This is the first time in a long time that I can remember The Simpsons going with a cold open. It's also the first time I can remember them giving us a Treehouse of Horror Festivity, as opposed to a full holiday episode.
Highlights for me: -Otto's pot-powered Polar Express. -Marge out to war while Homer becomes Rosie the Riveter. -Marge killing Hitler in a movie theater, which is historically accurate. Inglorious Basterds said so! -Grandpa and Jasper play Statler and Waldorf.
And...that's pretty much it. The show's had some great holiday episodes in the past, but this wasn't one of them.
Nah, this was pretty weak, both as an anthology episode AND as a Christmas episode.
But oh my God, the Katy Perry segment carried a real reek of desperation from a show that's normally pretty good about avoiding stuff like that.
Martha Stewart, on the other hand, deserved her participation to be expanded out from a mere segment to at least an entire episode...if not a multi-episode arc.
Originally posted by CRZNah, this was pretty weak, both as an anthology episode AND as a Christmas episode.
But oh my God, the Katy Perry segment carried a real reek of desperation from a show that's normally pretty good about avoiding stuff like that.
Martha Stewart, on the other hand, deserved her participation to be expanded out from a mere segment to at least an entire episode...if not a multi-episode arc.
I thought Katy Perry was the weakest part of that last segment, which was otherwise a really sharp parody of The Muppet Show (I especially liked the human hand grabbing the velcro'd cell phone from Moe's hand). Human guest stars on The Muppet Show are fine and dandy and a tradition, but Katy Perry, though a Huge Pop Star Of The Moment, just comes off like a crash test dummy attached to a tremendous rack. (Not just on The Simpsons but just about any time I've seen her.)
Martha Stewart was totally gung-ho reading all that dialogue that pointedly mocked Martha Stewart. It's a good thing.
Desperation, to me, was the Ke$ha opening credits last season. That was some serious pandering.
I think my favorite Christmas episode is still the one when Bart was caught shoplifting. "Buy me Bonestorm or go to Hell!"
(edited by John Orquiola on 5.12.10 2059) @BackoftheHead
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