R&R: The Two Mrs Nahasapeemapetilons

How Do You Rate It?

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A

Adam R

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R&R gap filler 6 of 6, the archive is complete!

I can't comment really, I haven't seen it in ages. Insert a criticism about it being "sitcommish" here. And also I can't find any good quotes, so no fancy poll options today!
 
I thought it was OK. It did feel quite Scully-esque, but I quite liked the montage of Apu with all the women not far into the episode.

B
 
This one's not awful, but I'm not nuts about it. Homer living with Grandpa in the nursing home was one of the last screw-ball Homer moments I enjoyed before they wore out their welcome in season 10. The rest of it has some good moments. Mostly, I have a negative opinion of this one because it basically staged every Apu plotline to come after it, all of which have been weak. I gave it a 3/5, but perhaps I should have gone with a 4/5 by Scully standards.
 
It was good, very sitcommy with the "let's pretend you two are actually married" premise, but it had some good jokes, and I liked Homer at the retirement home, 4/5
 
A very funny episode, in my opinion, and Homer didn't seem nearly as dumb (and a lot funnier) than in most Scully episodes, even at this point through the run. Apu is a very funny character on the show, and it was probably a good idea by season 9 to write an episode about him. Even the weakest part of the episode, with Apu posing as Marge's husband, was quite funny, even if a lot of it made hardly any sense.

In particular, I think the scene where Homer said, "Man, that Yodel tasted good. I wish I was eating it right now" was funnier on repeated viewings. It wasn't until recently that I got what was implied here: if Homer had bought the $500 winning lottery ticket, he COULD be eating that Yodel right now.

My grade is 4/5.
 
A good Simpsons episode which holds its own in the Scully era. Homer does not act like a tool and the rest of the characters are fine. However, I wouldn't go nuts about it. The main plot, where Apu gets married to Manjula, is stronger than the subplot involving Apu and Marge, which seems weak and devoid of laughs. The start also meanders too much, until suddenly Apu gets a letter from his mother. (What a coincidence!) However, the scene at the retirement home with Grampa and Homer makes up for it. The wedding scene at the end also adds a nice touch, even if it is sappy. It gets a B. It does not exceed expectations on the whole, but it does not fail them either, with some good moments.
 
This was just on again in the UK. I didn't think it was that great to be honest, I found the main plot a bit painful for the reasons already mentioned (sitcomish, a bit overcontrived), although I did like the subplot with Homer in the retirement home.
I thought it was a shame they didn't make a bit more of Bart & Lisa's conversation with Apu's mum, as this was one of the few points in the dialogue where they could have gone a bit deeper into the differences between Indian and Western culture. However, Bart & Lisa just do the "what's with the dot" line, then make their excuses and leave without developing this at all, which I thought was a shame. (You would expect at least Lisa to have wanted to continue the conversation). Nevermind, maybe I'm going a bit too deep into it here.
Not many laughs for me in this one either, so I'm going to go for a 3/5, as I did think the ending with Apu and Manjula was very well done and quite touching, and Homer pretending to be Ganesh was pretty funny.
 
Being Indian, I can't help but positively adore this episode. They stereotype India quite well, and point out the annoying misconceptions the West has about us. My personal favorite part was "So, what's that dot for? Does it change colors when you're pissed off?" because I get asked several times a day what the dot is for, and I usually respond it changes colors when we're pissed off or shoots laser beams. Unlike most people, I liked the idea of Apu getting married, develops his charachter a bit more from just the Kwik-E-Mart clerk. I don't really mind the sitcomish undertones, and "I am Ganesha! Do what I say!" was just golden.

Overall, though I am clearly biased, I found this episode entertaining and its the only episode I can get my mom to watch, so a 4.5/5 from me
 
"Apu, I had no idea you felt this way! Now wipe that smile off your face- we have a wedding to plan!"

