It's a retro review here at Simpsonista (that, and Iron Maiden are coming to town). Our crystal ball takes us back to 1995, as Homer discovers that there's a secret world in Springfield. His initial attempts to join the society are rebuffed, until it is discovered that he is the prophesied "Chosen One". Everybody's happy, until Homer makes the cardinal mistake of using his new-found powers for good. Chaos and anarchy are unleashed by "Homer The Great", the 6th season episode first broadcast in 1995, and considered one of the better episodes of the long-running animated series.

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After heckling Judge Krusty at the "Ugliest Dog in Springfield" contest, Moe Szyzlak finds his true calling - becoming a judge for American Idol. But it's a judge-eat-judge world out there, and his new duties mean Homer must spend more time at home, a prospect which soon turns sour on Marge. It's "Judge Me Tender", the finale of The Simpsons' 21st season, and, it must be said, a pretty lackluster way to end the season after what had been a stellar run of episodes.

Moe makes a name for himself with his acid tongue, being called on to adjudicate a variety of competitions (one disappointed contestant hangs himself from his bonsai tree). The Uncreative Artist Agency wants Moe to work for them ("You're mean, you're funny, and you're not British!"), and after running through a list of reality shows (including "Old People Try To Figure Out Computers", "Somali Pirate Apprentice" and "Are You Fatter Than A Fifth Grader?"), offer him a position as a judge on American Idol (and not, as Moe initially hoped for, Armenian Idol (which does actually exist as part of the worldwide Idol franchise, believe it or not). Soon, Moe finds himself under the wing of Simon Cowell, who advises Moe not to become the "mean judge". On live television, Moe finds out why - the hard way.

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The recession hits Springfield, but Bart Simpson has other worries. The sublime Kelsey Grammer returns as "The Bob Next Door", episode number 463 of The Simpsons. It's a good old fashioned Simpsons tale of revenge, a prison escape, gruesome face transplants and ruining the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. And spare a thought for waitresses who lament that "All the good men are either gay, or have no face."

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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."

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Mr. Burns has a problem: he's run out of space to dispose of his excess nuclear waste. The most logical alternative is to hide the spare plutonium on his employees, and that's where he has Problem #2: he hides the dangerously radioactive material on Homer Simpson. It sets off a chain of events that lead to Springfield going secure in "To Surveil With Love", the 20th episode of the 21st season of The Simpsons. Meanwhile, Lisa finds herself the victim of discrimination when her blonde hair leads to nobody taking her seriously.

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The Squirt and the Whale

The Simpsons return in "The Squirt and the Whale", episode nineteen of season twenty-one. Wind turbines, a beached (and then blown-up) blue whale, sharks and an unintentionally harpooned seagull come together for an entertaining, if slightly disappointing episode, where Lisa learns an important life lesson and Homer saws into his brain. 

The jokes start even before the episode kicks off, with this week's chalkboard gag reading "South Park - We'd Stand Behind You If We Weren't So Scared". It's funny (and brilliant) how in one single line, The Simpsons can say so many things. The couch gag, with its Onion-like headlines about the couch's escape from (and reconciliation with) the Simpsons, is similarly well done.

 

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Chief of Hearts

Homer Simpson and Springfield's Chief of Police become BFFs over community service and parmesan sandwiches, while Marge worries that Bart is dealing drugs in "Chief of Hearts", the 18th episode of the 21st season of The Simpsons.

After being sentenced to community service for smuggling a candy apple into a bank, Homer shares his lunch (consisting of a ridiculous assortment of parmesan-based sandwiches) with Springfield's chief fuzz, Clancy Wiggum (who, as a cop, has few friends and a wife who spends more time with her book club). Wiggum warms to the overture and spends time bonding with Homer, while the other delinquents (Kent Brockman and Krusty the Clown among them) perform such tasks as retrieving used condoms and arranging old bums by the wars they fought in.

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Chief of Hearts

"Chief of Hearts" works as a cute episode without raising the bar. To be fair, this is the 21st year of The Simpson's existence, and it doesn't need to constantly reinvent the wheel in order to justify its existence. The budding friendship between Wiggum and Homer is alternatively charming (Wiggum letting Homer "spring clean" his criminal record) and clichéd (Wiggum excitedly asking Lou and Eddie if Homer's looking at him). I don't recall if the two characters have ever had a great deal of interaction in past episodes, and if this is the first where the two share significant time together, writers Carolyn Omine and William Wright could have done a much worse job.

 

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American History X-cellent

After many years of "stock jobbing, gun running, attempted murder, successful murder and Tom-Peepery", Mr. Burns finally sees the inside of a jail cell. It's the 17th episode of The Simpson's 21st season (the 458th episode in total, if prefer), and the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant has a new boss. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa fight over, and are eventually brought together by, the last ant in Lisa's ant farm. It makes much more sense in the episode, believe me.

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American History X-cellent

The components of "American History X-cellent" work really well. Lisa and Bart have a good 'B' story with great individual scenes (Bart licking Lisa and Lisa's bit about organ donors), and after decades of their own adventures, it's nice to see them acting like kids again. The elements of the 'A' story work as well: Smithers' evil streak is a nice change of character for him; Moe's unintentional influence of the plot to break Burns out of prison (first with the "meaningful eye contact", followed by the "whispered huddle") is a pleasing little nod to all the clichés we knew were coming;  and Burns' experiences in prison amount to good comedy moments.

 

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