TV: The Way The Simpsons Was: in which I talk about my top 10 episodes for some reason

[Liminal Cat]

This should be a fun thread. I've wanted to do a television list for quite a while and ultimately landed on writing about my top 5 episodes of The Simpsons. It was really the only choice because The Simpsons was THE show of my generation. I don't think I've ever posted on a forum that didn't have a decent sized Simpsons fanbase. I used to be a member of the Rotten Tomatoes forum before it went under, and I don't think a month went by without a random Simpsons quote thread.

Now, these choices are just my own. My taste in Simpsons episodes isn't too out there, but many popular episodes will be omitted. That's just the way it is. Also, this thread will probably go on until Friday, with two entries a day. I guess the narcissist in me wants to drag this out for five days. So, without further ado...

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#10 Homer the Heretic

... uses religion as a springboard to show off Homer at his very best.

At this point in the show, Homer was such a well-defined character that he could entertain us just by lounging around the house by himself while he has the best day ever. This may very well be the one episode that best showcases Homer's character. He's so darn loveable in this one, and this is one of those rare episodes where I'm almost entirely on Homer's side, at least before he takes things too far in the end. Just like with Like Father, Like Clown, it's nice that The Simpsons was able to criticize religion without being smug assholes about it. That's a lesson that other animated sitcoms could learn.

Top 5 Scenes:

5.

Marge: "Homer, are you actually giving up your faith?"

Homer: "No! No no no no no! *pause* Well, yes."

4.

Both of Homer's dreams about God.

3.

Homer's perfect day - making his space age out-of-this World moon waffle, dancing in his underwear, saying "ass" in the shower, winning a radio contest despite saying the name of the album incorrectly, and, of course, finding a penny.

2.

The Flanders family tries to win Homer back with their incessant singing, including chasing him in his car like it's a cheesy action movie.

1.

Homer bounces back into his burning house after Ned pushes him onto a mattress.

Click to read more...

 

[Fantomas]

Homer the Heretic is my #1 Simpsons episode. It's simply perfect.

 

[John Price]

It's top 10 for me but I've seen better.

I will continue to insist to this day that New Kids on the Bleeech was one of the best episodes they did and top 10 for sure. From Bart faking a marathon runner to the N Sync cameo to LT Lieutenant Smash, it was gold all around.

"Superliminal?"

"Here, I'll show you."

 

[Liminal Cat]

#9. Principal Charming

.... shows us how skillful the writers were at giving life to their secondary characters.

One of the best things about the early years of The Simpsons was the writers' ability to spin absolute gold out of their secondary characters. Principal Charming is a remarkably good look at relationships and loneliness, and Skinner and Patty play off of each other so well. With Skinner, I'll always prefer the earlier stern disciplinarian who has a bit of dorkiness hidden beneath the surface as opposed to the high-strung, Chalmers-fearing dweeb he becomes later on. When the Gone with the Wind parody hits us near the end of the episode and Skinner reaffirms his devotion to the school, it's actually a fairly powerful moment. But as great as Skinner is here, Patty and Selma absolutely rule this episode. The way the writers balance their unmatched levels of deadpan snark with the more human material is amazing, and Patty gently breaking up with Skinner because she shares a close bond with her sister is heartwarming.

Top 5 Scenes:

5.

Homer's man-finding radar.

4.

Moe: "Homer, lighten up. You're making happy hour bitterly ironic."

3.

Patty rebuffs Skinner's attempt at putting his hand around her at the movies. "Don't be stupid!"

2.

Selma sings "Brandy" to Lisa before bedtime / Lisa asks Selma if she's ever going to get married.

1.

Patty turns down Skinner's marriage proposal / Gone with the Wind parody. "After all, tomorrow is another school day!"

 

[Liminal Cat]

I'd say the order for entries 10-3 change frequently, but my top 3 are basically a lock.

 

[John Price]

I look forward to the other 8 rankings

 

[Liminal Cat]

See you tomorrow with the next two entries. In the meantime:

Top 5 dream sequences

5. Homer in the Land of Chocolate in Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk

4. Lisa in the Sky with Diamonds in Last Exit to Springfield

3. Bart goes to Heaven and Hell in Bart Gets Hit by a Car

2. Homer in Slumberland in Lisa's Pony

1. Ned's clocktower nightmare in Homer Loves Flanders

The Simpsons crew really loved them some elaborate dream sequences. This is just off the top of my head, so I'm probably forgetting a really good one.

