Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

"Hi, I'm Troy McClure! You may remember me from such DVDs as 'McBain in Africa' and 'Herman's Head: The Complete Series.' I've been promised a gracious $50 check to write a brief hello to all you who are reading this quality review by someone who has spent the greater part of 2005 trying to figure out how many songs he can sing whilst imitating that guy from The Darkness. It's for a DVD set that holds a special place in my heart, and not just because I got married to relative of Homer Simpson or that I hosted my 97th clip show for a Fox TV show. It's THE SIMPSONS: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASONS, starring that wonderful family who have put the "'ello" in yellow. Once again, creator Matt Groening and the wonderful people at 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment have cleaned house in terms of providing another great season of Springfield-centered adventures to the living rooms of people who are most likely still living with their parents. I will gladly take my paycheck and leave you with the following words: Vote Bush in 2032."

Thank you, Mr. McClure. And now, without further ado, a run-down of the 25 episodes that make up the complete seventh season of the immortal comedy series.

Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part 2)
Episode #2F20, originally aired 9/17/95
Summary: In this thrilling conclusion to last season's cliffhanger, we learn that Wayland Smithers is the prime suspect in the attempted murder of megalomaniacal Montgomery Burns. But when Smithers proves himself innocent, Chief Wiggum can't figure out how to crack the case, at least not until he dreams of a solution: testing the DNA from Burns' suit. The evidence points to someone in the Simpson family, mainly Homer, who is briefly arrested but escapes to the hospital, where the citizens of Springfield learn from Mr. Burns himself just who was the mysterious gunman.
Choice quote: "When you were in that coma, did you feel your brain getting damaged?" - Dr. Nick to a hospitalized Mr. Burns
One-sentence criticism/rating: An amusing finale/season opener that pokes fun at Dallas and the O.J. Simpson controversy, with plenty of ancillary movie/TV references (Twin Peaks, Basic Instinct) and a fabulous Tito Puente musical number to boot. ****/****
Audio commentary: Creator Matt Groening, executive producer/show runner David Mirkin, writers/show runners Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein, director Wes Archer, and supervising director David Silverman.

Radioactive Man
Episode #2F17, originally aired 9/24/95
Summary: Bart and Milhouse hear that a live action movie based on Radioactive Man is being filmed in Springfield, with auditions for such roles as Crispy the Clown and Fallout Boy, Radioactive Man's sidekick. Bart auditions for Fallout Boy, but is turned down for being an inch too short, the role instead going to Milhouse, who learns that success is, indeed, a "hideous b*tch goddess." Mickey Rooney makes a guest appearance.
Choice quote: "My eyes! The goggles do nothing!" - Rainier Wolfcastle in a sea of acid.
One-sentence criticism/rating: The episode makes typical fun of the Hollywood vs. small town mentality, but Milhouse is an amusing non-child actor and a lot of the throwaway gags (particularly the Batman TV show reference) are hilarious enough to make this one worthy. ***½/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, David Mirkin, David Silverman, and director Susie Dietter.

Home Sweet Home-Dum-Diddly Doodly
Episode #3F01, originally aired 10/01/95
Summary: Homer and Marge go on a trip to the Mingled Waters Health Spa, leaving Grampa Simpson to babysit. At school, Lisa loses her prescription shoes to female bullies and Bart gets lice. Additional problems arise when the CPA show up at the Simpsons' house to find the house is a mess and Maggie is drinking from Santa's Little Helper's bowl. When Homer and Marge come home, they are shocked to learn they have enough violations to warrant placing their children in a foster home, and so off they go to the Flanders' household. To get their children back, the Simpson parents have to complete a "Family Skills" course, but Ned Flanders has in mind the notion of baptizing the Simpson's kids.
Choice quote: "What I wouldn't give to hear Lisa play another one of her jazzy tunes. [talks into her saxophone to the tune of Beethoven's fifth] Saxama-phone! Saxama-phone!" - Homer Simpson, showing off his jazzy skills.
One-sentence criticism/rating: An episode that relies on a character-driven plot in order to succeed, with believable vocal performances, superb writing/direction and the "perish-the-thought" notion that Lisa and Bart could go from Simpsons to Flanders. ***½/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Susie Dietter, and writer Jon Vitti.

