Rate and Review: "Dangers on a Train" (RABF17)

How would you rate this episode?


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May 19, 2013 Season 24 Finale Seth MacFarlane plays Ben, a charmer who Marge meets when she accidentally visits a website designed for married people to arrange affairs. Meanwhile Homer bonds with the kids over a train he acquires as Marge's anniversary present. Discuss!
 
Another pretty bland episode. Definitely funnier then "Saga of Carl" but just as unremarkable. 3/5
 
ACT ONE:

How did Marge get two words that sound nothing alike confused?

Why would Apu be interested in having an affair with Marge?

We're a few minutes in and already this shit makes no sense. We'll see how it goes.

ACT TWO:

If Marge doesn't want Ben following her around, then why does she even accept his calls? Or allow him to watch the show with him in her room (even if it is through a webcam?) Shit still makes no sense.

ACT THREE:

Looks like the suddenly remembered what the show was about and had the wife come in all of a sudden. And then it ended because 20 minutes were up.

OVERALL:

Ugh, fuck this episode. Seriously.

One positive was that at least Homer wasn't actually a jerk. At least he was actually trying to be nice by getting her a present.

2/5 (D-)
 
Well I was amused by the stripper joke if only cause my mom (who not very good at english) made a similiar mistake once.

and so no one suprise Macfarlane got in to plug in a crooner number
 
EDIT: Changed my vote a 5/5.

Pretty good! I liked the jokes:

The Train being compared to Amtrack (gov't funded and not making any profit)
Jesus and Mary Train
Scarlet Letter
Power tools to open Beer Bottles
Bart calling Ned "daddy"
"You are over 18, are you?"
Generous Grant

Heh, I haven't laughed at a new Simpsons episode in a LONG time and it's a great end to this dismal season.

Maybe having Seth around made the writers give a shit.

5/5.
 
I actually somewhat enjoyed this. It seemed not to drag on endlessly as the last one did and there was actually some humorous dialogue. The brief scenes of the guys restoring the train were more entertaining than Iceland. Bart's "nothing should" line was nice but I'm guessing most here will hate it plus the Bart's first words re-write. 3.5 rounded up.
 
A surprisingly funny episode to close out the season. There were allot of really good jokes in here, like the medicinal pot hippie and that zoo animal reposession show. Seth Macfarlane was a really good guest star, too.
 
I thought it was decent a 3/5. or C. Nothing that good but nothing that bad either. Seth's voicework seemed better here than it did on his own damn shows. Anyway..I wasn't sure weather to cringe or laugh at the "nothing should go on for 25 years joke" Also Ling was a baby again but earlier this season she was a toddler WTF!? Oh well not bad.
 
If Marge doesn't want Ben following her around, then why does she even accept his calls? Or allow him to watch the show with him in her room (even if it is through a webcam?) Shit still makes no sense.

Because Marge is too damn insecure to accept what things are until she reaches a point where she shoves all her problems down so far she's almost walking on them. Marge isn't taking Ben's advances as "advances", but as retreats from the oaf of a husband she thinks forgot their anniversery.

If no one loves Marge, someone will...

 
The better episode tonight simply because it was funny. The Scarlet Letter reference, Homer singing a public domain song, the little song at the end. It felt like the jokes & story were tighter than usual. But still I wouldn't have traded that storyline with the Itchy & Scratchy episode (gee the last one was I&S&Poochie) even though it was nice twist to have Homer acting nice.
And Seth Macfarlane was the best guest this season.

A high
3.5/5
 
The closest this era will get to a legitimate marriage crisis episode. Though I'm not too familiar with Downton Abbey (and I feel there certainly shouldn't have been two different parodies of it in the same dang episode), I found the ways that Ben and Marge bonded over the show to be legitimately quite sweet. The characters were in quite good form here, even Moe (like his bush costume) and Rev. Lovejoy (as his train-obsessed self, despite his wife, the Bi-Polar Express). There was no real reason for Seth to be the guest voice for Ben, but I think he did it quite competently. I liked this episode much more than The Saga of Carl Carlson, and I'll likely rewatch it in the near future.

Oh, and I didn't see the "dandelions" couch gag. There was a hockey-themed gag with Maggie sucking on a puck. I was watching a broadcast from Global, but I hope they aired the "dandelions" gag on Fox. It's on Youtube, though, and it's kinda cute.
 
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Well this episode was actually decent, it was funnier than the Saga of Carl and had a coherent plot even though there were some pretty cringeworthy jokes. Overall kinda bland but not as bland as the other episodes this season.

