Am Dienstag, 17. Februar 2004 01:36:45 UTC+1 schrieb Benjamin Robinson:   
   > [The long of it]   
   >    
   > Today (well, yesterday by the time this is posted) is Matt Groening's    
   > 50th birthday.  What do you get the cartoon mogul who has everything?     
   > How about a decent episode of his flagship show?  "Milhouse Doesn't    
   > Live Here Anymore" is only the second episode of "The Simpsons" to air    
   > on Groening's Birthday ("Das Bus (5F11)" was the first).  Let's tear    
   > open the wrapping and see what he got.   
   >    
   > The show begins with a field trip to the Museum of Television and TV    
   > because, goodness knows, the children of Springfield just don't watch    
   > enough television.  The museum itself turns out to be kind of dull,    
   > except for one really good joke between Paul Lynde and Nadia Comaneci.     
   > I'm surprised, given how well the series has skewered television over    
   > the years.  (I'll give the producers credit for rounding up some of    
   > the original series' voices for cameos, however.)   
   >    
   > Milhouse acts strangely during the field trip, at one moment    
   > disrupting class and, at the next, trying to confide something to    
   > Bart.  We soon see that he does have some startling news:  He and his    
   > mother are moving to Capital City, for good.  From a fourth-grader's    
   > perspective, Milhouse might as well be moving to Mars.  At first, I    
   > thought his behavior was awkwardly written, but now that I've thought    
   > about it I believe the situation called for the uncertain rhythms of    
   > someone with big news to tell and no good way of telling it.   
   >    
   > Milhouse's departure for the lights of "Cap City" creates a friendship    
   > vacuum in Bart's social order, and ushers in the best part of this    
   > episode.  Marge subtly nudges Bart to hang out with Lisa, and to the    
   > surprise of both siblings, they become fast friends.  There's a    
   > certain novelty to seeing this normally bickering pair put aside their    
   > differences and just hang out.  In one cute scene, Bart encourages    
   > Lisa to jump her bike over a ditch, saying, "Forget everything you    
   > know about gravity."  Lisa's answer:  "But I know so much."  In    
   > another scene where Lisa passes up a chance to meet two of her    
   > favorite jazz artists to be with Bart, while at the same time Bart    
   > misses a chance to go shooting things with Nelson.  The idea that Bart    
   > and Lisa's friendship might demand sacrifices is an interesting one,    
   > and one I wish the writers had explored further.   
   >    
   > While the "A" plot provides most of the warmth, Homer has a "B" plot    
   > that provides most of the humor.  He takes up panhandling to buy Marge    
   > some nice jewelry for their anniversary.  A friendly bum gives him    
   > some advice, and Homer proves to be such a natural begging talent that    
   > he's soon stealing business from the city's established, if that's the    
   > word, transient community.  Marge's rationalization of Homer's begging    
   > is good, and a nice break from her usual "voice of reason" behavior.   
   >    
   > While the individual parts are good, they aren't as integrated as I    
   > would like.  There's an extended scene in the first act where Nelson    
   > is ridiculed for his low-income background.  The writers have shown    
   > Nelson's more vulnerable side before, but usually in shorter scenes    
   > than this.  I figured the writers were going to make some sort of plot    
   > point but, no, the matter is never mentioned again.  Also, the two    
   > subplots scarcely intersect.  It's as though the each of the two lead    
   > writers (sorry, I didn't remember their names) worked in isolation on    
   > each plot, and didn't want to interrupt the other's train of thought    
   > by mentioning what they were doing.  Finally, Isabelle Sanford (from    
   > "The Jeffersons") steps in and mechanically introduces a joke she    
   > explains will "cut through the treacle."  Good idea, but wouldn't it    
   > be better to do that with a joke that springs naturally from the story    
   > itself?   
   >    
   > Maybe the writers were trying to give the show's creator a little of    
   > something that he has enjoyed in the past:  Storylines that find the    
   > humor in some of life's darker moments (like separation from your best    
   > friend), Homer trying to do the right thing but going about it in a    
   > hilariously wrong way, and kitschy guest stars that play with the    
   > constraints of "normal" television.  I liked "Das Bus" more, but this    
   > episode is pleasing evidence that "The Simpsons" still has much to    
   > offer -- which might be the best present of all.  Happy Birthday, Mr.    
   > Groening.   
   >    
   > [The short of it]   
   >    
   > Two good plots make up this episode.  For warmth, we have Bart and    
   > Lisa befriending each other after Milhouse leaves town.  There was an    
   > interesting novelty in seeing them put aside their differences for a    
   > while and just hang out.  For humor, Homer turns to panhandling to    
   > raise money for Marge's anniversary gift (and is pretty good at it,    
   > too).  The "lead bum" that shows Homer the ropes was funny, and I    
   > liked Marge's reaction to Homer's latest moneymaking scheme.  The    
   > parts don't gel into a whole as smoothly as I like, the trip to the TV    
   > museum was as funny as I'd expect, and the perfect ending remains    
   > elusive this season.  Despite this, the show as a whole is good enough    
   > to merit a (B).  Happy Birthday, Mr. Groening!   
   >    
   > [DYNs]   
   >    
   > ...	on the security monitor, we can see Homer imitate a walrus by    
   > 	shoving two inanimate carbon rods in his mouth?   
   > ...	on another monitor, we can see the guys playing "bullfighter"    
   > 	with one of the plant's forklifts?   
   > ...	the lady who tells Homer not to stop dancing only donates a    
   > 	penny?   
   > ...	Mr. Largo and Mrs. Pommelhorst are part of the moving crew?   
   > ...	LuAnne sounds really different?   
   > ...	the six types of panhandler are:  bad musician, messed-up vet,    
   > 	cripple, fake cripple, religious zealot, and crazy guy?   
   > ...	Homer flashes about US$126 (a single, a $5 bill, five $10 bills,    
   > 	a $20, and a $50) at Costingtons?   
   > ...	in the home movie, Homer coughs up three toy cars?   
   >    
   > [References]   
   >    
   > "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (movie)   
   > -	title of episode a spoof   
   >    
   > "Rawhide" (TV series)   
   > -	during their barrel-rolling race, "Snap, Crackle, and Pop" make    
   > 	up new lyrics to this show's theme song.  Oh, and speaking of    
   > 	whom ...   
   >    
   > "Rice Krispies" (breakfast cereal)   
   > -	Snap, Crackle, and Pop were the cartoon spokesmen for this    
   > 	cereal   
   >    
   > Museum of Television and Radio   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)