I didn't like this episode, and for more than one reason.
(Edna Krabappel) is a very sad character. To some extent the show's writers didn't have mercy on her. She obviously isn't happy with her job. She was dumped by the coward (Smithers). And she makes up for her middle-age crises, and living with no passion in work or life, by smocking and drinking heavily. To make matters worse and worse, (Bart) saw, in one of his trips to the future, that she would turn into old alcoholic miserable prostitute!
In (Bart Gets a 'Z'), they - the writers - aimed to play the same game of let's curve but not break. Namely toying with the character a bit, teaching it - and us - a lesson, then bringing it back to point 1 in the next episode. This awful round; they didn't teach anyone any lesson!
After getting fired because of a (Bart)'s prank, Mrs. (Krabappel) made a muffin shop, but eventually didn't complete it. She returned somehow to her job, but didn't actually accomplish anything. Even her perception of "The Answer" was meaningless; simply a revenge out of the class's kids! So this episode doesn't offer much in terms of (Krabappel)'s positive progress. In fact, it assures that nothing can be done to delete or delay her heartrending prospective fate. And if that was intended, then it's part of the show's belief that some characters are born to be doomed, which is seriously very black side in a lovely optimistic show such as this!
The transformation of the new teacher was idiot. Originally, that character wasn't built fairly. He seemed cool, creative and most of all in love with his job. So how come that he gets drunk in the school, saying the strange things he said at the end?! He should have shown some of "that" earlier, by some way, so when he would go off, it would have had some logicality. Because this way it has "forced" written all over it instead, as any pretext that makes (Krabappel) get back her job!
It's clear that The Simpsons' image hasn't been the same after The Simpsons movie. The cadres became tighter, and the nice many details got lesser and lesser. This is undoubtedly made the pace slower, since the visual density, with its distinct lively spirit, left the screen. It's not about the absence of one of the trademarks of the show at its golden age, only. It's about being TV-ish in the worst sense too.
Save the first sequence of (Paul McCartney)'s Another Day, couple of (Homer)'s lines, and some impressively sorrowful vocal performance by (Marcia Wallace) as (Krabappel), this is dramatically and visually unsatisfying. It looks made just to have a good laugh on the books / DVDs of think good and do well. I didn't have a laugh though, seeing that this episode didn't think good or do well itself.
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