After a series of embarrassing incidents at his company picnic, Homer takes the family to see a therapist.
I enjoyed this episode a lot, and I think that's because it's strengthening my hypothesis that the strongest episodes of "The Simpsons" revolve around the entire family, not just one character (a large reason why I enjoyed the first episode so much). This episode was a needed look in the mirror for all those who relate to the Simpsons as a family. Because at the end of the day, the Simpsons ARE dysfunctional, and it's always nice to recognize thet while still acknowledging their great traits. There was one thing about the structure of this episode that really intrigued me, and that was how late the actual plot of the episode occurs. It's not until around 14 minutes into the episode that Doctor Marvin Monroe is mentioned, and even more before we actually get a scene with him.
One thing I really enjoyed about this episode was the animation. I love seeing the early designs where all the characters looked entirely different and had a variety of facial structures, looks, designs, etc. It felt unique before everyone fell into the classic "Simpsons" animation style. I suppose that says a bit about our modern day society as well... This episode also made me realize just how much I love nighttime scenes in The Simpsons. The moments where the sunsets and the sky is orange is just such a striking color pate design. It reminds me of jazzy nighttime aesthetics in cartoons such as Scooby-Doo and Batman, two shows that give such a great aesthetic very similar to what we see here in this episode.
It's fine to watch these earlier episodes and see the growth of the animation and voices of the side characters, but it's a lot more jarring to see such a vocal change in Homer Simpson, of all characters. But hey, Smithers is getting closer and closer to the form we've come to know and love.