The Simpsons - "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words" - Talkback [11/16]

[Space Cadet]

http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/fox.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/simpsons.jpg


Broadcast Order: Season 20, Episode 6
Production Order: Season 19, Episode 19

Writers: Tim Long
Director: Nancy Kruse


A new episode airs tonight at 8 PM Eastern. Here is the synopsis:


Lisa discovers she has a talent for crossword puzzles and enters a tournament in Springfield.

[DarthGonzo]

Another episode featuring Lisa entering some competition that she's probably going to lose for some moral reason. Goodie.

[tb4000]

Another episode featuring Lisa entering some competition that she's probably going to lose for some moral reason. Goodie.

Or someone will be better than her and she decides to sabotage them in an out of character moment, only with some weird twist at the end.

[DarthGonzo]

Or they'll pull something so far out of left field that it'll make my head hurt.

And Sideshow Mel will say something.

[Darklordavaitor]

And now I'm thinking of the King of the Hill episode when Peggy entered a Boggle tournament while Hank tries to make a mower show in the same area. Again, like my comparison of tonight's Family Guy to a Beavis & Butthead episode, if tonight's Simpsons can put a scene out similar to Hank's imitation of his football coach's "motivational speech", I'll give the next bad Simpsons episode a pass, too.

Actually, I have these episodes on DVD; maybe I should just watch them instead and just come back for tonight's KOTH and American Dad!

[tb4000]

And now I'm thinking of the King of the Hill episode when Peggy entered a Boggle tournament while Hank tries to make a mower show in the same area. Again, like my comparison of tonight's Family Guy to a Beavis & Butthead episode, if tonight's Simpsons can put a scene out similar to Hank's imitation of his football coach's "motivational speech", I'll give the next bad Simpsons episode a pass, too.

Actually, I have these episodes on DVD; maybe I should just watch them instead and just come back for tonight's KOTH and American Dad!

You mean like how I watch my old VHS tapes of Pole Position and CBS Storybreak? I mean....never mind. :yawn:

[LordTerminal]

I thought Skinner and Krapababell were already broken up?

[DarthGonzo]

I thought Skinner and Krapabell were already broken up?

They did. Beats me why they thought that was necessary. Which is a total shame because I always like Skinner and Krabappel as a couple.

And you don't need a license to run a lemonade stand, obviously.

And ya gotta love a good gay joke, huh? Nice to know that Duffman is now a target for this shows lame gay humor. Being gay isn't funny in and of itself.

[Classic Speedy]

"Marge, I'm going to a hardcore gay club and won't be home until 3 AM." That made me laugh.

[tb4000]

Duffman....is Out Of The Closet! Ooohhh Yeah!

[Djm912]

OK, the San Francisco People Mover line was good.

[ChuckRoast]

"Marge, I'm going to a hardcore gay club and won't be home until 3 AM." That made me laugh.

Same here. First time in weeks that had happened to me.

[LordTerminal]

And ya gotta love a good gay joke, huh? Nice to know that Duffman is now a target for this shows lame gay jokes. Let's just keep ruining characters.

I seem to recall a quote from "Jaws Wired Shut" regarding this.

"Duffman can't die. Only the actors who play him. Oh yeah!"

In other words, Duffman really doesn't have much character to ruin in the first place since he's just a corporate mascot who's portrayed by different people in Springfield. Well different nameless canonfodder people. Not important cast members.

[Darklordavaitor]

Homer on Lisa's bike was kind of funny. Otherwise, this is basic modern Simpsons.

[DarthGonzo]

Homer on Lisa's bike was kind of funny.

Would have been if Family Guy hadn't done it first.

[TylerL]

Speaking of San Francisco people mover...

http://homepage.mac.com/tylerl82/scene151.png
^
One-frame editing blip.

[Dudley]

Speaking of San Francisco people mover...

http://homepage.mac.com/tylerl82/scene151.png
^
One-frame editing blip.

I saw that too. Is it a joke, or tacky editing?

[DarthGonzo]

Wait what? I guess I missed that.

I hope this episode doesn't take a left turn into "Homer worries about his marriage" territory.

"Fun For Nerds" was funny though.

[ChuckRoast]

Doesn't look like it will so far. I consider this a good thing.

[DarthGonzo]

Doesn't look like it will so far. I consider this a good thing.

Lisa is gonna find out that Homer is gambling for/against her and then she's gonna bail.

