This The Simpsons review contains spoilers.
The Simpsons Season 31 Episode 3
The Simpsons, season 31, episode 3, “The Fat Blue Line,” is a supporting character-led episode, focusing on Chief Clancy Wiggum, the worst cop the state attorney’s investigating officer ever had the pleasure of humiliating in front of his men. While stories focusing on secondary character stories on The Simpsons have had as mixed success as Wiggum’s policing, this episode works with only minor appearances from the titular family itself.
Local anchorman Kent Brockman gets in more alliterative headline quips than should be allowed by the laws of either comedy or physics, though the closing line from Fat Tony D’Amico is a true understated classic: “So this is what it feels like to be innocent,” he says after being set up as the culprit who purloined the back pocket fortunes on Springfield’s citizenry. He is accustomed to defending himself from crimes he did commit, but even his lawyer, played by Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad‘s Bob Odinkirk, doesn’t buy his innocence. This is especially condemning after the many, many true crimes he has gotten away with. The best defense they can come up with is this time he didn’t do it.
The episode throws in references to The Godfather and The Sopranos, even closing with a recreation of the famous ending scene of the game-changing HBO gangster series. It features Maggie as Meadow, trying to parallel her Big Wheel in time to make it for the onion rings. Fat Tony’s character was transformed by The Sopranos, which was The Simpsons biggest competitor when it aired on Sunday nights. While we don’t know who Fat Tony is specifically based on, Genovese crime family underboss Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno died in a hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Salerno fronted as the family’s top boss for a while and didn’t rat when he was sentenced to 100 years for racketeering. While this makes it almost unfathomable for The Simpsons‘ Fat Tony to wear a wire, the “remember the phrase” gag is a wonderfully tight homage to Bud Abbott and Lou Costello’s “Who’s on first” routine.
Johnny Tightlips has always been one of my favorite characters. Tony Soprano lamented the old time strong, silent type personified by Gary Cooper, and Tightlips is the epitome of the character. Tightlips is the guy who, when shot, refused to tell say where, and when asked what he should tell the doctor, replied “tell him to go suck a lemon.” He has more lines tonight than all his appearances put together, and you kind of want him to shut up. Like Robert Baccalieri Jr., played by Steve Schirripa, he says so much with very little, and is ultimately placed to take over the family business should he big man go down. It is good to see him finally step up, even though his staunchest supporter is a mug whose nickname is “Kiss Ass.”
The episode is filed with visual gags, but the license plates at the Italian restaurant are the high point. Each one is a mob cliché, from KILLS 4$$ to SLEEPS WITH FISHES, they get increasingly silly and yet contain a hint of danger. This is where the series’ humor thrives best, straddling the line of perilous fun and irreverent mockery. “The Fat Blue Line” is loaded with Italian stereotype-gags. They are told lovingly and yet without the respect due.
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“The Fat Blue Line” is a nearly perfect episode. Although the same length as all installments, it leaves the audience wanting more within its framework. Yes, the jokes come at machine gun speed and the laughs are full, but it leaves room for one more segment. Like there is always room for pastry and espresso after a meal. Not spumoni though, there is a reason Wet Panther spits that out. The Simpsons are stretching incrementally this season and each episode is more satisfying than the last.
“The Fat Blue Line” was written by Bill Odenkirk, and directed by Michael Polcino.
The Simpsons episode “The Fat Blue Line” aired Sunday, Oct. 13, on Fox.
Keep up with The Simpsons Season 31 news and reivews here.
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.
