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UberTag · Sep 23, 2015

Harry Shearer has returned after his latest salary holdout. The show has been renewed for another two seasons thus guaranteeing that there will be new Simpsons content hitting the airwaves more than 30 years after they first appeared on the Tracey Ullman show in April 1987. And Homer and Marge are breaking up once again. Some things just never change.

As with last season's thread, this will be the place to discuss new episodes away from the classic era loving confines of the Simpsons Community thread where such talk would be considered blasphemous.

Last season we only had one truly great episode in I Won't Be Home for Christmas. This seems to be a trend with the even-numbered seasons in the HD era. Whereas the odd-numbered seasons are less consistent but feature higher highs and lower lows.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

1. Halloween of Horror (S27E4 / TABF22) | Writer = Carolyn Omine | Director = Mike B. Anderson | Showrunner = Matt Selman
2. Barthood (S27E9 / VABF02) | Writer = Dan Greaney | Director = Rob Oliver | Showrunner = Al Jean

WORTH WATCHING

3. Much Apu About Something (S27E12 / VABF05) | Writer = Michael Price | Director = Bob Anderson | Showrunner = Al Jean
4. 'Paths of Glory (S27E8 / VABF01) | Writer = Michael Ferris | Director = Steven Dean Moore | Showrunner = Al Jean
5. 'Cue Detective (S27E2 / TABF17) | Writer = Joel H. Cohen | Director = Timothy Bailey | Showrunner = Matt Selman
6. The Marge-ian Chronicles (S27E16 / VABF09) | Writer = Brian Kelley | Director = Chris Clements | Showrunner = Matt Selman

FINE... BUT DON'T GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO WATCH THESE EPISODES

7. Fland Canyon (S27E19 / VABF12) | Writer = J. Stewart Burns | Director = Michael Polcino | Showrunner = Al Jean
8. The Girl Code (S27E10 / VABF03) | Writer = Rob LaZebnik | Director = Chris Clements | Showrunner = Matt Selman
9. Puffless (S27E3 / TABF19) | Writer = J. Stewart Burns | Director = Rob Oliver | Showrunner = Al Jean
10. Orange is the New Yellow (S27E22 / VABF15) | Writer = Eric Horsted | Director = Chris Clements | Showrunner = Al Jean
11. Gal of Constant Sorrow (S27E14 / VABF06) | Writer = Carolyn Omine | Director = Matthew Nastuk | Showrunner = Al Jean

MEH

12. Simprovised (S27E21 / VABF13) | Writer = John Frink | Director = Matthew Nastuk | Showrunner = Al Jean
13. How Lisa Got Her Marge Back (S27E18 / VABF11) | Writer = Jeff Martin | Director = Bob Anderson | Showrunner = Al Jean
14. Lisa the Veterinarian (S27E15 / VABF08) | Writer = Dan Vebber | Director = Steven Dean Moore | Showrunner = Al Jean
15. Love Is in the N2-O2-Ar-CO2-Ne-He-CH4 (S27E13 / VABF07) | Writer = John Frink | Director = Mark Kirkland | Showrunner = Al Jean
16. Every Man's Dream (S27E1 / TABF14) | Writer = J. Stewart Burns | Director = Matthew Nastuk | Showrunner = Al Jean
17. Friend with Benefit (S27E6 / TABF21) | Writer = Rob LaZebnik | Director = Matthew Faughnan | Showrunner = Al Jean

AVOID THESE LIKE THE PLAGUE

18. Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles (S27E11 / VABF04) | Writer = Joel H. Cohen | Director = Timothy Bailey | Showrunner = Al Jean
19. The Burns Cage (S27E17 / VABF10) | Writer = Rob LaZebnik | Director = Rob Oliver | Showrunner = Al Jean
20. Lisa with an 'S' (S27E7 / TABF20) | Writer = Stephanie Gillis | Director = Bob Anderson | Showrunner = Al Jean

MAY IT BE FOREVER DESTROYED ALONG WITH THE TALKING BAR RAG EPISODE

21. Treehouse of Horror XXVI (S27E5 / TABF18) | Writer = Joel H. Cohen | Director = Steven Dean Moore | Showrunner = Al Jean
22. To Courier with Love (S27E20 / VABF14) | Writer = Bill Odenkirk | Director = Timothy Bailey | Showrunner = Al Jean

The Simpsons will be back in the fall for Season 28 as they approach Episode 600.