5/10
 
Good episode. I laughed at a lot of the jokes and the story was good. I would definitely rank this above the Carl episode. Seth was a decent guest star, and this was a good way to end the season.
 
I bad mouthed an episode that The Gov gave a 5?

Either I need to rewatch this or the world has gone crazy.
 
That was pretty good. Seth was a decent guest star and most of the jokes made me chuckle. I liked the cartoon in the ending credits. It was cute. Plus, Lisa and Bart were actually like kids!

Rating: 4/5
 
I haven't watched The Saga of Carl Carlson yet because I didn't arrive home in time from dinner, but I'll briefly give my two cents about this episode.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. The story had surprisingly consistent structure and all-around nice emotion. I especially enjoyed the dating website advertisement, as well as Homer's clumsy attempts to conceal his secret about the anniversary train. Not every joke hit the mark, but overall there was a decent focus on the story itself, with only a small handful of filler gags, none of them even truly horrendous.

I was unsure how the writers would integrate Seth MacFarlane into the show, but I actually think he did a great job. His character seemed down to earth and not an exaggerated caricature like so many other one-shot characters this season. Honestly, he had the best guest appearance of anyone in Season 24, without a doubt.

I'll have to see what I think about The Saga of Carl Carlson to make a true conclusion, but otherwise, this might be my favorite episode of the season, especially since Hardly Kirk-ing has lost a bit of its appeal for me since the two times I re-watched it.

7.5/10
 
No episode in the past 3 seasons deserves a perfect score.

He grades on a curve, though, so this episode would probably get a lower score from him on the classic era scale.

My mood was sullied from the awfulness of The Saga of Carl, so I'll rewatch this later this week to see if I change my opinion.
 
This was actually decent by the standards of this season. The humor wasn't moronic and wacky but rather mostly based on some decent dialogue and a few funny sight gags. Seth was decent as a guest star (did he really have to sing though?), and Homer was much more bearable than usual. Nothing new in the plot department but at least the story felt like it was fully told, not just rushed through the final act. I'd say by the standards of the episodes I've seen this season (maybe half) it was a 4/5, which is probably a season high. It was definitely much better then the Carl episode, which could barely hold my attention.
 
Written by Michael Price
Directed by Steven Dean Moore
Couch: Everybody is a dandelion on the couch; the TV sneezes, spreading Homers, Marges, Barts, Lisas, and Maggies all over the room
Special Guest Voice: Lisa Lampanelli, Seth MacFarlane
Also Starring: Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Chris Edgerly
Couch Gag Contest Winner: Cheryl Brown
Overseas Animation: Akom
TV Rating: TV-PG-DLV

Looks like they remembered to put the couch gag winner onto this episode even after they had announced a different episode as the season finale.

Marge's credit card has "Marjorie Simpson" as her name.

Does this mark a return to the three-act stories, but in more traditional style (where the closing credits follow the last act)?
(Does this also mean they're considering using shrunken credits next season?)

In the closing credits, Moe is pouring "beer" from a gasoline can - a callback to RABF14?

Who was the "Sassy Madison" singer? Usually they will credit someone they "bring in", so I am thinking it could be either Nancy or Pamela.

Sassy Madison Theme Song
Music by Alf Clausen; Lyrics by Michael Price

Kelly was at the end of her wits
Her husband was truly the pits
Her relationship spousal
Had zero arousal
Then she watched this commercial
And found herself Herschel
Thanks to Sassy Madison dot com

Sassy Madison Train Tag

Marge was feeling lonely and bored
Every night, she was ignored
(Homer) But when Marge went boo-hoo
I was building a choo-choo
(Homer & Marge) And love conquered all
With a train from the mall
So that very same night
Ben went back on the site
And he lined up a date
With SelmaB88
She said that she's smokin'
(Selma) And I wasnt jokin'
(Marge) Find love on the net
(Homer) You deserve what you get
(Bart & Lisa) Three awesome kids
And a life of regret
 
I'm a little ambivalent about my ratings for this episode. By season 24's standards, I'm quite pleased at the outcome. Due to my previous years of watching Family Guy, I imagined a dog communicating with Marge the whole time-- didn't find it suitable for that small reason, except for the voice when Seth Macfarlane was singing.

This plot was structured well, just like "The Saga of Carl Carlson". The relevance and connection that each character made to their goal was done in a good manner; there's a good clash of conflict between Homer and Marge's good intentions. Homer was slightly silly but conscientious (the way he should be), while Marge played well in developing the conflict. There's finally a legitimate marriage crisis that develops on the line that both characters were hiding something, instead of having excessive stupidity, or "bitchiness" of a character.

