rather be called James than Jim. Clever subtle touch.

[homer5000]

Originally posted by PsycheEnFuego
I think he's just referring to the fact that he's credited as "Jim Brooks" despite telling Ned he'd rather be called James than Jim. Clever subtle touch.

Oh yeah! I forgot about that...

[Cole]

I didn't think Flanders was out of character at all. He was actually relatable by giving into temptation, instead of the holy, Christ-like figure he has become in more recent seasons. Loved the Benny Hill jokes. Lots of great humor spread throughout. 4/5. Great episode.

[Moleman...Hans]

Originally posted by Tomacco

And am I the only one who liked the Homer/nacho joke?

I liked it.

[Rowdy]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits


also, reserving spots for your reviews = for the horrible faggots.

You really are pissy today for being the lord and savior and all. And the reserving a spot was just a pointless joke about how I always have to wait three hours to see the episode here on the West Coast. I even complained about it in another thread.

BTW, quit making fun of people that didn't get the Benny Hill joke. I mean, I don't even think reruns of the show have aired on television for quite some time.

[homer5000]

I just noticed something that was too hilarious:

Tonight on Futurama, the 'villian' was the Zookeeper (btw, it was an OK episode, but a weak one), who's some minons were a gorrila, a bear and some penguins.

Tonight on Simpsons, Sarah starred in "The Zookeeper's Wife", and in the background was a gorrila, a bear and some penguins!!

Did anyone notice this amazing coindendence?

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by Moleman...Hans
I liked it.

I liked it too (the Nacho joke.) For some reason, I love it every time they use a sound bite over and over and repeat the same stupid thing a couple times.

[Moleman...Hans]

Originally posted by NoOneFamous


I liked it too (the Nacho joke.) For some reason, I love it every time they use a sound bite over and over and repeat the same stupid thing a couple times.

Well I hate it when they use the same soundbite over and over, but still that was a funny thing.

[Brian S.]

I liked this episode, I thought the guest star's role was good for once.

4/5

[Ken Krabapple]

A couple of things that I wanted to mention that no one else has really brought up.

First, most of the episode was solid but I thought the Zookeeper's Wife scene was totally tacked on. When I first saw it, I thought, ok this is where the episode is going. Ned becomes too involved in her movies and she dumps him. But then they never went back to that. Kinda odd, I thought.

Also I was impressed with Homer's characterization in this episode. I was so worried he was going to be in idiotic schoolgirl mode like he was in "Alone Again..." and "I'm Going to Praiseland" Tonight he actually listened to Ned and really tried to help Ned out in the best way Homer can.

A minor problem I've had with this season, and it's a minor one, is that they are all over the calendar. Today's episode took place in May. I'm Spelling as Fast as I can was during the first week of school. The Great Louse Detective was during Mardi Gras. I know there is an episode coming up later this season during Christmas. It's a small thing but still annoying.

I did love Skinner's penny-pinching ways during the jellyfish scene. I think they can play this out for a while before the actual wedding.

Also, isn't this at least the second episode that Cletus has been a "member of the press". I know I've seen him in this role before. Can anyone help me out on this one. Who knew Cletus could get a job?

[Jake]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
evidence that the show is as good as it's been in five years,

Uh, the show's last two years are better than Seasons 10-12.

Anyway, this episode was a solid 3/5 for me. There wasn't anything really annoying, but there wasn't anything really gut-bustingly funny, either. The best scenes were:

--"Hollyweird"
--Ned saying: "We would've lasted twice as long."
--Benny Hill parody.
--the Bible Stripping.

Overall, I'd give it a C+.

Jake

[chiefdan]

Originally posted by Cloud Cole
I didn't think Flanders was out of character at all. He was actually relatable by giving into temptation, instead of the holy, Christ-like figure he has become in more recent seasons.

BUT Flanders went full circle in this episode. Sure, he's been out-of-character before...but in this episode, he went from the "religious freak" to "blasphemer". First of all, he disrespected the Bible by looking at it like a Confucian-like set of well-meaning phrases instead of a holy BOOK, like Flanders would generally consider it. And a gigantic, sponteaneous gust of wind manages to blow away every page except one...and then he purposely misinterprets a verse. This was a complete unhinging of Ned's character and moral fiber.

