Review of Simpsons, The: Season Two

Introduction

When you review one of these big box sets, the first thing that you usually have to do is write episode synopses. Thankfully those nice PR people seem to have done it already for this set, so that leaves me free to add in a few details that are missing from those above, and get on with the review!

After the ups and downs of season one (some cracking episodes mixed with some dross), season two settles into the familiar pattern that the show has now had for the last 12 years. The regular supply of guest stars start to appear, and of course we are introduced to the "Treehouse of Horror" series, the Halloween specials. This in turn leads to Kang and Kodos (both named after Star Trek characters), who didn`t return for another 6 years (in Citizen Kang), but their appearance is always welcome. They are favourites of mine and they returned in 1998 with Starship Poopers.

The Simpsons was the show that the kids at school who had Sky all talked about, but it became more widely known in the UK upon the release of the songs (found elsewhere in the set). Simpson-mania started, as did the huge wave of merchandising which is still with is today.

Some episode comments and ratings:-

"Bart Gets An F"

The first show of the season to air, and off to a solid start. 8/10

"Simpson and Delilah"

A weaker episode. 7/10

"Treehouse of Horror"

The first appearance of Rigel IV, and the first in a long line of great Hallowe`en specials. Add to that James Earl Jones, and you have a winner. 9/10

"Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish"

A political edge, and worth watching to hear Burns` multitude of names for the voting public. 9/10

"Dancin` Homer"

Baseball is a recurring theme throughout the seasons, but this was its first appearance. Only an average episode though. 6/10

"Dead Putting Society"

In some ways this sets the tone for the Simpsons/Flanders relationship over the coming seasons, but there are some more unusual moments too. 8/10

"Bart vs. Thanksgiving"

A pretty weak episode. 5/10

"Bart the Daredevil"

A strong episode, and our first glimpse of the always-laughing Dr Julius Hibbert. 8/10

"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"

An episode that defines Marge for many years to come, with plenty of doses of that lovable cat and mouse duo. 8/10

"Bart Gets Hit by a Car"

One of the few times an episode name and number appear on screen. We meet Lionel Hutz (voiced by the late, great Phil Hartman) for the first time, and get a glimpse of his amazing legal skills and qualifications. We also meet Dr Nick Riviera (hi everybody!) who shows off his bedside manner. 9/10

"One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish"

Homer eats something other than pork chops, but soon wishes he hadn`t. Listen out for Larry King and George Takei in what is ultimately a weak episode. 5/10

"The Way We Was"

When the TV breaks (and it does that quite a lot in the Simpsons household), we get our first taste of a flashback episode, as well as a look at a McBain film. Weak overall though. 5/10

"Homer vs. Lisa and the Eighth Commandment"

"Free cable" causes tension in the household but builds to a good episode. 8/10

"Principal Charming"

Patty & Selma`s love life falls under the spotlight for the first time, and sets the tone for their doomed romances. 8/10

"Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

The writers set their stall out early, with an extension to the Simpson family, leaving them the option of a return visit later. 8/10

"Bart`s Dog Gets an F"

Tracey Ullman`s appearance fails to lift a dull episode. 5/10

"Old Money"

Grandpa hogs the spotlight for a while, but still a weak episode. 6/10

"Brush With Greatness"

Ringo Starr becomes the first Beatle to appear in the show, and a very funny episode. Highlight has to be Ringo saying "Gear!" 8/10

"Lisa`s Substitute"

Dustin Hoffman makes a guest appearance as Mr. Bergstrom, credited under an assumed name. Very funny. 9/10

"The War of the Simpsons"

Homer and Marge go through a rocky patch, but can Homer overcome his love of fishing and save their marriage. 8/10

"Three Men and a Comic Book"

The ever-amusing comic store owner puts in an appearance, as three boys struggle with the concept of joint ownership. 8/10

"Blood Feud"

Monty Burns and The Simpsons clash again, this time over a transfusion of Bart`s blood. Burns and Smithers add an extra amusing dimension to the show. 9/10

Video

A standard full-frame transfer, as you would expect for an 11-12 year old TV show. The presentation of the source material is very good, even if the source material itself isn`t up to today`s standards. It`s bright and colourful, there`s more detail than in the season one episodes, and it`s definitely an improvement.

Klasky-Csupo were still in charge of animation at this point (they were also the Duckman animators among other things), and there are still some glitches and rough edges. An improvement over season one though. The show moved animation duties to Film Roman in season four, and they have stayed there ever since.

Audio

You can listen to a nice DD5.1 remix of the original stereo soundtrack. Whilst it`s not earth-shattering, it`s very good given the source material. It`s also nice to see that they`ve made the effort to remix the sound, as although it`s slightly false and forced at times, it does sound good overall. Purists will probably long for the original soundtrack as broadcast, but I think that this remix is fine and certainly wouldn`t opt for a soundtrack with less audio channels!

You also get the 2 hit songs in DD2.0 surround, and these sound good. They are incredibly dated now though, and even if you`d never heard them before, you can instantly pinpoint the era from which they came.

Features

A nice little selection of extras.

We start with commentaries on each episode. Matt Groening appears on each one, and is joined by a variety of guests picked from producers, directors and writers. Where are the actors though? These commentaries are interesting enough, and cover technical material, as well as stories from production and discussions of the impact of the show. A nice way to watch some of the episodes that you`ve seen a million times before.

We also get 2 music videos of the biggest hits "Do The Bartman" (director`s cut) and "Deep Deep Trouble" (both with optional commentary). Some awards show segments can be found too - nice to see the "real life Bart" appearance, even though it should never have been suggested!

Along with TV commercials and foreign language clips, you can then watch some interviews with Groening & Brooks, and one with David Silverman who explains how an episode is put together, with clips of storyboards and animatics.

And finally there`s the massive gallery featuring stills, magazine covers and early drawings. All very interesting to fans.

Conclusion

A very strong season of the show, packed up in a very good DVD box set. It really is a must for fans, as it`s a very strong season overall, and introduces us to some of our favourite characters who are still around some 10 years later. These episodes were broadcast about 50 times in the 1st three months of the year 2002 on Sky, and some of them have also been running in the very week that I reviewed this set. It`s repeated so much because it`s very popular.

The thing with these episodes is that I have seen them loads of times, but there are still little things that you pick up on after all this time, like billboards in the background, or little signs at the emergency room that say "Cash only", or that the devil doesn`t use a command line interface on his computer. It might be for kids in some ways but there are also loads of film references that only adults will spot!

The picture is probably about as good as it could be, and the soundtrack is fine and dandy. Add to that a nice selection of extras (including commentaries for every episode), and you get a great set. The only annoying thing is the stupid menu that you get when each disc first loads.

A must for hardcore funs, and a good showcase of the show for the more casual viewer. Very highly recommended.