The opening credits of episode 1 are one of the stand out moments of the season, with the town rebuilding from the wreckage and loads of other references to movie that just followed. The film was such a success that leaning on this brings a new lease of life back to the show.
‘I don’t wanna know why the caged bird sings’ is probably the stand out episode this season, and uniquely, this one is Marge centric. She finds herself in a dilemma only Marge could get into and it features some interesting character work.
‘That 90s Show’ episode is one of those Simpsons episodes that you truly wish had never been made. It isn’t funny or memorable enough to stand on its own, and it does a lot of unnecessary damage to the pre-established backstory of the show. One to forget.
Overall, the consensus that the show ‘isn’t as good anymore’ is probably fair overall but I would say there are still some real stand out moments of quality, proved particularly the summer before this movie with The Simpsons Movie (2007). I would say that what’s really happened is that the consistency of quality has really dropped off, but it’s still very much worth watching.
Rating = 3.5/5
Howe's World of Film and TV 