Rate & Review: "From Russia Without Love" (XABF20)

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Brad Lascelle

Brad Lascelle

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Season 30, Episode 6
Original Airdate: November 11, 2018
Writer: Michael Ferris
Director: Matthew Nastuk
Showrunner: Al Jean
Synopsis: On a mission to play hardcore pranks, Bart, Nelson and Milhouse get Moe a mail-order bride on the Dark Web.

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R&R Poll Average Score: 3.60 / 5 (as of September 24, 2021 / 35 votes)
IMDB User Rating: 6.5 / 10
 
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This was a decent episode. I liked the return of Bart the prankster, and seeing Herman again was good as well. Moe also wasn’t a suicidal sadsack like I thought he’d be. The plot became a bit cliché with Moe yearning for Ana back after she got together with Krusty, but at least that part ended quickly and we got to Ana and Moe together again. I was interested in seeing how the wedding would fail, and while Bart, Milhouse, and Nelson learning Russian through the internet was a bit of a reach (why would Bart and Nelson ever want to voluntarily learn anything? I guess it was interesting to Bart, which helps him learn, as illustrated in Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts, but I can’t see Nelson being into it at all), I thought the Willie falling for her after she faked a Scottish accent was good. I wasn’t a fan of the fourth act with more emotionally insecure Nelson, and I didn’t like the retcon of his dad’s history. Still, I’ll give the episode a low 4/5. Maybe the best of the season so far.
 
It's just what they do with 4th acts because they don't like to incorporate them into the plot but have to squeeze that extra commercial break in. So they're invariably used for a wacky side gag or some deleted scene content from earlier in the episode that wasn't included.

Main thing I enjoyed about tonight's ep (and, likewise, with Ferris' earlier effort) is that every character was well-utilized, had agency within the plot and behaved exactly as you would expect them to act. Motivations were clearly explained every step of the way and there was very little padding to stretch for time along the lines of a never-ending list gag, weak montage or Homer singing to fill time. (Granted, he did sing this week but it was to close out a scene.)
 
I'm not too shocked about Bart picking up Russian. He picks up other languages rather quickly. ref: "The Crepes of Wrath", "Bart on the Road", "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"
 
Definitely one of those "I probably would have liked it better 20 years ago, when I didn't have the feeling that it's just a rehash of old episodes" episodes.

What, no "Yeah, see, huh, yeah, there was Apu, yeah, there, huh, yeah" - "Of course he was there - Al Jean said they're not writing him out of the show" - "But he was in a background crowd shot and didn't have any lines, and that's how writing Lionel Hutz out of the show started" conversation?

And did Nelson drop out of school again? It takes eight months to get to Mars, and even then, that assumes it's at its closest point to Earth, which only happens something like once every 18 months.
 
This was a very formulaic episode, but it was executed fairly decently. I found Anastasia to be a relatively likable character, and wouldn't have minded if they made her the new Kumiko, but I guess it's a bit different with a character like Moe (and with a character voiced by a guest star). Although the plot moved along at a decent clip, there were a few clumsy elements such as the scam reveal, which seemed like a bit of a forced reason to return to the status quo. Like most modern episodes, this wasn't exactly a laugh riot, but there were a few decent gags such as Krusty and TMZ, and the amount of cringeworthy moments were relatively few (didn't really care for that oil scene...)

3/5
 
This one began on quite a nostalgic note, what with a short, snappy couch gag, the appearance of Herman, and a prank call to Moe's. Moe turning the prank back on Bart was an overdue twist, and it set the plot in motion quite nicely. I liked the banter between the boys, and Herman freaking them out.

It's not the first time we've seen Moe have a love interest, but it was still an admirably fresh take,referring back to his past heartbreak to emphasise how broken and lonely he is (along with a new flashback to really drive the point home). You can definitely feel for him in this one, and it packs a little more emotion and catharsis into the ending when he finds out he's being scammed and stands up for himself.

That being said, the reveal is a little bit clunky. I don't think it's that far-fetched that Bart would have learned some Russian out of necessity, and as noted, he's picked up foreign languages before. It was just a little abrupt and convenient. I think what bothered me the most is that "Anastasia" had virtually no reaction to having a shotgun drawn on her. Sure, she's a heartless con artist, but an angry man who's just discovered he was a mark is wielding a deadly weapon in her face, and her reaction is basically "Yeah, whatever". I feel like it would've been better if she and the phoney priest had beat a hasty exit out of there, only to run into Willy outside Moe's and begin the scam anew. As it was, it was a bit clunky and flat.

