OT: Favorite Simpsons episode(s) (or season)?

[The "Chase"]

Well, it's obvious. Most of us are Simpsons fans. Yet, I noticed no one has discussed this show that much around here, so why not, let's look at the good days of the show (;)) and talk about our favorites. Besides, I think it'll be interesting to see favorites around here, since the show has a range of different opinions.

Now, to toot my own horn, here's a couple of favorites popping in my head right now...

Mother Simpson
Lisa's Substitute
Last Exit To Springfield
Duffless
A Streetcar Named Marge
Sideshow Bob Roberts
Cape Feare
The Springfield Files
Homer At The Bat
And Maggie Make Three
And tons of more...

So, any particular favorite episode(s) or season(s)?

[jonmayo15]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tggg5YM4yHE
To tell the truth, I made some omissions on there. It needs more Mirkin era. It's not really my favorites in a true order as much as it is 15 episodes I really enjoy.

On Seasons...anything Seasons 1-7 is great. 8 starts the decline. Mike Scully made it wacky. Al Jean produces some good stuff, but much of it is bland or irritating. My favorite recent episodes are "Dial N For Nerder" and "Eternal Moonshine of The Simpson Mind". I'm looking forword to tonight's HD "How the Test Was Won". I'm interested to see how they change up the HD-title sequence.

[Matt the Y]

Moaning Lisa
Call of the Simpsons
Some Enchanted Evening
Homer Vs. Lisa and the Eighth Commandment
Brush With Greatness
Homer Defined
Separate Vocations
Kamp Krusty
Tree House of Horror III
Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie
Selma's Choice (who doesn't remember Lisa drinking the water on the Duff Gardens ride?)
Last Exit to Springfield
Marge on the Lam
Bart of Darkness
Homer the Great
'Round Springfield
Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Parts 1 and 2)
Home Sweet Home-diddly-dum-doodily
Mother Simpson
The Simpsons' 138th Episode Spectacular!
22 Short Films About Springfield
Summer of 4 Ft. 2
The Springfield Files
Simpsoncalafragilistikexpeala(Annoyed Grunt)cious
The Joy of Sect
Simpson Tide

I tend to favor Season 4 the most out of the Simpsons seasons. The series seemed to have reached its' zenith during this period; the writing seemed to be at its' most brilliantly humorous, the characters seemed their most roundly, dimensionally "true", the stories seemed at their most interesting and funny without being TOO farcical and larger than life (they'll never pull that off ever again!) and the entire show, as a whole, seemed to have a "focus" during this season. That's all detoriated as of late; the show is basically a laughing stock and little more than a self-parody and a desperate attempt to "prove" itself by outlasting every other single show on television (as if that really even accomplishes anything in retrospect). But looking at any episode from Season 4, you look at it and enjoy The Simpsons for what the show truly is and what it truly was MEANT to be in the first place (before corporate greed and a deteriorating, lost focus all but got in the way).

[nickramer]

Basically, I like seasons 1 to 9 1/2 up until Brad left the show to work briefly on "the Hill". My favorites are "Marge vs. the Monorail", "Homer's Enemy", and "Burn's Heir".

I should mention that while it's not in my top favorites, I do like the often mangled "Simpsons Spin-off Showcase". Yeah, it sorta started the ill-fated series of three story non-Halloween episodes, but I like how they poke fun of poorly made spin-off series like that embarrassing "Brady Bunch Comedy Hour". Right down to replacing "Marsha".

[Geezil]

Seasons 1 through 6 contained the best episodes overall.

[Studio Toledo]

In my opinion, seasons 1-5, but I tend to favor the first two seasons personally, if only for starting the series off on the right track, and for some of it's quirks I couldn't find afterwards.

[cartoonfan4ever]

I really like the Sideshow Bob episodes. And most of the episodes in seasons 1 to about 10.

[TheBlueHombre]

I liked Season 3 the best and my favorite episode is the one with Michael Jackson. I worked the swing shift when it first came on, so I would tape them and watch it when I got home after midnight. It took me over an hour to watch that episode because I was laughing so hard. I kept pausing the VCR so I wouldn't miss the next gag. It's a classic.

[Leviathan]

Season 6 holds most of my favorite episodes (Itchy and Scratchy Land, Homie the Clown, Treehouse of Horror V, Bart Vs. Australia, Sideshow Bob Roberts, Homer Badman, Lisa's Wedding, Grampa Vs. Sexual Inadequacy) It's just a superlative season all around.

