Preview / speculation about the upcoming episodes of The Simpsons.

Okay, according to Helmboy in the TVIV.org website, supposedly John Frink's writer halloween name this year is gonna be 'The Return of Frinkzilla', and Matthew Faughnan's halloween name this year would be The Mysterious Matthew Faughnan. You guys should click on the link down below to see for yourselves, I bet Helmboy probably might've went to the Simpsons table read before:

http://m.tviv.org/The Simpsons/Season Thirty-Three
 
Helmboy probably might've went to the Simpsons table read before:
All the reads are still online + the names actually have always created just a while ago begore episode airs - about a month, if I'm correct
 
I wish I could be more optimistic about 'Treehouse Of Horror XXXIII' but with it having five segments as well as being written by John Frink & Jean is showrunning I don't feel like I can hope for much (or anything). It seems like a possible disaster in the making, especially considering it still is a 22 minute episode juggling five segments, but I don't think it'll be anything all that awful in the end and I hope it will have enough creativity to give some enjoyment. Guessing it will be a weak episode but not terrible so a tenative 2/5.
 
The Parasite parody will be for sure rushed and underdeveloped. It features a story about TikTok which on paper is one of the dumbest ideas they have had. The leaked segment was too short and said nothing to me. And it has five segments, and that is something bad taking into account that in the latest years the issue was lack of time and not lack of ideas.

I don't want to sound pessimistic but it is impossible it turns out to be a good episode even though one or two segments could wind up positively.
 
I don't think John Frink will write next year's Treehouse of Horror. But maybe Rob LaZebnik could write next year's Treehouse of Horror, since he usually writes two Simpsons episodes in a production cycle every year
 
You know what I think's gonna happen somewhere later in Season 33? I think the Simpsons ending credits for the UABF production cycle should probably have the Lead Storyboard credit, the Lead Background Design credit and the Lead Character Design credit
 
Will Al Jean manage to break his most egregious quality slump of his showrunner tenure with this Sunday's episode?

- The 7 Beer Itch - 1.27
- Three Dreams Denied - 1.94
- Sorry Not Sorry - 2.64
- Diary Queen - 2.79
- Yokel Hero - 1.68
- Manger Things - 1.84
- Burger Kings - 2.18
- Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap" - 2.00
- Mother and Child Reunion - 2.35
- The Man from G.R.A.M.P.A. - 2.81
- The Good, The Bart, and the Loki - 1.83
- Treehouse of Horror XXXII - 1.97

That's an almost year-long streak of squandering creative opportunities and potential. Can The Wayz We Were stop the bleeding?
 
Will Al Jean manage to break his most egregious quality slump of his showrunner tenure with this Sunday's episode?

No!
A) Despite it's a sorta sequel of well received Eany Teany Maya Moe (don't remember correct title), but it's a SEQUEL, and when people will definitely compare TWWW story and 12-year ago episode, the recent one WILL seemed as worse, anyway (I'll explain more, when will write my preview);
B) there is that "traffic story involved mostly Simpsons family", which doesn't sound good already :/
C) Joel Cohen and Al Jean. No comments.

So, as we (or just Jean) didn't want to improve situation, but entire QABF cycle is the worst for Al in years. Unfortunately. :oops:
 
The answer is "probably not"

Redundant as hell to bring up but for as good as they were, there's probably a good reason why folks like Oakley and Weinstein stepped out after only a few seasons. It's for the best but I think I liked what they brought to the show and coulda done with more of that (like the Van Houten divorse, Skinner and Edna) that actually lead to some good stories... 'til Jean dismantled them for seemingly no reason. I think I heard a rumour that Jean disliked them or something? But he could seriously do with taking a page from their book, help shake off the sterility.
I mean I don't like either of them but after Sunday, even I'm leaning more towards Selman. He at least occasionally tries even if most are middling at best and he still has some real terrible ones under his belt.
Now, if Gravity Falls was any indication, Alex Hirsch would kick ass as a showrunner though. That guy knew how to bring out potential.
 
