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Miscellaneous / Verschiedenes » alt.tv.simpsons » (long) A review of "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story (HABF06)"
(long) A review of "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story (HABF06)" [message #240813] Di, 14 März 2006 06:58
bjr7  
[The long of it]

They say if you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes and it
will change. Tonight's episode, "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story",
reminded me of that saying. Don't like the story you're currently
watching? No problem -- there will be a new one along soon enough.

To be honest with you, I *didn't* like the first couple of stories.
The family's visit to some scenic caverns gets off to a rocky start,
so to speak. A gag where Lisa distracts Bart with a nickel in a
bottle goes on too long; the super-lame act works better with Milhouse
than with Bart. Another story where Lisa is chased by a bighorn sheep
is notable primarily for the score, which sounded like the
instrumental part of an opera.

Things picked up after that, though. Through one of those
unpredictable (yet highly choreographed) incidents that often seem to
happen to the Simpsons, Homer is hopelessly wedged in the ceiling of
the cavern. While the rest of the family seeks rescue, Lisa stays
behind and tries to keep Homer company by telling him a story. This
story -- it's the one with the sheep -- wraps around an inner story of
Burns losing his fortune and finding work at Moe's bar. And *this*
story has another tale inside that, and so on, nesting about five
levels deep. (And that's not counting a couple of side-stories.)
It's a deliberately contrived way at spoofing the play-within-a-play
storytelling device, and the gimmick works pretty well here. As the
episode moves between story levels, thought balloon bubbles expand to
show that we've arrived at one plot level, and contract when we leave
it. At one point, all five bubbles appear at once, like a series of
concentric circles. Aside from being an entertaining visual pun, it
helps the viewer keep things straight. The plots also connected
nicely with one another, as key elements on inner stories help advance
events in the outer ones. Everything wraps up nicely in the end, too;
even the plots that were unspectacular in the beginning had good
finishes.

The are some good bits that would stand on their own even in a
conventionally-plotted episode. During a scavenger hunt contest, Mr.
Burns and the rich Texan each pluck one hair from Homer's head. (Hey,
it was on the list.) Horrified that he's now bald, Homer quickly gets
a toupee made -- with two hairs on it. Speaking of the scavenger
hunt, the Commander McBragg cameo during the contest was a creative
touch. Mini-plots discussing a romance between Moe and Edna, and
Edna's first meeting with Bart, stand up better than I thought they
would. The show ends on a good note with an armed standoff in the
caverns.

Still, this episode, like "Trilogy of Error (CABF14)" and "22 Short
Films About Springfield (3F18)" before it, exists mainly to explore a
quirky slant on storytelling. "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" does
it well, integrating what could otherwise have been a hodge-podge of
unrelated stories. I have a soft spot for these little excursions
from linear storytelling, and this episode happily is not an
exception. Even if it never seemed to end.


[The short of it]

This episode is a fun experiment, trying to see how far it can carry
the story-within-a-story device, but there's more to it than that.
Each story leads well into the next, and key elements from one plot
help advance the story in outer layers. The beginnings of a couple of
plots are less than spectacular, but the episode picks up momentum
from there and maintains it for the rest of the show. Some of the
gags (Homer's "wig," Moe's courtship with Edna, and the standoff at
the end of the episode) stand pretty well on their own. I have a soft
spot for these little excursions from linear storytelling, and this
episode happily is not an exception. (B+)

[DYNs]

.... while stuck in the cavern roof, Homer pulls Bart to him by
hooking the roof of the boy's mouth?
.... Burns gives "Pangea" as his place of birth? [See "Personal
Comments & Observations" for more]
.... Burns has one of those big-wheel bicycles and a candlestick
telephone is his attic?
.... stingy ol' Moe spent the money to have an "employee of the
month" plaque made?
.... Frank "Grimey" Grimes's tombstone in Burns's car?
.... in addition to the speech bubbles and drawing of Lisa, Bart
added goofy faces to the hunters in the cave painting?


[References]

"The Never-Ending Story" (movie)
- episode title a spoof

Carlsbad Caverns (tourist attraction)
- similarly-named Carl's Dad Caverns are near Springfield

"Panic Room" (movie)
- stately Burns manor comes complete with a panic room

"Tennessee Tuxedo" (TV series)
- Commander McBragg, from this cartoon's "The World of Commander
McBragg" segments, officiates the scavenger hunt

"Hamlet" (play)
- as Lisa points out, Prince Hamlet stages a play-within-a-play to
gauge King Claudius' reaction

"The Lone Ranger" (movie and TV series)
- after winning the contest, Tex hops on Smithers and shouts, "Hi-
yo, Smithers, away!" (cf. "Hi-yo, Silver!")


