REVIEW THREAD -- The Simpsons Movie (possible spoilers within)

Topic: Sometimes the voices tell me to change the topic.

Users: @SuzyQ

irc.simpworks.com

[Kiyosuki]

I've been on this site longer than on NHC.   This board is full of hyper-creative, intelligent, nice people.  Definitely stay around these parts.

I've come here before but I never really posted regularly. I will try to cure cancer though if I can, but I'll probably just put a bunch of cancer patients out of their misery by putting them to sleep with my posts.

What surprised me about the movie was that it was dark, even dramatic in tone, for a great portion - and I found that wholly welcoming.  The sight of the Simpsons' house being completely destroyed and sucked into the center of the Earth, for all the times we've seen it burn and collapse due to sinkholes (nice callback!), is genuinely moving.  More importantly, when Marge leaves Homer - as many times as they've sepparated on-show - this one feels real, possibly permanent, all due to its tone and J.K.'s boffo voice acting (the subtle, broken way she lowers her tone when she says that she's run out of excuses for Homer is heartbreaking).   I'll woman up and admit that that scene made me cry.  I'm even willing to accept that there may be a perfectly in-canon reason for that footage to exist, that's how in-love I am with the scene. 

Yeah I liked the kind of dark, larger take on the whole thing. Some have been a bit offput by the giant scope of the plot but I liked it personally. Whats more interesting though I admit is more the possibilities and implications than anything too obvious, which is why I wish they kind of gave let us see just a little more of what was going on in the town in the meantime, as well as give Cargill's character a little more relevance. Even just like...one extra scene like one of the ones that was supposedly cut would work. I know they were pressed for time though and animation takes lots of work so I don't want to get too what if here, but still the idea of really emphasizing the large and pretty dark scope of where this film's taking these characters could have been cool.

About the scene with Marge, I really felt like it was pretty genuine before. I mean, the idea of Marge leaving has happened many times so they had a challenge to make this appear like it was really the direst time and I think they pulled it off. Usually Marge is always on at least a thread still with Homer but here it feels like she really just basically left and he couldn't just weasel his way out of this one. Homer's worked to get Marge back before but it felt to me like it was pretty big.

You know what else is a subtle little touch about that? Its not only Marge, but his dad, and his best friends are back there at the wedding too. Even though his dad wasn't all that great a dad to him, and his friends had just (albiet understandably) tried to kill him they were still there and to me that scene was like a big culmination of just how much of an asshole he had been. Everyone in that tape was about to die and he didn't give a damn up until then. I think maybe thats what drove it home in general, its like the big moment where he realizes he has to take responsibility for his own actions or else he's just going to get what he has coming to him...which is absolutely nothing.

Spoiler (hover to show)

Maybe it's footage from a reception Abe through for Marge and Homer when they got back?  He was the only one who supported the marriage when it started.

Then seeing all of Springfield in the state it ends up in.  The penultimate scene is a nailbiter because we're emotionally invested in these people, and seeing the citizens team up to make a break for it is enlivening.  Many scenes and moments were quite eerie and spooky!  What the series has missed is its gravitas, and this movie has it in spades. 

Thats interesting about (whats in the spoiler), I never looked at it that way before. Thats what really interested me is like I mentioned, just a lot of the little things you see with the people in the background I feel like indirectly told a 100 stories in themselves. Things like how you noted Laura Powers there, the things I mentioned like how Quimby was actually with his wife, the cops stayed surprisingly together it seemed, of course the whole thing with Moe. I know its all just implying and its not literally there, but I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking this stuff. Still wish even one or two larger scenes were dedicated to that, but there's definitely enough potential for people to tell a story or two about what goes on inside that thing in the meantime, either in fiction, the comics maybe, or if the people doing the show felt like it one day for a trio episode or something...although that may not work out.

* The entirety of the Colin/Lisa subplot.  Can we hope he'll be a regular in the series?  The hilight of their little romance:

Colin's been hit or miss for people and I still think the plot was basically kind of a throwaway since its just there, but I have to admit it was sorta cute. It was just nice to see Lisa doing some indirect stuff in the plot, I like that she didn't have a central role so much myself. As for how the film will relate to the series...

* Why didn't they just have Rainer as the president?  I could see why they made the twists-and-turns of Arnie being the chief executive, but Rainer being president would have added a whole extra layer of canonical pathos.  We haven't seen him since the Greta episode, so it's possible he could have been elected.

