R&R Trash of the Titans

[H-o-m-e-r]

My second favorite episode of season 9 5/5.

[Nauru-1]

Here we go. I'd venture so far as to say that this was the worst episode of the show at that point in the series.

Now in fairness, things aren't all bad. The song works just fine and Ray Patterson is a reasonable one-time character to put in there (as a side note, I thought it was strange how they didn't talk about Steve Martin whatsoever on the commentary). Although compromised by somewhat by poor bits, there are some laughs to be had. Lisa's daydream in particular stands out, and the rabbit popping out of the earth is undoubtedly hilarious. Given this was only season 9 though, I expect nothing less than some good stuff.

The problems? To start, that annoying Homer that showed himself in glimpses earlier in the season and constantly in the three seasons afterwards is here in all his glory. Trash-talking garbage men, shaking bird cages, kicking someone. :/

But it's not just Homer. I don't really find the episode to be all that well-written even if you completely ignore Homer's behaviour. The setpiece is a little satirical but only mildly enjoyable. When the story gets going, the town essentially follows a mob mentality which usually only works when you have some sense of reason in the story's driving force. And the snowballing problem is concluded with a lazy quick fix solutin. Come to think of it, I'm hard-pressed to find something Trash of the Titans does particularly well that isn't a bare basic element.

Not the worst episode in the world, but very bad for the time. Even now, it remains such a middling viewing experience. 2/5 (D+)

[pocketfox]

Jerkass Homer shows, but Steve Martin and The Garbage Man song mitigate that quite a bit. Also, this one is very rewatchable. 3.5/5

[Kiyosuki]

I still think there's something...particularly depressing about this episode.

It's not that I think it's bad because I don't think it is, and show does these kinds of "world sucks lol" pessimistic type episodes more than often of course...but for some reason I just find this one more of a downer. I don't know why.

Maybe it's the fact they move the whole town in the end...and even if they take all the buildings that old trashed up area that they abandon's still the Springfield we've watched for 9 seasons (up till this.) and had basically the best years of this show's life on...so it's almost like this episode literally marks the end of those best years by abandoning the old place as a trashed up dump.

Yes I know it wasn't meant to be taken that seriously or with that much permanence, I'm grasping at straws. But yeah, it's depressing to me...but it's otherwise a pretty alright episode.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

I'm glad it's a landmark episode in name only. I hate those cheesy special 100th/200th episodes.

Kind of a cheesy/boring episode, but it's still good, it's still good! 4/5.

[Homer Defined]

Pretty decent episode. 3.5/5

[cloneasaurus]

C+ Homer's a jerk and the ending is utterly stupid but it has some pretty funny moments which I'll credit it for. The song was a nice addition too.

[Prune Tracy]

Pretty bad episode. The song was just okay, which was unfortunately probably the highlight. Homer's characterization was awful, the funny parts were few and far between, and the ending was really stupid. 2/5.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

They shouldn't have cut Milhouse's part in the song.

[Blobulle]

I don't like the end of this episode.
Like Riviera said, the song is the highlight. 3/5

[Cam23]

I've never liked this episode.The story is awful,Homer is a jerk throughout and the ending is just plain ridiculous.Having said that,it has it's moments,but they are few and far between.

[Zombies Rise from the Sea]

Trash of the Titans

Wow; 200 episodes... Congratulations Simpsons! This milestone episode unfortunately lays around the 9th season, the season where it supposedly went to crap. I'll admit, I liked some of the episodes of Season 9 and it wasn't totally crap but this episode?; wow... This episode is almost like a wonder, in that it's like watching a building collapse before your very eyes. Additionally, this would also prove to be a sign of the things to come; things that wouldn't be so easily reversed.

It's like Mike Scully said "This episode is the beginning of a new era; you can either join us or wallow in your nostalgic filth.".

The first thing you'll notice watching this episode is the radically different atmosphere, in that the dynamic feels more a sitcom that's been on the air for an ungodly amount of time rather then the show we've come to know and love. Additionally, there is also a lot more wacky moments and simplistic jokes/gags then you expected; making it more into a cartoon that kids would watch at 4:00 PM then anything resembling The Simpsons. Had Mike Scully continued as showrunner, this would of moved to Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon and any sensibilities the show had would be obliterated; maybe it's best that Scully stepped down, it would of been awkward for Homer to say "Hey Moe, give me a root beer!".

Anyways; the wacky moments consist of 85% of the episode; that means that you'll be watching Homer and Bart throw something, shake something, do something that is not themselves. While there is some smart humor in this (the scenes at the beginning, some (but a small some) of the lines Lisa and Homer say, the scene where Homer is at the statue.), most of it is just humor that people of all ages can get, no intelligence is required to get this, which is just disrespectful to the long-standing Simpsons audience as a whole. The dialog also takes a hitting too; it has become mostly simplistic and overly obvious, case in point the entire thing where Homer argues with Patterson is made so that Patterson is annoyed while Homer is a jerkass; while this may incite a few laughs, it's only because of the way it's portrayed; not because of the content.

