Episode 19 - Mona Leaves-a
4 January 2009
Review
Synopsis: Homer’s mother returns but he refuses to believe that she won’t abandon him again. She dies and he feels terrible that he didn’t make peace with her. Her video will asks him to deposit her ashes from the highest point of Monument Park. When he does he realises she has sent him on one final protest. The Good: Homer’s mother dying is sad for him and they are consistent with how he treats her. Generally this is a straightforward story with not too much to get annoyed about. Homer’s “defender” (a cinder block on a chain) creates the odd fun moment. Grandpa Simpson provides one of the few jokes by saying he had learnt tap dancing to dance on Mona’s grave. The Bad: Mona’s video will asks Homer to deposit her ashes at exactly three o’clock. But she doesn’t specify a date. So how would she know she could stop Burns’ missile launch? Did she know when she would die? Plot holes may not matter to anyone but me, but this makes no sense. Homer’s line about adding water to his mother’s ashes so that she would come back to life is really stupid. Even if you accepted him being so dumb as to believe that, then why didn’t he ask to do that before the end of the episode? Whether you care about plot points or not there is barely a joke in this episode. Best Joke: Hearing the sad news of Mona’s death Lenny decides to call his mother. Before he can even tell her he loves her she asks to speak to Carl. He finishes the call with her by saying “I wish I was your son too.” Then he hangs up and tells Moe that she said she loves him, much to Lenny’s chagrin. The Bottom Line: Barely a joke in sight and Homer’s mother dying should have been a more meaningful story than this.
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