Bart Sells His Soul
Episode #3F02, originally aired 10/08/95
Summary: After being busted for using "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" as a church hymn, Bart skeptically decides to sell Milhouse his soul for $5, or at least the words "Bart Simpson's Soul" on a piece of paper. But the decision comes back to haunt Bart, who can no longer revel in his usual mischievous deeds and is becoming less human without his soul, leading him on a quest to get it back from Milhouse. In the meantime, Moe decides to turn his tavern into a theme restaurant in order to increase profits, although his temper and tongue get the best of him in the end.
Choice quote: "If you like good food, good fun, and a whole lot of...crazy crap on the walls, then come on down to Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag" - Moe on TV.
One-sentence criticism/rating: An all-time favorite from start to finish, primarily because of the genuine emotional resonance, surprising moments of suspense and the hilarious sight of "Uncle Moe" with a steaming plate of fries on his head. ****/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Silverman, writer Greg Daniels, director Wesley Archer.

Lisa the Vegetarian
Episode #3F03, originally aired 10/15/95
Summary: The Simpsons head to an amusement park for infants, where Lisa bonds with a small lamb. When they get home, Homer decides to throw a BBQ after he feels left out of Flanders' family cookout. The main course: lamb chops, which expectedly disgusts Lisa to the point where she decides to go vegan. Lisa becomes angered by her family's decision to eat meat as well as the efforts of her elementary school to brainwash kids into being carnivores, and she ruins the family barbecue by stealing the rotisserie pig, which further alienates Lisa from her father. But with a little help from Apu and guest stars Paul & Linda McCartney, Lisa learns to tolerate her meat-eating family and makes amends with Homer.
Choice quote: "Oh boy...sleep! That's where I'm a viking!" - Ralph Wiggum.
One-sentence criticism/rating: The first of two really superb Lisa-centered episodes, this one manages to do a nice job of promoting the vegan lifestyle without all the shrill whistle-blowing, and did I mention that they finally got Paul McCartney to make a cameo! ****/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, David Mirkin, writer David S. Cohen, and director Mark Kirkland.

Treehouse of Horror VI
Episode #3F04, originally aired 10/29/95
Summary: A trilogy of scary stories. In "Attack of the 50 Ft. Eyesores," Homer steals a giant donut from the oversized Lard Lad Donuts mascot, triggering a freak storm that brings him and other advertising figures to life, causing destruction and panic in Springfield. In "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace," Groundskeeper Willy accidentally burns himself to death, but comes back to haunt the dreams of the children whose parents let him die. And in "Homer³," the title patriarch attempts to hide from Patty & Selma behind a bookcase, only to get trapped in another dimension where he becomes a 3-D version of himself.
Choice quote: “Holy macaroni!” - Homer.
One-sentence criticism/rating: Although I found the first of the tales to be somewhat limp, both the ingenious Freddy Krueger spoof and the pleasantly animated Poltergeist take off provided fine enough compensation. ***/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David S. Cohen (writer of "Homer³"), David Silverman, and episode director Bob Anderson.

King-Size Homer
Episode #3F05, originally aired 11/05/95
Summary: Mr. Burns installs an exercise program for his employees, but Homer learns that he can claim disability to get out of work and exercise. After gaining enough weight to push him over 300 lbs., Burns allows Homer the chance to work at home as a result of worker's compensation. Marge is gravely concerned with Homer's health and physical appearance, but Homer's dream of getting money for being fat and lazy is in jeopardy when his pervasive irresponsibility causes the plant's reactor to overheat, threatening a nuclear explosion only he and his fat a** must prevent.
Choice quote: "You'll want to focus on the neglected food groups such as the whipped group, the congealed group and the chocotastic!" - Dr. Nick's fatty food pyramid.
One-sentence criticism/rating: I hate to be tacky, but double the Homer truly means double the fun, especially when super-sized Homer is placed in a muumuu. ***½/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Silverman, writer Dan Greaney, and director Jim Reardon.

Mother Simpson
Episode #3F06, originally aired 11/19/95
Summary: Having learned nothing from his previous get-out-of-work scheme, Homer purposefully fakes his death in order to take the rest of his Saturday off. But Homer is forced to correct his records, and he finds out the grave he thought his mom was buried in is, in fact, Walt Whitman’s. An old lady approaches Homer, and she turns out to be Homer’s mother, in the flesh, having spent 27 years away from Homer after she foiled one of Mr. Burns’ evil schemes and was branded a criminal. Burns notices her at a post office, and gets the cops from Dragnet in an attempt to bust her.
Choice quote: “Put out an APB on a Uosdwis R. Dewoh. Uh, better start with Greektown.” - Chief Wiggum.
One-sentence criticism/rating: Witty and resonant, as well as gifted with Glenn Close as the voice of Mrs. Abe Simpson, this manages to be one of the season’s true gems in terms of both story and humor. ****/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, director David Silverman, and writer Richard Appel.

Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
Episode #3F08, originally aired 11/26/95
Summary: Sideshow Bob, fed up with TV shows after hearing Vanessa Redgrave on a bad Fox sitcom, breaks out of prison and steals a nuclear bomb from the Springfield air force base. At the Air Show, Bob threatens to blow up Springfield unless all of the TV stations in Springfield go off-the-air, and, naturally, everyone complies, except for Krusty, who appears on TV via a pirate satellite from a shack in the Alkali Flats. Bart and Lisa discover Krusty's whereabouts and tip off the police, but after the bomb is revealed to be a dud, Bob takes Bart and decides to go on a kamikaze mission to kill Krusty once and for all.
Choice quote: "We'll find that headcase faster than Garfield finds lasagna...Oh, sorry. My wife thought that was gangbusters." - Colonel Hapablap, played by guest performer R. Lee Ermey.
One-sentence criticism/rating: Sideshow Bob episodes tend to be fairly wacky, humorous and full of fairly amusing bits of satire, and this was no exception, with plenty of Dr. Strangelove nods and references to infamous TV ads/programs about the threat of nuclear war. ***½/****
Audio commentary: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein and director Dominic Pulcino.

The Simpsons' 138th Episode Spectacular
Episode #3F31, originally aired 12/03/95
Summary: Troy McClure hosts this retrospective episode in which he answers viewer mail, introduces clips from the original shorts that aired on Tracey Ullman’s show and also presents deleted scenes from some of the past episodes, including the alternate endings to “Who Shot Mr. Burns?”
Choice quote: “Yes, the Simpsons have come a long way since an old drunk made humans out of his rabbit characters to pay off his gambling debts. Who knows what adventures they'll have between now and the time the show becomes unprofitable?” - Troy McClure.
One-sentence criticism/rating: Self-deprecating yet celebratory, this clip show is more worthwhile than previous attempts mostly because the hilarious archival footage is rare and was (at one point in time) never-before-seen (a lot of the outtakes weren’t even seen on previous season packages!). ****/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Jon Vitti, and co-executive producer George Meyer.

Marge Be Not Proud
Episode #3F07, originally aired 12/17/95
Summary: "Bonestorm" is the latest video game craze hooking the kids of Springfield, but Bart just isn't able to play it himself. After the rental copies are gone and Milhouse gets greedy, Bart goes to the Try-N-Save, where he runs into Nelson and the gang, all of whom are shoplifting. Bart decides to steal a copy of "Bloodstorm," but is caught by security guard Brodka (Lawrence Tierney), who bans Bart from the store for life. Bart tries to cover it all up, but Marge decides that the Simpsons will go to the Try-N-Save to get their family portraits, and Bart confesses his crime after Brodka notices him, causing a rift in the relationship between mother and son.
Choice quote: "We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took you to all those 'Police Academy' movies? For fun? Well, I didn't hear anybody laughing! Did you?! Except at that guy who made sound effects." - Homer's words of discipline.
One-sentence criticism/rating: This is set around Christmas, but the episode displays plenty of nuances as well as a believable emotional center involving Marge and Bart, which almost entirely renders the comedy moot. ***/****
Audio commentary: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Silverman, writer Mike Scully, and Steven Dean Moore.

Team Homer
Episode #3F10, originally aired 01/07/96
Summary: Tired of being wannabe league bowlers, Homer, Otto, Moe and Apu form their own bowling team, the “Pin Pals,” covering the $500 reservation fee with the help of a high-from-ether Mr. Burns. Burns comes to his senses and discovers where the money went, although in the end, all he wants is a spot on the team, which means trouble for the on-a-roll Pin Pals. Bart causes trouble at school when he wears a “Down With Homework” T-shirt, causing Principal Skinner to enforce a dress code that once again ends in disaster for him when Superintendent Chalmers comes by the school.
Choice quote: "Oops, lost a nail. Well, that's leprosy for you!" - Monty Burns.
One-sentence criticism/rating: The main plot is a hoot, mainly because Burns is so deceptively fun a character to focus on, but the uniform subplot doesn't deliver as much savagery as there could have been (the late Doris Grau provides the high points, though). **½/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, David Mirkin, David Kirkland, and Mike Scully.

Two Bad Neighbors
Episode #3F09, originally aired 01/14/96
Summary: George Bush, Sr. and his wife Barbara move into the house across the street from the Simpsons, causing pangs of jealousy in Homer and a chance for Bart to become Dennis the Menace. But when Bart goes too far and destroys Bush’s complete memoirs, the ex-president spanks Bart as punishment. This doesn’t sit well with Homer, who launches an all-out practical joke war against Bush that eventually gets physical. It’s Simpson vs. Bush in a battle for neighborhood supremacy. This episode also marks the debut of Disco Stu.
Choice quote: "When I was a pup we got spanked by Presidents 'til the cows came home. Grover Cleveland spanked me on two nonconsecutive occasions." - Grampa.
One-sentence criticism/rating: Although it took quite a long time since the Bush couple first outed The Simpsons as a bad influence, they finally got what was coming to them, and the result is an episode of endless entertainment. ****/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Wes Archer, and writer Ken Keeler.

Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield
Episode #3F11, originally aired 02/04/96
Summary: Grampa breaks the Simpson family TV set, so they go to the Ogdenville Outlet Mall to pick up a cheap replacement. Marge looks through the fashion aisle to discover a beautiful Chanel outfit marked down from $2800 to $90. Lisa convinces her mom to buy it, and Marge's debonair new look attracts the attention of an old high school peer, Evelyn, who invites her and the rest of the family to the country club. Attracted to the posh yet vacuous lifestyle of high society, Marge does all she can to fit in, re-sewing her Chanel suit into various new dresses to better impress the debutantes, but Marge begins to take her family for granted out of the fear of them embarrassing her.
Choice quote: "But Marge, valets! Maybe for once, someone will call me "sir" without adding, 'You're making a scene.'" - Homer's plea to have the valets park the family car.
One-sentence criticism/rating: In keeping with episodes like "Mother Simpson" and "Marge Be Not Proud," this one relies mainly on the family dynamic and our emotional involvement, but not without a few choice gags, especially when Monty Burns shows up at the gas station in his magnificent quadricycle. ***/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, and Susie Dietter.

Bart the Fink
Episode #3F12, originally aired 02/11/96
Summary: The Simpson family inherit $100 apiece after spending the night at a haunted house. When Marge takes the kids to the bank so they can save their money, Bart decides to go with a checking account, mainly so he can get Krusty's autograph the simple way. When the statement comes back with a stamp for the Cayman Islands Off-Shore Holding Corporation, Bart goes to the bank to complain, and manages to get Krusty arrested on extreme charges of tax evasion. The IRS takes 95% of Krusty's pay for 40 years as compensation, and also auction off all of his belongings. Our depressed Klown drunkenly flies his private plane into a mountain and is declared dead, but Bart starts to see Krusty almost everywhere. Could Bart be traumatized or did Krusty fake his own death?
Choice quote: "A professional in a monkey suit is still a professional." - Marge Simpson.
One-sentence criticism/rating: This is perhaps the most mediocre episode of the entire season, feeling too much like a "been there, done that" with only a handful of decent laughs (the opening moments were the most inspired) and a rather wasted appearance by Bob Newhart. **/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Silverman, David S. Cohen, and Jim Reardon.

Lisa the Iconoclast
Episode #3F13, originally aired 02/18/96
Summary: As Springfield's bicentennial parade approaches, Homer is stoked with the chance to play the town crier in a stage reenactment of the Jebediah Springfield legend, while Lisa is assigned to write a report on the hero. Visiting the local museum, though, she stumbles onto a fife containing a confessional letter by Jebediah proclaiming he is, in fact, a former pirate who didn't even perform any heroic feats. When the whole town refuses to believe her, Homer takes a chance and helps Lisa out, even if it means jeopardizing his bell and hat.
Choice quote: "Get out! You're banned from this Historical Society. You, and your children, and your children's children!.......for three months." - Hollis Hurlbut, the museum curator voiced by the great Donald Sutherland.
One-sentence criticism/rating: The second of the two Lisa-centered episodes, this one makes her character out to be less uptight and surprisingly able to accept things on faith, although the rather maudlin revelation of the finale is salvaged by plenty of cheeky moments including Homer's Olde English vocabulary and a hilarious Troy McClure vehicle about...Jebediah Springfield. ****/****
Audio commentary: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Silverman, writer Jonathan Collier, director Mike B. Anderson, and actor Yeardley Smith.

Homer the Smithers
Episode #3F14, originally aired 02/25/96
Summary: Smithers is ashamed of a small incident at a race track where he failed to protect Mr. Burns from a drunken Lenny, and desperately tries to make up for it. Burns suggests Smithers take a vacation, and Smithers decides to get the most incompetent person to take over his position: Homer Simpson. But Homer is too incompetent, and his lack of sleep over caring for his boss causes him to angrily punch Mr. Burns when his taunts go too far. This causes Mr. Burns to act independently, thus his decision to fire Smithers permanently when he gets back from vacation. Homer decides to help Smithers get his old job back, but is Homer really that clever?
Choice quote: "Your new duties will include: answering Mr. Burns' phone, preparing his tax return, moistening his eyeballs, assisting with his chewing and swallowing, lying to Congress, and some light typing." - Smithers fills Homer in on looking after Mr. Burns.
One-sentence criticism/rating: Devoid of any subplots, this episode manages to focus wholly on the three principal characters involved, and all of them are equally funny and fascinating. ***½/****
Audio commentary: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein and Steven Dean Moore.

