Simpsons episodes from the classic era that you're not a fan of? (Mmm, sacrilicious!)

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I overall enjoy Lisa The Vegetarian, it has nice character development and great gags ("Out of the way, you!"), but there's one scene that nearly ruins the whole episode for me:

Homer: Ohhhh. Lisa. I was looking for you. I wanted to apologize. I don't know exactly what went wrong but it's always my fault.
Lisa: Actually Dad, this time, I was wrong...
Homer: Oooh!
Lisa: ...too.
Homer: Ohh.

At this point in the episode Lisa has already realized that what she did was wrong, so it's very frustrating seeing her not take full responsibility for her actions. Specially since Homer never did anything malicious this time and had every right to be mad at her for what she did.
 
Javier said:
At this point in the episode Lisa has already realized that what she did was wrong, so it's very frustrating seeing her not take full responsibility for her actions. Specially since Homer never did anything malicious this time and had every right to be mad at her for what she did.
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you could argue that Homer wasn't very open or supportive towards her new found vegetarianism.
 
danm999 said:
For me personally they were satirising Australia fucking perfectly and hilariously for the first two acts, then took this weird right turn into corporal punishment which felt totally bizarre, probably because the thing the boot was inspired by was an incident from Singapore, not Australia.

Unless it was some super deep meta joke about how Americans can't tell different countries apart?
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My college roommate from Australia loves this episode actually, but in a sense of "Is this what they really think we're like?" He said he and his friends would quote knifey-spoony and chazzwazzers etc all the time.

"C-O"
"B-E"
 
Some people include season 10 in their definitions of the "classic" era. If s10 is indeed classic, then I'd say about 1/4ths of the episodes that season. Notably Make Room for Lisa, Monty Can't Buy Me Love, When You Dish Upon a Star, and Kidney Trouble.

To its credit, season 10 does still have some great episodes, like Lisa Gets an "A", Wizard of Evergreen Terrace, Wild Barts Can't Be Broken, and Mayored to the mob, and the humor is still intact, but it's where the decline becomes somewhat noticeable. Not as bad as season 11, but it's getting there.

The characters, or rather, the lack thereof, start to become messed up in s10. Lisa is reduced to more of an annoying know-it-all than before, Marge is reduced to a nag, Bart is reduced to homer's sidekick, Burns is a senile and friendly old man (rather than evil), and Homer is portrayed as a zany superhero doing all sorts of crazy things - rather than the put-upon breadwinning father he used to be.
 
I would say "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" is my least favorite. The premise of Bob eliminating TV via nuclear threat is pretty weak and the airshow location is just a poor choice. What really puts it over is that unlike other eps with paper thin plots, this lacks any memorable jokes.
 
ThePrequelsSuck said:
Some people include season 10 in their definitions of the "classic" era. If s10 is indeed classic, then I'd say about 1/4ths of the episodes that season. Notably Make Room for Lisa, Monty Can't Buy Me Love, When You Dish Upon a Star, and Kidney Trouble.

To its credit, season 10 does still have some great episodes, like Lisa Gets an "A", Wizard of Evergreen Terrace, Wild Barts Can't Be Broken, and Mayored to the mob, and the humor is still intact, but it's where the decline becomes somewhat noticeable. Not as bad as season 11, but it's getting there.

The characters, or rather, the lack thereof, start to become messed up in s10. Lisa is reduced to more of an annoying know-it-all than before, Marge is reduced to a nag, Bart is reduced to homer's sidekick, Burns is a senile and friendly old man (rather than evil), and Homer is portrayed as a zany superhero doing all sorts of crazy things - rather than the put-upon breadwinning father he used to be.
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How I see the Scully run:

Season 9 - I actually like just about every episode in this season (even Principal and the Pauper which has some good jokes/scenes in spite of an outrageously stupid premise)
10 - more good than bad
11 - more bad than good
12 - a few gems, but overall pretty garbage

13 onward I kind of just view as mindless entertainment.

biggersmaller said:
I would say "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" is my least favorite. The premise of Bob eliminating TV via nuclear threat is pretty weak and the airshow location is just a poor choice. What really puts it over the ended is that unlike other eps with paper thin plots, this lacks any memorable jokes.
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Yeah I might go with this one. About the only thing I ever remember about it is that it exists.
 
Phil0sophy said:
Marge be not proud is one of my favourite episodes of The Simpsons alongside Mr Plow, I don't understand why it is so divisive, the argument that it doesn't follow the same pattern as earlier episodes is baseless imo, there was plenty of episodes before it that followed other styles of TV shows and plenty of episodes before it that were much worse in quality.
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I remember in that Zombie Simpsons essay, it was attacked for being really sitcommy and leaning on the old, "stealing is bad" morality cause, which I feel missed the point of what Marge Be Not Proud really has to say. Marge's parenting style has never really been explored on the show and they have never really taken a closer look at her relationship with her son (favoring Homer/Bart and Homer/Lisa instead). It's always been one of my favorites too, although from reading this thread, I can see why it's not everyone's cup of tea. It's so damn morose.

