NHC Weekly Episode Club 2.0

[Green Man]

Also, the Leprechaun was meh, though it was a very nice callback.

you thought it was "meh" but "very nice"?

[Jesse Pinkman]

isn't he saying the mention of the leprechaun was 'meh', but the callback at the end (him appearing and telling ralph to burn the house) was 'very nice'? that's how i thought of it anyway

[Zombies Rise from the Sea]

There was a mention to a leprechaun earlier in the episode, so I thought the callback was nice.

The ending where he tells him to burn down the house I felt indifferent to. I didn't feel mad or glad, I just felt indifferent.

[warm slurm]

I actually really like this episode. Ralph has some funny one-liners, as per usual ("pulling only makes it tighter!") but they also give him a fair bit of character, too. I like all of season nine quite a bit, though. I wouldn't say it's where the decline started, at least.

[CousinMerl]

Does anyone else think that the episode kind of feels like something out of the O&W years?; I can't put my finger on it, but I think it might have something to do with the fact that the episode isn't too wacky and has that quirky Season 7 and 8 feeling to it.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Go back and read the previous page as this idea is actually discussed there...at least somewhat....and yes I agree and know what you mean.

Actually...I discuss it with you! Well I mean I talk about its feel in several posts but we never get into a heated discussion or anything. This, apart from a few wackier moments, could've come from the previous era...as I said in earlier posts...

EDIT 2: But I mean it does feel like a secondary character focused episode which, by Season 8, is where Oakley and Weinstein wanted to go isn't it? So I could definitely see them doing a Ralph episode similar to this, though obviously without some of the wackier moments...

[CousinMerl]

Yeah, I went back to the previous page and read it through (one thing I missed was that post update you made where you stated that you agree with me that it could have come from an earlier episode). You're right that it is discussed a little, but there's mostly discussion about the leprechaun and how Ralph was characterized.

[zartok-35]

When you have an episode with Sarge Moton, Chris Clements and Ben Lane, it's very very hard. More often than not, Clements animation looks like Morton. Ben Lane work can look like Mort or Clem.

One of these scenes is the bit where Bart and Ralph encounter the bullies on the street corner. The characters noses are rather short, and the drawings aren't as solid, so the animator here is probably Ben Lane.


If nothing else, I'm pretty sure Ben Lane at least handles the notorious leprechaun scene at the very end of the episode that has been so controvercial to this week's discussion.

BURN 'EM ALL!

On the other hand, I'm quite sure Sarge Morton animates most of the scenes at the prison. The scenes that Ray Persi didn't do, anyway. The bullies turning on Bart shortly after he betrayed Ralph, and so forth. His work is very apparent in the scene when Bart and Ralph enter the chair room, also.



Chris Clements comes on towards the end of the episode, animating the scenes of Quimby getting electrocuted.

[Blobulle]

I hate the beginning of this episode !
When Skinner says "He's trying to kill me !" and children whoop.

I like the idea of this episode : Bart and Ralph become friends, but I don't like the leprechaun, and there are a lot of surrealistic fact (Quimby didn't die in the eletric chair, the leprechaun, the courage of Ralph at the end...)


I like the apparition of Lisa.


Good joke, nice lighting.


Good part...

I remember I gave 3/5 (11/20), but I think I underestimated it.

[Comicshow MolemanBob]

This Little Wiggy

I chose this episode as, like I mentioned earlier, it's not really mentioned around the forum or when discussing Simpsons episodes in general. I will say that this is defiantly not one of my favorite episodes, it's not even my favorite of season 9, but I still really enjoy it. This seems like the first episode focused on Ralph entirely, I feel that "I Love Lisa" is based more on Lisa's feeling for Ralph than Ralph's for Lisa, if you know what I mean. But saying that I do prefer the classic season four episode...

Anyway, This is a very funny episode that's not too wacky and has just the right amount of craziness to detach it from the over the top wackiness of some of Scully's later efforts. The plot is pretty good, giving Bart and Ralph a lot of time to bond or just have sweet little conversations between each other. Funny moments include the robot attacking Skinner, Most of Ralph's crazy dialogue and Wiggum was great as always. Character wise, this episode works well as everyone is in character and although not appearing much, Homer and Lisa had some good moments but I'm glad that they didn't focus on some wacky Homer subplot or inclusion of Lisa (That is until the end)

Like many have already mentioned, the animation is really nice in this episode featuring lots of great shadow work and bright colorful scenes (Including the toy store and museum scenes)

I'll end by saying that this is a nice/sweet episode with some really great humor and although containing some crazy and wacky gags, they do not take much focus away from the plot which stays strong throughout...