[Previous Episode References]

[DABF06] Someone says, "He'll sleep tonight"
[4F10] Lisa chased by an animal that's not normally aggressive
[8F04] Aristotle Amodopoulos appears
[AABF20] Uncle Pennybags (the "Monopoly" guy) appears
[HABF02] Burns's gray sports car shown


[FFF]

Sign at the caverns:

Carl's Dad
[Carl's] Caverns
[ Dad ] ---------
Discovered in 1956
by Carl's Dad

Burns's employee plaque:

[Burns's pic]

MOE'S TAVERN
------------
EMPLOYEE OF
THE MONTH

Scavenger hunt list:

[Part 1, before the two men grab Lenny's suspenders]

To Be
Scavenged
---------
Blue Rose [crossed out]
Suspender

[Part 2, before the two men snatch Homer's hair]

king Ticket
Colander
The Letter "I"
Peruvian Cockroach
[first three items crossed out]

[Part 3, in the home stretch]

Lard Lad
Tombstone
Argyle Socks
Homer Hair
Picture of Yourself
with Smiling Child
[first four items crossed out]

Wig store:

TOUPE
CHALET

Burns's relatives:

RUTHERFORD STEWART COTTON
BURNS BURNS BURNS

AGATHA
MILDRED BURNS BURNS

Burns's paycheck:

FEDERAL W/D -$11.00
FICA -$10.63 MOE'S SPECIAL
MEDICARE -$8.00 FICA -$140.00
STATE W/H -$3.50
^
|
written in the margin

Moe's story envelope:

TO BE OPENED
UPON MY DEATH
-- MOE

Bart's awesome cave drawings

I'm Lisa's
boyfriend
I want V
[Lisa] < to have [bison]
your calf

I smell = [bison]
Like Lisa =

["I smell like Lisa" is in a cloud, next the rear end of a bison;
the other quotes are in speech bubbles.]

Fancy restaurant:

The Cloth
Napkin

Hotel near the tavern:

MOEVIEW MOTEL

Bart's graffiti:

MUNCH
MY BUTT


[Personal Comments & Observations]

>> Musical References

Aaron Copeland's "Hoe-Down" plays during some of the scavenger hunt,
and over the closing credits.

>> Meta-reference corner

Bart's caricature of Lisa has three fingers on each hand, one less
than in Bart's "reality." In the real world, cartoon characters have
four fingers on each hand, also one less than in reality. Maybe this
is how cartoon characters draw cartoons?

Moe shuts up the tavern regulars by threatening to out "the one of
them that's gay." At one point or another, all of them have been the
subject of "so-and-so is gay" speculation by the Internet fanbase.

>> Well, at least the surface of the Earth had cooled by then ...

Modern geologists think that the continents of the Earth were once one
supercontinent. Untold millions of years ago, volcanic activity and
earthquakes split it up, and the pieces drifted apart to become the
continents we know today. I'm mentioning this because the name
scientists gave to this proto-continent was "Pangea" (or "Pangaea";
I'm not sure of the spelling), making this a Burns-is-really-old gag
for the geology-minded.

>> The Seemingly Never-Ending Car Watch

The car Burns drives during the scavenger hunt resembles (but
apparently isn't) a Stutz Bearcat, one of the earliest sports cars. I
think it's the same one that broke down in front of Springfield
Elementary in "The Italian Bob (HABF02)."

Meanwhile, the Texan drives what looks like 1969 Cadillac Fleetwood
convertible.

When he's courting Edna, Moe drives a 1964 or 1965 Ford Mustang
convertible.
--
Benjamin Robinson bjr7 [at] freenet.tlh.fl.us
This message may or may not contain sarcastic content; your burden to decide
"I'm naked, clueless, and f-e-e-e-ling good!" -- Ratbert
Re: (long) A review of "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story (HABF06)" [message #240829 ] Mi, 15 März 2006 08:52
Klaus Petersen  
Benjamin Robinson wrote:
> Another story where Lisa is chased by a bighorn sheep
> is notable primarily for the score, which sounded like
> the instrumental part of an opera.

Somehow I think this is actually from something that
I've heard at least a hundred times. At first I thought
of the fourth movement of Beethoven's seventh symphony,
then of the fourth of Brahms' third, but it's none of
them.

Anyone?
Re: (long) A review of "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story (HABF06)" [message #240830 ] Mi, 15 März 2006 09:47
Klaus Petersen  
Okay, I've made an ass of myself, but I still
don't know any better... this succession of chords
(Fm C7/5 F9/9 Bbm/5, or how ever you write it)
is so characteristic... this must be in the
classical top 20... perhaps it's an overture
after all?
Re: (long) A review of "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story (HABF06)" [message #240840 ] Mi, 15 März 2006 22:59
Craig Orr  
Klaus Petersen wrote:
> Benjamin Robinson wrote:
>
>>Another story where Lisa is chased by a bighorn sheep
>>is notable primarily for the score, which sounded like
>>the instrumental part of an opera.
>
>
> Somehow I think this is actually from something that
> I've heard at least a hundred times. At first I thought
> of the fourth movement of Beethoven's seventh symphony,
> then of the fourth of Brahms' third, but it's none of
> them.
>
> Anyone?

I am almost certain that it was the fourth movement (the
"Thunderstorm" movement) from Beethoven's sixth ("Pastorale")
symphony.

--
Craig

"Here, Mr. Socrates, drink this hemlock tea.
It's an all-natural herbal supplement."
Re: (long) A review of "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story (HABF06)" [message #240842 ] Mi, 15 März 2006 23:33
Klaus Petersen  
Craig Orr wrote:
> I am almost certain that it was the fourth movement (the
> "Thunderstorm" movement) from Beethoven's sixth ("Pastorale")
> symphony.

Yes! That's it! You're great!

*sighs with relief*
Vorheriges Thema:funniest moment...
Nächstes Thema:Who's the idiot !!
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