Chalkboard: “I am not allergic to long division”.Couch gag is repeated from last season, featuring The Simpsons’ cross-space journey to retrieve their wandering couch.

After last week’s success, this week’s Simpsons leaves a little to be desired.Though it puts forth a few good gags and sketches a little emotion into the story, “” it’s another spin through the “been there, done that” wringer.

Some portions of the episode, however, are well-observed.When all of the men in Springfield disappear to take in the Ultimate Punch Kick and Choke Championship on a Sunday night, the boys of Springfield reenact what they’ve seen on the playground Monday afternoon.Marge bares witness to Bart’s near-victory over Nelson, and once she hears where her son learned such brutish behavior (thanks to some well-placed bribes to Homer), she decides to confront the owner of the corporation via picket line.

At the next UPKCC, Marge realizes she and her fellow protesters are making too little of an impact, so she buys a ticket from a scalper and enters the arena to demand the promoter shut down the show.Instead, Chett Englebrick challenges her to a winner-take-all battle – if Marge wins, the promotion will back up and leave Springfield.

Everything that came before the middle section of the episode feels meh and bland, but the last half feels slightly more inspired whenever it focuses on Homer and the kid’s love for Marge, and their fear that she’ll be injured in the scuffle.Her training begins immediately; Marge thinks that rhythm gymnastics are the key to a victory, and her worried family thus arranges for her to meet with various teachers to improve her self-defense techniques (the best of these skits involve the bullies’ attempt at teaching Marge about fighting, but Drederick Tatum’s appearance adds to the comedy factor).

When the big day finally arrives, Marge is handily defeated by Chett, until Bart jumps into the fray to defend her.Influenced by mother love, Marge defeats the promoter and makes an impassioned statement against violence, though she loses her audience entire when they leave to watch two guys fight drunkenly in the parking lot.

As a whole, the episode tries to make an interesting statement about violence and the battle of the sexes, which is only marginally successful.The laughs are sparing, with many of the best moments of humor springing forth from the sight of Marge training with the various coaches Homer and the kids have found for her.A hidden gem – Barney and Moe reacting to Marge’s being knocked out in the first round.The mini-plot in which Bart and Lisa’s sibling rivalry reaches new heights of violence feels tacked on, and could have been better developed.

Letter Grade: C

This Sunday’s episode of the Simpsons will be the annual Tree House of Horror showcase, set to parody Hitchcockian tropes, modern zombie films and Sweeney Todd (complete with musical numbers).