Review: The Simpsons “Sashes to Sashes”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Bart runs against Mayor Quimby’s son for student council president.  Lisa learns troubling secrets about the Quimby clan—and about the Simpsons.

Our Take:
This latest season has really taken a liking to Bart Simpson this month, as we now have three episodes in which the Simpson son takes over the spotlight.  This time, we see Bart transition from science partner to student council candidate, though it was by Lisa’s request.  What follows is a typical political contest: Bart running for student council president against Mayor Quimby’s son, who wants to build a music festival to “honor” Alice Glick’s memory.  This prompted Lisa to take drastic measures by having her brother compete in her place.  Of course, with every political election comes dark secrets from the candidates that could turn the tide of the contest, especially in student council elections.
With its election plot, “Sashes to Sashes” continues the show’s tradition of revisiting familiar plot ideas with different scenarios.  However, what actually won my vote is how it navigated this derivative structure, not just in its reflection of political corruption but also in Quimby’s origin story through the lens of generational trauma.  Amid the student council election, the episode features several flashbacks depicting Joe Quimby Sr.’s quest for political dominance, though he is caught up in a scandal that began with his father.  This resulted in generations of Quimbys repeating similar success through ambition, manipulation, and cheating on their wives for mistresses.  This aspect elevated the episode’s similar narrative through Quimby’s family tree and the Simpsons’ involvement in that history.  As a result, “Sashes to Sashes” is one of the few episodes that respectfully uses its seemingly familiar ideas to highlight satirical commentary and the characters’ development, particularly those of the supporting cast.