MM King's Best and Worst of the Simpsons

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Well, the 25th season of the Simpsons began last week, an incredible feat for an animated TV show. I think it would be a good time to reflect on the Simpsons, and to talk about some of my favourite and least favourite episodes, mostly from the earlier years.

BTW, a quick review of the 25th season opener. It was “meh”. A couple okay jokes, the plot that reminded me of the episode where Bart makes friends with a Muslim boy, but I really liked the couch gag.

Check out this intro for the upcoming Treehouse of Horror, created by director Guillermao Del Toro. It's freaking awesome!

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Here, if you have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake, and I have a straw. There it is, that's a straw, you see? You watching?. And my straw reaches acroooooooss the room, and starts to drink your milkshake... I... drink... your... milkshake!
-Daniel, There Will Be Blood



Well, the 25th season of the Simpsons began last week, an incredible feat for an animated TV show.
I think that's an incredible feat for any TV show, animated or otherwise.
However, I stopped watching it many years ago.



Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

Season 1, episode 1. 1989




What better place to start than the episode that started it all? (Excluding the shorts that appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show)

The episode aired on December 17, so a Christmas theme was a clever touch. Homer does not get a Christmas bonus from mean old Mr. Burns, and Marge spends their emergency funds fixing a mistake caused by troublesome Bart, causing Homer to secretly try to find money to get his family gifts before Christmas day.

This episode was a great debut for the show, introducing several family members and their traits, while also showing heart and giving some good laughs in the process, things that would be increasingly evident throughout the seasons. Homer is the main focus of this one, and various sides of him are expressed, from lack of care about his kids to the honest and caring father and husband we've grown to love. Well done.

GREAT



I think that's an incredible feat for any TV show, animated or otherwise.
However, I stopped watching it many years ago.
Well, I can't really recommend the newer episodes lol, but I watch them anyways.



There's No Disgrace Like Home

Season 1, episode 4. 1990



The Simpsons attend Mr. Burns's family BBQ, and upon seeing how normal the other families are, Homer enviously wonders why his family is so messed up.

This was a really funny episode, a classic family quarrels type of comedy. It really showed how unique and odd the Simpson family were, but at the same time exhibited qualities that any loving family would hold. They fight and argue amongst themselves, but the end of the day, they enjoy each other's company.

GREAT



Great idea for a thread. There's No Disgrace Like Home is a fantastic episode, and incredibly underrated.

The Simpsons haven't been great in almost fifteen years, and they haven't been good in about five, but I'll still watch the new episodes, even though I'll most likely hate most of them. I still haven't seen the season premiere yet, but I'm sure I will at some point.

However, I must say that the new THOH opening looks awesome.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Early episodes were bad, voice acting, animation and writing wise. I don't think the show got good till about season 3 or 4. But I would still take those early episodes over today's any day of the week.
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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews



Yeah, it takes awhile to get going. It was, in lots of ways, a satire of family sitcoms, and that was sort of what made it interesting even in those early years when it wasn't nearly as funny. Of course, that freshness doesn't exist any more, so as a result the original episodes don't hold up as well. Still interesting to watch the show evolve, though.

I think the show's fine these days. A few years ago they had an unusually good run, if I recall correctly, and most episodes have at least a couple of really good lines. Still worth watching.



Early episodes were bad, voice acting, animation and writing wise. I don't think the show got good till about season 3 or 4. But I would still take those early episodes over today's any day of the week.
That's true. The animation was primitive (I think they had a low budget at the time) and the plots were very basic. But there were still a handful that I enjoyed from the really early stuff, so I'll try to point them out.



The first two seasons are still great, even though they weren't quite as good as the next eight seasons. The jokes were much less consistent, and they had a higher ratio of not-great episodes, but the writing was still there. The satire in episodes like Itchy & Scratchy & Marge and Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish is just as good as the satire in season 4, except with fewer great jokes. Lisa's Substitute is easily one of the most successfully emotional episodes of a sitcom ever written. The humor was still there in most of the episodes, like There's No Disgrace Like Home, Bart the Genius, and Bart the Daredevil, among many others. Admittedly some episodes are light on the laughs, like Homer's Odyssey and Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment, but they still have a lot of heart, and they don't make you cringe anywhere near as much as the last eight years or so have made me cringe on a regular basis. The animation and voice acting might be kind of bad, but I find it somewhat charming, and it's much better than the look and voice acting they have now.

