Rate/Review "The Seemingly Neverending Story" (HABF06)

[Snack Related Mishap]

I'd like to hear from TerrorK because I can't really see him giving this episode a C-Range grade. But then again he has only given out one decent grade out of the whole Jean Era, so I guess I just get ready to be surprised.

[Disgruntled Goat]

Wow, I am bloody impressed. For the first time in 12 months, I laughed out loud during a new Simpsons episode (when the goat started telling its own story). I have to say this could have been a perfect episode - it had several good lines, an absorbing plot and setup, and a bunch of sight gags that make me want to watch the episode again right now.

Unfortunately, it falls short of 5/5, due mainly to that stupid joke from the Rich Texan. I disliked Bart's first line as they were walking into the cave (so lame). Also why do they keep changing Nelson between Bart's bully and Bart's best friend? It makes no sense. Did anyone else think Burns' voice was way off in the first act? It seemed ok in act 2 and 3, though.

I think once a joke becomes "typical" and predictable, it's no longer funny and therefore isn't even a joke anymore, so yeah, I could do without these entirely. I guess I still haven't grown to accept "the show is 17 years old" as an excuse for anything. If you're gonna stay on the air, stay as fresh as you can.

How the hell did you find the "boink slut" joke from My Fair Laddy funny then? That was just as predictable as the bats one.

To argue some more points:
- Already been said, but Snake's name is Snake Jailbird. Quite plausible really, he was originally referred to as Jailbird, which we now know is his surname. I loved that he is a Professor too...
- Edna frequenting bars in the present: I took it from the end that she had come around to the idea that Moe was a bartender. So she lost her hatred of bars/clubs.

[Veryjammy]

^ I noticed Burns' voice as well, particularly when he said 'a woolly bully', it sounded quite strange. Did anyone else notice that Moe sounded like Frink a couple of times?

[DotheBartman]

On that note, anyone else notice Martin Prince sounding a little off again? He only had one quick line so it was hard to tell, but it seemed a little off again.

[Snack Related Mishap]

And on that note, was I the only one who thought Krabappel design seemed a tiny bit off. Only a tiny bit, but noticable to me.

[HOMR]

^ I noticed Burns' voice as well, particularly when he said 'a woolly bully', it sounded quite strange. Did anyone else notice that Moe sounded like Frink a couple of times?

Didn't he even say glavin?

[Homer Jay]

And on that note, was I the only one who thought Krabappel design seemed a tiny bit off. Only a tiny bit, but noticable to me.

I did but I think that was because she was supposed to sound different in the flashback. She was younger and more idealistic. Now as she was worn down by teaching Bart, her voice has changed.

[Stratman]

I forgot to mention the almost human goat. I don't know how Matt let that slip through.

[That Jerk]

I forgot to mention the almost human goat. I don't know how Matt let that slip through.

Pft, that animals rule is long dead. Remember The Fat And The Furriest?

[garret]

And on that note, was I the only one who thought Krabappel design seemed a tiny bit off. Only a tiny bit, but noticable to me.

I thought the reason her design was different was because she was still optimistic and upbeat and not torn down by her job and other things.

[Veryjammy]

Yeah I noticed Krabappel's design. I presume it was intentional but over the years I've noticed both her voice (although I understand the circumstances) and her character model being less, i dunno, acidic and hard-edged.

And I also noticed Martin's voice seemed off, although I thought it was fine in My Fair Laddy.

[Tomacco]

I thought the reason her design was different was because she was still optimistic and upbeat and not torn down by her job and other things.

That was my interpretation too.

[Klia]

I wonder if the absence of Smithers to get a fake tan was done as a little nod to his less than yellow complexion in his first appearance...

If it was,then I take back everything I said about that joke-that's gold!

And about Krabappel's design. It's always changing, sometimes her face
is like the design in my avatar and sometimes (as it was used in the episode) it's the pretty face template. I think for this episode, it was intentional.

Damn, I forgot to mention Moe's voice change as well. Me and my sister both looked at each other and laughed our asses off-not because the joke itself was funny but because it really did sound like Frink. However, I do understand that going to the extremes in another voice is extremely hard and so it did not bother me at all.

[Semaj]

85.20% gave this episode a 4 or 5 out of 5.

This has to be the highest percentage of those who genuinely enjoyed a first-run episode in ages!

[I'M A BRICK]

Verry happy with this episode, you need to watch it a coupple of times.
Great story's and how they all tied together at the end. Didn't see that after all we saw that it was going to be Bart in Skinners office telling the story's. I gave it a 4 at first but I would give it a 5 if I could change my vote.

[Snack Related Mishap]

I thought the reason her design was different was because she was still optimistic and upbeat and not torn down by her job and other things.

I did but I think that was because she was supposed to sound different in the flashback. She was younger and more idealistic. Now as she was worn down by teaching Bart, her voice has changed.