Top 5 secondary characters

5. Patty and Selma, but especially Selma when they give her character development

4. Ned Flanders

3. Lionel Hutz

2. Principal Skinner

1. C. Montgomery Burns

Same deal. So many good secondary characters.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Loving this thread so far (except, of course, for that positive review of New Kids on the Bleeech).

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Best thing we ever got from the Simpsons was the HF's top 10 episode thread

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Best thing we ever got from the Simpsons was the HF's top 10 episode thread

I tried like crazy to find a link to that thread, too bad it's not archived somewhere.

 

[Jumptheshark]

could have sworn we had a simpson thread like 4 threads down from this

 

[Liminal Cat]

#8. Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish

.... is a great political satire and secretly one of Marge's best episodes, too

The Simpsons' first big political satire episode is also its finest. I really like how three members of the Simpsons family somehow manage to drive the Burns' plotline along, with
Bart's catching of Blinky being what triggers the plant inspection, Homer giving Burns the idea to run for governor in the first place, and Marge ending it all by serving Blinky for dinner. Speaking of Marge, she is absolutely awesome in this episode. I especially love how Homer inadvertently gives Marge the idea of cooking Blinky when he misogynistically tells her that she can always express herself in the kitchen. Lisa isn't forgotten either, with her trying to push back at Burns' obvious corruption and giving a big but easy-to-miss smile when Marge serves up Blinky. Burns himself is just about at his very best in this episode as he concocts a ridiculous strawman worthy of Richard Nixon about how everyone should stop trashing poor Blinky.

Top 5 Scenes:

5.

Burns shits on the everyman to Smithers and his campaign staff: good old "Joe Meatball," "Sally Housecoat," and "Eddie Lunch Pail."

4.

Burns drunkenly singing "Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime" and his conversation with Homer in his car.

Homer: "Where are we going, sir?"

Burns: "To create a new and better world."

Homer: "If it's on the way, could you drop me off at my house?"

3.

The plant inspection, especially Burns trying to bride the chief inspector with a giant pile of money.

2.

Burns' political ad, complete with a man dressed up as Charles Darwin and an elephant.

1.

Everything from when Marge gets the idea to serve up Blinky to when Burns spits him out.

 

[Liminal Cat]

#7. I Love Lisa

.... subtly reveals that Lisa and Ralph have at least one thing in common.

Something that I really like about I Love Lisa is that we finally have a Lisa episode about her breaking someone else's heart and not the other way around. It's a nice change of pace and gives Lisa a difficult situation to navigate. When she finally snaps at Ralph on live television, it's hard not to feel sympathy for both of them. I like that Ralph is allowed to navigate his emotions by himself, with the onus not being on Lisa to put him back together. I'm now just realizing that Ralph channeling his sorrow into a great performance mirrors how Lisa channels her own sadness into her saxophone playing. That's a really nice and poignant little touch that's easy to miss.

Top 5 Scenes:

5.

Rex dramatically yells at Ms. Hoover about being the best actor in the school.

4.

The "We Are the Mediocre Presidents" song.

3.

Homer tells Chief Wiggum that one day the people will rise up against crooked police officers and Wiggum gets nervous.

Wiggum: "They are? Oh no! Have they set a date?"

2.

Ralph burns the Valentine's Day card that Lisa gave him and then delivers and awesome performance.

1.

Lisa and Ralph play on the swings while "Monster Mash" plays from Wiggum's car.

 

[Shareefruck]

Hey, I think I actually remember this Rotten Tomatoes thread! Is it the same one?

 

[Liminal Cat]

No, the two members who did the big Simpsons threads at Rotten Tomatoes were Watashi and.. uh... someone else who I don't remember. Watashi never finished his thread. I did get the title from one of those threads, but we're not the same person.

I miss the RT forums.

