The Boys of Bummer... Yes, what a bummer...

Bart makes the catch of a lifetime, or does he?
http://static-media.fxx.com/img/FX_Networks_-_FXX/597/1003/the_boys_of_bummer.jpg

Introduction
Hello! Ao here again, with another review of the Simpsons. As you can probably tell by now, I love watching cartoons, especially The Simpsons and South Park. Today, I will be reviewing the episode titled 'The Boys of Bummer', from season eighteen. Let me start by saying that this is my first negative review. All my reviews up until now have been positive reviews. But I just really couldn't get myself to like this episode, despite my love for The Simpsons.

Plot Summary
Bart Simpson is playing a match for the local baseball team. Bart takes the game winning catch, which sends his team into the finals. The town of Springfield are super excited about the upcoming match. During the final match, Bart is given yet another opportunity to take the game winning catch that will win the championship. Unfortunately, it's not a fairy tale ending, as Bart chokes and misses the catch. This is met with boos in the stadium. During the coming days, Bart is incessantly met with hate from the townsfolk. This causes Bart to go a little crazy, and he falls and injuries himself while writing a graffiti of how much he hates himself.

Poor Bart cracks from the pressure of being hated by the whole town.
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/simpsons/images/d/d1/The_Boys_of_Bummer_77.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20131002170313

Meanwhile, Bart's father Homer Simpson gets a job as mattress salesman. Homer somehow ends up giving away the mattress in his bedroom, which has a negative effect on his love life. While trying to steal the mattress back, Homer is caught. They agree to cut the mattress in half, according to Bible principles.

Bart's mother, Marge Simpson, negotiates with the townsfolk to play a fake match, let Bart take the game winning catch, and thus pretend that Bart actually won the game. They agree, and the replay match gets underway. Bart takes the whole day to finally take the catch. The scene fast forwards 60 years into the future, and ends with Bart boasting to his childhood friend, Milhouse, just how awesome he was for taking the fake game-winning catch.

Thoughts
As I mentioned earlier, I'm not a big fan of this episode. My main gripe is with the plot, it just made no sense at all. I know this is a cartoon and all, but that doesn't mean any semblance of a sensible plot should just be thrown out the window! This is especially applicable to The Simpsons, a cartoon which during their early days, had creative and interesting plots, with endings that made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I will concede that this is this episode is from the eighteenth season, so it's likely they simply ran out of ideas at this point. Despite this, I still stand by my statement that the plot made no sense.

This is what I looked like when reflecting on the plot.
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Firstly why did they make two separate, yet totally untreated subplots in this episode? It was confusing trying to follow Homer Simpson getting a job at the mattress store, and stealing his bed back, while Bart was dealing with his baseball woes. Secondly, the plot made no sense, and was beyond unrealistic. Homer Simpson works at the Nuclear Power Plant, and has been from episode one. So why does he suddenly work at a mattress store? There's no explanation about how this happens, it just, happens. And the ending wasn't very satisfying either. Now, traditionally Bart has been portrayed as a happy-go-lucky kid, who despite poor grades, was rather sharp and bright. This episode makes him look very dim. Why would Bart, or any kid, believe that the game was being replayed over and over again? Would he not realize what they were doing? Or that something was suspicious?

Rating
Overall: 3/10. The plot made no sense, and it wasn't a very entertaining episode either. I love The Simpsons, and it hurts me to have to give such a low rating for one of their episodes, but I have to be objective in my reviews. I would not recommend this episode, it just doesn't compare to the many other classic episodes.