THE SIMPSONS “The Ned-Liest Catch” Season 22 Episode 22 – A few days ago I wrote an article listing my essential TV shows of all time. The Simpsons was there, of course, because I’ve loved the show for years. My family and I had a brief television schedule of The Simpsons, followed by an episode of Will & Grace, and then an hour of CSI. For years people have said that The Simpsons is just a shadow of what it once was. I ignored them, because even though I could see that The Simpsons wasn’t as sharp as it had been in its prime (and I was so lucky that I grew up while it was in its prime), I was filled with nostalgia for the show.
This episode saw Ned and Edna get together after Edna is sent to a place where child molesting teachers go after she is seen publicly slapping Bart. It was a pretty dire storyline to begin with. Sure, Bart is a total brat, but Edna’s schtick is that, like teachers across the world, her will to teach these kids has been shattered by their snotty faces and all she can do is smoke and drink and dwell in her own loneliness as men avoid her like the plague (except Seymour, which was one of the most consistent and touching romances on the show). So when she slapped Bart (twice) she stopped being that teacher.
She also, apparently, stopped seeing Skinner.
She is lured out of a facility which apparently holds teachers who abused children (again, not exactly the funniest setup) and, falling from a ladder, lands in the ripped arms of Ned Flanders.
She and Ned begin to have a relationship. Which is fine. I liked her outburst at the end when he dares to tell her that he “forgives her” for being with so many people.
And then something happened. Something happened at the end of the episode, and it may not have effected you, and you may not care that it effected me.
But I’m done. Simpsons, I quit you.
Getting fans to go on the internet and vote whether or not to keep Edna and Ned together is jumping the shark. It’s not storytelling, it’s a reality show. It’s not art, it’s a commercialized farce. I thought the creative team behind the Simpsons ,for whatever subpar episodes they may have churned out, had more pride than to reduce a legacy to a “Like” or “Dislike” poll.
At least there are the classic episodes of The Simpsons.
As a farewell to The Simpsons, I’m going to list five defining moments which spring to mind (and even if you loved this episode, if you can think of any moments I’ve overlooked let me know):
When Maggie says “Daddy”.
The flashbacks when Homer and Marge met, married and had Bart and Lisa.
Homer’s line to Lisa: “Tell me all about your day.until the commercial’s over.”
When the snow trapping them inside the school melts thanks to Homer and some salt, the kids chorus: “The snow has melted”. Martin bends down and licks the melted snow: “All with a little help from our friend, sodium chloride.” And Nelson rolls in with the punches.
And my all time favorite: the episode when Homer takes a crayon out of his brain and bonds with Lisa. However, because the rest of his life changes so much, he rams the crayon back up his nose, sacrificing his friendship with Lisa.
The Simpsons is one of the greatest shows of all time. It’s gone on too long, and so I can stop making ears bleed with my pompous ass ranting, I’m going to quit watching the new episodes just because I don’t want them to taint the older ones.
What did you think of this episode? Sound off in the comments below.
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