The Wayz We Were
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1. Plot Main plot ("Evergreen Terrace is full of traffic.") - Up to new promos I thought, it will be just a first act, or introduction, but with more accenting on Simpsons family in the story (+Michael Price's words + promo stuff). The last time I misloaded the A and B stories was The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby's new synopsis in March'20. That's just to said. If this is really a full story, not just 1 act - it's REALLY REALLY BAD:negative: just to complete Jean's worst Q-cycle to the end . Not 1, but 2/5, just because "a hope dies in the last time"
Sub-plot ("Meanwhile, Moe has to make a fateful choice…") - Obvious, what choice is it... isn't? So, a guess: Moe reunites with Maya, but founds she became secret alcoholic. Huh, Huh? Sounds like a shit? Yes! Is it really possible? Yes (That's Al, folks!) Or I just too rely on promo stuff, and the story (even as B-story) is a really emotional long-awaited story about lovable old character? Maybe:oops: 3/5 (hit-or-another-miss)
SO, in average we get 2.5/5 for plot(s)
2. The Biggest Possible Problem (something new) The B-story is going to be a sequel of «Eeny Teeny Maya Moe», which many (include me) consider as one of season 20 bests. But, as I said earlier, but it's a SEQUEL. As you want or not, but people WILL compare the two episodes, even, if in premise they have nothing in common. For example, Gudson in Playdate with destiny and subplot in TILoBaB. What was considered better? (rhetorical question) In fact: 98% of sequels/reusing of old characters is WORSE of origin. And I bet (if I had money, I'd really make a bet) Maya character WILL BE RUINED. I became sure of it seeing just one frame from promo clip with "drunken dances" + above image👆
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Also, not a problem, but feature: if the story has a potential, it will be ruined. For example, we had 2 biggest disappoints: Diary Queen with so hyped Edna tribute, and the too bigger - Mother and Child Reunion - hard to refuse it. (what a surprise - they were run by Jean:D). And those are the biggest possible problems, imho
3. Regarding Al Jean. Not kidding, for some reason he lost the QABF cycle completely (despite I will surprise he could turn this episode into something funny/emotional). The writer is Joel Cohen, who couldn't deliver something good under Jean for a really long time. The director Matthew Nastuk (smells like a possible music number) can do hit or miss
4. Promo stuff this time worked well, I mean it spoil Maya return, but still lots of generic images.
5. Possible ratings 0.5 rat 1.18-1.6 mil

SO, I wrote too pessimistic preview, and might sounded like typical "anti-modern-Simpsons", "anti-Al-Jean" "fan" (too much braces), though actually I still love the show, even the most recent good episodes, even came from weak staff who are always hit-or-miss (I overrun this phrase). FYI, that's all based on just dry statistics. 2/5

P.S. This preview took even more time than on 5 segments of THOH
 
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'The Wayz We Were' still seem like an intriguing little episode to me. I generally find the Moe-centric episodes some of the better ones, the premise of this one is interesting & I like that Maya returns, but there is still a chance it might not turn out as well as it looks on paper and in pictures (especially as it is an effort from Jean & H. Cohen, two of the three who brought us 'The 7 Beer Snitch'), though I'm guessing it'll be just about okay, even if that is just hopeful thinking. A tenative 3/5.
 
Honestly I'd probably feel better if Maya did get ruined. As of last week at least it'd feel fair if someone else got wrecked too.
 
I wish I could be excited about this week's episode but...
- The 7 Beer Itch - 1.27
- Three Dreams Denied - 1.94
- Sorry Not Sorry - 2.64
- Diary Queen - 2.79
- Yokel Hero - 1.68
- Manger Things - 1.84
- Burger Kings - 2.18
- Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap" - 2.00
- Mother and Child Reunion - 2.35
- The Man from G.R.A.M.P.A. - 2.81
- The Good, The Bart, and the Loki - 1.83
- Treehouse of Horror XXXII - 1.97
... It says everything by itself (even though I think most of these episodes are slightly below the rating they deserve). I will calibrate my expectations accordingly. It's a Jean episode and odds are it will ruin the magic chemistry Maya and Moe had, doing them more unlikable, and surely preventing them from a happy ending again (plus, the main story sounds silly). I rather come up expecting shit, and if it turns out to be at least average, I will be happy.