PeakPointMatrix · Sep 23, 2015

Never fear they've got stories for years!

Actually, I'm surprised they haven't done Patty & Selma quitting smoking yet. Probably the only episode whose plot I'm remotely intrigued by.

Apoc29 · Sep 23, 2015

Homer is diagnosed with narcolepsy, but instead of returning home with his prescription medication, he returns home drunk. He and Marge visit a marriage counselor and have a trial separation, during which Homer begins dating a 20-something.

UberTag · Sep 23, 2015

PeakPointMatrix said:
Actually, I'm surprised they haven't done Patty & Selma quitting smoking yet. Probably the only episode whose plot I'm remotely intrigued by.

Technically they had a subplot just last season where Patty & Selma agreed to quit smoking so Homer would let them stay in his house. The deal was that they'd be thrown out if they buckled just once. He installed smoke detectors throughout the entire house to torment them.

Eventually, they broke (after e-cigs failed to do the trick) and tried to light up in the downstairs bathroom only for the water to catch fire thanks to Burns' underground fracking operation.

PeakPointMatrix · Sep 23, 2015

UberTag said:
Technically they had a subplot just last season where Patty & Selma agreed to quit smoking so Homer would let them stay in his house. The deal was that they'd be thrown out if they buckled just once. He installed smoke detectors throughout the entire house to torment them.

Eventually, they broke (after e-cigs failed to do the trick) and tried to light up in the downstairs bathroom only for the water to catch fire thanks to Burns' underground fracking operation.

I actually remember not hating that ep.

Joni · Sep 23, 2015

Simpsons Already Did It. Never thought I'd see that applied to The Simpsons itself.

UberTag beat me, I remember the episode still quite well, it was shown locally here quite recently.

Anth0ny · Sep 23, 2015

PeakPointMatrix said:
Never fear they've got stories for years!

Actually, I'm surprised they haven't done Patty & Selma quitting smoking yet. Probably the only episode whose plot I'm remotely intrigued by.

"they'll never stop the simpsons" was playing in my head as I read the OP

well done

UberTag · Sep 23, 2015

PeakPointMatrix said:
I actually remember not hating that ep.

The first act was fine. I would even go so far as to say it was good. It sort of went off the rails with the fracking plot.
Marge pretty much just reiterated "our water was on fire" the entire episode.
Burns and Lombard didn't have much in the way of chemistry... and I know Jane Fonda can act. I just saw Youth last week. Her guest bit here felt phoned in.

UberTag · Sep 27, 2015

On deck for tonight's Season 27 premiere...

EVERY MAN'S DREAM - Sunday, September 27th | Episode Production Code = TABF14 / Writer = J. Stewart Burns

HOMER AND MARGE HAVE A TRIAL SEPARATION

FOX Promo
Episode Disclaimer - Homer and Marge, Together Forever
Clip #1 - Owning It
Clip #2 - A Childhood Snowman
Clip #3 - Making a Deal

Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Jemima Kirke and Laura Ingraham Make Guest-Voice Appearances

Homer is diagnosed with narcolepsy, but instead of returning home with his prescription medication, he returns home drunk. He and Marge visit a marriage counselor and have a trial separation, during which Homer begins dating a 20-something.

FXX Marathon Theme - Marriage on the Rocks

4:00pm The War of the Simpsons (S2E20 / 7F20 / 1991)
4:30pm Secrets of a Successful Marriage (S5E22 / 1F20 / 1994)
5:00pm A Milhouse Divided (S8E6 / 4F04 / 1996)
5:30pm The Cartridge Family (S9E5 / 5F01 / 1997)
6:00pm Half-Decent Proposal (S13E10 / DABF04 / 2002)
6:30pm Brake My Wife, Please (S14E20 / EABF15 / 2003)
7:00pm Dangerous Curves (S20E5 / KABF18 / 2008)
7:30pm What Animated Women Want (S24E17 / RABF08 / 2013)

RadioHeadAche · Sep 27, 2015

Will watch again because shut up, that's why. Prepared for episodes to both suck and blow.

