At first, I didn't like the Love Is a Many Strangled Thing episode, not because it was cruel, as many have said, but because it had completely departed from the original style of the series. But with the viewing method I invented, that's no longer a factor to consider. You start to enjoy modern episodes for their own identity. This allows you to see the humor in this episode, and it's not just jokes, but rather humorous dramatic effects. For example, it's hilarious to see the therapist making facial expressions of confusion or shock at the absurdity of Homer and Bart's character or the real situation of the episode itself. There are some good humorous moments in this episode that come from things like that, don't you think? I laughed out loud several times during the episode, which hasn't happened in a while after watching several episodes with my viewing method.
The problem is that even with this viewing method that separates your judgment from the classic seasons of the show, I still noticed that the snake in Homer's pants joke was very cruel. Sometimes it makes you want to cry for a defenseless character who doesn't deserve a scene like that, even if it's humorous, in which you see their mistreatment, and the character even makes a groaning sound of a poor man suffering without the possibility of revenge. Such gags certainly don't work and I find them cruel. It's sad to see the character treated that way. Additionally, some moments, like the Homer eating chicken thighs joke, make the episode look like it's trying too hard to be "Flanderized" and they detract from the overall enjoyment of the episode.
The problem is that even with this viewing method that separates your judgment from the classic seasons of the show, I still noticed that the snake in Homer's pants joke was very cruel. Sometimes it makes you want to cry for a defenseless character who doesn't deserve a scene like that, even if it's humorous, in which you see their mistreatment, and the character even makes a groaning sound of a poor man suffering without the possibility of revenge. Such gags certainly don't work and I find them cruel. It's sad to see the character treated that way. Additionally, some moments, like the Homer eating chicken thighs joke, make the episode look like it's trying too hard to be "Flanderized" and they detract from the overall enjoyment of the episode.