View Full Version : Review: Tales From the Public Domain
blockyourfather
03-17-2002, 11:56 AM
After seeing Tales From the Public Domain(DABF08), review it here.
mr. broom
03-17-2002, 05:33 PM
Decent ep. They could've done more with "Hamlet", but I'm biased since it's my favorite play. The ending pissed me off, though, but everyone's going to harp on the "Ghostbusters" thing, so I won't. B-
Splashmore
03-17-2002, 05:33 PM
I don't think anyone expected the Ghostbusters ending. Very few laughs. Below decent.
BlindPsychic
03-17-2002, 05:34 PM
Good episode. Homer's Odeyssy was the best act, lots of great lines.
2nd act was good too. Third Act had plenty of good Ralph lines.
Tomacco
03-17-2002, 05:34 PM
A good amount of laughs, but too many bring-downs (the ending for example). Full review soon.
Tirefire
03-17-2002, 05:35 PM
Not too shabby.
By and far my favorite moment/quote of the entire ep
Marge: "That sure was easier to chew up than that bambi video"
Very clever and super timing.
That had me red in the face.
The Ghostbusters thing was just time filler it almost seemed. Writers just fell flat on that.
Handsome Pete
03-17-2002, 05:35 PM
Just barely sinked a B. Nothing really stood out as hilarious, but I did chuckle a decent amount during the episode. The takes on Joan of Arc, Hamlet, and Homer's Odyssey were interesting to me, so the episode went from a C to a B. The ending was...well...just plain weird.
Simpsonian
03-17-2002, 05:36 PM
Homers Odyssey:Pretty good. Had a rushed ending though.
Joan of Arc:Probably the best of the 3
Hamlet:Also good
Sorry for the very brief review, I'll have to view it again before giving it a better review.
4/5
Zjraus
03-17-2002, 05:36 PM
I didn't like it too much. It gets a C from me. It may have even been a D, if it weren't for Ralph.
"Your stomach is crying!"
:LOL:
Rowdy
03-17-2002, 05:37 PM
The whole thing was needlessly violent. First two acts were "D" quality, the last act with all of the hilarious deaths and the unexpected Ghostbuster bit made the episode turn out alright.
Grade: 3/5
First 14 Season Twelve Episodes: 41/70
First 14 Season Thirteen Episodes: 49/70
Stitchface
03-17-2002, 05:38 PM
Good,but it didn't make me forget a quote from KOTH
Thats a clean burning Hell,I tell you what
lisa_the_greek
03-17-2002, 05:38 PM
Yes, that Bambi video joke was excellent. I think the second act was the best... Um... I gave it a "groin-grabbingly good." It was better than last week's, but not as good as the "Best of Season 13"
Mr. Plow
03-17-2002, 05:38 PM
I liked it alot. The ending was wierd but hilarious. 4/5.
I guess there was alot of violent material due to the fact that all 3 original stories have violence in them
Doaho
03-17-2002, 05:39 PM
sorry but I think this episode is pretty lame...
Datoupee
03-17-2002, 05:40 PM
Wow ! This episode was awesome ! The ending was great...can't beat Homer slapping his ass to the Ghostbusters theme..... A+++
James
03-17-2002, 05:40 PM
They could've done much more with this than was done, and I felt alot of the potential of the Joan of Arc segment was passed by heavily. Joan of Arc, as it is though, was good, but the ending sort of seemed like the writers had run out of time and had to end it quickly. That's similar with "Homer's Odyssey". It had great gags, lines, and mini-scenes, but it was rushed and some potential was lost. Hamlet (well, I know very little about Shakespeare so I can't analyze its similarity to the play), was funny and slightly above average, probably because of the Ralph lines. A solid B.
Tirefire
03-17-2002, 05:41 PM
Originally posted by Stitchface
Good,but it didn't make me forget a quote from KOTH
Thats a clean burning Hell,I tell you what
That was close to the funniest thing I have ever seen on KOTH.
Another funny part was Homer: "Quit smothering me, I'm going to Moe's" after returning from the voyage.
Tomacco
03-17-2002, 05:41 PM
I'm sure I would've liked it more if I was more familiar with the stories. Truthfully, I'm only slightly familiar with "Hamlet", and that's it. So I kind of feel conflicted writing a review.
Datoupee
03-17-2002, 05:43 PM
Tomacco... I read Hamlet and I was on the floor rolling when I watched this episode. They did a great job with writing that act. Really funny stuff !!!
Kursty
03-17-2002, 05:43 PM
It was silly but enjoyable.
Homer's Odessy provided alot of quick lines and very well writen
Jon of Arc was also funny. I enjoyed Krusty's line: "so no show at 10:30"
Hamlet was a bit silly, Moe was quick with the tongue though.
I give it a A overall, the grade is relative to the episodes of this season.
If i had to grade it based on all seasons , i'd give it a C+
And it wasnt as good as the Bible Stories, but was way better than the Hobo tales
Tomacco
03-17-2002, 05:44 PM
I found the way Marge killed herself brought it down. I think the main problem with each story was they all felt rushed.
Tirefire
03-17-2002, 05:44 PM
Originally posted by Tomacco
I'm sure I would've liked it more if I was more familiar with the stories. Truthfully, I'm only slightly familiar with "Hamlet", and that's it. So I kind of feel conflicted writing a review.
All did a fair job of paroding the real stories and highlighted moments quite well and quite funny in some cases like the Patty and Selma as the sirens part was a good take on the real story. I would say they did a 4/5 job on that part of it to only have the amount of time that they had.
Evan Conover
03-17-2002, 05:46 PM
I dunno about all of you, but that Ghostbusters "gag" was the worst joke I've seen in a long time ever since Scully was fired!
defrocked
03-17-2002, 05:46 PM
The ending just plain sucked, but the Viking part was hilarious, so 4/5
Bart Skateboarder
03-17-2002, 05:46 PM
I thought it was pretty funny. I had a lot of characters in it that do not get much air time. Sideshow Mel, Willie, Ralph
I give it a 4/5. I'll have a full review later -- oh, and what was with the ending. Worst ending of the Al Jean era.
Zjraus
03-17-2002, 05:48 PM
Wow...half the grades are B's. I was thinking as I watched it how much everyone is going to hate this episode. But I guess not...I'm sticking with my C though, the last act saving it.
