Review: The Simpsons “Keep Chalm and Gary On”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Homer gets Superintendent Chalmers a job at the power plant.  There, Chalmers discovers huge mutated snails that produce valuable slime, launching his new career as a man-o-sphere guru.

Our Take:
Who would have thought that a group of mollusks that are as slow as molasses could drive a person to success?  This was the case in the season’s latest episode, where Homer assists Superintendent Gary Chalmers in getting out of a slump he’s in after being fired from school.  The reason, of course, is creativity’s number one enemy, artificial intelligence.  The episode’s first act continues the series’ tradition of satirizing current real-world issues, similar to the previous episode that addressed movies heading to streaming services weeks after their theatrical release.  This episode highlights the growing trend of children relying on AI to complete their school assignments, prompting Chalmers to implement a phone-free zone.  Unfortunately, his plan backfired when the students used artificial intelligence against him, resulting in his termination for plagiarizing.
However, the response to artificial intelligence isn’t the episode’s primary focus, as it actually deals with Chalmers finding new success through the slime from giant snails.  Apparently, the slime makes for great skincare, transforming Chalmers into a beauty guru; however, that also backfired when the students started getting on board with the trend.  It does result in the plot following most of the narrative tropes seen in other episodes involving the consequences of business success.  However, at least it didn’t conclude with the slime being radioactive, like the snails; instead, it highlighted the recent situation of children’s declining school education, not just due to AI but also to beauty obsession.  Utilizing its focus on school superintendent Gary Chalmers and business narrative tropes, “Keep Chalm and Gary On” offers a solid outlook on the current decline in children’s education that is as smooth as Chalmers’ glossy beard.