Watching "The Crepes of Wrath" feels like somewhat of an improvement in quality as well as a more affirmative idea for what The Simpsons should and will become. It is the single most entertaining episode for me personally since "Bart the General" and is early signs that The Simpsons is evolving.
After Bart sets off another prank during school, Principal Skinner visits the Simpsons household to discuss with his parents the possibility of signing Bart up for a foreign student exchange policy. Soon, Bart is sent off to France for three months while an Albanian exchange student occupies the empty seat at the Simpsons household.
Now this really feels like a Simpsons episode. We see more of Bart's rebellious that has actually been very well captured so far in the season (Bart himself is probably the best part of the season) and we see the relationship between Homer and Bart from the former's end. Homer himself is beginning to feel more like the character that fans have come to love and Dan Castellaneta's vocal performance no longer feels as gruff and deep and is slowly showing audible signs of the classic Homer voice. It certainly helps the humour from Homer's end flow a little smoother now.
The main story is simply quite entertaining. Watching the rebellious and often spoiled and therefore ungrateful Bart learning of the hardships of life during his ordeal in France, which itself is very amusing as well as dramatic, is plenty engaging and equally engaging is watching the foreign student and his dynamic in the Simpsons household.
The little twists and turns are nice and work very well, especially Adil (the exchange student) being a spy for a covert organization and Bart's sudden realization that he can finally speak French (which is hilarious and classic Simpsons). The episode simply flows nicely.
"The Crepes of Wrath" is entertaining and really, things are moving into place. The Simpsons is evolving into the show I love and this episode has the right amount of heart, humour and sense of Simpson-esque adventure. My favourite episode since "Bart the General" of the first season so far.
After Bart sets off another prank during school, Principal Skinner visits the Simpsons household to discuss with his parents the possibility of signing Bart up for a foreign student exchange policy. Soon, Bart is sent off to France for three months while an Albanian exchange student occupies the empty seat at the Simpsons household.
Now this really feels like a Simpsons episode. We see more of Bart's rebellious that has actually been very well captured so far in the season (Bart himself is probably the best part of the season) and we see the relationship between Homer and Bart from the former's end. Homer himself is beginning to feel more like the character that fans have come to love and Dan Castellaneta's vocal performance no longer feels as gruff and deep and is slowly showing audible signs of the classic Homer voice. It certainly helps the humour from Homer's end flow a little smoother now.
The main story is simply quite entertaining. Watching the rebellious and often spoiled and therefore ungrateful Bart learning of the hardships of life during his ordeal in France, which itself is very amusing as well as dramatic, is plenty engaging and equally engaging is watching the foreign student and his dynamic in the Simpsons household.
The little twists and turns are nice and work very well, especially Adil (the exchange student) being a spy for a covert organization and Bart's sudden realization that he can finally speak French (which is hilarious and classic Simpsons). The episode simply flows nicely.
"The Crepes of Wrath" is entertaining and really, things are moving into place. The Simpsons is evolving into the show I love and this episode has the right amount of heart, humour and sense of Simpson-esque adventure. My favourite episode since "Bart the General" of the first season so far.