Rate & Review: Dial 'N' for Nerder (KABF07)

What did you think of tonight's episode?

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I...guess we're on our own tonight. :-/

Marge hires an investigative television show to follow Homer around after she suspects him of cheating on his diet. Meanwhile, one of Bart and Lisa's pranks on Martin Prince goes wrong and they become burdened with guilt after assuming they are responsible for Martin's accidental death.

Ready, set, go.
 
I thought it was really funny. I had a huge laugh during the motel scene. And like I said in the other thread, I hadn't laughed that hard at a new episode since Thank God It's Doomsday.
 
Wow. That was a really solid episode! I think it was the best episode of the season! Many good jokes that hit well, and surprisingly, very little Jeanesque jokes.

4.5/5
 
Lisa's line at the end about her dark socks was great. We saw a whole different side of the kids today, and I liked it.

However, taking the bone out of Mel's hair displeased me. 4/5.
 
Great episode. Some of the homer parts were a little disturbing, but was still funny. The whole Martin story was great. Lisa being evil is nice to see, and the whole Nelson investigator turned out good as well, especially with the Columbo ending.

Also dunno why its sticking out my mind so much, but I really like the Maggie playing online poker and then flipping back ot the Seasme Street thing.

Gave it a 4/5
 
The only gags that I enjoyed were:
Bart trying to make a "you blow" joke with Martin
"HELP ME TV SHOW!"
and Homer kissing meat

Anyway, I'm FUCKING SICK OF ALL THE FALSE KILLING OFF PEOPLE ATTEMPTS! First Kirk and Luann, then Sideshow Bob, then Martin, ALL IN ONE SEASON! I'M SICK OF THE REPETITIVE TWIST ENDINGS! ARRRGH! *foams at the mouth*
 
It was a decent enough episode, nothing spectacular, but the first act was pretty good. After that, the episode kind of fell apart and the bit with Homer making out with the beef was one of the worst things this season.

2.5/5.

By the way, who directed it?
 
Not as good as last week's but all in all an amusing episode. The first act was kind of boring, but it ended up getting going pretty well. The different ways Lisa and Bart expressed their guilt was interesting, especially with Lisa being the one who wanted to get out of it. Nelson as the detective really cracked me up, especially his line about burning ants. Enjoyed the video tribute using clips of former episodes, but I was glad it didn't go on too long. The gag that closed that part out was easily the funniest of the episode.
The other plot (still not quite sure which was the main plot and which was the sub-plot) was pretty well done too. My favorite scene was easily the hotel room.
Second episode in a row that a slow beginning pulls it down to a 4 / 5.
 
If they had cut the subplot in half this might've garnered my third A+ of the season (right now I'm thinking A-, but that might join up to A... I'm not terribly hard to please and this was pretty good).

The subplot was a little too time-consuming for my tastes, and just... stupid. It wasn't really anything fascinating and I think it would've worked better pushed more into the background isntead of being treated as an equal to the main plot, which was FANTASTIC. It was actually pretty tense, with some fantastic bits from both Bart and Lisa - at the first act break I was actually questioning if Martin was going to die or if there would be some overly cartoony explanation... It would've been kinda creepy if he really did die but damn if that didn't look convincing.

But holy hell, Lisa got pretty intense in this one and it was just great to see a different side of her, expand her a bit more... She's pretty strong when it comes to such a desperate situation, even pushing Bart back a little... Though it's great to see that he still actually did care a fair amount. Wow. These two were absolutely fantastic. For Lisa not appearing much this season she really came back roaring here... that was great.

But, uh, yeah. Nelson's role was pretty enjoyable too, though I'm not sure why he was so curious about that... uh, and yeah, the subplot really should have been shaved off a fair amount more. That motel scene went on a bit too long.

Uhh... I'm not sure what else to say, but I'm looking forward to seeing the repeats tonight. Bart and Lisa were definitely the high points. The episode might've not been as funny as last week's or anything (but it wasn't unfunny, either) but they did a really good job creating a tenser mood here.
 
The begining and end were alittle weird for me but the middle was really fun. I thought they handled Martin's death at the school pretty well, I liked the slideshow from previous episodes and the picking the nose part. And did anyone else notice Dr. Pryor sitting there with the other teachers? I was waiting for him to talk. I was really surprised we didn't see his parents though, that didn't make much sense to me, his parent's should have at least had a small part in the episode crying from their only child's death. Nelson being the detective in Martin's "murder" was pretty good because I have always seen the two of them as friends although Nelson is constantly beating him. I liked the "Tash-Mah-Hall-You-Can-Eat" and the weird hotel thing with the piece of lamb and Homer was disterbing yet oddly funny to me. The explaination of how Martin escaped was alittle.....well alot far fetched and I would have prefered alittle more of a down to earth escape. And Martin and Nelson both immerging from behind the tree was pretty dumb (how could they not notice eachother?). Overall pretty good episode. But a few plot holes and just plain overlooks bring it down.

