Ten Great Simpsons Episodes (Part 2)

Here we go: my top five Simpsons episodes. (On a related note, one of my favorite words, 'meh' has finally made it into the dictionary. Check it out.)

5. Treehouse of Horror V
Originally Aired: October 30, 1994

Written by Greg Daniels, Dan McGrath, David X. Cohen, Bob Kushell
“Acchh!! I’m bad at this!”

In truth, any of the first six or seven Treehouses of Horror would probably rank as one of the show’s best episodes. I might even like IV a little better than V. But V has one thing the others don’t: Groundskeeper Willy. I’m sorry, but seeing the well intentioned Scotsman repeatedly axed in the back by a variety of characters is pure brilliance. Sure, a future world ruled by Ned Flanders is funny—ditto the idea of ‘The Shinning’ or the fact the Grandpa Simpson gave Homer time travelling advice on his wedding day. But c’mon. Nothing beats cold hearted, nonsensical murder for comedy gold.

4. And Maggie Makes Three

Originally Aired: January 22, 1995

Written by Jennifer Crittenden

“Hey wait a minute. What are all these presents? It looks like you’re…showering…Marge with gifts. Hm…with little, tiny, baby-sized gifts. Well, I’ll be in the tub.”

This might not be one of the funniest episodes, but it’s hard not to feel some sympathy for Homer. He finally fulfills his dream of getting a minimum wage job at the bowling alley, only to be forced to give it up to support his new surprise, Maggie. Homer’s touching decision to put his family first and “Do it for her” is in such sharp contrast with the selfish jerk the character has evolved into that it almost makes me wish the show had ended right here.

3. Cape Feare
Originally Aired: October 7, 1993

Written by Jon Vitti
“Yeaaaaagggrrrrrr”

That’s the sound of Sideshow Bob stepping on a rake. Like the Treehouse of Horror episodes, there are plenty of good Sideshow Bob episodes to choose from. This one wins because of the great parody of Cape Fear, Homer’s consistent ineptitude at seeing the severity of Bart’s crisis, and Kelsey Grammer’s delightful singing voice. At the time this episode came out I had a friend who was actually frightened by it, and I must say that the idea of a grown man trying to murder a ten year old boy could potentially be pretty freaky. Thankfully, great writing and a street full of rakes transforms the idea into something hilarious.

2. Lisa's Wedding
Originally Aired: March 19, 1995

Written by Greg Daniels

Homer: I just want you to know I’ve always been proud of you. You’re my greatest accomplishment and you did it all yourself. You’ve helped me understand my own wife better and taught me to be a better person. But you’re also my daughter, and I don’t think anybody could have had a better daughter than…

Lisa: Dad you’re babbling.

Homer: See? You’re still helping me.

Growing up with the show, Lisa was always the character I related to the most. I wasn’t a troublemaker like Bart and thought too much to be like Homer; like me at that age, Lisa was thoughtful, good at school, and something of a loner. Many fans I've spoken with share my affinity for Lisa, and I get the feeling many of the shows writers do as well. This episode has great gags: the propensity of future robots (from the year 2010!) to malfunction and the absolutely incompetent take on history at the Springfield Renaissance Faire; it’s also great to see the future fates of some of our favorite Springfield residents, especially Milhouse. All of the jokes aside, however, it's Lisa's commitment to her family that makes this episode memorable.

Throughout the series, Lisa’s intellectualism has sometimes made it difficult for her to relate to her father. Here, Lisa gives up her fiance for Homer's sake, and despite how ridiculous these characters sometimes act, their humanity shines through during the last five minutes of this show. (This is the exact same sort of sensibility Greg Daniels would later bring to The Office.) I've seen this episode a hundred times, and it’s still hard to keep my eyes dry when I watch eight year old Lisa’s face light up with excitement at learning just how much she loves her dad.

1. Marge vs. The Monorail
Originally Aired: January 14, 1993

Written by Conan O'Brien

Marge: Homer, there's a man here who thinks he can help you.

Homer: Batman??

Marge: No, he's a scientist.

Homer: Batman's a scientist.

Marge: It's not Batman!