Spoiler (hover to show)

Maybe they're saving this for the big Ralph for Prez episode they've got coming up next year?

On NHC I speculated the idea that maybe the fact the town is protesting the Presidential debates in town would have to do with the fact the previous President basically indirectly almost pulled homeland genocide on them. Even if they mentioned it a little that would be a really cool and subtle little touch.

Unfortunatly the bittersweet thing about this movie is a lot of the stuff in this feels like stuff that would change the town and the Simpsons forever but you know a lot of this stuff probably will be reverted back a bit, which is why a small part of me kind of wishes a longer version of this were the final Simpsons product. Granted I would really really like it if even a little tiny bit of the things in the film aside from cameos from the pig or Colin would make it in there, or if even the mood were affected at all.

As for Ranier/Arnold, I've heard that the reason they used Arnold was simply because of the fact he's governor now and of course many joke about how maybe he'll one day go for President. Its a little cheap I admit, they could have done the same thing with Ranier. But they're so similar that it doesn't even really matter I say.

was an absolute rock star, and if her future!job doesn't have her ending up in the CIA or somewhere equally dynamic I'll be very, very sad.

I've said it many times, Springfield may possibly have the greatest international assassin the world has ever seen on the population back-burner. lol. Its half joking around but I could definitely see a double life thing going, even though all the future stories are unrelated since they're just possibilities and stuff maybe thats why she's always away somewhere else in 2 out of three of them.

When I saw this movie a friend of mine and I thought of something sort of interesting I think. If you think about it, this movie started out like a pretty decent version of how a lot of current episodes are, but then the tone itself became a lot more akin to the older seasons as it went along in a way. Just like how "jerkass" Homer is slapped around and pulled apart the more jerkass he is until finally they get the decent guy out of there again, its almost like the movie intentionally unravells itself in a way if you look at it from a certain point of view.

[Lisabella]

@Jenny: Oh, that bit definately doesn't downgrade my enjoyment of the movie at all; it was just one minor nit.  I actually didn't really wonder what was going on until I thought about it later, which is a great testiment to the movie itself.

@Kiyosuki, who should really stick around:

The movie really is great fic fodder, isn't it?  It carries a great sense of general urgency. 

I had a notion that that was why Arnold was used.  Ah well - I still think Rainier would have added an extra emotional punch.

It's so true about the Homer bit - and the almost gothic turn the movie takes almost works as an undoing for the extremely poor stuff we've all suffered through series wise these past couple of seasons.

[A Spy in Mancunia]

If you're a Marge/Homer 'shipper, bring tissue.

Nah, I don't believe in that pairing. It's just too unrealistic.

I'm going to watch this in less than twelve hours. This had better be as good as most people here think.

Oh yes, it had better.

[gkscotty]

I'm seeing this tomorrow. And I am so looking forward to a pleasant surprise now.

*review to follow*

[Kiyosuki]

Well I enjoyed it but it still has its share of flaws, its not going to please everyone. Maybe because its sort of an algamation of qualities from every era of the show's history and then some.

[Lisabella]

@Chris: Well, even the big established canon folks need 'shipers.  Especially with TPTB's fondness for floating the "Marge and Homer are really cheating on each other, no fooling" plot.

[A Spy in Mancunia]

IT DIDN'T SUCK!

I'm still a bit too blown away to attempt a proper review. All the bits that people said were good, were good. All the bits I feared would be bad weren't quite as bad when seen in context. The pig was actually cute (ugly-cute, thankfully, not ingratiating-cute) when seen in the film, rather than just being the OMG THEY HAVE A PIG in the trailer. There weren't *that* many Homer gets hurt moments in those 90 minutes. Even whackiness was there for a reason (I liked the woodland critters, even though that wasn't really realistic). All the family had a plot each, which is the way it should be done.

