Simpsons Season 26 Review: Opposites-A-Frack

"Our water was on FIRE!"

"Opposites-A-Frack"

    Wow. This episode was good. Like, really good. Not "golden era" (not even close, really). But for a recent Simpsons episode, it kind of kicked ass. The story was interesting and (semi) unique for the show; their were some good jokes and quotes; and the whole beginning, in which Patty & Selma try to stop smoking, was FABULOUS.
    [author's note: It seems as if there is no couch gag for this episode. Very weird...]

    The basic story goes a little something like this: Patty and Selma went to Paris and come home early. Since their apartment was still being treated for black mold, they stay with Marge and Homer. The only condition? They CAN'T smoke in the house. After some funny E-cigarette jokes, they end up smoking in the bathroom. But they cause an explosion, because the water is flammable and is actually on fire. This leads Lisa to realize that someone (who could it be?) is fracking in their neighborhood. Obviously it's Mr. Burns. When Lisa's favorite female assemblywoman comes to stop Mr. Burns, the two fall in love. Their affair-despite-their-starkly-opposing-viewpoints reminded me of Jack from 30 Rock and his various "hook-ups" with liberals. This episode, unlike a lot of newer ones, actually had a good balance of secondary characters. Patty and Selma aren't seen after the first six or seven minutes, and the whole time they are in the episode they are funny. Mr. Burns has more screen time, basically in the final 2/3 of the episode, but again, he's not overdone. Even Homer, who I find more and more annoying as the years go on (because the writers make him dumber and dumber and dumber, until he's basically at the point where he has the mental capacity of a bag of rotten carrots) was great in this episode. Overall, a great balance of character screen-time. Mr. Burns's squeeze was an older woman named Maxine. She's okay, but nothing really special or wholly memorable. 

Yuck

    The episode comes to a good conclusion, even though everything is back to status-quo (as so goes The Simpsons, though). The story is sort of far fetched, and the ending gets a little too crazy, but I wouldn't have been surprised to see this kind of story in one of the better seasons. Newer Simpsons tend to go crazy with ridiculous, nonsense, un-realistic stories, but this one I actually liked. There were several times throughout the episode too where I laughed out loud. Yup. I LOL'd. I don't do that much for newer Simpsons episodes. I can actually say that this was the funniest season 26 episode thus far. I HOPE it's a sign of things to come. I'm still dubious though, because overall the season has not been great. But you know what? I'm actually pretty pleased with it. My expectations were virtually nonexistent, so to find a few episodes (this one, the "Treehouse of Horror", and the Relationship one) that are good is shocking, and slightly life-affirming. 

    I don't think there is much else to say, except the "water was on fire" joke wears a bit thin by the end. So far, if I had to suggest one episode from season 26 for someone to watch, it would definitely be this one. I'd also like to say that I know I'm still six episodes (I think) behind of where they are in the season. I haven't watched one in a while, but I'm going to try my damnedest to get caught up in the next few weeks. Bare with me, folks! I have no qualms with giving this episode a...

7/10

    I have quite a list of bullet points. Let's do it to it (have I said that recently elsewhere in this blog?):

• The "hockey fight mirror" gag was pretty humorous
• I also enjoyed the black mold monster arm in Patty & Selma's apartment. It pulls two of the cleaners into some (I assume) hellish black mold void
• P & S's magically appearing cigarette gag was funny. Reminded me of classic Simpsons, actually
• The fracking site is disguised as the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Laughed out loud
• The montage of Homer going around to the townspeople, trying to sell the whole fracking thing, was great. He always has his leg propped up on something. Great gag
• The end, with Burns and Maxine sitting in bed, each looking at their own iPads, being boring, was quite enjoyable. More so than I would have though
• This episode starts off with a great quote. In fact it's the first thing said in the whole episode:
• HOMER: "Woo. Pork chops with gravy! Wait, but today's not pork chop Tuesday, or gravy Thursday!"
• PATTY (talking about E-cigarettes): "Sure, it's got the nicotine, but where's the tar? Where's the stab from every breath that reminds me I'm alive?"
• MOE: "Money is like a job you don't even have to do!"

    And that'll do it folks! I hope you enjoyed reading, because I enjoyed writing. I have my fingers crossed that these good episodes will continue. I do know that the next episode is also pretty decent! I'll try to have it up next week