This The Simpsons review contains spoilers.
The Simpsons: Season 30 Episode 14
After 30 seasons, The Simpsons have a lot more to look back on than forward to. Episode 14, “The Clown Stays in the Picture,” takes another in a series of peaks into their past for a revelatory look to add to the series canon, whether we remember it or not. Krusty the Clown is a local hero. Well known on every TV set in Springfield except the Flanderses. Up until now, his only nationally recognized appearances was as the Adam West-era Batman villain Clownface. We knew that Bob Newhart was vaguely familiar with the name.
What we didn’t know is Krusty the Clown costarred in a hit comedy film called “Good Cop Dog Cop.” It spilled so much popcorn a sequel was a natural. All of Hollywood’s biggest names, Danny DeVito, Cher, Spielberg, Eddie respected the money he made. But his thwarted attempt at motion picture fame was thwarted by something Krusty keeps secret, the likes of which can only be admitted on a Mark Maron podcast.
It seems Krusty the Clown had the soul of an artist while he was making his early bones in film. “The Clown Stays in the Picture” looks past the comic performer’s penchant for bowing to the lowest common denominator or the stalest of jokes. (Did we ever find those kids’ noses?) We see what could have been. Krusty says he won’t make “Good Cop Dog Cop 2: Golden Revolver” unless he gets to act in something more serious. The science fiction novel “The Sands of Space” is so serious it has been deemed unfilmable. This is the book that drove Francis Ford Coppola to wine and made Stanley Kubrick a recluse. It seems to be the perfect vehicle for someone trying to prove they have something to prove.
The studio decides to go along with the idea, just to heel the dog cop into submission. They deem it a hippy dippy vanity project, hire a has-been to direct it, and a never-was to do everything else. It turns out Krusty takes the low-budget project very personally. So when the director starts turning it into schlock, Krusty blows his nose in the guy’s ascot, and fires him. The director quotes silent star Lillian Gish, telling Krusty to go crap in a hat, before he mysteriously drowns, and the clown announces he is going to make the picture himself. The way it should be, if only he can decide what that should be.
Further reading: The Simpsons Season 30 Episode 11 Review: Mad About the Toy
Marge sees behind the bleached skin to the sad clown underneath. They say in Hollywood nobody knows anything, and Krusty knows a lot less than that, and Marge convinces him that’s just enough to finish the movie. Krusty promotes her to assistant to the director, and finds the assurance he needs to be reassured.
Further reading: Marge Simpson’s Julie Kavner Is a National Treasure
Further reading: The Simpsons Season 30 Episode 2 Review: Heartbreak Hotel
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Everyone in Springfield falls in love with Marge. Artie Ziff has made it his lifelong ambition to marry her. Montgomery Burns kidnapped Tom Jones for a private performance to impress her. Sure, she’s a national treasure and possibly the hottest blue haired lady in Springfield. She’s certainly more alluring than Luanne Van Housen, the town’s other azure topped woman. But as it seems it’s about to be overdone we learn Krusty isn’t looking for romantic love. He wants a therapist, counselor, rabbi and assistant who will never overshadow him.
The episode threads some irreverent needling of Hollywood production. Everyone on the crew powders up before shots. We also learn the Sea Captain Horatio Peter McCallister lost his leg on this movie set. Maybe someday we’ll learn why he needs two glass eyes.
As is her wont, Marge finds the good in everyone, even in Krusty, who admits it is only when he’s with her that he gets that way. He concludes this is why he never want to see her again. This is a spark of the classic Simpsons. This episode is less sentimental than recent stories and is a better for it. This has been easing uncomfortably close to cloying for a few years now. A lot of people lay this at the feet of Al Jean, but every now and then we get a selfish man doing a selfless act and are relieved he’s learned his lesson and will never do it again. The audience laughs when Krusty is trying to be serious and it’s the best lesson of all.
“The Clown Stays in the Picture” was directed by Timothy Bailey, and written by Matt Selman.
Further reading: The Simpsons Christmas Episodes Are Cost-Effective Chimneys of Horror
The Simpsons‘ “The Clown Stays in the Picture” aired Sunday, February 17 at 8:00 p.m. on Fox.
Culture Editor Tony Sokol cut his teeth on the wire services and also wrote and produced New York City’s Vampyr Theatre and the rock opera AssassiNation: We Killed JFK. Read more of his work here or find him on Twitter @tsokol.
