Rate & Review: "Bartless" (OABF08)

How would you rate this episode?

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Brad Lascelle

Brad Lascelle

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Season 34, Episode 15
Original Airdate: March 5, 2023

Writer: John Frink
Showrunner: Brian Kelley
Director: Rob Oliver
Supervising Showrunner: Matt Selman

Synopsis: When Bart's latest prank leads to chaos at Springfield Elementary, Marge and Homer dream of a world in which their rambunctious son was never a Simpson.

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R&R Poll Average Score: 4.24 / 5 (as of September 23, 2023 / 46 votes)
IMDb User Rating: 6.7 / 10
 
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This episode's okay, although I kinda don't like the scene where Homer and Marge were mad at Bart for a latest prank that Bart caused at school, so... I guess I'll go for 3/5 this time
 
Solid episode. The first act had some really nice chemistry between Homer and Marge trying to figure out their perspective on Bart compared with others’ perspectives on him. The scene with the punishment went on a bit long, and the tag-team stuff made me roll my eyes a bit, but that was probably the worst scene of the episode.

I had a feeling this would go more in the direction of 3 Scenes Plus a Tag From a Marriage, where the family realizes it really would be better off without him but loves him anyway, but it went in a more conventional direction, which wasn’t bad. I liked how Bart grew on the family because of his established character traits; the writers didn’t force Bart to be something outside that to prove that he had a positive impact on his family

Homer’s and Marge’s jobs were interesting, and I liked seeing them in those environments. The constant gossip at Marge’s job was a bit amusing, and I liked how Homer was very passionate about what he did. In a way, it kind of does resemble the 3 Scenes episode because it shows them with better jobs than they have in reality. Bart’s birth could be seen as a little disappointing that way.

I’ll give this a high 4/5. Even for a Selman, this was really light on laughs, but it did its job in making me feel nice and fuzzy inside.
 
My immediate thought is I’m surprised they didn’t reveal who Bart’s alternate parents are in this dream sequence. It didn’t ultimately matter, but it felt like they were building up some kinda surprising reveal, like it turning out to be Burns or someone else with power in Springfield (if he was a Quimby that’d be pretty funny). But yeah, this really doesn’t matter, now let’s get to my actual criticism

There were moments this episode clicked with me and moments it didn’t. Overall, it was definitely a lot less Bart-hating than I thought it would be, which I definitely appreciate. Y’all gotta leave that kid alone for God’s sake. However, I gotta admit it was kinda jarring that the thing that pushed it too far for Homer and Marge was him doodling over school books. I’ve seen him do worse this season. Plus, I really disliked the second act when the episode became Bart’s biggest hater. Idk, the assumption that Homer and Marge would be richer, happier, and healthier without Bart around is gross to me. I know Homer and Marge are kinda just going off their negative feelings, but I still can’t help but feel it’s a pretty unlikable thing for them to imagine. Not to mention Skinner would be happier, despite that fact that Bart still exists and so would Nelson, Jimbo’s gang, and Agnes

Where it clicked with me more was the third act, which was really sweet. I like that he grew on them gradually, and I think the ways he did was awesome. I was worried they were gonna do a rather reluctant assertion that they needed Bart in their lives, but yeah I found what they ended up doing pretty heartwarming and charming. I also like that it didn’t end with Wiggum just letting Homer and Marge keep Bart around, he actually took him away and that was how their dream ended. And then the scene where they tell Bart they just now realized liked they him, much to his dismay, was chef’s kiss. Beyond just how brilliant the third act was, there were a ton of little things I liked. I thought Marge‘a job as a vet was really fun with how overly dramatic everyone was. I loved that the episode immediately showed that Bart’s doodling in the books was actually helpful (plus the visual gag of Ralph becoming Harold and the Purple Crayon was awesome). Ms. Peyton was great again, Skinner was funny when he was on screen, and Bart and Lisa shaking hands after saying they have ADHD and OCD respectfully was nice (I’ve got both so I kinda pointed at the screen and went “haha it me”)

I was complaining about missed potential in the speculation chat before this episode came out, but now that I see what this episode actually had in mind, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m still not really a fan about how the episode got this conflict going and also how this episode at first portrayed life without Bart. But damn did that third act win me over! Such a sweet, warm-and-fuzzy episode I’m so surprised I enjoyed as much as I did. I’ll give it a 7.5/10! Shit, it’s made me realize that all three episodes I’ve watched live while I’ve had an account on here have been bangers. I hope we can keep it up! Got high expectations for Hostile Kirk Place now
 
ThrashtheTrash said:
Plus, I really disliked the second act when the episode became Bart’s biggest hater. Idk, the assumption that Homer and Marge would be richer, happier, and healthier without Bart around is gross to me. I know Homer and Marge are kinda just going off their negative feelings, but I still can’t help but feel it’s a pretty unlikable thing for them to imagine. Not to mention Skinner would be happier, despite that fact that Bart still exists and so would Nelson, Jimbo’s gang, and Agnes.
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However, that is the point.

