12 replies to this topic

[InvaderNorbert]

From SNPP:

Lisa creates the SpringFace social network in an attempt to make some friends, but soon the entire town is too engrossed in it to do anything else; Patty and Selma compete in a rowing race against the Winklevoss Twins...at the 2012 Olympics in London.

ETA: A Gargoyle carrying Flanders somewhere. Odd.

Wow, David Letterman actually voicing himself for a couch gag? I liked it, but this might've been the first couch gag where they recycled the joke.

The return of McBain! But it was so short! Which is odd since so many bits tonight were ruined by going on a tad too long, like the mocking of Ask Jeeves or Nelson bowling with the Macs. You know what, that scene confused the hell outta me. The school had perfectly fine Macs, yet Lisa and the nerds were using ancient computers (with Lisa on an Apple Lisa. Clever). I'd be perfectly content with just the old computers, since the school just sucks that hard but...guh, WHY MUST THIS SHOW MAKE ME NITPICK?!

Speaking of which, umm...WHY WAS LISA ON TRIAL, EXACTLY?! Because everyone was to preoccupied

So the Simpsons are going to...a Tanger outlet mall. I liked how Marge had gift cards for stores that went under, but the In Memoriam montage would've been better if they showed stores the family has actually been to over the years rather than not-too-clever parody names of actual stores that went under (but Burns & Noble was the best one, though). At least Lisa was called out on taking forever to get to the point, though.

"All my friends have birthdays this year!" We haven't seen Ralph in a while, and he was on fire tonight.

"Mr. Burns was paid $35 Million even though he didn't do anything."

This...I don't even know if this counted as a story. Nothing happened. NOTHING.

Edited by InvaderNorbert, Jan 15, 2012 @ 8:45 PM.

[AimingforYoko]

We haven't seen Ralph in a while, and he was on fire tonight.

"Daddy's gun tastes like pennies" was my personal favorite.

[Paron Xanthis]

Only laughed at Martin taking Bart's place hanging upside-down. Other than that, it really wasn't all that funny.

[myriadphalanx]

Just a few episodes ago, we had the joke about Itchy & Scratchy cartoons doing 'outdated parodies of last year's movies since the animation takes so long to complete.' And now, here's the Simpsons doing a very outdated parody of Social Network. Pretty lame, Milhouse.

I can't help but think the producers/writers/editors realized this one was a dud and cut out so many jokes that we required both a) an elongated couch gag and b) the peculiar 'show is too long' short. Is this the first such short since the legendary "Adventures Of Ned Flanders" piece way back in the 90's?

[ndp2]

That episode really was an exercise in padding with the extended couch gag with Letterman, the bit with Patty and Selma at the London Olympics, and the Lemon Snickety mini-short at the end.

Speaking of which, umm...WHY WAS LISA ON TRIAL, EXACTLY?! Because everyone was to preoccupied

That was pretty much tossed out once Lisa agreed to shut down her web site. They probably could've done it another way but they wanted to stay close to the plot of The Social Network.

Anyway, as weak an episode as this was, I could relate to the part at the beginning where Homer ducks the parking garage charges when he drives into the city's garage. Back in the late 1990a, the city where I live had a very similar situation involving the development of an upscale downtown shopping area was publicly funded by, among other things, parking garage fees. Either this controversy has happened in a number of other bigger cities or the dirty laundry in my quiet burg has somehow attracted the interest of the Simpsons writers.

[A Conspiracy]

Uncoil this Cinnabon into my mouth until this card reaches 0!

*store closes for the day*

[Kaboom]

I still haven't seen The Social Network (I KNOW) so this ep fell flat for me.

However, as always, Ralph saved the day especially with:

"Daddy's gun tastes like pennies" was my personal favorite.

Hee!

[SmithW6079]

Wasn't Lisa also on trial because 35 people died because rescuers were too preoccupied with Springface?

I liked the little short at the end.

[CantThinkUpName]

I actually liked this episode. I don't know, I thought a lot of characters, even side characters, had good moments. And I tend to prefer episodes that don't end in Action-Adventure mode. And where Lisa is a smart kid, not a mouthpiece. Even if there wasn't much of a story, I thought the jokes were strong enough for me to eke some enjoyment out of it, even if this was the second episode this season to use the TSN version of Creep.

I too liked the Simpsons short, though it very similar to the Dark Stanley animation. Nevertheless, it was a change and I thought it worked even if it was weird seeing Bart and Milhouse having bodies.

I still haven't seen The Social Network (I KNOW) so this ep fell flat for me.

IMO, you didn't need to see The Social Network in order to get the episode. With the exception of Creep and the scene at the end, I don't think there were any jokes that were specifically The Social Network related.

ETA:

Other things I liked.

I do like when the family schemes together like in the beginning, screwing with the guy in the garage complete with the laughing when they get out of the car.

I liked Homer being a good father to Lisa at the end without it being a BIG moment. As annoying as Lisa can be, Homer/Lisa moments can be quite good (e.g. the end of HOMR, changing the ending to Angelica Buttons).

I liked how McBain looked older.

EDIT AGAIN to say that between a super-extended couch gag (I didn't think one was that long, especially when compared to the museum and the runaway couch ones- though I could be wrong) and a Show's Too Short Short, I'd prefer a STSS.

Edited by CantThinkUpName, Jan 16, 2012 @ 6:11 PM.

[InvaderNorbert]

Upon reflection, I liked the episode in parts more than its whole. On a whole, the whole story makes no sense, there's just scenes that happen. I need to watch the "Show's Too Short Short" on its own, but I was too put off when the stuff that preceded it to fully enjoy it.

[RocketScientist]

Dammit, the football coverage went long and I forgot to adjust my DVR accordingly with a big buffer. Are these episodes on-line at Fox, on Hulu, or something similar?

[LTG]

That episode really was an exercise in padding with the extended couch gag with Letterman, the bit with Patty and Selma at the London Olympics, and the Lemon Snickety mini-short at the end.

That pad-filler was an homage to Edward Gorey, not Lemony Snicket. (But you're forgiven for not knowing that, since a lot of the Lemony Snicket art is itself an homage to Mr. Gorey.) Edward Gorey and Charles Addams were the two macabre cartoonists that were somehow both very popular in the mid-20th century. (Along with Ronald Searle, whose cartoons about a vicious girls' boarding school fits pretty well in the same genre.)

[Junkyard Dog]

I was going to add the information brought up about Edward Gorey and company, but LTG beat me to it. I believe Ronald Searle died just recently, sadly enough. Maybe they should do a tribute to him on the Simpsons before the show finally goes off the air. They've referenced Charles Addams a few times already.

This episode was kinda all over the place, but it had enough funny bits to keep me satisfied. I did like the Gorey inspired short at the end. That was rather a waste of David Letterman, though.