I'm sick, like Nixon was sick

[vovat]

Ugh, I'm feeling kind of sick. I have a fever, and I think I might have the post-nasal drip as well. It's not THAT bad, but it's annoying. I hope I get over this soon.

I thought tonight's Simpsons episode was kind of weak. They've done prison-based episodes before, and there wasn't anything particularly interesting about this one. In fact, we've already had Homer working as a juvenile hall guard, so his applying for a guard job this time was kind of rehashing old territory. The beginning in Shelbyville was pretty good, as were some of the head guard's lines. I actually think it might have been funnier if they had gotten more mileage out of the "loony laws" Chief Wiggum had started enforcing. As for the subplot, it's nice to see a story about the cat that doesn't involve multiple deaths, but it didn't really go anywhere. Neither did the episode in general, for that matter.

Comments

[revme.livejournal.com]

It was OK, but I wish they'd done more with the Concert Hall part of the plot rather than the Prison thing. The prison thing just seemed sort of... weird, really. I mean, I suppose it's understandable since Homer tends to wander off and do stuff for unknown stretches of time, but it still struck me as odd that no one seemed to care/notice that Homer was in prison for an undisclosed amount of time. It also seemed strange that there wasn't any sort of resolution to the Snowball II plot (so, what, Snowball just is gonna keep living between the houses and loving the Dexters (wasn't that the name?) more and putting up with the Simpsons?). And it also seemed sort of strange that, say, Otto didn't even get hired as a guard, or that Homer seemed to be the only non-thug in there. (And, it's strange, too -- how'd all the Mafia guys finally get in prison? I can't really imagine that Wiggum had a burst of competence or something and busted _mafia kingpins_.) I don't know. It could have been done much better, but there were cool lines in there. Like the thing about Marge going off to the library to cry. And "It's just the way I am! It all started when I was a young boy and saw my father being murdered by me!"

... but yeah, First Act made me think it was going to be a pretty good episode, but it sorta fell apart after that. Though it was funny that most of Gehry's bits were making fun of his archetecture. (Rightfully so, considering I live in the same city as the goddawful eyesore Experience Music Project.) The funny thing is, though, the Springfield Concert Hall actually looked kinda neat; more so than anything Gehry's actually done...

[vovat.livejournal.com]

It kind of seemed like the writers had two ideas for plots (the concert hall and Homer as a prison snitch) and combined them in an awkward fashion. I did like the joke about Marge having the key to the prison because it used to be the concert hall, but aside from that, there was no real reason to have the building's function change. It's not like Springfield doesn't have several prisons already.

And it also seemed sort of strange that, say, Otto didn't even get hired as a guard

Actually, wasn't there a brief shot of Otto serving as a guard? He didn't show up in that function as much as Lenny and Carl, but I'm pretty sure he was there. Still, I think they should have done more with that, since Otto was apparently the only reason Homer didn't get the job.

or that Homer seemed to be the only non-thug in there.

Yeah, you'd think that more people would have been arrested under the "loony laws." Actually, maybe Fat Tony was arrested under one of those, but if that was the case, they should have explained it. It seems like the episode left quite a bit unexplained.

[revme.livejournal.com]

Yeah -- and haven't they even mentioned the high amount of prisons that Springfield has in the past? I know they've at least got the normal prison and the minimum security one,and don't they also have the maximum security one, too?

As for Otto -- there might have been, actually. I just remebered Lenny and Carl, though, so... yeah. (And, I suppose, too, I could complain that the standard procedure then often is to take another drug test just to make sure, but considering that that would have come off normal, Homer would have had to have been hired, meaning, no reason for him to be a snitch. Unless they, say, wanted to do a joke with, say, Homer doing the test again, putting the cup on the counter, and then after Homer wanders off, Otto runs in really having to go, and just decides to dump homer's pee into the plant and go in the cup. But that'd be kinda... weird.)

Actually, I think they had a shot of Fat Tony &c in there before the Loony Laws were enforced; I'd have to see it again, but I seem to remember seeing them hanging out in one of the bits with Snake.

The episode did seem sort of... crammed in. Maybe they should have actually made two episodes, one of Homer-as-Snitch, one of the Concert Hall. Then, maybe, the episode would have made more sense, heh.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I know Sideshow Bob starts out the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts" in an Alcatraz-like island prison, and ends up in the minimum security prison. There's also Waterville State Penitentiary, where Marge teaches a painting class in "Pokey Mom," and the women's prison where she serves time in "Marge in Chains." There's also the abandoned Morningwood Penitentiary, which Bart and Ralph visit in "This Little Wiggy." So yeah, there seem to be quite a few prisons in the area.