My (12) Favorite Episodes of The Simpsons
I
crunched the numbers! I had a pretty lazy
Labor Day weekend and I had to fill it with some nerdy stuff to keep from
eating more potato chips. The Simpsons
has infected everyone during the marathon, so its fresh on my mind. I won’t tell
the story of how my love for this show developed, after being annoyed by its
success during Season 1. I won’t write
about how it’s the funniest show, animated or otherwise, that has ever been on
television. I won’t talk about cultural
significance, including humor, speech, language, cadence, story structure,
character development and doughnuts. I’m
just here to list my favorites.
The list is to twelve. I wanted to be cool and shave it down to ten
but it’s my list, these are all awesome, and what the hell is wrong with the
number 12? They are listed only in order
of release, not preference or anything like that. It was hard enough narrowing it down this
much.
Flaming
Moe’s - Season 3. This is the one
that really got me, as I remember. This was
no ordinary cartoon. Aerosmith did the
guest voices and half the episode was a Cheers
spoof.
Last
Exit to Springfield - Season 4. This one is on all the critic’s list as one
of the best, if not the best of all.
Dental plan. Lisa needs
braces. Burns as the Grinch. The Big Book of British Smiles. Homer runs the
union. You know it.
Rosebud
– Season 5. The Ramones sing Mr. Burns a
birthday song and tell him to “go to hell you ol’ bastard.” Burns turns to Smithers and says “Have the
Rolling Stones killed”. It’s Citizen Kane with Bobo.
Cape
Feare – Season 5. Kelsey Grammer may
be forever remembered as Frasier but his finest work will be voicing Sideshow
Bob. The one with the rakes. Need I say more?
Treehouse
of Horror V - Season 6. I had to
pick at last one of the Halloween episodes.
This one contains ‘The Shinning’ (No beer and no TV make Homer something
something). The time travelling toaster,
and the one where the teachers ate all the kids. (You might even say we’ve eaten Uter, and he’s
in our stomachs!)
Lisa the
Iconoclast – Season 7. A Lisa
episode? Yeah, but this one had all the
Jebediah Springfield stuff. (One, where’s
the fife? Two, gimme the fife.)
Homer’s
Enemy – Season 8. I think I love
Season 8. Homer meets Frank Grimes. This is one of those meta/self-referential
episodes that was so smart when I first watched it. Grimes is the only person that doesn’t
understand why all these great things happen for Homer. It is a look at the character if he lived in
the real world. He would have been fired
and/or killed years ago. But he’s in an
animated world, so Homer wins and Grimey loses.
You
Only Move Twice – Season 8. The one
with Albert Brooks as Hank Scorpio. I
thought of this as an idea once for a short story. I did! Really! What would a Bond movie look like from one of
the faceless tech people in the evil mastermind’s secret lair? Of course, Homer has no idea what the hell is
happening.
Brother
From Another Series – Season 8. David Hyde Peirce as Sideshow Cecil. It’s another Bob episode but it is so packed
with great stuff I had to include it. (Oh, Cousin Merle!) Bob isn’t even trying to kill Bart this time, but his equally evil brother tries and fails.
Maximum
Homerdrive – Season 10. Homer and
Bart drive the 18-wheeler. (Well, I just ate an entire lamb, but I reckon I can
take you to school…) There is something about Marge’s plea to Homer to not drive
the truck; it was an acknowledgment that he never really thinks things through… (And to drink…Meatballs.)
Guess
Who’s Coming To Criticize Dinner? - Season 11. Homer the food critic. (I once saw this man eat a bowl of change! / This
gets my lowest score yet… seven thumbs up.)
Every restaurateur in town tries to kill Homer after he learns too be
too critical. His review of The Frying
Dutchman: “Thar, She Blows!”
Simple
Simpson – Season 15. Homer as the
Spider-Man-like superhero, The Pieman. (Since when do I listen to cake?)