97a3371f   
   From: mxg77@po.cwru.edu   
   Copy: mxg77@cwru.edu   
      
   Well, the "want a new baby" story's a staple of TV (and has even been   
   visited somewhat, in 8F10 anyway), but this felt new and interesting   
   enough. I liked it. And Homer was actually competent. The final   
   resolution was pretty good, especially as I was already considering   
   the horror factor of all of Homer's offspring floating around. As for   
   Lisa: I recognized the pangrams for what they were right away but did   
   not anticipate their purpose (learning cursive); I just figured it was   
   some kind of smart club, a la AABF18, and they were an entrance   
   requirement or discussion topic (like the palindromes). Of course,   
   that would have been a little repetitive, but it's a moot point now.   
   Anyway, pretty decent stuff.   
      
      
   DYN:   
   ...Ullman-era Simpsons buried under the house?   
   ...Bart imagines Lisa as Angelica Button?   
      
   Previous episode stuff   
   KABF16: Opening very close in spirit (and some execution) to 2008's   
   election one   
   9F10: Moe mentions the monorail episode (which the car/sinkhole thing   
   already reminded me of)   
   8F23, 2F10: Homer-shaped sperm   
   Movie, 2F16/20: Sinkhole reminiscent of these, but I can't help but   
   feel like there's another obvious one I should be remembering   
   3F23: Cursive writing is confusing/not taught at SES, plus special   
   note of capital Q   
   5F18: Themed love motels reminiscent of this ep (but with a different   
   goal)   
   9F03: Following the trend of various (mostly animated, many CGI, but   
   not all) movies being rereleased in 3D, The Itchy & Scratchy Movie too   
   (I guess Bart finally gets to see it canonically - it only took 20   
   years), with the usual snark at paying customers   
      
   Meta-reference stuff   
   -Ullman-era Simpsons fossilized underground (also the "between the   
   floorboards" type gag we used to see a lot)   
   -Marge questions Homer on why he pauses 3 seconds before replying to   
   her   
   -Bart tells Lisa that after school (Tues/Thurs) he "write[s] stupid   
   stuff on the chalkboard"; he also files away an idea we probably won't   
   see (because it doesn't really work as a gag: "a gentleman doesn't   
   ask, a lady doesn't tell"), and notes that he needs a special one for   
   MLK Day (following the slightly more recent trend of airdate-relevant   
   gags)   
   -Milhouse notes "this just became a treehouse of horrors" (not that   
   there's an S in episode names, but a lot of fans seem to think there   
   is)   
      
      
   Other stuff   
      
   I'm happy to note that credits are back to normal (including the   
   PABF04 repeat), with a fun flourish (har) tonight too... seems PABF17   
   was just a fluke.   
      
   The opening (election bit) was a little unusual (as was the split-   
   second title card flash before act 1) - I wonder if it will stay. The   
   other election bits have stayed, all the way to syndication; on the   
   other hand, it's almost exactly as long as a normal long opening,   
   so...   
      
   Whether Don cares or not, the PABF04 repeat in Cleveland was joined in   
   progress because of the Seahawks game. The two-minute-long opening ran   
   7:13-15, then at 7:19 it was joined as Homer was about to say "zero   
   sheets to the wind".   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)