Rate and Review: "The Book Job" (NABF22)

[Old painty-can Ned]

Best of the season so far C

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Best of the season so far C

Heh.

[Mr.]

This must be the best episode I seen in 2-3 seasons. Good idea, some fun jokes on the way and for once it didn't need any B story or got plot distracted by the pointles side gags. The dinosours begining was weakest part and I wish they didn't make the obvious continuty error with the author of the "Angelica Buttons" books but that's about all I have to complain. Then agian - when Sideshow Bob made his second apperance he had complitly diffrent desing and nobody did complain about that...

I was expecting Neil Gaiman to only make small cameo (similar to Steven King or J.K. Rowlling) but here he actuall got to play a part and I enjoy him as a secondary character. I honestly wish they would use guest stars playing them self more in this way since it dosen't feel like a waste of talent.

[Friz]

Please tell me this is them making fun of Fox and the episodes are going to be good from now on instead of being crap and being linked to other Fox shows every other episode. This one was ok I guess... 3.5... being generous.

yeah, this was a complete rip-off of that neil gaiman show on fox.

what are you blithering on about.

[Tubbb!]

Newer writers?

Valentina Garza's been on staff for 5 years, and she was the last one hired. Matt Selman's been on for 15 and still going. None of the writers on the show are "new", certainly not Dan Vebber, who first joined Futurama almost 13 years ago.

You mean Dan Vebber, the freelance writer who only has one Simpsons episode to his credit... that one episode being this one? Mmmm hmmmm. I call that "new." (WTF does Futurama even have to do with a discussion about The Simpsons? He wrote for Buffy The Vampire Slayer as well. Wanna work that into your argument somewhere?)
As for who made the faux pas, if it was one of the veteran writers that contributed the whole gag about T. R. Francis, it wouldn't surprise me. Ever listen to the DVD commentaries? Sometimes veteran writers can't even remember basic things about the main characters.

I stand by my original statement.

[IceToSeeYou]

Another wacky adventure. Is there anything Homer and the gang can't do? 2/5.

[jbauer]

You mean Dan Vebber, the freelance writer who only has one Simpsons episode to his credit... that one episode being this one? Mmmm hmmmm. I call that "new." (WTF does Futurama even have to do with a discussion about The Simpsons? He wrote for Buffy The Vampire Slayer as well. Wanna work that into your argument somewhere?)
As for who made the faux pas, if it was one of the veteran writers that contributed the whole gag about T. R. Francis, it wouldn't surprise me. Ever listen to the DVD commentaries? Sometimes veteran writers can't even remember basic things about the main characters.

I stand by my original statement.

My point is that Vebber has tons of experience writing scripts for animation. Besides most of Futurama, he also spent years on American Dad. These shows employ a lot of the same people, with the same experience. And Futurama's similar enough to the Simpsons to make the transition a smooth one. Besides Vebber, there are at least six former Futurama staffers on the current Simpsons staff, and I'm not even counting Groening. So, I think Futurama plays well into this discussion.

After 23 years of non-stop primetime animation, there's a specific niche for animation writers in the industry. Vebber's long since become one. Buffy was merely a starting step. Case in point, what has Jon Vitti done in the past 10 years besides writing animated films?

I didn't even take the faux pas into consideration. It's beside my original point. If a veteran writer can't remember a specific fact or trait, that shouldn't be held against them. Most of them worked on 250 episodes or more. Try doing that for 10+ years, and then try to remember Skinner's favorite dish on a trivia contest. Unless you have a very photographic memory like Al Jean, chances are you're going to make a mistake.

[jbauer]

As for the review, easily the best episode produced this year. Pretty bold and original concept having this particular group of characters. The idea of mixing youth oriented novel satire with a caper plot is pretty clever.

And terrific performance by Neil Gaiman. The man's a natural at cartoon voice acting. And he was pretty well used throughout the story.