Assets that were (possibly) beneficial to the plot:
•The website advertisement was a good point of gag.
•Seth Macfarlane's character was definitely integrated into the plot very well, and most moments were used wisely.
•The train as an appropriate object to propagate the plot.
•Bart and Lisa fights over something little, which is considerably beneficial to enhance the notions that they are still children.
•Most jokes weren't abrupt. Some were funny while other loosely tied to the plot.

I was attentive through this one-hour finale, and I am pleased for the most part. Characterizations were fairly accurate in order to stir up conflicts. Ratings for "Danger on a Train" stands at 7/10
 
Theyre still showing evidence of timeline rebooting. 9 years ago Homer had hair lol. 9 years ago was season 15 lol... very confusing.
 
oops, i meant to give it a 4/5 and gave it a 3/5 by mistake, can't we change votes here?

well, the episode was really good, i just didn't give it a full 5/5 because i thought it could be funnier and felt it's been done before. but the plot was well constructed, i liked Seth as a guest star, and Homer acting like he cares is always welcomed. and interestingly the technology part was well used. you know what, this was probably the best episode of the season, i gotta re-watched The Day the Earth Stood Cool too, it seems to be everyone's favorite this season
 
Like The Gov I also grade on a curve. And likewise I'm also giving this episode a surprising 5/5 score.
This was about as tight a script in terms of effective jokes that carry the storyline as we've seen in years.
Easily the best Marge-focused episode of the HD era. Even Julie's voice direction was top notch.

It's shows like this one that make the laziness and shortcuts from all of the other episodes we're given so infuriating. Because when there is one core storyline supplemented by strong characterization and subplots that fuel the ultimate payoff of the episode, these writers can still work magic. Please start giving a damn more often. All sorts of great little touches in this episode from both Homer and Marge's internal conversations with their brains (the fishing accident was a hoot), pretty much any scene featuring the Lovejoys (Helen hiding in the shopping cart and pestering Tim about his latest train project on the phone), all of the barflies emerging from undercover with their train gear (especially Larry in the sandbox), the "kids being named after trains" gag, the 70s style animation parodies on the Sassy Madison website and the end credits along with Seth's strong supporting work.

Also loved the recurring gags in both episodes tonight of Bart & Lisa being completely in sync and playfighting (essentially being kids) and the two Lou cutaway lines. This character's hilarious... wouldn't mind seeing the writers take another crack at giving him a meaty subplot (Stop or My Dog Will Shoot was just too forgettable; Lou deserves better).

This was, for me, the best episode of the season. And that's saying a lot considering I'm as big a Selman-backer as you'll find on this forum and he had his own episode tonight. Al Jean's ep did the better job of winning me over. As the poll says, I do indeed choo-choo-choose this one. Sorry Matt.
 
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.... As much as I would like to see that fight scene of Seth McFarlane getting beaten up, punched in the face... sigh... It managed to do good without it... 3.5/5...
4/5 - Seth McFarlane - The same B%@tard that make The Simpsons looked like s%it during the classic era... did a good job at acting. He had realistic voice acting, good talent at singing, and I laughed at his screams. Seriously, these are like the most realistic screams I've ever heard in The Simpsons since the classic era, a lot of you know what I'm talking about when it comes to The Simpsons screaming in the classic era.
3/5 - The Plot - It was descent, I liked how Marge and Homer actually played an important role, no filler plots or parts or anything... It was good...
3/5 - Jokes - Not bad... Not bad... especially in the middle revolving around Marge and Seth's Character.
3/5 - Ending - Homer looked like he was going to beat Seth's Character up, in fact it would probably turn out into a fight... though it didn't happened... and yet, even though it poorly transitioned from the middle to the end, the ending was still... good.

Sigh... as much as I wanted to see Seth punched in the face for what he did... this episode gets a 3.5/5 It's a good episode.

