Introduction

One thing that’s worth learning about “The Simpsons” is that it possesses a highly malleable quality, and tends to coalesce into whatever form its current showrunner desires. After David Mirkin pushed the series in favour of satire and lighthearted gags during seasons five and six, the appointment of Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein as executive producers in season seven led to it becoming much more plot and character focused. This was definitely a good move, but the different direction ironically introduced many new problems in place of the ones it was remedying. As a result, season seven alternates between producing some of the finest and some of the most embarrassing editions of the show, but with enough general consistency to make it worth viewing as a whole.

Episode List
(Highlights in bold, lowlights in italics)

1) Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two); 2) Radioactive Man; 3) Home Sweet Homediddily-Dum-Doodily; 4) Bart Sells His Soul; 5) Lisa The Vegetarian; 6) Treehouse of Horror VI; 7) King Size Homer; 8) Mother Simpson; 9) Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming; 10) The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular; 11) Marge Be Not Proud; 12) Team Homer; 13) Two Bad Neighbors; 14) Scenes From The Class Struggle In Springfield; 15) Bart The Fink; 16) Lisa The Iconoclast; 17) Homer The Smithers; 18) The Day The Violence Died; 19) A Fish Called Selma; 20) Bart On The Road; 21) 22 Short Films About Springfield; 22) Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson In: “The Curse of the Flying Hellfish” 23) Much Apu About Nothing; 24) Homerpalooza; 25) Summer of 4 Ft 2

Brief Discussion

The most notable issue with season seven as part of the Simpson canon is that the show’s writers were clearly nowhere near managing the intricate balance of humour and plot they once provided so flawlessly. If the 1993-1995 Mirkin era was the time of zaniness and wacky movie parodies, Oakley and Weinstein introduced a period of well-meaning blandness. Although I stand by my assessment that the good episodes in season seven are great, the bulk of it has a disconcerting laissez-faire veneer – it’s best described as “nice” and “pleasant” and “okay”, and all of those meaningless platitudes you use when something doesn’t stir you one way or the other. As a result, you really need to pick and choose what to enjoy, and I’d imagine that different tastes would view different episodes as highlights and lowlights. My bolded and italicized entries represent my preference for character exploration and development, but fans of parody or meta-references will find strengths and weaknesses elsewhere. In fact, you could probably sit five people down in front of one episode and receive the full gamut of positive and negative responses here, which at least adds variability. I do nostalgically think back to the time when anyone could enjoy any Simpsons episode, but what’s present is reasonable enough, if a sad preface to the series’ fast-approaching demise.

Detailed Discussion

Taken as a whole, the most frustrating thing about a large portion of season seven is its unfulfilled potential. For example, if the episode “Scenes From The Class Struggle In Springfield” had been done right, it could have been one of the best Marge development pieces of the series. Its plot is workable, with Marge purchasing a massively discounted Chanel suit and being invited to Springfield’s elite country club when she bumps into an old acquaintance while wearing it. The thing is, the episode can’t decide whether it wants to be a character showcase or an anti-wealth satire, and wrecks itself by trying to be both. Its jabs at the rich are so unrelenting that we’re never given a single reason why the sweet-mannered Marge would want to spend any time with such horrible people, and her focus on acceptance at the exclusion of her family makes her come across as petty and shallow rather than in the midst of a personal crisis. Even worse, her climactic change of heart at the end just comes across as forced, with an unearned conclusion that doesn’t resolve any of the underlying character issues. “Marge Be Not Proud” is very similar, with an acceptable first two acts falling apart in the third. Its story about Bart being caught shoplifting allows for some interesting reactions from Homer and Marge, but a few minutes from the end the characters snap back to their previous states, hinting that the series’ requirement that every episode have a full resolution was starting to become one of its crushing millstones.

As problematic as those episodes are, at least some thought was put into them. “A Fish Called Selma” has a couple of humorous lines and a refreshing change of focus, but its Hollywood satire is lazy, with a central plot (one of Marge’s sisters having an inappropriate suitor) that had been done twice before. “Radioactive Man” has similarly bad jabs at showbiz, and squanders any potential it may have had by focusing on Bart’s friend Milhouse, whom it’s almost impossible to care for. Meanwhile, “Team Homer” is a less-inspired cousin of season three’s “Homer At The Bat”, while the paint-by-numbers “Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming” drags out everyone’s favourite psychopath for his least interesting outing yet. Other editions like “Lisa The Iconoclast” and “Bart The Fink” try and provide development for the town of Springfield and Krusty the Klown respectively, but don’t maintain my attention either way. In contrast, “Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson In: ‘The Curse of the Flying Hellfish’” certainly obtains it, but that’s only because it clearly had more effort spent on its title than the actual script, with major inconsistencies and a pointlessly outrageous story that’s blatantly tacked onto the characters rather than developing naturally from them. Then there’s “King Size Homer”, which takes a moderately funny concept (Homer deliberately gains weight to qualify for disability allowance), drags it out over a whole episode, and concludes with a ridiculously over-baked final act that trades humour for pointless zaniness.