Overall I liked the premise, though. It's another idea I'd have liked to have seen the show visit closer to the classic era, but it was still quite decent. I also enjoyed the callback to Nelson's story about his father going to Mars in the coda. It ended on an obvious joke, but it as far as fourth act gags go, it was alright.

DJ Kirk might have been the funniest part of the episode. Marge trying to get the family to guess the oil she used for cooking the vegetables was kind of strange, like a bit of business out of another show, but it was an interesting experiment. Homer singing is an overused button, but it wasn't too bad here. Krusty's "heartbreak" being an act was another joke I saw coming, but it still worked and was very much in character. In fact, characterisation was quite strong and consistent throughout the episode.

I don't think the story flowed quite as well as last week and it wasn't the most hilarious episode, so I'll go with a 3/5 for my grade. It was still quite solid though, nothing dragged or felt painful, and overall it's a modern episode I'd probably be up for watching again.
 
It was alright. A bit inferior to the previous Michael Ferris' episode, but still pleasant. One thing I've noted those last years, when an episode begin with a short and funny couch gag, I always have a smile. I guess it's for integrate a superfluous scene with the "dawn of beer", though Moe's "It looks like I just invented english" made me chuckle, and the random "stupid Flanders" of prehistoric Homer too.

That being said, we have a decent first act, I liked Herman's return, and seeing Bart, Milhouse and Nelson together again. I wonder if Nelson's "Maybe we should just give up these prank calls" is a shout-out to the writers pretty much giving up Bart's prank calls over the years, haha. I don't remember if Nelson's father going to Mars is a callback to a previous episode, if somebody has a idea from what episode this come... Anyway, Moe is still a strong character in this episode. I like the human aspect the writers gave to him throughout the years (Moho House was a bad episode but Moe's personality in this one was definitely a highlight). Seeing how heartbroken he is when it comes to love interests is pretty touching (the callback to Maya was nice). I also liked how Homer is heartbroken to saying to Moe he's not invited to his Thanksgiving.

When Anastasia comes into the act, the plot stays pretty solid. Nothing breath-taking but it's decent. It's just too bad the reveal fell a little flat. To be honest, I didn't saw it coming, but I had the feeling it's abrupt, and it could have been better written. Fortunately, Willie comes for a very funny moment (and DJ Kirk is hilarious). And so, if Anastasia became Krusty's girlfriend before Moe came back to her, it's because she knew exactly Moe would come back to her ?

Anyway, the episode stays enjoyable. The characters are well used, there's some random parts such as Homer suddenly singing during dinner (if it's a reference, I didn't got it), and Bart punished doesn't really go anywhere, but nothing that made me go out of the episode. The jokes are overall good, I had some laughs. Duffman's "Pearl Harbor's day, never forget" is one of my favorite here. And I laughed out loud when Marge throws without remorse Bart's phone in the sink.

It's not spectacular as I said before, but I liked this one. 3.5/5, though it's closer to 3 than 4, at the opposite of the 3.5 I gave to Baby You Can't Drive My Car.
 
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Another strong episode for Season 30. I didn't have the time to review last week's episode (Baby You Can't Drive My Car) but I thought it was decent and had some good parts, nothing really stood out as being overly enjoyable or bad. In this episode, I thought the pacing was good and the storyline was interesting. I enjoyed Moe finally turning the prank back onto Bart (and he did so without any rage or cruelty in the process) and the kids using the dark net to get back at Moe was a clever idea. Herman playfully messing with the kids made me laugh out loud. Just a side note, I have been pleasantly surprised with the lack of an appearance of sociopath Bart thus far this season. In every episode so far, Bart has pretty much just been a normal, mischievous ten year old boy. In last weeks episode, his childish dance when arguing with Lisa about who was stupider didn't even make him seem stupid, it was just a kind of thing that a little kid like Bart would do and it was nice to see.