Also, I gave this episode a 1/5, and my opinions are much like jagrmeister's. "jagrmeister Ha Ha. I'm not laughing from the jokes of that Simpsons episode. I'm laughing at its sheer stupidity. "A star is born" plumbed the depths of idiocy. Gags were horrible; worse than a bad Saturday Night Live skit. Al Jean should be fired. Childish political potshots like the "stole the 2000 election" conspiracy mongering, likely introduced by left-wing nutcases on the staff, should be excised. Whoever writes the "gags" were Homer alternates between two emotions like gawking at the babe and moaning at dropping his nachos should be shot. Just a complete joke; an unfunny one at that. Commenting further on this excrement is a waste of time."

For me, this goes down as one of the worst Simpsons episodes ever. And it wasn't just because of Ned's complete reversal of character. It wasn't very funny nor entertaining, from start to finish.

[Jake]

Originally posted by mintjellyonthelam
3/5

Some great gags (Apu and Mia Farrow,the Cher dummy,"We're Jewish!") but Ned was ruined! I almost threw up when I saw Sara and him under the blanket. What were they thinking!!!!!!

They were discussing whether, or not, the use of margarine or butter is better in making brown betty.

[Mike Scully]

I'd give this episode a B-. It's definitely an improvement over the silliness and superficiality of most season 14 episodes. Not hilarious, but a pleasant episode. A real story with some real substance, and intelligent use of parody and references, and good dialogue and character interactions. As for the ending where Ned chooses to have premarital sex, I actually didn't mind. Keep in mind that Ned has probably changed a lot since Maude died, and that he found justification in the Bible for satisfying his needs. It was a really interesting development for Ned, and raises some thought-provoking questions about Ned's moral standpoint.

Maybe there is still hope for season 14.

[Jason]

4/5 i really liked this episode. Some good gags. Ned a bit out of character by having sex. Still a good episode one of the best of the season.

[zaius86]

Wow. I haven't watched The Simpsons much since that episode where Bart's hero is that old cowboy guy. I didn't laugh at that episode at all, and the animation was really getting to me. I watched last night, though, and I was pleasantly surprised. The animation was great, and all the jokes worked incredibly well. The Benny Hill thing was great - if no one else has mentioned it, that joke has also been used on Family Guy, whenever Stewie threw his "sexy parties". The only thing that bothered me at all was Ned having sex, but it's not that big of a deal.

Anyway, good episode. I'll have to start watching again.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

Originally posted by Max Power
First of all, what you talkin' about, Sponge?


i mean haven't you noticed that the simpsons started taking a down turn when Futurama started

i just think matt has been spreading himself to thin, and its hurting the show. Now don't get me wrong the simpsosns are still funny and i still love the show, but the things that have bugged me about the show only starteed to appear when futurama came around

[Lance_Murdock]

I thought it was a horrible episode...poor plot...lame execution. In my opinion, the worst of the season.

[necrulez]

Again a good episode. Prety much liked every single one of 2003 so far...

The brittish humor was fucking brilliant...

[SpongeBob No Pants]

i liked Ned singing his version of "Horse with no name"

[gravymaster]

Originally posted by Lance_Murdock
I thought it was a horrible episode...poor plot...lame execution. In my opinion, the worst of the season.

I understand that people have different thoughts on episodes, but there is NO WAY you can think that. I refuse to believe you think that.

[Tomacco]

I liked seeing Cookie Kwan again.
I think they should pair her up with Lindsay Neagle more often, like in "Large Marge", since I find Neagle kind of annoying on her own, and I like Kwan.

[Urath28]

As stupid as it was, it was very very funny!
I laughed a lot and it felt good!:LOL: 3/5 still too whacky, great tribute to Benny Hill btw

[Evan Conover]

Best Ned dating episode ever. I kinda wished that Ned really would've married Sara. :(

[irv]

BEST EPISODE EVER 0/5

[MaxpowerAK79]

As the Dude would say "lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what have yous".

