"Moe Letter Blues"

Moe Letter Blues

As the men of Springfield head to one of America's roundest islands for Mother's Day, Reverend Lovejoy, Apu and Homer get a message from Moe, of Moe's Tavern ("Kids drink free night!"). He is leaving town, and will be taking one of their wives - either Helen, Manjula or Marge - with him. Lovejoy and Apu are mortified at the idea, but Homer has his priorities elsewhere: "Moe's leaving town!?" It's the 21st episode of The Simpsons' 21st season, and the show continues its good run following from last week's "To Surveil With Love."

While the children of Springfield entertain themselves in a dilapidated amusement park, Lovejoy, Apu and Homer all initially defend the stability of their marriages, before revealing that they each have been going through a rough time with their wives. Adding to their paranoia, Moe has been conspicuously present after every marital argument: as a bartender during Marge's mother's 80th birthday party, where Homer insults Patty & Selma ("Go ugly up someone else's house, you penis-curling she-devils!"); entertaining one of Apu's children while Apu and Manjula fight; and engaging in gossip with Helen Lovejoy after she berates her husband for never having time for her. In a voiceover that runs through the episode, Moe claims that his position as the town's (only?) barkeeper gives him an omniscient point of view (with some "surprising bonuses", such as seeing Marge wearing only a towel).

As the day-long "Leave the Women Alone" day cruise comes to an end (and the town's children survive a murderously malfunctioning amusement park ride), the three men prepare to face the worst. Otto (while under the influence of something that makes every vehicle on the road look like a character from Cars) takes the men (and children) home to discover their fates: first Homer, then Lovejoy, then Apu. Kirk Van Houten's stop came before Lovejoy's, but there was no suspense at his house - even Otto admits to having slept with Luann Van Houten (Milhouse: "You were my favorite uncle, Uncle Otto.")

The storyline doesn't allow for the same snapping humor that made "To Surveil With Love" a success, but writer Stephanie Gillis doesn't let the venerable occasion of Mother's Day stop her from getting a few zingers off: as Seymour Skinner pushes his car along the road, his mother asks "Why couldn't you have died instead of the car?" On his television show, Krusty the Clown (dressed in drag with an uneven bosom) yells, "I destroyed my body to give birth to you?!" at one of his monkey sidekicks. "There's something evil about [Patty and Selma]," Marge's mother tells Homer. "Did you know they smoked when I was pregnant?" Twenty-one years on, The Simpsons has not lost its touch.

The episode's premise is based on the 1949 film A Letter To Three Wives. Moe's threat lacked a little drama - he's too good of a character to permanently leave town/the show (his voiceovers through the episde are downright hilarious), and we could safely discount Marge running away with him. That said, the show has proven to be adventurous with its secondary characters (killing off Maude Flanders and divorcing Kirk and Luann Van Houten), so there was a 50-50 chance that Manjula (who had been cheated on before) or Helen Lovejoy (who we rarely see) could be "Moejacked". While Moe's dramatic reveal doesn't carry too many surprises, there's the usual feel-good ending with lessons learned (until next week, anyway).

"Moe Letter Blues" scores on many small levels to amount to a satisfying and enjoyable episode. The humor is sharp and consistent, and there's enough intrigue to keep us guessing (if not wondering) who Moe would run off with.  Moe has long been one of my favorite characters from The Simpsons, and it's been a while since we've seen him in an episode; to have him in a lead role (as omniscient narrator, no less) is a bonus. Typically of The Simpsons, the episode is careful not to take itself too seriously: when sharing stories of their marital troubles, Homer accusatorily asks Reverend Lovejoy, "How innocuous are your flashbacks?" It's a good way of letting you know this episode won't get bogged down by itself, and the show is in on the joke itself.

As Ralph Wiggum says, that’s "The Ruth!"