3/5, just wish it was alittle more realistic.
 
What a great episode!

I loved how both stories revolved around the family. There were no silly and unnecessary guest stars, and nothing (except maybe the Martin story ending) felt too forced. Lots of laughs and memorable moments here.

5/5
 
Wow amazing episode, I felt like there was so much depth to all the characters. The plots were fun and interesting and not a single joke failed for me. I loved the martin montage! This episode will definitely be remembered, and I hope people on this forum won't nitpick at things they thought were slightly off no matter how good an episode is like some usually do because if any episode doesn't deserve that then this episode is that one.
 
I'm really impressed; this is probably my favorite of the season at the moment.

The subplot was weightless fluff; it didn’t really garner my attention that much. However, I liked the Billy Graham joke and it was great seeing Marge hit that Sneakers guy as I found him very annoying. All in all, it was pretty meh, but like last week, I didn’t mind it that much.

The Martin plot was fantastic. I was surprised, it was pretty dark even. I love how both Bart and Lisa battled with their conscience. It was a great twist that it was Lisa who actually wanted to put it all behind them, her role in this episode was actually very dark for her character and super interesting to see fold out (and on a side note, I thought the joke with Lou at the Kwik-E-Mart was hysterical). I thought it was going to be Bart, but surprisingly, he was the one who wanted to do the right thing. I think this episode did a great job in displaying that Bart actually has a conscience; I mean that’s what I love about his character—he’s mischevious but he does have a meaningful side, he can feel guilty. Their paranoia was believable and tense; it actually seemed plausible that Martin was going to die because they did do a good job at making it convincing. Also, Nelson was great too. His little role as the detective was actually very intriguing. He and Martin always had this slightly odd relationship where it seemed like Nelson could actually be friends with him under different circumstances.

The memorial at school was hilarious and a little bittersweet even. I loved the video they showed with clips of old episodes, and the speech Principal Skinner made was funny too; it was one of those “cruel without trying to be” jokes that I love. Actually, one of my favorite things about this episode was all the callbacks. The Martin Priss/Princess from Lisa’s Subsitute, The Happy Little Elves, an appearance from Dr. Pryor etc…those were great. The part where Bart “goes to end it all” made my eyes widen a bit (probably because I was caught up in the episode, but whatever). It was pretty sweet to see Bart getting more of an appreciation for Martin, even if it’s posthumously. I think the episode did a good job of making Bart, Martin, and even Lisa sympathetic. The thing with the tape and Nelson playing that…thing I don’t remember the name of was kinda odd, but I didn’t mind it much as it was fun to watch. Martin’s explanation of how he got back was actually pretty funny, albeit unrealistic. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. I usually dislike those breaking the fourth wall endings, but the parody of Columbo was great.

4/4.5 out of 5 (I wonder how it will hold up on rewatches)
 
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Another great episode this week. The only two downsides were the joke at the end of act 2 (the Sleap Eazy Motel scene was over-the-top enough to be hilarious, but they pushed it a bit too far with the bedroom gag at the end of act 2), and the Columbo parody at the very end. Seemed like a Family Guy joke to me, recreating credits and whatnot (as they've done with Law & Order and others).


The Bart & Lisa storyline was great, not only because it was fairly original for a full-length episode (it was a bit reminiscent of "I Know What You Did-Diddily-Id", but whatever), but because it was a memorable Bart & Lisa episode. They were both in top form. More thoughts later.


4.5/5
 
The subplot was an engrossing drag, another dull marriage crisis, disturbing and nonsensical, and the satire wasn't for me. But the main plot, on the other hand, was fairly intriguing. The peculiar characterisations of Lisa, Bart, and Nelson were nice to see, and commodious. I didn't like how they made it so goshdarn obvious that Martin had survived the drop - Nelson assuming a role of a detective had already made it obvious that he was gonna somehow resolve the situation. Thankfully, the episode wasn't entirely character driven.

The mini clip show was rather entertaining and heartfelt. I actually loled when the bullies attacked Nelson to no prevail. The bellpepper montage was entertaining and the bit at Moe's was hilarious. Nelson breaking the fourth wall at the end of the episode was hysterical for some odd reason. The removing of Mel's bone... that was.. awkward. What exactly was the point of that particular gag?

Overall, great episode, 4/5.

