Review: The Simpsons "The Yellow Lotus": A dark escape in paradise

Following the season 36 success of "Bart's Birthday" last week, The Simpsons continues its reign of high-quality hilarity. In "The Yellow Lotus." (a parody of HBO's The White Lotus), the Simpson family lives the rich life at a 5-star resort, only to discover that it's not as luxurious as they initially thought and were told. Strange occurrences bloom at the location, bringing out the worst in people.

It's another great episode, as "The Yellow Lotus" returned a fan favorite and brought out Lisa's corrupted side. Not only were these elements infused into the storyline, but there was a plot twist that played out well from beginning to end. I highly enjoyed this week's installment, and I expect (not that the writers must) to have more great material in the next.

Oh, and Mr. Burns' hounds were deservedly pampered at The Yellow Lotus.

The Simpsons "The Yellow Lotus" review

Warning: the below reviews contains spoilers.

"The Yellow Lotus" starts its adventure with the Simpsons and the Springfield elite spending some much-needed R and R at The Yellow Lotus resort. Naturally, Homer and Marge don't have the financial assets to spend a whole week, so they and Bart, Lisa, and Maggie crash into the luggage suite of a high-class guest and her husband. And lo and behold, it's no other than Sideshow Bob, played by Kelsey Grammer. He allows the Simpsons to stay if they don't reveal his dark past to his wife.

But how did Homer manage to arrive at the resort in the first place if they weren't economically set? As it turns out, Homer was paying monthly statements for a timeshare in exchange for points, which can be used as USD as a form of payment to stay at the 'Lotus. The 450 million points accumulated in a decade since Homer signed the contract were only honorable for 20 minutes and, therefore, were kicked out. Both the timeshare company and the agent who sold the couple the contract were scams.

Unfortunately getting scammed into a timeshare happens more than it should, but the writers made situation dip on the humor side to lighten the realism. Bart kicking and mooning while still in the fetus was a nice touch to the narrative, as even in the womb he's a prankster.

As for Bart, Lisa, and Maggie were taken to the kids' corner where they got a taste of the privileged world of the ridiculously wealthy. Lisa has adopted a snobby, stuck-up attitude, which may feel out of character for her, but as one who tries effortlessly to be part of the high social tier at school, it makes sense for her to conduct the behavior. However, she'd better not get too comfortable with her newfound personality as it'll strip away her character and worth.

Then things went deep soon after. When taking an erotic swim, the couple finds a body, which happens to be that of the timeshare agent Marge and Homer had a hard time with. But everything all worked out for everyone, even if events weren't initially favorable. Marge had her moment when calling out to the wealthy guests that they took everything for granted and were miserable, while she and her family enjoyed their time more because going to a 5-star resort isn't something that her family does. Homer has his fun at Moe's, and Marge is content as a mom, but even parents need an escape every so often for a splash of life.

"The Yellow Lotus" certainly gave fans a generous parody of The White Lotus, and season 36 continues to strengthen remarkably.

Considerable things

• Tasha is Sideshow Bob's second wife. What happened to his Italian wife (and child) Francesca?

• It would've been awesome if some of The White Lotus stars as it would have placed the episode at the top of the map.

• The opening sequence was a great nod to The White Lotus one. It's astounding just how much work the animators and writers place their hard work in each week.

• Dr. Hibbert tries to get his wife, Bernice, off her drug addiction by tossing the bottles into the ocean. While he means well, this act is a double endangerment and unrealistic. The first is that to combat addiction is not by going cold turkey but by slowly withdrawing. Otherwise, it's hugely dangerous. Second, plastic bottles and pills will be absorbed into the water and wildlife. The impact will devastate humanity as water will be traced with plastic, making it nearly toxic to drink. The same applies to the wildlife, but they'll experience more pain as they're being poisoned.

The Simpsons will be sleeping on the couch next Sunday, so tune in on October 20th for "Desperately Seeking Lisa!"