The Day the Violence Died
Episode #3F16, originally aired 03/17/96
Summary: A parade honoring Itchy & Scratchy takes a detour into Bumtown, where a poor man named Chester J. Lampwick (Kirk Douglas) tells Bart that it was he who came up with Itchy way before Roger Myers, Sr. did. Bart watches Chester's old cartoon short with a character obviously resembling Itchy, and is convinced, despite the unfortunate accident that results in the film being burnt in the projector. This proves especially bad when Bart and Chester decide to sue Roger Myers, Jr. for royalties, although the money of Bart's parents does manage to help assure Lampwick a very prosperous victory, as well as cause the studio that produces the Itchy & Scratchy cartoons to go bankrupt and out of business. Can Bart and Lisa bring back their animated heroes?
Choice quote: "Animation is built on plagiarism! If it weren't for someone plagiarizing the Honeymooners, we wouldn't have the Flintstones. If someone hadn't ripped off Sgt. Bilko, they'd be no Top Cat. Huckleberry Hound, Chief Wiggum, Yogi Bear? Hah! Andy Griffith, Edward G. Robinson, Art Carney." - Roger Myers, Jr.
One-sentence criticism/rating: This episode boasts one of the most hilarious postscripts I have ever seen in an episode of The Simpsons, as well as countless other classic gags (such as a Blaxploitation-era Itchy & Scratchy short and a musical number that deftly alludes to one of the most memorable Schoolhouse Rock ditties), dozens of quotable lines and one of the more memorable appearances of Phil Hartman's Lionel Hutz. ****/****
Audio commentary: Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein.

A Fish Called Selma
Episode #3F15, originally aired 03/24/96
Summary: Troy McClure is busted by Chief Wiggum for reckless driving due to not wearing glasses. However, he gets a break when he charms Selma into giving him a pass on the vision test, and Selma is amazed to learn he wants to take her out to dinner as a gift. However, having a new girlfriend is just the type of "shot in the arm" a floundering celebrity like Troy needs to get back his clout, and their whole relationship turns into one big photo op, culminating in a failed marriage when Selma refuses to go along for the ride after she listens to her heart.
Choice quote: "Guess what I snagged Marge, the candy bride and groome from the wedding cake...(swallows, almost chokes) mmm...pointy." - Homer.
One-sentence criticism/rating: This is a rather rewarding episode in that it provides a chance to better understand both the characters of Troy McClure and Selma, who are played with aplomb by Phil Hartman and Julie Kavner, respecively, and even manages an outstanding guest appearance by Jeff Goldblum as Troy's agent. ***½/****
Audio commentary: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Silverman, and...dum-dum-dum...Jeff Goldblum!

Bart on the Road
Episode #3F17, originally aired 03/31/96
Summary: hen Skinner decides to have the students of Springfield Elementary visit their parents' jobs during Spring Break, Lisa goes to the power plant to catch Homer in action and Bart is stuck with Patty & Selma at the DMV. But all is not dull: Bart manages to create a fake driver's license and invites Milhouse and Nelson on a fun spree that goes nowhere. The threesome run into Martin, who made $600 on the stock market, and Bart decides to have Martin invest in a rental car. The four boys go on a secret road trip to the World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, stopping off in Branson, Missouri along the way so Nelson can see Andy Williams in concert. But the boys soon discover their trip was in vain, and when Nelson accidentally wrecks the car, they face being stranded.
Choice quote: "Wow! I didn't think he was gonna do 'Moon River,' but BAM! Second encore!" - Nelson's ecstasy with the music Andy Williams.
One-sentence criticism/rating: One of the more traditionally amusing episodes I found in this season, but amusing nonetheless, especially when we see the grade-school buddies on the road (although the chance at referencing Stand By Me was sadly avoided...it would've worked!). ***/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Silverman, and Richard Appel.