IceDoesntHelp · Sep 27, 2015

Burns is sure writing a lot more episodes lately, not complaining really. Hes one of (if not) the best current writers for The Simpsons.

Please be a good season :/

EDIT: They really need to try something new too. They should have had it so Marge and Homer actually broke up, and stayed broken up for a couple episodes. It would force them to change the formula up a bit, or ffs, move Lisa and Bart up a grade. Can't keep 'em in grade 2 and 4 forever. It would also give reason to find a new teacher for bart, instead of getting substitutes, or just skipping out on school episodes in general.

UberTag · Sep 27, 2015

IceDoesntHelp said:
Burns is sure writing a lot more episodes lately, not complaining really. Hes one of (if not) the best current writers for The Simpsons.

Please be a good season :/

Burns is kind of all over the map in terms of consistency.

I like to think that his great episodes (Holidays of Future Passed, Steal This Episode, Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind) are ones that he largely steers in terms of a core plot framework whereas his duds (The D'oh-cial Network, Days of Future Future, What Animated Women Want) are the ones that just seem to lack focus that got derailed simply by letting the writer's room fight over whose jokes make the cut.

IceDoesntHelp · Sep 27, 2015

UberTag said:
Burns is kind of all over the map in terms of consistency. I like to think that his great episodes are ones that he largely steers in terms of a core plot framework whereas his duds are the ones that just seem to lack focus that got derailed simply by letting the writer's room fight over whose jokes make the cut.

That's true. I feel he has a decent track record though. I only really dislike 2 or 3 episodes from him.

Mesousa · Sep 27, 2015

Not going to lie tonight is the first episode I have looked forward to in a long time.

Aaron Strife · Sep 27, 2015

Family Guy did it

SalvaPot · Sep 27, 2015

I recently marathoned all Simpsons episodes (Took me 2 months), and even if the quality of the first few seasons is far better, I believe that last 3 seasons has had a sense of familiarity and a few inspired episodes, also bad episodes tend to be entertaining enough, nothing that has made me cringe so far. I´ll be watching.

jrush64 · Sep 27, 2015

Looking forward to it. Always enjoy the Simpsons.

IceDoesntHelp · Sep 27, 2015

SalvaPot said:
I recently marathoned all Simpsons episodes (Took me 2 months), and even if the quality of the first few seasons is far better, I believe that last 3 seasons has had a sense of familiarity and a few inspired episodes, also bad episodes tend to be entertaining enough, nothing that has made me cringe so far. I´ll be watching.

Not even Lisa Goes Gaga or Moe Goes from Rags to Riches?

Future · Sep 27, 2015

Came in here to see if Harry came back. Of course he did. Easy moneys

UberTag · Sep 27, 2015

IceDoesntHelp said:
Not even Lisa Goes Gaga or Moe Goes from Rags to Riches?

To be fair, both of those were from Season 23. SalvaPot said nothing from the past three seasons made him cringe... and neither of those were from the past three seasons.

That said, I challenge anyone to watch Days of Future Future without cringing.

IceDoesntHelp · Sep 27, 2015

UberTag said:
To be fair, both of those were from Season 23. SalvaPot said nothing from the past three seasons made him cringe... and neither of those were from the past three seasons.

That said, I challenge anyone to watch Days of Future Future without cringing.

Technically its the past three seasons till 8pm tonight (;
I also keep forgetting how many seasons this show is on.

SalvaPot · Sep 27, 2015

IceDoesntHelp said:
Not even Lisa Goes Gaga or Moe Goes from Rags to Riches?

Lisa goes Gaga was dumb, but it was clear it was just a vehicle for Gaga to do her thing. Moe goes from Rag to Riches I can´t remember at all.

UberTag · Sep 27, 2015

SalvaPot said:
Moe goes from Rag to Riches I can´t remember at all.

Be thankful for that.

SalvaPot · Sep 27, 2015

UberTag said:
Be thankful for that.

Selective memory is a blessing in disguise.

