I won’t lie, I’m a Simpsons purist. One of those types to rarely venture beyond the show’s widely-regarded golden years (seasons 2-12 with bright spots in seasons on either side). So when it came up in a group chat that the new season of the long-running cartoon is actually pretty good I initially brushed it off. Is it really as good as “Cape Feare”, “You Only Move Twice” or “Marge Vs. The Monorail”? How could season 34 even hold a candle to the upper echelon of The Simpsons comedy?
Turns out, it actually kinda does.
I eventually gave the first three episodes (which are currently streaming on Disney+) a run and while the first two were alright, it was episode three that really hit the sweet spot.
It’s called “Lisa The Boy Scout”. Be warned there are spoilers ahead. If you want to go into this episode totally blind then quit this article now. You have been warned.
The first five episodes of #TheSimpsons S34 have all been good, and “Lisa the Boy Scout” is the funniest new episode in years. The show is now aimed at people (like me) who memorized the early classics and are steeped in Simpsons lore. It’s amazing how it’s continued to evolve.
— Eric D. Snider (@EricDSnider) October 28, 2022
“Lisa The Boy Scout” is pitched with the storyline that Lisa competes with Bart over who can be the best bugle-blowing boy scout. The episode then takes a hard left and revisits a format that hasn’t been explored since the mid-’90s: it’s a clip show, baby. And it’s funny as hell.
The clip show format shined in Season 7’s “22 Short Stories About Springfield” back in 1996. It’s up there with one of the all-time great episodes of The Simpsons and the writers’ second run at it some 22 years later proves the format is still rich in funnies.
Without giving too much away, the episode explores moments over the show’s history that were seemingly chucked on the cutting room floor. It presents alternate timelines and “What If’s” that lend themselves to a similar energy as Futurama‘s iconic “The Farnsworth Parabox” — another episode in the Matt Groening universe that I unabashedly love.
Each clip mostly sets up and knocks down a single punchline or reveal in a matter of minutes, if not less. There’s no labouring over or dragging out a gag like Homer beating the ever-living shit out of the Krusty Burglar. The faster pace and sheer absurdity of “Lisa The Boy Scout” matches the evolved — and shortened — attention span of modern audiences.
It’s as if the Simpsons writers’ room realised the speed of TikTok comedy can be directly applied to a clip show episode format. We’ve come right back around to quickfire laughs Funniest Home Videos (and later fail compilation videos) used to give us. Stretch a gag out for too long and you lose eyes to the doomscroll.
So if you’re the kind of Simpsons lover who hasn’t dared explore further than season 13 at the most, do yourself a favour and give this new season a try. You might find yourself cackling with laughter from the ass groove on your couch as I did.
All 34 seasons of The Simpsons are streaming right now on Disney+ for your rewatching pleasure.
