Monday, August 26, 2013

At Long Last Leave (S23, E14-500)

This is basically saying "we know we suck but we aren't gonna improve so shut up already".
Plot Summary
The Simpsons see on TV that they are to go to their bomb shelter for a nuclear safety drill for three hours, however they get bored of that pretty quickly and decide to drive around town expecting everyone else to be in their shelters.  On the road, though, they see a lot of cars parked at town hall, as though there were a town meeting going on.  Checking in, they learn that, in fact, there is a meeting, with a specific reason: voting to banish the Simpsons from Springfield, an act that gets unanimous support.  Mayor Quimby reasons that the town is going broke cleaning up Homer's drunken behavior, Bart's damaging pranks, and Lisa's environmental nonsense.  Marge tries to defend her family, but is called out by Quimby as the worst Simpson for always defending them.  Ned Flanders tries to intervene, but he's violently disposed of, and the town moves to banish the family.

Driving toward no specific location, Homer is forced to stop so that Bart can go number one, however he's met at gunpoint by a vagabond who learns of their plight, and decides to let them stay at the Outlands, a group of outcasts that live outside the 'grid'.  The family quickly grows to like their lives in the Outlands except for Marge, who doesn't particularly like the community or her new neighbor Julian Assange.  Homer decides to treat Marge by sneaking her back into Springfield for a night.  Donning disguises as Mr. Burns and Smithers, the two are able to convince Chief Wiggum of their ruse, then they go around town having fun.  They go back to their house to snuggle, but afterwards panic when Jimbo and pals sneak in, having made the Simpson house their own.  Afraid the bullies will bust them, that point is moot as the police arrive to bust them instead, Wiggum having actually seen through the ruse.  With the townspeople arriving to discuss additional punishment for sneaking back in, Marge has enough and admits she loves her new life in the Outlands if only because the people there aren't jerks.  These words stun the town as Marge and Homer take their leave.

Some time later in the Outlands, the family finds Lenny and Carl, the two having snuck into the Outlands looking for a better life.  Soon after that, Moe sneaks in, having set up a bar in a cavern.  In a short period of time, pretty much the entire town moves to the Outlands, even setting up a grid, causing the previous residents to move out.  Back in Springfield, it seems like Principal Skinner is the only person left in town, until Bart arrives in a makeshift helicopter to pick the lonely man up.  The episode ends by telling people to get some fresh air before going on the episode to say it sucks.

Quick Review
It sucks.  Well, okay, its not as bad as some of the other episodes this season, but its still not any good.  The episode does have its moments, but they're too far and infrequent to boost the episode's score any, and yet another slight against fans at the end doesn't do it any favors.  If the writers anticipate people are going to go online to say the episode sucked, why don't they do a better job of writing, instead of shifting blame to fans whom they believe are hopeless?

Final Score: 6.4

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