Moe's reaction to his new "wife" in not wanting his heart to get broken again was kind of sad but at the same time it didn't make him seem overly pathetic. Bart's punishment ended up being more of a footnote of the episode, but it was nice to see him get actually punished instead of just getting strangled and Marge throwing his phone into the water was great. DJ Kirk and Moe serving at his own wedding was also pretty funny. I enjoyed Marge forcing Bart to wear that pink costume as the last part of his punishment - "also, you look cute!" The ending was pretty good, with Ana ending up becoming Willie's bride after it was revealed that she was a scam artist and after Bart falsely tells Anna that Willie is loaded. I found it ironic that it was Bart and his friends that saved Moe from getting scammed, kind of a redemption after pulling the prank in the first place. Bart learning Russian fast seemed normal to me, as we have seen in past episodes that he is intelligent and can learn languages very quickly, though I can't say the same for Nelson and Milhouse. The boys successfully blocking Ana from grabbing the marriage papers by passing it off to one another also made me laugh.

A very solid, enjoyable and humorous episode IMO. If I could give it a 4.5/5 I would, but in this case I rounded down because I wish Bart's punishments were explored a bit more and actually went some where. Either way, a strong addition to an already decent season.
 
From Russia With Love was a solid episode. First off, the episode wastes no time and has a short and snappy couch gag. This is already a good sign. I also liked how Herman was used in the first act and him trying to scare the kids. The subversion of the trademark prank call was also good. The pacing was once again mostly solid. I'm starting to be convinced that the writers might have finally ironed out the pacing and story problems that have haunted the series for a couple of years. I hope it stays that way. Moe was characterized well here with him being sympathetic but not to the point of him being suicidal Moe. My only problems were that the Bart getting punished angle didn't really go anywhere and the reveal that Moe's bride was scamming him felt like the writers pressing the "return to status quo" button. The episode also had a good amount of decent humor like the TMZ scene and DJ Kirk. The animation was also well-done. Sure, it isn't Rob Oliver level material but there was still some nice fluid animation.

Overall, it's a solid episode. 4/5(B+)

Season 30 has been surprisingly decent so far with 0 outright bad episodes. However, that might change with the next two episodes...
 
Another good episode for this season. I found the pacing to flow quite well, they made Bart a prankster again, we see a good use of secondary characters where one of them is the return of Herman, and Bart's little sub plot meshed well into the main plot. Its only the story itself that I didn't find that interesting at first, considering that Moe has had quite some episodes regarding him going into a relationship. But Anastasia was a solid character with an actually surprising twist at the end which did a good job ending their relationship.

The couch gag is once again short and sweet. I liked the opening with a prehistoric version of Homer turning from a buffed neanderthal into the Homer we know. Nice transition to a modern version of Moe's bar and Homer burping at the table. Not sure why the Simpson family would invite so many people for Thanksgiving who are not family, unless they do it out of pity for Moe and others being alone. Moe pretending to be okay with the rejection was somewhat expected, I did like the return of Bart's prank call afterwards and how he turned the prank back to Bart. This starts another sub plot with Bart finding another way to prank Moe, and we get to see Herman back who continuous to be his sleazy self. Some funny jokes in the basement like Alexa taken hostage, Nelson believing his father went to Mars and the ''Hacky'' computer helper.

Then Anastasia comes into play where the main plot kicks in. I liked how Marge pushed her family to guess what oil she used for vegetables and Maggie's choices out of a pacifier collection. Homer likes to sing a bit to often though. I liked the scene with Anastasia redecorating the bar which brings I new customers, but don't remain to long due to being disgusted by Moe. The joke with the bag over Moe's head with the smiley is one of the better gags. I also really liked Moe's flashback of him trying to ask a girl on a date, and we see some of his former relationships with one of them being Maya. Bart's plot had some good stuff aswell, with the courier wanting to remain anonymous and Marge joining Homer with the interrogation. Wasn't a fan of the rat though. Marge throwing Bart's phone in the sink was surprising, and I like how she keeps punishing Bart which is something we don't actually see her doing much after so many pranks.

I don't get why Homer is the one apologizing to Moe. Also doesn't this mean that Moe knows that Bart is the prank caller after all? The 3rd act remained pretty fun to watch with Moe trying to win Anastasia back. Considering her goals it would've made a lot more sense to remain with Krusty though. Apparently she feels like she has to stick to the deal of marrying Moe as in the contract. I liked how hey filmed Krusty's reaction. I like how they turned the back of Moe's tavern into the wedding ceremony. Bart's plot integrates well for being able to learn to read Russian at a fast pace, which is one of his gifts. Good way to uncover Anastasia's real motives and how Moe reacts to it. Also liked how she was able to do a lot of different accents and lured Willy into marrying her instead. I didn't mind the 4th act with Nelson's dad actually being on Mars, good way to continue a joke they made earlier.

