The Simpsons (TV Series) Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish' (1996) User Reviews

Great Episode

[calvindyson · 9/10 · 19 May 2006]

This is one of my favourite episodes of the Simpsons, and hell there are some good ones!

The episode plays like an old fashioned crime serial, like "Tin Tin" or something like that. The episode also features my favourites, Mr Burns and Grandpa Simpsons as prominent characters and goes into there past and shows them in there army days. There are some great jokes involving Nazi's and World War Two. One of the best parts of the episode is when Abe Simpson attempts to assassinate a certain high profile Nazi only to have the plan thwarted by Burn's.

Overall this is an amazing episode and for me an instant classic, I heartily recommend it.

I'll be in the car, dudes. [8.8/10]

[cfmca · 8/10 · 11 February 2024]

A very strange episode for a show like The Simpsons.

This episode is more of an action than comedy, which it does still have mind you, quite a bit of it. What compelled the writers to create such a plot centric episode is beyond me but, boy, am I glad they did.

The episode pervides some welcome fleshing out to the Simpson's world's backstory, mostly on Grandpa's millitary past which mostly is played off as a joke. The relationship dynamic between Grandpa and Bart is also quite appreciated.

We also get to see just how evil Mr. Burns can be when he puts his mind to it. Normally his sinister acts are jokes in episodes, but here they are genuinely despisable, and he serves as a fantastic antagonist to this episode's story.

8.8/10, rounded up to 9.

Hey funboys...

[snoozejonc · 9/10 · 9 December 2022]

After Mr Burns' puts a contract out on Abe Simpson's life, Abe tells a story from his military service in World War 2.

This is a memorable episode with great humour and character moments.

This is a very strong episode that portrays how unaware some people may be about the extraordinary youth experiences their older relatives, particularly those who played an active role in WWII. It's all done in an outrageously funny way, as you would expect from The Simpsons, but it (intentionally or not) makes the point. It's great seeing the character of Abe portrayed as something other than an elderly person in a care home.

My favourite moments are the very strong visual humour and the comic action scenes designed by the animators. Mr Burns and Bart are both used well by the writers.

For me it's an 8.5/10 but I round upwards.

The script is a masterpiece

[murow-96995 · 10/10 · 2 August 2017]

The best Simpsons episode since ever, on my humble opinion.

Maybe Hitler's descendants are really rich, like really, really rich, but Abe and Bart had a better treasure to share in the end. To this date I wonder how and why an less than 60 seconds scene can be so amazing, when Grandpa speaks to his fallen platoon like if it was a 'last mission' as if getting rich was a military priority (Burns having the treasure is like giving nukes to Satan) and finally inserting the last two keys in the Hell-fish's mausoleum.

The music was so perfectly timed with the statue's eye-lamp light slowly moving in suspense as a discovery fanfare, very well composed in Hollywood fashion. Goosebumps are rare on any comedy show, and you have it right on your spine, just to nearly die from laughter the second after, when the fish eyes indicates a place just too far away and in the deeps of the lake. Then you hear the fatal mumbling. (which i suppose is genetic) "Duh-oh". A quick reminder that this was just The Simpsons, not a short length movie as far it deserves. The ending is hearth warming, but also a reminder that maybe, our world has just outpaced some more important values than just having lots of money. Maybe just a buck filled with it would help, or maybe a gallon or two.

Abe in the Army

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 12 July 2022]

A nice episode. Apparently, Burns was bad news his entire life. After the war, paintings worth millions were left in the hands of a group of soldiers, the last alive getting final possession and, hence, a fortune. There are several cynical moments that work very well. Abe has been seen as a kook. But Bart comes to realize how much more there was to him.