5/5

[Daria]

My list is almost tha same, but ... I didn't get this "Team Schmul"
What is it about?????

[Food Blog]

This impressed me more than most recent Simpsons episodes. They made pretty good use of the guest star - in fact, this may be the first time that an animated show has included a guest star and not managed to annoy me at some point. I won't repeat all of the great points already made in this thread, but nothing about the episode bothered me except that most of them seemed out of character, especially Lisa. That and it was a good episode, but I almost felt like it crossed between being more like the older Simpsons material, and being so unlike The Simpsons that it could just as easily be a good episode of something else entirely. Behaviour and motivations were believable and human, but not that well suited to the characters.

I wouldn't mind seeing more material by this writer because I see some original plots coming, but to bring the series back into form they will need to do away with continuity errors and make sure everyone is more true to character. I wouldn't have any major complaints about the series if they managed this.

[Zorkel567]

What's the whole Kansas City joke?

[bovine_university]

That's two in a row, maybe there's hope yet for this year, but we'll see.

The opening didn't impress me at first, between a pretty bland opening scene with the dinosaur show and a lot of jokes about Bart and Lisa whining and yelling at each other, I was expecting the worst. Once the story kicked in however, things got much better. The reveal of T.R. Francis was funny, and yet felt eerily true as well, and you could understand why it would shatter Lisa as much as it did. Once the actual job started, things got much better. The assembly of the team was funny and so was the writing process they went through. I thought it was clever to see the team shaming all the cliche ideas and tropes that young readers go crazy for these days, but still creating something that you could see young readers getting into and becoming the next big thing. Neil Gaiman was a real treat also, a guest appearance that harkened back to the classic days. He's a big name and yet everyone treats him like he's a nobody, and I found it hilarious to see him relegated to buying pizza and food for the others.

I liked how they used Lisa too. I was convinced she was going to be up to her usual role of being preachy towards the others, but her montage of how she kept getting distracted was funny and yet believable for her. It also really said something about how we may scoff at books designed for marketability, but it truly is difficult to come up with something original. When she finally factored into the heist, it still worked, and yet she kept her aura of sadness and hopelessness.

The only thing that does bring the episode down however, is the final act wasn't all that great. It didn't derail the entire show and I did like the idea of the company changing the book, the whole last act seemed too rushed. The break-in could have been an entire episode, instead it becomes alot of quick cut gags streaming by faster than you can process them. It made what could have been a dramatic or much funnier act feel thin. Also, I saw the twist with Lisa coming, which isn't a big deal, but with stories about double-crossings, you really need to try a little harder. The last scene with Neil Gaiman however, got a big laugh from me.

Nice story, very good laughs, some good ideas and commentary about the world of literature, so all-in-all this was a pretty good episode. 4/5

[Tubbb!]

My point is that Vebber has tons of experience writing scripts for animation. Besides most of Futurama, he also spent years on American Dad. These shows employ a lot of the same people, with the same experience. And Futurama's similar enough to the Simpsons to make the transition a smooth one.

I'm glad the man's a "script mill." Maybe he should do some research into the characters he's writing about.

Besides Vebber, there are at least six former Futurama staffers on the current Simpsons staff, and I'm not even counting Groening. So, I think Futurama plays well into this discussion.

Most of whom probably have more than one Simpsons episode under their belt. They understand the canon by now, and Vebber does not. Since you only mentioned Futurama in relation to Vebber, I don't think it matters diddly-squat. His experience with the characters on Futurama doesn't magically give him knowledge of characters, or canon, on The Simpsons.

After 23 years of non-stop primetime animation, there's a specific niche for animation writers in the industry. Vebber's long since become one. Buffy was merely a starting step. Case in point, what has Jon Vitti done in the past 10 years besides writing animated films?

Apparently sarcasm goes right over your head.

