Rate & Review “Coming to Homerica” (LABF12)

[some person]

Or Wiggum was exaggerating about how the police dept. is low on staff. It's also a meta-reference to the fact that the only 3 police officer characters that the audience is aware of is Wiggum, Lou, and Eddie. Anyone who has watched the series knows there are more police, but we just don't KNOW them.

They used to show a few other cops in older episodes, some even had names from time to time.

[lionelhutz123]

Yeah, I know, but they were only one time characters. Wiggum, Lou, and Eddie are the main character cops that always seem to be at every case.

[Dizagaox]

It didn't really seem like a finale, just a standard episode. Well, that's to be expected, given how screwed up the broadcast schedule is thanks to pre-empts.

[Ryan]

Rewatching, it was okay. Some funny gags here and there, but mostly satire that we've seen before. The first half was not too bad, but it really went down hill in the last two. (though the "Up" reference was cute)

3/5

[sung]

i'm going to post my review soon (when i get home; i'm in school library now) but one joke that i particularly liked was when homer bumped into the sign that said 'report child abuse'; mayor quimby then shouted about building the fence. this moment kind of had a bit of screw-the-audience joke-vibe to me for some reason since it seemed that the audience would mostly be (or some wouldn't) expecting quimby to say about making a sign to keep the ogdenvillians out or install an illegal immigration hotline about it... what do you guys think about it?

i mean, it could be obvious that quimby got the idea about building the fence but i thought there were some other aspects about 'report child abuse' sign that were obvious, just sayin'

[Mayoman]

This one felt like a season 8 show run through a season 4 ringer, with a does of modern on it.

I liked it more than I thought I would, and I liked how Al Jean's name was spelled in the closing credits.

[Kiyosuki]

Or Wiggum was exaggerating about how the police dept. is low on staff. It's also a meta-reference to the fact that the only 3 police officer characters that the audience is aware of is Wiggum, Lou, and Eddie. Anyone who has watched the series knows there are more police, but we just don't KNOW them.

So in other words, the too subtle for its own good jab. And not really, I hear very often from people that they've thought these three were literally it, because sometimes it does seem that way even if more die hards like us of course know a larger force has appeared in some episodes.

Honestly I have a feeling that assuming they made this little inconsistency on purpose is giving the writers a little too much credit but either way it's something in the episode to notice.

[sung]

it... wasn't too bad; heck, i enjoyed most of it and it certainly gave me some laughs. there were some stuff that impeded its way to be a pretty good episode though. it kind of ranks out as average as how season 20 to me

humor was pretty good in this episode; nothing too bad yet there were some ones that i really appreciated. scenes with krusty were pretty good (hell, i loved the mother nature burger commercial; it doesn't beat the ribwich commercial of 'i'm spelling as fast as i can', but it still was an enjoyable piece of a scene), "where's my nobel prize?", scene with wiggum and eddie on the border, xylophone joke, 'up' joke (i was actually laughing hard after seeing lenny and carl having hypothermia or something) and like i've mentioned, the 'report child abuse' sign and the fence joke (if it really is one). for season 20, this episode had some good shares of laugh and clever moments, i'm pleased.

plot... well, i'm in the same boat with many others in this thread. i mean, i do appreciate the story itself and i do think that the ending was pretty sweet due to the aspect that ogdenvillians were still appreciating springfield and look at them as friends (yeah, that door thing kind of spoke a lot to me) despite the doozy they have gotten from springfieldians. speaking of which, i think the episode did a fairly good job of illustrating the problems of immigration and actually illustrated the anti-immigration people foolish at some times, i thought that the aspects went into the story relatively smoothly unlike that season finale 2 years ago. anyways, while i do understand some intentions of the plot, there were several aspects that kind of seemed to be lacked the development; i mean, there were some scenes that lead to people's changing opinions but... they seemed to have gotten too swiftly like jims said; ditto for the ending where the forgiveness came but i think the writers wanted to illustrate the quick affect of the action that is done for damage that time so it's bit more forgivable to me.

