The Call of The Simpsons

This episode I would generally stick in the bottom 10 of the classic era. Not every time mind you but sometimes this episode really bugs me. It seems like this episode(not to mention some others obviously in later seasons) were the precursor for the Scully era wacky Homer and Bart adventure time. This episode is wroth with sitcom cliches an aspect the Simpsons would trash in later episodes. But there are brilliant pieces of satire within the episode along with a great first performance by the best guest star in Simpsons history Albert Brooks.

The first act starts out with Homer being jealous of Flanders RV. A aspect of the show that would be in my opinion one of the main pieces of the shows demise. So the family goes to buy a RV much like the Flanders but their credit is far too bad to buy one because they're are the prime example of lower class America. Bob is a great guest character and a great example of how the Simpsons viewed sleazy salesmen. Homer is of course duped into buy a less than admirable used RV and of course the family decides to take the RV on a cheesy sitcom road trip. But instead of parodying the family road trip they sink right into the typical cliches ie secret short cut. But I do think the first act is made good by Albert Brooks guest starring as Bob.

The second act is where the episode changes from a classic era episode to a more Scully and Jean era romp. With Bart and Homer going to find civilization and running into some forest cliches bears/ can't get food etc. But I did enjoy the Swartzweldian stlye gag of the squirrel launching off the tree. But the act just seems to Scully esque with the episodes extreme concetration on Homer and Bart's misadventure and the icing on the cake is of course when they lose their clothing a cheesy sitcom staple. Homer is then identified as big foot. But the family gets reunited at last.

The third act although some decent satire with the big foot special and the media surrounding it a la Radio Bart and Homer Badman it's just too cartoony to be considered a real piece of Simpsons satire. It also seemed very Jean era Simpsons when they had to spell out that he was not big foot and included a obvious joke "below average intelligence man, or a brilliant beast" get it it's because Homer is very oafish and portrayed as the anti intellectual in some parts of the series. It's a real shame Swartzwelder wrote this one because if he hadn't he would've had a really good season one with Life on the Fast Lane/ Bart the General and Crepes of Wrath.

Overall Grade: C+