DVD: The Simpsons Season 14

The Simpsons is a show that has been around as long as I can remember. It’s probably one of the first I saw. And while some people claim the show has declined in quality over the years being a waste of a show by this point, I totally disagree. I find the show can still deliver in its current season (the 23rd!) and this season definitely includes moments worth owning. 

There are amazing episodes among this 22 episode set featuring such stand out moments as Marge getting a boob job, the Rolling Stones rock ‘n’ roll fantasy camp, a great Batman scene featuring Adam West and Burt Ward, Santa’s Little Helper becoming the new Duff spokesman and Homer moving in with some gay men. As always there’s an amazing ‘Treehouse of Horror’ episode, the shows excuse to tell stories they couldn’t possibly tell within the show’s slightly realistic world. This years features clones of Homer going on a hilarious rampage, the town throwing away their guns then being attacked by zombies and the family visiting an island where a mad scientist is creating human-animal hybrids. This season also contains the 300th episode in which Bart gets himself emancipated from his parents, featuring Tony Hawk and Blink 182. This later leads to a ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ inspired skateboard showdown between Homer and Tony Hawk. You also get a very sweet Moe episode in which he befriends Maggie, improving his life in the process and teaching her about, very inappropriately, the Godfather films.

However there are some less impressive episodes, ‘Helter Shelter’  in which the family move into a old-fashioned house for a reality TV show being a particular low point. While it has its moments much of the episode just drags without any laugh out loud moments or reason for viewing really. I also think I’m too young to get quite a few of the jokes. ‘Bart vs Lisa vs The Third Grade’ is also a bit of a slow episode with the pairing together of Bart and Lisa in the third grade feeling very forced. As a whole though even the worst episodes provide moments of comedy, that make them worth viewing.

As has come to be expected with The Simpsons the extras are very expansive, putting most DVD box-sets to shame. It’s filled to the brim with deleted scenes, animatics and storyboards, features covering landmark episodes with every episode having an audio commentary containing cast and crew. The commentaries are always hilarious, pointing out goofs you may not have noticed and stating their dislike of episodes they see as sub-par. They add to the quality of the set making it a must have purchase for any Simpsons fan.

I still bought this box-set because I love The Simpsons and I will always love The Simpsons, but even if you're not a die hard fan this set still provides enough laughs to make it worth the purchase.