Overall the quality is about on par with last weeks episode. There are only a few flaws like the main plot not being that original, and as I noticed while reviewing there are a few plot holes like Homer being the one to apologise and Anastasia's motives where she thinks Moe is somehow wealthy and ditches Krusty for him. But I do like how the episode turned out with a proper one-time crush for Moe, the return of prankster Bart and how he sets up the main plot for Moe. A good selection of characters had a proper role where none of them were annoying. It was especially fun to see Herman back again. With these goods and bads, I'll rate this episode a:

3.5/5
 
I'll also vouch for season 30. It's making me think a bit of 27 actually, not a godsend of a season but (so far) has had a relatively decent showing, some things being way better than the premise let on (this and the last ep) and some things that aren't too common and could really be done more often (in 30's case, Homer and Marge actually enjoying doing stuff together and not even falling out over it).

Bit tired for a real review but for some reason, I did love just how random it was that Bart decided to order a breeding rat. He really is a rat boy.
 
Good
Breaking bad news politely, in person, and plenty of notice
Why Nelson's dad left
Mice on pool table, jukebox, Barney
Fiddler on the roof commentary
Dark Yelp ratings
Not afraid of getting hurt *smack*
Beer mitzvah/ brew in Hebrew

Bad
Diapering Abe
Dark stuff in Moe's head

Meh
Krusty filmed by tmz
Anastasia's reveal
Bart, Nelson, and Milhouse learned Russian
 
An pretty good Moe episode. He has always been one of the standout supporting characters and while not every post-classic Moe episode has been that good this was one of those that were pulled off well'. The plot about Bart, with his prank calling running out of steam, pranking a lonely Moe (who just got denied inviation to the Simpsons thanksgiving dinner) by ordering him an Russian mail-order bride named Anastasia through the dark web and Moe falling for her but complications arise as usual (even for Bart who gets punished when Homer and Marge finds out), is a simple one but it was pretty well told and nuanced with Anastasia not being so one note at all (I like how they portrayed her showing disgust of him in an semi-low key fashion) & Moe's conflict, both as he's nervous and afraid of losing his love after all the former incidents and once he loses her despite not behaving too badly, being quite interesting. It wasn't spectacular but enjoyable and likeable.

At first I thought it was a bit rocky with the opening of caveman Homer and Moe (pun unintentional) as I think it was kinda unnecessary despite being amusing but then it got going with the story of Bart along with Milhouse and Nelson deciding to pull a big prank on Moe (liked how they went to Herman's store to do it and it was great that they got Herman back; I think this the most he's spoken since like season 7). Once Anastasia arrives at Moe's it picked up well and I liked their interplay. Moe wanting her back once she left was well done with him asking himself if it's the right thing, then awkwardly showing up in her life again and doing his best (it's great when they portray him so human). The twist at the wedding with Bart and pals (having learned some Russian during the dark web surfing) finding out that the mail bride thing is a scam by Ana and the priest (both actually Americans) was a good one and even though it was a bit sad with Moe's bitter disappointment some nice humor came from it (and the little subplot about Bart having to come clean about his dark web escapades and go through a series of punishments was a good one).

When it comes to the episode aside from the plot I think it did well. Despite the caveman opening took some time the story progressed well and was nicely paced, even though the last act bit with Nelson and his dad on Mars (a nice callback to the former mentioning his dad being on an mission on Mars to Bart and Milhouse) was obviously unrelated to the rest of the story save for the opening segment. The animation here was solid with some neat fluidity (one of those bits that stood out was Krusty's breakdown once Ana dumps him) & there were plenty of nice humor with both jokes and gags coming out pretty well. Characterizations were also nice overall with most, if not all, characters being portrayed well; Moe stood out but I liked the rest too, including Bart as his usual prankster self and being smart enough to learn some Russian (I would say Marge was off for throwing Bart's phone into the sink water despite his confession but I can forgive it for being a nice little "what the hell?" shock gag). Nothing stood out as bad so that's all good.

So all in all I liked this episode. Moe's love story was a good once and I liked the drama with his insecurity due to being afraid of messing up and still managing to drive his new love away but still not giving up until the end when it all falls apart (interestingly not due to his doing which was a nice subversion); I guess it will still be a while until her finds true love but this was still a nicely written Moe-centric episode with an good side story with Bart having to owe up to his prank and actually have punishment, something which he often escapes gettomg (the episode also had a good use of side characters, I think; ranging from Herman to Willie).

