“O C’mon All Ye Faithful” is now streaming on Disney+.
Let’s get one thing out of the best way first. No, The Simpsons is not the boundary-pushing, trend-setting, conversation-starting animated sitcom it was firstly of the Nineties. That being mentioned, the long-lasting animated comedy has discovered methods to remain entertaining for 3 and a half a long time, like experimenting with its format by doing extra horror episodes exterior of the annual Treehouse of Horror anthology and noncanonical episodes just like the improbable “A Serious Flanders.” It’s becoming, then, that for its thirty fifth anniversary, The Simpsons would return to the place all of it started – a Christmas particular – and hit the yuletide jackpot yet again.
In “O C’mon All Ye Faithful,” British mentalist Darren Brown visits Springfield to attempt to carry the Christmas spirit again to the city. Unfortunately, issues go awry when Brown hypnotizes Homer in an try and make him a greater gift-giver and finally ends up making him consider he’s Santa Claus. Guest stars on The Simpsons could be very hit and miss, however one of many massive surprises of “O C’mon All Ye Faithful,” is how effectively used Brown is. Not solely is he a ok voice actor (he by no means appears like simply one other superstar doing the self-promotion rounds), however his character suits inside the world of the present as simply one other out-of-town weirdo making an attempt to capitalize on the established characters’ goodwill. Brown shouldn’t be a distracting presence, and when you have no thought who he’s, you would be excused for considering he is simply one other Lyle Lanley making an attempt to trick the city with a relatively elaborate con.
Though The Simpsons has finished two-part episodes up to now, Disney is promoting “O C’mon All Ye Faithful” because the collection’ first double episode. That in itself is a little bit of a ruse: This is 43 minutes of The Simpsons neatly divided into two elements. The first is all about Brown unintentionally making Homer consider he is Santa. It’s a intelligent, humorous, and heartfelt story the place Homer really brings pleasure to Springfield earlier than issues rapidly spiral uncontrolled and the city turns the vacation right into a nightmarish, cultish tribute to jolly previous Father Christmas.
It’s simply the form of foolish and cartoony situation The Simpsons continues to do effectively, one which by no means loses sight of a necessary reality: Homer could also be an fool, however he is a well-meaning fool who genuinely loves his household. He (surprisingly) would not go mad with energy as soon as the city is satisfied he is Santa, as a result of all he desires is simply to carry pleasure to folks and to present nearly magically considerate items. The particular’s finest gag entails Homer giving Smithers a thimble, which he then provides to an overenthusiastic Mr. Burns who’s so ecstatic over the present that his Grinch coronary heart grows three sizes… and sends him to the ER for an emergency cardiac discount.
The second half of the particular entails Ned Flanders connecting the dots between cults and his personal beliefs and giving up on faith. This is the actual meat of the story, which is much less of a comical collection of Springfield shenanigans and extra of a traditional American Christmas story about discovering the which means (each the secular and non secular one) of the vacations. Flanders has had crises of religion earlier than, however not like this, as a result of this time he would not simply cease believing in God – he stops believing in hell and everlasting punishment, too. This throws him over the sting, destroying his id in addition to these of his sons, Rod and Todd. Overnight, Flanders goes from conserving a bible in his medication cupboard to truly utilizing the house for its meant objective (hold your eyes out for “Better Than Prayer” Aspirin), whereas the youngsters rapidly go from not wanting toys for Christmas to buying and selling threats like “I’ll Cain-and-Abel you in your sleep.”
Flanders’ disaster of religion comes from a poignant place: the lack of his two wives, Maude and Edna. It’s a part of the character of this present and its floating timeline that the previous would not actually exist for the characters; The Simpsons hardly ever references issues that occurred previous to the present episode, as a result of that’d imply time marches ahead – and the present cannot. When we do get all these references, it is normally a part of a joke – like Homer recounting previous jobs or worldwide incidents involving the household – relatively than an acknowledgement of lifeless characters. When Flanders begins speaking about how he retains placing on Post-it notes within the toilet as a result of Maude appreciated that, or how he nonetheless sends foolish textual content messages to Edna, it comes throughout as one of the vital emotional issues The Simpsons has tried in years. It works in no small half because of Harry Shearer’s efficiency. After 35 years of The Simpsons, it should not come as a shock that a number of the performances aren’t nearly as good as they was. Actors age, or they turn out to be much less enthusiastic concerning the job. Here, nonetheless, we get the rawest Flanders has been since his snap in season 8’s “Hurricane Neddy,” a breakdown not of anger, however of the soul, a narrative of pure heartbreak that Shearer captures fantastically.
During Flanders’ disaster, it’s not Reverend Lovejoy – the spokesman for company, senseless religion – who comes to assist, however relatively Professor Frink, bringing with him an appreciation for the underwater world (and an ideal joke concerning the hazard of deep-diving submarines). Though there’s little doubt that Flanders will finally rekindle his religion, it’s nonetheless good to see that the writers remembered Lisa’s Buddhist beliefs and has them come into play within the particular, whose message is finally about appreciating the fantastic thing about a world outlined by randomness.
Verdict:
Score: 8
Short blurb:
