Simpsons: Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes - Review

For starters, I have to mention that the Blog template has been upgraded with the layout which was kindly provided by David Herreman. I also made a new header banner. Unfortunately, it looks as if it's been drawn with Paint by 5-year-old child. Actually I tried to do my best and spent nearly 3 hours when making it with Paint Shop Pro, using all my skills and visual creativeness. But still, the result is anything but great. Oh well, I've always sucked in Arts. Guess I should have kept the text title instead of trying to be artistic.
Anywho, let's start the review.
(I do not own the copyrights of the pics, but as a member of Finnish Pirate Party, my personal opinion is that these restricting rights should not exist. To limit the use of culture is incomprihensible rule, on the contrary, everything ought to be shared through the world. Hence people have unlimited possibilities to fully enjoy the entertainment.)
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Series: The Simpsons
Season: 20
Season episode: #1 (421)
Written by: Kevin Curran

Plot

******Warning! Contains spoilers!******

The Simpsons family is following St. Patrick's Day Parade at the downtown. When the people of Northern Ireland participate to the parade, their old enemies Republican Irish are about to start fighting. Lisa manages to calm them down by singing the old Irish lullaby 'Tura Lura Lural'.

Eventually, despite her attemption, a huge fist fight begins also involving Homer. Homer gets arrested, but meets bail bond agent who gives Homer a chance not to go into the prison provided that he won't skip his bail. Should he do so, Homer would have troubles with Wolf the Bounty Hunter. Eventually, after a quick discussion Homer himself becomes a bounty hunter and, thus, takes once again a new job.

Meanwhile, Marge has met a bakery owner called Patrick Flannery. After tasting Marge's cupcakes he instantly offers Marge a job. Later it is reveiled to Marge that he's working in the erotic cake bakery. At first Marge gets obviously furious for not being informed about this outraging fact, but gets soon persuaded to continue.

Homer, while trying to catch Snake, is nearly shot but luckily Flanders gets to the spot with a bullet-proof glass and reflects the bullet back to Snake's arm. Ned becomes a partner Homer and they'll bounty hunt many Springfield citizens, for example Drederick Tatum and Fat Tony.

Ned cannot accept Homer's unscrupulous ways of pursuing, and the partners decide to separate. Ned goes to announce his resignation but once he heards the next person to catch is Homer, he rejects his decision to retire. Homer won't let Flanders get him easily and a big chase segment begins. Most of time they're jumping in the alleys and on the roofs of the collapsing building, but also riding horses and jumping from one planet to another in a planetarium. Finally they end up on the swining beam and fall down into the wet cement which quickly hardens. After waiting rescuers to come for hours, Homer has gotten bored to Ned's bible talking.

Homer is sentenced to jail but gets a nice present from Marge; A self-made cake with a text "To the Love of My Love". The end.

Picture and Audio
It has to be acknowledged the contemporary quality of picture in The Simpsons is remarkably stunning. With the current computer animation, the visual perfectness of the scenes is almost similar to the Movie version we saw a year ago. Especially the close-ups depicting characters' expressions include masterful shadowing as one can witness from this sample pic:

On the other hand, there are parts that seem good but after closer looking we may notice something wierd in the picture. For instance, is Homer's angle fully correct in this scene?

None of the moments stand out in terms of sounds & music. Beside Tura Lura Lural the two another songs included are Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by AC/DC and Electric Avenue by Eddy Grant. The final chase music is composed for the series. You may listen it here. I've removed speech and most of sfx.



Major character appearances
New characters:

• Lucky Jim

• Wolf the Bounty Hunter

• Patrick Flannery

• An unnamed Irish guy

Recurring characters:

• Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart
• Ned
• Mr Burns
• Mayor Quimby
• Moe
• Judge Snyder
• Snake and his girlfriend Gloria
• Patty & Selma
• Principal Skinner & Superintendent Chalmers
• -Chief Wiggum

Did you notice that..?

• Maggie does not make an appearance in this episode.
• Joe Mantegna was credited as Fat Tony's voice even though Fat Tony had no speaking lines.
• There are two leprechauns, first of them was originally presented in the episode Treehouse of Horror XII.

• Sideshow Bob escaping from the prison. This gag was previously used in the very early seasons

Pros and Cons
+"Han Solo" cough gag worked.
+Marge imagining her "different" live as a bakery worker
+Homer to Snake: "Not shooting me now would be the biggest mistake of your life" ROFL
+Homer recharging the electric shocker whilst Ned is being strangled by Tatum
+During the chase, Homer even jumps on the wall while being inside the lift.
+Unexplainingly hilarious face of Homer :D

- The opening joke involving Mr Burns was extremely weak. Please, director. Never put the lamiest gag in the beginning. The episode gives much worse pre-impression.
- The whole St. Patrick's parade sequence was "seen before" and had no good jokes. There are better ways to get Homer to break the law or Marge to meet a person.
- Marge accepting the fact he's working in the erotic bakery. It's not Marge's like.
- Fat Tony not speaking, considering his duration on the screen.
- The scene Marge telling Homer where she's working. Pointless talking that results in both agreeding the truth.
- Ned needs to bounty hunt Homer. What a surprise!
- The chase itself was nothing special. We've seen them before(Bart vs Skinner A la Star Wars), besides it was very unrealistic. It's not funny.
-I was waiting for a joke in the end scene, but the "erotic" cake was just an ordinary cake.

Summary
This must be the weakest season premiere for years in The Simpsons. First of all, both main and substories could have been made better, to be a lot more consistent as now it feels we didn't get the most out of them. The writers presumably tried to achieve some emotinality and excitement to the scenes, but at least I failed to notice anything. Secondly, the gags were predominantly unacceptable lame. There were only a few good jokes, but those cannot save the episode from being considered 'underwhelming'.
As a long-term fan I feel disappointed to give this episode such a low rate as 5/10.