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| Yeah, I could've used a screencap from one of the stories. Yet, I felt the Ghostbusters dance was probably the most fitting image to use for this episode. |
Homer gets a letter from the library that he has an overdue book. Lisa finds the book, a book that contains myths, historical tales and Shakespeare all in one, and Homer decides to read a few to the family.
(Note: each part does have its own title, but I didn't see these titles referenced in the episode itself)
D'oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
In a retelling of Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus (Homer) finishes up conquering Troy. However, he declines to offer the standard sacrifice afterwards. Zeus (Quimby) is angered by this and has Poseidon (the sea captain) blow them off course continuously. Odysseus and his men are forced to deal with ugly sirens, and a witch who turns the men into pigs that Odysseus unwittingly eats. The witch, rather disgusted by that, guides Odysseus home via the River Styx.
This entire journey, an odyssey as it were, takes a total of 20 years. Back home, his wife Penelope (Marge), had been waiting patiently but finally decides to find a new husband. Of course, now Odysseus returns home, and upon finding several suitors, quickly impales them with but a single spear. Penelope forgives Odysseus for being gone for so long, though the latter is in no mood to retell his adventures.
Individual Score: +0.5
Hot Child in the City
In a retelling of the story of Joan of Arc, Joan (Lisa) is told by God to lead the French to victory in their Hundred Years war against the British. She quickly rallies the French to do just that. She even gains the favor of the King of France (Milhouse). However, she gets quite confident in battle, and is captured by a British soldier (Willie). At a British trial, Joan brings in God as a witness to testify on her behalf. However, its learned that God also told Willie to lead the British to victory and, rather than deal with the awkwardness of seeing both Willie and Joan in the same room, splits. Joan is convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake, though Marge attempts to end the story on a less gruesome note.
Individual Score: +0.8
Do the Bard, Man
In a retelling of Hamlet, Hamlet (Bart) is visited by the ghost of his father (Homer) who tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his brother Claudius (Moe) so he can usurp the throne and do it a bunch with the Queen, Gertrude (Marge). Hamlet goes to confirm this, and is able to get Claudius to blurt out the truth. Soon, Hamlet attempts to find and kill Claudius, but ends up killing a guy named Polonius (Chief Wiggum) instead. Polonius' son, Laertes (Ralph) is tasked with revenge, and Claudius teams up with Laertes to see Hamlet's end.
With Laertes set to duel Hamlet, Claudius lines a room full of poison as backup. However, given that its Ralph playing Laertes, Laertes gives himself a 'practice swing' and dies. Hamlet then kills Cladius, but slips on a puddle of blood, which kills him somehow. Gertrude refuses to clean up the mess and hits herself with a mace, dying from that as well.
Individual Score: +0.5
Bart is unimpressed with Hamlet, despite all the dying, but Homer assures him the that tale would be modernized into the movie Ghostbusters, which prompts the family to dance to the song.
Quick Review
Though this is the fourth non-Halloween anthology the series has had thus far, this one begins what starts out as a bi-seasonal series of such anthologies where old stories are retold with Simpsons characters inserted.
This anthology isn't nearly as bad as the bible stories one, but it wasn't anything special either. Something I worry about with these episodes is that they'll be so focused on retelling the story they'll forget to make the stories funny, and that is the case rather often here; a good chunk of laughs came inbetween stories when the family talks to one another. Thus, we end up with another average Season 13 episode.
Final Score: 7.3
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