This The Simpsons review contains spoilers.
The Simpsons Season 31 Episode 7
The Simpsons, season 31, episode 7 “Livin’ la Pura Vida,” is a diversion, but not diverse enough to make it very memorable. The Simpsons vacation in yet another exotic locale, but they leave most of the jokes at home. This is so far the lowest scoring gag per minute episode of the season.
Marge’s opening enthusiasm is irresistible. It is one of her best comedic non-verbal moments. She gets the invitation to the Van Houtens’ annual trip to Costa Rica, plays it cool for under a minute, and races off seemingly mid-sentence. The Simpsons have a few tricks which never fail for them. One of these is their car escapes. It is open to any character in any strata of the Simpsons universe. Gangsters excuse politely themselves to make hasty escapes. It puts an abrupt end to uncomfortable conversations. It’s a great out for boring dinner parties. Here Marge puts a positive spin on it, taking much of Springfield with her in the wake, and nails it.
Her speedy drive home for the family meeting leaves Officer Lou left dangling to the winds. At first this looks like a passing sight gag, one in a series of swerves into hasty happy chaos. But it also becomes a minor punch line to a later joke. As the speed trap Lou gets stuck in is the reason he can’t go on the Van Houtens’ excursion later. He is never mentioned again, but gets a sight gag and an assist.
The multifamily vacation includes the Hibbards, who we know very little about, and superintendent Chalmers, who we knew less about until tonight and now maybe we know too much. Chalmers is there trying to bond with his teenaged daughter Shauna. Their scenes together are supposed be filling us in on their story and fill in Chalmers as a person. He’s best known for yelling “Skinner” at Springfield Elementary school’s Principal Skinner. Here he keeps his voice down and tries desperately to be the understanding father no one wants to go on vacation with. It becomes tedious and doesn’t produce much laughs.
The Van Houtens experience double indemnity in this episode, but nobody gets off. First Lisa uncovers something which makes it look like they’re doing something wrong, and then she finds what they’re really doing wrong and lets the monkeys deal with it. Bart doesn’t have much to do in the episode, but the idea he may have been sidelined by Millhouse’s “vacation buddy” is too sad to think about.
“Livin’ la Pura Vida” a beach drink without an umbrella. While there is plenty of fodder for a variety of jokes, it is light on the comedy. The country goes unmolested and the only family to get ribbed is the Simpsons, who once again live up to their reputation of not living up to the community standard even when the standards are lowered. The family didn’t get into the country club in season 7’s “Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield,” and now they aspire to the Van Houtens. There needs to be more struggle and less class.
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“Livin’ la Pura Vida” was written by Brian Kelley.
The Simpsons episode ” Livin’ la Pura Vida” aired Sunday, Nov. 17, 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.
