Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
There are two budding concepts present in The Simpsons 550th episode "Brick Like Me." The most obvious is the gimmick nature of the episode and by extension the relevance of a series that has been on since 1989. The Simpsons over the past few years has become somewhat of an experimental art piece in which couch gags and obscure art house film references have replaced authentic plots that resonate with the audiences who once saw Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta) beat up FORMER President Bush. Nowadays the most that fans get is couch gags by Bill Pullman and Robot Chicken. This isn't to say that the show isn't trying, but it seems to be riding out some legacy into a phase where it is too comfortable with everything and now wants to try anything and everything. It has been intriguing, but the list of good episodes from the past few seasons has been minimal. With promise of crossover episodes with Futurama and former nemesis Family Guy, the series now feels like it adds "desperation" to its cues. The show is planning to kill someone off next season in something called... sigh... "The Yellow Wedding." Again, these feel like attention grabs.
The other budding concept is the popularity of Lego in modern culture. After the financial success of The Lego Movie, it seems like a new generation is having a chance to enjoy Legos and their infinite potential. With TV series and so much integration of marketing, it seems like Lego is likely to have a second wind. While it is unfair to compare Lego to The Simpsons in legacy terms, both have been iconic figures of pop culture for decades. One has made an impressive comeback and the other feels like it is doing a crossover to gain attention. "Brick Like Me" in theory is just another in a long line of gimmick episodes hurdling pop culture into its central plot over narrative interest with varying results. As it stands, there is unlimited insult to irony surrounding this episode not only because of the looming relevance of The Lego Movie but also because this episode's milestone of 550 episodes is undermined by the upcoming release of their very own Lego model. The only problem? The models between show and toy do not match up at all.
Even then, conceptually the episode's main theme feels derivative of Community episode "G.I. Jeff." The main difference is that it doesn't feel like it is pandering to a niche audience necessary to understand the references to an anticlimactic episode. In this regards, The Simpsons once again show how it is done. The last time that a series had a run of bad episodes ("drought") was in the years leading up to The Simpsons Movie. Maybe the reality is that the series writers have trouble juggling their quality now that they have become attached to a multi-platform phenomena. It would definitely explain the past few years, as this episode has been in production since 2012. Much like the post-The Simpsons Movie version of the series, there is a great chance that things will bounce back, or at least maintain a higher quality.
Even then, one has no choice but to be impressed that "Brick Like Me" is actually an amazingly audacious episode of a show that has been around for 25 years and has gone through long periods of droughts. For those wanting to understand how the series handles the brick form, it is as intricate as the best episodes of the series. Keep an eye out for countless background gags that alter our understanding of Springfield, including a lot of Lego-fied references to Philip K. Dick books and Maggie being made of Duplo blocks. The more that you understand and admire the bricks, the more that you are likely to get out of it. It is a vastly detailed universe that plays loose with the rules and features countless decapitations and remodeling of familiar town buildings. The creativity abounds.
The only question is why the series needs to exist in this world. While continuity has long been disassociated with the show, it is important for the week-to-week tone to remain consistent. When it fails, we get episodes like the recent "Days of Future Future." There is intrigue and vigor when the series moves beyond simply establishing the delightfully strange existence and gets into the plot. At first, it feels like a direct conflict between church and (mental) state. As Homer begins turning into the familiar animated form, he goes to church where he is defied by the townspeople for breaking pattern with the comfortable connectivity of the brick lifestyle. It feels like a surreal take on a familiar debate that if the series had chosen to go there, would have made it one of the most biting and profound takes involving Legos in existence.
Instead, it turns into what the series does best: a sentimental family story. Why is Homer in the realm of bricks? Because he is having a growing conflict in the regular (read: "meat" characters) world with Lisa (Yeardley Smith) regarding her interest in new older friends, whom I doubt will show up ever again, and their desire to go see The Hunger Games equivalence Survival Games. This interferes with Homer and Lisa's growing fondness for Legos and their desire to enter a model of Springfield into a building tournament. After a concussion caused by a falling Katniss-esque figure, Homer falls into the reality where he is happy for the most part.
The episode dives deeper into the questions on if toys and making time stand still can really make one happy. Where "G.I. Jeff" wanted to do that in a stricter context, The Simpsons integrated it far better. There are sight gags galore with the existential conflict looming over Homer's head. The look and tone are compelling. With Comic Book Guy (Hank Azaria) as a central character, it allows the nerdy nature to reach maximum capacity (though without his recent girlfriend Kumiko strangely enough). The episode takes strange turns and by the end, it may be the strongest 30 minutes that The Simpsons has produced in quite some time. The ending doesn't feel rushed and the jokes are economic.
