I did to see Mary come back so soon. And after being disappointed with her last episode, I wasn't expecting to enjoy her return to Springfield and Bart's life.

"Love Is a Many Splintered Thing" featured guest star Zooey Deschanel as Mary Spuckler once again, and this time she was more concerned with Bart than fame and fortune. The only problem was that Bart didn't seem all that interested in Mary. Until he lost her.

It was quite the formulaic romantic comedy, but the show actually managed to find an innovative way of telling the same old story.

Well, doing a Woody Allen/Annie Hall parody may not be the most original idea, but it was definitely a new approach for a series that's gotten extremely stale over the years. Bart's narration of the story of his doomed relationship in the stereotypical Allen style makes him both endearing and slightly annoying (just like Allen).

I would say my only problem with the format was how the joke seemed to go a little too far. While I was definitely amused by the following line, I couldn't help but feel a little icked out as well:

Bart: I'll be more attentive to your needs on the seesaw. I'll stay down there as long as you want.

Ummm...what?

Seems more like a joke appropriate for the Annie Hall crowd than the relationship between two elementary school kids. But then again, Bart's had a somewhat adult relationship last season in "Beware My Cheating Bart." Can't stay a child forever, I guess.

The episode was also weakened by trying to shoehorn Homer and Marge's problems into the larger story between Mary and Bart. Bart was probably learning some of his bad relationship skills from his father, but it really felt like a contrived effort to stretch out the episode.

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