[johnny645]

Season 6 is possibly my favorite season but I can't really choose a favorite episode. (It would probably be anything from seasons 2-8)

[J. J. Hunsecker]

I should mention that while it's not in my top favorites, I do like the often mangled "Simpsons Spin-off Showcase". Yeah, it sorta started the ill-fated series of three story non-Halloween episodes, but I like how they poke fun of poorly made spin-off series like that embarrassing "Brady Bunch Comedy Hour". Right down to replacing "Marsha".
It was Jan who was replaced, not Marsha.

My favorite episodes are from the first 5 seasons. It gets iffy after that. Some of my favorite titles are:

Krusty Gets Busted
Itchy & Scratchy & Marge
Bart Gets an F
Bart the Murderer
Homer's Triple Bypass
Cape Feare

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/ItchyScratchyLemonade.png

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ee/Homer%27s_Triple_Bypass.jpg

[Fibber Fox]

My favorite episodes are from the first 5 seasons.

I used to be over at alt.tv.simpsons. People started complaining at about season five the show had lost its edge and cancellation was imminent.

I gave up after I tossed the TV out of my house which was around season eight.

"Lisa the Beauty Queen" is among my favourites. We get "Blimpy Boy", the haggis sales pitch from Willie and Jack Larson's great line about cigarette companies sponsoring beauty contests for kids.

F. Fox

[cpdavison]

Any truth to the rumor that they were called The Simpson-Sears in Canada?

Just wondering...

Craig D.
who should know better

[Speedy Boris]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tggg5YM4yHE
To tell the truth, I made some omissions on there. It needs more Mirkin era. It's not really my favorites in a true order as much as it is 15 episodes I really enjoy. I wouldn't put "Dial N For Nerder" on my top 15, but otherwise it's a pretty good list. I gave up after I tossed the TV out of my house which was around season eight. Literally tossed, or figuratively tossed? :p

My favorite seasons are 5-8 (Mirkin and O/W rule!), followed closely by a tie between 3-4 and 9-10.

[Matt the Y]

Any truth to the rumor that they were called The Simpson-Sears in Canada?

Just wondering...


Well, I've been a very proud Canadian Simpsons fan all my life (or as long as The Simpsons have been around anyway) and I've never heard of them being referred to as The Simpson-Sears even once!

I have heard a story about a real life Simpson family (ostensibly living in Canada) who objected to the show being called "The Simpsons" for fear that the public might start associating their family with the infamous family on TV and possibly might have demanded the show go by a different name in Canada or else they would contemplate litigation (i.e. they would sue!). Needless to say, their scheme was not successful.

Remember, though, that this story is, at the bottom of its' core, a RUMOR!!!!! I would not be a bit surprised if it just started out as a childish fable that eventually got blown out of proportion.

[trondmm]

Remember, though, that this story is, at the bottom of its' core, a RUMOR!!!!! I would not be a bit surprised if it just started out as a childish fable that eventually got blown out of proportion.

But that would never happen on the internet, would it?

[cpdavison]

Remember, though, that this story is, at the bottom of its' core, a RUMOR!!!!! I would not be a bit surprised if it just started out as a childish fable...

Guilty, as charged, Matt the Y. :o

Childish Craig D.
As I said, I should know better...

[Fibber Fox]

Any truth to the rumor that they were called The Simpson-Sears in Canada?

You know only about three people on this forum are going to get that one.

F. Fox

[Fibber Fox]

I have heard a story about a real life Simpson family (ostensibly living in Canada) who objected to the show being called "The Simpsons" for fear that the public might start associating their family with the infamous family on TV

Sorry to drag this off-topic. I did a feature story years ago interviewing people with the same name as famous people, picking their names out of the phone book.

I talked to a guy in Surrey, B.C. named Michael Jackson. He told me of the horrors he had to deal with. And that was before all the child molestation claims.

F. Fox

[Mr. Semaj]

I used to be over at alt.tv.simpsons. People started complaining at about season five the show had lost its edge and cancellation was imminent.

I gave up after I tossed the TV out of my house which was around season eight.

Weird, because the main sentiment in Simpsons circles is that Seasons 1-8 count as the golden years. And going by the number of people who left during Season 9, and the fact the season saw SIX showrunners, I can see why.

For me, the absolute best episodes are from Seasons 7-8, though the first six seasons are great too. Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein started as story editors on the show, and worked their way up to writers and supervising producers throughout the series' Thursday night era. They brought a lot of depth and intelligence to the stories, explored the Springfield community, and even tried a few experimental stories. While there have been some great episodes since then, even during the oft-disdained Mike Scully years, Oakley and Weinstein expanded the series in ways that have never been done again.

[CueBallCat79]

For me, pretty much anything in the first 8 seasons, and bits and pieces of season 9. By season 10 the show was going downhill fast.

[Studio Toledo]

I used to be over at alt.tv.simpsons. People started complaining at about season five the show had lost its edge and cancellation was imminent.
Heh, and I felt after the fifth season, that's when it finally hit it's stride.