This was an easy call. There’s not much to say about this one that hasn’t already been said. If you haven't seen it, all I can feel for you is pity. From the moment Homer crashes through his car window until the last person falls to their death off the Escalator to Nowhere, there’s not a second in this episode that isn’t hilarious. Every single line is quotable. Almost sixteen years later, this is still the funniest thing I have ever seen on TV. No joke.

Ten Great Simpsons Episodes

I realized I was focusing on the show's dismal later years in my last post, so I went ahead and put together a list of ten Simpsons episodes that I think are some of the best that have ever aired. Naturally the list is totally subjective, and keep in mind I’m pretty prejudiced against anything that aired after the 7th season.

It was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to ten, and there are probably another 30 episodes just as deserving. I would love to have included “Lisa on Ice”, “Kamp Krusty”, “Bart on the Road”, or “Who Shot Mr. Burns”, just to name a few. Anyway, on to the list.

10. 22 Short Films About Springfield
Originally Aired: April 14, 1996

Written by Richard Appel, David X. Cohen, Jonathan Collier, Jennifer Crittenden, Greg Daniels, Brent Forrester, Rachel Pulido, Steve Tompkins, Josh Weinstein, Bill Oakley, and Matt Groening

“Professor Frink, Professor Frink, he’ll make you laugh, he’ll make you think…”

This episode came out towards the end of the show’s golden age, a time when the expansive cast of ancillary characters was just starting to come into their own. One of the great touches was that many of the sketches came with their own theme song. Yes, I suppose you could go through life without knowing all the words to the “Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel” theme song. But who would want to?

9. Homer Badman
Originally Aired: Novermber 27, 1994

Written by Greg Daniels

Marge: Homer, that’s your solution to everything, to move under the sea. It’s not gonna happen!!

Homer: Not with that attitude!

An incident with a gummy Venus de Milo turns the whole world against Homer. In the mid 90s, round the clock news coverage of every minor scandal was a relatively new thing, but TV’s obsession with the minute details of our lives would only get worse from here. This episode features a great appearance from Groundskeeper Willy and the classic poorly edited video of Homer on “Rock Bottom.” What makes "Homer Badman" stand out is the way it insists on Homer’s inherent goodness: he loves candy and TV with such an innocent, childlike passion that something as serious as sexual harassment is simply beyond his capabilities. I miss that Homer.

8. Lisa's First Word
Originally Aired: December 3, 1992

Written by Jeff Martin

"Can't sleep...clown'll eat me...."

There’s a lot to love here—seeing Bart grow up as a child of the 80s, Krusty’s catastrophic Olympic Sweepstakes, Bart’s terrifying clown bed, and Homer’s first meeting with Flanders. What really sells this episode, though, are the emotions: Bart’s jealousy of newborn Lisa, Lisa’s admiration for her big brother, and the start of Homer’s special relationship with Maggie.

And let’s not forget the way the whole family shares a joyous laugh when they recall shipping Grandpa away to the old folk’s home. Laughing at the sad fate of the elderly will never go out of style.

7. Radioactive Man
Originally Aired: September 24, 1995

Written by John Swartzwelder

“My eyes! The goggles do nothing!”

I loved this episode growing up, but it did not become one of my favorites until I moved to Los Angeles. The portrayal of the film industry is spot on, from Krusty’s complaints to the producer about the quality of the coffee on set to the utter destruction of the Simpson’s house by a careless film crew.

Then of course there’s Bart and Milhouse’s star struck reaction to the arrival of Mickey Rooney, “modern editing techniques” used to “fix” the Radioactive Man movie after the departure of Milhouse, and Rainier Wolfcastle’s dismal failure to deliver Radioactive Man’s signature line. A classic from start to finish.

6. Lemon of Troy
Originally Aired: May 13, 1995

Written by Brent Forrester

“So this is what it feels like…when doves cry.”

I’m a sucker for Milhouse. Perhaps he reminds me a bit too much of myself as a child. I may have even fantasized about using a camouflaged outfit to hide from my enemies. This is a rare episode that focuses almost entirely on the kids, and in a way that is (somewhat) realistic. I remember going on adventures like this as a kid, and while they never quite reached this level of ridiculousness, there’s something oddly real about two groups of kids fighting over a lemon tree.

Numbers 5 through 1 are on the way!

Coranon Silaria Ozoo Mahoke!