Oh, and by the way, is it just me, or was Lenny's house from "Secrets of a Successful Marriage" next-door to Martin's?
 
I'm a little surprised at the positivity from NHC--I thought it had its merits, but didn't come close to last week's. Since I really want to get back to Brawl, I'll make this brief:

Darker side of Lisa and Bart handled very well. Homer/Marge subplot more or less one joke stretched into 10 minutes, not cringeworthy, but not great. Quite a few stupid lines: "He was like Jesus, only real," very Jean-style attempt to be controversial, only to fall completely flat and not even make sense (Bart saying Martin was "like Jesus" is just sloppy writing). Nelson was fun. Butterflies were good, twist ending predictable.

Hm, thinking about it, I can't think of too many negative things specifically, but for whatever reason, it didn't grab me like I hoped it would. Right now, a C. 3/5
 
DAAAAmn! I forgot to adjust my clocks for savings time, Now I missed tonight ep!!
I'm sure I would've liked it anyways,... but still, Damn!
This is the worst daylight savings time EVER!
:gatormad: 0/5 <-daylight savings time goof ups
 
So, I'm surprised... where are all the haters? Wasn't Lisa's characterization off? What about that LAME Burns/Smithers joke at the end?

This was a very solid episode. There was something holding it back from transcendence, which was mostly the subplot, but something also felt lacking in the regular plot (maybe it was a sense that Martin was going to be alive and an expectation of how were they going to explain it). The scene with Homer in the motel room really was cheap and disturbing, but since that was the point, I have to give the staff kudos there. The Homer fat with the nutritionist was pretty gross too, but again, I think that was the point of the subplot. The bell peppers thing shouldn't have been that hilarious, but it was. They abused it long enough where it became an actual plot point, which made it work, rather than just a long running joke.

Anything relating to Martin Prince was handled extremely well. He's a fun character to have around. I like it when people gang up on him, moreso than Milhouse actually. Nelson's role was peculiar, but great.

The callbacks were all done really well, and not like previous episodes where they would just rattle off names (how many times has Ribbit been alluded to for no particular reason?). The montage of Martin was very bittersweet and it actually made me care. The explanation for Martin being saved was a good enough one for me and played into his nerdiness.

I feel the final joke was really tacked on, as just putting Nelson as Columbo would've been funny in itself. Oh well, not gonna be too picky about that.

4/5 B+
 
I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the last couple of episodes, but it was still outstanding TV. The Maggie playing cards, Bart and Lisa working together, and Homer at the Indian place stick out to me... 3/5.
 
I liked how they were able to tie the two plots together during Act 2.

There were still a few problems with superfluous dialogue, but they weren't as problematic as usual. The only thing about the main plot is why Sideshow Mel didn't come looking for his hair bone (unless they're going to joke about later that he uses more than one)?

My most favorite part was the memoriam played for Martin. They play that song on my favorite radio station! :D

As for the sub plot, I would've preferred if it stuck more to its nutrition theme instead of yet another stab at reality TV.

4.0/5
 
Good episode tonight.

I liked how both plots, although unrelated, were thematically linked. Both seemed to come together in the scene at the Simpsons' living room. Lisa and Bart's characterization were spot on. It was very believable to see Lisa get that paranoid about something like that. Her character's always been a little high strung, so it worked well.

Nelson being the detective was a nice touch. It's not completely in-character for him, but it was nice to see the show break some of its stereotypes for their characters.

4/5. Solid episode tonight. :)
 
Um...wow. I REALLY liked this episode since I was actually awaiting how Martin was going to surivive (or if they REALLY did kill him), and Homer's place on the reality show was quite funny, IMO. And the ending was a nice spoof on those 70's crime drama shows.

What the hell... 5/5

(On a side note, I watched this two hours after it aired on my DVD recorder and some friends thought the TV reality Guy is what I would look like if I was Simpsonized).
 
It embodies everything that is current Simpsons:

Pointless retread of a subplot (which managed to squeeze a marriage crisis, bitchy Marge, and food monster Homer into one)

A "dark" twist involving death

A twist reversing a "dark" twist involving death

Punny dialougue

Reversal of a characters personality (Bart and Lisa)

Unfunny callbacks to past episodes

Desecration of a character's fundamental element for the sake of a cheap joke (Sideshow Mel)

Forced controversial humor that draws attention to itself. "He was like Jesus, only real" (and I'm an atheist)

Obvious attack on bad television

Extended cultural reference (Columbo), etc...


The same could be said for almost every recent episode. It was better than a lot of what we've been subjected to this season, but that doesn't make it good.

2/5
 
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