Still, none of those episodes are completely rotten. Unfortunately, “Two Bad Neighbors” most certainly is, being some of the lousiest sludge to ever bear the Simpson name (sad thing is, the show will go on to sink even lower). The plot for the episode was seemingly created in about one minute, with George and Barbara Bush moving in opposite the Simpson family, Homer and Bart being written at their two-dimensional worst, and a complete absence of any kind of intelligent humour or satire. “Homer The Smithers” is offensive in a different way, with long-time writer John Swartzwelder inexplicably forgetting power plant boss Mr Burns’ personality and rendering him a simpering idiot. The episode collapses because its humour is mostly based upon a pod-person version of Burns, with liberal doses of Homer being stupid and irritating thrown in for extra ‘throw things at the television’ factor.

As many problems as there are in season seven, the good episodes are very, very good. The year gets off to a promising start with an entertaining conclusion to the “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” cliffhanger, while “Home Sweet Homediddily-Dum-Doodily” is one of the best Simpsons episodes of the mid-1990s period, with the family actually written in-character (gasp!) and some good emotion as Bart, Lisa and Maggie are taken away by childcare authorities, only to be fostered by the do-gooder Flanders family. “Bart Sells His Soul” is another strong effort, with a much more philosophical and focused plot that exhibits some interesting theological implications; while “Much Apu About Nothing” has some pointed discussion of attitudes to immigration once you get past its non-sequitur opening scenes.

The ‘best of season’ award is split between two episodes for me, the candidates being “Mother Simpson” and “Summer of 4 Ft 2”. Both are excellent character development pieces with a good mixture of humour and emotion; the former featuring a compelling guest voice from Glenn Close as Homer’s long-thought-dead mother re-enters his life. Although it doesn’t feature as many laughs as is typical for “The Simpsons”, it’s surprisingly thoughtful, with a charmingly open-ended conclusion and lovely connections made between the personality of Grandma Simpson and those of her grandchildren. “Summer of 4 Ft 2” is just as good, presenting Lisa at her most likeable and sympathetic as she makes (and almost loses) her first proper friends while on vacation in a small beach town. It’s a heart-warming yet saccharine-free story, and is a much-needed counterpoint to the irritating political rant “Lisa the Vegetarian”, which portrays her as a particularly obnoxious activist incapable of considering anyone else’s feelings. Suffice to say that I agree with (most of) Lisa’s ideologies but still wanted to throw her through a window, so I can only imagine how someone in direct opposition to her beliefs would feel.

Overall, I’ve seen season seven voted one of the best years of “The Simpsons” on numerous occasions, but it strikes me as a little too slap-dash, paying superficial homage to the early period of the show without demonstrating a real understanding of what actually made it great; as such, it’s the ultimate ‘mileage varies’ season of the series. I’d say that there’s enough here in terms of episodes and extras to make the box set a worthwhile purchase, but I honestly can’t imagine myself watching it repeatedly like the earlier years – make of that what you will.

DVD Extras

In keeping with the high quality of previous Simpson DVD releases, season seven is presented across four discs with a wealth of additional features. Available in both a plastic ‘Marge head’ style and a far classier purple box, the packaging has a cinematic theme. The DVD menus feature characters representative of the episodes outside a movie premiere, and it’s usually worth watching the animations a few times to catch some cute jokes. Episodes can be played individually or all at once, and with or without commentaries and deleted scenes included. As is standard for this series, the extras are all of high quality, and provide a strong incentive for dedicated fans to pick the set up.

Conclusions

Altogether, season seven effectively defines the term ‘mediocrity’ for me, with a few episodes I hate, a bunch I really enjoy, but mostly ones that don’t strike me as being particularly good or bad. Only the loathsome “Two Bad Neighbors” is a struggle to sit through, but at this point in my ongoing Simpsons watch-and-review marathon, I’ve been having to force myself to watch the show for the first time – and that’s certainly not a good sign. However, what’s present here is perfectly viewable, and whether it’s gold or garbage is at the whim of the individual viewer. Hardcore fans will love it, but more casual viewers might want to shop around for a lower price before committing to a purchase. Still, it’s worth investigating if you get the chance, and a reasonable last hurrah for the show’s classic period. Pick it up – the writers really lost the plot after this one!

***
"The Simpsons" on DVD:
Season One; Season Two; Season Three; Season Four; Season Five; Season Six; Season Seven; Season Eight; Season Nine; Season Ten

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older