Originally posted by Stitchface
Good,but it didn't make me forget a quote from KOTH
Thats a clean burning Hell,I tell you what
Speaking of which, didn't Futurama, King of the Hill, and most of Simpsons deal with religion/god(s) to the point of saturation?
Anyway, tonight's episode was more boring than anything. I didn't laugh much, except for Ned's Trojan's/Wood line.
Grade: C
___Jake
Splashmore
03-17-2002, 05:49 PM
Originally posted by Jake
I didn't laugh much.
___Jake
Yup. That's the main problem.
Canard
03-17-2002, 05:50 PM
Well, I thought that was the funniest episode I've seen. Ever. And I'm not kidding.
The first two acts were good, especially since I know the two stories. But the Hamlet act was one of the funniest things I've seen on The Simpsons. This episode gets a five out of five from me! At least someone is giving it a good review.
Tomacco
03-17-2002, 05:53 PM
Yeah, that Trojan wood line was dirty but hilarious.
Speaking of Futurama, what a weird episode! During the first half, I was thinking "What the hell is this?", but then it actually led to something, so it got better.
FOX sometimes does air episodes by the same theme in one night.
|RABiD|
03-17-2002, 05:54 PM
Yea..it was groin grabbingly good..Hamlet was the best!
Bart: Uh oh! A bloody floor!
Zjraus
03-17-2002, 05:54 PM
Originally posted by Canard
Well, I thought that was the funniest episode I've seen. Ever. And I'm not kidding.
:shocked: Have you seen any other episodes?
Mr. Plow
03-17-2002, 05:55 PM
I guess you have to be familiar with the stories to interpret the humor and inside jokes from each story
Zjraus
03-17-2002, 05:56 PM
Originally posted by Joshman
I guess you have to be familiar with the stories to interpret the humor and inside jokes from each story
Yes, that may be why I didn't like it.
Bartman67
03-17-2002, 06:00 PM
This episope was some what of a let down.I love The Odyssey and was looking forward to seeing something worth while coming from it.Though it did have some funny lines.It was way to rushed.Maybe they could have dropped the Hamlet segment and left the other two to prosper and not let everyboby down.The Odyssey is a wonderful poem by Homer and I really wish it was prepared better.Patty and Selma as the Sirens also did not do much for me.The Sirens are supposed to be very stunning,and well they were not.I didn't think Joan of Arc was to bad.The ending was a let down.God pinning two countrys against each other was not a very good thing to do.Marge eating the ending to the story really was strage.I really thought Lisa would know about Joan of Arc and her burning to death at the end.But of course Lisa was the perfect choice for Joan.Hamlet was probably the worst of the three.It was really boring.Without Ralph it would have died and gone to a watery grave.But his lines and antics never fail to amuse me.Comparing to the stories themselves I give this episode a C-.But comparing it to a Simpsons aspect I give it A B-.But what do I know?
Paranoid Android
03-17-2002, 06:00 PM
Arrgh :mad:
I had to miss this episode because I'm back at college and I don't have a tv in my dorm and the tv in the Lounge downstairs is always being used to watch basketball. :cries:
Oh well, this episode doesn't sound so hot. :rolleyes
Canard
03-17-2002, 06:00 PM
Yes, I've seen every other episode (Except for Whacking Day :( )
I probably liked Hamlet so much because I studied it in depth, and to see Lisa as Ophelia (La dee dah dee dah! Ha ha ha!) and the way everyone dies in the end to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen The Simpsons do.
blockyourfather
03-17-2002, 06:01 PM
The Whole Damn Show thought Tales from the Public Domain was groin-grabbingly good. Homer's line, "I cheked this out when Bart was born." was funny
Homer's Odyssey: This segment prevented the episode from getting an A, IMO. It was funny(Homer eating his friends, Patty and Selma), but it just felt rushed
Joan of Arc: better than Homer's Odyssey, but not as good as Hamelot, Wille's line, "I captured a little girl!" was hilarious.
Hamelot: I like some of Shakespeare's work, ie Julius Caesar; my class is reading Macbeth right now, but I've never read Hamelot, and this was the best segment, although Marge's killing herself was uncharacteristic
Finally, the Ghostbusters ending: If it would have been 5 seconds shorter it would have been alright.
elbarto36
03-17-2002, 06:01 PM
Originally posted by Joshman
I guess you have to be familiar with the stories to interpret the humor and inside jokes from each story
Yes, I recently read the Odyssey for school and I thought that segment was hilarious. The other two I didn't find as funny probably because I wasn't as familiar with the stories. All together I give the episode a 4/5. The episode was really funny but the ending was horrible. I wish the writers would have ended the episode 10 seconds earlier.
Mr. Plow
03-17-2002, 06:01 PM
Whacking Day is more funnier than Tales from the Public Domain
Mr. Plow
03-17-2002, 06:07 PM
Originally posted by elbarto36
Yes, I recently read the Odyssey for school and I thought that segment was hilarious. The other two I didn't find as funny probably because I wasn't as familiar with the stories. All together I give the episode a 4/5. The episode was really funny but the ending was horrible. I wish the writers would have ended the episode 10 seconds earlier.
You should also watch the movie.
Originally posted by Bartman67
God pinning two countrys against each other was not a very good thing to do.
Well, that was the funniest joke that was related to context of the story. I always love the "God is on my side" joke.
Jake
thecapecoddah
03-17-2002, 06:16 PM
I would say this episode would be A- quality if not for the weird Ghostbusters ending (which, like blockyourfather said, was too long as well). So, that brings it down to a B in my mind.
Homer's Odyssey was my favorite, then Joan of Arc, and then Hamlet which wasn't that bad at all, actually.
My favorite moments of the entire episode include Homer crossing the river Styx, Ralph's scenes, and Lou charging the castle with no one backing him up.
I thought this was a pretty good episode and I gave it a 4/5.
I know all three stories and I felt the weakest of the three was the Joan of Arc Story mainly because there's more of the Dauphin (Milhouse)in the original story and I would've liked to see more of that.
There's some complaints about the rushed feel of the first one... and there's a reason for that: The Odyssey is loaded with tons of seperate stories and has a conveluded plot; there was no mention of the seven years spent with Calypso, battle with the cyclopes etc. It's amazing they packed it into 10 mintutes.
I liked the Hamlet one. Someone mentioned marge killing herself brought the episode down but everyone is supposed to die in Hamlet and Marge's character DID kill herself in the play (unwittingly). This segment covered all the bases pretty well.
