I have a theory that Conan O’Brien is pretty much responsible for Adam West’s late-career revival, between this episode and this:
I haven’t seriously watched the Simpsons in a looooooooooooooong time, but all of these picks remind me that when it’s great, it’s unstoppable.
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I submit a show has never and will never have a consecutive streak of untouchable episodes as the simpsons did from S4-S8. That’s over 100 episodes of non stop bangers, without a single miss (clip shows do not count). Its an unprecedented accomplishment.
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Also its stupid crazy how pretty much every episode is still relevant today nearly 30 years later
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The article I posted also comes to this conclusion.
I’ve probably never given enough thought to the fact that people had to write and produce these episodes and they didn’t just magically appear in, like, perfect form. Really is sort of staggering when you make this realization.
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Continuing with the 2020 theme… I bring you my 3rd pick, Season 8 Ep. 10, "The Springfield Files."
2020 had everything… including actual ALIENS! https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/politics/pentagon-ufo-videos/index.html Well, a UFO anyway. In this episode, Homer believes he has discovered an alien in springfield.
Oh man I already had to pause because there’s so much good stuff in the first minute.
Leonard Nimoy guest spot! “The following tale of alien encounters is true. And by true, I mean false. It’s all lies. But they’re entertaining lies. And in the end, isn’t that the real truth? The answer is: No.”
Poignant, lol.
Homer describing the movie “speed” to his coworkers and saying “I think it was called ‘the bus that couldn’t slow down’” hahaha. It made me laugh extra hard because I actually had to google “bus that couldn’t slow down movie” to remember the name of that dang thing.
Burns - “What’ll you be doing on this friday, smithers? Something gay, I suppose?” Smithers - “Wh- what?”
millhouse’s video game immediately getting a game over for no reason after he inserted 40 quarters into the machine
“Mmm, needs more dog.”
Jesus I’m noticing there is a lot of jokes about homer drinking and driving in these earlier seasons. I guess that wasn’t really frowned upon as much in those days.
HAHA homer screaming at “DIE” then screaming louder at the word “DIET”
Wow, they were allowed to just play the x-files theme? later edit: I didn’t realize x-files was a fox show.
“It’s just that everyone who claims they saw an alien are always pathetic lowlifes with boring jobs. Oh… thank you, uh, dad.”
“The alien has a sweet heavenly voice… Like urkel! And he appears every friday night… like Urkel!”
Oh, scully and mulder are guest starring. That explains the x-files theme song.
Lol disney would go after fox so hard for the chewbacca reference.
Lie detector test - “Do you understand?” Homer - “Yes” machine blows up
Homer thinks apollo creed went to the moon
“Now son, you don’t wanna drink beer, that’s for daddies and kids with fake id’s.”
hahahaha all their camping gear has ned flanders labels
“It’s bringing love! don’t let it escape” angry mob descends on the alien
Haha the burns twist at the end. I enjoyed this episode, I never had seen it before.
Next one coming soonish
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Another good choice, but my most 2020 episode still hasn’t been picked
standing by
Fuck sorry man I celebrated a little bit too hard tonight. It’s slow right now. I also had a long day and am having trouble concentrating.
Episode is “Trash of the Titans” S9 E22. I will edit in my writeup.
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That’s been taken (Thin_Slicing round 2)
Ok damn. Sorry, my bad. Should have checked the list today.
Alright I’m under pressure so I’m going with somewhat of an unorthodox pick outside of season 10 threshold - “The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" Season 12 E6
This is a real sleeper episode that has so many easy references to what’s been going on in the last year it’s kind of crazy. Here is the synopsis:
Homer discovers the Internet and starts his own web page, where he calls himself Mr. X and begins revealing Springfield’s secrets. When it is announced that Mr. X’s work has won a Pulitzer Prize, Homer reveals himself in order to claim the prize. However, with his identity as Mr. X now public, Homer can no longer obtain any secrets as no one will say anything while he is around. Homer then begins making up stories to put on his web page. When one of those stories turns out to be the truth, he is captured and taken to “The Island”, a place where those who know too much are taken out of society.
Homer’s online identity is “mister X” which has shades of Q. Everyone in springfield is just dying to know who Mr. X is as homer spills all these secrets. I laughed really really really hard at one scene in which Homer is trying to get a scoop, and overhears Krusty confessing a really scandalous crime while Apu was confessing that all the bagels in springfield are just old stale donuts. Homer of course thinks thinks the scandal is about the bagels, and wiggum as a precautionary measure seizes every “bagel, pastry, bear claw, and bagel” in the entire city “for evidence.” LOL. I loved that whole sequence.
