The Simpsons (TV Series) A Mid-Childhood Night's Dream (2023) User Reviews

Poignant Exploration of "Empty Nest Syndrome"

[preillyboss · 8/10 · 8 November 2023]

This episode explores Marge's psyche akin to "The Sopranos" second season finale "Funhouse." Marge's insecurties as a mother spring to the surface as she comes to terms with the idea of her children eventually "leaving the nest." Marge never feels like a caricature and with no real B plot her story has room to let her confront those emotions. It could've been an easy task to phone in the Marge centric episode and rely on Marge's flanderized traits of "nagging" and "helicopter parenting" but the writers choose to humanize her. While this episode never truly hits the lofty heights of the early Simpsons, Marge feels closer to her original incarnation here, than she has in 20+ seasons.

I think you would have to be a parent who has....

[DocIndy · 8/10 · 15 October 2023]

So as the years have gone by The Simpsons has grown and matured. It's a good thing that they're actually, finally showing the concept of the kids growing up.

Maybe it's not the edgy series that it was initially, but now it is something that should be relatable to most people who've been watching the show for 30 plus years and have kids. Shoot some may have grandkids that are the ages of the Simpson kids.

So now it is a series that is more sweet and less sassy, but it still points out challenges and the humor that can be found in being a parent or a child in our ever more complicated world.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, weekend and week out it's one of the most entertaining half hour shows on television!

One of the best episodes so far

[systemofabrodie · 7/10 · 18 October 2023]

Seriously, It's That good!!!

First off, love the title.

Anyways, this episode, I love episodes where it shows the relationship between Marge and Bart so much. The new teacher is still trying to be all perfect and I kinda felt nothing with her "perfection" arch at this moment lol. Maybe the future episodes can make her realize that she can't always be perfect. The overall message is great, it brings in this feeling of nostalgia with so much connection and sorrow, I love that overall message. The intro is very relaxing until the bubble nightmare took place, and I couldn't really stand Marge being sick, it doesn't fit well with me for some reason, maybe it's the sick body. I did though, enjoy the part where Marge was in the crowd of mostly mothers and all of them backed away when they found out she's sick, I wonder what event caused them to be afraid huh? Until the treehouse of horror comes out, this is by far the best episode in the season.

A Change of Pace Does it a Favor

[actaction · 8/10 · 30 January 2024]

Not unlike "22 Short Stories About Springfield" did years ago, changing the format once in a while can be a really strong play for the writers struggling to come up with a new concept after so many episodes. It does feel a little off for a Simpsons, maybe even a little too serious, but I'd rather have a heart filled episode that feels true to the characters than a episode trying to be funny but being untrue to the meaning of the show. I would call this a companion episode to "The Mysterious Voyage of Our Homer", the episode where a chili pepper send Homer on an acid trip through his mind led by a Johnny Cash voiced Coyote. That episode, like this one, feels a little too serious... but is ultimately an important character building episode. Marge's odyssey is a sweet and surreal trip through her fear of losing touch with Bart, which is right in character for her and gives the episode a proper weight of importance. It's a beautifully animated episode which results in a great emotional payoff. This kind of writing is sorely missed from modern Simpsons which I hope we get more of to make these final years salvageable. Could this also mean a simpson 3rd wave of a comeback? We had the first 12 years of classic Simpsons, then seasons 13-19 were mighty shaky, then a sudden come back of funny and cleverness around the time the movie came out Iike they changed over or something) season 20-26, then some really really questionable episodes season 27-34. Could 35 be the start of one final push of greatness? Maybe.

Best one for a long time

[K_Rad88 · 8/10 · 10 March 2024]

I'm not a parent at all, but this did bring a tear to my eye towards the end. We've been watching this show for over 39 years and there's only been one other episode where Marge has been worried about not being a mother anymore (where she wants to have another baby) but this one just seemed way more on brand for them.

Worrying she won't be a mum anymore just because her kids aren't little babes anymore is something I've witnessed some of my closest friends go through so to see it written in an episode and portrayed as a fever dream was refreshing for some of the recent episodes that are... well, I guess you could say lacking!

I especially loved how she remembered things Lisa told her so incorrectly.

A Heartbreaking Episode

[e_daneva · 9/10 · 15 December 2023]

A Mid-Childhood Night's Dream was an amazing episode. So far there have been 7 other Season 35, and this is my third favorite episode of the season. There have been 1 bad episode, 1 okay episode, and 6 pretty good episode. This is obviously in the bad episode category. Just kidding, this is in the pretty good episode category. A Mid Childhood Night's Dream has probably one of the best Marge stories in the Simpsons ever. This episode just has a focus that should have been focused on a bit more in the series. Only around 1\7 of the Simpsons episodes are Marge episodes. Now let talk about the rating. 7.0 out of 10 is a way too low score for this episode. This episode deserves a 8.0 out of 10 at least. Can you believe it that this episode used to have a 6.9!! I know it doesn't seem lie much, but the .0 are pretty important when anything has a score. This episode is not funny enough for a 9.5, but it deserves at least an 8. In all, I give this a 8. 3 out of 10.

Great idea for an episode, the display here is baffling though

[tcamyuntoldartist · 5/10 · 15 October 2023]

The episode wants to be an Oscar-bait or something, i know it is a type of loss not that far from having a death in the family, to let a child go to have their own life...

But nobody moves out, it is just that Marge feels that Bart is not clingy anymore, and started forming opinions and not an "agreeing to any Mum activity machine" any longer.

It's hard to find the usual Simpsons entertainment in this that one usually pops one up on the screen for. It's all very artsy, maybe a Homer having a chilly hallucination marathon in the desert thing but with Marge, but the women edition of it prohibits it from being funny or something?..

I just had to see the very first frame of the Terminator 2 dream sequence, i immediately knew what's coming, and i said to myself no way, they are not having Marge as a flaming skelet---oh yes they do.