Watching the Simpsons for the first time

[The Nemesis]

I'd argue that you didnt even list the best episode of season 3, though Stark Raving Dad, Homer at Bat and Lisa the Greek could easily all be the best

He won't be able to watch Stark Raving Dad. The producers pulled it from rotation in reruns and on all streaming platforms (including, I believe, Disney+) last year after all the fallout from Leaving Neverland.

AFAIK it's the only episode that doesn't have wide distribution. I'm pretty sure they put Homer Simpson vs The State of New York back into play a few years ago after it was yanked in the wake of 9/11

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

the Simpsons in season 1 and parts of season 2 hadn't really found the formula that made them funny. Homer was just mad at everything under the sun; by season 3 he calms down considerably and becomes much funnier. Bart went from the loveable but not really funny underachiever to someone who derives more humor by being surprisingly out of character, saying something that no 10 year old should be capable of. Lisa became the only family member who could do dry humor well, usually as a foil to Homer. Marge went from having basically no jokes at all to a more vibrant and deep personality. Maggie stopped existing just to fall down.

since the OP didn't actually ask where to stop, I won't volunteer my opinion, which is that he should stop at the Japan episode of season 10. Or my opinion on Futurama, which is that the new episodes are nowhere near as funny as the original four seasons.

 

[Brodeur]

As much as I like The Simpsons, I don't think I've actively wanted to watch a season 1 episode in ages. Season 2 has some classics; I still remember the school yard discussion of "Bart the Daredevil" the day after it aired. And then seasons 3-8 are just tremendous, like 15+ grade A episodes per season. As others stated, some gems from 9-12 but the consistency starts to dip. I started playing hockey on Sunday nights in 2002, so I haven't seen much after season 13 and unfortunately haven't heard a ton of reasons to do so.

Best of luck on the watch, hopefully you enjoy it! If you're binge watching, I would recommend getting a wheelbarrow of tacos.

 

[Supermassive]

The social impact that the show had in its first few years cannot be overstated. It was a complete departure from everything on tv, except Married...With Children. It may have cribbed from The Flintstones and some other shows, but it was a unique juggernaut that was so incredibly strong out of the gate, people didn't complain one bit about the crude art or plots, as the show got its legs very quickly.

Sure, like any show, it ran out of steam after 8-9 seasons, but in transforming itself from a character-based show to one more about observations on society, it grew with its core audience. Hell, Family Guy, South Park and any comedy over 10 seasons does the same thing.

 

[CrazyMonkey1208]

Once they started getting PC it sucked. Thank youuuuu, come again

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

As much as I like The Simpsons, I don't think I've actively wanted to watch a season 1 episode in ages. Season 2 has some classics; I still remember the school yard discussion of "Bart the Daredevil" the day after it aired. And then seasons 3-8 are just tremendous, like 15+ grade A episodes per season. As others stated, some gems from 9-12 but the consistency starts to dip. I started playing hockey on Sunday nights in 2002, so I haven't seen much after season 13 and unfortunately haven't heard a ton of reasons to do so.

Best of luck on the watch, hopefully you enjoy it! If you're binge watching, I would recommend getting a wheelbarrow of tacos.

I also have this t-shirt. A grand total of two people have ever gotten the joke.

 

[Beau Knows]

Once they started getting PC it sucked. Thank youuuuu, come again

Yeah...that's when it started to suck.

 

[Langdon Alger]

As much as I like The Simpsons, I don't think I've actively wanted to watch a season 1 episode in ages. Season 2 has some classics; I still remember the school yard discussion of "Bart the Daredevil" the day after it aired. And then seasons 3-8 are just tremendous, like 15+ grade A episodes per season. As others stated, some gems from 9-12 but the consistency starts to dip. I started playing hockey on Sunday nights in 2002, so I haven't seen much after season 13 and unfortunately haven't heard a ton of reasons to do so.

Best of luck on the watch, hopefully you enjoy it! If you're binge watching, I would recommend getting a wheelbarrow of tacos.

Billy and the Cloneasauras.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

opinion, not fact. Some people enjoyed those seasons. If you didn’t, that’s fine.

I’m also not going to take a Futurama fans opinion too seriously.