Yeah I noticed Krabappel's design. I presume it was intentional but over the years I've noticed both her voice (although I understand the circumstances) and her character model being less, i dunno, acidic and hard-edged.

And I also noticed Martin's voice seemed off, although I thought it was fine in My Fair Laddy.

That was my interpretation too.

Good catch guys, I didn't think of that. At first I thought it was gonna be because she was much younger, but then I found out that it was the summer before Bart's fourth grade, and she couldn't be that much younger. But what you guys said makes a lot more sense. On that note, was anyone else laughing so hard when Edna came in the room and was acting sympathetic for Bart even before the backround gag where she tells Moe she is still gonna teach? As soon as she entered the room, I was already laughing at the joke that was gonna come about a minute later. Yeah, I'm weird that way.

[garret]

Yeah that joke was real funny, especially when bart and nelson were in the background hauling the stuff off.

[Tomacco]

Just in case my joke criticism was misperceived, I did really enjoy this episode overall. It's probably going to go down as the most memorable this season because of its creativity.

[ScottNak]

Has to be a record... 84.5% 4+ grades?, 94.5 3+ grades?
Not that I'm surprised at all... It was an exemplary episode!
So much lil' things I didn't even realize... and it just makes the episode better and better. Definitely an episode I wouldn't mind watching over... and over... and over.... and...

[Faucet]

One of the ebst episodes. Heh, when i was laughin i though i was laughing because i didn't wanna "feel bad for the simpsons" but then i realized it was out of sheer humour. Good Job. hoping simpsons becomes great again.

[Alpha]

On that note, anyone else notice Martin Prince sounding a little off again? He only had one quick line so it was hard to tell, but it seemed a little off again.

I noticed. I assume it's because he was soaring through the air.

[TriforceBun]

My biggest gripe with season 17 so far is that the episodes are starting to really blend together--often because of unmemorable/rushed stories, or unfocused multi-plots that really serve no purpose and don't transition well. This Sunday's episode deftly avoided all those pitfalls and really served up an entirely memorable showing.

I kept getting the feeling that this was written FOR the fans--it made it a main point to develop on several Springfieldians' histories, often on how/why they became the person they are, utilizing the characters' own unique traits to play off one-another and really delivering some fresh chemistry to the show (Burns at Moe's, Moe and Edna, Burns and the Texan). It really is a jam-packed episode, stuffing four or five main characters into one well-developed, interconnected story that ended in a climatic showdown. Not only was I amazed at how the main story--essentially a series of interconnected subplots--was handled in such an original and creative way, but also how the pacing for this was tight and--more importantly--crystal clear. With such a risky premise, it could be very easy for the viewer to get lost in the details, but that was never a problem (partially because of the zoom-in/out effect with the thought bubbles).

A few plot points were a little unresolved, such as Moe losing Edna to teaching (he had a sack of gold, he didn't even need to work the bar anymore!) and all the characters randomly showing up in the cave at the end, but they managed to tie up all the loose ends nicely, so that's a minor complaint.

Characterizations were in fine form as well, and another strong point in several moments. A lot of the jokes surface upon second viewings, smaller gags that play off the characters' traits (Burns's "For once in my life, things went my way!", the cruel irony of Bart becoming the one that made Edna stay, etc), rather than random slapstick. Edna, Moe, and Burns were the real stars of this episode, though Homer and Snake were done fairly well too. The Rich Texan has become tolerable, with the exception of his repetitive OCD joke (which was decent the first time, but unnecessary at the end). Burns was back to his conniving, evil self (thank goodness for the mirror gag! I was preparing for yet another "old" joke), with the only quibble here being his random self-sacrifice for Lisa.

So that's two for two. How were the gags? Well, here's a list of the ones I particularly liked...

-"That was TWO firemen, a crane, and Snow White!"
-"Don't leave me, I hate to be alone...except when I'm watching TV, then leave me alone!"
-The bull going out of its way to destroy things
-"So long, sucker!"
-The Excluder's Club
-"The man's a living Creamsicle."
-"It's like you watching home movies of yourself watching TV."
-"A bullet in the brain? At my age, that could kill me!"
-The mirror gag
-"It's the boogeyman's grandfather!"
-Burns' horrific smile
-"I had to work my way up from Moe's..."

-"So to contin-" "-ue with the sad sto-" "-ry of Moe's treasure..."
-"She had the rack of an angel"
-The idea of Edna hating bars (when she apparently took to them after teaching, fun see-how-she-changed gag there. At least that's how I interpret it)
-"...human garbage, otherwise known as my best friends..."
-Barney being thrown out over and over
-"The Cloth Napkin" sign gag
-"Could you BE any more pre-Columbian?"
-"Should I rob this guy, or rob him AND kill him?"
-Professor Jailbird
-"Life likes to play a game called 'Up Yours, Moe'." Classic Moe!
-"Munch my butt" as Edna talks about poor Bart in the foreground
-"Oh, you poor man...you're about to get a lot poorer..." Classic Burns.

