Rate and Review: "The Ten-Per-Cent Solution" (PABF02)

[Zombies Rise from the Sea]

December 4, 2011: The Ten-Per-Cent Solution (PABF02)
After Krusty the Clown's show is canceled and his talent agency drops him, his very first agent, Annie (Joan Rivers), tries to craft his comeback.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Highlights include Homie the Clown continuity with the accountant, Moe gets a cell phone on Hulu, a young Moleman watching Krusty, the clown plaza hotel, Rabbi Krustofski's cameo, not having sex with a clown for 5 months, the make-up mixup, "it's not just TV, it's more expensive", the scene stealing monkey, Krusty staying with her (i think, anyway), sex over sixty.

Bad points include Joan Rivers (Annie) forgiving him so easily, the third Alvin & the Chipmunks movie trailer, the name parodies (still extremely bland).

At least it wasn't a recycled plot from Krusty Gets Kancelled like many would have thought.

God, Marge sounds so off.

Overall, kind of bland, but a good way to waste 30 minutes. 4/5.

[Tubbb!]

Well, at least we got an opening this week with a decent couch gag!

-Oh... Hitler Maggie, and Krusty pointing out the outdated movie references in the cartoons. That was funny, and exactly what I was thinking! Not really impressed with the Itchy and Scratchies, and what's with the choral version of "Creep?" Am I missing a reference there?

-Marge's run about The Honeymooners.
-Homer turns green while "playing" a bloated corpse. Bart says "He always comes back really religious."

-Gabbo can still get representation?

-Krusty drowns in the ball pit, then floats, then returns to the same ball pit to "freshen up."

-Springfield's older characters in the audience at the comedy club, especially long-haired Hans Moleman!



-At least they remembered Krusty's birthmark during the Clown Plaza bit....
-A Pee Wee Herman joke: "That's all!?! I did that while you were on the phone!," then straight into a "The Pee-wee Herman Stage Show: The Return" parody. (Was that Handsome Pete as Little Krusty?)



-Hbowtime... and even though I have both channels, I only got The Sopranos reference.
-"Beloved entertainer... sad old man! Beloved entertainer... sad old man!"
-Where's Mr. Teeny #7? Did he finally die?

... wow, and I thought act 2 was slow ...

-Expandable beret
(Why isn't Joan Rivers getting any funny lines?)
-"Sex Over Sixty: The Mechanics of the Impossible"
...and it's over.

Wow. That started out good, then slowed right the fuck down in act two. Dan and Deb... 'ya let me down. Still good for a Season 23 episode, which ain't sayin' much.
2.5/5

*sigh* I was expecting much, MUCH more.


Some things I noticed the second time around...
Is this the cynical grunge kid from Season 7's "Homerpalooza" all grown up?

[Jesse Pinkman]

+Clown plaza

+Rabbi Krustofski’s appearance

+"I was so mad at him, I didn’t have sex with a clown for 5 months"

+The museum of TV in the first act

-Krusty being shot out of a cannon, twice

+Sex over 60

+The Wire

+The make-up mix-up

first two acts had some good laughs, but the third and fourth acts bored me. they were basically just that joan rivers character yelling at the characters on krusty's show. got kind of boring. but the first half had some good laughs, and i even laughed at some of the stuff in the lasttwo, so 3.5/5, rounded up to a 4.

[Financial Panther]

Sorry, I didn't really care for it. Krusty is my least favorite character, and I'm not really a big fan of most of the episodes he's featured in. I barely laughed at all (My biggest laugh was the couch gag) and I didn't really like the agent either. Still, there wasn't anything offensively bad. A lot like last week's episode. 2/5.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

The first half with the family at the television museum seemed much funnier than watching the Annie freakout conflict they were going for near the end. Krusty commenting on year+ old movie references was good, as was his shock to learn of soft porn. I also liked Jackie Mason's appearance and the whole comment on nostalgia based entertainment in general. If we ignore some obvious continuity errors with the classic era it was pretty good. 4/5

PS: I actually enjoyed the couch gag!

PPS: I missed young Moleman in the crowd I guess I was too distracted by young Jasper.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

PS: I actually enjoyed the couch gag!