But yeah, I prefer seasons 3-9 and maybe 10, to seasons 1 and 2.



Lisa's Substitute is easily one of the most successfully emotional episodes of a sitcom ever written.
Yeah, that's one of my favourite episodes of the entire show. The character depth was phenomenal.


Admittedly some episodes are light on the laughs, like Homer's Odyssey
This episode was so bizarre. Homer wanting to commit suicide? It sounds like one of those creepypasta things.



Moaning Lisa

Season 1, episode 6. 1990



Lisa becomes depressed when she gets existential thoughts. Meanwhile, Homer’s superiority over Bart is on the line over a boxing video game.

This is probably my favourite episode of season 1. There is no comedy in Lisa’s storyline, and I kind of like that they took it seriously. Homer’s section isn’t that funny either, but it’s amusing to see how he handles his kids. Bleeding Gums Murphy was great as Lisa’s person to talk to. I love when they put jazz into the episodes; it adds a unique flavour to the show. Even Marge had her share of depth, by looking at her childhood, and seeing how she was raised into the perfect mother and housewife. Overall, an excellent episode for me, and a true portrayal of Lisa Simpson (not what we have now, which is pretty devoid any of what made her character).

Great



Life on the Fast Lane

Season 1, episode 9. 1990



After once again forgetting Marge’s birthday, Homer gives her a bowling ball with his name on it, which prompts Marge to defiantly take up bowling. There, she meets a man who puts Marge and Homer’s relationship at risk.

This is the first episode of the series that focuses on the love that Homer and Marge share, and they do a great job. They picked a very common theme in adultery within a less than happy marriage, and did it to perfection. Marge never had any intentions to have an affair; it’s simply a case of longing for someone to love. The climax actually gets pretty tense, even though we know what the outcome will be. Reverend Lovejoy’s wife as the snoopy and gossipy friend was funny, and Jacques is your typical shark, looking for any beautiful woman he wants, married or not. Also, the kids reacted exactly how you would expect them to when they realize their parent’s marriage is falling apart.

Great



Bart Gets an F

Season 2, episode 1. 1990




On to the 2nd season. After continually failing history class, Bart must at least pass his next one, or face the risk of repeating the 4th grade (even though in the Simpsons universe, he does that anyway ). He gets some unlikely help from a strange friend.

This is such a relatable episode, and not just for trouble students. Studying is HARD, man. I completely get what Bart is going through here, with the constant distractions of the outside world that doesn’t have time to sit in a chair and read a giant textbook. My favourite part is when Bart tries to cheat off of Millhouse, only to have it backfire in the best way (I’ve certainly been there.) I love how religion was thrown in there, for the Hell of it. Ms. Krabapple shows that she’s actually a pretty compassionate teacher, and she and Bart only grow their relationship from here.

Great



What was the name of the episode where Homer ate that really hot Chili/pepper and started tripping? Its hilarious.
"The Mysterious Voyage of Homer Simpson". I agree, that was a great episode. Makes me crave chilli every time, though.



Treehouse of Horror

Season 2, episode 3. 1990



The first of many Halloween specials that the Simpsons have become well known for. This one actually has somewhat of a plot, where Bart and Lisa share scary stories on Halloween night, while Homer overhears. The three stories are a haunted house, a spoof of the sci fi short story “To Serve Men”, and an excellent reading of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”.

This is the first TOH episode of the series, and it also happens to be one of the genuinely scariest. However, they never fail to include that genuine Simpsons quirkiness. The haunted house plot was probably the best overall, but the Raven narration was spot-on. In fact, all three skits were very strong, something rare for TOH these days.

Great.