So Far My Opinions On Season 24
Moonshine River... 2/5 (Horrible)
Treehouse of Horror XXIII... 4/5 (Great)
Adventures In Baby-getting... 4.5/5 (Great)
Gone Abie Gone... 4/5 (Great)
Penny Wiseguys... 2.5/5 (Horrible)
A Tree Grows in Springfield... 3.5/5 (Good)
The Day the Earth Stood Cool... 4.5/5 (Great)
To Cur, With Love... 5/5 (So far my favorite) (PUT THIS IN THE CLASSICS)
Homer Goes To Prep School... 3/5 (Average)
A Test Before Trying... 3/5 (Average)
Love is a Many-Splintered Thing... 2.5/5 (Horrible)
Hardly Kirk-ing"... 4/5 (Great)
Gorgeous Grampa... 3.5/5 (Good)
Black-Eyed, Please... 3.5/5 (Good)
Dark Knight Court... 2.5/5 (Horrible)
What Animated Women Want... 3/5 (Average)
Pulpit Friction... 3.5/5 (Good)
The Fabulous Faker Boy... 3.5/5 (Good)
The Saga of Carl Carlson... 4/5 (Great)
Dangers on a Train... 3.5/5 (Good)
 
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So is this what the show needs to be good again? Seth MacFarlane? Of all things?

I am not a fan of MacFarlane at all but I don't know if the staff admires the guy or something but man, was this episode well-or at least competently- written. Especially for this moment of the show. It wouldn' t feel very special in seasons 13-15 maybe but now I was surprised that such a cliched story for the show like this one was actually interesting to follow and that was mostly because the characters were well portrayed and even the guest star character was somewhat nice and interesting (strangely nice for MacFarlane, although he was trying to cheat on his wife).

I especially like how Marge was portrayed here, as an overly naive and extremely nice woman that just feels the need of giving an answer to all those bachelors even if she's at first not interested on any of them. Homer was also funny in the way that he tried to keep his secret and didn't realize that he was giving Marge more reasons to get angry with him.

The secondary characters were well used, the animation was well used in the web advertisement (loved the ending credits and Marge saying "I'm a fan of animation"), the flashback intro was a nice change of structure and the way Marge and Ben bond over Downtown Abbey was nice. I even thought the Simpton Abbey parody worked much better in that context , as an extra scene related to the episode, rather than as a couch gag, as I was expecting at first.

I just wonder why can't they write the gags and character more naturally, like they did here, when they actually have more original premises for an episode. This has been made to death now and it still suceeds because of good writing so how much better all the other episodes could be if they were written like this.

Anyway, those were probably the two subsequent episodes that they put the more effort in a long while.

I'll give this one a 4/5.
 
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Oh, and I didn't see the "dandelions" couch gag. There was a hockey-themed gag with Maggie sucking on a puck. I was watching a broadcast from Global, but I hope they aired the "dandelions" gag on Fox. It's on Youtube, though, and it's kinda cute.

Why the Hell did they even change it? I saw the hockey thing too on the version I downloaded.

Anyway, great way to close out the season. Just as good as "The Saga of Carl Carlson" 5/5
 
Brad Lascelle reminded me of the Fishing Accident joke which I loved. I am almost willing to upgrade it to 5/5 just because of the well use of these Homer-talking-to-his brain gags which I usually love. They had used them before in Jean era but this time they gave the most creative twist.
 
This episode was surprisingly really good. The marriage crisis-type plot, in which Homer & friends restores an old small train for Homer & Marge's anniversary while Marge starts an relationship with a man named Ben flowed really well and was also very well-paced, the characterizations were also solid, there were some emotion and it all felt really quite natural. Seth MacFarlane's character Ben was also surprisingly likeable and well-written; he definitely fit into the episode and gave a nice performance. The episode also had some nice bits of humor like Marge rewatching the dating site jingle clip because she's a fan of animation, Homer's brain moments, Lenny "getting cooked like a cabbage" by the steam from the train, the bit with Apu & Manjula, Marge's fantasy about an obese Homer (which reminded me of 'King-Size Homer'), Lou expressing his unhappiness with Wiggum & Reverend Lovejoy sarcastically commenting the text from his wife. Overall, I really enjoyed this one which took it's time, didn't rush anything and definitely had some heart put into it; nowadays they really should make more episodes like this one.

4/5
 
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The episode was pretty good. I kinda expected more, but overall the episode did a great job with the character development and the story execution. The beginning and the ending of the episode are my favorites, I'm kinda a sucker for flaskback moments/episodes. The Ben character was actually quite likeable, and Seth did a great job voicing him. Even trough I'm no Seth Macfarlane fan AT ALL. The voice of Ben did sound awfully similiar to that of Brian Griffin trough.

I'm dissapointed they didn't give any reference to Macfarlane's show. But then again, The Simpsons don't need to bash other shows :P

I'm also glad to see Marge still staying loyal to Homer, even after getting angry when Homer keeps hinting her he forget her anniversary. Only to get rewardenly suprised at the end.

A well deserved 4/5
 
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