Homer Goes to Prep School (S24, E09-517)

Wonder why the creepy skull is for...

Plot Summary
The family goes to a kid zone of some sort.  While the kids have fun, mothers are allowed in one area while the fathers are in another.  A kid unwittingly leaves the building, causing panic and forcing a lockdown.  While the mothers take the change in stride, the area the fathers were in descend to anarchy.  Homer is nearly knocked unconscious during the chaos, where he deliriously imagines man as the savage apes they still have the potential to be.

Some time has passed, and the experience still traumatizes Homer, who still sees humanity as savage apes.  He's able to make it to Moe's, somehow, where he comes across a guy named Lloyd, who basically congratulates Homer for experiencing a taste of a lawless world.  He shows Homer a video which shows that when society crumbles, only the prepared will be able to survive.  Lloyd takes Homer to a secret society of "preppers", basically him, Herman, Lindsey Naegle and Superintendent Chalmers.  With their help, Homer learns the ways of the survivalist and quickly prepares emergency rations and such.  Homer is also shown a base camp some miles out of town where he's instructed to go once society falls.

Ironically, Homer's negligence at work causes a nuclear reactor to shoot out a EMP, shutting down power all across town.  Homer, unaware of the EMP, believes the end of the world is happening, and takes his now-convinced family to the base camp to hide out for awhile.  Marge, though, is angry with Homer for one main reason: abandoning everyone else in Springfield, showing he no longer has the big heart she loved him for.  Hit hard by this, Homer decides to pack some supplies to take back to Springfield, bringing the family along, but gets caught on his way out and is given chase.  Homer makes it back to Springfield where he sees something astonishing: people getting along.  Professor Frink explains that they learned only Springfield had lost its power, but it was restored after a few days.  Flanders then adds that the incident only causes a neighborly sense of togetherness within the community, as though all the angry people had left.  The angry people arrive in time to see the apocalypse not happen, but Lisa assures them that society is not as brittle as it may seem and it will last for many years to come... just as a zombie-ridden meteor is shown to be on its way.

Quick Review
This was another pretty decent episode, with some good humor at times and nothing that rubbed me the wrong way.  Its nothing spectacular, of course, but I enjoyed it.

Final Score: 7.2

Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays (S15, E08-321)

From the people in the picture, and the order in which they're standing,
it implies that the sea captain and Edna are the 'childless couple'.
Talk about your foreshadowing...

Plot Summary
Maggie becomes enamored with Roofi, a guy who sings lovable songs to infants.  In his haste to stop Maggie from watching it on TV, Bart suggests Marge go and buy CDs instead.  Thus, Homer, Bart and Lisa are forced to hear Roofi's tunes all day long, with the only justification being that "Maggie likes it".  One day, its announced Roofi is coming to Springfield for a live show, and Marge is able to get tickets for herself and Maggie.  The outdoor concert, though, is oversold and is packed full of mothers and babies who are making it their Woodstock.  However, it starts to rain, making the babies rather unruly.  Not even a disgruntled Roofi can make the babies feel better, and as he makes a hasty departure, the babies riot, causing tons of damage.

Later, during a town hall meeting, Mayor Quimby "collects" money to pay for the damages, then he introduces Lindsey Naegle.  Naegle announces she's started up a group called "Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays Against Parasitic Parents", or SSCCATAGAPP for short.  The group is tired for having to pay up for school taxes, damages or other inconveniences created by children and their parents.  Marge attempts to object, but she's quickly overruled and the town rallies behind SSCCATAGAPP to destroy every kid-friendly thing in town.  Some time later, Marge is able to catch Naegle to have a talk with her, using Lisa as the example of the best kids have to offer (but brings along Bart and Maggie anyway, which ruins the attempt).  As Naegle is unswayed, Marge goes to her last resort: a voter-sponsored initiative via petition that'll be ready to vote by the March primary.

Starting up a group called "Proud Parents Against Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays" or PPASSCCATAG for short, Marge has trouble acquiring funds and signatures for her effort.  However, Mr. Burns of all people gets the ball rolling (because he likes the fresh organs kids can provide), and soon people across town join in as well, putting the "Families Comes First" initiative on the ballot, though I don't think its explained what Families Come First actually does specifically.  Soon, attack ads appear on TV against Marge and FCF, but Homer decides it times for him to turn the tables.  He puts his own ad on TV in favor of FCF, but the commercial is terrible, refers to the wrong proposition (232 instead of 242), and he had printed bumper stickers that erroneous say "Yes No 242".  Marge is dismayed by these series of failures, and she slinks off with the belief that 242 will fail.

Bart and Lisa decide to help out, because FCF is about them after all.  They come up with quick plan to ensure 242's success.  The day of the vote, the two rally several kids and have them go up and 'hug' members of SSCCATAGAPP (you know, Naegle's group), giving them infections that they had no opportunity to defend against from their evading child conception previously.  With SSCCATAGAPP unable to vote, Families Come First passes, and everything is back to normal.

Quick Review
This episode was okay, I suppose.  The opening act featuring Maggie's obsession with Roofi was, I think, the best of the three, and Homer's terrible ad was funny too.  There wasn't anything really bad about the episode, but nothing that really made it great, either.

Final Score: 7.2

Grift of the Magi (S11, E09-235)

"Help, I need tungsten to live.  T-" oh wait, that was the other episode.