I hope not though.

[Dudley]

That was a really stupid thing Homer did. Even for him.

[ChuckRoast]

Lisa is gonna find out that Homer is gambling for/against her and then she's gonna bail.

I hope not though.

Yeah. It looks like it will.

[DarthGonzo]

Didn't this show do this already...way back in season 2?

Oh right...

It did.

Ok, I actually laughed pretty hard at Marge's whole "Jackie O" thing. THAT was funny.

[Nel]

Didn't this show do this already...way back in season 2?

Oh right...

It did.

Well, maybe if you didn't remember something that happened 18 seasons ago, this would seem more original. :p

But yeah, this episode is... blah. Seems like one of the usual formulas.

[ChuckRoast]

This episode started out pretty good, and then it got really mediocre at the very end.

[DarthGonzo]

Well, maybe if you didn't remember something that happened 18 seasons ago, this would be more original. :p

Well I can't help it if the Simpsons as a TV show was fantastic 18 seasons ago. :p


But yeah, this episode is... blah. Seems like one of the usual formulas.

Definitely. The ending was cute though.

[Dudley]

Well I can't help it if the Simpsons as a TV show was fantastic 18 seasons ago. :p



Definitely. The ending was cute though.

Does anyone know the name of the song in the end?

[HEATXZ]

Great episode, I like the part when Homer was riding Lisa's Bike XD

[chdr]

Speaking of San Francisco people mover...

http://homepage.mac.com/tylerl82/scene151.png
^
One-frame editing blip.

I saw that too, but I thought it was all in my head.

The Homer plot seemed pointless. They dropped it halfway for no reason.

[tb4000]

Leave it to this show to come up with a way to use Cameo's song in a montage.

I did laugh at the asian guy in the bar, though.

[simpspin]

The "Home screws up and makes amends with Lisa" eps are either really funny or really terrible. This was the latter. Bland, boring and devoid any "emtion/empathy," this episode is the kind of episode that signifies what the show is capeable of at it's current worst--being boring as hell.

D-

[nakak]

Speaking of San Francisco people mover...

http://homepage.mac.com/tylerl82/scene151.png
^
One-frame editing blip.
I saw that, too. Wasn't the scene incomplete or something? Bart was about to say something to Lisa, then this showed up for one frame and then we cut to Homer.

[Neo Yi]

Outside of a hasty subplot that finished as quickly as it started, the main plot worked as best as it's predictable plot could (though who knew Gil could be so...manipulative). Somehow, underneath it all (and possibly being a Lisa episode), it continues to produce more heart then most other episodes.

I also concur with Dudley; what was that song playing during the ending?

[judyindisguise]

Outside of a hasty subplot that finished as quickly as it started, the main plot worked as best as it's predictable plot could (though who knew Gil could be so...manipulative). Somehow, underneath it all (and possibly being a Lisa episode), it continues to produce more heart then most other episodes.

I also concur with Dudley; what was that song playing during the ending?

It's called "Cherish" and it's the work of a band called The Association.

Well, I liked this episode. And you're right about heart; that ending is the type you'd never see on Family Guy. In fact, trying to criticize Family Guy by calling it an imitation of The Simpsons isn't really very accurate. Far more accurate, IMO, would be saying it simply isn't as good. :D

[Desensitized]

Not the best episode, but it was pretty cute.

[aalong64]

I'm getting really sick of the montages lately. In the last couple of seasons they've really started to go crazy with them. There were like three in this episode, weren't there?

I appreciate that the show still tries to have some heart unlike Family Guy, but I wasn't moved at all by this episode. The show has just been on for too long, and they've gone through all these scenarios between Homer and Lisa (or any other characters) so many times that there's hardly any new ground to explore in their relationships.

[ToOn~g@l]

I hate to say this but my heart melted when Homer hugged Lisa in the end like that, sure it was probably forced but who cares. I think I liked it because I never had a dad like that and I wish I did. Other than that it was okay, I wasn't really paying attention much though because I was really tired, the bike up Homer's butt was really gross though. Kinda cool to see those two gays guys again, I thought they would never show up again.

[Master Moron]

I saw that too, but I thought it was all in my head.

The Homer plot seemed pointless. They dropped it halfway for no reason.

