Random details I loved:
- The “Smeck as Twilight Zone's airplane wing gremlin” gag. I knew it was coming because I had read bob's review, I'd promised myself I wouldn't laugh, and still I laughed when I saw it. That has been a classic along the years, and it's always funny even though I've seen hundreds of other TV references to it.
- Cute touching moment of God with the newborn babies.
- Andy's suggestions about Bob visiting his deceased father: nothing like having friends in very high (or very low) places!
- “That's the spirit, dad.” (Well, literally. That's really so true!)
- I agree looking for the Devil where his work isn't done yet was a really good touch.
- Smeck and the Devil's laugh in
Devil: “I remember. He's not here.”
- TV expert: “We train these men to be killing machines and now we don't provide them enough wars.”
(Ouch!) As usual, more brainy comedies are very good at making fun of and criticizing the American way of life, and fail miserably when looking at other countries.
- The police swift action:
Reporter: “Have you found the suspect?”
[The policeman Grabs the first guy he sees.]
Random Guy: “But I didn't do anything. I'm innocent!”
Policeman: “We'll let public opinion decide that, sir.”
Random details I liked:
- “I just want to be with the people I love.” - He said it in such a serious way and I fell for it.
- Devil designed airplane peanut baggies. I wonder why he wasn't doing that when I was a kid. We would get a three-course meal!
- Our bob says considering what Devil's girls turn into, that would discourage the show's Bob to fall for it. Well, I'd go for it, as long as the girls promised to remain presentable. What they do in their private lives is not my business. That's just the kind of guy I am, so open-minded.
- Hey, so Smeck is not gay, he just has a man-crush on the Devil? The thing about Smeck's sexuality I first found jarring was that the way I had pictured him, he wasn't sexual at all. He was more like a neutered pet to me.
- Bob meets his dad in bed.
“I came here to...”
“Watch me die, so you could dance on my grave.”
I couldn't help but laugh here.
- The “light” dying people talk about is God's porchlight he forgot on.
- Megan - “Did you have a dog once?” So obviously clueless!
- Smeck's joy when he thought they got Bob.
- WRONG WAY – “Your signs, they mean nothing to me!”
- Donna looks at Bob's butt – “It's your father!”
- The final encounter of Bob and his father was sweet, though predictable.
Random details I sort of liked:
- Dated references: a dog named Dawson (Is that what I'm thinking?), Jimmy Carter and the hostages (that's the problem with pop culture jokes; they get old fast), George W. Bush.
- Bob quoting the Godfather instead of the Bible was funny in the beginning, but now showing to be so clueless about the Holy Scriptures is beginning to seem forced.
- Bob's father was such a senile idiot that didn't make any sense (he criticized Bob for being a “big shot” rubbing in his success, and next criticized his son for being at a dead-end job, for instance). If only he had a point in his criticism, their differences would have sounded more grounded and interesting.
- If only Bob weren't so thick. I mean, I knew from the beginning that his dad wouldn't be in hell, and that would be the big “lesson” of the episode, so why not make sure his dad IS in hell before looking for him?
- The episode dragged too long for us to learn his father was not in hell, and more time for Bob's final exchange with God and his father, when we knew things were heading that way.
Random details I didn't like:
- Che Guevara in hell, George W. Bush shown in a sympathetic light, Jimmy Carter as a stooge. Not getting into specifics, I know many people who would definitely disagree with that. Oh, well, that's an American cartoon, all right. But considering how clever it can be, I expected more. Not that I think Che should go to heaven, but he was definitely a complex character with complex reasons. Carter is an admired humanitarian. And I just wonder where George W. Bush is going to end exactly? What about Getulio Vargas? (Just to add a Brazilian president to the mix so you don't say all we foreigners do is criticize American presidents.)
- OK, I didn't understand what Smeck said to warrant a pipe organ fall on his head, but I really don't care about this infantile kind of gag.
- More nuns. What's the deal with so many nuns all the time?
- Bob's naked butt again??? How many times are they going to use such a childish gag?
- Bob could only talk to his father about his feelings through a hockey metaphor. Yay. Now I don't know which I dislike more, baseball or hockey.
Grade
A very nice episode, but as I said, even though the show is just 21 minutes long, they managed to drag some situations until a predictable outcome was reached. I give it 8 seemingly abusive fathers.
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