22 Short Films About Springfield
Episode #3F18, originally aired 04/14/96
Summary: While spitting on cars from the overpass, Bart and Milhouse ponder what goes on in Springfield, and we are treated to a series of short stories featuring the many residents of Springfield, some of them with their own titles and theme music. See Apu take a 5-minute break from the Kwik-E-Mart to go to a party! Prepare for non-stop laughter as Principal Skinner tries to suck up to Superintendent Chalmers! Watch the chaos that unfolds as Lisa tries to get gum out of her hair! Thrill as Chief Wiggum and Snake are held hostage by Herman Pulp Fiction-style! All this, plus Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel and the ultimate humiliation of Nelson Muntz.
Choice quote: “Hey, y'know what, I could call my ma while I'm up here. Hey ma! Get of the dang roof!” - Cletus, reaching out to touch someone.
One-sentence criticism/rating: A plot-free yet sidesplitting series of comic vignettes that mostly provide the chance for some comic riffs on Tarantino as well as the chance to revisit some colorful supporting characters who don't often fit comfortably into normal episodes. ****/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Silverman, Jim Reardon, David S. Cohen, Yeardley Smith, Richard Appel, writer Rachel Pulido, and infant James Oakley.

Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying
Hellfish"
Episode #3F19, originally aired 04/28/96
Summary: Bart Simpson tries to take pride in bringing his grandfather Abe to school, but his incessant non-sensical storytelling only embarrasses Bart. But there is one tall tale that turns out to be true: the legend of the Hellfish bonanza. During the "second World War II," Private Montgomery Burns made a gentleman's wager with Sgt. Simpson and his squadron wherein the last remaining survivor in the Flying Hellfish battalion will lay claim to a fortune’s worth of art. The only survivors left are Simpson and Burns, and the latter devil has decided to bring in an assassin to secure his possession of the treasure. After his grandson is convinced, Abe invites Bart on an old-fashioned treasure hunt.
Choice quote: After Grampa explains the Hellfish backstory, Bart offers a bit of advice: "Great story, Grandpa. Could've used a vampire, though."
One-sentence criticism/rating: A rare excursion into action/adventure territory for the series, but a gamble that pays off well seeing as how it follows the fiesty Grampa, trouble-seeking Bart and the always malevolent Montogomery Burns, with a hilarious flashback sequence and the priceless sight of Mr. Burns in a Marge costume. ****/****
Audio commentary: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Silverman, Jonathan Collier, and director Jeffrey Lynch.

Much Apu About Nothing
Episode #3F20, originally aired 05/05/96
Summary: After a bear is sighted on Evergreen Terrace, Homer leads an angry mob towards the mayor's office to demand action. But the Bear Patrol organization is a sham and the citizens of Springfield have to foot the bill. The mayor proposes ridding illegal immigrants in Proposition 24 to satisfy the townspeople's anger, which means bad news for people like Groundskeeper Willy, Dr. Nick and Apu, who desperately tries to resist deportation, turning to Fat Tony (good ol' Joe Mantegna) for fake documents and, eventually, to the Simpson family, who help him in studying for a citizenship test.
Choice quote: "We're here, we're queer, and we don't want any more bears!" - Homer's angry mob chant.
One-sentence criticism/rating: Never has xenophobia been as hilarious than in this sharp Simpsons episode that takes political and social pot shots that still resonate today, with the added bonus of Hank Azaria's sublime portrait of Apu, who adopts an American accent that has to be heard to be believed. ****/****
Audio commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David S. Cohen, Susie Dietter.

Homerpalooza
Episode #3F21, originally aired 05/19/96
Summary: Otto crashes the school bus, leaving Homer to drive Lisa, Bart and other neighborhood kids to school, where he tries to introduce the kids to his favorite classic rock bands of yore. But the kids aren't impressed, and brand him tragically un-hip, which causes Homer to try to prove his coolness by buying him and the kids tickets to Hullabalooza, where Homer only makes a greater fool of himself. Or so that is, until Peter Frampton's inflatable pig shoots out of a cannon and hits Homer in the gut, which suddenly makes him popular. Homer goes on tour and the hits just keep on coming, which turns troubling when a doctor claims that the next cannon he takes to his stomach might kill him. Among the musical talents guest starring are The Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth and Cypress Hill.
Choice quote: "God! Homer Simpson wrecks my pig, Cypress Hill steals my orchestra, and Sonic Youth's in my cooler! Get out of there, you kids!" - Peter Frampton's classic line, one of the most unjustly syndication-approved cuts when viewed on TV.
One-sentence criticism/rating: With three of the best alternative bands at that moment as well as a veteran gifted with a sense of humor, "Homerpalooza" manages to sharply mock the music scenes of both Generation X-ers and hippies, as well as provide a relatively-underlooked Prince reference and some more dysfunctional family dynamics. ****/****
Audio commentary: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Ken Keeler, Wes Archer, and writer Brent Forrester.

