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matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of The Great North, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, and The Blacklist.
The Simpsons "Hostile Kirk Place"
I detested that. On every level.
Family Guy has improved its political episodes over the years. They used to be pure suck, but I find them tolerable now. This episode was The Simpsons at its absolute worst. 34 seasons and they still can't tell a good political episode. Mostly because they use allegory rather than debating the controversies that actually exist.
But the worst part of the allegories of these types of episodes is that they don't actually show the audience the moral they want to get across, which makes them absolutely worthless. The lesson here is basically listening to people wanting to ban critical race theory in school will lead to a fascist dictatorship. I don't exactly disagree with that notion. The problem is the show and the episode absolutely refuse to show cause and effect and expect the audience to simply accept that idea and take it for granted. And I suspect the show declined to show Kirk's actual rise to power and lawlessness because it knew there was no actual rational excuse for it in the set-up they showed. Which makes it the worst allegory ever.
Would it KILL the show to allow "Weird Al" Yankovic to guest star in an episode that isn't totally crappy? "Three Gays Of The Condo" may have won an Emmy, but it didn't deserve it, and was atrocious. But the Emmys has a long history of awarding atrocious television statues. I'm pointing out they did wrong by Weird Al in his first appearance too.
I might have been able to forgive the heavy-handedness of the moral. Am I really as a Democrat going to fault the show for attempting a liberal message? Well, first of all, YES. As a Democrat I have higher standards for that kind of messaging in fiction. But the truth is, even if I didn't, even if I was the kind of mindless Democrat who brayed in cheap laughter at the cringeiest Murphy Brown episodes, the episode is unforgivable by suggesting Rainer Wolfcastle, the show's stand-in for Arnold Schwarzenegger, was sympathetic to the Nazis. Arnold last week released a video decrying fascism and explaining how moved he was by his recent trip to the Holocaust Museum, and trying to get people addicted to hatred to find another path. That doesn't just make this episode feel even more dated than the bartender who "looks like" John Travolta. It makes it outright disgusting.
I would very much like it if Simpsons fans let Al Jean and Matt Selman feel their rage on Arnie's behalf. He also did a couple of videos back after January 6 opening up about his abusive father and why he was drawn to those authoritarian movements to begin with. I sitting here shaking in rage and saying "How freaking DARE you!" It's is obscene on every level. I am currently furious.
Simpsons fans have had to weather critics hate-watching the show, and bashing it unmercifully, even when it doesn't deserve it. This episode was every bad thing the show's modern detractors say it is every week, but that it usually isn't. I am beyond pissed. 0.
The Great North "Can't Hardly Date Adventure"
This was a very sweet episode for both Beef and Alyson and they are both adorable together. And I like the solution to the problem is that Alyson's would-be husband is actually awful. So she's now Beef's robot. These characters are so great.
I find Wolf's constant need of approval annoying, but I like how here they made him realize the guy he was chasing after was a total turd. I can get on-board with that.
Very, VERY enjoyable episode tonight. I will go so far as to say its one of the show's best. *****.
Bob's Burgers "The Show (And Tell) Must Go On"
Louise is so frustrating, especially when she puts other people in life-threatening danger for stupid narcissistic reasons. I'm sick to death of her.
But no lie. She had a good one-liner at the end about potentially selling the stinky seaweed to the government as a biological weapon. But Louise frustrates me SO much with her recklessness, selfishness, and stupidity. Not feeling this week. **.
Family Guy "Adoptation"
The episode ending on "This isn't working. You have to leave," is the precise reason they never should have done this plotline.
First cold opening in awhile. Usually when Bob's Burgers characters appear, they are being roasted. But Homer Simpson eating a sandwich and Peter stuck with black coffee and toast without the Emmy winner discount shows that the show is sort of now understanding the reality of the current lay of the pop culture land regarding the Belchers.
I'm also positive the Chris at the zoo joke didn't start OFF as a joke about the Will Smith Oscar slap. But since it occurred off-screen, it was probably super easy to turn it into that.
So-so episode. The Great North easily won the night of Fox toons. ***.
The Blacklist "The Four Guns"
I liked it a lot.
Even though the show eschews our real world politics for fictional U.S. leaders, I found the plot about the traitorous secret service agent rather topical. There have been recent and alarming real-world questions about the current loyalty of the Secret Service, which puts me on edge. Good for the show for pushing these buttons.
I liked the Blacklisters this week. The guy who was obsessed with watches was great fun (there's a guy who doesn't actually NEED a defense attorney) and them being used as a colorful gambit to break Robert out of prison was great. Stacy Keach and James Spader are SO much fun together. The ending tickled me pink.
I rarely actually enjoy the show. I am pleased to say I most certainly did this week. ****1/2.