The ep. had some good and some bad. Let's see: overall, I'd give it a 3/5. Which is solid.

Good:
Jelly fish return on "2nd Tuesday of May Sweeps"
Ralph was funny
Hibbert family is great
Leftorium...Good to see it again
Gay baby...I loved the baby in the leather. That was great
Sara Sloane was good in general...Good job Marissa
Good music throughout the show
"Movie Producers...Jewish" was really funny
Benny Hill parody=great
cletus as a reporter for the Outhouse Times/Picayune AGAIN!
Ned finally evolves a bit LIKE ANY PERSON DOES IN A LIFETIME!
Homer "I'm not telling you any of my secret moves!"
Fun run "Fight Lupus!"
Stole the 2000 election/Homer thinks it's M&Ms
others

Bad:
Irish Cop
SPF 1000 (So damn lame)
Marge dipping homer at dance
Moe in freezer
Wolfie was kinda lame
Repeating noises by Homer (just plain not funny)

Moderate:
Joke about John Lovitz
Ned changed his clothes! Doesn't happen much


Ned having sex:

People, let's think here: 1) Ned is a man and we all know men have urges. Even the most devout men succumb to moments of weakness. By having ned get it on, maybe they are telling us he is more normal and human than he seems...>He is flawed, like all people are. He is not as superhuman as we think 2) Ned's character is evolving like any person would do over the course of his/her lifetime.

[TMyst]

What was the opinion on the Lupus Fun Run bit? It was one of my favorites in the episode and a good appearance by Nelson.

[Tomacco]

The joke would have been better sans the "fight lupus" line, and just the "haw-haw".

[irv]

people don't like parts of the show because they lack the education to understand it.

[chiefdan]

I didn't like the fuckin episode because it wasn't very funny.

[*Waylon Smithers*]

5/5, I think it could be the best episode of the season in my opinion, except the fact that by having pre-marital sex Ned was WAY out of character.

[ShadowBun]

What does "Fight Lupus" mean?

[Andy]

Lupus is a disease, and the Lupus Fun Run was probably a charity race with the money being donated to organizations trying to find a cure for it.

mod tip: to ask more questions like this, please use the Simpsons Jokes That We Don't Get thread

[Glavin]

This episode was proboly the second best this season, behind strummer vacation. BUT IT STILL SUCKED. the only funny part was the brittish comedy bit. 1/5

[Citizen Kang]

4/5 - I enjoyed this episode. I do not think Flanders was out of character at all. Rod and Todd as movie producers was so funny. And the Benny Hill reference made me laugh. Brooks guest star appearence was good too..

Overall a decent episode but I'd like to see it again soon..

[SpongeBob No Pants]

it wasn't so much Ned having sex (i can justify that)

but it was the fact that he had it outside in the open, there is no way that good old ned would have sex in the open (actually my guess is that him and maude only had sex twice and that it was done in a dark room and under several layers of blankets)

[thealmightypog]

terrible. not funny. ruined ned's character.


arg. awful

[Tomacco]

I dunno if anybody brought this up, but this scene was pure gold:

Lenny: Ms. Sloan, can I have your autograph?
Sloan: Sure.
Lenny: Oh gee thanks! This is going right on eBay! I mean..my wall! Which I will then sell on eBay.
Sloan: Sadly this is not the worst I've had.
Lenny: Oh, and can I push this plastic cast onto one of your boobs?
Sloan: Okay, NOW you're the worst.

:LOL:

[tim_duncan2000]

Overall, I thought it was a pretty good episode. There were still a few things I could have done without, so here's the breakdown.

What I liked
- The beginning and how it showed how they make little things a big event and they have a lot of festivities.
- Frink with a robot was a nice touch.
- Showing Flanders as a guy with normal feelings about normal things was good.
- Some of the paparazzi (sp?) stuff was good
- The guest voice was good, and I'm glad she didn't play herself
- Bart's and Lisa's magazines were pretty good because they do have them on damn near everything.
- Homer saying "Can't a man drink alone on a Wednesday morning" was funny.
- Showing Ned at the Leftorium was good to see again.