I didn't even take the faux pas into consideration. It's beside my original point. If a veteran writer can't remember a specific fact or trait, that shouldn't be held against them. Most of them worked on 250 episodes or more. Try doing that for 10+ years, and then try to remember Skinner's favorite dish on a trivia contest. Unless you have a very photographic memory like Al Jean, chances are you're going to make a mistake.

Since that was the beef I had in my OP that you first responded to, maybe you should have taken the faux pas into consideration. On the topic of Simpsons trivia, I'd take any of the writers to task on that... and I've been watching since season one of Ullman, which is much more than 10 years. Have you ever seen the Global Fanfest trivia segment on the season 12 DVD? That makes me cringe every time. Let's not even talk about the ignorance by the writers in the majority of the DVD commentaries....

As for your trivia question: Which Skinner? Seymour, Agnes, or Armin Tamzarian?

(In reality, I'm not sure it's ever been mentioned... however, in "Principal Charming," Skinner states: "Say what they will about our cafeteria, I still think they're the best tater tots that money can buy." Then he longingly savors their aroma. That would lead me to believe that "tater tots" would be your answer. You could also say "cafeteria food" in general. However, Agnes Skinner offers him lima beans as a reward for cleaning his room in "The Principal and the Pauper," then gives him poached fish for his trip to Capital City... so, who's to say? In "22 Short Films," he's clearly baking a ham at first, and in "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" he's grilling hot dogs for Bart and himself. You've got me stumped on this one, and I eagerly await the correct answer from you!)

[jbauer]

I recall the Global Fanfest. I didn't really see anything cringeworthy on that one.

I think it's fair to say that none of the writers are required to memorize such details. That's why movies and TV shows employ script supervisors and coordinators, people whose job is to keep track of all that. It's hard enough to develop a good story without getting bogged down on the little details.

There's a difference between being a writer and being a fan, especially a devoted one. And that's why I'd spare the writers on that issue, especially with 493 episodes already aired.

And as for the question, I was definitely referring to Tamzarian...

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Umm, holy shit. I shouldn't have missed this one. Easily better than any episode from the last two seasons. 5/5.

Just these bits were enough to warrant it:




It had a great story, and a nice Lisa one as well for once. Also enjoyed "The Bourne Exploitation". But Neil Gaiman slowed it down a little.

[lionelhutz123]

what has Jon Vitti done in the past 10 years besides writing animated films?

He's a writer on the office.

I never got around to doing a review! I liked this one and not for the sake of it being a decent parody, but I thought the story worked very well. When I first heard the description that they were going to tackle "tween" literature or whatever it's called with their own fantasy novel, I thought of that twilight THOH segment from last year and was just like "bleh, please don't", but what we got here was pretty neat. It was actually an original idea that was plausibly created by the characters and it felt like a fun and successful jab at the whole harry potter/twilight craze. It was really good satire for once, which turned real when it showed the struggle of the writing process. Kind of a compromise that it's not as easy as pulling the ideas out of your ass. Also, as the story progressed, I was actually rooting for the characters, especially when they all realized that they cared more about their creation more than the money. Also it was funny on several occasions. The best one was the gag many have mentioned which is the recruitment of Professor Frink. The quick back and forth between him and Homer was hilarious. The only weak part was the dinosaur intro, but even that at least was quick and unoffensive. Anyway, much better than the Selman episode that aired before it. 4/5

Oh and about the continuity with T.R. Francis....it's pretty obvious the author we saw here is the daughter T.R. Francis who writes for the rest of the Angelica Button series ever since her mom passed away.

[Tubbb!]

And as for the question, I was definitely referring to Tamzarian...

Good 'ol Principal Tamzarian!

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

The Simpsons staff should take this episode's advice. It's not about the money, it's about the creation.

Though it really is about the money.

[Bleedin' Gums Murphy]

Not suprising that the episode following this good one, with Jean back in charge, turns out to be boring and shit...

[The Governor]

I recall the Global Fanfest. I didn't really see anything cringeworthy on that one.

