Review: The Simpsons “Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?”

Overview:

Todd Flanders is struggling with missing his mother. Having forgotten what she looks like, he starts to rebel against Catholicism. To help him see the beauty in the world, Ned sends him to the darkest, most hellish place he can think of, the Simpsons house.

As Todd searches for answers, Homer and family struggle with hosting the new guest. Frustrated, Homer finds sanctuary at his favourite place, Moe’s. Surprisingly, he meets up with his old nemesis Ned and the two proceed to get drunk. Attempting to stumble home, both of them are struck by a car and put into a coma.

With his father in serious condition, Todd does the only thing he knows he can and prays. Receiving his calls, Ned returns to his son while Homer gets to give his late mother one last goodbye.

Our Take:

For something completely different, after decades of rivalry, this Simpsons episode was all about the Flanderses. To sell the point home, the opening credits put away with the old family name, in place was the over pluralized, “The Flanderseseseses”. The remainder of the opening was redone to focus on the heavily Christian influenced neighbour, along with all of his good deeds of a day. Even the couch gag had to take a turn as Ned gave his own couch away to charity, much to the glee of the children. And, from the beginning, you can tell this is not going to be a standard Simpsons episode.

And, an unexpected Simpsons episode it was. Focusing on the overly friendly neighbours, the Flanderses, it is to be assumed that Christianity would play a part. And, it’s fair that it would be the theme of the episode. However, the tone and message of the plot were a tad out of character for the long-running TV show. With Christianity often the brunt of the show’s humour, it took centre stage in this story. The series does like to leave the door open that every religion is possible. But, it hasn’t really picked sides the way it did in this episode for many years now. Even Bart Simpson was deep in prayer speaking about his love for his father. Which, even though played off quickly, felt profoundly out of character.

I think we can safely say that this episode got a tad bit preachy. The Simpsons have been known to take political, societal, or other stances, but when it comes to religion, I thought we were long past the days of Christianity being stuffed down our throats. Regardless, there is no shying away from the fact that the Simpsons family has always gone to church on Sunday, even at Lisa’s dismay. So, without taking that context out of the show entirely, these episodes are bound to come up once in a while.

Still, some moments helped to keep this episode entertaining, even if you don’t follow the bible. There is no denying that Todd is a weird kid. From the early days of the series, Rod and Todd have always been the outcasts of Springfield elementary. Even Ralph Wiggum wouldn’t be caught hanging out with them. So, it was nice to see the character behind the weirdo to be fleshed out further. The Simpsons has grown to be more about the residents of Springfield more and more in the later years. Allowing someone as random as Todd Flanders to have more depth is what brings this world to life for the fans.

Additionally, besides the religion factor, there was another theme to this episode. Todd and Homer share a significant link as they both are motherless children. The blundering Homer is able to help the young child in his own clumsy way. But, Homer also grows as he gets a final farewell to his own mother by the end of the episode. He can also be comforted by the fact that she is waiting for him in the afterlife. A beautiful sentiment that also brought with it the return of Glenn Close as the voice of Mona Simpson.

Aside from the deep Christian tones, this was a heartfelt episode of The Simpsons. With the effort to stay relevant, it is great that the series will still take the time to help us understand themes like children who have lost a parent. Unfortunately, there is a reason why we don’t see so many episodes with emotions as heavy as this one. As expressive as they can be, they do tend to lack the humour and entertainment that the series typically carries. As we approach the mid-season break, this season has brought us some eclectic episodes, and this one does help to add depth to the series.