Edit: The other person was Time Traveling Jesus. I think The Way the Simpsons Was was his topic and Watashi did a top 50 favorite episodes thread.

And then Alex Weitzman did his top favorite guest stars on the show. So many good threads lost forever.

My username on Rotten Tomatoes was Kenji.

Some of the old RT gang migrated to this forum:
Movie Forums - Movie discussion forums, reviews, lists, and box office

 

[Shareefruck]

Ahh got it. That place was great. So many eccentric/memorable personalities and interesting tastes.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

No, the two members who did the big Simpsons threads at Rotten Tomatoes were Watashi and.. uh... someone else who I don't remember. Watashi never finished his thread. I did get the title from one of those threads, but we're not the same person.

I miss the RT forums.

Edit: The other person was Time Traveling Jesus. I think The Way the Simpsons Was was his topic and Watashi did a top 50 favorite episodes thread.

And then Alex Weitzman did his top favorite guest stars on the show. So many good threads lost forever.

My username on Rotten Tomatoes was Kenji.

Some of the old RT gang migrated to this forum:
Movie Forums - Movie discussion forums, reviews, lists, and box office

Oh man, you are bringing back some great memories referencing those posters. That forum was amazing.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Over/under on the latest season that will make an appearance in this thread? I'm guessing 7.

 

[Liminal Cat]

I've decided to do three entries today, leaving #3 and #2 for tomorrow and #1 for Friday.

#6. Blood Feud

.... shows us that Mr. Burns lives in a completely different realm of existence compared to his worker drones

Blood Feud is the show's best exploration of how Mr. Burns lives in a completely different world detached from those around him. Early on, Smithers laments about his "common gutter blood" not matching Burns' more rare type, as if having a rare blood type is a trait of the rich and powerful . It's not surprising that the sycophantic Smithers would really believe this. Later on when Burns giddily strolls through the plant after receiving his blood transfusion, he reveals that he doesn't even know his own employees' names and lamely tries to fake a chummy conversation with "old brown shoes" Lenny. In the episode's most famous scene, Homer tries to intercept his letter to Burns at the post office and reveals that he doesn't even know his own boss' first name. He's just Mr. Burns to Homer and the rest of the plant and that's all. That's just an extremely clever way to tie into the episode's theme. The final punchline of the episode is the $25,000 Olmec head gift, a moment that perfectly illustrates how clueless Burns is in knowing what a lower middle class family could actually use. At least Bart thinks it's cool.

Top 5 Scenes:

Very HM: Homer tells Bart the story of the lion and Hercules.

5.

When Homer gathers the family outside and tells Lisa to "just do something" to get the neighbors' attention, she turns on the sprinkler system.

4.

Burns happily strolls through the plant and reveals that he has no idea what his employees' names are.

3.

Smithers tells Burns that he called off the beating of Homer. "Judas!"

2.

The reveal of the Olmec head + the family trying to figure out what the lesson is here.

1.

Homer goes to the post office and pretends to be Mr. Burns. "Great plan, Bart!"

 

[NyQuil]

I love the sightings of the Olmec head in the basement in future episodes.

One thing that Bojack Horseman did so well was ensure continuity in the animation.

If Bojack set an ottoman on fire, it was a burnt ruin for the rest of the season.

 

[Liminal Cat]

#5. Lisa's Substitute

.... shows us that neither Lisa nor Bart will completely find themselves at school

Perhaps more than any other episode of the series, Lisa's Substitute demonstrates how good the acting on The Simpsons was in its prime. As wonderful as Dustin Hoffman is as Mr. Bergstrom, it is Yeardly Smith who knocks it out of the park with her performance. We all know about the heartbreaking goodbye at the train station, but look at the oft forgotten scene of Mr. Bergstrom assuring Lisa that she will eventually find a place where her intelligence is valued. When she tells him that she believes him, we can hear the awe in her voice, and we too believe that Lisa will eventually find a place where her intellegence is valued. Bart's sub-plot is, without question, the single greatest B story in the show's history because it is both very funny and does a good job of complementing the A story. At first, Bart's anti-intellectual crusade seemingly makes him the most popular kid in class- in stark contrast to how Lisa's intellectualism alienates her from her peers- but then nobody votes for him on election day, revealing that Bart's popularity was only due to his wild antics and not because his classmates actually respect him. Perhaps the real message of the B story is that, just like Lisa, Bart's true niche will not be found at school and will instead be found later in life.

