Episode 9: Donnie Fatso

Wow, I mean, wow. I don't think I can remember an episode that has shown such a lack of respect to the fanbase like this one. While this one isn't one of the worst in terms of stupid writing or piss-poor jokes, it certainly ranks up there in terms of just not giving a damn. Fat Tony does NOT deserve an episode like this, he's been a great sport since season 3 and THIS is the episode they give him?! Well, bitching about it here wont help, let's see what has upset so many fans across the internet.

So the episode begins with New Years Day with Lisa cleaning up the house and Bart looking hung-over from drinking apple juice (I'm really getting sick of these types of jokes). After seeing some more aftermath of New Years, the kids all go up to wake up Homer with loud noises (Okay, I'll give them credit for that joke because it does seem like them to do that). After Marge gets them to stop, Homer decides to take out the recycling to the recycling bin (Which they apparently have now, I don't know, just roll with it). Wiggum and Lou then pull up and give Homer a ticket for not separating his recycling and then we get a bit which is about as funny as a bagpipe at a funeral (Seriously, this "Homer getting more tickets bit" isn't as funny as the writers think it is). Homer then goes to Moe's to show his friend his tickets (I'd usually keep them to myself, not something to brag about). Moe then tells Homer he knows a guy who can help fix his problem, after they leave to get some privacy (And insert a joke about Moe's Bar being next to a theater. You know it would have been funny if they just left it at that).

Whoa! My bar leads to a much better place; real entertainment

So after that, Moe tells Homer to go to window 9 at the courthouse to bribe him $100 bucks (That just made the whole "Talk in private" scene pointless, what the hell writers?) When Homer gets there we see that the clerk for window 9 is out and this causes Homer to just leave the bribe in front of the window (Also it had another pointless scene with Comic Book Guy, seriously, humor is not found through unfunny pointless scenes. At least Family Guy has some humor in their pointless scenes). Homer then gets arrested by Wiggum for attempting to bribe a public official... this is coming from Wiggum... do I even need to say how stupid this is?! Homer then gets sentenced to 10 years for the crime as the scene ends with Homer being violent towards Bart for the reason of... just because. When Homer gets to prison, Wiggum tells Homer that there is a way to get out but it's very dangerous (Oh come on, why wouldn't you even let him serve jailtime for just a few days before giving him this offer, I mean couldn't this have been a plea offer in court so he wouldn't even have to approach jail? This is just lazy writing right now). Homer then goes to the FBI where he's told he'll be an undercover rat in Fat Tony's mob (Wow, this plot is so original, I've never heard that before).

I love your paper-thin disguise sir

After a scene where Homer's shown how his hairpiece works (Yeah James Bond would feel left out of this technology) Homer gets dropped off in prison (I'd like to know how the hairpiece alone protects his identity, I mean no fake facial hair? No corset to make him appear thinner? Just the hairpiece? Okay whatever you say). After Homer earns Louie's trust, Fat Tony comes to free Homer from his prison cell (Am I the only one who feels like Joe can't really do Fat Tony's voice anymore, it seems off). After a pointless scene where Marge worries about Homer, we get a few scenes of Homer getting on Tony's good side. After Fat Tony flat out tells Homer he has his absolute trust (That makes me feel angry) Tony decides to take Homer with him to settle a score with Moe (I can't believe they're trying to tie in Bart's prank calls to Moe with this garbage). Homer is reluctant but he lucks out when Moe decides to torch the bar first (Thank God for lazy, convenient writing). Impressed by that, Fat Tony inducts Homer into his family, and Homer feels great about it.

You dare try to kill me off?! I'll kill YOU off first!

Homer then tries to warns Fat Tony to run as soon as he realizes the FBI is closing in, but that idea is dropped when Homer decides to get the camera to zoom in to see Tony with the guns (Character consistency, no longer standard for storytelling). Fat Tony, then gives Homer a long winded speech about how much he loved him and then collapses and dies of a heart attack (Fuck you writers!) Afterwards, Homer feels bad for causing the death of Fat Tony (Maybe the writers should as well, bunch of pricks). When Homer goes to pay his respects to Fat Tony, he gets hit by a shovel and wakes up to reveal that Fat Tony's cousin "Fit Tony" *Fake laughter* hit him (Can anyone guess where this is going? 5 bucks says you can). After Fit Tony attempts to get revenge, he see that Homer is truly sorry for what he did and decides to have a talk with him (No talk, kill, kill the writers, er I mean... you didn't see anything *Bolts*)

I've had a discussion with the writers. I will become the new Fat Tony to appease the angry fans

After they have a talk, Fit Tony decides not to kill Homer because the memory of Fat Tony will live on in Homer's mind (And all the fans who feel betrayed by this show). We then see that Fit Tony took over the Springfield Mob and started eating so much that he became Fat Tony (Words escape my anger for this episode right now). We end with a monologue from Homer as our ending just rips off Goodfellas (Fuck you Cluess, whoever the fuck you are).

Final Verdict: This episode sucks, the writing is unoriginal, the story is a jumbled mess, the jokes aren't funny or try way too hard and to kill off Fat Tony just to replace him in the end is just a huge middle finger to the fans. It's not an episode that you hate as you watch it, but by the time it ends, it feels like a horrible episode you'd rather never see again. In short, it's a forgettable, unfunny, bad episode that's an insult to whoever's still watching.

Final grade: 2.3/10 I can't believe Joe Mantegna agreed to this episode