Friends and Family is a great Simpsons episode with a well written plot and plenty of very funny scenes. It's an interesting one, as we see Mr. Burns hiring Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie as his virtual reality family. It makes a farcical jab at how ridiculous technology has gotten, as people are now using it to create a whole new life different from their own.
I did feel the main plot could have had more of a structure. It seemed to merely be one gag after another, rather than giving us an actual arch that we could follow through with.
The Homer and Julia plot was very well developed. I thought the dialogue between the two of them was fantastic as we saw him somewhat falling for her as a result of how easy she was to talk to. Allison Janney's voice work in the role was stellar and suited the character perfectly.
It has a subplot that stands out so well that it saves the episode from sinking in to mediocrity. Friends and Family is a very enjoyable Simpsons.
Mr. Burns hires Marge and the kids to play his virtual reality family. Meanwhile, Homer befriends his neighbour Julia.