The point of the episode is that Homer and Marge can't see the good things about their son from their son, because they are clouded and locked into their own parenting values. That is why at first their life seems perfect and idyllic, because they are trying to convince themselves that their life without Bart would be perfect, it is not until Bart enters their lives that the episode gives them a touch of reality and reminds them that the error is in them, not in their son. The episode is more about Homer and Marge valuing their son, that's why Bart doesn't change in this story and behaves like he normally does, because it wasn't him who had to change, it was Homer and Marge and their ways of thinking.

That's why I love that they haven't changed Bart's characterization and made him act like something he's not. Because they show that he is NOT the one who has to change, after all, he is a 10-year-old boy and the mistake falls more on his parents. Homer and Marge having a perfect life without Bart is not something that is painted as a good thing (and that is emphasized in the first act when they argue about being bad parents).

Also, to be fair. It's a dream of Homer and Marge, so Skinner's may partly result in what they think the world would be like without their son, that's not exactly evidence (and I don't think they know his history with Agnes and the other bullies either). In addition to the fact that usually when Bart gets into trouble, it is with Skinner who they tend to talk to the most.
 
I was expecting the worst from this episode. This isn't the first episode where Marge ( and or Homer ) give up on Bart, a lot of them don't have the happiest resolution. I was ready for an episode long of Marge piling on her disappointment on Bart. Mr Destiny was a movie I really enjoyed as a Kid and this made me think of it. I'm probably forgetting all the movies that share a similar plot, I'm not counting any of the Freaky Friday-like movies.

I wasn't sure just how they were going to change Marge's and Homer's life, we had a glimpse of such an event in the episode where Homer imagines what life would be like if he had married Mindy instead. I liked what they did with their "perfect" life, there were enough cracks in the facade to foreshadow their need for Bart's energy.

I also wasn't fully invested in Marge's work story, it got a little too meta and drew from shows like Grey's anatomy. In the end she had to assert herself as the boss, I saw the humor in it but part of me would have preferred something a little more personal to marge and not so meta.

I enjoyed the episode, it hit the right notes, even if it was a little light on laughs. I chuckled at the scenes involving Ralph and Seymour.

I still can't stomach Hibert's new voice. I couldn't wait for that scene to be over.

4/5
 
After tonight, I really hope Marge and Homer won't be too hard on Bart anymore, because I hate whenever if that happens, you know?
 
Sandboy said:
Also, to be fair. It's a dream of Homer and Marge, so Skinner's may partly result in what they think the world would be like without their son, that's not exactly evidence (and I don't think they know his history with Agnes and the other bullies either). In addition to the fact that usually when Bart gets into trouble, it is with Skinner who they tend to talk to the most.
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That’s a good point, that kinda makes his appearance more funny in hindsight lol
 
Bartless = Non-Simpson Bart. He appears but as an unknown kid for Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie. which means that in the Homer and Marge's dream, Bart doesn't have parents and doesn't have sisters. "Bartless" is a bit like season 5 episode "Burns' Heir" but without Mr. Burns and without Hans Moleman dressed like Bart.

The Homer and Marge's dream was for them to learn to value their son.
 
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Hilda Fanboy said:
Why am I reminded of "It's a Wishful Life" from The Fairly OddParents?
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It has some shades of it at the beginning when Homer & Marge are yelling at Bart (easily the worst part of the episode) and at first once we're in the alternate reality, but it quickly goes away from that once Bart enters the picture.

Also, did anyone else hear the whirring noise during the first pan-out of the alternate world? I thought there might've been a reason for it by the end but there wasn't so what was the point?
 
John95 said:
It has some shades of it at the beginning when Homer & Marge are yelling at Bart (easily the worst part of the episode) and at first once we're in the alternate reality, but it quickly goes away from that once Bart enters the picture.
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So, did you like the episode? Wow, I sure as hell was absolutely not expecting that of all things.
John95 said:
Also, did anyone else hear the whirring noise during the first pan-out of the alternate world? I thought there might've been a reason for it by the end but there wasn't so what was the point?
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I guess for setting? Sometimes it's just to spice up the story, probably just to emphasize the alternate universe there. I don't think they intended it to be something more important (although I barely noticed it to be honest, maybe I should double check that).