And the Ghostbusters ending was great.
rossjman1
03-17-2002, 06:22 PM
_meh...
a little boring to me. At least Krusty and Disco Stu were in it.
Tomacco
03-17-2002, 06:23 PM
Nobody mentioned the trick they played on us having Moleman seem like God. That was a highlight!
Mr. Plow
03-17-2002, 06:24 PM
I laughed so hard when i saw that. Moleman certaintly does kick ass
thecapecoddah
03-17-2002, 06:24 PM
Originally posted by rossjman1
_meh...
a little boring to me. At least Krusty and Disco Stu were in it.
Ahem, Discus Stu. :D
James
03-17-2002, 06:24 PM
The ironic thing about the line "We don't even have a word for victory" is that the French won in the 100 Years War, by default, even though the English won many battles, like Crecy and Agincourt, when the English left.
Zjraus
03-17-2002, 06:27 PM
Originally posted by Tomacco
Nobody mentioned the trick they played on us having Moleman seem like God. That was a highlight!
That was one of the best parts.
Gagnonsux
03-17-2002, 06:33 PM
Overall I thought the episode did a pretty good job with parodying the classic stories and with use of minor charectors. The main problem with this episode was that each segement felt rushed and many of the jokes fell flat. It was more of a "thats interesting" episode than a laugh out loud episode. (C+/B-)
not very good, I sorta liked it, but it was nowhere near bible stories, I didn't get too many laughs, and the ghostbuster thing made me laugh even though it was totally pointless. I didn't understand some jokes "joan van arc?" and I think some of the gags were pretty stupid, i give it a D....at least it was better than tall tales
HankScorpio
03-17-2002, 06:46 PM
I can't believe no one mentioned "Burn this guy, he lost a really good bucket." That was the highlight of the show, IMO. The only other good line was "Well, it's alot easier than eating that bambi tape."
Other than those, I chuckled a little. Nothing Special.
DotheBartman
03-17-2002, 06:52 PM
Wow, interesting episode. I'm not really all that familiar with the stories as of now, but I was still able to appreciate this.
The first act was the weakest, by my perception. It just felt so rushed. Still, pretty funny.
The second act was better. Lisa stabbing that guy after he taunts her was a highlight, as was that moment was Moleman. God being a jerk in the end was pretty funny as well.
Third act was the best. Ralph was hilarious, and there were alot of other good moments as well.
Overall, pretty good, but nothing special. I give it a B.
One final note, while I enjoyed it in its extreme randomness, can anyone explain to me what the point of the Ghostbusters ending was?
|RABiD|
03-17-2002, 06:55 PM
Did anyone catch the soliquy joke in Hamlet...thats hilarious!
Moe: Note to self. Kill the boy!
And also Ralph stabbing himself was great too
Tomacco
03-17-2002, 07:00 PM
YES! THAT WAS THE JOKE I LAUGHED AT IN HAMLET! I remembered laughing out loud during Hamlet, and I forgot at what until you just said it. That was hilarious!
Joey JoJo Shabadoo
03-17-2002, 07:19 PM
actually in macbeth, the new king poisons a wine and tries to make hamlet drink it, but his mother does and dies, everyone in that play died
Fiddle Boy
03-17-2002, 07:21 PM
Could have followed the stories better But STILL VERY GOOD!
Originally posted by Joey JoJo Shabadoo
actually in macbeth, the new king poisons a wine and tries to make hamlet drink it, but his mother does and dies, everyone in that play died
Horatio didn't.
Fiddle Boy
03-17-2002, 07:27 PM
People thought the ending was bad but i thout it was very funny and if any one thinks this was a bad one they can suck me balls basket balls that is Ralf made this episode much better
Big Baby Jesus
03-17-2002, 08:07 PM
I gave it a F, I expected more out of Josh Lieb. Though to be honest I haven't really seen the whole episode, so I could change my view after I watch it all.
Mike Scully
03-17-2002, 08:12 PM
Originally posted by Centrum Addict
Arrgh :mad:
I had to miss this episode because I'm back at college and I don't have a tv in my dorm and the tv in the Lounge downstairs is always being used to watch basketball. :cries:
Oh well, this episode doesn't sound so hot. :rolleyes
Where do YOU go to college?
Every Sunday at 7:00, every dorm's TV lounge on campus is tuned to The Simpsons with a large group of students watching.
defrocked
03-17-2002, 08:22 PM
What are you talking about? March Madness is waaaay bigger around here. I think most people have resigned to the fact that the show's a shell of its former self.
Paranoid Android
03-17-2002, 08:28 PM
Well, I go to a very diverse college. And I don't mean to sound like I'm sterotyping but most blacks here like to watch basketball or sports more than anything. And they got there early just so they wouldn't miss the game.
Lenny
03-17-2002, 08:34 PM
I thought this was the funniest episode of the season so far. All the references were funny and clever. If you dont know any of the actual stories, then you probably wont like this episode. And for whoever said that there was "too much needless violence", well duh, all of the original stories have tons of violence in them. As for the ending, it was unexpected, but I actually laughed and was puzzled at the same time, so it was good. I give it an A.
Jamie
03-17-2002, 08:50 PM
All the rest of youse seemed to dislike this episode, but I loved it. I had just read The Odyssey for school (second worst book ever), so I couldn't stop laughing during the first act. God was great in the second segment. Third segment.... was also good.
Best Parts:
"When people get wood, they'll think Trojan!"
Second Best Couch Gag Ever
"Shouldn't we be helping her?"
"Discus Stu was talkin to you."
"How could a play where all the characters die be so boring?"
On the Ghostbusters Ending: Quit whining. It was unexpected, which made it funny. Made me laugh, anyway.
A-
PS Futurama was a great Twilight Zone-y thinkpiece. An 'A'.
Mike Scully
03-17-2002, 09:01 PM
This was a good episode, and IMO better than Tall Tales and even Bible Stories. The problem with Tall Tales was that it seemed like an excuse to put the family in wackier situations than normal, without any point. Bible Stories, in terms of religious satire, was too tame. This episode, however, did a great job of parodying the stories: everyone dying at the end of Hamlet, the un-Disney-like ending to the Joan of Arc story, the Styx river, Shakespeare soliloquies, etc. Very good. (B+)
Originally posted by Jamie
On the Ghostbusters Ending: Quit whining. It was unexpected, which made it funny. Made me laugh, anyway.
