Trilogy of Error

An episode that proves plot and comedy in the Simpsons are always golden. The episode starts the usual but gets amazing progressively. Definitely, an episode to show and prove the golden age episode of The Simpsons, and an inspiration for upcoming episodes.

The Simpsons is a classic TV Series that had its heyday in the 90's. The main characters were born in the 80's in The Tracy Ullman Show and developed in this series. The Golden Age includes the first nine seasons. The second episode of the ninth season ("The Principal and the Pauper") already predicted a loss of ideas that become evident in the tenth season. The 10th, 11th and 12th season have lower quality than the previous but they are still interesting and fun. "Trilogy of Error" is a smart and unusual episode that recounts a day of the Simpson family from different points of view: Homer's rush to the hospital to reattach his severed finger, Lisa's rush to school to win the science fair, and Bart's run-in with an illegal fireworks deal. This episode is the best of the season and would have been a great season finale. It is a very funny parody of two crime movies: "Go" (1999) and "Run Lola Run" (1998). The events are interconnected and all of them are solved in the final. After the 12th season, the series has a further overall drop in quality. It would have been better to close with a flourish, and this episode would. The characters would then be able to return in a few movies. Unfortunately, the success of the series has prevented this.

Escaping from the linear narrative is not easy, many of the attempts end in repetitive stories that the brain easily anticipates (I'm thinking of a specific episode of The Witcher). This episode is an honorable exception. Repeating only succinctly micro-fragments that help us situate ourselves, we find ourselves before a technique comparable only to Memento and few other masters of cinematography. The story lacks of common sense, but it couldn't be more fun as a good ape reminds us. I would like The Simpsons to recover this type of story governed by chaos, the constant art of deception and the good faith of the viewer.

This episode has three separate stories, following Lisa, Bart, and Homer, with Marge popping up to connect each of them together. This story is so intricately put together, utilizing lots of foreshadowing. It is so interesting to watch all three stories slowly cross paths until it reaches a pretty satisfying conclusion. This episode is brilliant and just as good as 22 Short Films About Springfield, if not better.

What a country indeed and what an episode. Probably the best episode of season 12, at least so far