When homer runs out of scoops, he starts making shit up, including stuff about vaccines, which everyone takes as fact. Anti-vaxx propaganda on the internet? This episode has a lot of similarities to stuff that’s going on today, and this is a 20 year old episode. Pretty trippy. I really thought it was interesting how it kind of predicted how the internet would shape society, and this was in the very early 00’s when the world wide web was still kind of in its infancy. Very prophetic.
On the island part of the episode it gets very cerebral and trippy. Eventually we find out homer was taken there because his anti-vaxx propaganda was actually true and they didn’t want the truth getting out. Then at the end of the episode the 4th wall is broken and the viewer is hit with the toxic gas that was a gag throughout the episode. I watched this after I had smoked and this whole episode was trippy as hell. I recommend it.
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All right I’ll work on my writeup. I don’t think mine will be particularly unconventional
Taking a bit of a detour from the Homer’s Career Adventures theme here to highlight someone who doesn’t get the lead nearly as often as the rest of the Simpson clan…
"Marge on the Lam"
Marge gets tickets to the ballet, but Homer gets stuck at work, so Marge takes neighbor Ruth Powers (last seen in season 4’s “New Kid on the Block”). They strike up an unlikely friendship and go out another night, which leads them on a Thelma and Louise riff of an adventure in a stolen car, and odd couple Homer and Wiggum trying to track them down. And while all that is going on, Lionel Hutz is babysitting the kids.
Another one just packed full of memorable lines and moments. And maybe the finest Lionel Hutz appearance ever. And on the character side, it’s one of the best episodes at showing why Marge is so necessary to the Simpson family, who pretty quickly fall apart without her.
A few of my favorite highlights:
- I’ve never related to Homer more than his reaction to Garrison Keillor.
- “Edward the Penitent,” another good parody of PBS-style TV
- What Homer thinks ballet is (and Lenny confirming it later)
- Homer getting trapped in two vending machines
- “They’ll grow back, right? Uh… yeah!”
- “D’oh! Lumber has a million uses.”
- “Don’t worry, you’ll feel better once we put your hair in curlers and give you a makeover, Homina.” “Oh, that would be delightf– quiet, boy!”
- Homer trying to call his friends for a “girl’s night out”
- “Mr. Simpson, I was just going through your garbage, and I couldn’t help but overhearing that you need a babysitter.”
- “Blast that infernal card!”
- SH T KICKERS
- “Look at him, he’s wearing a belt! That’s Hollywood for you.”
- “My cans, my precious antique cans!”
- Wiggum’s moonshine still
- The “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” callback
- Homer imagining “A lot of blue hair? What a freak!”
- “She’s become a crazed criminal because I didn’t take her to the ballet!” That’s exactly how Dillinger got started." “Really.”
- “Hold me. Only if you hold me.”
- “Sticking together is what good waffles do!”
- “You stupid kid! You know that drives away all my business!”
- “Quiet, I can’t hear the eggs.”
- “Don’t touch my stuff! Hey, this isn’t the YMCA.”
- Kent Brockman’s meltdown (“IT’S IN REVELATIONS, PEOPLE!”)
- “Oh my God! They’re gonna drive right into it just to teach us men a lesson!”
- The Dragnet-style ending
In conclusion,
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And god I’ve said this about so many Simpsons moments and clips but if there’s one that comes closest to sheer perfection this is it.
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On the one hand, some of ya’ll are moving too fast and your encyclopedic knowledge and memory of episodes is putting the rest of us to shame. On the other hand, there’s going to be a vote at the end (I think?) and so I’m going to keep grabbing those fan favorites. I’ve also got a couple of minor themes going through my picks and this one fits in. With my fourth selection I choose Season 6 Episode 18 A Star is Burns. Working on my write up now but will throw it to @Nicholasp27 and @RiskyFlush to update the picks.
Is everyone saying “Boo” because they wanted this episode or are you saying “Boo-urns”?
Marge comes up with the idea for Springfield to have a film festival which brings film critic Jay Sherman to town. Of course Mr. Burns decides he has to win and has an epic film produced, portraying him as the hero. Each film is basically it’s own hilarious joke except for Barney’s insightful black and white short that depicts his alcoholism. After he wins he swears to never touch another drink…first prize is a lifetime supply of Duff beer. “Just hook it to my veins!”
“Let’s just say his film moved me…TO A BIGGER HOUSE. Oops I said the quiet part loud and the loud part quiet.”
Homer of course likes the film of Hans Moleman getting hit in the groin by a football. “It’s over, give that man the ten thousand dollars!” “This isn’t Amercia’s Funniest Home Videos.” “His groin…the ball. It works on so many levels!”
Wow I forgot that “That’s the joke” was even from this episode. Also another joke I forgot that currently has me in tears of laughter: *“My car gets 40 rods to the hog’s head, and that’s the way I like it!” “The old man’s remarks will be stricken from the record!”
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A great episode. Barney’s film is elite stuff.
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