It's the best of the "Apu's marriage" episodes, with the runner-up being season 10's "I'm With Cupid". I loved Homer's antics in the retirement home, and while 'sitcommish', Bart, Lisa, Marge, and Apu trying to hide the truth from Apu's mother had a lot of funny moments, like "Oh! Marge! How.... could you!" "Oh Apu, GIVE IT UP."

After that, Apu-centric episodes seemed to run out of steam by act three; "Eight Misbehavin'" and "The Sweetest Apu" both suffered this fate.
 
I really like this episode, both for the Yodel gag and Homer's antics at Apu's wedding. It felt like it fit in the classic era, surprisingly enough.

"Stop chasing Ganesh, you're just going to get more Wrath!"

I give it a 4/5, or B+.
 
A good episode that sadly changed Apu's character for the worse. But the bachelor auction is klassik Krusty, and I absolutely love this Bart/Lisa exchange:

Bart: Aw, I wish I had an elephant.
Lisa: (tiredly) You did. His name was Stampy. You loved him very much.

Yeardley's reading of this line is just so perfect.
 
I thought that Apu's character changed in "Eight misbehavin". He was still good until then.

I quite like this episode. Some funny moments,they mostly came from Homer. I love the parts with him spending time at "old folks home". My favorite scene is when he's greeting everybody in home,and then grampa calling him Cornelious.
 
Lisa: 'What's the deal with that dot?' = Really bad writing, even if it is only one line.

That aside, this is quite a poor episode. Like most of Season 9 it isn't offensively terrible, just bland and derivative, using up stock sitcom staples at an alarming rate. The main plot is actually very weak; as standard a plotline as it is, you would expect much more in the way of humour derived from the Marge/Apu/Apu's mother conflict. In reality it is barely mined at all, such is the need to rapidly move the episode along to the wedding.

The wedding has some nice moments, such as Apu and Manjula's conversation before they get married, but it is also marred by Homer's howlingly unfunny crashing of the event. In the end there is neither the substance, the good character writing, or the laughs in this episode for me to give it a good grade.

C-
 
BrideofMoleman said:
Why is that line so terrible? It is quite common for the most intelligent of people to bug Indian women with that question
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Do they ask the question using the words 'what's the deal with that dot'? Because it strikes me as a very rude and ignorant way of posing the question in the first place, and the way Yeardley reads it reinforces that - it isn't said inquisitively, but more in a 'what the hell is that?' kind of way. But even if we assume that there are people that would word the question like that, Lisa wouldn't be one of them. As well as being very knowledgeable about other cultures and way of life, I think she has the manners to not go around pointing out aspects of people that are different to her in a 'look at that!' fashion.
 
Do they ask the question using the words 'what's the deal with that dot'? Because it strikes me as a very rude and ignorant way of posing the question in the first place, and the way Yeardley reads it reinforces that - it isn't said inquisitively, but more in a 'what the hell is that?' kind of way. But even if we assume that there are people that would word the question like that, Lisa wouldn't be one of them. As well as being very knowledgeable about other cultures and way of life, I think she has the manners to not go around pointing out aspects of people that are different to her in a 'look at that!' fashion.
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Surprisingly enough, yes, there are people like that. I do think you are right that it was OOC for Lisa to say that, it would have probably been better if Bart said it. But I don't think the line as a whole was absolutely terrible.
 
Wow...had no idea that so many people thought this was a 'mediocre' episode. I thought it was hilarious! First act is classic.

5/5
 
Veryjammy said:
Do they ask the question using the words 'what's the deal with that dot'? Because it strikes me as a very rude and ignorant way of posing the question in the first place, and the way Yeardley reads it reinforces that - it isn't said inquisitively, but more in a 'what the hell is that?' kind of way. But even if we assume that there are people that would word the question like that, Lisa wouldn't be one of them. As well as being very knowledgeable about other cultures and way of life, I think she has the manners to not go around pointing out aspects of people that are different to her in a 'look at that!' fashion.
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Poor Lisa. Seems she's not allowed to do anything.
Why is it that we put so many constrictions on what Lisa can and can't say or do? Do we want her character to be narrow and predictable?
Honestly, I'm as critical of the characterization of Lisa in the later seasons, but sometimes we get too anal about this. Why can't an eight-year-old child (a smart child, yes, but still a child) ask a simple question? It's not like there's anything offensive about it. Just because Lisa is intelligent, that doesn't mean that everything she says has to be a sprinkling of divine wisdom.
 