More specific things in SPOILERVISION:

Spoiler (hover to show)

Things I loved:
+The Itchy & Scratchy feature film
+Bart's blackboard line (first moment that made me applaud)
+The Green Day appearance: everything a guest star appearance should be. Short, to the point and funny.
+The moment where you see Bart's wiener
+Lisa's way to make everyone care about the state of the lake
+Entering Alaska
+MARGE!ANGST (and the song)
+Homer's epiphany. I heard some people compare it unfavourably to "El Viaje Misterioso del Nuestro Jomer", but it really wasn't meant to compete with it. This was much darker and more plot-related. For all I cared, it could have been longer, but it wasn't really needed, since Homer was already fairly depressed. I particularly liked the noose, the creepy version of "Spiderpig", and Homer's bits melting. Angsty.
+A lot of Cargill's moments
+Probably much more that I've forgotten

Bits that I disliked (not many, really):
-President Schwarzenegger. Yes, I still don't like it.
-Ralph's pointless line when Bart is skating naked.
-Ned saying "penis" (how was that funny, anyway?) and the medicine woman pointing the direction with her breasts. (I didn't mind Homer gluing his hand to his crotch, though.)
-Tom Hanks (his scene was good, I just don't like him. More about this below.)
-Needed more Burns.

It all looked brilliant, of course. When we swoop in over the cooling towers, I was blown away. When the Simpsons entered glorious Alaska, I was as breathless as they were. The dome was beautiful.

Characterisation felt good. Bart's perennial affectionate teasing of Homer sliding over into mean-spiritedness was well done. Homer wasn't a complete jerkass, even when the plot called for it: sure he was wrong to not want to save Springfield, but he did have a reason. As for the new characters... Colin wasn't as obnoxious as I had feared, but not very interesting either. How is it that when the writers try to give Lisa a nice viable love interest (rather than the damaged goods that are Ralph, Nelson or Milhouse) he ends up bland? I feel the same about Thelonius. Cargill, on the other hand, was a quite excellent bad guy. I had expected him to be the average shady sadistic villain, and his pleasant attitude was a surprise. There should have been a bit more of him.

The plot felt... good, but it lacked a certain something. It was a nicely orchestrated series of events designed to cause the maximum amount of drama, comedy etc. I guess all plots are. The obligatory foreshadowing didn't stick out like a sore thumb, but I could still see the writers think "and this is where all the foreshadowing reaches completion". I don't know. Marge's decision to leave Homer didn't really feel more final than in, say, "Secrets of a Successful Marriage". This was really a 90 minute episode, and a good one at that.

Lisa's plot was needed to start the whole environmental decision thing. Her romance with Colin didn't really need to connect to anything.

Oh, I don't know. Just once, I'd like to see Marge and Lisa doing the big stupid stunt that saves the day, not Homer and Bart.

Many good jokes, as I'm sure I pointed out, but the film suffered a bit from post-Season 14itis in that they were all fairly obvious. (Apart from the "Pink Elephants on Parade" feel in Homer's epiphany, and... is it just me, or was the dome a reference to Marlen Haushofer's "The Wall"? I thought about text adventure "For a Change" as well, when the shards of glass fell down, but that may just be me.)

Final thoughts: when the bomb was tottering at the edge of the hole, I found myself wishing it would fall in. And you know, I realise I did that because 90% of the times on the show, when something like that happens, the bomb equivalent *does* fall in. I guess the fact that it didn't symbolises something... Homer got his triumph, after all.

I like how we got to see Skinner and Krabappel together (even with her T-shirt). Perhaps things are healing up.

Perhaps best of all, there was nothing big to really date this film, apart from the Al Gore ref. As for Tom Hanks' appearance... I really liked the scene, and I'm sure they needed some celebrity to do it. I just don't like his stupid guest star-like face. And they really didn't need that bit with him at the end. It's not like we care about him.

To sum up, I give this film a B+/A-, good but not great. I will not destroy their planet, but nor will I share with them my secret of immortality.

As a previous poster said, this film is between classic seasons and newer ones, quality-wise. If it were an episode, I would watch it and say "Perhaps this is a return to form, after all." And who knows? Perhaps it is.

[D.B.]

Hmm, reviewing the simpsons movie after so much has been said. What is there to add?

Let's get the obligatory bit out the way. It didn't suck. Actaully, I think that's part of why this is an awkward film to review. Given the past 9 or 10 seasons my expectations were on the whole quite low, so the fact it exceded them is arguably something of a red herring when trying to decide if I thought it was good or not.