Summer of 4'2"
Episode #3F22, originally aired 05/19/96
Summary: It's summer vacation time, and Lisa remains the most unpopular girl at Springfield Elementary, getting absolutely no one to sign her yearbook. Flanders offers Homer the chance to spend a few days at his beach house, Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport, due to Flanders having to report for jury duty, and Homer accepts them on the basis that Flanders fix his septic tank. Bart invites Milhouse to join, but Lisa remains alone, packing very little in the hopes that she can become a different person. Under a boardwalk, Lisa encounters four friends (including one voiced by Christina Ricci) who don't mind having her as a fifth pal, which stirs jealousy in Bart, especially after when they reject him and when Lisa starts to talk like Bart. Bart tries to sabotage Lisa by showing her new friends the geeky Lisa who was in the yearbook, but a heartbroken Lisa learns that their friendship remains unchanged in the end.
Choice quote: "Sweet merciful crap! My car!" - Homer.
One-sentence criticism/rating: With the title alone referencing Summer of '42 and a couple of nods to American Graffiti along the way, the season ends with this coming-of-age story that begins rather implausibly, but becomes more engrossing as the plot carries on, with subtle jokes and effective characterization. The final episode's rating is ***½/****.
Audio commentary: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Silverman, Dan Greaney, Yeardley Smith.

It's safe to expect the picture quality of the series to get better with progressive seasons, although the 1.33:1 presentation of the 25 episodes featured aren't without their flaws. Sharpness wasn't as pristine as I hoped, with some blurry or faded detail from time to time, although the look of the episodes were clean for the majority. There's some edge enhancement and shimmering that also periodically crop up, but the clean-up errors that result in specks and nicks have gotten less abundant than on previous season sets. The colors have tightened up the most with the series' headway as documented on DVD, with sharp and colorful images boasting fine detail on everything from the yellow flesh tones to the blackness levels and shadows. The episodes have been furnished with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks that typically make use of the frontal surrounds with panache but only relatively create any real waves with the back surround speakers, although it could be said that the way the show sounds has also been improved with every season package. Dialogue sounds a lot more natural and clean, with music and effects to provide some exuberance. There are optional English, Spanish and French subtitles, as well as DD 2.0 dub jobs in the latter two tongues.

Fans of these boxed sets will enjoy another bunch of extras, starting off on the first disc with the perfunctory two-minute Introduction from Matt Groening, where the series creator outlines the package and its contents against a montage of episode clips. But Groening, as always, saves up his best observations for the audio commentaries he appears on.

Instead of covering each commentary as I have been wont to do, I'll just speak collectively concerning the 25 audio tracks I listened to over the course of four DVDs, because these tracks tend to be alike in spirit and execution over the course of 27 released Simpsons season discs, including these four. The commentaries dutifully point out story inspirations, references, animation notes and the inevitable praise for the voice actors and crew members (including writer John Schwartzwelder, who resists audio commentaries), although some stories tend to be more interesting than others. "Bart Sells His Soul" is related to Greg Daniels' real life high school experience with love and religion, whilst writer Mike Scully was a one-time shoplifter who got away with it, not unlike the young hero in "Marge Be Not Proud." We get some dirt on the late Larry Tierney in that commentary, and David Mirkin fondly gushes over the experience of working with the Mac in the "Lisa the Vegetarian" episode.

Though the commentaries are all worth the time and effort, I must admit that I really enjoyed hearing Mr. Mirkin's thoughts and observations throughout the last season. He unfortunately was show runner for a limited number of episodes in the seventh season, which means that only Matt Groening sounds the least bit animated during the various audio tracks. Still, if I had to select my three favorite commentaries for posterity, I'd have to go with "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)," which details the infamous contest snafu as well as the shift in show runners, "Two Bad Neighbors," which explores the generation gap in terms of perceiving the humor of the concept (and contains a fine anecdote from Wes Archer), and "A Fish Called Selma," which is the first Simpsons commentary track to feature a major guest star sitting in, which is definitely worth it if said star is Jeff Goldblum.

Excepting several episodes ("Radioactive Man," "Home Sweet Home...," "...Last Gleaming," "...138th Episode Spectacular," "Marge Be Not Proud," "Raging Abe...," and "Homerpalooza"), there is a batch of deleted scenes to discover as a continuous reel on the fourth disc (which totals at 19 minutes), or as accessed via icon during the respective episodes. The fourth disc allows you to see where the deleted scene fits in the episode via tweaking of colors (black-and-white footage from the actual episode precedes the colorized outtake) as well as view the deleted scene with optional commentary by the show runners, which means that the majority of the clips are talked over by Weinstein & Oakley (who also provide a brief introduction before the scenes play), with Mirkin chiming in early to comment on the deleted scenes from the episodes "Mother Simpson," "Who Shot Mr. Burns (Part 2)," "Lisa the Vegetarian," and "Team Homer." The commentary provides a decent amount of detail on the actual scenes and why they got trimmed, although the opening Oakley/Weinstein intro sums it all up: the episodes got too long, and thus editing had to be made, although some of the junkier outtakes have been left off the set.

