Monorails, Plows And Braces, Oh My!

Finally, the Holy Grail has arrived. It’s been a long and arduous wait, but our patience as Simpson fans has finally been awarded. We’ve suffered through entertaining, yet pointless boxed video collections. We’ve also happily purchased previous DVD collections for the first three seasons of the television show. However, nothing matches the undeniable quality of the fourth season of The Simpsons. Luckily, The Simpsons-The Complete Fourth Season is now available on DVD (and there was much rejoicing).

The first three seasons of The Simpsons contained some of the best television around. Season one helped to establish the family, season two worked out many of the kinks and season three turned the corner in terms of parodies and satire. Then, like a lightening bolt, season four hit us and the show elevated itself to a completely higher level. Every single episode is funny and at least four or five will show up on any top ten list. Each of the episodes from season four are included on the DVD in uncut their original, uncut form, and they are (with very brief descriptions):

Kamp Krusty: Bart and Lisa visit the Krusty sponsored summer camp with disastrous results.

A Streetcar Named Marge: Marge takes a role in the Springfield production of A Street Car Named Desire.

Homer The Heretic: Homer gets permission from God to skip church, thus drawing the ire of Marge.

Lisa The Beauty Queen: Lisa enters the Little Miss Springfield contest and after the winner gets injured, she takes over.

Treehouse Of Horror III: Three short stories with a scary twist: Bart receives an evil Krusty doll, a King Kong parody with Homer in the title role and Bart resurrects the dead

Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie: Homer decides that Bart had skipped out his punishments for the last time and forbids him to see The Itchy And Scratchy Movie.

Marge Gets A Job: The Simpson house need foundation work so Marge gets a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power plant and eventually catches the eye of Mr. Burns.

New Kid On The Block: Bart gets a crush on the new neighbor only to be disappointed when she dates Jimbo.

Mr. Plow: After Homer wrecks the family cars, he buys a snowplow and begins his Mr. Plow business.

Lisa’s First Word: While trying to get Maggie to talk, the family recounts the history of Lisa’s first words.

Homer’s Triple Bypass: Homer’s poor eating habits cause him to have a heart attack and the family must choose between an expensive procedure performed by Dr. Hibbert or a cheaper alternative by Dr. Nick.

Marge Vs. The Monorail: After the town receives $3 million a fine Mr. Burns receives after illegally disposing of nuclear waster, Springfield decides to spend the money on a monorail.

Selma’s Choice: Aunt Bouvier passes a way and it causes Selma to rethink her life and decides to try and get married and have a child.

Brother From The Same Planet: Bart gets upset with Homer’s neglect and decides to get a bigger brother, but Homer decides to get revenge and takes on a little brother himself.

I Love Lisa: Lisa’s valentine attracts the attention of Ralph.

Duffless: Homer gets caught driving drunk so he gives up beer.

Last Exit To Springfield: The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant goes on strike and is led by Homer’s quest to get Lisa braces.

So It’s Come To This: A Simpsons Clip Shows: Homer is injured by Bart’s practical joke so the family recalls various moments from past episodes.

The Front: Lisa and Bart are upset at the quality of Itchy and Scratchy so they decide to write their own under the name of Grampa.

Whacking Day: Springfield partakes in their annual snake-whacking day.

Marge In Chains: Marge accidentally shoplifts at the Kwik-E-Mart and goes to jail for 30 days.

Krusty Gets Kancelled: The new Gabbo show causes Krusty to get cancelled and only the help of Lisa, Bart and various celebrity guests can get his show back on the air.

The first three seasons of The Simpsons gave us plenty of laughs and a few classic episodes. However, season four really took the series to the next level and created some of the best episodes in the show’s run. Kamp Krusty started the season off nicely with the kid’s visit to the poorly run camp sponsored by Springfield’s favorite clown, Krusty. There are plenty of laughs including the joke about the kid getting eaten by a bear and the “make up” trip that Krusty offers the kids is great. Last Exit To Springfield pits the evil Mr. Burns up against the union’s top negotiator, Homer Simpson. Surprisingly, Homer actually comes out victorious. This episode is a non-stop barrage of jokes and visuals all in the name of getting back the union’s dental plan. Many people consider this the best episode. I, however, think that without a doubt, that title belongs to Marge Vs. The Monorail. Mr. Burns is found hiding nuclear waste so he must pay the city $3 million dollars. After a heated city debate and the infectious singing of Lyle Langley, the city decides to spend the money on a useless monorail (see, it put Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook on the map). A complete description of all the jokes in this episode would basically require me to just reprint the script. Homer becomes the monorail conductor and because of shoddy workmanship, the train and its passengers are doomed. Luckily, Homer saves the day with a little help from guest star Leonard Nimoy and his favorite food, donuts. Other standout episodes include, Mr. Plow, Duffless and Whacking Day. If you are busy and you want to skip a couple of episodes, it’s probably a good idea just to hit pause and come back when you get some more time. There isn’t an episode that you should miss.

