The layout is similar to the previous books. Every episode for these two seasons is fully covered giving plot synopsis and the best quotes. All of the movie/music/TV/literary references, both obvious and obscure, and listed as well as a section dedicated to “the stuff you might have missed.”
The Simpsons are what creator Matt Groening calls the first VCR television show. There are so many quick sight gags in each episode—be it a church marquee reading "if you were pastor you’d be home right now," to the Simpsons staying at the "Second Best Western" hotel—you have to rewind and pause the VCR, er... DVR to catch them all. That is, unless you have this book, which captures every gag in every episode.
Along with episode guides there is the completely listing of every uttering of Homer’s "D’oh" or "Mmmmm" (mmmmm…unexplained bacon), couch gags, song lyrics, and virtually anything you’d ever want to know about the show.
Sure, seasons 13 and 14 do not contain the best episodes ever. They even generated an influx of jumping the shark accusations. I certainly yelped out a few groans over less-than-stellar episodes. However, there are still a good number of classic episodes in these season (The Blunder Years where, under hypnosis Homer regresses back to his 12th year and winds up screaming like a child—for hours; or How I Spent My Summer Vacation with Homer going to Rock-n-Roll camp—Mick Jagger: "Homer, its only rock-n-roll camp"; Homer: "But I like it"—immediately come to mind.
One Step Beyond Forever continues the excellent tradition of documenting every nuance of one of the greatest shows to hit television, ever.
For more blatherings on pop culture, and to find the meaning of life go to Brewster's Millions.
Edited: PC
Article comments
1 - Sterfish
Great review Mat, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. The episode guides are great reads and I can't wait to pick up the new one (although I wish they had put more than just two seasons in it).
2 - Mat Brewster
Thanks Starfish. The books are marvelous. A perfect guide for a nearly perfect show. I use them all the time in determining a good episode to watch.