-"You didn't think it was so horrible when you were falling down that hole!"
-Homer mentioning he wanted to go to the cave for "This week's family outing." Subtle metaref?
-The whole thing being a story by Bart

One more thing I want to mention--I LOVED the use of music in this. Each character had their own theme--Lisa had Beethoven's 6th, Moe and Edna had Fly Me to the Moon (Sinatra + The Simpsons = heaven for me), the Texan had a high-spirited western theme, etc. I noticed way more music being used for this episode, and it gave the scenes a lot more personality. I also dug the animation and direction--particularly during Moe's segment, and some of Burns' darker moments (such as him on the bus, and scooping up Moe's gold). Loved the subtle detail of the seasons slowly changing to Autumn in Moe's segment. Very atmospheric.

All things considered, I just really, really liked this one. I loved the idea, and the execution was fantastic. Great, memorable story, mostly good jokes (nothing terrible at least, and a few laugh-out-loud moments), terrific use of music and direction, and a great use of the side characters. This is like Trilogy of Error meets The Flying Hellfish told in a sort of flashback episode way. Great job.

Best of the season.

EDIT: Upon a couple rewatches, I'm starting to notice more uneven humor than I remember. And a couple things do feel a little forced, so I can't quite keep this one as high as I had it before. Still a great episode, though.

4.5/5 A-

[simplysimpsons]

An extremely fresh and original episode, steering way clear of the run-of-the-mill feeling we've had this season and will no doubt stick out as a favourite for years to come. Almost everything about this episode worked, with some extremely strong jokes, a fast paced (but not too fast) plot, and very clever plot references (and references to the show in general) tying everything together much as in Trilogy of Error. I loved the musical scores throughout the episode, and even the voice acting sounded near classic. My only complaint would probably be the amount of jokes that were pretty awful, like the nickel in the bottle, 1-2-3-4, and the bats joke to name a few. But everything else was pretty much classic material. Grade A-

[moegoldberg]

I don't have much familiarity with what I'm assuming they're parodying (Neverending Story),

I haven't seen the neverending story in about 20 years, but I'm pretty sure the plot of this episode is not parodying it. The movie is a fantasy story about a kid who reads a mysterious book that ends up taking him to a fantasy world, or something like that. If you care, you can read about the plot of the movie on wikipedia

[Disgruntled Goat]

I wonder if the absence of Smithers to get a fake tan was done as a little nod to his less than yellow complexion in his first appearance...

I think you're right. Well spotted!

[Imperciph]

I can't add anything that hasn't already been said, but I enjoyed this episode so much that I felt I should write a review for this one.

This one was everything I could wish for in a new episode. It had an extremely fresh and innovative plotline. Gag execution was very strong with lots of quotable lines, great instances of subtle and character-based humour and even some good surreal gags. It had some great callback jokes as well (Homer's toupee). It had some very good secondary character usage with new interesting interactions and considerably developed certain secondary characters : whether it was revealing new information about them (Snake, Rich Texan) or explain their current behaviour (Krabapple) this one succeeded in both. It also had the best Burns characterisation since Fraudcast News (and given the non-existent senile jokes it was even better).The storyline was very well-executed and tightly structured as a whole, easily rivalling that of Trilogy Of Error, with every plot point intoduced coming together at the end. There was some great characterisation of the family, particularly that of Lisa, though Bart certainly could have been much better. The episode as a whole felt very fresh and innovative and kept me completely interested throughout it.

The only things I can gripe about are some gags that failed to hit the mark (the repetitive 1-2-3-4 gag, Moe's "gay" line, Homer's repetitive stupid dancing), uninteresting characterisation of Bart and bland first few minutes or two.

I maybe overrating it a little bit, but IMO, this was the best episode since season 15's The Way We Weren't. A-

[Samuel L Bronkowitz]

I watched it again last night with some friends who are casual fans.. My original grade was a 3.5/5, but I gotta upgrade it to a 4.5/5. The "1,2,3,4" gag KILLED, each & every time.....in fact, probably got the biggest laughs in the room.

[garret]

I really didn't like the 1, 2, 3, 4 gag after the first time, really the only flaw in the episode and not bad enough to bring it down from 5/5.

[Dr. Wily]

Fantastic episode, not much to say that hasn't been said yet, but great use of many characters, the story in a story idea was very well executed, and plenty of laugh out loud moments. This is one episode that truly gripped me, I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. 5/5

[The "Urban" Lenny]

This episode took me completley by suprise, since most of the multi part stories lately have been extremely dissapointing. Most of the jokes were hillarious, the story was interesting and creative, and the only real complaint I have is the Rich Texan's "1,2,3,4" joke. I just thought that went on way to long, but other than that this was the best episode of season 17 4.5/5