Maybe the issue is it was produced 5 years too late. It's a Season 2 episode stuck in Season 7.

NameGenerated said:
It's supposed to be like that. Krusty has to make a hacky joke out of everything/can't just be serious. You worked yourself into a shoot.
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Eh. I think the modern episodes' reliant on intentionally-awkward dialogue these days has made me sick of these kinds of anti-humor attempts. The shtick he does on his show works better for me.
 
Phil0sophy said:
Marge be not proud is one of my favourite episodes of The Simpsons alongside Mr Plow, I don't understand why it is so divisive, the argument that it doesn't follow the same pattern as earlier episodes is baseless imo, there was plenty of episodes before it that followed other styles of TV shows and plenty of episodes before it that were much worse in quality.

Marge be not proud also has a really good message and also includes one of the funniest performances from Homer in a Simpsons episode.

"Stealing! How could you?! Haven't you learned anything from that guy who gives those sermons at church? Captain Whatshisname? We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took you to all those "Police Academy" movies? For fun? Well, I didn't hear anybody laughing! Did you?! Except at that guy who made sound effects. [makes some sound effects and laughs to himself] Where was I? Oh, yeah: stay out of my booze."

"I've figured out the boy's punishment: First, he's grounded. No leaving the house, not even for school. Second, no egg nog. In fact, no nog, period. And third, absolutely no stealing for 3 months."


Also the buy me bonestorm or goto hell, the part with Juvinile hall, the appearance of several videogame characters like Mario, Luigi etc

It's one of the best episodes imo.
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hqdefault.jpg

Homer: Hmm, we didn't have a message when we left. How very odd.
Machine: Hello, Muddah, hello, Faddah. Here I am at Camp Granada.
Homer: Marge, is Lisa at Camp Granada?
 
Some people also extend the classic era to include seasons 11 and 12 (for reasons I don't understand).

If s11-12 count as classic then I'd say the worst "classic" episode is "Kill the alligator and run", by far.
 
Phil0sophy said:
Marge be not proud is one of my favourite episodes of The Simpsons alongside Mr Plow, I don't understand why it is so divisive, the argument that it doesn't follow the same pattern as earlier episodes is baseless imo, there was plenty of episodes before it that followed other styles of TV shows and plenty of episodes before it that were much worse in quality.

Marge be not proud also has a really good message and also includes one of the funniest performances from Homer in a Simpsons episode.

"Stealing! How could you?! Haven't you learned anything from that guy who gives those sermons at church? Captain Whatshisname? We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took you to all those "Police Academy" movies? For fun? Well, I didn't hear anybody laughing! Did you?! Except at that guy who made sound effects. [makes some sound effects and laughs to himself] Where was I? Oh, yeah: stay out of my booze."

"I've figured out the boy's punishment: First, he's grounded. No leaving the house, not even for school. Second, no egg nog. In fact, no nog, period. And third, absolutely no stealing for 3 months."


Also the buy me bonestorm or goto hell, the part with Juvinile hall, the appearance of several videogame characters like Mario, Luigi etc

It's one of the best episodes imo.
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Seriously, it is. I mean, Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge. C'mon folks.

It also features the late, great Lawrence Tierney.
image7.jpg
 
"But someday he'll be a grown man stealing stadiums and...quarries"

I do understand the grim feeling you can get from Marge be not proud (used to bug me when I was younger) but I've grown to like it quite a bit.
 
I'm not a huge Simpson's fan, but I watched Marge vs. the Monorail which is held up as an amazing episode and while it was enjoyable some of the jokes felt rather off to me and stuff I'd expect from modern Simpsons, AKA random references to pop-culture and gratuitous cameos. Things like Axel F playing randomly at the beginning, Mr. Burns using the Bat Grappling Hook, and even Leonard Nimoy's cameo came off as a bit schlocky to me and out-of-place.

Not as horrible compared to the one modern episode I watched which randomly ended with a Clockwork Orange joke for no discernible reason and had Daniel Radcliffe spoofing Twilight, but it bugged me.
 
-Eddman- said:
It's a great episode, but in perspective, that was the point when Lisa changed from a nerdy but cool little girl to straight annoying.
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Yeaaaa I felt like this episode was the changed in Lisa.

Only two episodes I can think of is Bart shoplifting and burning down the Christmas tree. Another good one someone brought up was the The Sister, The Sitter episode.
 