If I had to bet for an episode to put an end to this streak, I think it could be Mother and Other Strangers, because Jean is an awful showrunner at this point but he is (or used to be) an amazing writer.
 
How is Tim Long even still a writer for this show. He was responsible for some of the worst scripts I've ever seen on any show, scripts so bad they make an average episode of the Flintstones look like a masterpiece.
 
Yeah but then if you got rid of someone for being a bad writer you'd have to purge nearly all of the crew.

Not that I'm particularly objecting.
 
- The 7 Beer Itch - 1.27
- Three Dreams Denied - 1.94
- Sorry Not Sorry - 2.64
- Diary Queen - 2.79
- Yokel Hero - 1.68
- Manger Things - 1.84
- Burger Kings - 2.18
- Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap" - 2.00
- Mother and Child Reunion - 2.35
- The Man from G.R.A.M.P.A. - 2.81
- The Good, The Bart, and the Loki - 1.83
- Treehouse of Horror XXXII - 1.97

Looking at that list of recent Jean blund... I mean episodes almost makes want to cry. I'm not saying all of them are terrible (as there are some okay ones there), but if that was a season it would certainly be one of the show's worst (I can just imagine the reactions if it looked like that when airing and it being spearheaded 'The 7 Beer Itch' like that).

There is only so much you can expect from a Jean-H.Cohen episode so with 'The Wayz We Were' is most likely to be a 2/5 (1/5 if they really botch the Moe & Maya stuff), but I still (probably futilely) hope for at least a 3/5 episode.

'Mother And Other Strangers' do seem like the best Jean one to bet on so far (interesting with an episode both written and run by Jean & Rob Olivers direction is usually a highlight) so I'm hoping it'll be all right, but the doubt is still there.
 
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Okay, something tells me that Matt Selman might be the showrunner for Habeus Tortoise and 'Not It'
 
I was imagining a cameo of Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb in an episode of The Simpsons of maybe the Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz with Dan Povenmire as guest star.
 
By the way, we haven't got a Krusty the Clown-centric episode in a while. So, it could be possible if 'Not It' will be a Krusty the Clown episode, I don't know for sure
 
Something tells me that the plot for A Serious Flanders might be almost similar to Left Behind, since you know, Left Behind was also a Flanders episode back in Season 29
 
Lisa's Belly
800px-Lisa%27s_Belly_promo_11.png

1. Plot Main plot ("Marge puts a hurtful word in Lisa's brain") - Belly! Belly! The really hurtful word for eight-year-old girl 😅On the other side, if Bart has notable belly, why Lisa can't?:lol:Ok, seriously, the story sounds really cute - original (to surprise) story, which HAS potential. 4/5
Sub-plot ("Bart gets swole") - Sounds weird, but I still hope it's about fainting, it would be cute:colon3: But, perhaps, it's about musculature and I'm wrong. If so, it's nothing for me. 2/5
SO, in average we have 3/5 for plots
2. The Biggest Possible Problem The "overweight" problems isn't really understood plot for "cute" episode. I mean, many fans just feel sick of it. Moreover, the problem 2, it's a reverse of Sleeping with the Enemy B-plot, where Lisa wanted to refuse of belly. Here she will do vice verse - "wide proud" (according to promo-images). But, in some case, if it all will be done REALLY properly (to overshadow SwtE), my all words are brute force.
3. Freelancers (Juliet Kaufman), again, are "hit or miss", while Timothy Bailey under Matt Selman is the best. Also the staff really praise the episode, named it "great" (Jean had did it), so alright… maybe.
4. Promo stuff 15 IMAGES! The really huge amount! It spoiled all the 1st act, but hid the B-story at all. Regarding the most recent Twitter sneak peek, it was different.:lawl:
5. Possible ratings 0.5 rat 1.18-1.54 mil

SO, The praised story with potential, which sounds really great for someones. Huh? 3.5/5
 
I might be all right if Timothy Bailey would direct an another QABF episode again, despite that he also directed 'A Springfield Summer Christmas for Christmas' and 'The Last Barfighter' already. That said, I'm kinda looking forward to Lisa's Belly
 
Still bothers me that Lisa's face isn't fat at all. Honestly not seeing much potential in this. I mean, I'm not sure if it's about body issues or "the writers' barely disgused fetish". With Patty and Selma (feels like they often forget about P&S) it could be interesting and if the former... maybe it could do that better than Sleeping With The Enemy? I mean for an ep about a mostly women's issue, it does bother me how it's basically resolved by a big strong male character stepping in.
 
