As with the two pools below this, the four that were left from that tier:
53. 8F15 (SI-315 / S03E18) Separate Vocations
After taking the Career Aptitude Normalization Test, or CANT test, Lisa finds out she's more suited to be a homemaker, while Bart is more suited to be a police officer. While Bart enjoys his taste of authority, Lisa turns into a bad kid. (originally in Pool 41)
76. 9F15 (SI-415 / S04E17) Last Exit to Springfield
Homer becomes a Union boss and negotiates a new contract with the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, mindful that Lisa needs braces. (originally in Pool 26)
111. 2F05 (SI-605 / S06E08) Lisa on Ice
Sibling rivalry breaks out on and off the ice when Lisa proves to be a better hockey player than Bart. (originally in Pool 1)
168. 4F11 (SI-811 / S08E15) Homer's Phobia
A shop owner befriends the Simpson family, but after discovering he is a homosexual Homer fears Bart will emulate him. John Waters guest stars.
(originally in Pool 16)
Hey, it's two of the four nicest things Bart ever did for Lisa (c.f. the abomination that is Season 16's "On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister"). Dangit, this ended up being a really loaded pool, of which you can easily make a case that all four are better than either "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" or "Bart After Dark" (picking from the weakest (in my opinion) of the first 15 finalists).
Two of these I'm almost physically incapable of ranking anywhere below #1, which creates an obvious conundrum. That makes the rest of my list obvious by default.
1. Separate Vocations
2. Lisa on Ice
3. Homer's Phobia (which really deserved better)
4. Last Exit to Springfield (again, only because the top 3 are off the charts)
You like Separate Vocations a heckuva lot more than I do (though I still like it a lot). No, the struggle for me is between Last Exit and Lisa on Ice, both in my personal top 10. On the one hand, you have a great Dental subplot (British Book of Smiles/parlor of lies), but the main plot is also strong w/ Goons, the failed negotiations, "as was the style"). Plus, it has one my favorite opening bits with McBain--"Ice to see you!"). On the other hand is Eye of a Tiger, Mouth of a Teamster, Competitive Violence, Unpossible, Here's Your Turtle, Mr. Honeybunny, Peninsula. No, I can't do it.
1. Last Exit to Springfield
2. Lisa on Ice
3. Separate Vocations
4. Homer's Phobia (which I would take over Bart After Dark easily)
1. Lisa on Ice
2. Last Exit to Springfield
3. Separate Vocations
4. Homer's Phobia
This was tough all around but Lisa on Ice is, to me, more memorably funny. Last Exit is a great, great episode but I forget about it.
Posted by: John at November 15, 2005 03:54 PMVery strong pool. The first two segments of Lisa on Ice are outstanding - if the third was as good, I'd consider it top 5 material, but I've never liked the ending very much. Homer's Phobia is a strong episode, but there are no moments that I found absolutely hilarious. Is it really season 8? I thought it was much earlier. That leaves:
1. Separate Vocations ("I'll smoke it in class.")
2. Lisa on Ice
3. Homer's Phobia
4. Last Exit to Springfield
Looks like my rankings are exactly the same as Matt's, although I did them without reading what you or the commentators thought.
Posted by: David at November 16, 2005 01:09 AM