Now, the writers just use Lisa as an outlet for their views much like Family Guy's writers do with Brian. However, in this episode they didn't use just Lisa but more make an example of Homer/the town being wrong. Sorry, this is just something I had to get off my chest.

enlighten me, i hardly see any problem with it unless if i'm not getting your message...

overall, not the best season 20 episode, but decent way to wrap it up. i was thinking about C+/B- episode after the first view, but now i think more about it it's more of B, it may not stick with 3/5 that i voted yesterday but i dunno...

p.s. i actually liked the chalkboard gag

[lionelhutz123]

Another gag that was particularly funny to me was the Ogdenvillian sneeze. I liked when Homer sneezes just like them and he states, "Oh man, I caught their cold..."

[tom cody]

4/5. I really liked this episode. It was a really good way to finish off what was a good season. Hoping for more of the same in Season 21.

[Tamaki Suoh]

Really good episode, maybe the second best of the season. The plot was focused and satisfying; the gags were mostly good, short, clever, and I don't remember any being bad; the Odgenville people were endearing and likable; Homer was in really good form, seemed like a normal guy who was not too stupid or any other extreme; Lisa too was portrayed well, as a smart but still sweet girl, one who meekly suggested something for her family to consider rather than forcing her opinion on anyone in her usual "in-your-face", stubborn way (the milk and hugs scene was cute too); and the ending was simply, happy, and uplifting. My only criticism is Marge's characterization was pretty poor. Even so, I'd even rewatch this episode soon...really nice. A

[Castinglove]

I liked the brief 'Up' reference with the balloon house.

yeah that was great

[Dave Shutton]

I liked seeing Krusty's lawyer/manager guy again, but I hope he doesn't become the replacement for Ms. Pennycandy.

[Mr. Krikt]

"where's my nobel prize?", xylophone joke

I'm surprised more people haven't complained about these jokes.

The "nobel prize" joke is a classic case of the writers wrongly thinking that they're clever.

The second joke seems to fit into the "random = funny" group that's easier than contextual humour and is oh, so popular now with the writers.

• Largo and the xylophone
• Homer appearing through the chimney
• Ralph as a tumbleweed
• Eddie's foot cutaway
• Homer's asking where he has gone as if he's a separate person

That's five jokes out of an episode already cut short by a long "couch gag".
The Simpsons may as well consider breaking out a laugh track for the next season.

[hughes]

Yeah, but all those jokes were funny (except maybe the Eddie cutaway, and that wasn't cringeworthy or anything) IMO, so who gives a shit?

[Castinglove]

Personally I loved this episode's first two acts but felt that it failed to give a satisfying conclusion. The ending was forgettable and I didn't like Maggie talking. It would have been fine, if handled with a little bit more weight, but no one seemed to care that she'd talked, only that she'd talked "Ogdenvillean". Also, given that Maggie, albeit in a different context, talked last episode, I disliked it even more. Overall, I feel that this episode lacked focus. If it had a central point I would have prefered it. Still, some gags were great: the Ogdenvillean sneeze, Ralph as a tumbleweed, the xylophone ban, the opening Krusty scene, everyone standing so to spell out Ogdenville. All in all it's a solid season finale. Brendan Hay did a good job, he might not be Swartzwelder, but this episode was quite funny. 4/5 One of the better episodes of the season.

One note though: did anyone else think that Bart's voice sounded weird this episode, as if Nancy had a sore throat on her recording date? I found it fairly unsettling and annoying.

