#THE SIMPSONS SEASON 30 EPISODE 17 SERIES#

Before long, Homer and Bart found themselves becoming Springfield's answer to Todd and Colton Burpo (of Heaven Is For Real fame). True to form, Homer managed to make Bart cave where the bullies couldn't, and it wasn't long before Bart found himself hospitalized and scrambling for a way to weasel out of getting in trouble. I'd just as soon not see the writers portray Marge as anything other than the naive, optimistic face of the Simpson clan she is normally. That's more Family Guy or Rick and Morty territory. Marge revealing that she deals with her Homer-induced stress through a combination of willful ignorance and wine really didn't sit well.

There's been a noticeable swing back to a more sentimental take on the Simpson family dynamic in recent years, and that's something 'Bart's Not Dead' captures well, particularly in terms of the Bart/Lisa relationship.Д®xcept for one scene, that is. One of many reasons this show lost its voice in the early 2000s is that the characters became more jaded and cynical. What stood out the most to me in 'Bart's Not Dead' is that the whole conflict began because Bart made an extremely un-Bart-like decision in the early moments, electing not to bow to peer pressure and ruin Lisa's jazz performance. But the subject matter and execution are just fresh enough in this case that this episode doesn't play like a bland retread. 'Bart's Not Dead' follows a very traditional, straightforward structure, giving us yet another conflict built around Homer and Bart making boneheaded decisions and then trying to cover their butts. The trouble with following The Simpsons 30 seasons in is that it becomes more and more rare to watch a new episode that doesn't feel annoyingly reminiscent of an older, better classic. 'Bart's Not Dead' sticks to treading more traditional ground, and in the process becomes one of the series' better season premieres in recent memory.

Last season began with the gimmicky, medieval-themed 'The Serfsons,' an episode that failed to give the show much early momentum.

#THE SIMPSONS SEASON 30 EPISODE 17 SERIES#

Not that the series went out of its way to mark the occasion (aside from a quick nod during the intro). That's another huge milestone for the series in 2018, after it already broke Gunsmoke's record as the longest-running primetime scripted series in history. September 30 seems like an appropriate day for The Simpsons to kick off its 30th season.

The simpsons season 30 episode 17