Oh yeah, and Dane Romley directed the Ichy & Scratchy segment...
https://twitter.com/x/status/1632602045407539200
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since he was also part of the anime designs on 'Death Tome' and has been responsible for some of the other smoother stuff in terms of modern simpsons animation.
 
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Sandboy said:
So, did you like the episode? Wow, I sure as hell was absolutely not expecting that of all things.
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Yeah, well for the most part it lived up to it's "What if" gimmick which as I've said previously is one that I can actually get behind unlike some of the other episodes we've gotten this season. The beginning is a bit of a hard pill to swallow (though it's sorta saved by Homer & Marge questioning themselves before we enter the alternate world), Ms. Peyton's role was the extent of what I figured it'd be (but still better than her debut) but the ending was a nice subversion to where their lives weren't necessary boring without Bart but nothing was taken away from him being a part of it. The only possible Wishful Life-esque moment I thought was what happened to Skinner but that was only one small scene which they quickly moved past.

Probably the highest I've rated a Selman episode since Brick Like Me, but don't count on the momentum to keep up based on next week's episode (even though I'm skipping it).
 
Like @Sandboy and @Thrashthe Trash, i share some POV.

Homer and Marge are Bart's parents, so they can't see him as others could do. And it's sad Bart's parents are never revealed in the alternative reality. I'm a bit disappointed by how Wiggum acted in this episode, and i also am a tad surprised about Bart's prank (harmless, though not very smart). They also did not showed about the others characters like Milhouse, or some, in thie new world, but i appreciated Homer's job and seeing Skinner's drunk made me think to an other's @Bohdan 's ideas, in which Skinner and Homer could trade their places.

Some gags like hearts in the shower or diapers were useless, still.
 
This was such a lovely affirmation of who Bart is - his spontaneity, his mischievousness, his non-conformity. It felt like it truly celebrated those aspects of him and, off the top of my head, it might be the first episode of the entire series to truly do that. 5/5
 
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Notice that even without Bart Homer remains bald in comparision to 20.10 Election Episode :)
 
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I can't say enough good things about how expertly crafted this episode was. The opening act did a masterful job of establishing the core conflict... Homer and Marge overreacting to a rather tame Bart "prank" in hyperbolic fashion only for their surface-level outrage to be exposed as Ms. Peyton and others sang Bart's praises about how he connected to the young kids under his tutelage and instilled in them an appreciation for reading... albeit with an added layer of creative imagination thrown in. They lament how they can't appreciate Bart the way others do because they can't step outside of their parent-child dynamic.

We then get the lavish introduction to their imagined blissful Bartless alternate reality... only for their supposed pre-planned perfection to be exposed as surface-level as it was. There was a nuanced absence of spontaneity and chaos that their orderly dream existence was found to be lacking.

Homer could never feel truly fulfilled at his job manning the Isotope Stadium jumbotron due to not hitting that perfect 100 of loudness by sticking to the rulebook. Marge could never muster the respect she felt she was due at her gossip-obsessed veterinary clinic without incorporating Bart's unruliness into her repertoire to show that she was serious. OCD Lisa never felt free to play with her Malibu Stacys out of their boxes or to experience genuine joy until Bart showed her the pleasures of watching Itchy maim Scratchy. And then we had the callback to Bart's opening act of creative expression that he shared with Maggie.

Establishing what they were missing and how much the greater sum of the whole could be with Bart in their lives made the act of Wiggum taking him away mean something. And thus the dilemma established in Act 1 was nicely quelled... although whether Homer and Marge take this lesson to heart beyond this episode's closing act, well... that remains to be seen (i.e. probably not).

The one element that elevated the tightly structured script though was Oliver's animation. I daresay Frink's scripts have been spoiled of late in terms of getting the Oliver treatment. But this episode was inundated with first-rate animation flourishes from the exaggerated anger reactions from Homer and Marge in the opening act to the Bartless dance montage that kicked off their imagined Bart-free universe to the fluidity of the Itchy & Scratchy short.

I actually missed seeing Oliver's direction credit in the episode's opening minutes and yet it was immediately clear this was his episode simply because of how Homer and Marge were animated as they paced and yelled and overreacted. We just don't see that level of flair and attention to detail in character animation from any other director. We just don't.
 
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I was hype for this episode...but unfortunately, I found it kinda boring, it doesn't wasn't as good and/or interesting as I hoped it was. I will say, while it is a 6/10 (3/5 on the poll) episode, there are 3 things I do love about the episode.

1. The animation on the Itchy & Scratchy segment was amazing, Dane Romley did an amazing job
2. Ralph Wiggum been a human Pinkie Pie at one point was funny
3. The scene at the end of Homer & Marge's dream was nice

Overall out of 743 episodes aired, I ranked it at 581st place.
 