[sung]

The "nobel prize" joke is a classic case of the writers wrongly thinking that they're clever.

i'd prefer to think that it's a type of joke that satirizes some people's haughtiness induced by doing a seemingly beneficial activity... simple psychology. hell, it's not like it's irrelevant in real life

The second joke seems to fit into the "random = funny" group that's easier than contextual humour and is oh, so popular now with the writers.

the xylophone itself into that type of situation would look random as hell if there weren't any context whatsoever to it into the scene but having it introduced due to the mispronunciation that had been made by the character before and then having it to be expanded upon later makes it at least a bit forgivable... and the aspect that it is actually expanded upon and was later realized to be illegal was a nice touch (strange things have happened in these kinds of scenes; hell, you might as well as call crowd cheering after barney's burp as 'random', they may be of different context but it is clear that the jokes satirize the mob mentality of inclusion of diverse subjects while going into 'flow'). if homer had not made his pronunciation error (which btw wasn't forced at all) and all of sudden mr. largo came into the room with the xylophone, that is a total random joke that has no value whatsoever.

• Eddie's foot cutaway

how is eddie's foot cutaway joke even a subject to guilt of randomness? it is clearly illustrated before that scene that he was actually ailing due to gout and there has been several cutaway jokes in the older episodes that were "guilty" of illustrating the things mentioned before (homer's imagination about maggie's wedding with his arms stuck in the vending machine, homer punching lenny in the head after homer proclaims to do so, smithers's past on his wife and mr. burns, etc.)

[Mr. Krikt]

Yeah, but all those jokes were funny (except maybe the Eddie cutaway, and that wasn't cringeworthy or anything) IMO, so who gives a shit?

Who cares?
Well the people that don't find Ralph being tweened across the foreground funny. Those people.

[WBadger]

I thought it was a decent episode with some laughs in it. Plot wise, it felt a little weak or empty, but some good jokes and scenes can make up for it. Finally though it felt more fresh than other episodes this season, not at all similar to 'homer the vigilante' or 'midnight rx'.

this episode is about a B- or B-/B for me. and it caps off a very consistent season by being fairly good.

[sung]

Who cares?
Well the people that don't find Ralph being tweened across the foreground funny. Those people.

and forgot to mention, gotta admit that i wasn't really that fond of the joke as well.

[Dave Shutton]

"The real killingest catch is man..." great line

[The Governor]

Yeah, but all those jokes were funny (except maybe the Eddie cutaway, and that wasn't cringeworthy or anything) IMO, so who gives a shit?

Sometimes I feel that if this board didn't care about the Simpsons, then I think nobody would.

[Dark Homer]

all the google ads for this thread are for law enforcement and border patrol

[Mr Johannson]

Did Like:
Krusty's ad.
Up reference.
"I still like milk and hugs"
Wiggum and Lou.
Drunk Homer.
Snake talking about his girlfriend.
Homer telling Burns to shut up.

Did Not Like:
The Ogdenvillians being Norweigian confused me. Why was a neighbouring town a different nationality?
Another "everybody dancing" ending.
Ralph tumbleweed.
Apu dancing
Mr Largo's xylophone jokes were lame.
Maggie talking in front of the Simpsons in a canonical episode bothers me a little.

3/5

[Green Man]

5/5 Great season finale. The only problem with it is the ending.

[Ramier Wolfcastle]

Another week, another new writer. But this new writer (Brendan Hay) was a lot better than Valentina L. Garza (Four Great Women and a Manicure) and Matt Marshall (In the Name of the Grandfather).

I must say, the episode started out strong then lost some steam. Acts 3 and 4 were only about 2 and a half minutes EACH. Plus the end was a bit rushed. However, it was a rather solid end to the season. But the episode didn't have a "season-finale" feel to it. And only 5.86 million viewers watched it. We almost lost to American Dad again!

Also, was that a repeat couch gag?

4/5, or a B.

[pohzoko]

3/5
Funny at some points. Great plot though.

[Mayoman]

One note though: did anyone else think that Bart's voice sounded weird this episode, as if Nancy had a sore throat on her recording date? I found it fairly unsettling and annoying.

Actually, I thought Bart's voice sounded better than it has in a while. It's sounded a little "girlish" lately.