I gave up after I tossed the TV out of my house which was around season eight.
That's using your head! :cool:

"Lisa the Beauty Queen" is among my favourites. We get "Blimpy Boy", the haggis sales pitch from Willie and Jack Larson's great line about cigarette companies sponsoring beauty contests for kids.

F. Fox
Too bad they can't even do races anymore. It's nice to think this show got to throw that in before the government stepped in.

[Studio Toledo]

Sorry to drag this off-topic. I did a feature story years ago interviewing people with the same name as famous people, picking their names out of the phone book.
You never realize the coincidental nature of naming someone when more than one person could have that name at any time or any place in the world, and whether the name becomes a household idiom or not, depends on the laws of time and space.

I talked to a guy in Surrey, B.C. named Michael Jackson. He told me of the horrors he had to deal with. And that was before all the child molestation claims.

F. Fox
Oh, people!

yep, that's all I'm gonna say!

[Jeffitarian]

There has been a lot of discussion in various circles concerning the downhill slide of The Simpsons since "Season (fill in the blank)". I recently purchased Season Eleven and aside from the tremendously asinine packaging, I thought the episodes were as funny as those done in earlier seasons. In fact, my least favorite Simpsons episode (to date) would be "Bart's Elephant", which aired way back in the first four seasons or so. I have a fondness for all seasons that I've seen and will keep purchasing the newer seasons until they get to a point where I consider them to be bad enough to be unwatchable (whenever that is).

That being said, after twenty years, it's time to hang up the pencils, guys.

[That 70s Mom]

Bart Gets an F (good for snow days like today)
A Streetcar Named Marge
Krusty Gets Kancelled
Bart Sells His Soul
and most of the Halloween episodes - especially the tombstones in the credits.

I quit watching at least 10 years ago.

[Thad]

Worker and Parasite (http://thadkomorowski.com/2008/09/13/endut-hoch-hech/).

[Bartman]

The best SIMPSONS seasons were:

1992-1993 (Al Jean & Mike Reiss as Executive Producers)
1993-1995 (EP: David Mirkin)
1995-1997 (EPs: Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein)

The Mike Scully years (1997-2001) were very hit & miss - Homer was more boorish and stupid.

My fave eps:

Mother Simpson
Krusty Gets Kancelled
Homie The Clown
Summer of 4-ft 2
22 Short Stories about Springfield
Lisa The Vegetarian

Basically any episode written by John Swartzwelder!

Any ep that focuses on the relationship between Homer and Lisa

[J. B. Warner]

There's always been a "the older episodes were better" mentality among the fans, at least as far back as the Internet archives go. Look at alt.tv.simpsons posts from 1993 - people damn the razor-sharp wit of Seasons 4 and 5 while praising the quaint and emotion-driven Seasons 1 and 2 as the highest point of the show, 'cause they began watching right from day one and that's what they were familiar with. They wanted more "Lisa's Substitute"s and fewer "Marge vs. the Monorail"s.

Myself, I've come to appreciate many types of Simpsonian humor. I like the struggling "can they do that?" air of Season 1 and the laid-back humor and solid characterization of Season 2. I like the faster pace and smarter jokes of Season 3, the "let's try anything" approach of Season 4, the sizzling satire of Seasons 5 and 6, and the earthy, character-focused sensibility of Seasons 7 and 8. They're all different styles of humor, but in able hands, they all work.

What I don't like, however, are the "we're running out of ideas so let's go crazy" episodes of Seasons 9 through 12, and the "let's see how many ways we can tick off the fans" sensibility that the show's had since Season 13. Every joke nowadays seems to be soaked in sarcasm, as if to say "Yeah, we know we're nowhere near as good as we used to be. What are you gonna do, complain about it on your precious Internet?" When the writers willingly sacrifice plot and character to thumb their noses at the audience, I'm content to stop watching. But hey, at least I have the first eight years and 178 episodes' worth of brilliant humor to keep me entertained, so I'm not griping. "The Simpsons" still makes me laugh...just not in its current state.

[tristar]

My favourite episodes are in seasons 1-10. My favourite season is season 4. BTW, who likes the seldom talked about classic HOMR? To me, that episode is just as good as a classic season 4 episode.

[Matt the Y]

There's always been a "the older episodes were better" mentality among the fans, at least as far back as the Internet archives go. Look at alt.tv.simpsons posts from 1993 - people damn the razor-sharp wit of Seasons 4 and 5 while praising the quaint and emotion-driven Seasons 1 and 2 as the highest point of the show, 'cause they began watching right from day one and that's what they were familiar with. They wanted more "Lisa's Substitute"s and fewer "Marge vs. the Monorail"s.