Sure, a lot of this episode is funny but it's pathetically funny; in that you can't help but to not laugh at how pathetic it is. From the scenes where Homer gets beaten up backstage to the scenes where Homer is in that office, it just goes to show how low the Simpsons has got. (though I will say the satire of political movies is somewhat good.) You're laughing but you're also feeling pain and shame that comes with the laughter; this is the beginning of the Simpsons low point and you can't help but to watch it unfold before your very eyes.

Homer may have been a jerkass in earlier episodes but this is the first episode where it's used as a driving plot point. At no point in the episode does Homer feel bad for his actions (except in small points but those points are miniscule in comparison to the entire episode) and everything that he does is designed to irritate other people and to make him look like a super fool that people cannot relate to. I guess the intention is that people want to cheer when Homer get his comeuppance but why should we do that when we should cheer for Homer whenever he does something good. Some points are there that show off some of Homer's old personality (like his attempts to be cool) but even those points are marred with jerkassery that just taints those moments.

The town of Springfield feels less dynamic and more random per lack of a better term. I mean why is Patty & Selma in the sex offenders line (for a joke that would of been funny had people not noticed this stuff) have they offended some men, have the come on to a lot of men; why are they in that line? The various characters we come to know and love appear in various places but that's only to serve as background characters (it may have something to do with Springfield but even then...) and some of these characters do stuff that aren't even themselves. There are a few bright spots though; Moe, Ned and Quimby go through mostly untarnished, in fact those three characters help provide some of the best moments of the episode in an episode that desperately needs them.

Let's not forget about The Simpson family. Marge feels less like a housewife and more as a go-getter who is trying to be a hip housewife/mom but failing hard. Bart acts less like a kid and more like a teenage roommate living in the house; Lisa is acting somewhat stuck up but she suffers the least from the changes (as I said before, some of the best lines are provided by her) while Maggie is barely ever seen. Compare this to earlier seasons where The Simpsons felt more like a family; it's like looking into a mirror where everything is warped, there's smears all over the mirror and there is one spot which looks like someone spilled black paint over it, that's how awkward it is. The Simpsons in this episode are not a family, they're just cartoon characters.

The plot itself is simple and has tons of potential but as insisted in this review it is wasted. Obviously Homer wants to be the trash man due to an issue he has with the trash men so he elects himself, manages to get himself elected, screws himself up, sings one of the best Simpsons songs and moments in history ("The Trashman Can") and then screws himself up even more. That would be good and all but the problem with this is that the transitioning of the plot is off; rarely do we get any reason to care for Homer's mission (except for the scene in the beginning), all we get is gag after gag after gag after gag after gag with barely any plot inbetween; we need plot in order for us to get invested in the plot, we can't have gag after gag after gag after gag, unless you're the kind of person who likes that stuff...

Not adding to that is the fact that the plot focuses on extravagant moments rather then modest moments. I mean we have moments which just seem to be set in area which is filled to the brim with visuals and while that may be cool and all, there are too many of these moments and they somehow serve to draw attention away from the jokes just in case people don't find them funny, because visual stimulation is always funny! The plot also feels the need to end on something extravagant and while it may of been a good idea at the time, the way it's exploited and the way it leads up to it hurts the plot and just exposes whatever flaws the episode has left. That idea is the city being so filled with trash that they have to move the city itself; the idea of moving the city is interesting and some of it does work but ultimately it's a waste because it's an undeserved conclusion and an conclusion that isn't super-funny at that; that conclusion ultimately became a symbol of Scully's domination, being referenced as if it were a part of the continuity. One of Simpsonsfan scripts contained a mention to this very moment, and while it may just be one odd user; the fact remains that there are other users who do the very same thing.

So is this Milestone episode one the best ever? Not even close. In fact this is one of the worst episodes to ever grace the Simpsons. It's wonderful in a "how the hell do people find this funny" way and this episode does serve a purpose; being used in university classes to find out what went wrong and how people can like this. The entire episode is like the shape of things to come; the radically changed dynamic, the dumbed down jokes, the plots that are more gag based then anything else and a sense of cheapness. There are some bright spots (some of which were evident in the Scully seasons as he wasn't completely 100% a waste.) but some bright spots isn't enough to save this episode. I'll admit, this is interesting but mainly due to the stigma surrounding this episode, if it didn't have that then it'd be worthless.

2.5/10

Also a U2 guest appearance; really? That is definitely one of the most cringeworthy points of the episode; having them reappear at various times instead of letting them be definitely did not help the episode. Some of it was interesting but again, it sticks out at you like a sore thumb in the worst possible way.

[SaxSolo]

Trash of the Titans
I think this was quite a good episode, but got a few faults with it.
1. (Good) Quite funny. Had me laughing all the way through.
2. ( Bad) I have the Season 9 DVD, so I can see deleted scenes. I wonder if you've seen th Milhouse part of the song? They should have left in the regular show.
3. (Good) The song is a quite good...
4. (Bad) ...While being cheesy.

Overall though, 4.5 out of 5

[Comicshow MolemanBob]

2. ( Bad) I have the Season 9 DVD, so I can see deleted scenes.

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