In my review of the previous episode, I commented that people are tired of some kind of plot, and one of that I mentioned was traveling stories. But I also emphasized that the biggest problem is not travels. It is the repetitive concepts that sustain them. In Livin' La Pura Vida, Matt Selman proved it. After all fantastic travels to the Antarctic, to Iceland and to Boston, it is the turn of Costa Rica. And it was fantastic again.
It has something we needed although we didn't know: monkeys!
This vacation was homely. The family is not in front of one of the biggest adventures of their lives. They just accept the proposal of joining themselves on different vacations with other families, and they find the problems that a normal family can find. They didn't interact with the leader of the nation, nor are in problems with Justice nor one of them will be the referee in the World Cup's final. They just knew new people, strengthened relationships with their friends and tried to afford the spends. And every now and then is better to have a simple story instead of a complex one. Also, I really liked it centered the efforts in the dynamic between characters and not just in Costa Rica's culture and conflicts and how the family explores it. It was a problem in most recent vacation episodes and it was fixed here. Obviously, the new friendship Homer had here takes most flashes. Evelyn was a nice character. She is sweet, cordial, agreeable. Homer has had other pals who are similar to him. But it was different than other times. The gag of Homer imagining the southern metaphors Evelyn said was fantastic. It was used five times and I laughed all five times. I liked how they started with a wrong first impression but how they were inseparable during the rest of the travel, don't matter if Patty is jealous or if Marge asks it. Also, she was a good element to avoid Homer's stupidity. He was liable but she was a bad influence. She is a Homer even worse than Homer. Talking about that, the moral conflict of Patty was perfect. Is it stronger her hate for Homer or her love for Evelyn? Well, both paths she could take for the resolution would be fine. She bets for love and I'm frankly excited to see Evelyn again, since her voice actress, Fortune Feimster, is currently working on FOX.
Among all uses, this was my absolute favorite. My biggest laugh in the episode.
Marge had two roles in the story. The main one was a bit superficial. Just an attempt to take the perfect picture next to the waterfall. I loved her phrase: "All I wanted was my friends to be jealous for me". Fortunately, she ponders about it at the end and she doesn't give it to its higher importance, also, she gets a photo-worthy to be posted in the airplane after the failed one, so everything turned out good for her. The other one was something we aren't too accustomed to. She defending Homer of accusations and insults he receives. Yeah, that was great, especially when the critics came from one of her sisters. I thought she will be the blame to separate Patty to Evelyn, but it was the opposite and she joined them after a nice speech, where she assures Homer hates her more than Selma. For her part, Lisa was the main protagonist of the secondary story. There, she gives big importance to spends although only grown-ups should care about that. The biggest success of this one was in how it involved Bart and how they worked as a team again. I really liked the gag of Lisa tanking off the nerves with her hair. I was read many times that a girl suffering anxiety is not funny, but how could I do to not enjoy her manias, her paranoias, her obsessions when they are so great animated and when Yeardley Smith does a great voice acting as well? I think it was better than just Lisa doing something that fits with Costa Rican culture. I also enjoyed Bart's plan to get the settle-up ledger. His gag with the machete was effective too. The plot-twist of The Simpsons thinking Van Houtens are smuggling artifacts to pay the vacation and then they discover something worse that allowed the family to avoid financial problems was actually good because I really believed every change about Van Houten's intentions.
At this moment, I thought Lisa would ruin everything again but I was wrong.
Talking about Van Houtens, I didn't have problems with them as antagonists. They never were characterized to be selfish but we never have had hints they are unable to do something like that, especially when their child always has betrayed Bart or has done feel Lisa uncomfortable. Kirk had some Kirk's moments. If he promises dinner, the apartment is full of monkeys. If he says he can drink water for the lake, he automatically feels bad about the stomach. If he promises a great vacation, it should have a trick that became it in a farce. If he tries to clean the apartment, monkeys attack him. I just love this character when he receives the correct development. I liked to hear him saying some words in Spanish, by the way. Kirk also has to affront a discussion with Luann in another of their marriage problems. They could be funny when The Simpsons are not involved in them. I chuckled when Luann hit him. It was a right guess it wasn't specified who was the actual culpable of the fraud. And I find interesting the whole zip persecution. Milhouse didn't play a transcendental role but he was participle in one of the funniest banters of the episode: he chasing JJ, one of Hibbert's sons, who had to tolerate Milhouse pulling along him because the stupid boy tried to impress him in search of a vacation friend. He doesn't care if JJ is notoriously older than him. He thinks he could be impressed by Lego's like him. It may be easier to write to Milhouse in the same way than his parents or helping to Bart and Lisa to expose them, but he finds a perfect place to shine by himself. I never would guess Milhouse and one of Hibbert's sons could be so funny together. But it was.
Simpático!
One of the biggest successes of this episode was the development of secondary characters. Again, It may be easier to write it if the Flanders family, for example, would accept a hypothetical offer to travel, but one of the most wonderful characteristics of Matt Selman's episodes is the use of untold characters and new dynamics. And the families that traveled were Hibberts and Chalmers. I am still surprised by the first choice. While neither the Doctor nor his family has followed Apu's way, I thought writers tried to use him the less possible. But I was wrong, and the Hibberts were finally used as they deserve. Julius has some good quotes throughout the episode, especially when he talks with Kirk. And Bernice had a dialogue, and it was enough to be one of her most important appearance of all time. Meanwhile, we have a sample of Chalmers and Shauna's rough relationship. Okay, I always have said she is one of my least favorites characters and that the idea of them being father and daughter was ridiculous. But, with that already established, I can say I enjoyed what they did here and they were a good choice for the cast of this episode. Shauna is annoying, and how her father falls over and over in his attempts to establish a linkage was interesting. The attitude of the teen was adequate for her, and we didn't have an emotional moment not even at the end. She is always with the phone on her hand -I would be a hypocrite if I critic that- taking with Jimbo and ignoring the adventures and his father. I loved how she closed both acts giving news about his relationship with her boyfriend and how monkeys surprised about that. Monkeys were hilarious. It was a good resource to give rhythm to the story.
It even did a good is of Shauna. I don't need more to be sure of my rating.
Livin' La Pura Vida was exactly what you can expect of a good Selman's episode. Pretty funny, hilarious for moments, with an original story that exploits a lot of concepts, using underdeveloped characters and exploring new dynamics between them and taking advantage of everything, from the Costa Rican elements to the animation. It didn't waste a single second. So far: ¡El mejor episodio de la temporada!
5/5
'' and doing the entire zip line chase. It also wrapped up the Evelyn storyline nicely. I doubt that we'll see more of her though, so maybe they should've just shown them breaking up anyway. Funny way to end the episode with the monkeys attacking the Van Houtens.