Ending that would've been better, IMO:
1. Homer is arrested in a raid for having the book too long by an officer of the Library driving a white Bronco.
2. "God" makes an appearence saying his parts were poorly scripted.
3. Homer gets up to the do the "Ghostbusters" schtick, but the rest of the family stares at him in utter disbelief, meanwhile, Lisa reads the rest of the Library notice and asks Homer what the book: "Our Bodies, Ourselves" is about.
skittlebrau
03-17-2002, 09:24 PM
Man what a great episode! This was a hell of a lot better than "Bible Stories" or "Tall Tales". It still wasn't a classic, but I'll give it a 5/5. For those of you who said the ending sucked, what the hell are you talking about? I totally didn't expect that and had me laughing so hard, especially Homer spanking his ass. :LOL:
Homers Odyssey: Ned's wood/Trojans remark, Patty and Selma as grotesque sirens, Discus Stew, "Darghhh, Ain't I a stinker?", "Those were my friends?!" "Yes, I've been saying that for hours.", the River Styx,Homer spearing the suitors for them to go "Ahhhh." and then die, and "Quit suffocating me. I'm going to Moe's." were all highlights for this one.
Joan of Arc: "I know. I have 3 eyes.", "Joan, Give ME your dessert." "That's going straight to my 5 thighs.", Wiggum's French/English translation, Lou helping Joan by himself and then Wiggum "Uh-oh. There's my supervisor.", Joan stabbing the taunting Englishman, Quimbe as a vibrating footstool, "So no 10:30 show?", everyone thinking Hans Moleman is God, God being a jerk, and "Well, it's easier to chew than that Bambi video." were highlights of this one.
Hamlet: the Viking bit, "Oh great. Now Hamlet's acting crazy. Well nobody outcrazies Ophelia. Hey nany nany with the hoo and the haw and the nany nany hey...", "I hide behind curtains 'cause I have a fear of getting stabbed." "Daddy's stomach is crying.", Laertes' practice stab, and "No way I'm cleaning up this mess.", then kills herself with a mace to complete everybody dying were highlights of this one.
So to recap, I loved it! 5/5! I truly thought it would be a degrading episode to watch like "Bible Stories" or "Tall Tales", but boy did I prove myself wrong. Episode mistake: In the Odyssey, Homer said "I'm going to Moe's.", but he ate him on the island of Circe.
Jamie
03-17-2002, 09:26 PM
You know what else would've been really cool? If Matt Groening played God.
Tirefire
03-17-2002, 09:27 PM
Originally posted by Jake
Ending that would've been better, IMO:
1. Homer is arrested in a raid for having the book too long by an officer of the Library driving a white Bronco.
2. "God" makes an appearence saying his parts were poorly scripted.
3. Homer gets up to the do the "Ghostbusters" schtick, but the rest of the family stares at him in utter disbelief, meanwhile, Lisa reads the rest of the Library notice and asks Homer what the book: "Our Bodies, Ourselves" is about.
1 or 3 would work very well. They ought to sign you up to write their endings or the whole eps. Ending one would especially be good. That's 1 thing I liked about older episodes is how the beginning would be referred to again in the end. Like Homer and the plunger in The Front (9F16).
Just little things like that really ended episodes in a humorous circular manner.
Originally posted by SkittleBrau
Episode mistake: In the Odyssey, Homer said "I'm going to Moe's.", but he ate him on the island of Circe.
Uh, that wasn't a mistake, that was intentional, META joke. As in, "I'm going to Moe's" in the normal canon of a non-what-if episode.
Boy, did that sound nerdish!
NoOneFamous
03-17-2002, 09:49 PM
2/5, saved from an F because of some hilarious stuff. But, unlike most of you, I rate the episode on more aspects than how much it made me laugh. I know I'm in the minority, but I think this episode reeked of the worst aspects of Scully's episodes:
-I'm not too familiar with those stories, but they seemed really unfocused and all over the place. Especially Homer's Odysee.
-Horribly violent!! I couldn't believe how much blood and gore they actually showed. This was, by far, the most violent Simpsons episode ever, even beating out all Halloween episodes.
-Abrupt, stupid ending (Although I did laugh at it)
BUT, there was some very funny stuff in this episode, particularly them making us think that Hans Moleman was God. I was LMAO at that scene!
Still, I hope they don't make any more of these type of episodes, and this one probably shouldn't have been made.
Other episodes tonight:
Futurama - 4/5 or B - Very creative and funny. I wish The Simpsons were still as creative as this.
KOTH - 1/5 - I lost interest in it and stopped watching because it was so boring.
BangBangBart
03-17-2002, 09:50 PM
Very funny episode.
My favorite line was When people get wood, they'll think Trojan, now that's on its way to being a sound wav.
What was up with God having 3 eyes and 5 hips? Anyone else wonder about that too?
So many funny scenes..
hehe poison curtains and lenny and carl.
Almost thinking of hans moleman as God.
Barney, quimby and sea captain as Gods.
The french catapulting a man into a wall.
Milhouse using a vibrating man as his foot stool, was it quimby?
Etc etc..
I was grossed out twice tho.. gross but funny scenes were homer eating his friends and patty and selma as sirens.. i actually shuddered :shocked: :LOL:
Was Discus Stu hitting on bart? :shocked: God it seemed that way, i need to watch it again. :p
NoOneFamous
03-17-2002, 09:55 PM
Originally posted by BangBangBart
What was up with God having 3 eyes and 5 hips? Anyone else wonder about that too?
I guess they were mocking how most people think of God as being a Human male form, when really we have no idea what he would look like.
skittlebrau
03-17-2002, 10:04 PM
Originally posted by Jake
Uh, that wasn't a mistake, that was intentional, META joke. As in, "I'm going to Moe's" in the normal canon of a non-what-if episode.
Well, I thought about the META-Humor aspect, but I just thought it sounded like a mistake. Yeah, Homer just said "I'm going to Moe's." to get out of a conversation fast like he would do in a regular episode.
That didn't sound nerdish.
Originally posted by BangBangBart
Was Discus Stu hitting on bart? :shocked: God it seemed that way, i need to watch it again. :p
In ancient Greek times Homosexuality was widely practiced, particularly in that older men would, well, do it with younger boys. One of the explinations for this was that most men would eventually marry women but you could only marry a virgin (so alternatives were practiced).