Plot Summary
Bart injures what is essentially his ass, forcing him not just to an ass-cast, but also a wheelchair.  Bart finds it hard to go to school as the elementary school is not wheelchair accessible.  Fat Tony and the mafia instantly catch wind of this and quickly go to build ramps every which way before Principal Skinner can say no.  The project takes so long that Bart has since healed and can walk just fine, so poorly built that it literally crumbles upon being touched, and yet the mafia "charges" Skinner $200,000 for its construction.  Skinner is forced to pay the money, but as a direct result the elementary school closes down.

Concerned parents meet up at Skinner's house to discuss options to raise the $200,000 needed to reopen the school.  Marge suggests asking Mr. Burns for a donation despite Burns' general disgust towards such things.  Skinner tries to get to Burns by having a play to showcase how bad off Burns would be if there was no school to teach children.  Burns is initially moved by the play, but still refuses to donate money.

Soon, though, the school returns to operation thanks to funding from "Kid First Industries", who fires all of the school's previous staff.  Under new management, there is hardly any learning to be had, as the new teachers would rather try to get kids to talk about toys and such.  Lisa is off put by this, obviously, and after being forced to stay after for trying to learn math, she discovers a hidden room with research data.  She's attacked by a small robot and flees, though later on when she tries to show someone that room, it has reverted back to a broom closet.

A short time later, Lisa sees a commercial for a Furby-like toy called Funzo, a name she had contributed at school, with the same build and voice as the robot she saw earlier.  Lisa figures out that Kid First Industries had used the school and its students to market research up a new toy just in time for Christmas.  She and Bart sneak into the company's HQ, poorly guarded by Gary Coleman, and confront executives over it.  They confirm Lisa's suspicions, but 'apologize' by giving the pair their own Funzo.

A short time later, back home, the two realize that Funzo is also programmed to find and destroy any other toy it comes across.  Unable to stop the masses from buying Funzos, the kids get Homer's help to nab every Funzo in every house on Christmas Eve.  They go to the tire fire to destroy a bag full of Funzos, and successfully do so.  Just then, Gary Coleman appears to stop them, albeit too late, and he and the family end up in a rather lengthy yet civil conversation that eventually becomes one about the commercialization of Christmas, a discussion that lasts until the following morning.  After Coleman destroys one last Funzo that escaped the fire, the Simpsons invite Gary over for Christmas dinner.  Mr. Burns, after being visited by three rather timely ghosts that night, decides to give the elementary school the funding it needs after all, and Moe decides not to kill himself once again and bakes a Christmas turkey for the Simpson family.

Quick Review
This was an alright episode, I suppose.  Mr. Burns' appearance was fine as was Gary Coleman's guest appearance, but there was a lull during the middle while the whole Funzo plotline was developing.  There were a few jokes here and there during the lull, but there were plenty of jokes that didn't work so well either.  In all, its not one of the better episodes out there.

Final Score: 7.2

They Saved Lisa's Brain (S10, E22-225)

America will be in smoldering ruins before it even thinks about adapting metric time.

Plot Summary
The family goes to a grossout contest where the saddest act wins a trip to Hartford, Connecticut.  However, when the judges give the award to themselves (for being seen in public with the actual sad acts), a riot ensues.  In the chaos, Homer is able to 'earn' the second place prize: erotic photography, yeah.  The grossout contest and its ensuing riot greatly depresses Lisa, who writes a letter asking for betterment and change to a local newspaper.  The newspaper prints the letter, though Lisa is unable to find anyone in town who actually read it.

Soon, she gets a mysterious letter paper-planed to her telling her to visit a specific house.  There, she meets the Springfield chapter of Mensa, consisting of Dr. Hibbert, Principal Skinner, the comic book guy, Professor Frink and a typical businesswoman, Lindsey Naegle.  Lisa's letter garnered their attention, and they accept Lisa into the organization where intellectual thoughts can be discussed.

One day, the group tries to have a public meeting at a gazebo they reserved, however the gazebo is occupied by boozehounds, and Chief Wiggum makes no effort to fix this.  Lisa encourages the group to do something about it.  They attempt to confront Mayor Quimby over the gazebo issue, but the way in which they pressure him makes Quimby think they're on to much worse, and he flees town.  After checking the town charter, which states that in the case of the mayor's absence, leadership goes to a group of intellectuals, in this case Mensa.

Meanwhile, Homer goes to get erotic pictures taken of himself, which takes place in his home.  After a botched attempt thanks to Bart's meddling, Homer gets the photos taken in the basement which is dressed up for the occasion.  Later, Homer gives the photos to Marge, and though she is initially turned on by the photos, she is soon distracted by the basement designs shown in the photos, and goes to dress up the basement herself, much to Homer's disappointment.

Although Mensa is able to change a few ways the town operates, making it more efficient, each member's own agenda starts to get in the way of progress.  They host a public forum to announce more changes, but as each member tries to implement policy based on their own preferences (Frink banning every physical sports, comic book guy forcing mating just once each seven years, etc), they start to argue with one another.  Stephen Hawking comes in to berate the group, noting that power has corrupted them, which prompts the crowd to start another riot.  Hawking is able to save Lisa, and as he ponders that even the smartest of people can still act childish, he and Homer go out for some beer.

Quick Review
This episode wasn't doing much good for most of its time.  Though the opening grossout plot was fine, the Mensa plot had little going for it in terms of hilarity, and Homer's erotic picture subplot wasn't doing much better.  The appearance of Stephen Hawking, though, was superb and it really saved this episode.  Sure, it sets up his animated character both here and also in Futurama as a know-it-all type who gets places by stealing ideas from others, but he still provides a level of comedy in this episode that just wasn't there otherwise.

Final Score: 8.0