Review: The Simpsons “The Cad and the Hat”

How does Patton Oswalt fare?

Spoilers Below, So Watch the Episode First If You Don’t Want to Feel Guilty

It is not often that the crew behind The Simpsons tries to impress us with some spiffy new character design, but maybe they should try it more often because the manifestation of Bart’s guilt truly does not feel like something this show has already done to death. A sort of goblin version of Bart, Guilt is a bit of a trip into the Uncanny Valley. As it grows alongside the boy’s lack of remorse, it is genuinely unsettling. Topping it all off is the voice work of Patton Oswalt, who adds rascally edge that makes him unusually and fascinatingly weird.

Bart’s Guilt has appeared because of the latest tiff between him and Lisa. While spending the day at the beach, they both attempt to come home with a keepsake, but Bart’s temporary tattoo washes away almost immediately. Lisa’s hat is much more durable, but it is vulnerable to funny business while within the clutches of our mischievous lil’ stinker. He tosses it into a trash heap, and thus the wheels are set in motion for a particularly fantastical fable.

The guilt monster talks about himself as though Bart’s sins summon him always. Yet over 600 episodes have hardly established that to be the case. Also straining credulity? Rod and Todd’s telekinesis, which Bart utilizes to clear out the hat from a crushed car at the junkyard. The Simpsons has always stretched the bounds of its own reality, in both good years and bad, but there have been limits. And sudden superpowers is one example of a bridge too far, though I am amused by the boys’ explanation to their father that Jesus is performing miracles “through” them.

One other bone of contention: why is this episode presented as a documentary? There hardly seems to be any point, other than that some writer was dying to have an easily tangible framing device. In terms of mechanics, this is a rather wonky storyline, but I like the ideas. And I like the animation, which is strange in a way that this show has hardly ever been since its days of HD began. Plus, I am not inclined to complain when an episode ends with Bart and Lisa hugging it out.

Also discovered at the beach: Homer’s preternatural knack for chess. It can be a fun change of pace to see the big galoot actually capable of something, and that proves to be the case here. But this is a rather inconsequential storyline, despite the presence of Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen (Carl’s cousin) as himself. It turns out that Homer’s skills are tied to his subconscious desire to have a better relationship with his dad, which sounds a lot like last week’s episode. (There’s even an offhand reference to Mona!) It’s kind of half-baked here. That tends to happen when two fully capably independent plots are crammed together. Oh well, at leas this show remains reliable with its wordplay (see, for example, ordering “five of everything” at Krusty Burger).

Memorable Lines and Random Jazz:

-“Mmm. Nerdburger.”

-“Er, uh, it’s not cleaner. We just lowered our safety standards.”

-How adorable: Homer’s navel makes the same sucking noise as Maggie when nursing a pacifier.

-“Checkmate! It’s the only mate I haven’t buried.”

-I always love to discover some new bit of information about Marge, like how she makes little sweeping noises while sweeping.

-“Homer, we’re just saying you got a special skill, like a smokin’ monkey, or a urinal cake with an ad on it.”