“Season 19 Episode 08 - Funeral for a Fiend”

Sideshow Bob is at it again - but, unfortunately, there’s nothing terrible special about this appearance of everyone’s favorite homicidal clown - other than the gimmick of reuniting the cast of Fraiser.

The episode opens with an extended Tivo bit - and how corporate heads think you’re stealing from them if you fast forward through the commercials. It’s a bit we’ve seen on Family Guy before, and when you add in Marge’s staying up all night (which the Simpson family did when they first got cable) the entire opening segment felt like it had been done before. This bit led us into the family going to eat at a steakhouse that was actually a ruse for Sideshow Bob to attempt, yet again, to kill Bart.

This is Sideshow’s 10th appearance on the show - and I really wish it had been better. Bob fakes his death with the help of his family, and their plot is ultimately foiled by Lisa, who notices that Bob’s coffin has a place for his giant feet, which you wouldn’t do for a dead man… apparently.

Unfortunately, that’s how Bob was caught the first time when he attempted to frame Krusty for robbing the Kwik-E-Mart, so even that felt a bit, “been here, seen this.”

Now, having said all that, there were still a few good moments in the show, and overall it was enjoyable - just nothing particularly special. I’m not one of those people that think the Simpsons is passed its prime, or that it “hasn’t been funny in years”. I love this show - and hope that it continues on for another 10 years (although I doubt it will). The day The Simpsons airs its last new episode will be a very sad, sad day in my house.

BUT - they can do better than this.

Grade: B-