Walpurgis · Sep 27, 2015

UberTag said:
Technically they had a subplot just last season where Patty & Selma agreed to quit smoking so Homer would let them stay in his house. The deal was that they'd be thrown out if they buckled just once. He installed smoke detectors throughout the entire house to torment them.

PeakPointMatrix said:

LMAO!!!

Joni · Sep 27, 2015

IceDoesntHelp said:
Not even Lisa Goes Gaga or Moe Goes from Rags to Riches?

The real cringe is that Lisa Goes Gaga was one of the most popular episodes of that season. The Bieber episode was way better.

IceDoesntHelp · Sep 28, 2015

So how was it?

Sanjuro · Sep 28, 2015

IceDoesntHelp said:
So how was it?

No bueno.

firebricks3 · Sep 28, 2015

That season opener was no good at all.

UberTag · Sep 28, 2015

firebricks3 said:
That season opener was no good at all.

And yet, somehow, it was better than I was expecting it to be.
Of course, I had abysmally low expectations for it.

Julie's voicework seemed rather rough. Not that she hasn't had rough patches before but this was "the entire episode" sort of rough.
I actually plowed through the FXX marathon before the premiere tonight so I know what Marge typically sounds like... and this was very lackluster.

Zubz · Sep 28, 2015

UberTag said:
Technically they had a subplot just last season where Patty & Selma agreed to quit smoking so Homer would let them stay in his house. The deal was that they'd be thrown out if they buckled just once. He installed smoke detectors throughout the entire house to torment them.

Eventually, they broke (after e-cigs failed to do the trick) and tried to light up in the downstairs bathroom only for the water to catch fire thanks to Burns' underground fracking operation.

Even if it's an A-Plot this time, it's still a story they recently covered as a B-Plot. I wonder what they'll end up doing to make the plots feel different?

Dishwalla · Sep 28, 2015

The stuff with Homer dating the Lena Dunham character wasn't too bad, and the double date was interesting, but the ending sucked with all the was it a dream crap.

IceDoesntHelp · Sep 28, 2015

so is this a 6/10 episode or 7/10 episode.

B.K. · Sep 28, 2015

IceDoesntHelp said:
so is this a 6/10 episode or 7/10 episode.

2/10. Would have been a 3/10 if it had had an actual ending.

IceDoesntHelp · Sep 28, 2015

B.K. said:
2/10. Would have been a 3/10 if it had had an actual ending.

So you're saying this is almost as bad a Lady Goes Gaga and Moe Goes From Rags to Riches?

Zubz · Sep 28, 2015

Dishwalla said:
The stuff with Homer dating the Lena Dunham character wasn't too bad, and the double date was interesting, but the ending sucked with all the was it a dream crap.

So wait, despite how much they built up "Homer dating another woman rather than merely being tempted" as the big twist for this season, despite the fact that they gave themselves a strong justification with the whole "part of a marriage counseling trial," and despite the fact that every other time they've came close to this plotline it's ended with "Homer loves Marge and they get back together" so it was pretty easy to assume it'd end the same way, it was still a "Dream Ending" episode?

Sanjuro · Sep 28, 2015

IceDoesntHelp said:
so is this a 6/10 episode or 7/10 episode.

A realistic rating from a Simpsons fan?

It's a 4-5.5/10 episode. Even in bad episodes, I can spot clever writing. This episode had none of this.

UberTag · Sep 28, 2015

IceDoesntHelp said:
so is this a 6/10 episode or 7/10 episode.

Here's the A.V. Club's review of tonight's episode... although it more or less gives the entire thing away.

It would be fair to argue that this was "yet another shameless Simpsons publicity stunt" episode. Just like the "Sideshow Bob kills Bart" segment of Treehouse of Horror will be a month from now... which, incidentally, I'm expecting will be handled as tastefully as Eli Roth handled cannibalism in The Green Inferno.

IceDoesntHelp said:
So you're saying this is almost as bad a Lady Goes Gaga and Moe Goes From Rags to Riches?

I wouldn't go that far. Tim Long didn't write this one and I didn't throw up in my mouth the way I did watching Days of Future Future. Is that considered a ringing endorsement?