Couldn't catch it. What was it?

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

A sword in the stone reference, but only Flanders can pull it out. He does, the family sits on the couch with Homer looking disgruntled.

[Financial Panther]

There was a sword in the couch that had Homer struggling to pull it out, but was unable to. Then Flanders came in and pulled out the sword with ease. The sword says "Property of Ned Flanders."

[biffwestwood]

The first two acts were the best. The constant running of Itchy and Scratchy cartoons and the television museum were great. The secne of Krusty at his own restaurant was good. However, the actual plot is too rehashed to the point that Krusty and his show is now becoming a shadow of itself. Joan Rivers was a poor casting choice.

3/5

On a side note, rapper Deadmau5 had autographed the script but did not appear in the episode.

[Brad Lascelle]

For some reason I always find Dan & Deb episodes overly self-indulgent. The rest of the cast feels like complete window dressing to whichever Castellaneta character is getting the spotlight.
This one was no exception. I've gone into other episodes this season with low expectations but this was probably the first one not to exceed them.

[thewalkindude]

It seems like for everything I liked in this episode, there was something I hated equally. As good as the Museum of Television was, it was balanced out by the Hulu thing. I liked 60's Krusty, but I hated "Sex Over 60" Krusty. I guess what really won me over for this is the continuity, freeze-frame gags and attention to detail that were in there. Every show that was in the Museum of Television was featured at some point, or at least mentioned. (Did we ever see any of Nookie in New York?) Also, the young versions of the elderly seeing Krusty in the 60's was great, aside from Skinner, which was kind of weird. But Krusty did have his Cattle Skull Birthmark and Superfluous Third Nipple, which was great. It's stuff like that that tells me that the writers still care.

[FranklinGeorge]

Dan & Deb disappointed me. The show is going more and more downhill every week. I think the Simpsons has NO CHANCE of renewal after their 25th season ends. I hope next week's Christmas-themed episode changes my mind or I will NEVER watch the show again. After Act 1 ended, I started to drift off to sleep because of how stale the rest of the episode was.
2 out of 5. C-

[irvine_11]

Very mediocre. The plot was a case of been there, done that and the only joke I laughed at was the King of the Hill joke.  As with all of the Al Jean episodes so far this season, this was just a poorly plotted mess with zero believability. Are we really supposed to buy that a struggling entertainer could go that big in such a short time? Also, the ending was horribly rushed. We cut to some really disturbing scene with Krusty and Annie having sex. So, how did Krusty get his children's show back? Also, was the idea of Krusty having a romantic relationship with her really necessary? That really didn't add much - it would have worked just as well if they were just old friends.

Overall, it was just forgettable. It is starting to become very clear that Al Jean is overstaying his welcome. It just feels like they're phoning it in this season. D+

EDIT: Wow, I actually enjoyed Allen Gregory this time around. I thought it was better than tonight's Simpsons - and I never thought I'd say that.

[Tubbb!]

If we ignore some obvious continuity errors with the classic era it was pretty good.

You mean errors like Krusty was already an active television performer in the mid-60s? Yeah, I let that one slide....
"Look at me! I'm Kaputnick, the Russian satellite! Agh! Oh, the Bolshoi's doing the nutcracker in my pants!"
"Back then you couldn't say 'pants' on TV."

I missed young Moleman in the crowd I guess I was too distracted by young Jasper.

I missed Jasper! Guess that'll be one of those "freeze frame" moments! At least that's something to look forward to on the re-watch.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

^Yeah, his Robert Frost interview from the early 60s is the one that I thought of.

Also, I liked that they put Upscalien in da House in the television museum, a nice callback to a recent episode and still the best episode of 2011 imo...

[The Governor]

probably the most boring episode in a long time. I couldn't wait to start my laundry when it was over.

3/5

[bradbradford]

Tubb, "Creep" was part of the Social Network parody, the movie used the song, and used it for their trailer.

I personally loved this episode. Everything worked for me.

[Tubbb!]

Tubb, "Creep" was part of the Social Network parody, the movie used the song, and used it for their trailer.

