# The Simpsons - 9/17 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 18, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142 "2006-09-18T03:23:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/1 "2006-09-18T03:23:35Z")
My God. What the hell was that? Do they just not care at all anymore? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/2 "2006-09-18T03:24:18Z")
Maybe all their good writers are working on the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/3 "2006-09-18T03:26:54Z")
In earlier years of The Simpsons, the first couple of shows of the season were often “leftovers” that had been made at the end of the previous year, by that season’s creative team. Does anyone know whether this is still true? ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/4 "2006-09-18T03:29:36Z")
I thought it was a good episode. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/5 "2006-09-18T03:30:30Z")
Man, that was terrible. Petty Lisa, where the hell did that come from? Circus animals hanging around? But hey, at least the elephant wasn’t Stampy. Only good part was Lisa noticing the A and B stories were coming together. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/6 "2006-09-18T03:51:55Z")
Haven’t looked at the episode yet- probably will tomorrow- but just glancing, the credited writer is Daniel Chun, who I’ve never heard of. The episode number is HABF18- I’ve forgotten how to keep track of episodes, but if my viewing of other _Simpsons_ sites is correct, this is a holdover from last season. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/7 "2006-09-18T03:53:46Z")
And yes, all the good writers are working on the movie. (Is Bob Odenkirk, who wrote last week’s craptacular episode, related to Steve Odenkirk, writer of _Thumb Wars, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Barnyard_, et al?) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/8 "2006-09-18T03:55:25Z")
I chuckled at the sign outside the childhood psychologist’s office – “Where imaginary friends come to die.” The SlimJim commercial was funny too. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/9 "2006-09-18T03:59:34Z")
Better than last week’s. Which isn’t saying much. But at least I laughed at a couple of things in this week’s ep. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/10 "2006-09-18T04:04:55Z")
What is going on here? This was a very good episode! A couple small jokes were “reruns” but the overall quality was excellent. Hooked from the beginning. (And none of that nonsense 10 minute initial story that gets ignored.) I also don’t agree with all the trashing of the previous episode. It started off slow (to say the least) but ended nicely. Hardly scraping the bottom of the barrel. Compare this episode to the 7:00 repeat. (Marge gets amnesia.) Now that’s a bland episode. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/11 "2006-09-18T04:26:53Z")
I was mildly amused by the Richie Sakai reference, but was overall pretty bland. Better than _Family Guy_, though. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/12 "2006-09-18T04:35:37Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] And yes, all the good writers are working on the movie. (Is Bob Odenkirk, who wrote last week’s craptacular episode, related to Steve Odenkirk, writer of _Thumb Wars, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Barnyard_, et al?) [/QUOTE] Bob Odenkirk was the non-David Cross writer/actor/creator on _Mr. Show_, as well as a veteran TV comedy writer (SNL, Get A Life, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/13 "2006-09-18T04:40:43Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] And yes, all the good writers are working on the movie. (Is Bob Odenkirk, who wrote last week’s craptacular episode, related to Steve Odenkirk, writer of _Thumb Wars, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Barnyard_, et al?) [/QUOTE] I just checked IMDB. Last week’s episode was written by Bill Odenkirk (Bob’s brother), while Barnyard was written by Steve Oedekerk. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/14 "2006-09-18T04:58:24Z")
All of those guys last names are so similar, I thought they were related. Thanks for clearing that up! ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/15 "2006-09-18T06:30:16Z")
The majority of the episode was as lame as a Sunday morning comic strip, though there were about 2 or 3 little chuckles. Oh, and has Marge done or said anything the least bit funny in the last 12 seasons? ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/16 "2006-09-18T06:31:27Z")
I liked the Phil Collins joke. I liked Lisa stealing the seeing eye dog, and I liked the White Stripes bit. Otherwise, nothing really stands out. I thought the “Lisa Simpson? are you Lisa Simpson? We’d like you to sit in” joke had potential, but they dragged it on for too long, and everyone in the audience must have figured out the punchline before it was finally delivered. [QUOTE=Mehitabel] Petty Lisa, where the hell did that come from? [/QUOTE] Petty Lisa had precident. When Maggie was thought to be a genius, Lisa was jealous. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/17 "2006-09-18T06:32:31Z")
Oh, I also liked Wiggum leading snake off on an ostrich ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/18 "2006-09-18T11:29:22Z")
It wasn’t great, but it was a rather large step up from the last episode. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/19 "2006-09-18T11:48:27Z")
I found it weak. Was “gimme five” – “in the pocket” even supposed to be funny? They replayed it 5 times and closed the show with it, so I guess it was supposed to be. Best part of the show was the musical interludes. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142/20 "2006-09-18T12:53:35Z")
[QUOTE=Taber] I thought the “Lisa Simpson? are you Lisa Simpson? We’d like you to sit in” joke had potential, but they dragged it on for too long, and everyone in the audience must have figured out the punchline before it was finally delivered. [/QUOTE] Amen to that. That’s one of the two main problems I see with the show recently: there are too many flat moments like that (and the “juzz”), that I imagine the writers should have and would have left out or replaced with something better if they had had more time or higher standards. The other problem is that it’s hard for them to keep from repeating themselves, so we keep getting things that have been done before (and often better): the sibling rivalry plot between Bart and Lisa, the big concert/show with all of Springfield attending, the need to raise money for a medical emergency… [QUOTE=Soapbox Monkey] Oh, and has Marge done or said anything the least bit funny in the last 12 seasons? [/QUOTE] I think Marge is the hardest character to write for. In the past, she has had some very funny moments. But it’s probably easier for the writers to get a laugh by having Homer say or do something stupid. There were some things I liked about last nights episode: some of Krusty’s silly jazz names, Wiggum on the ostrich, some of the funeral at the beginning. Overall, I’d rate it about average for these days: not bad, but hardly a classic. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-9-17/373142.md?page=2)