The Simpsons: 10 Golden Age Episodes That Foreshadowed Its Decline
5. Lady Bouvier’s Lover
Lady Bouvier’s Lover is arguably the last great episode here; the top four all have flaws in some way that indicated the oncoming demise. Lady Bouvier’s Lover though, much like Lisa The Vegetarian and Two Bad Neighbors, kicked off a trope that would soon be overused to death.
Need an old man plot? Call in Mr Burns! He’s in that class of character just below the family themselves, alongside the likes of Apu, Moe and Chief Wiggum, but these days he misses as often as he hits. The recent Al Jolson dance number in Season 30’s Baby You Can’t Drive My Car was a particular lowlight.
The plot concerns Abe falling in love with Marge’s mother, Jacqueline. However, after a chance meeting while out dancing, Mr Burns falls in love with her too, eventually proposing to her. But why was Burns there in the first place? Why would a bitter, antisocial old man go for a night on the town? His fragility comes and goes as gags require; but his motivation should not.
The slight cop out ending is redeemed by the fact it’s a parody of The Graduate, back when the show was note perfect on parody.