Score: 8.0/10.0

[Financial Panther]

If this thread is still going strong at the end of Blobulle's week, will we go back to the top?

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

I haven't decided that yet as we're still several months away from that happening. My current plan is to accept any new member who asks to join here first. If we get no new people though I probably will say start the list over.

[Nauru-1]

Short review this week as I've been busy, but there are a few comment I wanted to make at least.

Let me start by saying I love the bit with the robot as they manage to get several big laughs out of that (the kids imagining what they'll see, the robot calling the kids earthlings, and then going berserk). The next step of the episode is peculiar because it takes the form of one of those generic Scully festival/museum/fair beginnings with the family just interacting with the surroundings of the day. This however is one of the funnier employments in that vein so I can accept that. The comedy in general is the big plus to this episode as it seems to rely very little on the obnoxiousness or laziness that swamps some other season 9 entries. Other bits later on in the episode include Bart poking Wiggum with the stick, the guard, Bart having Ralph hide for a long time the closet.

Granted Ralph's character is exaggerated setting us up for the complete devolution he would undergo subsequently in the series, but here they manage to make him just plausible enough that he actually still feels like a character. The innocent annoyance that he is allows us to understand where Bart is coming from while still appreciating as relatively likeable. That could be what props this one up for me. Other than the bullies I guess, there is a likeability among all the key characters. Chief Wiggum in particular provides great secondary support as a rather awkward father. We've seen him like this at times before but it's delved into a little more here.

It certainly missing a certain class that was always there under the watch of previous showrunners, but with a blend of humour and likeability this one stands as one of the best of the 5F production and of Scully episodes in general. 4/5 (B)

[CousinMerl]

I'm reposting the members' list again so people don't necessarily have to go back to the first post of the thread to see it:

Current List of Members in Line for Episode Nomination:
Financial Panther- Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious
Percy Wellington- The Lastest Gun in the West
D'ohmer- The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
Oh, that's raspberry- Treehouse of Horror III
Squeaky Voiced Teen- Homer Goes to College
Darren.Erg- Itchy & Scratchy & Marge
Comicshow Molemanbob- This Little Wiggy
Zartok-35-
NumberZone-
The Wiggs-
Nauru-1-
Veganpunk-
Zombies Rise from the Sea-
hughes-
hammster-
cinco-
Blobulle-

All right, it's Thursday again and zartok-35 is next; I wonder what episode he'll pick for this weekend.

[zartok-35]

NEXT WEEK:





















































Mark Kirkland's most well directed episode.





SIDESHOW BOB ROBERTS

[Comicshow MolemanBob]

Great choice!

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Awesome pick zartok I'm already looking forward to it!

[CousinMerl]

Really nice choice of episode; I haven't seen that one in quite some while so it will be fun to give it a rewatch and then do a review of it.

[cinco]

Can I still say something about This Little Wiggy?
I read some people saw parallells with the episode-style during the O&W period.
The ending with the Leprechaun is typically Scully though. It' slike those nonsense endings we saw later with camel-Lisa or the sleeping gas-koala or the inhabitants of Springfield on surfboards.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Yes cinco, discussion of "This Little Wiggy" doesn't end until tomorrow so you're fine. And I agree that the leprechaun ending is pure Scully, though a rare actually funny Scully moment to me.

[Veganpunk]

I love that Leprechaun! He may not fit in with the Simpson Universe, but that laugh is hilarious!

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

I see someone has kindly updated the thread title before my prompting this week. Thanks to whoever did it, and yes "Sideshow Bob Roberts" is officially up for discussion.

[Zombies Rise from the Sea]

Ah. Sideshow Bob Roberts; the episode where Bob tries politics while subtly trying to destroy The Simpsons.

Good episode, good moments, good jokes; will post an episode tomorrow when I'm awake.