Yeah, I thought Marge's suggestion was completely idiotic. So, if someone is completely miserable and unhappy in a relationship they should stay in the relationship because...because...I didn't even understand what her point was. Her analogizing the relationships Homer broke up to theirs made no sense, since Homer and Marge are happy together...aren't they? I also don't understand why the ghosts of the broken up people would haunt Homer since most of them seemed happier after he had broken up with them. I actually feared that they'd spend the second half of the episode with Homer trying to bring the couples he had broken up back together. Thank God they didn't go with that.

[Peter Paltridge]

So this time we got New York Times crossword writer Will Shortz and....the guy who works for Will Shortz.

It's official, they're out of guest stars.

And they've made this episode at least seven times. I think the last one was where Lisa entered a spelling bee, though I'm sure someone will know if there's one more recent.

When Lisa started seeing crosswords in street signs I worried "is this parodying some independent film no one has heard of or watched outside of the aging Simpsons staff?" Anyone know?

[aalong64]

So this time we got New York Times crossword writer Will Shortz and....the guy who works for Will Shortz.

It's official, they're out of guest stars.

And they've made this episode at least seven times. I think the last one was where Lisa entered a spelling bee, though I'm sure someone will know if there's one more recent.

When Lisa started seeing crosswords in street signs I worried "is this parodying some independent film no one has heard of or watched outside of the aging Simpsons staff?" Anyone know?

I'm not sure. I completely forgot about those ridiculously lame guest 'stars' though. The mere fact that they were supposed to be guest stars probably amused me more than anything else in the show last night. I think it might have been intentionally funny that they're so obscure.

[SirLemming]

This episode actually got off to a really good start. I liked most of the first act. But I don't get why they abandoned the "break-up service" plot halfway through. It was working! It was actually working, in a Bronze-age Simpsons sort of way. But then it shifted to this thing about Homer gambling and upsetting Lisa (a slight variation on a few other plots they've already done) and it kind of fell apart, complete with the obligatory obscure guest appearance.


Yeah, I thought Marge's suggestion was completely idiotic. So, if someone is completely miserable and unhappy in a relationship they should stay in the relationship because...because...I didn't even understand what her point was. Her analogizing the relationships Homer broke up to theirs made no sense, since Homer and Marge are happy together...aren't they? I also don't understand why the ghosts of the broken up people would haunt Homer since most of them seemed happier after he had broken up with them. I actually feared that they'd spend the second half of the episode with Homer trying to bring the couples he had broken up back together. Thank God they didn't go with that.
No, that would've been better. Even if you didn't like it, at least they would've stuck with a plot to its end instead of abandoning it for no reason. Marge brought up a good point -- people shouldn't break up just because they're going through a rough patch, and Homer may have been making it a little too easy for them to jump ship at the first sign of trouble. And Marge's point was that if they broke up the first time Marge had her doubts about the relationship, they most likely wouldn't be together now, 'cause she's definitely had some doubts. No, not the greatest plot in the show's history, but it was something. And Homer appeared to be having some misgivings about it. And then... poof! The plot disappeared.

[Classic Speedy]

When Lisa started seeing crosswords in street signs I worried "is this parodying some independent film no one has heard of or watched outside of the aging Simpsons staff?" Anyone know? Yup. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wordplay_(film))

[Neo Ultra Mike]

Though I do like it when the show tries to potray an emotion I hate it when it comes at the expense of a major plothole. In "Lisa The Greek" Lisa had every right to be annoyed at Homer since they were actually bonding over they're love of football and betting and then found out he wasn't going to spend time with her after football season started. Here though the two really have nothing to do with each other. Lisa is completley happy just doing the cross word puzzles herself and Homer just finds a way to make bets on it. And then when Lisa specifcally tells him she's likley to ruin her own happiness and loose the game when Homer would of otherwise bet on her completley and absolutiley it's actually her fault she changed bets. Maybe if Homer had just said that things would be different. But noooo, Homer has to instead do some gigantic huge apology thing through the crossowrd puzzle instead and bring out those crossword puzzle guests for no other reason but to have guest stars in this crossword related ep. Not to mention that the Homer Breaks people up subplot kind of faltered half way through. It's like the writers wanted Homer and Lisa to have the crossword third act but couldn't think of anything else for Homer to do so just gave him another random job he sort of randomly quit through another weird dream sequence. (I do sort of like Marge pointing out though what if there was someone who broke them up for good if there was any problems. Still did that mean we needed to see Skinner and Edna or even Snake an Gloria broken up since the writers dont' care too much if they'll get back together again? Yeah I don't really think so).