I wouldn't say it was great or anything but as a good emotional episode it worked for me; it could've used some touching up in a few places but it was still a good and entertaining one.

3.5/5 rounded up to 4/5
 
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I forgot to mention the caveman sequence. I found that rather nostalgic as well, as it reminded me of some of the fantasy/dream sequences that opened much older episodes, such as the one in "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment". It wasn't quite as good and perhaps went slightly too long, but it was a nice callback in an episode that had a few of them. Homer immediately developing a beer gut and Moe inventing English were both good jokes that I liked, too.
 
I was surprised to learn that Anastasia was voiced by a guest star as I could've sworn that it was Tress doing the voice.

Anyways this was OK. A step down when compared to last week (mostly for how clunky the ending was in order for us to return to the status quo), but still the second week in a row where The Simpsons surprisingly managed to beat that night's FG.

3/5
 
Another good Moe-centered episode.

The callback to the prank call in which Moe sees right through Bart's prank, causing Bart to try something else, (In a way, it almost shows progression) with his team of Nelson and Milhouse (I always like seeing them "working" together).

It was an interesting episode in the sense that Moe didn't strictly get a happy ending. He knew that the whole thing was too good to be true.

I would have criticised the way they wrote Bart, because he doing something fairly terrible. But he did redeem himself in the end (something that's a little lost in recent seasons) by defending Moe against the unfair contract (the idea of Bart learning Russian from the dark web is both conceivable and funny). Plus, his punishment was very funny, and I like the way they didn't just drop him from the story after he was caught by Marge and Homer; instead they left it for a while, but referred back to his wrongdoings and punishment at the end during the wedding.

The final scene is my main criticism, as while the joke about Nelson going to Mars to find his dad was funny, it ruined the final scenes of the actual episode. They did this a couple of times last year, and I would much rather see these as maybe post-credit scenes, so it doesn't ruin a good episode's ending.

Overall, this was an episode with a pretty good story that didn't really feel like a repetition of any previous Moe-centred episodes, and another big plus were the genuinely very funny jokes throughout. I'll give this 7.5/10.

[Since this isn't really a full review like I want to do, here's some other things I wrote about the episode (mostly stuff I liked).]

rXFZ9uZ.jpg
 
I can not help thinking that, if the showrunner had been Selman instead of Jean, we would be talking about a new classic. And what part of a high potential was again wasted. Ferris' work was really great. But there are certain flaws that, with the right equipment, could have been avoided, as had already happened in Paths of Glory.

One of the keys of the episode is in the good use of all the characters that appear. Moe is sad and lonely, but is far from that absurd label of suicide that they wanted to place him. The feeling of not wanting to break his heart again fits perfectly with him. And those twists and turns are a perfect sample of the insecurity that drives. Bart is the joker he always was. And, although it seems that the joke that played to Moe went quite far, I suppose that it is justified, since this humiliated him in front of his friends. Homer does not have many appearances, but it is essential to give the first push in more than one situation (Moe's solitude, reunion of this with his fiancee, Bart follow-up). And Marge, is the mother who tries to correct her incorrigible son and, although I like that he can put his hand firmly, I think this time he went too far with the punishments that his son gives him, like breaking his cell phone or making him dress like a girl in front of the whole city.

The unique appearance character, Anastasia, meets the perfect formula of an antagonist: malevolent, but sweet and adorable on the outside. Other less prominent characters have also received a good deal. Barney, Milhouse and Nelson are what they should be. In addition, we have a masterful use of Kirk (or should I say DJ Kirk?) And a return of the memorable Herman and his military antiques store. It was real pleasure to see him again playing an important role and even making me laugh with the jokes he makes to children. And here's the second key: the good use of certain classic elements of the show, like the Herman character, or the turn to the telephone joke, the Love Tester machine, Moe pointing at someone with a shotgun and even, if he wants, the couch gag short but nice.

The biggest problem I had here was the slowness with which many of the scenes happen. The beginning in prehistory hovers too much time, and the scene of the fourth act is totally inconsequential. In addition, there are certain scenes that are not necessary, such as that of Moe's ghost friends, the debate over what Marge flavored with the food, the flashback of the innkeeper's girlfriends or the final scene in which it is discovered that Anastasia is not Russian and the priest is from Brooklyn. Oh, and several turns were ineffective, like Anastasia dating Krusty, or children learning Russian just because. However, the quality of the plot and the jokes are good in general. The plot establishes the concept of dark web and online scams, and shows us a new adventure of Moe. And there are many jokes that made me laugh, like Homer inviting Ned and canceling that invitation, Moe reacting with anger because Homer did the right thing, or Anastasia covering the face of his victim so that the tavern looks prettier.