Bits I liked:

Spoiler (hover to show)

• The pig (surprisingly)
• The disney animals
• Bart skateboarding
• lisa being goofy with colin
• Maggie generally kicking ass
• The bullies putting a pacifier on maggie's noose - that bit was just so unexpectedly mean it surprised me into laughing.
• Springfield in ruins
• Martin standing up for himself
• The animation
• Bart and Homer making up at the end. I think the way that bart was just as much to blame for his rift with Homer (he wasn't forced to skatebaord naked after all), and that Homer made amends at the end by appealing to Bart's daredevil qualities again, worked well as bookends to one another.

Bits I didn't like:

Spoiler (hover to show)

• What the hell was going on with that inuit woman?
• Homer getting hurt jokes. None of them really worked for me.
• The segments after bart skateboards nude. I've no problem with seeing his junk, it was a funny scene and is arguably in character. However his getting handcuffed to a lamppost for hours, then dragged into krustyburger without any pants, just felt over the top.
• Bart saving Homer and himself from crashing the bike using his slingshot to hook onto an outcropping of rock. I think this sceen irritated me as that whole segment in Bart the Daredevil where Homer fails to jump the gorge is one of my favourite scenes in the show, just because it avoids cartoon cliches so well. As such, having such a far out solution to a similar problem in the same setting just seemed to jar.

Bits that sit somewhere in the middle, but still stuck out:

Spoiler (hover to show)

• Why was Colin used so little? Everyone has pointed out that Lisa's plot sat to one side of the main story, which is acceptable, but did colin feel lacking in personality to anyone else? Hell, in some ways almost a gary stu? He apparently felt no ill will towards Lisa's family getting him trapped in a dome, or almost killed. His clothes weren't even mussed when they came back. The closest he came to having a flaw was saying his dad wasn't bono
• Their trip to Alaska didn't feel like it went anywhere. I think part of the problem was there was no sense of time passing while they were there - they seemed to arrive then a day or so later leave again, which sort of downplayed the importance of it. Had I actually felt they'd built up a life there, and were giving something up to try and rescue Springfield, I might have been more emotionally invested in it. As it stood, it felt more like a bunch of stuff that happened.
• Homer's epiphany. It felt drawn out but without much payoff. There are better things they could have used that segment of time in the film for.
• Marge forgiving Homer at the end. After such a convincing split, it just didn't quite sit right for me that he ends up driving off with her on a motorbike with so little dialogue. Felt a smidge too Holywood.
• Cargill really should have been replaced with Scorpio. Yes, I know I've been saying that since saturday, but it just seems such an ideal casting opportunity. It's more of a wish list item than an actual criticism though.

In summary then... it didn't suck. But I don't think it made me go 'Wow!' either. I'll need to watch it again once it's on DVD and see what i think then to make a proper judgement. Though i guess the fact I've already settled on getting the dvd once it comes out is a good sign.

The movie really is great fic fodder, isn't it?  It carries a great sense of general urgency.

Quoted for great truth.

[Shockwave]

I think it just comes down to the fact that, as good as it really was, it could have been just that bit better. Sure... it certainly works on every level pretty much, and does have a far grander scope than a standard episode, which makes it that little more epic than normal. But in the end, it doesn't feel like it lives up to the near-on 20 year legacy of the show. Things like not all the supporting characters getting moments, a rather rushed intro( I expected to travel through Springfield quite a bit more before getting to the concert), a little lack of development of some story angles such as Lisa's plot and Russ Cargill's character, etc. If I could give an analogy, it's a bit like visiting a chocolate factory, but walking out with just a single standard box of chocolates at the end, when, as nice as those chocolates are, you know you probably should have left with a little more on a trip like that.

[fellranger]

I was veering between hope and cynicism in the run-up to the movie's release.   I had hoped that a lot of the stuff in the trailers was just a red-herring and wouldn't be included.   Well, it turns out that wasn't the case, but you know what?   It didn't matter, because the film worked, it really worked.   I'll put the bulk of this review in as a spoiler otherwise I'm bound to forget to hide something crucial.   It's going to be a bit disorganised, but here goes:

Spoiler (hover to show)