There were some fairly decent gags in this one (Homer not having any money for lemonade, the sleazy Dan Canstenalla Lawyer making them get a buisness license and the wreckers asking if they had any lemonade after wrecking the stand, them bothering to get Scott Thompson back to voice Grady, Homer breaking up all the gay guys, Lisa's seeing cross word puzzles in everything, the musical montage, "you're pretty judgemental for a bar better", and Lisa just vegging out and not acting mad at first) but the humor also falls apart a lot when compared to some other eps of this season. Like the first two and the TOH special. So that makes this one of the weaker ones truthfully. An annoying moral plus forgetten about and badly added in subplot that can't even last the whole show plus a lot of lulls and stupid jokes makes this one not really worth double checking even if it got into it's own crossword puzzle.

[warnerbroman]

Duffman....is Out Of The Closet! Ooohhh Yeah!which duffman?

[creativerealms]

Duffman....is Out Of The Closet! Ooohhh Yeah!

Just a Duffman as it's already been established that there is more then one.

[warnerbroman]

So this time we got New York Times crossword writer Will Shortz and....the guy who works for Will Shortz.
huh so they are real?

[Peter Paltridge]

huh so they are real?
Yeah, they are. My paper gets a syndicated Times Crossword, and Shortz has been the author for several years.

[dth1971]

"I'm not mad, Dad!"

[FinnMacCool]

I kept expecting the breakup service to come back in some way in the third act, like someone else takes over the breakup business when Homer quits, and Lisa hires the new guy to "break up" with her father. If they only had something like that to tie everything together, this episode would have been great instead of just pretty good.

Though, I gotta admit, seeing Gil be a winner for once was long overdue. Maybe not the funniest moment, but (even if it comes at Lisa's expense) it just makes you feel all good inside.

[Master Moron]

No, that would've been better. Even if you didn't like it, at least they would've stuck with a plot to its end instead of abandoning it for no reason. Marge brought up a good point -- people shouldn't break up just because they're going through a rough patch, and Homer may have been making it a little too easy for them to jump ship at the first sign of trouble.

Yes, they should. If a relationship isn't working, then they should end it. It doesn't do the other person any good to just string them along when you don't want to be in the relationship anymore. That will just make both of you miserable.

[FinnMacCool]

Yes, they should. If a relationship isn't working, then they should end it. It doesn't do the other person any good to just string them along when you don't want to be in the relationship anymore. That will just make both of you miserable.
Marge didn't say people shouldn't break up, just that Homer's services made it "too easy." Unless the boy/girlfriend is violent in some way, people should be able to break up with their partners to their face. If they can't, maybe they should reconsider whether that's what they really want to do.

[SirLemming]

Yes, they should. If a relationship isn't working, then they should end it. It doesn't do the other person any good to just string them along when you don't want to be in the relationship anymore. That will just make both of you miserable.
Yes, but Marge was saying that in some cases the relationships might still have a chance, and Homer is making it too easy for them to break it off when one of them is unhappy at the moment. Unless there's a serious problem, it makes more sense to talk to each other and try to work it out, and if that doesn't work, then they know there really is no hope.

[Master Moron]

Marge didn't say people shouldn't break up, just that Homer's services made it "too easy." Unless the boy/girlfriend is violent in some way, people should be able to break up with their partners to their face. If they can't, maybe they should reconsider whether that's what they really want to do.

I guess that makes sense, but I kind of got the impression that Homer's services were to spare the other parties feelings, not to make it easier to break up. I mean, Edna could have just as easily broken up with Skinner in person, but then Skinner would have been hurt immensely. Homer just let him down easier.

[SirLemming]

I guess that makes sense, but I kind of got the impression that Homer's services were to spare the other parties feelings, not to make it easier to break up. I mean, Edna could have just as easily broken up with Skinner in person, but then Skinner would have been hurt immensely. Homer just let him down easier.
That was his intention, but there was a potential unintended side-effect. As usual, he's not a bad person. Just an irresponsible one.

[DonkeyKongSong]

Yeah, I liked this episode, and it is COMPLETELY different from the football one, for reasons that have already been said.

The only thing I really find this a "copy of" from another episode is Homer apologizing to Lisa through the New York Times, which is like that time Homer's mom told him that she survived the train crash through the newspaper.