Top 5 Scenes:


5.

Homer cheers up Lisa, Bart, and Maggie.

4.

Mr. Bergstrom tells Lisa that she will eventually find a place where her intelligence is valued.

3.

The entire B story with Bart running for class president.

2.

The goodbye at the train station. Yes, this isn't quite my #1 scene.

1.

Lisa gushes about Mr. Bergstrom to Marge and bristles at the idea that her mother's love for Homer is like her love for Mr. Bergstrom.

 

[Liminal Cat]

Liminal Cat's Complaint Corner

Lisa's Substitute used to be just about my favorite episode, and I think one of the reasons why it slipped is because Homer is a bit too much of an ass to Lisa in this episode. Homer is always a bit of a dick, but "Hey, just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand" is a rather sociopathic thing to say to your daughter. If the writers wanted to compare him to Bergstrom, I wish that they had played up Homer's dimness rather than his assholery. More "Still, I'd rather have him chasing me than the Wolfman!" and less laughing at the mere idea of donating to the museum. The ending with him cheering up Lisa would land even harder if they had done that. I also bristle a bit at this really important episode for Lisa ending with Homer. It's like it suddenly becomes his episode. That's not to say that this episode doesn't have some interesting things to say about Homer's own low self esteem ("... and there will be guys like me serving drinks" - love that line) but I can't help but wish the writers' priorities were elsewhere.

 

[Liminal Cat]

#4. Last Exit to Springfield

.... is the show at the height of its creative powers, elevated by a surprisingly strong central conflict

It's Last Exit to Springfield. Do I even need to write anything here? This episode is just one iconic scene after another, but what really holds it all together is the execution of the central conflict between Homer and Burns. I like that Homer is able to best his boss through of a bunch of really cleverly written and funny misunderstandings and not through dumbing down Burns. I can't help but think that if this episode was written later on, maybe even as early as season 8, the writers would just decide to write Burns as senile and stupid in order to make it work. When Burns realizes that maybe Homer isn't quite the brilliant tactician he thought he was, it's cathartic and funny because Burns finally gets it. I actually think it would have been funnier if they cut to black once Burns' delivers his line, but I guess we deserved to see a happy ending for Lisa.


Top 5 Scenes:

Very HM: "Fifteen minutes from now, I will wreak a terrible vengeance on this city! No one will be spared! No one!"

5.

Lisa's trippy dream at the dentist's office.

4.

Homer's daydream about being a mob boss. "That's a nice-a donut."

3.

Burns gives Homer a tour of his mansion. "Find the bathroom alright?" "Uh... yeah."

2.

"Dental plan!" "Lisa needs braces." "Dental plan!" "Lisa needs braces." "Dental plan!" "Lisa needs braces."

1.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas reference + Burns realizes that Homer Simpson is not quite the brilliant tactician he thought he was.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

Best thing we ever got from the Simpsons was the HF's top 10 episode thread

it was good, but there were too many episodes that appeared from seasons with >1 digit

here was my submission for that thread:
1) Bart vs Australia
2) The Springfield Files
3) Treehouse of Horror III
4) Deep Space Homer
5) Homer Goes To College
6) Marge vs The Monorail
7) Lemon of Troy
8) Last Exit to Springfield
9) Mr. Plow
10) Sideshow Bob Roberts

looking back, Last exit and Monorail might be too low, Deep Space Homer might be too high. Treehouse of Horror IV and V are 99% as funny as III and thus should probably be on the list, but I don't know who I would bump to put them there.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Lisa's Substitute used to be just about my favorite episode..

This may already be common knowledge, but.. Hoffman used a pseudonym in his credit for this episode, Sam Etic (play on 'semitic'). As a dramatic actor, Hoffman was worried about having a (perceived) goofy cartoon on his resumé. Seems a funny miscalculation in hindsight..
'Lisa's Substitute' is one of my favorites, along with the episode where Homer was in the B-sharps quartet.. (don't remember episode title).