Plot: What’s it about?
It’s a proven fact that most comedy shows that outlive over three years have a tendency to show a decline in material and many shows have gotten to that point that the laughs are few and far between. There are exceptions to this rule, but not many in present day shows as their decline is imminent. One glowing exception, in it’s fourth year, showed that there are many comedies that can come and go but there’s nothing like a prime time animated series that ranks on everything pop culture has to offer with great humor, biting wit and taking even the most serious of situations comically successful. That glowing exception catapulted the FOX network into a major player. That exception is the animated comedy known as The Simpsons.
In season four of the show the Simpson family, consisting of family man husband Homer (Dan Castellaneta), homemaker Marge (Julie Kavner), their underachiever but troublesome son Bart (Nancy Cartwright), intellectual daughter Lisa (Yeardley Smith) and baby Maggie (?), journey through various misadventures amongst the city of Springfield and beyond. In this very season, Bart and Lisa bond during their visit during Kamp Krusty as well as having childhood experiences any child would dream like encountering their first love or becoming the beauty queen of the neighborhood or collaborating on a script of their favorite cartoon show using Grandpa Simpson’s name along with saving their beloved host of their favorite afternoon kids show, Krusty The Clown, with a comeback special full of stars and fun.
As for Marge, she stars as Blanche DuBois in a musical production of A Streetcar Named Desire as well as getting a job at the nuclear power plant and investigating the new craze in Springfield about the arrival of a monorail before spending time in jail for shoplifting and assisting Selma fulfill her need for a baby.
Homer seems to have the most activity during this season as he savors the joy of a Sunday morning without going to church along with being a stern disciplinarian preventing Bart to go to the Itchy and Scratchy movie while running a snow removal business under the name “Mr. Plow” before operating a monorail, suffering a heart attack, becoming incapacitated by both a decrepit sandwich and a April Fool’s joke while getting his license revoked on a DWI charge and leading his co-workers to strike to get their dental plan back for Lisa to get braces.
All of this and a lot more provided for one of the funniest seasons of any prime time comedy show and The Simpsons is no exception. With this show, the viewer rarely leaves the show without laughing an average of five times. This is very good considering many sitcoms that promise a funny show come along with canned laughter and formulaic writing. Some of those shows come and go and some wear out there welcome a little longer than they should, but The Simpsons is a cut above the rest and nothing cracks a viewer up more than the patriarch of the family finding a heavily drunk moment as this and previous season have provided.
It’s also worth noting that one featured contributor/producer/writer of this season went on to have a long running talk show (Conan O’Brien 10 years and still going) and continues to share some of the offbeat irreverant humor that made this season funny and makes his talk show unexpectedly entertaining in-between guests.
With the tips of the hat to pop culture and a comedy style that sets them apart from all the rest of the live action competition, The Simpsons remain one of the all time greats with a lot of laughs and too many episodes to narrow down to an all time favorite, especially in the fourth season.
Here’s a listing of all the episodes/many classics included here:
DISC ONE
– Kamp Krusty
– Streetcar Named Marge, A
– Homer the Heretic
– Lisa the Beauty Queen
DISC TWO
– Treehouse of Horror III
– Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie
– Marge Gets a Job
– New Kid on the Block
– Mr. Plow
– Lisa’s First Word
DISC THREE
– Homer’s Triple Bypass
– Marge vs. the Monorail
– Selma’s Choice
– Brother from the Same Planet
– I Love Lisa
– Duffless
DISC FOUR
-Last Exit to Springfield
– So It’s Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
– Front, The
– Whacking Day
– Marge in Chains
– Krusty Gets Kancelled
Video: How does it look?
The quality of the full framed picture on the fourth season lacks some of the dirt and specks that plagued the first three seasons to provide for a picture full of bright colors without over saturation or heavy color bleeding. There are times when the shades of contrast happen to vary from dark to light but the overall transfer turns out to be a satisfying picture and a wonder for the eyes a little more so than the previous seasons. An excellent transfer through all episodes.
Audio: How does it sound?
The track for the set is in Dolby Digital 5.1 and the results are stupendous. Although most of the activity comes from the front channels, the effects on the back channels as well as the surround channels provide for a nice multi mixed track full of dialogue, musical score and some effects. There is nothing ear piercing and there is nothing to fear or hard to hear. Everything comes out sharply and makes for a very good track. These discs also have a French and Spanish Stereo track along with English and Spanish subtitles (except Kamp Krusty that in addition to the standard audio tracks have a Italian, Castilian Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and Japanese soundtrack).
