Season 8 of the Simpsons is out on DVD. This was really the liminal season; the cracks had begun to show as far back as Season 4, and after this, the show took a real downturn, from which it hasn’t recovered.
The series started out as a great family drama/sitcom, and its strength was in the interplay between the characters. After a few years, it started dredging its comedy from abstract situations and gimmicks, and the characters became cardboard cutouts going through the motions over and over again.
One of the most annoying devices was the use of unessential guest stars. John Glenn was utterly wasted, as have been several sports figures and celebrities, many of whom just happened to have been available and shoehorned in when a given episode was being scripted.
Early cameos like Dustin Hoffman (as Lisa’s substitute teacher) and Danny DeVito (as Homer’s lost brother Herb) brought real charisma to their episodes, but bringing in R.E.M. just to play in Homer’s garage last season…well, it feels cheap and rushed.
The Poochie episode is a good example. The Itchy and Scratchy show is losing ratings, so the creators bring in a new, “hip” character designed to appeal to a wide juvenile demographic. The episode makes cracks about shows “getting stale after eight years,” and there’s a non-sequitur involving a new character in the Simpsons household, who’s introduced abruptly and dissapears at the end. It seems that the writers were becoming somewhat aware that the show was in danger of running out of ideas.
Of course, Poochie is a bomb, and the character is killed off, much to the glee of the audience. But the statement is still there. After this, it’s back to normal, just as the viewers seem to want.
The show still has its moments, but they’re few and far between, and the characters feel tired. Homer’s gone from being the clueless-but-well-meaning father to being just a gluttonous jerk, the whole Bart-needs-professional-intervention thing has been run into the ground at this point, and the whole self-referential smarter-than-thou attitude is getting old. Some of the abstract situations and parodies are fun, but this just isn’t the same show it once was.
Season 8 shows this transition already largely underway, but the show’s still got some juice in it. Albert Brooks as the kindly evil supervillain Hank Scorpio is classic.
And the X-Files parody was just so over-the-top that is has to be seen.
The ending medly of “Good Morning Starshine” with Leonard Nimoy is a blast.
Still, I miss the character-driven scripts of the first three seasons. The show’s still funny, sure, but it’s just got no heart. Still, this is marvelously written and executed television. Other highlights include Sideshow Bob’s brother Cecil (this is still Kelsey Grammar’s best role. Ever), John Waters as Bart’s new gay friend and Johmmy Cash as Homer’s spirit guide. One of the show’s best musical numbers is the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas spoof in “Bart after Dark,” and of course, there’s the legendary Frank Grimes episode.