NoOneFamous
03-17-2002, 10:06 PM
Originally posted by Comrade
In ancient Greek times Homosexuality was widely practiced, particularly in that older men would, well, do it with younger boys. One of the explinations for this was that most men would eventually marry women but you could only marry a virgin (so alternatives were practiced).
I'm willing to bet that the writers didn't know that and only put the joke in for shock value and a cheap laugh.
skittlebrau
03-17-2002, 10:09 PM
Originally posted by Jake
Uh, that wasn't a mistake, that was intentional, META joke. As in, "I'm going to Moe's" in the normal canon of a non-what-if episode.
Well, I thought about the META-humor aspect of it, but it just sounded like a mistake to me. Yeah, Homer just said "I'm going to Moe's" so he could get out of a conversation fast as he would a regular episode.
That didn't sound nerdish. :p
skittlebrau
03-17-2002, 10:12 PM
How the hell did this double post?! Ah well. Forget about one of the posts and this one too.
Originally posted by NoOneFamous
KOTH - 1/5 - I lost interest in it and stopped watching because it was so boring.
What? King of the Hill was the best episode tonight. If you would've watched it, you would've seen Peggy Hill in a clean-burning,'propane' Hell and that had to be one of the funniest things ever on TV.
Jake
sWeEtMiNtJeNnY
03-17-2002, 10:45 PM
I thought it was decent. The Ralph lines were the funniest.
BTW, anyone notice in between the Joan of Arc and Hamlet acts (I think), Marge comes into the living room to eat the last page of the Joan of Arc story because she dies and she didn't want Lisa to know that that was the ending. Anywho if you look in the background, they show the living room again, not the dining room. I got confuzed and then I realized that they were sitting on the red couch in the living room and if you looked behind Marge into what is supposed to be the dining room, you see an empty red couch in another exactly the same living room...
Kodos
03-18-2002, 01:19 AM
I thougt it was better than the tall tales episode, but not nearly as good as the Bible stories show (one of my ten favorite Simpsons).
The wrapper/bumber segments were really lazily written. Homer just opens a book and startes reading. Yawn. Well, I guess it beats a hobo wanting a spong bath. Writers block + looming script dead-lines = nonsensical 'Ghostbusters' ending.
The Homers' Odyssey bit was hands down the best of the bunch. Really should have been expanded into a full show. Might have been nice to see Santas Little Helper die after seeing Homer come home and I would have loved to see who they would have gotten to play the Cyclopes. Honestly, I think this could have been a better Odyesseus ripe off than 'O Brother' if they had made it longer. Oddity: Marge said on the show Homer had been gone twenty years, in the subtitles it says seven years. Did some one catch the flub between the script was written and the lines were recorded? How do you explain Bart if he was gone twenty years?
The Jeanne d'Arc story was sort of like the Tom Sayer retelling in 'Tall Tales', in that it didn't actually fit the theme. It's more of a biography than literary work like the others were (although, wasn't Hamlet loosely based on a real king?). Some good jokes (God and the french are easy targets), but the writer never seemed to know where he was going with the story. Still, Lisa makes a better Maid of Orleans than the chick from 'Resident Evil'. Poor Milhouse can't get some as either Mosses or the King of France. Tough Brake.
It looks like Simpsons staff must have had too much reverence for the Bard to really want mess around with his plays, because Hamlet comes off closer to being an actual reading than the other stories in this or the Bible and Tall Tale shows. Nice, but I wish they would have poked a little more fun at the plot itself.
James
03-18-2002, 04:13 AM
Joan "van" Arc joke: van is the Dutch word for "of". The joke is very out of place since it's a French/English war, but oh well.
Wavy Gravy
03-18-2002, 05:46 AM
Not really sensational, but not horrible either. I did laugh at a few things, but other than that, this was a mediocre episode. I give it a "meh". (The minute I saw the ending, I said to myself, "God, you'd swear Scully was back in power.")
Citizen Kang
03-18-2002, 06:28 AM
A pretty good episode. The very beginning before they started to tell the stories was kind of boring but it just got funnier from there. The Couch Gag was very creative this time. Flander's Trojan joke was very funny. Over all another good episode with many laughs. Futurama was also very good as well. :smoking:
SpTent
03-18-2002, 06:49 AM
The Stinky poop Tent really wasn't into this episode. It seemed too forced. Although the saving point was good ole Ralph. Each one had it's moments but there definitely wasn't a moment where I couldn't control my laughter.
Big Meh inside.
The Stinky poop Tent has Spoken!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ignignot
03-18-2002, 06:57 AM
that episode was awsome except it made Lisa look stupid because she didn't know what happened to Joan of Arc. The ending was lame too it would of been better if it played out like this:
Homer: Shakespear was responsible for one of the greatest movies ever,Ghostbusters
(Homer starts dancing)
Lisa: Dad Ghostbusters had nothing to do with....
Homer:Lisa daddys dancing right now.
Helper Monkey
03-18-2002, 08:32 AM
Originally posted by FlandersEVIL
Joan "van" Arc joke: van is the Dutch word for "of". The joke is very out of place since it's a French/English war, but oh well.
Bzzt! Wrong interpretation.
Joan Van Ark was (is) an actress who has done probably more TV movies than any other actress alive. She was also on Days of Our Lives for a while, and did a bunch of TV series in the 70s. Check out her career here (http://us.imdb.com/Name?Van+Ark,+Joan).
Only Marge could possibly care if anyone was talking about Joan Van Ark.
HM
BurningLeprechaun
03-18-2002, 08:56 AM
A few people thought it was uncharacteristic for marge/gertrude to kill herself in Hamlet. Here's my explanation
Well in Hamlet, Gertrude accidentally drinks from the poisoned cup meant for hamlet, and dies.
By the end of the simpsons rendition of hamlet, marge was still alive and because hamlet is well known for all main characters to be dead, She had to kill herself. I thought it was sort of a romeo and juliet moment thrown in there.
I liked this episode overall because I know the stories, if i didn't, I could see why someone woudln't find it interesting.
PrinceBejeeta
03-18-2002, 12:57 PM
I liked it I really thought this episode would suck but I was wrong this was so much better the the simpsons tall tales. I give it a B.