This upcoming ep makes me uncomfortable. I've struggled with anorexia and body image for years. I cried yesterday because we were low on food options so I ate an uncrustable pbj sandwich (it has 11% daily saturated fat), to give an example of how pervasive the mindset is. I know deep down one sandwich will not make me go up 4 dress sizes, yet I still feel immense guilt over eating any little thing. I'm doing better than I used to be, I was hospitalized in 2015 for anorexia but it is a lifelong struggle and seeing fetish art triggers it because no matter what the scale says I look at the obese female character and think I'm that big. I doubt the subject will be handled sensitively so I'm probably gonna skip it.
 
You wouldn't think an episode with a 15 promo pic drop would be doing such a capable job of keeping us firmly in the dark about its conflict and how effectively/sensitively it will approach its subject matter, but that's clearly the situation we find ourselves in here. Granted, when 10 of those promo shots were taken from what will undoubtedly be the opening 4-5 minute setup portion of the episode and one was from the token commercial spot so the marketing team can dishonestly misrepresent this ep as being Homer-centric, it's not THAT surprising.

What we're left with is 4 promo shots that may infer anything at all about how they'll approach Lisa's Belly (aka Lisa's Date with Density II)...

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The two promo shots featuring Patty and Selma reveal the most about how this episode may play out. The first shot has Lisa wearing a hoodie largely hiding her weight from the world and the 2nd shot has her proudly casting it aside which would infer that they have succeeded in both cheering her up and giving her confidence that her body image is not the be all and end all. They're not troubled by how they look so she shouldn't be either.

The other tell-tale hint from these two images is that Lisa is wearing what appears to be a gaudy necklace... clearly from her aunt's jewelry collection. It may have simply been placed upon her while cheering her up. Or it could imply that Lisa is so displeased with her mother that she has moved in with her aunts and the necklace reflects that she's now on Team Bouvier... not at all unlike how her absence of pearls reflected a similar conflict journey with her mother in How Lisa Got Her Marge Back.

The other two shots don't reveal much. The change room scene with Shauna is most likely from early Act 2. Lisa's expression and attire clearly reflects her displeasure with her mother over attempting to buy her an unflattering outfit to shame her into "losing her belly". The last shot appears to come from the end of the episode where Marge and Lisa have mended their ways... no doubt before the inevitable status quo reset where Lisa goes back to her conventional look.

We don't know what Marge tells Lisa to set her off on this path; we just see footage from the scene at the waterpark where the "hurtful word" was said. There has been established friction between the two of them over Lisa's vegetarianism but we have little else to draw upon.

We also have no idea how Lisa will struggle with her weight. We see her riding on a hot dog cart with her aunts but it could merely be utilized here as a prop for a musical number and may not at all relate to the source of her dietary struggle.

In King-Size Homer, we knew ahead of time that Homer would be putting on the pounds intentionally so he could work from home. In The Heartbroke Kid, we knew ahead of time that insidious marketing would compel Bart to gorge himself on unhealthy junk food courtesy of Scammer and Z-Dog. Both Sweets and Sour Marge and Walking Big & Tall focused more on the pre-existing unhealthy habits of Springfield's citizenry as opposed to exploring a personal challenge with something new and untoward.

That latter episode is interesting in how it too was deceptively promoted... playing up the town anthem crisis that opened the episode and largely sidestepping the main plot in the description outside of Homer learning about "Wide Pride".

