Remember the Michael Jackson goes to Springfield episode? Homer gets locked in a mental institute with a fat white guy who swears he is MJ (played by MJ) who helps Bart write a song as gift for Lisa's birthday. A pretty awesome and hugely popular episode that runs circles around the whatever Lady Gaga Simpsons season ender.
Visually, the LG is a treat, and some of the jokes, Homer eating Gaga's meat dress, are very very funny. But the story is a by the numbers Lisa has no friends and to be quite honest, this classic show has had it and should hang it up. 25 years is enough for any one and they've played every variation a thousand times.
The LG express is passing through Springfield when Gaga decides to stop off and help Springfielders with their low self esteem. All the little monsters are made whole again except for Lisa, who has been ostracized for writing fake tweets about herself.
Lady Gaga decides to help Lisa.
There is a pretty good musical number and the closing credit numbers is "Homerface".
But in the end, we've been here far too many times and, frankly, the episode has nothing close to the imagination LG shows every day of her life. And Simpsons has shown very, very often. With a wealth of ways to go, the Simpsons leans back on the tried and true. Again. It is time to pull the plug on the Simpsons.
Grade: B-