Brent
03-18-2002, 01:01 PM
"I found the way Marge killed herself brought it down. I think the main problem with each story was they all felt rushed."
Jonah, I think the whole thing about them killing themselves was a parody of other Greek stories, a lot of them everyone just walked in a room and killed themselves one by one after seeing another body.
Speed-Bump
03-18-2002, 01:42 PM
i thought it was a very good episode. tall tales and bible tales are some of my favorite episodes. i'm not a big ralph fan but he had some good lines in here.the ghostbuster thing was so stupid i could not stop laughing
Robbie
03-18-2002, 02:08 PM
An average episode. Everything I was gonna say has already been said by other people...next time, I'll get here earlier.
Smilin'JoeFission
03-18-2002, 02:23 PM
It was OK...By watching it, however, you could clearly tell it was written by new writers, but for their first episode I'll give it a generous B-.
I think I would have enjoyed this episode better had it been aired a season or two in the future. Having 2 "story re-enactment" episodes in back-to-back seasons just made it like "Oh, here we go again.."
ACT 1
The best part was Flanders' "wood-Trojan joke"-I was just waiting for them to say it. Fortunately, it wasn't over-used, unlike Homer's Erin Brakovich puns from "Sweets & Sour Marge"
The use of characters in this act was excellent-Barney as the drunk Dionysus; Quimby as the head honcho, Zeus; Capt. McAllister as Poseidon...all well done.
The river Styx gag was hilarious, yet the ending was kinda rushed especially when Odysseus said, "I'm going to Moe's"...right after he ate him!!! It would have been neat if Jaques and Artie Ziff were among the suitors for Marge.
ACT 2
There was a lot of room for improvement of this act, but it was still OK...Cheif Wiggum leading the French army? No wonder they never had victories! The judge role, played by Rev. Lovejoy would have been nicer if it was played by Judge Snyder, but, what are you going to do...The best character use was Quimby as a vibrating footrest!
Yet the best line was Marge: "Well, this is easier to chew than that Bambi video!!!"
ACT 3
Hamlet-done on the Simpsons. I never thought I'd see the day. They really followed the story closely, opposed to the other two acts, and the other two shows, for that matter. It was still great. Homer as Hamlet's father's ghost was hilarious, when he tried to strangle Bart, but couldn't. Wiggum hiding behind the curtain for fear of being stabbed was well done, and Ralph stabbing himself was funny too. The best part was the end, when Bart was shocked that this was the best play ever written. The Ghostbusters bit was silly, but it was unexpected and still made me laugh.
thecapecoddah
03-18-2002, 04:16 PM
More reviews: http://nohomers.net/interactive/reviews/DABF08.shtml
And an amusing one that I have yet to post:
QUITE POSSIBLY THE BEST ENDING TO A SIMPSON'S EPISODE EVER! WHY?!? BECAUSE IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!!! GREAT EPISODE AL! SCREW YOU MR BERGSTROM LOVIN' FREAKS! --- Dental Plan
For uneducated people who aren't entirely familiar with the three stories referenced in tonight's episode, every joke was probably a WTF moment. I've read the Odyssey and Hamelt, and know all that Joan of Arc crap, so the episode made sense to me. I thought it was quite funny, but the ending was about eight seconds too long. Solid B from me.
Zero the Hero
03-18-2002, 04:50 PM
it was a good ep, i gave it a B, it woud've been alot better if the ending wasnt like that. it just kinda stopped, and i was shocked. other than that, it was pretty decent
NoOneFamous
03-18-2002, 05:01 PM
I don't care what any of you say, I found the Ghostbusters ending pretty damn funny! Pulling the most random thing ever. If this had been a regular episode, I would have hated it, but since there really wasn't much else to do, who cares how they end it? I think this ending was better than the family walking into hell because its the end of the world, or Homer giving a hobo a spongebath and commenting on how good his body looks *shudders*
It could have been done better though, like somebody said, have Homer get up and dance and have Lisa correct him but he doesn't listen, and Bart, Maggie, and Marge join in the dancing while Lisa walks away in disgust, and the theme plays throughout the credits.
radiationdude7
03-18-2002, 07:19 PM
Originally posted by Datoupee
Wow ! This episode was awesome ! The ending was great...can't beat Homer slapping his ass to the Ghostbusters theme..... A+++
I love you Datoupee! The Ghostbusters was so deliciously unexpected. I laughed, I cried, I spilled my apple juice. :drool:
I'm willing to bet that the writers didn't know that and only put the joke in for shock value and a cheap laugh.
I highly disagree with you on that. The writers and producers are very intellegent and wouldn't go into something that stupid. I bet they do some sort of research on topics like this or are already educated of it.
Datoupee
03-18-2002, 07:28 PM
radiationdude7........ That was a great ending wasn't it ? Man, that's good stuff.........soooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww !
Wiggle Puppy
03-18-2002, 07:30 PM
Patty and Selma as the Sirens had me laughing well into the night.
bartman454
03-18-2002, 08:16 PM
Well i just finished watching this episode for a second time and i am very surprised at the mixed reaction that the episode has been getting. I thought that all of the parodies they did Sunday were extremely well thought out and parodied to a perfect degree. But lets go ahead and take a look at this bit by bit.
OPENER
I thought this was a pretty cool way to open the show with Homer getting a letter from the library and then realizing that OJ was guilty. Also the Homer's Odyssey van joke was well done to begin with but shouldnt have run on as long as it did.
