My eyes were clouded by the cataracts of success
The Great Phatsby
Director: Chris Clements and Timothy Bailey
Guest Voices:
Charles Barkley as himself
Common as himself
Taraji P. Henson as Praline
Keegan-Michael Key as Jazzy James
RZA as himself
Kevin Michael Richardson as Jay G
Snoop Dogg as himself
Synopsis: Mr Burns throws a 1920s style shindig, but is bored with his life and how cheap he has become. He meets a wealthy hip hop manager who encourages him to spend all his cash.
Discussion: As an hour long episode, the first in the show’s long history, one would expect an actual plot to carry it through. This ep reads like a mini-movie; all three acts are present over two parts. This isn’t a classic Simpsons episode, in fact it feels like a movie squished into an hour (or rather, 43 minutes).
There’s probably some sort of social message here but meh, who cares? There’s some great cultural references, particularly if you’re an Empire fan or have read The Great Gatsby. There’s some pretty decent music but nothing like the classic Simpsons tunes of 20 years ago.
It’s a decent ep and worth the hour. Full of guest stars who actually add to the story, it’s well worth the viewing. And I don’t say that very often!