Supplements: What are the extras?
Fox once again in this four disc set provides a plethora of supplements. On all discs and all episodes, there are commentaries by the creator and the writing/producing staff along with some special guests such as voice actor Hank Azaria and Jon Lovitz on “A Streetcar Named Marge” (Disc 1) and Conan O’Brien on the episodes “New Kid On The Block” (Disc 2) and the second commentary track on “Marge Vs. The Monorail” (Disc 3) (Note: Using your audio button for this episode is the way to get to this additional commentary for there is no menu notification or easter egg entrance and is not the track used on the play all function and it’s the only episode in the set with two commentaries, one with just the crew and one with the crew & Conan). Unlike the Season Three set, none of the commentaries have the Simpson Family voice actors doing commentary.
As for the commentaries themselves, they’re reflective and all entertaining and informative noting some of the origin of ideas for the episodes along with pointing out the obscure references along with repeating some things that have been said on previous season sets. All seem to be having a good time watching, informing and chiming in amongst themselves on the tracks and all are worth listening to.
There also is one or more episodes optioned in the Animation Showcase extra on each disc. This shows storyboards, animatics and the finished product, when chosen, using the angle button On Disc 1, theres Art and Animation for A Streetcar Named Marge, Disc 2 features Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie, Disc 3 features Homer’s Triple Bypass and Disc 4 features So It’s Come To This: A Simpsons Clip Show.
Aside from the commentaries, the animation showcases, and the amusing interactive menus provided in each section with some of the animated characters (some of which prominent in the next and future seasons) reacting to the viewer’s menu choices, there are individual extras provided for each disc.
Disc One houses the bulk of the extras in this set and it starts with A Word From Matt Groening summing up season four over a montage of clips and introducing the collection itself noting some of his favorite highlights and episodes. It’s a good present day listen and a wonderful lead in to the set.
After that is a featurette called The Cajun Controversy that talks about the reaction New Orleans had at the time with “A Streetcar Named Marge” episode and what the Simpsons crew did in rebuttal for their reaction.
Also included is the Bush Vs. Simpsons featurette chatting a bit about the odd feud brewed up at the time between the Bush’s in the White House and the show. It’s evident that a high profile individual reacted to something he never watched negatively and the crew got back with some common sense wit and some charm with a letter written back to the Bush’s.
Both featurettes are very entertaining and not the occasional fluff you’d expect from an average DVD or set.
On top of that to finish off the extras on Disc 1 is Promotional Stuff that is a nice piece about the making of the show and the various roadblocks it faced circa January 1993 with on-camera views with Groening, James L. Brooks, Nancy Cartwright and some of the celebrity voice actors such as Danny DeVito and Adam West. It’s a great exclamation mark to this disc with the featurette ending with the Simpson tribute to the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark complete with the payoff with Homer in his undies. (and that’s just the first disc)
Disc 2 has the least of the extras with ads featuring the Simpsons in the Commercials section.These include the beachside Butterfinger ad, spoofs on perfume and best of record ads (a great one with some priceless moments) and KFC which comes from the great white north (notice the spelling of the word liter up there)
Disc 3 and 4 includes deleted scenes from a few of the episodes. On Disc 3, there are deleted scenes from Homer’s Triple Bypass and on Disc 4 there are deleted scenes on The Front. The option shows a pair of scissors at the appropriate time where the scene was supposed to be put in and shows the scene away from the episode. It’s a very good option and they are interesting deleted scenes but in the end, understandable as to why they were cut.
It’s also good to note that it comes with a 10 page booklet documenting the episodes and the extras for each episode as well as including some amusing stills in the booklet.
And this seasons color (like the LOTR:Return of the King Extended Edition) is Blue
Note: The other seasons box colors are
Season 1- Silver
Season 2- Teal
Season 3- Purple
I don’t know the color significance, but the packaging and the overall work done by the crew, and the wonderful reps at Fox provide for a great package of episodes from the fourth season of one of the best, consistant (and still funny) shows to come onto the TV screen within the past 20 years beyond all the roadblocks and schedule changes. Here’s to looking forward to more great sets and Sideshow Bob with the endless rake shots as well as “WE LIKE ROY” and many more crazy moments to provide for infinite random laughing moments for the fifth package.
