The Simpsons: There Will Be Buds Review

The Simpsons: Season 28 Episode 6

This The Simpsons review contains spoilers.

“There Will Be Buds” skips the opening credits, which is usually a good sign because it means the writers had too much story to afford the time for a couch gag, but in this case they squandered it on a vape pen for Kirk Van Houten.

Poor Millhouse’s dad. He’s a loser. A soul-sucking fruit munch personality void from a long line of lesser men. He put out an album once, which would have been cool if it didn’t ask listeners to lend him a feeling. His son, Millhouse, is also a loser who looks just like the Dud in the Mystery Date game. Homer even scolded him to stick up for himself, as a loser. Because Millhouse’s mom looks just like his dad, who is also her cousin, we don’t even know if Kirk Van Houten has any genetic matter to pass on. The only time Millhouse showed any hint of balls was when he was being taken care of by his foster parent after he thought his parents were lost at sea. As Homer said of his own two kids when they skated their way to a championship tie: they’re both losers.

But just because a word is overused doesn’t mean the two underachieving underdogs can’t come up with a winning idea. Lacrosse, it’s marginally safer than football and much, much less fun. Combining the two least popular sports in America, soccer and hockey, it is the perfect game for the kids in the town that once proudly held the title of fattest in the country. It’s not quite a winning town, not even with the Neutrinos butting heads.

Now, Homer may not be quite the alpha male go-getting demigod himself. He may have even less hair than Kirk and much more belly, but he is by no means a void of personality. Homer has been paired with quite a few of the second class citizens of Springfield with mixed results. Kirk tries to fit into Ned Flanders’ sweater in this episode and he’s just a little too blue, and not green enough. This is a guy who can’t get a lap dance with $15,000 in singles.

And since when isn’t Homer a strip club kinda guy? In the first season we got a tour of Springfield’s least covered entertainers when Bart gets a spy camera photo of his old man shimmying with Princess Kashmir at Eugene Fisk’s bachelor party. Oh sure, the tour was for Bart’s own good, to teach him not to objectify women, but Homer was always the life of the party. He coulda love a million girls. Though, you’d never catch him at the bordello, Homer also put the spring back in Springfield’s burlesque house in an episode with a much better central song than the cringe-and-wince inspiring tune that upends the wrongful friendship.

I almost liked the “lacrosse, la what? What cross? What what?” bit, but it came off as tired, overused schtick. This shouldn’t be. This is The Simpsons and they’re supposed to keep certain things fresh, regardless of the episode and that include the verbal abuse they throw on their nouns and adjectives. They have short-cut wordplay down to a science and yet, they are messing with the formula.They didn’t even put in a nod to There Will Be Blood.

Nelson’s dad scores on wordplay in his short appearance by calling Professor Frink “smart nuts”and  Kent Brockman a “fruit munch” before Wiggum drops it by repeating it. The difference in the way Kirk and Homer heard the reverberating echo of the word “buddy” also works.

The episode gives an early nod to the real problem of concussions in sports and how they can mess with concession sales in the stands. They fog over it quickly by stuffing too many heads in the MRI, but can still seriously consider Pilipino tooth fighting, which is, admittedly good for the teeth and gums.  

Bart and Lisa are basically wallpaper in this episode, there to leverage their father out of bed. They have lines but they are just fodder for the Homer/Kirk bromance when this episode really would have benefited from a strong secondary plot. Maybe I’m being too hard on Millhouse’s dad. He has as much right to bore us as any of Springfield’s parents.

The Simpsons‘ “There Will Be Buds” scores a couple points, but, really. It’s lacrosse. 

“There Will Be Buds” was written by Matt Selman and directed by Denise Sirkot. The Simpsons stars Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson, Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson, Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson. Hank Azaria plays Chief Wiggum and Moe. Harry Shearer is Kirk Van Houten, Kent Brockman, C. Montgomery Burns and Waylon Smithers. The special guest was Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony.

Chalkboard: Nothing to see here and no couch gag.

But It All Went By So Fast:  Go Neutrinos. Muntz 22. Springfield Fire Department Closed for Big Game. Child Soldier Field. Mama’s Baby Trauma Drama. If not football, what sport is safe for our children? Homer is playing with Marge’s lipstick during the town meeting. Winner’s Pizza Your #1 victory party pizzeria. Participation Pizza, a trophy with every slice. Kirk went to Gudger College. Red Rash Inn. Strupo. Watching The Godfather. So good. Major muffin top. LOL. Just beat Halo #ALLNIGHTER. You mad? Blues Buddies – Celebrating the art of Jake and Elwood. The Blues Brothers. Top 5 Elwood harmonica solos. Blues Brother 2025 – Blues Con. Lets make this happen. Which Blues Brother Are You? TAKE THE QUIZ. What’s the best movie sequel Godfather Two or Blues Brothers 2000? Clear eyes full heart lacrosse. Ray’s Steaks Our Storied Steaks are the highest.

Airport Bypass Road. Storage Facility Blvd. Wet N Girls. Crystal Spice. Champagne Explosion. Nude Elegance. Gyrationz Where Friction Comes Alive. Peelers Nude Girls. Intimate Frustrations. Not Hookers. Pole Cats. Saddy’s Credit Card Statement Will Say “Church Dues.” Taragon Ocelot. Warning: Guy in bathroom does not work for us. Juicy Wang. Clubbb Sinnn. Utica’s Finest Champagne. Championship Pizza – no semi-finalists.