HOMER'S ODYSSEY
This was my least favorite bit of the show but i still liked it a ton with Flander's trojan joke and of course Moe's line during the battle "Just because their heads are cut off doesnt mean their dead" or something like that. Also Barney destroying Atlantis genius. As for the sirens that was more creepy then funny. Best part of the act though was the river styx (anyone catch the lady's rack in the background growl) As for Homer's exit line "I'm going to Moe's" this line seemed like Homer to me and while maybe it wasnt the cleverest thing they could have done i think it was a good way to end the segment. overall grade B+
JOAN OF ARC
At the start this bit scared me some with Bart putting a live duck through that machine (that just wasnt funny) But it really gets good once lisa decides to free france from god and has to give god her dessert (so that's why god's everywhere he's morbidly obese) Having the french catapult a man seemed a bit much to me but things definitely picked up when lisa uncharacteristically started knifing people all over the place. Milhouse as the king of france was good stuff. When god shows up at the end to testify though it had me ROTFL when he said "I never thought you two would be together at the same time" (thats not a direct quote) Lenny's random "lets burn her" line was a bit rushed but when Marge came in to save the day by taking the book and eating the story it ended just fine ( i guess spielberg must have let marge at the new cut of ET) overall grade B+
HAMLET
This was easily the best bit of the night and a nearly perfect parody of the bard's classic work. Homer's attempts to strangle bart instant classic. Moe casted as Claudius very inspired casting. Also some great improv from Krusty's monkey and sideshow mel. Lisa's brief appearance as Ophelia going nuts was a great add in by the writers to make sure nearly all the characters of the original play and to make sure lisa wasnt madly in love with bart like in the bards story (that may be some people's turn ons but not the majority of people's. As for the very end of the bit i thought it was genius how everybody died especially marge knocking herself out dead. As for the ghostbusters bit at the end it was okay and hell since 21 minutes and 30 seconds of the show were great i can forget about the slightly mediocre end of the episode
Well that about sums this episode up an extremely well done 3 vignette show that could easily be done every year since their are plenty of "tales from the public domain". As for how this season has looked thus far from my view i say 75%good,15%bad,10%ugly. have a nice day ;)
Handsome Pete
03-18-2002, 08:27 PM
Now that I think about it, the Ghostbusters ending is actually funny to me now, just because it's really stupid and unexpected. It's grown on me.
DotheBartman
03-18-2002, 09:14 PM
I agree with anyone who enjoyed the Ghostbusters ending. It made so little sense that it had me laughing out loud. Sure, usually these endings are annoying ("Surfs up!" anyone?), but this was a special episode anyway, and at least it wasn't overly surreal or anything. And, as I said, it made so little sense and was so random, that it had me laughing out loud at it.
Redneck Nick
03-18-2002, 10:38 PM
Not bad.
In Homer's Odyssey, I probably liked the way Patty and Selma lured Homer and his shipped, only to be turned off. I liked this story the second most.
Joan of Arc was probably the worst story and I have no reason to back up for it.
Hamlet was probably the best one. The way Moe was trying to do a soliloquy and the way everybody killed themselves was pretty funny.
The only thing that kept this from getting a very good grade from me was the Ghostbusters ending. That was stupid and crappy. I give this a B.
My cable went out so I had to watch this episode through antenna. There was sound occasionally.
Best static I've ever seen! Honest!
bart van dam
03-19-2002, 12:38 AM
it a pretty good eps i'll give it a c
bartfan
03-19-2002, 11:50 AM
b+
skittlebrau
03-19-2002, 02:10 PM
I'm not sure if this has been posted yet, but the Ghostbusters reference had to have been Homer leaving an ectoplasmic slime on the wall a la Slimer in the Hamlet segment. Homer's limited capacity for thought mixed up Hamlet with Ghostbusters and thought Hamlet's dad was Slimer.
On a side note, this morning when I was in my car warming it up to go to work, I turned on the radio and it was perfect timing for the beginning of Ghostbusters. It had me cracking up as I was thinking of the ending of this episode. :LOL:
NoOneFamous
03-19-2002, 02:12 PM
See? As much as you all hate to admit it, the Ghostbusters ending really wasn't that bad.
James
03-19-2002, 02:18 PM
Didn't get that joke, BTW. I used to love that show when I was little and had Slimer toothpaste...
-2,000th post. First guy to actually ever reach this, Thano's was keyed in.
tim_duncan2000
03-19-2002, 03:43 PM
Yeah, I didn't think this episode was that good. That Ghostbusters ending wasn't funny and the whole episode did not have that many funny parts. Homer's Odyssey was easily the best one, and it went downhill from there. And I know this will sound like a nitpick, but shouldn't Lisa already know the story of Joan of Arc? I mean, she knows all sorts of historical facts and she's supposed to be very smart so wouldn't she know how it ended? I know that may be reading too much into it, but I just thought she would have known this. 3/5
Tomacco
03-19-2002, 06:18 PM
I'm finished the double-page for this episode, and all I need is four or five framegrabs! It's a great guide, so if it's possible, can someone post some grabs here?
Helper Monkey
03-20-2002, 01:03 PM
This is to address the three major complaints I have been reading.
First, Lisa did not already know the story of Joan of Arc. So what? Does every 8-yr-old know this story, even the very educated? Obviously, Marge shields her as much as possible, so maybe she already ate those pages out of the encyclopedia. This is the counterpoint complaint to: "Lisa is too smart of an 8-yr-old! She should be more kid-like sometimes!" It sounds like people are just looking for something to bitch about here. Yes, she's smart, and no, she doesn't know the whole story. It happens. A lot of people here are pretty smart, but the "I don't get the joke" thread always fills up pretty fast.
Second, Homer can't go to Moe's-- he ate him! Well, isn't Moe's still going to be there? Moe is dead. Bar is not.
Third, how could Bart be a 10-yr-old when Homer was gone for 20 years? Answer: he was 10 after ten years. Homer almost got back, then was flicked back to the island of Circe. Ten years later, Homer got home, and we didn't see Bart at all.
HM
Originally posted by Helper Monkey
Third, how could Bart be a 10-yr-old when Homer was gone for 20 years? Answer: he was 10 after ten years. Homer almost got back, then was flicked back to the island of Circe. Ten years later, Homer got home, and we didn't see Bart at all.
Very true. Plus, this is The Simpsons. The characters do not age. Bart is the same age and size he was 13 years ago when the show began.
StrideR
03-20-2002, 05:16 PM
Huh...? Well, I wasn't inspired enough to make all those in-depth observations. Not too bad, but not great either.
Jessica Lovejoy
03-20-2002, 05:27 PM
This episode was pretty good, not great, but it still had alot of laughs along with three great storylines. I liked the Hamlet parody the best, probably because I'm familiar with the original story, unlike Joan of Arc and Homer's Odyssey, but nevertheless I thought they were all well done. I'll admit that the ending was slightly on the weird side but it was kinda funny in it's own way too. Overall it's a 4/5.
MarkM
03-21-2002, 06:10 AM
Twas pretty good.
Ignignot
03-21-2002, 08:15 PM
What I'd like to point out is that people don't like the Simpsons when they are being silly. When they do a parody episode they can have silly jokes in the stories and nobody can complain.