I'll share two compliments... Matthew Nastuk continued his recent hot streak with solid animation direction. This episode looked great... really enjoyed Homer's psychedelic "romancing the pharamacist" montage sequence. Also, Lena Dunham's voice delivery was quite solid. She did fine. I could have done without the blatant pandering of shuttling in the rest of her Girls co-stars, though. That was completely unnecessary.

Zubz said:
So wait, despite how much they built up "Homer dating another woman rather than merely being tempted" as the big twist for this season, despite the fact that they gave themselves a strong justification with the whole "part of a marriage counseling trial," and despite the fact that every other time they've came close to this plotline it's ended with "Homer loves Marge and they get back together" so it was pretty easy to assume it'd end the same way, it was still a "Dream Ending" episode?

More like a dream within a dream within a dream within a dream episode.
If anything, the fact that they went overkill with it helped win me over more than had they just backed out once.

IceDoesntHelp · Sep 28, 2015

Sanjuro said:
A realistic rating from a Simpsons fan?

It's a 4-5.5/10 episode. Even in bad episodes, I can spot clever writing. This episode had none of this.

Okay. So a terribly mediocre episode. I'll still check it out one day to see for myself.
I consider 6 to be mediocre, high 6's and low 7's to be good and anything in the high 7's or above to be great and worth a definite watch (nowadays).

Tapejara · Sep 28, 2015

Didn't even realize there was an OT for this season.

Yeah, I can usually get some enjoyment out of modern Simpsons. This premiere was awful.

Measley · Sep 28, 2015

Can't believe I was 4 when this show first came on the air. Now I'm married with kids who are older than I was when this show first came on the air.

It's time to put the Simpsons to bed.

Sanjuro · Sep 28, 2015

IceDoesntHelp said:
Okay. So a terribly mediocre episode. I'll still check it out one day to see for myself.
I consider 6 to be mediocre, high 6's and low 7's to be good and anything in the high 7's or above to be great and worth a definite watch (nowadays).

It's below mediocre. It was basically them trying to be somewhat of a draw in a long Sunday lineup of mehs.

Mesousa · Sep 28, 2015

Absolutely terrible episode. I don't see how anyone could hold their head high after putting this together.

Also WTF is up with Kavner's voice? I can swear there was one point she was talking to the kids and it completely slipped into Selma type of voice. You would think they would have cut and retried that scene given the production values the simpsons has.

shintoki · Sep 28, 2015

I can't deal with another Homer and Marge breaking up

BatDan · Sep 28, 2015

I look forward to Dead Homer Society's recap.

March of the Crabs · Sep 28, 2015

Am I weird for liking this? Seemed miles above the past few seasons on sheer amount of laugh. Story sucked though and the ending was dumb.

brickface · Sep 28, 2015

Bloody hell, Spacemen 3 in the Simpsons? Amazing!

Joni · Sep 28, 2015

I love how Homer always seems to have daydreams about female version of himself.

UberTag · Sep 29, 2015

Review consensus of this week's episode from NoHomers.net after 24 hours is in... and it's not good...

Was it dreamy?

5/5: Marriage crisis done RIGHT! 4.35%
4/5: I'm diggin' this dream! 6.52%
3/5: Was okay... Animated guest star was hot at least. 28.26%
2/5: Bleh. Pretty bland dream. 19.57%
1/5: More like Every Man's Nightmare! 41.30%

Hopefully next Sunday's ep will be better.

PeakPointMatrix · Sep 29, 2015

UberTag said:
Review consensus of this week's episode from NoHomers.net after 24 hours is in... and it's not good...

Was it dreamy?

5/5: Marriage crisis done RIGHT! 4.35%
4/5: I'm diggin' this dream! 6.52%
3/5: Was okay... Animated guest star was hot at least. 28.26%
2/5: Bleh. Pretty bland dream. 19.57%
1/5: More like Every Man's Nightmare! 41.30%

Hopefully next Sunday's ep will be better.

Well from a glass half full perspective, almost a whole 40% thought it was at least okay or above. That's not so bad. I don't frequent NoHomers, but it seems like the majority of the community will eviscerate any "Zombie" Simpsons stuff without any in-between. Similarly to how GAF reacts to any Simpsons/Sonic thread with a death sentence, regardless of the content.

That said, I still need to watch the episode myself.

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