Man you are cool! Too bad its impossible to be friends...

Hard to take someone who thinks opinions can't be wrong too seriously

 

[Langdon Alger]

Man you are cool! Too bad its impossible to be friends...

Hard to take someone who thinks opinions can't be wrong too seriously

you’re still going on about this? Man, I must have really upset you with my opinion on a crappy show.

 

[Prairie Habs]

In high school and university I had the first 12 seasons on DVD and would watch them one disc at a time while studying/doing homework. Run through it once as the episode, then again with the creator commentary on. If there are any die hard fans who haven't checked out the commentaries for their favourite seasons/episodes I would say they are a must and equally enjoyable to the episodes themselves.

As far as stopping points go, just watch until you don't want to. Its been years since I saw a new episode, but there are perfectly enjoyable episodes for years after the show left its peak. A mediocre episode of the Simpsons is still better than most other shows.

He won't be able to watch Stark Raving Dad. The producers pulled it from rotation in reruns and on all streaming platforms (including, I believe, Disney+) last year after all the fallout from Leaving Neverland.

AFAIK it's the only episode that doesn't have wide distribution. I'm pretty sure they put Homer Simpson vs The State of New York back into play a few years ago after it was yanked in the wake of 9/11

Since its also mentioned as a stopping point in the next post, I'll add that the episode where they go to Japan was pulled from rotation in Japan. Something about throwing their emperor into a dumpster full of used sumo thongs offended them...

As another plug for the commentary I'll add that their solution on that track was just changing the name to on the dumpster to "emperor box" as that would be the exact place you should throw the emperor.

Also, I believe the episode in Brazil was pulled from Brazil as they didn't like the whole "thugs kidnapping tourists" and "rabid monkeys attacking people" things.

the Simpsons in season 1 and parts of season 2 hadn't really found the formula that made them funny. Homer was just mad at everything under the sun; by season 3 he calms down considerably and becomes much funnier. Bart went from the loveable but not really funny underachiever to someone who derives more humor by being surprisingly out of character, saying something that no 10 year old should be capable of. Lisa became the only family member who could do dry humor well, usually as a foil to Homer. Marge went from having basically no jokes at all to a more vibrant and deep personality. Maggie stopped existing just to fall down.

since the OP didn't actually ask where to stop, I won't volunteer my opinion, which is that he should stop at the Japan episode of season 10. Or my opinion on Futurama, which is that the new episodes are nowhere near as funny as the original four seasons.

 

[Langdon Alger]

The commentaries are great, especially the ones that Conan shows up on. He only did a few though. Definitely worth checking those out if you are a die hard fan of the show.

 

[The Nemesis]

Since its also mentioned as a stopping point in the next post, I'll add that the episode where they go to Japan was pulled from rotation in Japan. Something about throwing their emperor into a dumpster full of used sumo thongs offended them...

As another plug for the commentary I'll add that their solution on that track was just changing the name to on the dumpster to "emperor box" as that would be the exact place you should throw the emperor.

Also, I believe the episode in Brazil was pulled from Brazil as they didn't like the whole "thugs kidnapping tourists" and "rabid monkeys attacking people" things.

I realize I opened this door with the New York episode reference, but I was mostly singling out Stark Raving Dad because it is universally removed from distribution except on DVD sets. The other episodes were only pulled in markets that were specifically offended by (or in the New York case, potentially upset by) the portrayal of that market.

A Streetcar Named Marge was also pulled for a while and generated significant complaints in New Orleans because people took offence to the fact that one of the songs in the play-within-the-episode called the city a place of "liars, drunks, and whores" or something like that. It's why there was later a chalkboard gag where the lines were "I will not defame the city of New Orleans."


And to another post that I don't feel like going back to quote: I second getting the DVDs to watch with the commentary track (unless the Disney+ offerings include commentary as an audio option?) They really are insightful and at times (depending on who's present) quite funny on their own. The only commentary guest who ever really annoyed me was writer Ian Maxtone-Graham, and that was largely because he has an annoyingly fake-sounding laugh that's like "a-hah. a-hah. a-hah. a-hah." with as much pause and punctuation as possible between chuckles. I sounds like a sarcastic mock laugh but after a while you realize it's genuine and he just sounds that way)

It's somewhat related, but the only commentary tracks I've found better in terms of mixing interesting behind-the-scenes talk and outright fun are the Futurama ones. You get Billy West and John DiMaggio in the recording booth and things go completely off the rails in the best way.