I think it's fair to say that none of the writers are required to memorize such details. That's why movies and TV shows employ script supervisors and coordinators, people whose job is to keep track of all that. It's hard enough to develop a good story without getting bogged down on the little details.

There's a difference between being a writer and being a fan, especially a devoted one. And that's why I'd spare the writers on that issue, especially with 493 episodes already aired.

I don't care if the show is 215 years old and has 8,155 episodes, its not the viewer's responsibility to give the writers a free pass to suck. You might find something noble to revere the staff, but its their job and because we don't work in the tv industry doesn't mean we cannot be critical of their work.

[Commander Flanders]

5/5 and not ashamed of the rating.

A coherent plot with plenty of funny one-liners that somewhat restored my faith in the series.

[jbauer]

He's a writer on the office.

I was aware of that. I usually make an exception for Greg Daniels-produced TV shows, since they employ a lot of the same people, like Futurama and The Critic.

Greg Daniels developed The Office, and brought Simpsons and King of the Hill staffers to work on it. Brent Forrester, Daniel Chun and Jon Vitti all have written for it, and Mike Scully also worked on Parks and Recreation. And now, there'll be an upcoming episode of The Office written by Dan Greaney, even though he's still on The Simpsons.

[Brvtality]

Found myself laughing a lot at this one, definitely one of the better newer episodes. Lots of good jokes and no particularly out of character moments. More like this please!

[tvguy347]

A fine episode, featuring several awesome jokes. 5/5

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Gonna have to rewatch this, because in my mind I want to lower the grade when I'm thinking about it now.

[Xt'Tapalatakettle]

Sit, Stay, Love. Laughed so hard at that, not sure why.

Overall, a very solid episode. The uptempo nature of the plot helped overshadow some jokes that didn't work and helped some mediocre jokes become funny ones (e.g.- the computer guy joke with Frink). It was an eclectic mix of characters that seemed to work well together. I like how Patty was an avid reader of fantasy novels. It seems apropos for an older single women to lose themselves in worlds of fantasy.

There's also a lot of deep commentary here which they didn't shove in your face. The idea of being a solitary writer who catapults themselves to stardom is extremely alluring for most budding authors, but probably not the norm anymore. Other forms of media (TV, movies, etc.) are built on collaboration, and books are no exception. Collaborative writing is something that the writers for this show have to work with every day, so I am sure the topic is familiar to them.

I give it a B+, or 4/5. I am glad I went back and checked it out.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

I rewatched it, the rating stays. Still can't believe Lisa gives someone what they want in a post-classic episode, even if it doesn't truly work out at the end for her.

[Bella Drape 'er]

The Italian Job/heist storyboarding style was fun and made it also easy to digest.

Some of the jokes avoided the obvious targets and surprised me.

But otherwise it's just a enjoyable season 23 episode.

3/5

[Agent Polar]

That was pretty good and I'd probably agree with best of season. There was stuff like the paleontology line which was just good Homer and some of the dinosaur stuff. It's all fairly good. Lisa's procrastination was a bit out of character I felt, and that the music over the different titles got annoying just over halfway through.

I also will never fail to be annoyed about the opening credits that go for an entire act. The first credits after we had already seen a bit of the dinosaur show should have been when all the credits had finished. It is, however, very, very slightly forgivable when each of the acts feels lengthy and I can actually get into them and spend a fair amount of time enjoying them before being forced out by ads, and if that's just due to getting rid of the opening, do it all the time, not that I cared for it all nowadays anyway.

But a good 3/5, this is what I need from this show every week and I'll be happy. But we all know how that turns out.

[iambobdole1]

A few of the gags were decent, but I felt like the whole plot setup had been done before somehow. Also, I felt a bit cheated with the Neil Gaiman stuff. I love his writing, but if you take away the more specific references, they really could have used anybody for this. It really didn't add much to the story, and it was the main reason I watched, so it seemed like a cheap way to get more ratings to me.
2/5