Review: The Simpsons “Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition”

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Overview (Spoilers Below):

Marge stirs up multiple fantasies of a different Homer.

Our Take:

The show’s 37th season may have ended back in February with a “cracker bros” partnership.  However, that doesn’t technically mean the season is over.  This season took a different approach to its episode lineup, airing its 15 episodes on Fox and allowing Disney+ to order 3 more to boost the streaming service’s subscription numbers.  The first of the three scheduled throughout the summer is a double-length special that’s identified as the 800th production episode.  Of course, that’s not to be confused with the 800th overall episode, “Guess Who’s Coming to Skinner”, and the 800th Fox-produced episode, “Irrational Treasure”.  That’s a lot of 800s to celebrate for a series that’s set to last longer than humanity’s existence.

So, how does this one celebrate its own 800th episode?  By parodying more of our popular movies, of course.  From “Top Gun” to Todd Phillips’ divisive take on the Joker, the double-length episode showcases Marge dreaming of the “perfect” Homer after their date night goes horribly wrong, which is once again due to Homer’s stupidity.  Unsurprisingly, this scenario is nothing new, as Marge’s doubt over Homer has been explored numerous times throughout the show, only for them to get back together in the end.  “Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition” is no different, making it pretty similar to those with a similar marital situation.  However, it also shows that no matter how one imagines what their partner should be like, there is no such thing as a “perfect” partner, which is enough to inject some heart into its familiarity.

Additionally, the episode has plenty of room to showcase more of its visual gags and styles, particularly in its opening intro, where Marge embarks on a psychedelic acid trip.  It also included a montage with a French-style presentation whose name I don’t remember.  The Simpsons is no stranger to providing different animation styles outside its traditional 2D route, as evidenced in its use of CGI animation by Xentrix Studios for the “Plastic World” segment in “Treehouse of Horror XXXVI”.  Unsurprisingly, this is no exception, which may or may not be enough to elevate the episode’s familiarity.  It may not be a great start to the series of straight-to-streaming episodes for its 37th season, but there have been worse ways than getting locked out of the house. 

About Marcus Gibson

I'm a recent writer for BubbleBlabber who has an extraordinary passion for films and television, especially from the animation genre. I also spent plenty of hours playing video games, most notably from the Kingdom Hearts franchise. My goal is to provide the most friendly and entertaining reviews on the planet. Whenever something might be good or not, I always remain optimistic and curious about a specific concept from a film or television show.