Review: The Simpsons “Frinkenstein’s Monster”

Overview

Professor Frink secretly helps Homer land a high-level position at a state-of-the-art nuclear plant; since Homer lacks the skills to actually perform the job, Frink comes to fear he’s created a monster.

Our Take

Have you ever watched a movie or a TV show in 2024 that was made in the ’80’s or ’90’s and thing, “this could be solved in ten seconds today”. Like Road Trip, a whole premise about a VCR tape being incorrectly sent to the wrong address leading to an actual road trip to ascertain the tape before it’s in the wrong hands. Nowadays you can simply reverse a delivery or even the notion that VCRs and video tapes no longer exist means the episode is moot.

I only bring this up because “Frinkenstein’s Monster” kicks off with a Zoom meeting interrupted by Homer which, if you know anything about Zoom, is actually impossible given that admins have the ability to control who comes into your room at any given time. But, let’s forget about the fact that Hollywood yet again is behind the 8-ball when it comes to understanding of tech, and instead enjoy a rather comical episode.

The premise is your typical, paint-by-numbers episode of The Simpsons where Homer takes on a job that he is underqualified for which ends up biting him in the ass by the end. Fortunately, the journey is a lot more fun than the beats, including numerous daydream gags, a depressed Lisa Simpson, and a hilarious guest-starring performance featuring Amanda Seyfried as Dr. Lori Spivak. With the show even pantomiming the fact that this isn’t the first-time that Homer has left the comforts of running a nuclear power plant’s safety measures, coupled with the notion that this isn’t the first-time we’ve seen an episode that visits Homer’s decadent past, there’s enough silliness to keep one occupied that starts right out of the gate with a seasonal couch gag. The Simpsons is back baby!…for one more week before it takes yet another in-season break.