 

[Ceremony]

As much as I like The Simpsons, I don't think I've actively wanted to watch a season 1 episode in ages. Season 2 has some classics; I still remember the school yard discussion of "Bart the Daredevil" the day after it aired. And then seasons 3-8 are just tremendous, like 15+ grade A episodes per season. As others stated, some gems from 9-12 but the consistency starts to dip. I started playing hockey on Sunday nights in 2002, so I haven't seen much after season 13 and unfortunately haven't heard a ton of reasons to do so.

Best of luck on the watch, hopefully you enjoy it! If you're binge watching, I would recommend getting a wheelbarrow of tacos.

This is the thickest looking carpet I've ever seen.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

you’re still going on about this? Man, I must have really upset you with my opinion on a crappy show.

Still going on? I made one post lol, wow. If you think the show is crappy then why give your opinion one which seasons are good? Why bother coming in here? If you think my post is of someone who is upset then you spend waaay too much time online

 

[Langdon Alger]

Still going on? I made one post lol, wow. If you think the show is crappy then why give your opinion one which seasons are good? Why bother coming in here? If you think my post is of someone who is upset then you spend waaay too much time online

dude, you keep replying to me. Why do I come in here? It’s a Simpsons thread, that’s why. I’m sorry you’re mad I don’t like a show you like. You don’t need to keep crying about it. Just stop talking to me ok? I’m done with this.

 

[Brodeur]

I also have this t-shirt. A grand total of two people have ever gotten the joke.

I wore it to a Simpsons themed performance at the Hollywood Bowl and only a couple people seemed to get the joke.

I wonder if my friend still wears the Nuke the Whales shirt I got her.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

dude, you keep replying to me. Why do I come in here? It’s a Simpsons thread, that’s why. I’m sorry you’re mad I don’t like a show you like. You don’t need to keep crying about it. Just stop talking to me ok? I’m done with this.

So you hate the show but cant stop coming in here, gotcha

 

[Richard]

I watched the first two episodes of season 2 last night. Not terrible not really good either. Now I'm onto treehouse of horror 1

 

[Langdon Alger]

So you hate the show but cant stop coming in here, gotcha

I don’t hate the Simpsons. Can’t you read?

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

I don’t hate the Simpsons. Can’t you read?

I’m sorry you’re mad I don’t like a show you like. You don’t need to keep crying about it.

Mhm

 

[Langdon Alger]

Mhm

I was taking about futurama. I love the Simsons, that’s why I’m here. Go back and read it again. I’m sorry if I was unclear, but earlier in the thread I took a shot at you for being a futurama fan, and you and another guy didn’t like it. I have never bashed the Simpsons in this thread, in fact unlike some people I enjoy the show after season 8.

 

[Osprey]

I watched the first two episodes of season 2 last night. Not terrible not really good either. Now I'm onto treehouse of horror 1

Enjoy. The Treehouse of Horror episodes are some of the most fun episodes, since they're the one episode each season (around Halloween) that's allowed to break all of the rules of the show (ex. there can be aliens, characters can be a lot different than usual, series regulars can die and so on). At the same time, they help you to appreciate all of the rest of the episodes because you realize just how "normal" and restrained they are. The writers must've really enjoyed the 'treehouse' episodes because it was their one chance each year to just go wild and do all of the things with the characters and world that they couldn't normally do.

 

[Langdon Alger]

I watched the first two episodes of season 2 last night. Not terrible not really good either. Now I'm onto treehouse of horror 1

my favourite episode of season 2 is called three men and a comic book. It’s toward the end of that season though, so I guess you have a ways to go before you get there.

 

[alko]

To watch all Simpsons, including season 31, you would need cca 293 Hours. That means 12 and something days. But this is only if you would watch 24 Hours a day.

If you will take only 12 hours per day, that should be cca 25 days. That isnt so much as i estimated...