[NoOneFamous]

If you gave this anything higher than a 3/5, you're either in total denial, have very low standards for entertainment, or you really don't have a clue why The Simpsons still even exists in the first place (somehow still getting by off the popularity of its extremely high quality episodes from the 90's) and you're ok with just "watching stuff happen" on the TV screen. And I mean this in the nicest way possible. Before you flame me, I don't rag on every single new episode... there were some decent ones this season... but this was not one of them.

I remember when we used to complain about episodes being too surreal and over-the-top just for the sake of being that way. You know the show is way past it's welcome when it gets to the point where, when they try to do a more wacky /edgy episode, it ends up being completely mundane and just ... incredibly lame.

For starters, South Park already did this exact thing with Goobacks... and other shows have done this same premise also. I'm pretty sure The Simpsons itself has, also covered border patrol, immigration, and immigrant worker issues before, as well. So I guess they were trying to be edgy again here, but they're just beating a dead horse and several years late in doing it.

However, they still could have pulled off a decent episode, had it actually been funny, and not all over the place. But it suffered from the same hack-written, cheesy, non-risk taking, tame writing the Al Jean era has been so fond of.

Why Ogdenville? What is the point of using the name of a town created in a classic episode if it won't actually have anything to do with it? Ogdenville was one of the towns that became a ghost town due to spending their money on a faulty monorail, by the way. At least, that was what it was originally. They have used the name several times since then, but even then, it was nothing like it was portrayed in this episode. Why was it, for whatever reason, entirely populated by Norwegians who live like the Amish? WHY NORWEGIANS?? Some of you are going to argue and say this is Comic Book Guy-style nitpicking, but honestly, what is the point in using the name Ogdenville other than being a half-assed reference to the classic era?

For humor we mostly get "random for the sake of being random, albeit in that groan-inducing cheesy Al Jean era Simpsons way" jokes like the xylophone thing and Ralph as tumbleweed.

For an ending we get a rushed, cliche conclusion in which Springfield decides they like diversity, although this is decided after the wall is up for like TEN SECONDS. At that point, since they had already written themselves to the end of their allotted time limit, it honestly would have been funnier and worked better to have a "screw the audience" type of ending in which it turned out the citizens of Springfield were actually on the outside of the wall, like another poster said. All they would have needed was a moment of silence and a simple "D'oh!" from Homer, or something, and a fade to the credits, and it would have worked 100 times better than this. (Think of an ending along the lines of Homer the Vigilante - "no, dig up, stupid!" *credits*)

That's the type of comic timing today's episodes, and this one especially, oh-so-sorely lack. Instead, apparently Al Jean feels that every single episode should have a "heartwarming" ending where everything always turns out fine.

2/5

[Mr. Krikt]

How did I miss this post?

i'd prefer to think that it's a type of joke that satirizes some people's haughtiness induced by doing a seemingly beneficial activity... simple psychology. hell, it's not like it's irrelevant in real life

Well fair enough if you think that was the motivation behind this part.

the xylophone itself into that type of situation would look random as hell if there weren't any context whatsoever to it into the scene but having it introduced due to the mispronunciation that had been made by the character before and then having it to be expanded upon later makes it at least a bit forgivable... [etc.]

The presence/delivery of the xylophone joke is not the problem; it's the joke itself. "Notes don't fail me now!" doesn't have any merit besides it being unexpected and having him tiptoe out is just ridiculous.

how is eddie's foot cutaway joke even a subject to guilt of randomness? [etc.]

The problem is this "illustration" doesn't contain anything humorous. We can laugh at the physical humour of Lenny getting punched by Homer or the absurdity of having Homer sit at a wedding with the machine but Eddie just lying in a bed doesn't have any worth on its own. Therefore the humour has to come from not expecting to see Eddie lying in a bed.

These cases of jokes relying on simply being unexpected are examples of poor writing.

You might think that I'm being hypocritical defending Homer at the wedding and criticising Largo's xylophone gag when they're both cases of absurd humour. Well the difference lies in the context.
Largo's joke pushes the extent to which we can suspend our disbelief; you're questioning why he would react in this way.
Homer's is just a look into his imagination and we can believe that he might think this certain thought.