The Simpsons – Season 34 Episode 5 “Not It” Recap & Review

Not It

Twenty-seven years ago, the city of Kingfield is being haunted by the fearsome Krusto the clown who is kidnapping and slaying children. After Barney goes missing, a teenage Homer makes efforts to find him. On his way back from sticking the posters, Homer is stopped by a bunch of bullies who beat him. A group of kids including Marge save Homer from the bullies, and it’s not long before Homer starts developing feelings for her.

Homer confides that he saw the clown. Marge and others reveal that the clown haunted them too. The group decides to dig out the real identity of the mysterious Krusto the clown. In the library, Homer writes a lovely poem for Marge but doesn’t give it to her. The friends find out the clown used to host several weird shows but was funny in no none of them. Marge further tells that Krusto only comes once in 27 years, and when he does he eats children.

The clown emerges from the TV screen and tries to eat Comic Book Guy, but Marge and Homer save him and force the clown to disappear. Comic Book Guy steals the letter Homer wrote for Marge. The kids have another run-in with Krusto, but they fight him off. The group forms a pact that if Krusto shows up after twenty-seven years, they will reunite and defeat him no matter what.

Marge kisses Comic Book Guy after finding the poem he stole. She makes it clear she wants to spend the rest of her life with him. Homer is obviously heartbroken.

Twenty-seven years later – in the present time, Krusto the clown is back and is after teenagers. The reports of teens being killed reach Homer, and he immediately calls the members of the pact to reunite for the mission. Everybody agrees, but Comic Book Guy who is married to Marge doesn’t want to join the effort. Despite Comic Book Guy’s disproval, Marge leaves to join the mission to kill the clown.

While Marge is having a discussion with the group, Comic Book Guy shows up with his kids, Lisa and Bart, to collect her. The clown captures the kids and sends a threatening message to all. The group led by Homer goes after the clown. Angered by Comic Book Guy, the clown tells Marge that it wasn’t him who wrote the poem. Marge gets to know about Homer’s secret feelings for her.

As she goes to free the clown’s dead audience, Comic Book Guy hurls himself into the clown’s mouth to save Marge. The audience is freed, and Krusto is killed. A little while later, Comic Book Guy dies of both injuries and guilt.

Two aliens in a spaceship try to select their next attack on the human race after the death of the clown they reveal they sent.

The Episode Review

It’s a fine effort to piggyback on a successful movie plot. But, will you like it? Probably, not. The episode is all drama, no fun. Moreover, at one point, it’s seems to be some kind of kid’s action animation show. Though engaging, the episode fails to be anything other than a one-time habitual watch. Yes, you hardly have any reason to watch the this one unless it’s your habit to check out the latest episode.