Starting with the I&S cartoon on a grander scale than usual was a nice touch (I had wondered what the deal was with those missiles).   Fair play for getting Green Day out of the way early on too.   I still think it was a bit of an unnecessary scene but I guess it served to bring in the environmental theme and for a change they didn't over use the guest stars (same goes for Tom Hanks).   I rather liked Abe's prophecy, he works quite well as a portent of doom...   Now, on to the early jerkass stuff with Homer.   I still think the hammer scene is as dumb as hell but when viewed as part of the whole film it all serves a purpose.
Likewise, I was preparing myself to hate Bart's "nude" scene but dammit, it was funny!   Again, it serves to set up the antagonism between Bart and Homer and all that comes from it.   The pig...well it wasn't as bad as it could have been and yes, it was cute in a way but it still seemed like a bit of a random choice as a plot device.   I will give them credit for tying it into the Marge/Homer and Bart/Homer storylines though, rather than it just being a source of manure...
Anyway, it feels like a good time to talk about Lisa here, seeing as the bulk of her involvement in the plot was at round about this point in the film.   Yes, the Lisa fan in me would have liked to have seen her play a more central role but I'll grudgingly admit that the film wouldn't have worked as well if she had.   If she had  been more central to the plot, it would likely have been as the shrill "mini-adult" activist that she's been portrayed as all too often in the later seasons.   Presumably that would have meant more conflict with Homer and that would have been a distraction from his relations Bart and Marge which were so crucial.   So Lisa was used just enough in her activist role to suit the plot and for the first time in a long while, we were allowed to see a charmingly awkward childish side of her with her little romance with Colin.   Yes, it did feel tacked on and yes Colin was quite one dimensional, but I think that was a matter of time - he just wasn't around long enough for any development in his character (and I thought he looked more like The Edge than Bono...).   I think with a bit more time, they could have worked it into the plot a little more.   Still, the whole thing was really sweet and there was some great voice acting by Yeardley.   I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Colin as a regular, though I'm not sure how much mileage they'd get out of him in the series.   I guess Bart's story with Ned kicks in at around this point too and I thought that was very well done as it was given enough time to  develop.   I particularly like that scene when they were fishing, Bart's instinctive expectation of being strangled was funny but also rather sad.
Anyway, skipping around (as the film did at times, I must say...) I'll get on to Cargill.   I'm with Pat on this one, Scorpio would have worked well and seeing as Albert Brooks voiced Scorpio, they could have got him to reprise the role instead of introducing a new character.   If they could have worked Burns in as the villain I would also have been pleased.   It was nice to see him as his old hound-releasing self but it was over so fast.   And as I've said before, Schwarzenegger should have been Wolfcastle, I don't know why they didn't do that.   Anyway, with Cargill's dome in place (I just had to suspend my disbelief and go with the flow...) we come to the mob scene, fittingly dark and of course, a chance for Maggie to shine!   I loved her look of total frustration when she's trying to show the family that they can escape through the sink hole - fantastic!
With the family on the road, Bart's anger with Homer really comes to the fore.   Although like the Marge plotline, it's something they've toyed with in the show before, it was taken to a greater extreme in the film and though Bart's drunken rant was odd, it drove the point home.   I felt that the family's time in Alaska was rushed, but the woodland creatures scene was very funny, that animation was rock-solid Disney.   So now to the breakdown in relations between Homer and Marge which was handled superbly.   I liked the call-back to Marge's conversation with Homer about the pig...and then there was the tape.   As others have said, Julie Kavner was incredible, the way she changes to a more natural delivery, subtly different from the way she usually voices Marge is devastating.   In fact Marge's character is exactly as it should be throughout the film, I really hope this lays the ghost of how she's been treated by the writers in the later seasons.
Homer's epiphany is possibly a little drawn out but I felt it worked as the film needed a really pivotal scene for him to realise exactly what he had done.   What the hell was going on with that medicine woman though?   There's a very disturbed animator out there somewhere 
The cut back to the ruins of Springfield was quite a shock.   Again, as others have said, it would have been nice to have seen more of what was happening back in Springfield while OFF were away.   Homer's solution to getting rid of the bomb was a nice little reference to the earlier "ball of death" so it didn't seem too contrived and of course, the gorge jump was a wonderful moment, it even seemed that the slingshot was a bit of a "classic Bart" ref.   And Martin knocking hell out of the bullies with a 2x4 was unexpected and absolutely hilarious, go Martin!   It was great to see Maggie save the day again at the end, don't know how she got there though, or Cargill...anyway...
It was nice to see everyone working to rebuild the town though the "safety conscious" hammer scene was back to the slapstick.   I laughed like crazy 

So, over all?   I think I can honestly say that The Simpsons does work on the big screen.   The animation, as expected from the trailers was stunning, though at times I didn't think the 3D stuff quite hung together with the 2D.   I felt the pacing was too fast at times.   It did feel quite close to that of the show and kept things moving along nicely but with the plot of that scale, I think they could have taken a little more time over certain things.   Yes, some of the jokes fell flat for me, yes the dome plot was quite contrived but this film had something that the show has lacked for years - heartfelt emotion.   I really did feel for the characters and most amazingly, Homer, despite his initial jerk-assing ended up as a likeable guy in the end.   I will certainly buy the DVD and I'm very tempted to go and see it in the cinema again.   I know it's been said that future seasons will make reference to the film - I think if they can capture some of it's heart and spirit, this could be a turning point for the show.