... I guess that's what I get for not seeing that movie! (I should really watch that movie!)

probably the most boring episode in a long time. I couldn't wait to start my laundry when it was over.

Laundry sounds like a better option than watching Allen Gregory!

On a side note, rapper Deadmau5 had autographed the script but did not appear in the episode.

Huh? Tell me more about this....

[Bleedin' Gums Murphy]

Another shit episode I'm afraid. I know the writers think that we're supposed to love Krusty or find him constantly entertaining or something but it's just too much. It sort of reminded me of the episode where he got his bar mitzvah televised except that episode actually had some decent chuckles. Joan Rivers was okay I guess but without her ability to swear, she is very boring. Nothing made me laugh, it felt too controlled and the plot was weak. 1/5 and 2/10 F

[The Governor]

The wikepedia joke about Krusty's show being too smart for the viewers is synonymous with the dumbing down of the Simpsons and its lack of clever asides. It is as if the writers are worried about being too smart for the audience.

[That Don Guy]

I gave it a 3 - it might have been a 4, but I saw that ending coming.

Written by Deb Lacusta & Dan Castellaneta
Directed by Michael Polcino
Billboard: Duffman is Mark Twain / Springfield Playhouse
Blackobard: "CAUCUS" IS NOT A DIRTY WORD
Couch: Homer unsuccessfully tries to pull a sword from the couch; Ned is able to remove the sword (that has "Property of Ned Flanders" on it)
Special Guest Voice: Kevin Dillon, Janeane Garofalo, Jackie Mason, Joan Rivers
Also Starring: Chris Edgerly, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille
Overseas Animation: Akom
TV Rating: TV-PG-DLSV

The Hulu clips are Museum Madness, Bart Pranks Putin, Homer Drunk on Oven Cleaner, and Moe Gets a Cell Phone. (The last one is from "Love is a Many Strangled Thing.")

One of the old TV relics is the bill from the Schoolhouse Rock song "I'm Just a Bill."

When Homer talks like Fatso Flanagan, Marge calls him Ralph, Fred, Archie, and King of Queens. Fred and Archie refer to Fred Flintstone and Archie Bunker ("All in the Family"); in fact, Jackie Gleason considered suing William Hanna and Joseph Barbera (creators of "The Flintstones") at one point.

Krusty's former agent still has Gabbo and Arnie Pye on his cellphone.

Krusty says that when his horses were on cocaine, they got paranoid around the third turn. In fact, there are very few races for thoroughbreds that go around more than two turns (unless Krusty frequents a lot of half-mile tracks).

[Tubbb!]

^Yeah, his Robert Frost interview from the early 60s is the one that I thought of.

Also, I liked that they put Upscalien in da House in the television museum, a nice callback to a recent episode and still the best episode of 2011 imo...

There's a lot of callbacks to TV shows in OFF's world:

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Ah, that Thicker Than Waters one is also very nice Of course I am not surprised I missed it during my first watch.

[bradbradford]

I forgot to mention one joke that really got me laughing. Moe watching the show and then saying there hasn't been anything good on since The Wire, and then saying he didn't really watch it and has had to bluff his way through so many conversations. This was great, I've actually done this before to appease friends raving about it and I bluffed my way through the conversation. Hahahah. No one else liked this joke?

[NoOneFamous]

I hate all the more recent Krusty episodes, and this was no exception. Also Dan and Deb are terrible writers.

[lionelhutz123]

Lisa dreading the on-display skeletons of the three stooges was FUNNY and made me chuckle, but they didn't need to milk it by actually showing it to us later. That kills the imagination factor that made me appreciate the joke to begin with.

[Tubbb!]

Lisa dreading the on-display skeletons of the three stooges was FUNNY and made me chuckle, but they didn't need to milk it by actually showing it to us later. That kills the imagination factor that made me appreciate the joke to begin with.

I would agree with you if it hadn't been for the box of "unclassified Curlys." That extra joke made it work for me.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

There's a lot of callbacks to TV shows in OFF's world:

Could've sworn that the spelling was "McGarnagle".

[Blobulle]

Boring episode, the 235252th come-back of Krusty.
Meh. 2.5/5 rounded up to 3.