The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 14: Postcards from the Wedge

After watching a film (parody of the Jetsons), Edna Krabappel asks for an assignment assigned three months ago. Bart never did it, and Edna sends a letter to his parents. Bart tries to stop them from seeing the letter, but Homer receives the letter first. Homer then wants Bart to do all his homework and refuses to let him take even a small break until it's done. However, Marge is concerned that the heavy workload will have a negative effect on Bart's education. When Bart realizes his parents' opposing viewpoints, he uses it to avoid his homework entirely.

As Bart continues to manipulates them against each other, Marge seeks council from Selma and Patty, who convince her to prompting Marge to relent and leave to apologize, while Homer realizes from a dream that he also wants to sorrow over this as well. The two see each other at a traffic stop, and they both get out of their cars and embrace. They choose to let Bart fend for himself. 

Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse run away from Skinner from a prank and hide in an abandoned Springfield Subway System, and they discover the subway trains still work. They race down the tracks and cause a seismic tremor to shake the town. Bart tells Homer and Marge that he might have something to do with the rumbling, but they do not react to his potential act. Bart tells Nelson that he no longer feels a thrill when he plays a prank, and Nelson suggests Bart does not get gratification from pranks unless someone gets outraged. 

Bart plans to destroy Springfield Elementary by driving the train under it. Homer and Marge find a note from Lisa informing them of this prank. They rush to the subway station, where Homer pulls the emergency kill switch in time and does not damage the school. Bart gets punished for his actions but is happy that his parents are paying attention to him once more. At the end, Lisa reveals that Bart forged the note about the subway prank, suggesting that he wanted to be caught but promising to keep it secret to protect his bad boy reputation.

My thoughts:

How many times have I seen it: Twice.

Couch Gag: The couch is a piñata. A blindfolded Ralph hits it, and the family falls out. Meh, it's OK. (C+)

Storyline: I thought this episode was mildly good, with the Marge/Homer marriage problem as a flaw. It's getting old! Anyways, everyone was in character and the story had a good flow to it. Bart causes trouble, Homer and Marge fight, Homer and Marge make up, Bart acts out even further. The sequence of Bart trying to beat his parents to the mail was fantastic. Seeing what a mom Marge is, how Bart spends a sick day, his methods of making she he can stay at home, I liked it. However, the big hit in this episode was when Milhouse introduced Bart to the old subway system. It felt like an unnatural scene to me and it wasn't introduced all that smoothly.

Jokewise, Homer getting rid of Pikachu on TV was hilarious. Edna's line of "I don't really know what that was", after watching a parody of the Jetsons, was funny. The Itchy and Scratchy Show was the highlight of the jokes. However, there were some awkward gags like Wiggum hugging Homer and Marge, and some lowlights such as Homer yelling at Lisa.




On a side note, I'm amazed that Bart was able to hit the fire alarm with a slingshot and an eraser just before the door closed.

Overall, a good episode, but some moderate problems.

My grade: B-