Review: The Simpsons “Game Done Changed”  

Overview:

When Bart and Milhouse discover a glitch in a video game called “Boblox”, they exploit it in hopes of making a fortune. After Bart realizes the exploit’s lucrative potential, he moves their profitable operation to inside the Springfield Elementary computer lab. Bart is then able to convince the usually straight-laced Principal Skinner to join his fledgling enterprise by offering to fund some renovations to the school’s crumbling infrastructure. Like with all “too good to be true” business ventures, Bart soon meets another “Boblox” gang that threatens to shut down the entire operation.   

On a much more wholesome note, Marge and Maggie also turn to “Boblox”, using the video game as a chance to bond with one another. Once Homer and Lisa join the game, the family begins to lose track of time and their sense of reality.  

Our Take:

Aiming its satirical sights on the popular game Roblox, “Game Done Changed” brought The Simpsons family into a virtual world filled with endless mohawks and blocky money-printing shenanigans. Bart’s convoluted and lengthy process of turning in-game money into real-world currency was smart, maybe a little smart for the chronic underachiever. But damn, it’s always nice to see Bart plotting and dealing his way to success. And the fact that he managed to bring Skinner into the fold was a great idea. 

The biggest and most heartwarming development from “Game Done Changed” came when Maggie finally delivered her first words…well, sort of. The youngest Simpson was able to communicate with Marge using in-game emojis, which filled Marge with a sense of joy and pride. It was undoubtedly a touching moment. This element didn’t really feel like a “B Story” at all. Maggie telling both Marge and Homer that she loves them feels more like a 34-year payoff after all the adventures (and misadventures) that this mostly dysfunctional family has faced together. The more time the family spent together inside the video game, the more endearing the story became. Was it corny? Maybe. But sometimes The Simpsons deserve a little love and happiness without a life lesson hitting them on the head. Wait, does finding love and happiness inside a video game world while your real life crumbles around you count as a life lesson? 

Principal Skinner’s musical numbers were a good tie-in to the overarching narrative, but they came off as a bit lackluster and dry, which certainly fits Seymour’s personality, but it didn’t exactly fit into this episode’s flow. The Simpsons are usually able to weave the occasional musical number seamlessly into episodes without them feeling forced or tacked on. Perhaps that was the artistic choice, but it just didn’t work well here. Many other choices lacked in execution as well. Astrid and French Fry’s video segment was an accurate depiction of any wildly popular YouTube channel, but the bit ran a little too long and felt odd considering the two characters popped up out of nowhere and then we never heard from them again.  

“Game Done Changed” offered some really solid laughs right out of the gate. The opening gag was (bleep) funny as hell. Bart spouting non-stop profanities while decapitating bishops in a VR game was definitely not on my Simpsons 2022 checklist. Skinner calling Martin a “jive ass snitch” was another great laugh that also revealed how Bart’s criminal influence rubbed off on him. This was Skinner’s Breaking Bad moment and it honestly wouldn’t have been surprising if he started cooking a little blue crystal on the side as well. Once Skinner started quoting lines from The Wire, you just knew all hell was about to break loose. 

With a good concept and two complimentary storylines, this was a solid episode that built some decent laughs. The narrative of “Game Done Changed” offered conflicting views on video games at times, but in the end, the story tied together well. The dynamic between Bart and Skinner is always fun to watch and this episode was no different, although it ended on a relatively sappy note. “Game Done Changed” wasn’t the best episode, but it was (bleep) good enough.