Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

The first episode of The Simpsons always throws me off because of how un-Simpsons it feels from the outside. However, watching this episode with a completely fresh mind, I realized that this episode actually perfectly sums up who the Simpsons are. It's almost an art how successfully they are portrayed and the level of depth these characters have. The Simpsons can wear on people, because from the outside it seems like bad people making bad choices. But "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", we see that these characters make choices for all the right intent. Bart gets a tattoo, but not for himself. He gets a heart that says "mother", in honor of his mom. Homer gets upset with Marge as she's trying to write the families Christmas card, but not because he's a neglectful and abusive husband. He immediately apologizes and admits that at the end of the day he's just a big kid who loves Christmas and wants to make a perfect memory for his family. He tries to stretch the families limited funds as much as possible to give the family moments to remember to compensate for his shortcomings. He shares a heartfelt moment with Bart, which is a really rare moment showcasing how much he does care deep down. No matter what happens later in the show and what these characters may turn into, these moments were very special to watch. So I take back my stance on "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" being a lackluster opening, because it is the perfect thesis for what The Simpsons is all about. Crazy characters who, at the end of the day, mean well. Even if they don't always succeed, it is the intent behind their actions that matter. At the end of the day, I think that's something we can all relate to and a reason why The Simpsons have become such a phenomenon of a family.

The animation style for this episode is rough, as the world of Springfield isn't fully fledged yet. The main Simpsons family is very recognizable and their design stays true to what we know them as today, but the rest of the characters are all over the place. The animation really adds to the humor because of how messy and downright silly it is. It's exaggerated and made me laugh, which is not something I typically find myself doing with visual humor.

This episode also does a very good job of showcasing all family members from our main character Homer, all the way down to little Maggie. We get a light look into other characters that inhabit this world. Some good representation from the perfect neighbor Ned Flanders, the drunk Barney Gumble, Lisa's classmate Ralph Wiggum, Principal Skinner, and a VERY different Mr. Burns and Moe... so different in design and voice it's hard to fully say that it's them- it's more like concepts of a Mr. Burns and Moe. As it is Christmas time, we obviously meet Marge's sisters Patty and Selma, as well as Grandpa Abe.