A lot of the featured material are small extensions to gags and throwaway dialogue, including a whole "Mother Simpson" outtake that got reprised in the "138th Episode Spectacular." My personal favorite outtakes include a small bit added to "King-Sized Homer," Superintendent Chalmers shouting a curse on Armani in "Team Homer," a lousy stag party at Moe's in "A Fish Called Selma," theme music for Apu "The Jolly Bengali" in "22 Short Films About Springfield," and a Rainier Wolfcastle TV spot in "Much Apu About Nothing."

Another type of bonus feature that is no stranger to this package are the animation showcases, which can be found on the first and fourth discs for the episodes "Home Sweet Home..." and "Raging Abe..." You can use your "angle" button to access either storyboards or animatics for the segment featured, with the finished animation/final cut in a small box on the lower right corner. A Bit from the Animators presents audio/illustrated commentary from Matt Groening, Wes Archer and Mark Kirkland for segments from the episodes "The Day the Violence Died" and "Summer of 4'2"" (discs 3 and 4, respectively). Although lightweight, they are about as humorous as they are informative, dwelling about as much on the process of directing animation as well as all the continuity mistakes that sometimes slip through the cracks. "Violence" runs 15:07 whereas "Summer" lasts 10:02.

I have also seen the Special Language Feature on previous DVDs, and it is trotted out here. For the disc four episode "22 Short Films About Springfield," you can listen to dubs not just in Spanish and French, but also in Japanese, Italian, German, and Brazilian Portuguese. This is only for the curious, but I'm pretty sure many will be stoked to sing both the "Skinner and the Superintendent" and "Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel" themes in a whole other language (I'm going for the Italian translations). Disc four also boasts 10 slides of original sketches for assorted props and characters, including Monty Burns, Rastafarian Homer, the silver tongue of Jebediah Springfield and one of the Itchy floats seen in "The Day the Violence Died."

Disc one presents a couple nice little bonuses related to specific episodes, and they round out this package. Homer in the Third Dimension (6:12) contains clips and behind-the-scenes material from the "Homer³" segment of "Treehouse of Horror VI," with running commentary from Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Mirkin, David S. Cohen, David Silverman, and CG animation supervisor Tim Johnson. This one reveals the models and techniques used to make three-dimensional Homer and Bart Simpson incarnations, from the use of storyboards to the acquisition of vinyl dolls for reference. Paul & Linda's Lentil Soup is a 41 second recitation of the recipe for lentil soup as spoken by Paul McCartney himself (this was played backwards during the closing credits of "Lisa the Vegetarian").

The menus are animated as always, with each of the main menus presenting various Springfield residents as big stars attending the premiere of their own DVD package, with all sorts of chaos going on in the span of 15 seconds. The package also contains the always helpful booklet, with episode photos, synopses, and details on the bonus material contained with each episode. Matt Groening writes us another text-based introduction, which are always funnier than the spoken intros on all of the disc ones (this particular one is meant to emulate an English paper), and also we get a few assorted animated surprises, including an advertisement for "Moe's Method Acting Academy."

The package itself is the trickiest topic concerning the DVD set. When The Complete Sixth Season package came out, the discs were presented inside a miniature plastic replica of Homer's head that left many fans saying "D'oh!" to themselves. Fox provided a voucher that allowed those dissatisfied with this design to receive the traditional cardboard fold-out digipak layout that graced all the previous sets before. Thankfully, those people on both sides can now be satisfied because there is now the option of either picking up the limited edition character replica-cased version (this time around shaped like Marge) or the old-fashioned version (with some alternate animation).

Looking back at the episode run-downs, I discover that I gave 12 of the 25 episodes the highest recommendations and only a few episodes with either two or two-and-a-half stars. The seventh season as a whole manages to impress with a string of classic episodes, including the first great clip show (can't wait for the "All Singing, All Dancing" episode) as well as the superb finale to a delicious murder mystery that no one saw coming. Even the most mediocre episodes I have seen of this series are better than most comedies at their best, which has to mean something about this particular era of The Simpsons. With fine a/v content, the usual batch of enlightening and witty yak-traks, plenty of deleted scenes and animation showcases, and a couple of average featurettes, THE SIMPSONS: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON is wealth on par with the Hellfish cache. In the words of Radioactive Man, "Up and atom!"

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12

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