The Simpsons 2/15 - "Take My Life, Please" with new opening sequence

Cafe Society
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If you’re like me - and I know I am* - as a Simpsons fan, you’re very, very accustomed to the animation sequence that follows after the choir sings “the Siiip-soooons…”

Tonight it’s changing. This isn’t one of the few one-time reinventions like the one with the snow or the first one after the movie; this is supposed to be permanent. Apparently they had to do it for the HD rollout and took the opportunity to remake the entire thing. There’s still a chalkboard gag and it concludes with a very good couch gag, but most of what comes in between is different.

You can watch the new sequence here.

Some what stuck out to me: you can read Maggie’s price at the supermarket, everthing looks cleanerand brighter, and there are some really cool callbacks to older episodes. This is going to take some getting used to for me, but every time I saw the opening in the last few years I was distracted by how old it looks. Some parts of it date back to season 2, so there’s no more Bleeding Gums Murphy on the sidewalk, for example.

*Not sure anybody else would admit to this level of Simpsons geekery, but mobo85 probably would.

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I assume someone will freeze-frame and list what every sign says and name each character shown. I noticed Apu’s entire family on the sidewalk. Also, the Simpson family now has a flat-panel TV.

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Best. Couch gag. Ever.

That was really great!

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That was terrific! The only thing I didn’t like was Marge actually hitting Homer. I always enjoyed him jumping out of the way. And, it’s a bit over the top seeing that. They did an awesome job of updating it, without losing the essence of the original. Quite fun. Plus, I am pretty sure it will look terrific in HD.

pat

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Did anyone else notice the box of Mr. Sparkle that Marge was buying? “I am disrespectful to dirt! Can you see that I am serious?!”

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Mr. Sparkle, Tomacco Juice and Krusti-Os on the check-out line.

I liked seeing the Uni-brow baby in the store.

God and the Devil were in the scene when most of the residence of Springfield are shown. Selma and Patty were sunbathing in bikinis :eek:, Todd and Rod were playing something I could not make make out.

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I agree – Homer frantically running in fear that Marge will run over him in the garage is funnier than her actually hitting him. Otherwise, it looks great. The very last shot made me think of the ending of the Futurama opening.

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Exxxxxcellllllent!

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The new opening sequence is a great update, in my opinion- keeping the original sequence and adding extra gags and familiar characters.

Well, since you wanted someone to, and Marley called out my geekery:

Stores in front of Springfield Elementary: Zesty’s Pizza and Subs, Bakery, The Android’s Dungeon, Phineas Q. Butterfat’s Ice Cream

Billboard near school: “Krusty- Now Doing Funerals” (I wonder if this billboard will change with each episode)

Photo of Homer in astronaut uniform next to chalkboard

Magazines in grocery store: Scientific (something, red text is too hard to read, even in YouTube hi-def, map of Canada on cover), Donut Fancy, Anxious Mother, Peephole- Marge is reading Anxious Mother, which has an “Absolut Krusty” ad on the back

Patty and Selma are buying packs of Lady Laramie 100s. Marge has Frosty Krusty Os, Mr. Sparkle, and Tomacco Juice. Price rises from 236.60 to 243.26 to 486.52 (the latter after Maggie is scanned)

Recognizable kids in music class (from right to left): Ham, Wendell, Database, Martin, Janey, Milhouse, Sherri and Terri (playing video games), Lewis, and of course Lisa. Pictures of Bleeding Gums Murphy, Beethoven, and Elvis are on the wall

Homer drives past Springfield Prison before throwing the inanimate carbon rod into Otto’s lap, which he then eats. A Squishee cup is in the trash. Bart skateboards past Sideshow Bob, Mrs. Lovejoy, Apu and his eight children, Moe (outside his bar), Comic Book Guy, Disco Stu, Elanor Abernathy (aka Crazy Cat Lady), TVs with Krusty’s picture, Rich Texan, and Chief Wiggum. Hans Moleman pops out of a manhole.

Pan across Springfield: Duff blimp, Mrs. Skinner, Principal Skinner, Chalmers, Milhouse, Lewis, Groundskeeper Willie on his tractor, Squeaky-Voiced Teen, Ralph Wiggum playing sandbox on Frank Grimes’s grave, Miss Springfield and Mayor Quimby (wearing each other’s sashes), Martin being threatened by Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearny, Ballet teacher from “Smoke on the Daughter,” Cletus and Brandine, Plopper (Spider-Pig), Patty and Selma sunbathing, Kang and Kodos, Burns and Smithers, El Barto graffiti and spray can, Sea Captain holding Blinky, Kent Brockman and camera man, Sherri and Terri still playing video games, Krusty smoking cigarette, Bumblebee Guy, Luigi, Fat Tony and goons burying a body, Eddie, Lou, and Snake (stealing Lou’s gun), Schoolbus (with Wendell, Janey, and other unidentified kids and Miss Hoover changing a tire), Dr. Hibbert, Duffman, Jessica Lovejoy, Sideshow Mel walking Mr. Teeny, God, Satan, Rod and Todd Flanders

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It still has the old, crappy rabbit ears on it, though.

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Ultranerd losers are already thinking of a shorthand name for this sequence and preparing to tell people at some point in the future, if you see the [shorthand] opening sequence, just turn it off, man.

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LABF01 Written by Don Payne

Not a very good episode- I think the only laugh for me was the family commenting on Homer finding it hard to believe Batman and Bruce Wayne are the same person- but it looked nice. Are the “mixed-race couple” supposed to be the Obamas (if it is, it’s their first depiction on the show)?

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The wife appeared to be Asian, so I don’t think so. Not a strong episode by any means, and we’ve now placed Marge and Homer’s high school years back into the 1970s, which is more consistent with the show’s history, but throws it into conflict with the Homer’s grunge band episode.

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NRA4EVER!!!

Pretty cool but the almost encyclopedic featuring of side characters was a bit much, I thought.

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It’s in HD people! No bars on the end of the screen. I had to move my eyes to take in the entire picture. Now they will have to do another 20 years because the picture is so much better. I hope Family Guy and American Dad go to the same format.

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I thought it was a good episode. I enjoyed the fact it was one consistent storyline.

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They were releasing doves, I think.

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Phwew, when I read this, I thought they changed it into something entirely different, but it’s basically still the same sequence.

I’m a little disappointed that Maggie’s price is no longer $847.63

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Geez, what’s it take to please Simpsons watchers these days? It was a good episode. NO show - including the Simpsons - is, was, or ever will be as good as the way most people remember the Simpsons in the '90s. Go back and watch. I hate seeing this show be a victim of its own fans.

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Of course not. But for some reason, even though I usually enjoy even the modern Simpsons episodes, this one was lacking something for some reason. I’m not sure why I didn’t like it- maybe because there were better flashback episodes in recent years, including “Dangerous Curves” and the aforementioned "That '90s Show- but it didn’t really “hook” me, for some reason. I agree that The Simpsons is still a great show. There are a few misfires every now and again, but they are thankfully few and far between.