[cinco]

Ha, Sideshow Bob Roberts... the first episode from The Simpsons I ever taped. (and rewatched countless times)
Wow, no couch-gag or anything in this opening. I totally forgot about that. Well, it's a packed story, so I guess they wouldn't want to waste precious seconds. Anyway, this is one of the few Sideshow Bob-episodes in which he actually succeeds in reaching is goal. He sabotages the elections and moves himself into the position of major so he can handle his right-wing agenda and give The Simpsons a hard time. But in the end his intellectual pride forces him to confess the fraud and he's where he started again... behind (minimal security) bars.
This episode re-uses the Cape Fear(e)-theme from the last Bob-episode, making it his de facto theme from this point forward in the series.
Another remark: this is one of the few episodes in which Smithers betrays Burns due to the conflicting opinions of the rightwing party and his own homosexual lifestyle.
Well, this is it for the moment. I haven't anything else to say.
Maybe some questions. Who is Dr. Demento?
And I'm also not familiar with Archie Comics. Was there something else behind the random cameo of those characters or were the FG-manatees doing some Simpsons-work before FG was actually launched?

[zartok-35]

Who's Dr. Demento??

Apparently, he's a novelty singer, not unlike Ray Stevens or Wierd Al. He has a bizzare effeminate voice.

[Financial Panther]

[zartok-35]

Directed by the masterful Mark Kirkland, assistant director Steve[en Dean] Moore. This period is Kirkland at the top of his game.
I would never choose an episode without ensuring there were several great animators involved;


Tom Woodall handles the scenes with Marge and the kids in the kitchen, where Bart talks about his fireworks project. Marge just doesn't understand!


The Homer and Lisa driving scenes are best left to Mark Ervin, the car artist.



Tom Woodall dpes the scene where Bart refuses "More Deementia with Dr. Demento!"

The scenes of grandpa screaming at Quimby about Matlock are also by Tom Woodall.


The scenes of Sideshow Bob capering for the children are animated by Sarge Morton. Sarge worked only for Mark Kirkland in season 6.



Bart and Lisa 'stoop to the lowest denominator' and befriend 'Uncle Mayor', by Eric Keyes, I think.


Sergeant Mort carries on through the bumper sticker sequence. "Hey Beardo!"


The ensuing downhill shot is beautifully executed.

[zartok-35]

Nasty Matt Nastuk comes up in the debate sequence, most notably the scene where the kids give Quimby the cold medicine.

This episode ended the Nastuk streak of 94', and is his animator status. After this, he will become Kirk's assistant.

The Simpsons are rudely awoke by mayor Terwilliger and his construction crew; Animation by Mark Ervin and Shaun Cashman.



Mark Kirkland tries the Jeffery Lynch effect with some wonderful perspective shots, as Skinner tells Bart he is demoted to Kindergarten. The animator is Celia Kendrick, I think.



Andi Klein animates Homer's talk of "living under a bridge, like common trolls!"


Lisa at the library ala 'All the president’s men' by Adam Dykstra. He drew smaller eyes and wide gaps. Adam worked exclusive for Kirkland in season 6.



The 'deep throats' scene is by Shaun Cashman.



Mike Anderson does the following scenes of Lisa and Bart at the graveyard, with lots of his perfect Mike Anderson eyebrows.


Like nasty Matt, this is Mike's last episode animating.

I suspect this scene is by Mark Ervin, and I absolutely love it; extremely inventive cinematography.


The scenes of Bart and Lisa prosecuting Sideshow Bob are by Mike; a brilliant swansong for he who is probably the greatest Simpson animator.



And then Adam Dykstra steps in to finish things.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Great stuff as usual zartok! We've had this discussion before but Kirkland is easily my favorite Simpsons director as well! You say you would never pick an episode without any talented animators involved but I must wonder if any such episode exists...

Anywho I'm gonna be late again this week as my review won't come until tomorrow at the earliest, perhaps not until later on in the week itself. I'm really gonna try and finish Season 20 first, but I still have 3 more episodes to watch there so I don't know what I'll get to first honestly. I look forward to reading everyone's opinions though as usual!

[zartok-35]

You're right, Raspberry, you have too look long and hard to find something without atleast a handful of notable animators. I just like to pick the episodes where I can tell as many animators as possible! Nothing against talentless hacks or anything, though.