Spoiler (hover to show)

I'll leave the last word to Maggie: Sequel?

     
   
           

[gkscotty]

I was going to wait until I saw the movie a second time before reviewing. But I needed to respond to something Fellranger said...

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the gorge jump was a wonderful moment, it even seemed that the slingshot was a bit of a "classic Bart" ref.

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I just realised... slingshots have rubber bands... it's rubber-band reality!

[fellranger]

Heh!   You could be on to something there...

[Lisabella]

I forgot how much I liked

Spoiler (hover to show)

The Martin vingette where he smacks around the bullies and get his revenge.

The last quarter of the film is wonderfully cathartic - it almost feels like a banishment to the crappiness of the last five or so seasons.

[Kiyosuki]

I forgot how much I liked

Spoiler (hover to show)

The Martin vingette where he smacks around the bullies and get his revenge.

The last quarter of the film is wonderfully cathartic - it almost feels like a banishment to the crappiness of the last five or so seasons.

Yeah strangely thats what I thought too. A friend of mine who saw it with me opening night and I still think that in a way, it was almost like the film literally slapped the jerkass out of Homer. Its weird.

That Martin scene was great. It was one of the most loudly cheered scenes in my packed audience.

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Why was Colin used so little? Everyone has pointed out that Lisa's plot sat to one side of the main story, which is acceptable, but did colin feel lacking in personality to anyone else? Hell, in some ways almost a gary stu? He apparently felt no ill will towards Lisa's family getting him trapped in a dome, or almost killed. His clothes weren't even mussed when they came

Spoiler (hover to show)

We mentioned that on opening night too. He is kind of a Gary Stu. I guess it kind of works with the time they had, and the sideplot didn't really take away from the film but it still felt like it was just there to give Lisa something to do.

I know it's been said that future seasons will make reference to the film - I think if they can capture some of it's heart and spirit, this could be a turning point for the show.

I also wonder if they'll reference to this movie a bit more. I know they gotta get the status quo back on track and everything, but I think having at least the first episode of the next season still have Springfield under construction would be a neat touch. This upcoming Presidential satire ep with Ralph where the Springfieldites protest the presidential debates there...a part of me really really hopes they throw at least a small reference to the fact the President in this movie basically almost indirectly killed every man, woman, and child in an entire US city. I don't really expect continuity or consistency too much because you know how the show is, but that would be actually a pretty cool reference.

I like to be hopeful that maybe it could be a turning point for the show, although I think one has to kind of go about this in a casual way. Like if it gets better, great, if not then you know...thats that. You never know, but I still personally think these episodes can be potentially great even after all this time. Many of the problems are just problems of timing, pacing, and overly-simplifying characters and situations. Many great premises could have been even better with a greater degree of control.

The movie really is great fic fodder, isn't it?  It carries a great sense of general urgency.

Hell yeah. Some great stuff could be made to fill in a lot of the film's blanks. Heh...speaking of that...

[Lisabella]

Yeah strangely thats what I thought too. A friend of mine who saw it with me opening night and I still think that in a way, it was almost like the film literally slapped the jerkass out of Homer. Its weird.

I think the show's producers are very aware of what's been done to that character.  IMOHO, VERY recently (as in the last three seasons?) there've been mild improvements to everyone's characterization because the press has begun to admit that the show's not up to snuff as well.  And you know as soon as the press picks it up the casual viewers start to be swayed...

So I think they've been trying to rehab the show - to indulge my inner Nelson the last three seasons have only MILDLY sucked versus the TOTAL suck of the Scully years - there've been MORE THAN ONE GOOD EPISODE A SEASON *GASP*.  In other words, it's been getting better, it's just gonna take awhile for the show to recover from the massive damage that's been delt it.