A fine mahoke to you all.

I was originally going to write something about politics, hence the image, but in watching my Simpsons DVD for the correct spelling of “mahoke” I was reminded of just how brilliant that show used to be. I’m beating a dead horse here for sure, but for me The Simpsons was such a huge influence that I can’t help but be saddened when I think of what it has become. I remember sitting down as a seven year old child to watch the Christmas special in 1989, the rush of merchandise that came with the show’s rise to popularity in 1990, and watching the show with my dad as a 5^th grader on January 14^th 1993: the original airdate of the “Marge vs. The Monorail” episode and the precise moment when the show attained comic perfection. For the next several years it would only get better.

So what happened? After about the 8^th season, the show started to fly downhill. At first it was difficult to notice—it happened so gradually that I was still rushing to watch the show every Sunday night well into college. But at some point every fan of the show had to admit that the gig was up. The characters and situations had become ridiculous, the stories increasingly nonsensical—the characters even looked a little different. What started as a satirical look at America in the early 90s became by slow degrees a slapdash concoction of random jokes and physical comedy—exactly the kind of nonsense the early show mocked.

I’ll avoid going on a long anti-Simpsons rant (if anyone needs proof of the show’s decline, just compare the second season episode “The Way We Was” with “That 90s Show” from January 2008) but let’s just look at the Republican Party HQ joke from where this post gets its title. The great thing about this joke is not that it portrays Republicans as evil rich guys (and vampires) living in a foreboding castle (though that is great), but that it is also a commentary on the way liberals sometimes perceive and portray Republicans. It was this basic thesis—that all members of society are equally ridiculous, that made the show so wonderful. That snarky attitude is gone now.

What makes me saddest is that the show was only at its height for the 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th seasons (it was getting good during the first three, but the fourth definitely marks the start of the show’s maturity). I’ll be generous and add the 8^th season to that list: that gives us five good seasons. Since the show has been on for 20 seasons now with no end in sight, then at best the good years represent 25% of the show’s run. Will future generations remember the show for its witty social commentary, or for the new “Angry Homer” and his loveable catchphrases like “Help me Jeebus!”?

Let’s hope that the show’s legacy remains the 90s. This is when the show was at its height, and perhaps it is permanently linked to that time period. Homer and Marge will always have met in the 70s; Bart and Lisa will always be members of "The MTV generation." It is probably too much to ask that something remain relevant forever outside of its era of origin. All of the people that made the show great have gone on to bigger things (Greg Daniels, Conan O’Brien and Brad Bird, just to name a few) and us fans have plenty of other comedy shows to obsess over. But there has never been and probably never will be a show, movie, book, or anything that has had as much influence on me as The Simpsons. I owe so much of my attitude, my world view, and most of all my sense of humor to the show; I can honestly say that if not for The Simpsons I would be a different person today, and not a better one.

For those of us who dream of making people laugh for a living, there’s no better benchmark than The Simpsons in the 90s.

Roving Bands of Historians...

Friedrich's 'The Wanderer Above the Mists'--This painting also works great in posts about finding yourself or moving to a new town. Try it.

Now is not the best time to be looking for a job. But things could always be worse. I had a history professor in college who specialized in the Great Depression (actually I believe he specialized in the writings of upper class post Civil War Southerners and their reaction to losing the war) but the point is he knew a lot about the Great Depression.

Among other things, he told us students that during the 30’s, “roving bands of unemployed historians” would travel from town to town in search of work. The thing is, there’s not much employment for wandering historians even in the best of times, so I’m a little confused about what these roving academics were searching for.

The Great Depression is an evocative era on its own, and we’ve all seen the dingy black and white photographs that capture the desperation. But nothing quite sells the idea of “things are terrible” more than a bunch of spectacled experts on Charlemagne or the Ming Dynasty moving in nomadic camps across the country in search of a place to ply their trade. It makes the skin crawl.

So even though things look bad right now, it is best to keep in mind those “roving bands of unemployed historians” and be grateful that these days unemployed historians are generally confined to their parent’s homes. Besides, it helps take the mind off my professor’s other favorite quote about the Great Depression, a line from William Butler Yeats' poem “The Second Coming”: “Things fall apart. The centre cannot hold.” That’s no fun.