I'm not saying everything Lisa says has to have a sprinking of 'divine wisdom'. What I'm saying is that Lisa has always been shown to be tolerant, understanding and interested in other cultures and way of life. Maybe you think asking 'what's the deal with that dot?' is an innocuous way of asking a question. I don't, and I don't think Lisa would either. I'm not saying she shouldn't ask why it's there if she doesn't already know, it's the way and the tone she says it in that isn't fitting. If Bart said it then fine, but putting a question phrased in an 'ignorant Westerner' manner into Lisa's mouth isn't paying close enough attention to character.

I'm tired of this overblown 'Lisa is a child too' argument. Yes she is, and she does childish things sometimes, but just because she is eight doesn't mean that any childish behaviour the writers give her is appropriate.
 
I should start by saying that we interpret the reading of the line differently. I don't hear any scorn in Lisa's voice. Yes, it's a little irreverent, but hey, Apu's mom is basically housecrashing on the Simpsons, and not being terribly nice about it either. So IF Lisa was to give her attitude, I wouldn't find it that odd.

But one of the good things about this episode is that it treats Indian culture in an informed and respectful way, while still managing to be irreverent. It's un-PC, but it's not mean-spirited.

The Gopi dot, like the cross in Christianity, is one of the most recognisable trademarks of Hinduism -- yet very few westerners know what it stands for. Like no Christian I know would be offended if someone asked "What's that cross-thingy?", I can't imagine a Hindu being offended by someone asking what the "deal" with the dot is. If anything, wouldn't they be glad that someone's taking an interest in their beliefs? We don't have to naturally assume that people will be offended just because we're imperialist douchebags.

As a sidenote, Lisa actually starts the conversation out by asking, very respectfully, "Can I ask you about that dot?", so she made sure beforehand that it was okay to ask about it. That's pretty darn considerate.
 
Did anyone else find the 'Air India - we treat you like cattle' extremely hilarious?

And Homer pretending to be that elephant god was also funny.
 
Those jokes were OK. Not as good as they could be, though.
I like this episode. Many good jokes and well, pretty good plot.
I'll rate it with 4/5. Maybe even 5/5.
 
Handsome Peter said:
A very funny episode, in my opinion, and Homer didn't seem nearly as dumb (and a lot funnier) than in most Scully episodes, even at this point through the run. Apu is a very funny character on the show, and it was probably a good idea by season 9 to write an episode about him. Even the weakest part of the episode, with Apu posing as Marge's husband, was quite funny, even if a lot of it made hardly any sense.

In particular, I think the scene where Homer said, "Man, that Yodel tasted good. I wish I was eating it right now" was funnier on repeated viewings. It wasn't until recently that I got what was implied here: if Homer had bought the $500 winning lottery ticket, he COULD be eating that Yodel right now.

My grade is 4/5.
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Actually, I don't think there was anything implied by his quote. It was just a random joke that Homer made. He just finished eating the Yodel and wished he hadn't finished eating it so that he had a tasty Yodel to eat. Now the Yodel was gone and he wished he had it again.

The joke with the lotto ticket and Yodel was implied when he was deciding between buying the ticket or the yodel. If he got the ticket, then he could've used part of the $500 to buy a Yodel and still have 490 something dollars left.
 
4/5.

Having seen this episode again last night, I will give it a 4/5. It was a good episode, but not absolutely flawless. I just absolutely laughed my ass off when Homer wrote something down on the paper and showed Apu: "Where are the sticky buns?" A-
 
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