What I didn't like
- Ned uncharacteristically giving in to her when she wanted to have sex. But, in some ways, I guess I could understand it because of his loneliness.
- The SPF 1000 label was not funny
- My Best Friend's Gay Baby? WTF? That was so stupid!
- The Zookeeper's Wife scene was unnecessary and lame.
- Homer's thing he was doing when he dropped the nachos was lame.
- Lenny's appearance and his request was stupid and only funny if you are about 13.
- Moe's 2 appearances were awful, and they haven't done him very well lately.
- The rushed ending.

3.5/5

[StrideR]

Originally posted by Tomacco
I dunno if anybody brought this up, but this scene was pure gold:

Lenny: Ms. Sloan, can I have your autograph?
Sloan: Sure.
Lenny: Oh gee thanks! This is going right on eBay! I mean..my wall! Which I will then sell on eBay.
Sloan: Sadly this is not the worst I've had.
Lenny: Oh, and can I push this plastic cast onto one of your boobs?
Sloan: Okay, NOW you're the worst.

:LOL:

Sorry Jonah, but meh...

[NoOneFamous]

Yeah, Lenny's scene was probably the worst thing in the episode.

[Handsome Pete]

Not trying to jump all over you, Jonah, but the Lenny gag was pretty awful. Just seemed...off, somehow. But maybe it's just me.

[HomertheGreat]

I liked the gag

[chiefdan]

Originally posted by SpongeBob No Pants
it wasn't so much Ned having sex (i can justify that)

JUSTIFY it.

[Frank Grimes Jr.]

I think this was one of the worst episodes I've seen in a while. There were some good parts, but very much outweighed by the bad. That was way too out of character for Flanders...I think maybe if they kissed and developed a relationship, like a normal christian..it still would have made an impact, but not completely destroyed his character for the episode

[DotheBartman]

Actually, I'll back up Jonah on this one, since I think it was a good portrayal of many "fans" out there, and it was one of the few things I chuckled at. There were lots of other sex type jokes/refs that I didn't like, but this was maybe the one good one.

[Simpson Purist]

Originally posted by Tomacco
I dunno if anybody brought this up, but this scene was pure gold:

Lenny: Ms. Sloan, can I have your autograph?
Sloan: Sure.
Lenny: Oh gee thanks! This is going right on eBay! I mean..my wall! Which I will then sell on eBay.
Sloan: Sadly this is not the worst I've had.
Lenny: Oh, and can I push this plastic cast onto one of your boobs?
Sloan: Okay, NOW you're the worst.

:LOL:

It would've been pure gold had Lenny's voice and lip-sync not sounded off during the "Ebay" line.

[Moose of Doom!]

I just looked through the post count for this thread and realized out of 21 posts, Spongebob No Pants has spent 18 of them in this one thread. And most of them have been the stuff that usually go inside a single post when we give the reviews.

[Smilin'JoeFission]

Despite a few things (Ned acting out of character towards the end, too many immature gay jokes), I thought this episode really pulled its weight. I enjoyed the jellyfish song, and it was funny to hear theI&S theme over and over again as the backdrop to Flanders' date. I thought Ned's nightmarish vision of Hollywood held some fantastic art direction, not to mention the hiliraious appearances of Rod and Todd. I have more faith in this season after an episode where a guest star can actually read lines as a believable and developed (if a little stereotypical) character. Although I fear the reason Flanders actually had sex with Tomei's character was to create a future plotline (Ned's illegitimate child???) If thats the case, may God help us all.

A-

[MaxpowerAK79]

MY 300th post. It shows how little I do at work! Now how do I change the line under my name.

[Cole]

User CP > Edit Profile > then change the Custom User Text.

Ask these types of questions in the No Homers Club Town Square next time, please.

[Scratchy]

Good episode, hell, this whole season has been satisfying so far. The episode did not screw over Flanders' character like some of you may think, if anything, he shows more human emotion in this episode than any of the other more recent Flanders episodes.

