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Simpsons jug band mathlete4/3/2023 ![]() What lays ahead? Do we know? Do we care - or have we resorted to just watching FXX reruns? That's a lot of questions that I doubt the show will get around to answering. Still, there's two more guaranteed seasons and no Harry Shearer for the foreseeable future. There's still the various frustrating moments in between the solid Futurama crossover episode "Simpsorama" or the Judd Apatow-penned "Bart's New Friend." However, what is likely to be the most disappointing thing is that what started off as a celebratory experience ended with a whimper and Homer passed out as if the show has admitted its own exhaustion. However, there's more trying to see the potential in episodes like "Sky Police" than actually getting it. Most episodes feel like they have a purpose and are best of all memorable enough to pass by. In fact, compared to the art school sensibilities of the past few seasons, this is actually a pretty strong one. The Simpsons season 26 isn't the worst that the series has done. It isn't the best way to remember a show of this legacy or length, but it is what the show is presenting us anyways. It has to be a random gag that doesn't matter. Much like the season 24 finale "Dangers on a Train" that has a stylized animation of Grampa Simpson singing about a train, it feels like the show doesn't know how to end a season anymore. While this is on par with the show's general take on its characters, the moment doesn't even have a fun sensibility to it. Homer is still an alcoholic in a random moment. Homer (Castellanetta) goes on to be seen drinking from the jug until he passes out. Much like the padded opening, it is an extended riff on the family as a jug band. Yet, for all it's worth, the last moments that we get in the episode have nothing to do with anything from the past 20 minutes. In terms of continuity, even in the show's lack of sense, this is distracting. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, the episode focuses on math and somehow pitting Bart as the inevitable hero. Likewise, the episode reinstates what's problematic about the show. Also, the season as a whole has simply been more memorable because of its consistency to doing more "original" stories that rehashed takes on old movies. The only real benefit is that they're not as terrible as older seasons have been. However, there's jokes within these episodes that are problematic and questionable even by character logic. We even get solid Grampa Simpson (Dan Castellanetta) like "Let's Go Fly a Coot" where we learn more about his military past. Willie becomes math team coach and the meet-clinching puzzle has a surprisi. Burns (Shearer) episodes like "Opposites A-Frack," which return him to dastardly villain roles. Springfield Elementary loses its electronic devices and becomes a Waldorf school. Whether it be the death of Rabbi Krustofsky (whose absence HASN'T impacted the show at all) or making episodes based around space adventures, the show is about pushing boundaries without giving a decent reason as to why. While they have tapered off into being consistently good, there's been a lot more needless shock implanted into the show in order to keep audiences engaged. That is what The Simpsons are at this point. ![]()
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