Review: The Simpsons “’Tis the 30th Season”

Time for a mid-30th season report

Overview:

As soon as Thanksgiving is over, Bart and Lisa are on their parents about wanting a new TV for Christmas.  The big gift happens to be on sale for Black Friday, so Marge braves the adventure to the mall.  Unfortunately, her morals get in the way, and she sacrifices the sale to help Gil get a gift for his granddaughter.  She vows to make it a wonderful Christmas for her kids, but the stress is getting to her.  Homer convinces the kids to make this Christmas about her, and they plan a trip away for the holidays.

The Florida resort that Homer booked is not all it’s cracked up to be.  Despite the awful time, the kids do their best to keep their enthusiasm up so their mom can be happy.  But, Marge catches on, and the family agrees that they want to be home for Christmas.  They almost make it back, but run out of gas.  Thankfully, they find the spirit of Christmas in the strangest of places, Moe’s Tavern.

Our Take:

“’Tis the 30th Season” and ‘tis the mid-season finale.

If this is my chance for a mid-year report, I will take it.  The Simpsons has been suffering from lower ratings in recent years.  There was a lot of questions going into this milestone season and how much longer they could stay relevant.  Well, they answered our questions in a big way, through great television.  From the first episode on, solid shows were coming out.  This year’s “Treehouse of Horrors” was one of the most memorable in seasons.  And, they keep coming.  I don’t think I have been this excited about The Simpsons since it was in its prime.  Really, the show is a television staple and belongs on Sunday nights until streaming makes television irrelevant.

Anyways, back to the episode at hand.  It wasn’t quite what I expected, not in a bad way, not in a good way either.  We were treated to a brand new opening credits.  I don’t just mean a couch gag, I mean they Christmasized the entire opening credits.  Thirty years of seeing that opening scene, it was a joyful moment to see it done in a new light.  And, the couch gag was magnificent too.  My fellow nerds will be happy to know that it is done in the style of Empire Strikes Back.  So, with such hype to kick the episode off, and a title like “’Tis the 30th Season” I was hoping for something a little out of the box.  An extravaganza to celebrate the shows accomplishments and the merry time of year.  It wasn’t any of that, it was a classic Simpsons episode.

With that all said and trying to put away any disappointment, it was still a packed full, fun show.  The Simpsons are all about making commentary on the world around us.  So, taking on topics like Black Friday and holiday resorts was much more on par with what we should expect from a Christmas episode.  But what really makes The Simpsons so lovable is the heart.  So, how could we not expect a heartwarming conclusion like we got in this show?

I actually enjoyed the episode a lot.  There was a lot of emotion packed in, including humour.  I love the jabs that they take at Family Guy specifically.  This continues to be a remarkable thirtieth season, and maybe I’ll hold out hope for some sort of extravaganza sometime in 2019.  For now, The Simpsons shared another warming Christmas message with us, and for that, I can be grateful.