What can be said about THE SIMPSONS that hasn't already been said? The show was decried by President Bush in 1991, yet also praised by TIME magazine as the greatest sitcom of the 21st century. Some religious conservatives, claiming it is damaging to our nation's children, have disparaged it; however, it has also been admired for its frequent positive portrayal of religion in society. Its demise has been predicted throughout the show's run; nevertheless, it has continued to air for 14 seasons with at least two more on the way.
This third season disc set has been greatly anticipated since the second season was released roughly a year ago. In a perfect world, every SIMPSONS-phile out there would already have all episodes of the show on DVD with every conceivable extra. However, even in our imperfect world, this set has been eagerly awaited since the general consensus is that the third season marks the point when the show truly evolved into the commercial and artistic powerhouse that is now taken for granted. Most importantly, this season has some of the best episodes of the series. The occasional viewer may wonder whether year three would be one to purchase since the titles of the episodes may be lost on them. The first couple of seasons may have been disappointing in comparison - the voices and artistry are relatively crude. But season three is where the show truly found its footing.
Three episodes particularly stand out. One is "Burns Verkaufen Der Kraftwerk," wherein C. Montgomery Burns sells his nuclear power plant out of boredom to some German investors. They then try to improve the plant and bring it up to code, which leads to the compiling of a list of all sub-standard employees to be laid off. That list consists of Homer Simpson in its entirety. In "Homer Alone," Marge takes a vacation after a particularly harrowing, though typical for her, day and Homer is left in charge of Maggie. Bart and Lisa are staying with Marge's dreaded sisters, Patty and Selma, while Homer manages to lose Maggie... In "Lisa's Pony," Lisa breaks the reed for her sax right before a recital and Homer is responsible for getting a new one; unfortunately, he gets sidetracked by the appeal of Moe's Tavern and doesn't make it in time. To make it up to her, Homer takes a second job in order to buy her the pony that she has always wanted. However, it becomes too much for him and upon seeing his sacrifice, Lisa gives up the pony and forgives him.
One common thread through all of these particular episodes is that Homer truly tries to be a good husband, father, and provider, though he never really seems to figure out the right thing to do. To prevent losing his job, he enlists Lisa's help, but he realizes he is doomed when she tells him that the Germans taking over the company are known for their strong work ethic, clearly something Homer lacks. All he has to do is work harder or demonstrate some initiative, yet upon being interviewed by the Germans, Homer delves into a fantasy world ("The Land of Chocolate" sequence, arguably the best montage of the series). When Maggie doesn't want to get shipped off to Patty and Selma's, she hangs onto the front door frame with all her might. Temporarily distracted, Homer lets her go and she falls to the ground. Homer (not quickly enough) scoops Maggie up and confidently proclaims, "See, got her on the first bounce." He attempts to buy Lisa's love after failing her, but in the end it's Lisa who comes to him to forgive him, not Homer trying to spend more time with her, as he doesn't want to "go fruity." It shows that beyond the jokes the show has a great heart that transcends the average sitcom.
The special features on this four-disc set are another great reason to recommend it. The audio commentaries are well done, with creator Matt Groening and a rotating band of cast, crew, and creators providing insights on every episode. Some episodes have as few as three other contributors or as many as ten. Though at times it gets a little overwhelming with everyone talking at once, they do get some interesting points across such as the fact that even they don't really know which Flanders kid is Todd and which is Rod, or that various guest actors who provided voices were not their first choice. There are also hidden commentaries for "Stark Raving Dad," "Lisa's Pony," "Bart the Lover," and "Separate Vocations" to be heard by utilizing the audio button on the DVD remote as the show is playing. On disc four there is a jukebox feature, which offers up most of the songs from the season. Even the storyboards for certain episodes are available in gallery format or can be played in conjunction with the audio track from the episode. One feature that falls a little short is a sort of MATRIX-like "white rabbit" technique where a pencil will appear during the episode and upon selecting it, a sketch from the episode will be shown. They are fun to look at, yet they are rather infrequent and would have been more worthwhile had there been more of them or if they were easier to access. Other features like the Pop-Up Video style trivia for "Colonel Homer," the Butterfinger commercials, and a Bart appearance at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade are amusing to look at when time allows. That is the best thing about this set: depending on whether you have a full rainy Saturday afternoon or only a little time after work and before bed, there will be a neat feature to fit your schedule.
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