Review: The Simpsons “Thrifty Ways to Thieve Your Mother”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Lisa discovers Marge’s vintage clothes from the 90s and is welcomed into the school’s elite fashion club.  But, to feed their hunger for retro looks, the thrifters break the law, becoming a fashionista bling ring.  Meanwhile, Homer gets addicted to a Reacher-type Dad TV show with lots of punching.

Our Take:

Following my long-awaited return to Futurama, I now return to Matt Groening’s magnum opus with its thirty-seventh season, the first of the four ordered seasons.  With every passing season, I start to grow a bit older than usual.  Fortunately, my appreciation for the series’s incredibly long streak and episodes remains intact.  So, how does this iconic sitcom kick off its latest season?  Why, in a fashionable way, of course, as Lisa gets a taste of the 90s with Marge’s old clothes while exploring the attic for a popular 90s teenage series.  Lisa immediately becomes accepted into the fashion club led by Devin (Cole Escola) and Vidalia (Stephanie Hsu).  However, her vintage life transformed into a crime spree upon discovering the true intentions of the young vintage lovers.

The season premiere delivered an entertaining throwback that delves into Lisa’s fashionista dilemma and relationship with Marge.  Additionally, it amusingly examines 90s nostalgia as a whole, especially its cheesy trends relating to clothing and television.  One such case is Marge’s childhood series, “Keagon’s Pond”, which harkens back to other teenage dramas featuring older actors playing teen characters.  However, the standout aspect of the episode was its current depiction of streaming, in which movies are available on our televisions a few days after they hit theaters.  Given my experience with watching films in theaters, I can easily relate to the episode’s humor, particularly with the constant ads.  Along with its humorous running gag about men’s addiction to a Reacher-type series and solid guest stars, “Thrifty Ways to Thieve Your Mother” is as stylish as 90s clothing but far more tolerable.