Brilliant, same goes with the whole season.

[I Am Lion-O]

This episode was ok 3.5/5, but I gave it a 5/5 simply because it did something only one other episode this season did, make me crack up out loud, this one did it twice. The "and we're jewish" part was the greatest thing ever. Hopefully more and more episodes will start to make me laugh aloud like some of the classics do.

[Friz]

The Seond Best Episode Ever, just "Lisa on Ice" is better.

- Enjoyable Jellyfish Song ;)
- No pointless guests. Well, maybe Jim Brooks...
- Humour everywhere you look
- Return of "Diddly"
- Rachel Jordan gone now? Hmmm...

[thugie]

Ned getting it on is funny to me...not upsetting. I don't take the character that seriously. Ned justifying his actions with the bible verses...FUNNY to me. Ned making the Baskin Robbins analogy...FUNNY to me.

[shhbly]

Love the Benny Hill stuff!

Glad Ned finally got some! It's been a long time! ;)

[red]

This episode just aired here in the UK. Thought it was brilliant. Loved the Benny Hill parody. Didn't like the idea of Ned having sex at first, but they pulled it off well and he managed to stay in character.

what was up with lenny's line, his mouth was not even moving and his voice was all rushed
I noticed that.. it was very strange. The line would have been funny if they'd given us a chance to understand what the heck he was saying.

[Mayor Quimby]

I think this episode is one of the five best in a tremendous season:

C.E.D'oh 5/5
Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington 4.8/5
Scuse Me While I miss the sky 4.4/5
The Dad who knew too little 4.2/5
A Star is Born Again 4/5

Honorable mention: I am Spelling as Fast as I can 4/5

[George Cauldron]

I saw bits of it, but the episode wasn't subtitled, and I'm kinda deaf, so I couldn't really hear the dialogue, so I'll wait until it's repeated to give a proper review.

[chiefdan]

Originally posted by George Cauldron
I saw bits of it, but the episode wasn't subtitled, and I'm kinda deaf, so I couldn't really hear the dialogue, so I'll wait until it's repeated to give a proper review.

THAT'S TOO BAD, GEORGE!

[George Cauldron]

Originally posted by chiefdan
THAT'S TOO BAD, GEORGE!

I KNOW! TELL ME 'BOUT IT, CHIEFDAN!

[chiefdan]

Geez, George, I'm not the one who's deaf.

[kikflipkid]

extremely good episode all 5 from me

[Bender]

5/5.

[Mayor Quimby]

Originally posted by Macho Boy
Best Ned dating episode ever. I kinda wished that Ned really would've married Sara. :(

I agree very much with this.

[George Cauldron]

Finally seen the episode. On the whole, it was very good, but the beginning and ending could have been better. The jellyfish festival seemed a little....(insert negative word here), and the ending with the Benny Hill parody was just.....(insert even more negative word here). I liked the fact they were referencing how silly British humor is, but the way they went around it made the episode just as stupid.

[Tibor]

I finally watched it.

The best episode in the Ned saga (that's not saying a lot, but it really is good). It was consistently funny, and well paced, just nicely written with a lot of character based humor. Ned's redoing America's Horse With No Name, a 'big kettle of extra-marital... diddly', I was laughing throughout. They set up an attachment to Ned's character early (I felt sad when he left the Jellyfish Festival) which kept me interested in the developing story.

As for the gloamers going on about Ned having sex, if you're going to do a substantial story arc around him, he can't remain an ultra-conservative stereotype and has to take on human characteristics and flaws. Going through the Bible and trying to justify something that he really wanted to do is certainly within the bounds of Ned's character.

My gripe is not with his decision to have sex, but that his extra marital lovin' didn't seem to have any reprecussions on him, and it seems like the kind of thing he would struggle with. And the ending was an iffy affair, not the ending itself, but the actual resolution. It didn't have any punch, or any insight, it's as if things happened and then just stopped happening.

On another note, they really settled in with the new animation in the last half of the season. It has the warmth of the early seasons, but still maintains a colorful vibrance.