Myself, I've come to appreciate many types of Simpsonian humor. I like the struggling "can they do that?" air of Season 1 and the laid-back humor and solid characterization of Season 2. I like the faster pace and smarter jokes of Season 3, the "let's try anything" approach of Season 4, the sizzling satire of Seasons 5 and 6, and the earthy, character-focused sensibility of Seasons 7 and 8. They're all different styles of humor, but in able hands, they all work.

What I don't like, however, are the "we're running out of ideas so let's go crazy" episodes of Seasons 9 through 12, and the "let's see how many ways we can tick off the fans" sensibility that the show's had since Season 13. Every joke nowadays seems to be soaked in sarcasm, as if to say "Yeah, we know we're nowhere near as good as we used to be. What are you gonna do, complain about it on your precious Internet?" When the writers willingly sacrifice plot and character to thumb their noses at the audience, I'm content to stop watching. But hey, at least I have the first eight years and 178 episodes' worth of brilliant humor to keep me entertained, so I'm not griping. "The Simpsons" still makes me laugh...just not in its current state.

I like your line of thinking, pod'ner! Your post in this thread is the closest I've ever seen to someone sharing the exact same opinion I have about my favorite animated TV sitcom EVER! Except that The Simpsons really doesn't make me laugh anymore except maybe once or twice every new episode (even a stopped clock is right twice a day, right?); other than that, you can pretty much hear crickets chirping. I only watch out of sheer fanatical desperation, that and so that when the show finally does go off the air, I can actually be able to say, "I was there!".

I especially agree with your sentiments about the guys who complain about the show over at alt.tv.simpsons. Those guys appreciate the show on an incredibly narrow-minded basis and for not quite all of the reasons the show is meant to be enjoyed. If all the show ever gave us was "Lisa's Substitute" or "Lisa's Wedding" (considering that only a very, VERY short handful of episodes in the series run actually HAD that emotional depth to them), where would the variety be? Or the progress for that matter? I'm not saying the show should be just the wacky antics of episodes like "Marge Vs. The Monorail" or "Cape Feare" or "Bart Vs. Australia" but The Simpsons as a comedy show should stay rooted to what it does best. It's okay to try for emotion and warmth once in awhile on the show since The Simpsons does actually do that well too as those episodes certainly prove but as my brother once pointed out when I was discussing the folks at alt.tv.simpsons with him, "You watch Touched By An Angel for what they want! You watch The Simpsons for something else entirely." I'll never forget the online feud I got into with one alt.tv.simpsons member some eleven or twelve years ago since I was trying to make him actually see that post-Season 4 episodes could actually be entertaining but he was mired in his permanent train of thought and refused to bend; he said that the joke about the Kwik-E-Mart being bombed in "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" was cruel, mean-spirited, and totally out of the show's context, that Homer was at his absolute meanest in "Lisa on Ice" (what about how he acted in "Dead Putting Society"?!), and Seasons Five and Six were overseen and supervised by a man whose ultimate idea of humor is a man being "anally raped" (referring to David Mirkin), something which showed through in the last episode supervised by him, "Team Homer", in which Homer is cruelly ripped to shreds by Mr. Burns' guard dogs. SO WHAT DOES HE THINK OF THE SHOW NOW?????!!!!!

[Matt the Y]

Myself, I've come to appreciate many types of Simpsonian humor. I like the struggling "can they do that?" air of Season 1 and the laid-back humor and solid characterization of Season 2. I like the faster pace and smarter jokes of Season 3, the "let's try anything" approach of Season 4, the sizzling satire of Seasons 5 and 6, and the earthy, character-focused sensibility of Seasons 7 and 8. They're all different styles of humor, but in able hands, they all work.


I also like your idea of judging each individual season by its' own ideas and merits. Again, until I read your post here, I honestly thought I was the only person who watched the show who did this. I actually like the Season 1 episodes even though a lot of them aren't very funny just because they're struggling to break through, the way the show actually picks up speed and finally finds itself in Season 3, the way the show finally established itself for it truly was in Season 4 (which I've finally come to recognize as my favorite season), and the harder edge of gags and the more satirical writing and tour-de-farce humor of the Season 6 and 7 episodes. Oh, and how any episode made after Season 10 (my God, that was ten years ago!!!!!!!!!!:eek: ) is pretty much garbage! ;)

[looneytooney]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Homer's Enemy" (with the short-lived Grimey), an episode I thought was brilliant right when I first saw it. Such a dark ending, too (for those who have seen it).

[zavkram]

Two of my favorite episodes (and forgive me if I don't have the exact titles) are:

1. The episode where Homer thinks Bart is gay (featuring guest voice of John Waters). The scene where Homer is protecting Bart from the charging reindeer was very well done, I thought.

