Rate & Review: "Fat Man and Little Boy" (FABF21)

[Thrillhouse24]

god damn it. this is the second week in a row i missed the simpsons and from what you guys are saying it was a good ep.

[Revolver]

Eh. It seems the trend in this season is to make episodes that don't have anything particularly offensive or downright bad in them, but neither do they have anything spectacular in them. So far, "Sleeping With the Enemy" remains the best of the season, while everything else has been average at best.

[Woogie31]

3/5

[whisman]

Wow. I was literally crying with laughter. Probably the funniest episode I have seen in recent seasons. I was too busy laughing to really focus on anything else. Just hilarious. Loved it. 5/5

[SeanOhio]

What was the poem with the Sea Captain recited?

[Crotis Jivefunk]

What was the poem with the Sea Captain recited?

"Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost

[bmac]

This probably contained some of the funniest gags and one-liners of the season so far. that said, the humor was still hit and miss for me, and i was still left thinking "what the hell?" several times. for a second there i didn't even think they were going to go back to Bart's plot, but they quickly tied them in at the end. and that's about the extent of a review you'll get from me. much better than last week, if nothing else. B.

[whisman]

I missed it, why was Homer's mouth seperated from his face at one point?

[Crotis Jivefunk]

His line about Korea's cartoons having sucky animation.

[bmac]

^that might be the hardest i laughed all episode.

[Mason]

Quite a few isolated moments of superb humor in here- The Sea Captain reciting Robert Frost, the reference to bootlegged Calvin and Hobbes merchandise, the Korean animation line, the Krusty brand geiger counter, and the parodys of childhood games. There's a few others I'm likely forgetting, also. However, other then those moments, it was a rather mediocore episode. Besides the above mentioned gags, the humor was rather bizarre. The loopy character (what was his name?) was particularly irritating and overused. I'd say a B+, although it's very close to a lower grade. As mrkatie said this season as been quite average, without a standout episode (although I missed Sleeping with the Enemy.)

[Tomacco]

His line about Korea's cartoons having sucky animation.

Also, they actually do animate Homer's muzzle on a seperate layer from the rest of his head, and his head without the muzzle does look as it does in this episode in the actual animation process without the muzzle layer on top. In fact, there is one frame in "Treehouse of Horror 13" where his muzzle vanishes for some reason.

[Sonecor]

This episode was a great improvement from the last one. I loved the song that Lisa and Janey sang in the beginning.

Homer was so much more likable and in character in this episode. He wasn't too stupid and he seemed to care for Lisa and Bart.

It's a very unfortunate loss of the great Phil Hartman, Troy McClure would have made that Change Sorter joke 10x as funny.

Just one question. Did Homer ever get his job back?

[Hydro]

Did Homer ever get his job back?

Nope, and he never got it back in "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" or "Co-Dependents' Day" either. I'm starting to think that the SNPP union contract actually has a clause saying "Homer Simpson can never be permanently fired."

[Mike Scully]

As usual with Joel Cohen, we get an episode with an entirely forgettable, nondescript plot, but a lot of well-written humor. I'm starting to rather appreciate Cohen. He's one of the few writers on staff who actually can pull off the sort of farcical, goofy, gag-driven, original, quirky, and fun stories that were done frequently well during the Mirkin era. Even The Fat and the Furriest, which I initially hated; I recently saw again, and it was much funnier than I remembered, even though the plot was incredibly hokey.

Not much to comment on the plot, as it didn't particularly grip me. It got a bit interesting when Homer started to act like the kid, but went through some confusing tangents when he bonded with Lisa. It worked out OK, concluding much like Futurama's The Route of All Evil.

A lot of great gags: the hilarious reference to the Calvin and Hobbes piracy and "offensive" T-shirts. The barrage of various Itchy and Scratchy characters, which provided laugh after laugh, much like in the classic era. The keys in the rocks. Nelson not punching Bart.

Unfortunately, like all recent episodes, there were misfires. The scene where Homer rewatches the wildlife program and relates to it was unnecessarily overexplained. Most notably, I didn't like the Wonka-like (name?) guy. His craziness was too overdone and more irritating than funny.

Overall, a good, but not great episode. It was fun, but even then, the humor is a bit hit-or-miss. Grade: B-

[Jeffster]

I definitely liked it a lot better than last week, much more funny jokes, and Homer playing with Lisa was cute, I miss Lisa having fun and just being a girl, they don't do that nearly enough these days. That being said, it was still kinda disjointed, and had that "some jokes were kinda forced" feel to it. Again, maybe I need to stop watching the DVD's so I don't have the urge to compare the new ones to old episodes. Nah, who am I kidding? 5th Season DVD is about to come out. That was my favorite season ever. Oh, I gave tonight's a 3.

[Sloppy Jimbo XOX]

Nope, and he never got it back in "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" or "Co-Dependents' Day" either.

Don't forget "Simpson Tide", which interestingly enough was also produced by Al Jean... Not that interesting.

