Elementary School Musical

The episode "Elementary School Musical" was penned by Tim Long, who has had his fair share of hits and misses with the show. Unfortunately, this episode falls squarely in the latter category, despite its desperate plea for salvation with a few good jokes and comedic details. The episode suffers from several major flaws:

Firstly, the musical aspect of the episode is poorly executed and feels out of place in the Simpsons universe. The musical numbers are awkwardly performed and fail to capture the energy and humor of past musical moments on the show.

Secondly, the ongoing Roofi joke, which has Marge acting out of character as a sappy, doting mother, becomes grating and irritating rather than endearing. It's a poorly executed gag that falls flat and undermines Marge's intelligence and wit.

Thirdly, the surreal visual gags, such as the artists descending from the ceiling flying, are forced and unfunny, leaving the audience wondering why they were included at all.

Finally, the episode also features tasteless jokes about labor dignity that miss the mark and fail to elicit any laughter from the viewer.

In short, Tim Long's attempt to save "Elementary School Musical" falls flat on its face, resulting in an uninspired and forgettable episode that fails to capture the essence of what made The Simpsons great in the first place.