2. The episode where Bart gets caught shoplifting the video game "Bonestorm" from the "Try-and-Save"

My favorite quotes from that episode:

Bart: "Hey Mom, buy me 'Bonestorm' or go to Hell!"

Don Brodka: "If I wanted smoke blown up my ass, I'd be at home with a pack of cigarettes and a short length of hose!"

[zavkram]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Homer's Enemy" (with the short-lived Grimey), an episode I thought was brilliant right when I first saw it. Such a dark ending, too (for those who have seen it).

That was one of the Simpsons' episodes that I truly dislike. Personally, I felt sorry for Frank Grimes and could understand his frustration at how someone like Homer, a complete idiot, can just coast through life with minimal effort while others have to toil away.

Another episode I dislike is the one where George Bush moves in next door and Bart becomes an ersatz "Dennis-the-Menace".

[jonmayo15]

Two of my favorite episodes (and forgive me if I don't have the exact titles) are:

1. The episode where Homer thinks Bart is gay (featuring guest voice of John Waters). The scene where Homer is protecting Bart from the charging reindeer was very well done, I thought.

2. The episode where Bart gets caught shoplifting the video game "Bonestorm" from the "Try-and-Save"

My favorite quotes from that episode:

Bart: "Hey Mom, buy me 'Bonestorm' or go to Hell!"

Don Brodka: "If I wanted smoke blown up my ass, I'd be at home with a pack of cigarettes and a short length of hose!"1. Homer's Phobia from Season 8
2. Marge Be Not Proud from Season 7

[J. B. Warner]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Homer's Enemy" (with the short-lived Grimey), an episode I thought was brilliant right when I first saw it. Such a dark ending, too (for those who have seen it).

"Homer's Enemy" is one of the most polarizing episodes of the series - either you think it's brilliant, or you consider it the most horrible thing the show ever did. Personally, I like it (it's one of my favorites from Season 8, and a great example of how Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein broke new and experimental ground in their executive producer tenure), but since I know from experience that talking about it only makes people go around in circles, I won't discuss it further.

[cbrubaker]

I loved "Homer's Enemy" personally. I think it's the one Simpsons episode that's usually in the top list.

The other's "Cape Feare". This is probably the most "cartoony" a Simpsons episode ever got, from the rake scene, Sideshow Bob getting trampled by a parade of elephants, and of course the end where Bart tricked Bob into performing the entire HMS Pinafore in order to stall him.

[Matt the Y]

The other's "Cape Feare". This is probably the most "cartoony" a Simpsons episode ever got, from the rake scene, Sideshow Bob getting trampled by a parade of elephants, and of course the end where Bart tricked Bob into performing the entire HMS Pinafore in order to stall him.

"The Springfield Files" is another pretty "cartoony" Simpsons episode what with such gags as Jasper the old man growing "werewolf" hair because he took his wrong medicine pills, Homer running through a wheat field in fear after seeing the "alien" and spelling out "YAAAAAAAAA!" while he yells it aloud at the same time, Homer actually being asked to identify the alien he saw from a police line-up (the aliens in the line-up include Chewbacca, The Simpsons' own Kang, ALF, and WB's Marvin the Martian who even says, "This makes me very, very angry!"), the lie-detector exploding when Homer answers, "Yes", when asked if he understands everything, Mr. Burns' physical treatment process near the end (to cheat death for yet another week; dig the crazy scene where Burns' spine gets "adjusted" or something to that degree), and, of course, Mr. Burns getting high from a "booster" of his medical drug which leads to a rousing chorus (line) of "Good Morning Starshine" from Hair which includes everyone from Leonard Nimoy to Mulder & Scully to Chewbacca (wearing a "Homer is a Dope" T-shirt) joining in! Phew!

"That's our story and keep watching the skiis..... er, skies!"

[Mark J]

I started watching from that first christmas episode. I was not a fan of Tracy Ulman, but I used to watch sometimes for the Simpsons shorts and was excited that it was becoming a show. The first season was enjoyable but quickly the show became overhyped, the 'Bartman' video, endless t-shirts and marketing etc. was very annoying and I almost stopped watching, except that the show itself was actually getting better. By season 3 I was videotaping every episode as they aired and had a huge collection of tapes at one time. I remember that season 5 seemed to be getting a bit silly and I was really annoyed by the Bart Gets an Elephant episode, although it does not seem to bad watching it now. I was convinced the show was in decline and would not recover and stopped watching in season 6 - the hype over who shot Mr. Burns reinforced my belief that the Simpsons best days were over. By season 8 the show was in syndication and I started to watch what I had missed. I was impressed and started watching again, continuing through the decline of season 9 into the decay of season 10 and finally giving up in the unwatchable season 15, never to return again. I own seasons 1-8 and still watch and enjoy those dvds, but that is as far as I will watch.
While almost any episode from seasons 3-4 is a favorite, here are some of my top
Favorites:
Three Men and a Comic Book
Flaming Moe's
Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk
I Married Marge
Homer at the Bat
New Kid on the Block
Selma's Choice
Marge in Chains
Homer and Apu
King Size Homer
A Fish Called Selma

[Vdubdavid]

"Homer's Enemy" is one of the most polarizing episodes of the series - either you think it's brilliant, or you consider it the most horrible thing the show ever did.

