While the general consensus around this episode is that it is the best episode of the first season, which it very well might be, my favourite still remains the early episode, "Bart the General". That said, "Krusty Gets Busted" does a great job of showing that The Simpsons is beginning to find its identity.
At the center, we have one of the early Krusty episodes and get a glimpse of how much Bart idolizes Krusty. While Krusty himself might be an underdeveloped character at this point in the series, Bart is fairly well developed and to see his idol arrested and subsequently found guilty of robbery is surprisingly crushing. It works so well that despite me being aware of the 'twist' ending, it still works superbly as a dramatic point in the story.
To watch Bart and Lisa team up and conduct an investigation into Krusty's arrest was great material. The Bart/Lisa dynamic has always been one of my favourites of the show and here is an early example of just how great they are and can be together.
The episode also manages to work as one about the darker side of the entertainment industry and the underbelly that often exists. Even if it proved to be falsified, the idea that a celebrity idol to Bart like Krusty could be a small time crook is disturbing enough as is the idea of one celebrity (of sorts) framing another over jealousy and contempt. The idea that the entertainment life that is captured on television screens and in front of an audience may not necessarily reflect the behind-the-scenes proceedings is disturbing.
Ultimately however, "Krusty Gets Busted" is merely a very entertaining episode. There's elements that are disturbing but they come together with the classical feel good-ness of The Simpsons. It also proves to be an immensely significant moment for Sideshow Bob who will become one of the show's most brilliant and memorable recurring characters. Why I perhaps don't enjoy this episode more is hard to really understand. Not all the humour (Chief Wiggum, Kent Brockman, Krusty) really works for me just yet and that has largely to do with the feeling of this being the first season and the fact that the voice acting has not found its groove quite yet. The animation though crisper than the early episodes, still lacks the smooth free-flow of the show as it moves forward.
Very enjoyable, a staple of the first season but still does not quite capture the show I love.
At the center, we have one of the early Krusty episodes and get a glimpse of how much Bart idolizes Krusty. While Krusty himself might be an underdeveloped character at this point in the series, Bart is fairly well developed and to see his idol arrested and subsequently found guilty of robbery is surprisingly crushing. It works so well that despite me being aware of the 'twist' ending, it still works superbly as a dramatic point in the story.
To watch Bart and Lisa team up and conduct an investigation into Krusty's arrest was great material. The Bart/Lisa dynamic has always been one of my favourites of the show and here is an early example of just how great they are and can be together.
The episode also manages to work as one about the darker side of the entertainment industry and the underbelly that often exists. Even if it proved to be falsified, the idea that a celebrity idol to Bart like Krusty could be a small time crook is disturbing enough as is the idea of one celebrity (of sorts) framing another over jealousy and contempt. The idea that the entertainment life that is captured on television screens and in front of an audience may not necessarily reflect the behind-the-scenes proceedings is disturbing.
Ultimately however, "Krusty Gets Busted" is merely a very entertaining episode. There's elements that are disturbing but they come together with the classical feel good-ness of The Simpsons. It also proves to be an immensely significant moment for Sideshow Bob who will become one of the show's most brilliant and memorable recurring characters. Why I perhaps don't enjoy this episode more is hard to really understand. Not all the humour (Chief Wiggum, Kent Brockman, Krusty) really works for me just yet and that has largely to do with the feeling of this being the first season and the fact that the voice acting has not found its groove quite yet. The animation though crisper than the early episodes, still lacks the smooth free-flow of the show as it moves forward.
Very enjoyable, a staple of the first season but still does not quite capture the show I love.