Kredit Kookies: FLYBY: The title is appended to read ‘The 500th episode: the most meaningless milestone of all!”. Billboard: Apu promoted the Kwik-E-Mart: Yesterday’s Food at tomorrow’s prices! Chalkboard Gag: Millhouse writes, in Bart’s absence: Bart’s Earned a Day Off. Couch Gag: Showing a montage of hundreds of couch gags, the scene ultimately ends with the Simpsons rushing to their couch, then glancing upward – we zoom out to a montage of couch gags which in a photo collage reveal the number 500. We hear the sound of glass shattering, revealing Homer strangling Bart, the both in tuxedos.

The town of Springfield holds a fake disaster drill in order to hold a town meeting that results in the Simpsons being voted out of town. Searching or a new place to live, the family ends up in The Outlands, an off-the-grid, rural settlement (where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, living in a high-tech satellite bubble, is their neighbor). But Marge misses Springfield, and when she and Homer sneak back to their old house they find themselves permanently banned from the town. Yet Springfield might not

Portions of “At Long Last Leave” work very well; Homer and Lisa’s initial argument, for instance, and Marge’s longing for the familiarity of home. Seeing the Simpsons plunked down temporarily into another culture is always fun. But there’s something that rings dull about the entire affair. Perhaps because the plot strongly resembles the Simpsons Movie, minus the Romeo and Juliet-like subplot featuring Colin and Lisa. There’s no tension in regard to the Simpsons’ return to Springfield, as they had been spared death already, and if they return without the ban being rescinded it’s their own fault. One can forgive Marge for being sentimental enough to want to return home, but it’s hard to feel sorry for them after they’re chased back to The Outlands. And the ending – featuring the entire town moving itself and restructuring their society in the Outlands – is an utter retread of previous episodes. After the emotional impact of seeing Springfield get decimated and then rise to its feet in the movie, it’s no longer a viable concept to have Springfieldians simply shrug and leave their city behind. The whole town moving to a garbage-free locale in Trash of the Titans, means that fresher ending is warranted, especially for a 500th episode.

I took the title card’s advice I waited a full three days before registering this review – with a resounding meh.

Letter Grade: C