Review: The Simpsons “From Beer To Eternity”

Overview:

Homer teaches Duffman how to become a better dad, much to the dismay of Lisa, who threatens to expose Homer’s history of lousy parenting. 

Our Take:

When Duff decides that they need a new spokesman, they anger the only man more dedicated to the Duff lifestyle than Duffman himself, Homer. This sets the fairly original story in motion that eventually pits Homer against his headstrong daughter. Taking control of the Duffman Reelection committee, Homer does whatever it takes to keep Duffman the spokesperson, even using Lisa as a girl-dad prop. But Homer’s biggest mistake is when it becomes obvious he knows nothing about his own daughter and cares more about making Duffman happy. Homer also cost Lisa the chance to check out the Agatha Christie museum. That was a real “D’oh” kind of moment. 

The Simpsons is a show that’s no stranger to using a strained parent-child relationship as the main narrative for an entire episode, but “From Beer To Eternity” is a solid entry nonetheless. It feels like watching a comedic car crash in slow motion. We can see Homer setting himself up for failure and disappointing Lisa, but all we can do is sit back and watch the collision. Even with the obvious parallels between Duffman and his non-existent relationship with his daughter, Homer is unable to fix things before Lisa blows up at her father. The writing may be a little too on the nose, but it does the job, especially when it came time to bring the laughs.

This episode took a very humorous stance against the absurdity of sexism and how prevalent it is throughout everyday life. Duffman going from place to place trying to regain his popularity only to get himself into deeper doo-doo was a hilarious bit that got the episode off to an entertaining and irreverent start. There were many more jabs at sexist behaviors, from mansplaining to undervaluing women. But the best jokes came when Homer took Duffman to P.F. Thongs, the jokes hit an entirely different level. I mean, who wouldn’t like an order of some Dead Beet Salad with a Coke Zero Contact to wash it all down? But one gag worth checking out again would be the thong-style napkins and decorations being used throughout the restaurant. Such a great touch. 

“From Beer To Eternity” has a little bit of everything. It’s funny, it’s endearing, and it expands on Homer and Lisa’s relationship. There are also some thoughtful moments sprinkled throughout the episode, even though the final act did feel rushed. There could have been some trimming of the secondary plotlines and locations that would have allowed the main story to be fleshed out just a touch more. But the final product is a very good episode. Could we have seen the last of Duffman…sorry…Puffman in The Simpsons’ universe? It certainly felt that way. But what a touching way to go out. Puffman, has reconnected with his estranged daughter, oh yeah!