We also have little to go on from the Simpsons many social media platforms. Matt Selman seems more preoccupied with shilling tie-in merch for I, Carumbus than his new episode that's about to air. This is Juliet Kaufman's first script (she's been a production assistant since Season 28 so this is by no means a freelance effort) so we have no track record to lean upon outside of the reassurance that a female voice was tasked with framing this episode's message. Which isn't something I want to downplay... I'd be having much more apprehension if this ep was the brainchild of Tim Long or one of the other long-term male staffers who have no personal frame of reference for a women's weight struggles.

We have also seen little to nothing of Bart getting swole. Frankly, I consider it ballsy (or should that be "tone-deaf") of the show's marketing team to pitch a "World's Greatest Dad / Homer is Father of the Year" bumper in advance of an episode where Homer's two oldest kids will be putting on the pounds and, I suspect, he'll be largely removed from both of their inner conflicts.

My natural instinct is to lean with @GlitterCat on this one... because how could you trust the show's staff to handle this subject matter with grace and sensitivity when their approach thus far has been to call the episode "Lisa's Belly", promo the episode with Homer and otherwise tap dance around the subject matter in the synopsis and obfuscating you were doing just that by flooding us with shots of the opening 4-5 minutes. And then barely talk about the episode otherwise.

Thing is, I have such little regard for this marketing team that I'm not sure they'd be handling things any differently whether the episode treated this material with the utmost sensitivity and care or not. This is Selman so I do expect this episode will remain focused from beginning to end. Bart's subplot will clearly be triggered by the main and isn't likely to just fizzle out and be forgotten midway through like so many Jean subplots are. Even his worst and most detached subplot (Homer washing dishes at the Greek restaurant in The Girl Code) was maintained throughout the duration. Bailey's involvement will ensure the direction will shine and make use of the pastels in the color palette that are often otherwise ignored.

Voice direction is going to be absolutely pivotal here... as this episode is going to be carried by Julie and Yeardley's performances. We've seen that dynamic flourish under Selman before via The Marge-ian Chronicles, Springfield Splendor and Panic on the Streets of Springfield. If this episode measures up to those prior efforts, this episode stands a decent shot of delivering a solid consensus reception... which is something that Season 33 has otherwise lacked up until now.
 
It really is baffling they are being so secretive about the episode (Lisa's Belly) and barely have said or shown much of it (feels most of the promo images mostly depict the first half of the main plot, especially as I don't see any hints of the supposed conflict between Lisa & Marge, and there's absolutely no images of the subplot). It is rarely they keep us viewers in the dark so much so I'm getting more and more worried as well, especially as I don't know what to think due to the extremely vagueness.

Either they are proud of the episode they have put together and want it to be a surprise or they are feeling a little unsure about it (the latter feels unlikely, but the thought it still in my mind) & with how the premise already rubbing some the wrong way, with some (such as @GlitterCat) feeling really uncomfortable about it and even plan to skip it on it is a bad sign (when you have an episode that make people uncomfortable and turn some viewers away, then there's an obvious problem).

I really hope that Selman & the new writer can pull it off despite how sketchy the episode seems even up until this point and it is time the season really lifted since it has appeared kinda limp so far, especially with the voting consensus being a little all over the place for the episodes released so far (which @Brad Lascelle pointed out), and this might, possibly be the one (again, depending on how they handle it in the end and since it is not a Jean episode, it feels very slightly more reassuring).

If they somehow bungle it (especially in the terms of how sensitive they are about the subject of body image, positivity and such), I can see this becoming one of the more objectionable episodes as of late. Really hoping it won't be that bad.
 
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Regarding thosr promo images for ASF1. Personally, I think Barb fake someway and actually involves to that "collector" problem. Either just in 1st act, or till the end of whole story and thus (correctly, in this way) status quo WILL be saved

Yes, she looks nice, but, something wrong…🧐 (don't forget, it's detective story)
 
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All right, I just heard from Michael Price that there wasn't a table read for UABF18 yesterday, Phantom123 AKA AlwaysWondered did ask Michael Price on Twitter last night if there was a table read yesterday, but there wasn't. So, there's always next Thursday, I hope. Fingers crossed!


EDIT: Never mind, it turns out there was already a THOH XXXIII table read (obviously for UABF18) back on October 21st, oh well!
 
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