Yeah, it has some good lines ("He eats like a pig!" "I don't know, pigs tend to chew, he eats more like a duck."), but the premise on the whole just struck me as mis-guided.

My personal favorite season would have to be season 4, in my opinion the most consistantly funny season, with the absolute apex being the episode that got me hooked on the show, "Marge vs. the Monorail".

[grundle]

My favorite season is 2, and my favortie episode is Bart The Daredevil. However, I think almost all the episodes from seasons 2, 3, and 4 are amazing.

[CueBallCat79]

Favorite episode?

Certainly not the one that just aired tonight.

Good lord.

[Matt the Y]

Favorite episode?

Certainly not the one that just aired tonight.

Good lord.

I can't help but agree with you.

But the truly sad thing is that THAT episode was pretty typical and run-of-the-mill of everything that's been airing all season long!

Depressing, isn't it? :( :eek:

[tristar]

I can't help but agree with you.

But the truly sad thing is that THAT episode was pretty typical and run-of-the-mill of everything that's been airing all season long!

Depressing, isn't it? :( :eek:Yeah, I know. Remember when "The Simpsons" were funny? Not trying to be funny? Well, hopefully this is the last season of the series (and please, no comebacks or revivals.)

BTW, I'm a little surprised at the people who dislike season 9. Come on, don't tell me you don't like "Lisa the Simpson", "NYC vs. Homer Simpson", "This Little Wiggy", or "Simpson Tide"?

[The "Chase"]

Oh, I don't know. I thought last night's episode was alright. True, no Season 1-9, but it's better than usual nowadays. In fact, I enjoyed this more than that flashback episode and test episode so far, if you ask me. At least that one had a more coherent plot and had some (keyword is some) better than usual gas, like that "screw you" gag at the end of act one and the picture thing with Bart...

More tolerable than Family Guy's episode, anyway (with a few exceptions). My god, the same guy who wrote "Mother Simpson" wrote THAT?!?!

(and the comments begin in 3...2...1...)

[jonmayo15]

Oh, I don't know. I thought last night's episode was alright. True, no Season 1-9, but it's better than usual nowadays. In fact, I enjoyed this more than that flashback episode and test episode so far, if you ask me. At least that one had a more coherent plot and had some (keyword is some) better than usual gas, like that "screw you" gag at the end of act one and the picture thing with Bart...

More tolerable than Family Guy's episode, anyway (with a few exceptions). My god, the same guy who wrote "Mother Simpson" wrote THAT?!?!

(and the comments begin in 3...2...1...)
1st Point- I liked the end of act one, I was expecting something terrible but was pleasantly surprised.

2nd Point-EEK!!!

[Richie]

Homer's Enemy purpose is to actually make you root for Grimes instead of Homer, so the episode's one of the darkest in the series if you see it from that perspective. People love Homer, but wouldn't like to work with him. I think the creators said that once.

Personally, I love the episode. Oddly enough I never felt any sympathy for Grimes, despite being in his shoes in rl quite some times.

And I think Season 9 should be included in the Golden years period. Really, I don't see a single bad episode in the entire season.

[The "Chase"]

And I think Season 9 should be included in the Golden years period. Really, I don't see a single bad episode in the entire season.

Even "The Principal And The Pauper", the episode everybody loves to hate? (along with a few others).

[CueBallCat79]

Even "The Principal And The Pauper", the episode everybody loves to hate? (along with a few others).

I didn't like it either until I got the DVD and listened to the audio commentary.

Completely opened my eyes.

[Richie]

Even "The Principal And The Pauper", the episode everybody loves to hate? (along with a few others).

Actually I never knew the episode attracted so much hate until I entered the precious, cruel and always-changing world known as Internet.

But hey, it's appealing to me =P

[Mark J]

Season 9 is one of my least favorite seasons - I remember watching it originally and I was shocked at how the quality had nosedived from the previous season. Overall I think it is even worse than the sketchy season 10. The Principal and the Pauper is lousy, but there are far worse episodes that season - The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson, The Cartridge Family, Bart Carny, The Joy of Sect, Das Bus, King of the Hill, Trash of the Titans and Natural Born Kissers were all really bad in their first run, even at my heights of fandom I could not watch those episodes all the way through in syndication. The few good episodes like Lisa the Simpson and The Little Wiggy can't make up for all the bad episodes. That season was a true shark jumping moment, and the Simpsons did not survive the jump. When this season came out on dvd I weighed the good vs. bad and decided to pass and stopped buying season sets.