The most impressive and undermined aspect is the integration of animated styles. Where majority of the episode is done in the Lego mold, the regular animation uses to show parallel universes. There is nothing new stylistically in the regular style, but when it begins to seem into the Lego models, there is unexplored territory in motion. Lego models begin having meat hands and interacting with other animation styles. While the series began playing around with animation styles way too much in season 16, they haven't done much in the ways of excess like this since "Homer3"of The Treehouse of Horror series. Even if a joke towards the end that calls out to the episode's originality by comparing it to The Lego Movie feels like an obnoxious sting, the episode was a playful return to form full of humor and sweetness.
The question however is if things will continue. The series rarely commits to anything new in the world's context save for new characters. Will ideals brought up in this episode come back? Even if this conflicts with the logic of the Blocko parody over 10 years earlier, it manages to exist nicely. Yes, there are plot holes that make Homer's hallucination not make sense, but if you're watching The Simpsons now (or ever) for that, then you'll be messed up all day. I do enjoy the playful parody of Survival Games, which in its brief screen time captures the franchise better than The Simpsons has done to other ridiculous franchises like Twilight or post-millennial Star Wars. Maybe it is because I like The Hunger Games and find a lot of logic in the satire's construct, but I feel like provided Lisa is to be current, it will be back. I just wonder if it will be overplayed.
Overall, "Brick Like Me" is another benchmark that makes The Simpsons a relevant discussion point. Yes, there is way more filler and criticisms on quality are valid, but the show still manages to try new things and succeed sometimes. This won't likely persuade audiences to return to the series, but for longtime fans, it features plenty of bite and humor in ways that make its appearance in the echelon of great TV series look impressive. Community manages to do the same and feel dated after only five years. That is saying something profound, especially since the old saying "We'll never stop the Simpsons" continues to feel like a battle cry. They'll always be there, whether you like it or not. The only question is if anyone will care to tune in.
Instead, it turns into what the series does best: a sentimental family story. Why is Homer in the realm of bricks? Because he is having a growing conflict in the regular (read: "meat" characters) world with Lisa (Yeardley Smith) regarding her interest in new older friends, whom I doubt will show up ever again, and their desire to go see The Hunger Games equivalence Survival Games. This interferes with Homer and Lisa's growing fondness for Legos and their desire to enter a model of Springfield into a building tournament. After a concussion caused by a falling Katniss-esque figure, Homer falls into the reality where he is happy for the most part.
The episode dives deeper into the questions on if toys and making time stand still can really make one happy. Where "G.I. Jeff" wanted to do that in a stricter context, The Simpsons integrated it far better. There are sight gags galore with the existential conflict looming over Homer's head. The look and tone are compelling. With Comic Book Guy (Hank Azaria) as a central character, it allows the nerdy nature to reach maximum capacity (though without his recent girlfriend Kumiko strangely enough). The episode takes strange turns and by the end, it may be the strongest 30 minutes that The Simpsons has produced in quite some time. The ending doesn't feel rushed and the jokes are economic.
The most impressive and undermined aspect is the integration of animated styles. Where majority of the episode is done in the Lego mold, the regular animation uses to show parallel universes. There is nothing new stylistically in the regular style, but when it begins to seem into the Lego models, there is unexplored territory in motion. Lego models begin having meat hands and interacting with other animation styles. While the series began playing around with animation styles way too much in season 16, they haven't done much in the ways of excess like this since "Homer3"of The Treehouse of Horror series. Even if a joke towards the end that calls out to the episode's originality by comparing it to The Lego Movie feels like an obnoxious sting, the episode was a playful return to form full of humor and sweetness.
The question however is if things will continue. The series rarely commits to anything new in the world's context save for new characters. Will ideals brought up in this episode come back? Even if this conflicts with the logic of the Blocko parody over 10 years earlier, it manages to exist nicely. Yes, there are plot holes that make Homer's hallucination not make sense, but if you're watching The Simpsons now (or ever) for that, then you'll be messed up all day. I do enjoy the playful parody of Survival Games, which in its brief screen time captures the franchise better than The Simpsons has done to other ridiculous franchises like Twilight or post-millennial Star Wars. Maybe it is because I like The Hunger Games and find a lot of logic in the satire's construct, but I feel like provided Lisa is to be current, it will be back. I just wonder if it will be overplayed.
Overall, "Brick Like Me" is another benchmark that makes The Simpsons a relevant discussion point. Yes, there is way more filler and criticisms on quality are valid, but the show still manages to try new things and succeed sometimes. This won't likely persuade audiences to return to the series, but for longtime fans, it features plenty of bite and humor in ways that make its appearance in the echelon of great TV series look impressive. Community manages to do the same and feel dated after only five years. That is saying something profound, especially since the old saying "We'll never stop the Simpsons" continues to feel like a battle cry. They'll always be there, whether you like it or not. The only question is if anyone will care to tune in.
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