I kinda think that Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala-D'ohcious was terrible. Few really quality jokes that aren't just obvious, too clear a parody target, and it has that edgy cynicism to it that really drove the show to shit as it went on. Simpsons at its prime is absurdist humor - the growing focus on how they would be really fucked up and dysfunctional if they were real just isn't that funny. Just felt like a starting point for all of the bad "jokes" in season 11-13 where Bart would be anxious about Homer choking him or something.
 
HiredN00bs said:
Seriously, it is. I mean, Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge. C'mon folks.

It also features the late, great Lawrence Tierney.
image7.jpg
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They tell an awesome story about him on the commentary track. They had a car service pick him up from his hotel/home and bring him to the studio to record his lines, and typically the driver stays so that the guest actor can leave as soon as they're done. His driver went up to one of the producers and said, a little agitated, "I am not driving him back." and just left.

He was apparently quite an asshole. The Seinfeld people had issues with him when he guested on their show too.
 
Phil0sophy said:
Marge be not proud is one of my favourite episodes of The Simpsons alongside Mr Plow, I don't understand why it is so divisive, the argument that it doesn't follow the same pattern as earlier episodes is baseless imo, there was plenty of episodes before it that followed other styles of TV shows and plenty of episodes before it that were much worse in quality.

Marge be not proud also has a really good message and also includes one of the funniest performances from Homer in a Simpsons episode.

"Stealing! How could you?! Haven't you learned anything from that guy who gives those sermons at church? Captain Whatshisname? We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took you to all those "Police Academy" movies? For fun? Well, I didn't hear anybody laughing! Did you?! Except at that guy who made sound effects. [makes some sound effects and laughs to himself] Where was I? Oh, yeah: stay out of my booze."

"I've figured out the boy's punishment: First, he's grounded. No leaving the house, not even for school. Second, no egg nog. In fact, no nog, period. And third, absolutely no stealing for 3 months."


Also the buy me bonestorm or goto hell, the part with Juvinile hall, the appearance of several videogame characters like Mario, Luigi etc

It's one of the best episodes imo.
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I read all the Dead Homer Society arguments for why it's bad, and none of them made any sense.
 
Syder said:
Never understood the hatred The Principal and the Pauper gets.
I guess because it fucks with the established canon so much but otherwise it isn't really a "bad episode", if you ask me. Don't get me wrong it's not a zenith for the show by any means but there are some good gags in there and a nice emotional pay-off with Seymour and Agnes.

1254552.gif

The writers even knew there was no way they could get away with making the change permanent.
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The only reason I tolerate this episode is because I consider it a brick joke for I D'oh-Bot.

Didn't say it was the best brick joke, but it's how I like to imagine it.
 
Homer's Night Out. It's honestly just as bad as some of Family Guy's worst. I remember being distinctly uncomfortable watching it, too.

For those unaware, Bart basically spies on Homer at a strip-club using a spy camera and then they have to go around apologizing to strippers for sexist behaviors and sexualizing woman. It all just had a very creepy, depraved vibe to it.
 
Phil0sophy said:
Marge be not proud is one of my favourite episodes of The Simpsons alongside Mr Plow, I don't understand why it is so divisive, the argument that it doesn't follow the same pattern as earlier episodes is baseless imo, there was plenty of episodes before it that followed other styles of TV shows and plenty of episodes before it that were much worse in quality.

Marge be not proud also has a really good message and also includes one of the funniest performances from Homer in a Simpsons episode.

"Stealing! How could you?! Haven't you learned anything from that guy who gives those sermons at church? Captain Whatshisname? We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took you to all those "Police Academy" movies? For fun? Well, I didn't hear anybody laughing! Did you?! Except at that guy who made sound effects. [makes some sound effects and laughs to himself] Where was I? Oh, yeah: stay out of my booze."

"I've figured out the boy's punishment: First, he's grounded. No leaving the house, not even for school. Second, no egg nog. In fact, no nog, period. And third, absolutely no stealing for 3 months."


Also the buy me bonestorm or goto hell, the part with Juvinile hall, the appearance of several videogame characters like Mario, Luigi etc

It's one of the best episodes imo.
Click to expand...

This is also one of m favorite episodes. Lee Carvalo's putting challenge was such a good gag that as a videogame fan as a kid, I could really identify with. Plus, I think it has a really solid message to it, and you felt for Bart and Marge throughout most of it. I was obsessed with the Simpsons as a kid, and this is one of my most memorable episodes.

The first episode that I remember thinking "eh, this isn't very good..." is the Homer and Marge sexual romance one, where they can only get romantic if theyr'e doing something dangerous. Just seems really odd , and I remember thinking the show wasn't as good.
 
Javier said:
Actually, that line is from Lisa Gets an A

Although, The Principal and the Pauper did give us "When I grow up, I wanna be a principal... or a caterpillar".
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It also gave us the line:

"Principle Skinner, I got carsick in your office"
 
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