My favorite Simpsons episodes have always been the Halloween specials. It's my favorite holiday, so I guess this makes sense. The episode I remember the most is from season eleven, and after re-watching it, I still think it's funny.
It's comprised of three stories. In the first one Homer dies, choking on broccoli after living through several ridiculous near death experiences ranging from a rattlesnake bite, a falling tree, lightening, to a pick axe. This is a great example of situational irony. Homer turns into a ghost and can only get into heaven (according to St. Peter) by performing at least one good deed. This could be cosmic irony, but I'm not sure. The most memorable scene from this story is loaded with dark humor, occurring after Homer has died, when the paramedics stuff him into a body bag. Lisa and Bart look on, and one of the paramedics, while zipping up the body bag blithely says, "sure is easy when they're stiff like this." With a glance at the children he attempts a quick cover, saying, "and very sad."
The second story is a parody on Grimm's fairy tales. Bart and Lisa are Hansel and Gretel, chucked into the woods by Homer where they stumble upon the home of the three bears and Goldilocks, as well as the hungry witch in her house of candy. The scene with Goldilocks is especially horrific because you don't see the three bears killing her, you hear her screams followed by silence and a pool of blood seeping from beneath the cottage door. The humor is so dark it's startling that this is a cartoon viewed by children. I haven't watched the Simpsons in a while so I don't know how daring they are now, but they were definitely daring in season eleven. There's also a great piece of dramatic irony when Bart and Lisa arrive at the candy house, beckoned by the witch. They hesitate but then Bart shrugs his shoulders and says, "Ahh. She seems nice. I'm gonna go with my gut and trust her." Lisa, abandoning her usual wisdom, says, "you're probably right."
The last story features a free willy parody when Lisa frees a dolphin being mistreated at a water park. The dolphin passes over Lisa's head, mimicking the climactic scene where willy is freed. Yet the dolphin seeks revenge and attacks Springfield, claiming that dolphins hate living in the ocean and once lived on land. Humans and dolphins battle, and just as it seems the humans are winning, the scene switches to Springfieldians floating in the ocean, Marge knitting on the family couch next to Homer while the kids bob in the water. This is again great irony because the audience is led to believe Springfield will defeat the dolphins. The best scene from this story is another sketch of dark humor. Homer drives up to a fast food window, where a dolphin is holding the decapitated head of an employee. The head rolls onto Homer's lap, and instead of noticing the dolphin, he gazes down to the head, and reproachfully says, "Heh. Anything to get outta work." That's hilarious.
I loved the Simpsons while growing up, and I'd like to watch it again, to see if it's really lost its magic, or is still charging onward.
It's comprised of three stories. In the first one Homer dies, choking on broccoli after living through several ridiculous near death experiences ranging from a rattlesnake bite, a falling tree, lightening, to a pick axe. This is a great example of situational irony. Homer turns into a ghost and can only get into heaven (according to St. Peter) by performing at least one good deed. This could be cosmic irony, but I'm not sure. The most memorable scene from this story is loaded with dark humor, occurring after Homer has died, when the paramedics stuff him into a body bag. Lisa and Bart look on, and one of the paramedics, while zipping up the body bag blithely says, "sure is easy when they're stiff like this." With a glance at the children he attempts a quick cover, saying, "and very sad."
The second story is a parody on Grimm's fairy tales. Bart and Lisa are Hansel and Gretel, chucked into the woods by Homer where they stumble upon the home of the three bears and Goldilocks, as well as the hungry witch in her house of candy. The scene with Goldilocks is especially horrific because you don't see the three bears killing her, you hear her screams followed by silence and a pool of blood seeping from beneath the cottage door. The humor is so dark it's startling that this is a cartoon viewed by children. I haven't watched the Simpsons in a while so I don't know how daring they are now, but they were definitely daring in season eleven. There's also a great piece of dramatic irony when Bart and Lisa arrive at the candy house, beckoned by the witch. They hesitate but then Bart shrugs his shoulders and says, "Ahh. She seems nice. I'm gonna go with my gut and trust her." Lisa, abandoning her usual wisdom, says, "you're probably right."
The last story features a free willy parody when Lisa frees a dolphin being mistreated at a water park. The dolphin passes over Lisa's head, mimicking the climactic scene where willy is freed. Yet the dolphin seeks revenge and attacks Springfield, claiming that dolphins hate living in the ocean and once lived on land. Humans and dolphins battle, and just as it seems the humans are winning, the scene switches to Springfieldians floating in the ocean, Marge knitting on the family couch next to Homer while the kids bob in the water. This is again great irony because the audience is led to believe Springfield will defeat the dolphins. The best scene from this story is another sketch of dark humor. Homer drives up to a fast food window, where a dolphin is holding the decapitated head of an employee. The head rolls onto Homer's lap, and instead of noticing the dolphin, he gazes down to the head, and reproachfully says, "Heh. Anything to get outta work." That's hilarious.
I loved the Simpsons while growing up, and I'd like to watch it again, to see if it's really lost its magic, or is still charging onward.
