With so many characters, The Simpsons has an almost endless amount of character combinations they can bring to its stories. I don't think people asked for the pairings in this episode (Homer/Chalmers and Lisa/Shauna), but it works quite well.
As a band person, I also greatly appreciate the inclusion of the full marching band as a part of the episode. The sound team did a really good job using the sound of real Tenor Drums for when Shauna played, although they are not animated correctly (which is something you only expect from movies, really). No well-balanced marching band would have more Tenors than Snares, either, but I'm just nitpicking at this point.
The plot of the episode itself is rather enjoyable, and although the writing is mediocre at times, there are enough good jokes and interesting situations to keep you going. The theme about the older kids and their influence on younger kids also hit home for me.
A good plot, good characters, and a lot of charm, if you haven't given The Simpsons a shot in a while, you should put this one on.
As a band person, I also greatly appreciate the inclusion of the full marching band as a part of the episode. The sound team did a really good job using the sound of real Tenor Drums for when Shauna played, although they are not animated correctly (which is something you only expect from movies, really). No well-balanced marching band would have more Tenors than Snares, either, but I'm just nitpicking at this point.
The plot of the episode itself is rather enjoyable, and although the writing is mediocre at times, there are enough good jokes and interesting situations to keep you going. The theme about the older kids and their influence on younger kids also hit home for me.
A good plot, good characters, and a lot of charm, if you haven't given The Simpsons a shot in a while, you should put this one on.