This is a strange bump, I know, but as I was re-watching some season 2 episodes I've forgotten so I can rate them on TV.com, I came across this episode and decided that I had to bump its R&R thread.
First off, this episode makes me really sad more than anything else. Not because of the tragedy that occurs within, but because it made me realize how far the series has fallen. Honestly, what happened to the family itself? In this episode, you see Lisa
sobbing over her journal because Bart left home for a few hours. She knows it's not really her fault, but she's sad anyway, simply because they're family and they love one another. The rest of the family is equally concerned and guilt-stricken. Bart is in perfect form; oblivious to how cruel he's actually being and extremely selfish, yet you can understand because he's 10 and doesn't know any better. He also figures out the error of his ways eventually.
Not only are the characterizations great in this episode, but I would also like to bring to your collective attention the episode's pacing. I know it's more difficult to accomplish this now that the show has had a solid 3 minutes cut from its time slot, but why can't the show actually feel longer than 18 minutes again? This episode feels like a 45-minute short film; it's cinematic, it feels complete, and the entire episode unfolds perfectly. The first 5 minutes feel like an eternity, but I never wanted it to end because I like the characters and because the writing is so clever.
Also, it's the little things that separate episodes like this from the current Jean era. The way Patty and Selma look so subtly bored as Lisa tells them about her centerpiece, or the way Homer sings along so happily with the radio as he's driving, flashing his lights in time. Of course, we can't forget the strangely disturbing bit of animation during Bart's fantasy sequence as he arrives home.
Now, I would never call this episode perfect. It' idea of humor, while effective, is not particularly

funny, and I hate the last 30 seconds of the episode. It's so rushed and lame.
"HEY, BART'S BACK!"
"Lord, help us to do better next time."
THE END.
Regardless, this is everything that the recent seasons aren't, and explains in great detail why they are so consistently mediocre. Having the family actually care about one another, using more creative animation, and pacing the episodes correctly would be a great start towards a brighter future for the show. Every single man and woman on staff needs to be given the Alex DeLarge treatment and have this episode forced on them weekly.
4.5/5