Tomacco
03-22-2002, 06:11 AM
I'll have my sweet double-page for the episode up later in the afternoon today. Matty snagged me some grabs, so check my site later on for it! ;)
I cant think of a character that was in this episode. I have a feeling Jonah's going to do this ala a THOH guide...
Tomacco
03-22-2002, 12:38 PM
I thought about it Friz, but I didn't want to because Bible Stories and Tall Tales didn't have it by that format. And believe me, it took a LONG time to finally pick a character to use in the bio. Hope you agree with my choice. Since its a double-I'm posting a preview pic below with a link to the actual page. I think it's one of my best yet:
http://www.thespringfieldshopper.com/miniTALESPUBLIC.gif
www.thespringfieldshopper.com/guidedabf08.htm
Enjoy!
Robbie
03-22-2002, 12:44 PM
Great job, Jonah!
skittlebrau
03-22-2002, 01:08 PM
Your talent never ceases to amaze me. Great Job, Tomacco! The only thing that's wrong is Homer's quote while sailing through the River Styx is incomplete.
"Aah-oww, this truly (is Hell!)"
Tomacco
03-22-2002, 01:20 PM
HAHAH! OH MY GOD, I can't believe I did that! I don't know how I did it, but somehow I must've erased the rest of that quote. I'll go fix it.
NoOneFamous
03-22-2002, 01:26 PM
I just noticed this... You know what really doesn't make sense in this episode? Marge censors Lisa from Joan's death, but doesn't even care to censor her from the countless other deaths in the story! She doesn't even mind letting Lisa hear that every character dies in Hamlet!
BTW, Great job, Tomacco, as usual
Tomacco
03-22-2002, 01:28 PM
Noticing you wrote "dis-liker" of Al Jean in ur sig, NoOneFamous, but don't you realize he did a lot of stuff you give A+ ratings in seasons 1-10?
Helper Monkey
03-22-2002, 02:03 PM
Originally posted by NoOneFamous
I just noticed this... You know what really doesn't make sense in this episode? Marge censors Lisa from Joan's death, but doesn't even care to censor her from the countless other deaths in the story! She doesn't even mind letting Lisa hear that every character dies in Hamlet!
I think she is protecting Lisa from the concept of the unjust death, and not the violence. Plus, since Lisa was sympathizing with Joan, Marge was protecting Lisa, in a way.
HM
Wow, that is a great job, Jonah!
I'll print it out on Monday. I've recently spent £6 printing out "The Simpsons Unlimited" last week. I hope you're happy! :p
Another thing: I know you draw the characters and pictures on Photoshop, but how do you? Do you have the framegrab next to it? Do you trace it? Do you hand draw it, scan it then trace it?
Another thing- Eye on Springfield now has framegrabs for
A Hunka Hunka Burns In Love (CABF18)
Brawl In The Family (DABF01)
She Of Little Faith (DABF02)
Sweet and Sours Marge (DABF03)
Lastest Gun In The West (DABF07)
If you want to make some of the quality better (eg, the grabs for DABF02, 01 and 03 are a tad fuzzy)
Tomacco
03-22-2002, 02:38 PM
I just recently improved the grabs for those eps, Friz. Go check it out. Thanks anyways, though.
Handsome Pete
03-22-2002, 04:04 PM
Great job as usual on the guides, Tomacco. I think it's some of your best work.
NoOneFamous
03-22-2002, 04:11 PM
Originally posted by Tomacco
Noticing you wrote "dis-liker" of Al Jean in ur sig, NoOneFamous, but don't you realize he did a lot of stuff you give A+ ratings in seasons 1-10?
I mean, I don't really like his work today. His past work was great. The "grades" are just a generalization, I didn't give every single episode an A+.
DotheBartman
03-22-2002, 04:34 PM
Originally posted by NoOneFamous
I mean, I don't really like his work today. His past work was great. The "grades" are just a generalization, I didn't give every single episode an A+.
Strange that you'd give season 10 an A+. Even Season 12 was better then that mess.
NoOneFamous
03-22-2002, 04:41 PM
Why don't you guys stop worrying about my signature? If a negative comment about Al Jean makes you that upset, I'll change it.
|RABiD|
03-22-2002, 05:25 PM
The couch gag for this episode rocked!! Who's hand would you think it is...i dont think it would be Matt Groening, as he's left-handed
ProfessorFrink19
03-22-2002, 06:13 PM
Maybe a writer? I didn't notice who wrote the segments though
"Jesus, Mary, and glavin! These shoes are in the off position!"
Wavy Gravy
03-23-2002, 05:58 AM
Excellent page, Jonah. I knew as soon as the episode was over that Circe would be the episode bio.
discostu#2
03-23-2002, 02:54 PM
thats right boy
Cletus Del Roy
03-23-2002, 09:39 PM
I thought it was okay...it could have been great if it was longer. I mean, the entire Odysee in seven minutes? The whole show went too fast to really enjoy a lot of it.
Bluesman
03-24-2002, 03:50 PM
Hey Hey!!! I've been in Reno for six weeks!! Did I miss anything? I-ohhhhhhhh...
Rococo Fox
02-19-2008, 07:07 AM
Nothing really funny or memorable about this episode, just another generic and monotonous trilogy episode that gets lost among the shuffle. Most of the jokes, in usual post-classic Simpsons fashion, were overdone and missed their mark, while the parodies of the stories were not very interesting or innovative. The best segment was probably the Hamlet one, and I liked the way they casted that (the insignificant casting of Lenny and Carl as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern actually stood out to me as being clever), but even that segment was mostly boring and unfunny. 2/5
What in the name of god. I've never even heard of this episode *runs to wikipedia*
Drumstick
02-19-2008, 08:19 AM
Enjoyable but not good. B-
Moe Nopoly
02-19-2008, 09:02 AM
a good three tale episode, but nothing special.
My favorite is the first one with Homer's Odyssey.
Most of the time the three stories are funny and entertaining,
but in a way i think they good have done a better job,
so it's only slightly better than an average episode for me.
3.5/5
Ramier Wolfcastle
05-02-2008, 01:35 PM
The "Odyssey" spoof: 5/5
Joan of Arc story: 3/5
Hamlet parody: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5, rounded up. This was almost exactly like Simpsons Tall Tales and the Ghostbusters thing at the end made no sense.
I-CloWn-I
05-21-2008, 07:15 AM
i really only like the hamlet one
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