[nickramer]

Gee, I though the ones with Bird in the credits were really good. But I'm sorta bias with that.

[J. B. Warner]

Even "The Principal And The Pauper", the episode everybody loves to hate? (along with a few others).

"The Principal and the Pauper" is actually quite genius once you hear Ken Keeler explain it on the DVD commentary. It's a parody of the Internet reaction to the "minor character" episodes that Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein were doing in Seasons 7 and 8, where they took an aspect or character from the Springfield universe and revealed some new and occasionally controversial things about it (see "Lisa the Iconoclast", "A Fish Called Selma", "The Day the Violence Died", "Much Apu About Nothing", "A Milhouse Divided", "Hurricane Neddy", "In Marge We Trust", etc.). A change comes to Springfield - not a significant change, but a change nonetheless - and everyone clamors for everything to go back to the way it was because they're more familiar with the status quo, so the change gets forcibly reversed and everyone goes on with their happy, blissful lives. The Internet furor over the plot was expected, and it only proves the point of the episode further. Keeler is extremely proud of the episode, and now that I get it, I'm with him on that.

[grundle]

With a few exceptions, I haven't watched any new episodes since the middle of season 8. The season 8 episode that really made me stop being a regular viewer of the new episodes was the one where Homer had a very long, and very un-funny, hallucination after eating a hot pepper. Why waste my time listening to solo Eric Claption, when I can enjoy listening to Cream instead?

[J. B. Warner]

With a few exceptions, I haven't watched any new episodes since the middle of season 8. The season 8 episode that really made me stop being a regular viewer of the new episodes was the one where Homer had a very long, and very un-funny, hallucination after eating a hot pepper. Why waste my time listening to solo Eric Claption, when I can enjoy listening to Cream instead?

"Note to self: stop doing anything."

I think "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer" is a great episode. Where else are you gonna hear Johnny Cash as a mystical space coyote?

[Fibber Fox]

"The Principal and the Pauper" is actually quite genius once you hear Ken Keeler explain it on the DVD commentary. .

If you have to explain the joke, it aint "genius."

F. Fox

[Matt the Y]

If you have to explain the joke, it aint "genius."

F. Fox

I can't help but agree. Also, creating an episode just for the sake of irritating and getting revenge on a bunch of whiny and complaining fanboys on the Internet AND destroying the established continuity of a supporting character of their own show at the same time seems just a little petty to me, not to mention senseless and short-sighted. Makes one wonder if one party is really better than the other in this case.

One other thing that truly keeps me from liking "The Principal and the Pauper"; WAAAAAYYYY too much Agnes Skinner, a character on the show I've never liked and never will like. Even so much as thirty seconds an episode is too much screentime for her.

[Mr. Semaj]

Also, creating an episode just for the sake of irritating and getting revenge on a bunch of whiny and complaining fanboys on the Internet AND destroying the established continuity of a supporting character of their own show at the same time seems just a little petty to me, not to mention senseless and short-sighted. Makes one wonder if one party is really better than the other in this case.

Well, when they were teasing fans, Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein were far more subtle about it than what is done today. Also unlike today, they added layers to what had been established from the show already, or in cases like "Mother Simpson", what hadn't been established yet.

Though I will admit, Bart and the Comic Book Guy were definitely role-playing in one scene from "The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show".

[Matt the Y]

Well, when they were teasing fans, Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein were far more subtle about it than what is done today. Also unlike today, they added layers to what had been established from the show already, or in cases like "Mother Simpson", what hadn't been established yet.

Though I will admit, Bart and the Comic Book Guy were definitely role-playing in one scene from "The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show".

I have NO problem whatsoever with the Oakley/Weinstein years in general, there are some really great episodes from those seasons. My problem is just with "The Principal and the Pauper" itself which I DO generally consider to be a series mistake. Subtle, clever satire, yes, but that which I feel could have overall been done without especially since it just seemed like it was done as part of an unnecessary "war" between the two parties (and, seeing as how nobody really understood the "joke" until Ken Keeler explained it on the DVD commentary, presumably the Internet people included, satire that was generally lost for that matter).

BTW, can you give me some examples of how the show has teased and thumbed its' nose at its' fans in more recent episodes? I know it's definitely happened but usually when those "oh-so-clever" :rolleyes: gags come on, I usually just roll my eyes and forget about them and then just continue watching the show.