It does not have the quality of Moe Baby Blues, Eeny Teeny Maya Moe or King Leer. But Moe returned to be the center of a good episode in the post-classical era and, at this point, I think that his appearances give greater guarantees than those of any other, even those belonging to the Simpson family. Surely it will be exceeded, but it is the best of the season so far.

4/5
 
Took me far too long to watch this, but I've been sick and didn't want to watch this passively the way I do with most other shows.

Notes:

-I like seeing Bart, Milhouse, and Nelson hanging out. Too bad Martin is no longer in the picture.
-Moe is definitely characterized better here than usual. Still sad and lonely, but not to the point of suicide and self-loathing.
-Nice to see Herman again, but geez, how many times do we need to see Alexa in this and other current shows? I get it, it's trendy. Enough already. I do like the jokes about Nelson's dad, though.
-Marge talking about vegetable oil while Homer sits bored waiting for her to shut up felt like an unpleasant Peter/Lois dynamic in Family Guy.
-And Homer's singing again. They really can't go an episode without it this season (we're lucky this was only a few seconds).
-Well, there's Maya. That was Moe's best relationship and the best Moe episode before King Leer.
-Dark Yelp :lol:
-Okay, did not need to see Bart changing Grampa's diaper. That was disturbing.
-It's reassuring to know that Moe is woke.
-Moe-tel 8. :P
-Krusty on TMZ made me laugh.
-Now we've seen Barney and Kirk. It's good to see these characters are making some token appearances. Now Apu maybe?
-Seeing Willie show up at her Scottish accent made me laugh. Maybe it's the speech of North Kilt-town.
-If you had asked me what the credits music to this episode might be, I don't think I would've guessed Holst's The Planets. I don't know how I feel about these random 4th acts.

This episode was decent. This episode and King Leer show that the writers can write a decent story for Moe. The character-of-the-day was not very compelling and we all knew there was going to be something to prevent her and Moe from staying together, but it was a decent plot nonetheless, and tied in well with Bart's interest in the dark web (something that the old Bart probably would've been interested in too). Bart and Moe were both done well here and I enjoyed the appearances of other minor characters. That said, the episode was light on laughs and there were definitely some moments (like the opening caveman scene, the fourth act, etc.) that were obvious time-fillers. The single-plot episodes do generally fare better, but when it seems obvious to me that there's filler, I have to dock a point or two.

3.5/5
 
Max Power's Review


Quotes
- "It is quite appropriate that they have used Herman to explore the dark web".

- "There is a great use of Herman, according to his reputation".

- "I love the enthusiasm that Homer shows for Marge's game".

- "I think Marge could have mentioned Apu and Manjula as a good example of arranged marriage."

- "The song of this episode only has three lines, which is a point in favor".

- "The boys have learned Russian is not strange, Bart has shown fluency with languages, and Milhouse speaks Italian."

- "The final turn could be anticipated from the beginning, although in the end I expected this to be a situation like that of Manjula or Kumiko."

- "Anastasia is consistent with the fact that Russian women are attracted to Moe (callback from Homer the Moe)".

- "A subtle change in Moe's dynamic would not be bad after so long, or bring Maya back."

- "It was a fun episode, with a good number of jokes".

- "It's another good use of Moe's character, considering his experiences."

- "Despite returning to another worn out theme, they managed to do it in an entertaining way".

- "The punishments to Bart were also quite funny."

Note: 7/10
 
Thought the plot went a bit pearshaped towards the end - Anastasia being a con artist really needed a little more foreshadowing, the entire ending seemed to come too much out of the blue - but nonetheless a reasonably engaging and amusing outing. After a dreadful start, this season is starting to look up. B-
 
That was pretty good for a modern episode. 4/5 for me, first one this season.

The caveman gag was cute, as was Herman tricking Bart, Milhouse and Nelson. Moe has had his share of romantic woes over hte years, so this was par for the cause. Still it was portrayed well.

Nelson visiting Mars and seeing his Dad was laugh lout loud funny, especially when he promptly left for cigarettes yet again.
 
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