[reyontoyeny]

I missed today's episode. I had a choir concert and I forgot to set the VCR. Judging by the decent reviews, I can't wait to see a rerun of this.

[Ihaveblink]

Over all, it was a good episode. But some of the Jokes fell flat. But finally, a story that makes sense and didn't remind me I'm watching a cartoon. Homer has become Hit or Miss with his jokes lately. The dialogue was good.

If they added more subtle jokes and the classic simpsons irony, the show would be closer to it's roots than ever before. Well, as long if they keep the wacky over the top humor down.

C+

[DotheBartman]

This episode definetely epitomizes "just a bunch of stuff that happens". It never stuck with one plot for very long and didn't really draw me into its story, although I don't think it was really intended to either. Bart's "midlife crisis" scenes with relatably amusing at least.

What this episode seemed to be aiming for was just to provide a solid bunch of gags from beginning to end, and personally I think it succeeded well. There weren't any glaring misfires, and there were lots of great moments: "We pass the slavings down to you!" and the various I and S shirts, most of Goose Gladwell's scenes, the key under the rock at the power plant, etc. It also had a good use of Simpsons canon: everything from Chalmers (another great bit), to the leftorium, to the power plant itself, often missing lately. The deleted scene in the credits was also great and probably one of the best gags all season. I hope they continue using the deleted scenes in the credits.

Solidly funny showing. Nothing too spectacular, but overall still a very funny episode.

B/B+

[Stackhouse]

i can't believe they worked out a plotline with so many tangents like that so well. it was really surprisingly smoothly paced for something like this... with a couple of exceptions. i felt the jump from bart having a mid-life crisis to selling t-shirts was a slight snag... felt somewhat forced... really, other than that, and the lisa thing at the end (which wasnt really a big deal), this moved really nicely. no notable problems.

not to mention that it was bloody funny. joel h. cohen has found some chops.

it looks like the deleted scene thing in the end credits is going to stay. which is good.

A-

[SNUH]

I don't know...the "jury is still out" for me...

Currently I have rated it 3/5...but after some more thought...and/or in seeing it again...I could swing either way. I thought it had some funny lines...sight gags...humorous twists....but it just didn't seem as cohesive as I had hoped when it comes to satire or parody of some aspect of society, life, etc. (in this case, a child's "mid life crisis").

[OldCootAbe]

Meh. 3/5 Grade: C

Again, a lot of funny one liners, but the plot was stupid. Pretty much the same thing I have said about every epsiode this season.

I think the fact here that these episodes are so well recieved here means the bar has been lowered for most of you. I still hold the show to a higher standard, and it has failed me yet again.

[Lord autumn bottom]

Great episode.
I give it 7 thumbs up.

Loved the line(s)

Homer: Get back in the cellar!
Grandpa: But there's spiders in the boxes!
Homer: Stay out of my boxes!

[Ryan]

Pretty good one. All the jokes and gags went without failure except the Sea Captain one. ESPECIALLY Krusty's presentation at the Novelty Expo. That was hilarious. (I love how they keep advertising Poochie even though he was kicked off I&S about seven years ago)

Disney making a movie out each t-shirt is not even satire, it's sadly the truth!

5/5...

[Eart]

Also, they actually do animate Homer's muzzle on a seperate layer from the rest of his head, and his head without the muzzle does look as it does in this episode in the actual animation process without the muzzle layer on top. In fact, there is one frame in "Treehouse of Horror 13" where his muzzle vanishes for some reason.

Wow, I didn't even know that.

Do you know the reasoning behind this?

[Apu Nahasapasawhatever]

At the start when Lisa and Janie are playing that clapping game .. with Homer being afraid of the dirty word . . .. I remember Mike Reiss in the DVD commentary from When Flanders Failed saying that he wanted to include that in the barbeque scene, but it just didnt work out properly. Had they done that in Flanders Failed, no one would be complaining about it. But since they used it in season 16 now everyone is saying how "stupid and jerk-ass" homer is.

[The Governor]

I think the fact here that these episodes are so well recieved here means the bar has been lowered for most of you. I still hold the show to a higher standard, and it has failed me yet again.

I think it's more of "new episode affirmative action". People now give the episodes more slack since the show's been on for so long. Why? Because the people who defend the show against the harsher critics usually begin with: "What do you expect? The show's been on for 16 years.".

[caramelbart]

I'm shocked no one has brought up the most controversial "Support Our Troops."

:episode: 4/5

[joe]

At the start when Lisa and Janie are playing that clapping game .. with Homer being afraid of the dirty word . . .. I remember Mike Reiss in the DVD commentary from When Flanders Failed saying that he wanted to include that in the barbeque scene, but it just didnt work out properly. Had they done that in Flanders Failed, no one would be complaining about it. But since they used it in season 16 now everyone is saying how "stupid and jerk-ass" homer is.

I wouldn't say "everyone" is complaining, but that is a fair observation and valid... I wonder how truly "classic" they will try to make it in the next few seasons...

I thought this episode was great and it seems that this season will be even better than 15. Nice to see a Bart plot for a change.