Much like the first three seasons of The Simpsons, the fourth season has plenty of guest stars that enrich the television show. The best example of entertaining guest stars is in Krusty Gets Kancelled. No less than nine celebrities appear in the episode. Luke Perry and Johnny Carson have the best scenes, but Bette Midler, Elizabeth Taylor, Hugh Hefner and the Red Hot Chili Peppers also appear. This is actually the second appearance of the season for Taylor. She takes on the role of Maggie as she says her first word in the season’s earlier episode, Lisa’s First Word. Other notable entertaining appearances by Sara Gilbert in New Kid On The Block as the object of Bart’s crush and Linda Ronstadt in Mr. Plow as Barney’s musical collaborator provide plenty of laughs.

Obviously, the quality of the film is excellent with this DVD collection. Of course, I’m comparing it to the collection of VCR tapes that house my Simpsons episodes. Those tapes vary from average to watchable and I’m happy to purchase the upgrade. These DVD episodes are crisp and clear and the sound is also perfect. You can also check out many of the episodes in various languages and see how others around the world watch our favorite family.

As with most DVDs, one of the big selling points is the extras that are included. Luckily, The Simpsons-The Complete Fourth Season delivers on all accounts. Each episode has its own commentary that features writers, producers, and directors. Even show creator Matt Groening appears on some of them, as well as the legendary (at least in Simpsons circles) Conan O’Brien who was responsible for many great Simpsons moments including Marge vs. The Monorail. In all of the cases, the commentaries are quite informative. Of course, only die-hard Simpsons fans will probably appreciate much of the information (that’s a pleasant word for “useless trivia”) that the commentaries share. However, if you do enjoy those tidbits, you’ll be pleased with the inside information that’s shared.

There are plenty of other extras on the discs. Disc one begins with creator Matt Groening’s introduction to the collection. He quickly lets you know what types of extra features are included. This disc also contains a short recap, narrated by James L. Brooks, of one of the biggest feuds in history, Bush vs. Simpsons. For those that don’t remember, early on The Simpsons was considered the first step to the destruction of society. The Bushes voiced their displeasure several times about the television show and those moments are recapped. Needless to say, the controversy around The Simpsons has since died down and many of the attacks seem quite outdated. However, at the time, the verbal joust was quite scandalous. Also included here is a small featurette, The Cajun Controversy. The controversy stems from the episode, A Street Car Named Marge. The song “New Orleans” was singled out for its controversial and insulting lyrics about the city of New Orleans. The hubbub is almost as funny as the lyrics themselves. Sure, I don’t live in the Big Easy and when people make fun of Texas I get a little upset. However, The Simpsons is meant to be fun and if you haven’t been attacked by the show, you probably aren’t that important anyway. New Orleans should have been happy to been on the receiving end of the writers pointed pen.

Disc two also has a few extra treats for your viewing pleasure. Four Simpsons-related commercials are included. What would a Simpsons collection be without a Butterfinger commercial? There is also a Canadian ad featuring Homer endorsing Kentucky Fried Chicken. There are also two promos that aired during the initial syndication run. Both are funny, yet poor production make them seem a little dated in my book.

So, should you add The Simpsons-The Complete Fourth Season to your video collection? YES!!! There is no question that this collection belongs on your shelf even with the $35 price tag. Every episode is funny, with some of the funniest in the series, and the picture quality is a huge upgrade. The commentaries add quite a bit to the shows and some of the extras are well worth it. If you are Simpsons fan, you must purchase this boxed set. If you like funny, high quality television shows, then this collection is also for you.