The end is a bit sad, with Wiggum being a bit more competent, i still remind puzzled they never made some AWOL missing or others, i found it brutal.
 
Bartless in my dream that I had on January 8, 2023: Invisible Bart.
Bartless in reality: Visible and amnesiac Bart.

I think that dream that I had didn't mean Bart's invisibility, but just his amnesia: A Bartless world with a Bart that can't remember anything.
 
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?

Anyway...I give this episode a solid 5/5. I didn't like how hard Homer and Marge were going at Bart at the beginning but I found the scene before that just adorable. As I said before, it feels like they're getting more experiential with the episodes and more often than not, hitting the mark. The part with Homer and Bart at the stadium messing with the Jumbotron made me laugh. "MAKE SOME BABIES!"

So yeah, 5/5
 
Lovely episode with very nice animation bits.

Maybe it is a bit simple just to divide the dream into straight 3 parts: ideal life without Bart, annoying life with Bart and ideal life with Bart, but it worked well. Would be fine to see other side action, that usually is very much in recent seasons, but that's just question of taste - unnecessary.

The opening act, where Bart actually is not a troublemaker all the time (pictured in act 2 of dream), but makes good things too was various of emotions, some of them I can't explain.

If you wanna, hear something bad from me, say the concept of "all the family life (and others' lives) rounds over Bart" is… not outdated, but really not native for the series.

The specific written scene of farewell was very strong and delivered much of sad emotions.🥺

4,5/5 4,4 for myself. Mmm… *watching random moments*. OK. let it be! 5 for the poll.:ac:


P.S.
Marioburgercream said:
They also did not showed about the others characters like Milhouse, or some, in thie new world, but i appreciated Homer's job and seeing Skinner's drunk made me think to an other's @Bohdan 's ideas, in which Skinner and Homer could trade their places.
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I guess, there are lack of similarity with my stuff. Actually, I don't see at all there was any of Homer-Skinner's lives relation (in this episode)
 
Color me impressed, this episode went above and beyond my expectations and the nice thing is that it does that while remaining fairly simple. And I mean "simple", not "simplistic", dare I say that the way they set up Homer and Marge having their vision of a world without Bart in their lives is ingenious. They see and value Bart stuck in their parent-child dynamic, and in a way that does feel relatable (it's a tame prank compared with, say, what Bart does at the beginning of The Secret War of Lisa Simpson, but trust me, some parents really focus on the negative side of a situation, especially when it involves money), but they want to see and value him the way other people do ; not seeing him as just a troublemaking child but also as a creative nonconformist. They're even afraid that they don't love him. It's tightly executed and enhances the wholesomeness by choosing not to go first being all black morality until the positive pay-off.

I do like the cleverness behind their perfect reality as well. It runs a lot with Homer and Marge's personal view on the world, the other characters, their own knowledge, etc. I can see Marge imagine her life as a veterinarian like something that feels straight out of some TV show with a medical setting ; I find that funny and in-character. And while I did expect them to value Bart for the spice he brings up in their lives, it's in a way that rings sincere to me. I was genuinely charmed by the call-back to the initial situation through Maggie reading the book.

4/5 Oh and, man, that Itchy and Scratchy animation. Chef's kiss. (Although it's not the sole bit of brilliance from Oliver's direction this week, as one can expect from him.)
 
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I didnt necessarily love it, its kind of an episode that you expect to play out like this, where things are happy but they find out what they're missing. I do think what's genius about this is unlike stories that normally do this "life without X" concept, Bart actually does just enter the story halfway into it and so the characters are directly faced with the thing they're missing, rather than just having it inferred. I also think it was genius to show that nobody actually has a worse life, just so what's missing can be focused entirely on Bart as a person rather than what not having him would mean for their quality of life.

I also really liked that the thing that got them to imagine this was Bart doing something in his own way that seems like trouble at first but really was just a non standard way of engaging with the world that ends up being appreciated. That OCD/ADHD thing seems like a throwaway gag but I wouldnt be surprised if the writers are approaching the kids that way now with purpose. Like @Sandboy said, at every step the episode shows its focused entirely on Marge and Homer and their need to change rather than anything to do with Bart.

Also a lot of nice animation scenes, lots of good ones in the OP but Im also going to shout out Bart and Lisa laughing, the "donkeys, hard to draw" part and of course the whole thing with Ralph.

Im not sure what to give it as a rating, because I can see all the reasons this episode was a massive success, and affirming Bart as a character is long overdue but I personally just found it successful at all those things rather than emotionally getting invested in it myself. So I'll just hold off on one for now.
 
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