The Simpsons "Hostile Kirk Place"
I detested that. On every level.
Family Guy has improved its political episodes over the years. They used to be pure suck, but I find them tolerable now. This episode was The Simpsons at its absolute worst. 34 seasons and they still can't tell a good political episode. Mostly because they use allegory rather than debating the controversies that actually exist.
But the worst part of the allegories of these types of episodes is that they don't actually show the audience the moral they want to get across, which makes them absolutely worthless. The lesson here is basically listening to people wanting to ban critical race theory in school will lead to a fascist dictatorship. I don't exactly disagree with that notion. The problem is the show and the episode absolutely refuse to show cause and effect and expect the audience to simply accept that idea and take it for granted. And I suspect the show declined to show Kirk's actual rise to power and lawlessness because it knew there was no actual rational excuse for it in the set-up they showed. Which makes it the worst allegory ever.
Would it KILL the show to allow "Weird Al" Yankovic to guest star in an episode that isn't totally crappy? "Three Gays Of The Condo" may have won an Emmy, but it didn't deserve it, and was atrocious. But the Emmys has a long history of awarding atrocious television statues. I'm pointing out they did wrong by Weird Al in his first appearance too.
I might have been able to forgive the heavy-handedness of the moral. Am I really as a Democrat going to fault the show for attempting a liberal message? Well, first of all, YES. As a Democrat I have higher standards for that kind of messaging in fiction. But the truth is, even if I didn't, even if I was the kind of mindless Democrat who brayed in cheap laughter at the cringeiest Murphy Brown episodes, the episode is unforgivable by suggesting Rainer Wolfcastle, the show's stand-in for Arnold Schwarzenegger, was sympathetic to the Nazis. Arnold last week released a video decrying fascism and explaining how moved he was by his recent trip to the Holocaust Museum, and trying to get people addicted to hatred to find another path. That doesn't just make this episode feel even more dated than the bartender who "looks like" John Travolta. It makes it outright disgusting.
I would very much like it if Simpsons fans let Al Jean and Matt Selman feel their rage on Arnie's behalf. He also did a couple of videos back after January 6 opening up about his abusive father and why he was drawn to those authoritarian movements to begin with. I sitting here shaking in rage and saying "How freaking DARE you!" It's is obscene on every level. I am currently furious.
Simpsons fans have had to weather critics hate-watching the show, and bashing it unmercifully, even when it doesn't deserve it. This episode was every bad thing the show's modern detractors say it is every week, but that it usually isn't. I am beyond pissed. 0.
The Great North "Can't Hardly Date Adventure"
This was a very sweet episode for both Beef and Alyson and they are both adorable together. And I like the solution to the problem is that Alyson's would-be husband is actually awful. So she's now Beef's robot. These characters are so great.
I find Wolf's constant need of approval annoying, but I like how here they made him realize the guy he was chasing after was a total turd. I can get on-board with that.
Very, VERY enjoyable episode tonight. I will go so far as to say its one of the show's best. *****.
Bob's Burgers "The Show (And Tell) Must Go On"
Louise is so frustrating, especially when she puts other people in life-threatening danger for stupid narcissistic reasons. I'm sick to death of her.
But no lie. She had a good one-liner at the end about potentially selling the stinky seaweed to the government as a biological weapon. But Louise frustrates me SO much with her recklessness, selfishness, and stupidity. Not feeling this week. **.
Family Guy "Adoptation"
The episode ending on "This isn't working. You have to leave," is the precise reason they never should have done this plotline.
First cold opening in awhile. Usually when Bob's Burgers characters appear, they are being roasted. But Homer Simpson eating a sandwich and Peter stuck with black coffee and toast without the Emmy winner discount shows that the show is sort of now understanding the reality of the current lay of the pop culture land regarding the Belchers.
I'm also positive the Chris at the zoo joke didn't start OFF as a joke about the Will Smith Oscar slap. But since it occurred off-screen, it was probably super easy to turn it into that.
So-so episode. The Great North easily won the night of Fox toons. ***.
The Blacklist "The Four Guns"
I liked it a lot.
Even though the show eschews our real world politics for fictional U.S. leaders, I found the plot about the traitorous secret service agent rather topical. There have been recent and alarming real-world questions about the current loyalty of the Secret Service, which puts me on edge. Good for the show for pushing these buttons.
I liked the Blacklisters this week. The guy who was obsessed with watches was great fun (there's a guy who doesn't actually NEED a defense attorney) and them being used as a colorful gambit to break Robert out of prison was great. Stacy Keach and James Spader are SO much fun together. The ending tickled me pink.
I rarely actually enjoy the show. I am pleased to say I most certainly did this week. ****1/2.
