Let me start by saying that it was strange reviewing episodes of The Simpsons that I haven’t seen since college. The way Fox has been releasing these DVDs still baffles me to this day. It’s a major case of delayed gratification when the only way to enjoy the current season after the finale is over is to wait eight years for it to come out on DVD. Not sure if they are planning on changing that format anytime soon, but the patience being asked of fans is amazing.
With that being said, Season 12, which originally aired in 2001, holds up pretty well to today’s standards. There are quite a few pop-culture references that are lost on anyone who can’t remember the time period surrounding the first Matrix movie, but it makes you feel even more like an insider when you do catch those jokes. It was pretty funny seeing Homer’s first feelings on the Internet back when it was more of a novelty and not as much of a way of life in the episode “The Computer Wore Menace Shoes,” spoofing the similarly titled 1969 Kurt Russell flick. As far as celebrity guest stars, there is voice talent galore including, but not limited to, The Who, Edward Norton, Pete Sampras, Drew Barrymore and N’Sync.
A lot of critics have said Season 12 is where the series started taking a turn for the worse but I enjoyed it. My favorite character has always been Homer, so I loved episodes like “Homer vs Dignity” where a bored and wealthy Mr. Burns pays him off to be his prank monkey, or “HOMR” (which won The Simpsons an Emmy!). This is when we learn that the reason behind Homer’s low IQ is a crayon that he stuck in his nose as a child. Hilarity ensues as it gets dislodged and we get to see Homer as a super-genius who points out plot holes in romantic comedies and finally connects with his daughter.
The “Treehouse of Terror” episode does not disappoint in the long standing Simpsons tradition, with tales from the Brothers Grimm and a spoof on Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. Even though religion is sometimes mocked and often misunderstood in the series, there are usually good messages or morals in the end. The family almost always ends up doing the right thing, and a lesson is learned, like when Homer becomes a good Samaritan and sticks up for the little guy in “Hungry, Hungry Homer.” Overall, it is a fun package of episodes, and pretty much exactly what you would expect from the longest-running American primetime entertainment series… and the family Simpson.