Anyway... B+

[Rest your giant head]

I'm gonna review this episode because I just feel strange and impressed at the same time. The first time I watched this one,I thought that it may be even in the bottom 3 IMO. Since then,I've seen it many times. And I can't desribe how much it has grown on me. I just watched it after few months and I couldn't believe it's that good. The whole story is very entertaining. Ned's characterisation isn't brilliant,but it's far from several Flanders episodes from the Scully era. Hed's quite funny here,actually. In fact,for the first time since Mod's death,Flanders made some good lines about his dead wife,like "The last thing I bought to a woman was a casket". Sarah is another good one time character,she's gorgeous as you can see. She's not like other popular female movie stars that only care about their look,she has the soul. However,the character that shined the most in this episode is actually Homer. There are many hilarious scenes and with him: "Don't blame me,I voted for the green M&M","Stupid Flanders,I'm not giving you any of my secret moves!","Who the hell is Mr. Flanders? Oh,Flanders!",a worm getting into his mouth,then getting out as a butterfly,and the scene with dropping the nachos. That particular scene reminded me of season 5. There are several things I didn't like in this episode,though. The whole Helen Fielding thing was disjointed and we didn't need that. Another thing is the scene with Apu trying to sell one of his kids to Sarah,I'm sick of that kind of Apu. The last exampe is the fact that,sadly,this episode has one of my least favorite lines in the history of show: "I don't even eat vegetables over 3 inches long". I didn't expect to hear this from Flanders really. But this is not enough to bring down such an amazingly written piece of season 14. Overall,I still can't believe that my opinion has changed so much on this episode,I truly hated it at first. Also,I see many people comparing this to "I'm going to Praiseland", which is the worst episode ever in my opinion. There is absolutely no comparation. "A star is born again" is another modern era classic. 5/5

[Sniper Squirrel]

I did like the Benny Hill scene and the poster for "My best friend's gay baby"

[Rococo Fox]

This was a mediocre episode with a fairly in-character Flanders portrayal and a decently interesting one time character, but with a plot that didn't really go anywhere, some rather embarrassing gags, and a very abrupt ending that ended Flanders' internal conflict on an anticlimactic and undeveloped note. Also, even though Flanders was pretty much in character, he seemed very different to me and was lacking the personality and sparkle his character used to have. 3/5

[Moe Nopoly]

besides the fact, that i just don't like the stories with Ned as widower,
this episode is in general not so good imo. It's ok but not great.
The end of the story is also pretty bad and really forgettable.
And the humor just don't work for me sometimes, even when the references to the Notting Hill movie are not so bad
and work good for me in this episode.


3/5

[tom cody]

4/5, if you look at my user note for Season 14, you'll find that this was my favourite episode from that season.

[Drumstick]

Boring forgettable episode.1/5

[Green_Peaness]

As good as it gets in the digital color era. Funny, believable and sweet. A joke that happens to be really controversial is one of my favorites from season 14 (aghaaaghagha...OH...aghaaaghagha...OH...aghaaghagha....OH). 4/5

[Dewey Finn]

Hmmm... it's not as bad as I've remembered, and it was much much funnier this time. I see some satires - for the celebrity life and against the celebrity life and I felt it was done quite well. One thing I really liked about one of the aspects of the episode is that the writers created the new secondary character - Sarah Sloane - to represent as a celebrity, not invite a guest star in place of it ala 'When You Dish Upon a Star'... besides, the script must've been embarrassing for a real celebrity to bear and read about it, anyways...
The plot was pretty decent. The ending of relationship was abrupt, but it was understandable. It was also driven more on character, not on just silly happenings... and I actually liked Ned's character here, I didn't find him real annoying or anything; I just felt that he was acting on his way against several moral dilemmas shown against him... except for that premarital sex thing, which, I feel, was more impulse driven plus the wind. Humor was brilliant, one of the funny ones from Jean era for me ("I'm not giving you any of my secret moves!")... counting out that Homer's drooling and groaning joke, that took way too long.
Overall, pretty good episode... great for Jean era standard. B+