[tristar]

BTW, can you give me some examples of how the show has teased and thumbed its' nose at its' fans in more recent episodes? I know it's definitely happened but usually when those "oh-so-clever" :rolleyes: gags come on, I usually just roll my eyes and forget about them and then just continue watching the show.Well, in season 18, there was an entire episode called "Kill Gil". The episode was about Gil, the whiny salesman.:eek: The episode had a few good gags, but why would they give an entire episode to the most uninteresting character of the whole show?

Don't get me wrong, I love it when the writers cover new ground that they've never covered before (i.e. Mother Simpson; Hurricane Neddy; Like Father, Like Clown) and I do love a good flashback episode (i.e I Married Marge; Lisa's First Word; And Maggie Makes Three, Homer's Barbershop Quartet), but I totally dislike pointless episodes (i.e. The Principal and the Pauper, Kill Gil, That 90s Show, and Mona-Leaves-A.)

[Matt the Y]

Don't get me wrong, I love it when the writers cover new ground that they've never covered before (i.e. Mother Simpson; Hurricane Neddy; Like Father, Like Clown) and I do love a good flashback episode (i.e I Married Marge; Lisa's First Word; And Maggie Makes Three, Homer's Barbershop Quartet), but I totally dislike pointless episodes (i.e. The Principal and the Pauper, Kill Gil, That 90s Show, and Mona-Leaves-A.)

Oh, good, so it's not just me then. And, yes, those episodes you mentioned ARE probably the most pointless episodes in the show's history. Why did they make "That 90s Show" when they KNEW from the start that it completely disregarded all feasible continuity in the first place (ie. Homer and Marge got married in the early 80's according to "I Married Marge", according to that "That 90s Show", Bart and Lisa would've had to have been born around 1996 or 1998 and Maggie would've been born this decade [!] )? Why did they "kill off" Homer's mother in "Mona Leaves-A" for emotional depth (albeit half-hearted emotional depth, at that) when they brought her back in Season 7 in "Mother Simpson" to reveal to the show's audience that she WASN'T dead all this time for ground-breaking GENUINE emotional depth, therefore completely destroying any new ground that episode may have tread at the time that brilliant episode was made?! And, yes, Gil IS the show's most completely pointless character (My brother has particularly been extremely vitriolic towards him ever since his introduction) and doing an entire episode centered around him gave us both nothing but eye-rolls. The show just keeps shooting itself in the foot more and more and it doesn't even realize it..........

[tristar]

With a few exceptions, I haven't watched any new episodes since the middle of season 8. The season 8 episode that really made me stop being a regular viewer of the new episodes was the one where Homer had a very long, and very un-funny, hallucination after eating a hot pepper. Why waste my time listening to solo Eric Claption, when I can enjoy listening to Cream instead?Not a steller episode, but certainly better than you're describing. Interesting to note is that the scenes of Homer's hallucination were animated in-house by David Silverman himself. Next time this episode comes on in reruns (or if you own the DVD), be sure to watch for that.

[Matt the Y]

Something that bugs the hell out of me is that in every....single.......episode........ from the past 11 years, the title has always been a pun (usually a bad pun, at that.)

That actually annoys the hell out of me too. Not so much that the puns are "bad" in the sense of being "groaners" (shucks, Famous Studio cartoons were able to use bad puns as cartoon titles for years and it succeeded well for them) but, in the sense of how The Simpsons has been doing it, their "pun" titles are "bad" in the sense of just being unimaginitive, uncreative, and just grasping for any sort of title they can tag onto their show for that week (I mean, c'mon, titles like "Mona Leaves-A", "Rome-Old and Julie-Eh", "The Bart-Mangled Banner", "Ice Cream of Margie With the Light Blue Hair" (WTF?!), "Please, Homer, Don't Hammer 'em", and, of course, we all had a field day over the idiocy and simplicity of the mere title, "Shady and the Vamp", which was the title of an installment of the Simpsons Valentines Day episode last year. I mean, a third grader could probably come up with most of these titles. A pun IS the lowest form of humor but I think whoever came up with THESE actually reduced it to an even lower form!

[tristar]

Something that bugs the hell out of me is that in every....single.......episode........ from the past 11 years, the title has always been a pun (usually a bad pun, at that.)

EDIT: I originally made this post, but deleted it shortly afterwords. I've decided to put it back up.

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

My favorite seasons were from season three thru season seven, with seasons four and five being the absolute pinnacle (due in part to Conan's contribution).

I do disagree with most of you because I liked most episodes of the show until the point in the fourteenth season where they switched from cell animation to digital. They have had some good ones since, but that's where I think they lost the magic.

BTW, have you noticed that many of the episodes from the last year or so have been the lowest rated in the history of the show, only to be succeeded by the next week's episode?