This story immediately reminded me of one of the all-time best King of the Hill episodes.
(Sort of stretching the "Simpsons" category here, but I should have replaced Primary Category with tags years ago when tagging was in vogue anyway. And yes, Simpsons episodes about religion are also almost uniformly excellent -- all the more reason why this Family Guy episode was an abomination, if not a crime against TV-viewing humanity.)
Maybe it's the new parent in me but the most recently aired King of the Hill (LuAnn's baby is born) was outstanding! By far the best of the four animated comedies this past Sunday night. There really is a vast difference between trendy parenting today and standard practices 30 years ago (this comparison gets a lot weaker when I realize Bobby is only a teenager, but still).
Distant second was American Dad: I really enjoyed both Steve/Roger's pathetic failure to write a decent pr0n script, and how Stan and Francine used their overnight free time.
Distant third was The Simpsons: moderately enjoyable to me, or anyone else in the Wordplay demographic, but still almost a circle-jerk kind of celebrity cameo. (I'll forgive them since Will Shortz and Merl Reagle do deserve the fame.)
Distant fourth was the Jackass-themed, new Brian, Family Guy rerun.
Apparently I'm quite a knee-jerk consumer of quasi-political entertainment.
We're watching Lisa Goes to Washington for the first time in a couple years, and in today's "f***ing golden" political climate the satire all seems deadly accurate.
Mind, the absolute best parody in the episode is of "Reading Digest," D.C. tourist traps, and of course Homer playing endearingly dumb. Oh, and by far my favorite essay snippet is the extended Liberty Bell metaphor: "Ding. [patriotic sentence] Dong. [patriotic sentence] [...]"
I've had scathing comments about Season 11. Now that we've rented our way though the DVDs, I'll make two general points and then in the blink of an eye rank the episodes:
1. Even the absolute worst tend to have a smattering of redeeming value. It's not that they're terrible episodes in an absolute sense so much as they fall so far short of Simpsons potential, and even of the potential any given episode has as of a couple minutes into it.
2. I'd vastly underrated "Behind the Laughter." It's not a classic per se (aside from being so completely unlike any other episode), and not necessarily in the top half of episodes (in the Simpsons' entire run), but it doesn't deserve scorn. If you have to smash the fourth wall, might as well be at the top of your game: This episode maximizes its own potential.
From best to worst:
Days of Wine and D'oh'ses: This is what a Simpsons episode can and should be! Funny and sweet, not gratuitous or indulgent, with two very strong plot lines that dovetail nicely. I hate the ending, of course, but I suppose suddenly seeing Barney sober for good is too much to ask (Season 4 already had Homer biking into the sunset to "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," and of course he lapsed before long as well), particularly since I tend to eschew "preachy."
Last Tap Dance in Springfield: Pulla, pulla, pulla... I assume that the consensus opinion is that this is the class of Season 11. I'd still put Wine and D'oh'ses slightly ahead but it's close and the gap between second and third is vast.
Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner? THIS is how you do a celebrity guest voice! Ed Asner plays a fictional character who's integral to the plot. Homer and Lisa have rewarding interaction, and Lisa's climactic line really clinches things.
Pygmoelian: Oddly sweet. The "MOO" and "Duffman... can't breathe!" both stand out.
It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge: Have to give this episode credit, but it could've been so much better than it was.
Behind the Laughter: You could argue this is impossible to slot, and yet I'm quite confident that no episodes remotely cross the chasm that falls just below this.
Brother's Little Helper: Rare among Season 11 in that the main focus is on a Simpson child rather than on Homer. Great premise, and even the McGwire cameo was cleverly done (and sadly ironic in hindsight).
Treehouse of Horror X: I found the first and last vignettes below Treehouse par but Lucy Lawless makes up for it.
Beyond Blunderdome: Despite having a celebrity guest play himself and being a conspicuous "destination" episode, this could have been a lot worse than it was. Then again it did open the door for a lot of far worse episoees.
Grift of the Magi: Much better (i.e. not as bad) that I'd previously credited. I may have had a knee-jerk reaction to the depiction of the for-profit school venture. Funzo, quite clever; Gary Coleman, meh at best.
Faith Off: Hey, that WAS Don Cheadle! "Me crippling depression." Some decent college hijinks and a thoughtful "moral."
Little Big Mom: Mitigating factors include the focus on Lisa, the dead-on Lucille Ball, and the parallel between Disco Stu and the acupuncturist. Still, the ending ("Aloha [YEOW!]") almost single-handedly scuttles it for me.
Alone Again, Natura-Diddly: Breathtaking cruelty by Homer, of course.
Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder: One way to make a Simpsons episode unwatchable is to make any given character (usually Homer) behave unconscionably for minutes on end. Perhaps a mitigating factor is the Springfield Squares freeze frame for trivia completists.
E-I-E-I...: A little preachy for my taste; could've used a subplot, and a lot fewer holes in the main plot.
Take My Wife, Sleaze: Julia despised this episode. I didn't think it was that bad.
Eight Misbehavin': The first true stinker (in my opinion) of the season. Since the whole point of it was the shocking cruelty, did the baby revue really the airtime it got? We got the point with the first baby or two. And that was before the gratuitous cruelty to Homer.
Saddlesore Galactica: So, the "Worst Episode Ever" t-shirt and CBG's references thereto... sheepish acknowledgment? Giant (further) middle finger to fans? Or just take it at face value? Not nearly as slow on the list as I'd have guessed, specifically because the band competition subplot is outstandingly done.
Kill the Alligator and Run: Despite frequently claiming this to be my own personal worst-favorite (and its flaws glare, notably the gratuitous Kid Rock as himself and the Simpsons-in-the-South and Homer getting whipped so much), I can't honestly claim this is as bad as the ones you see below it. And if you can't say something nice, both the quiz-master bit and Charlie Rose are done pretty well.
The Mansion Family: Gratuitous Britney, Simpsons-out-of-water (maybe Burns's house doesn't count but International Waters pretty much has to), people behaving ways they never would in real life, animal cruelty (the money knife fight!), Homer cruelty, Moe with a whip... just a gratuitous fourth wall break away from having "worst ever" potential.
Bart to the Future: We're really to believe that voters would still know nothing about the first straight female president's ne'er-do-well brother? You already know I tend to hate these flash-forward episodes (c.f. my low opinion of Lisa's Wedding) but this is so unwatchable and self-indulgent at the same time.
Missionary: Impossible: Yes, THIS is the worst of the worst! You wouldn't think it from how it begins ("You're watching PBS." "Dad, you're watching PBS?!") but this episode has EVERYTHING you'd expect from a transcendentally bad Simpsons episode: A "destination," a quasi-gratuitous guest appearing as herself (sorry, Betty White, you almost pull it off but no), a character who represents a particular Simpson without actually being that person, cruelty to Homer, cruelty by Homer, "that would never happen" plot twists, cruelty to animals (c'mon, I realize the Flintstones meme was homage worthy, but cement in a pelican's beak? that has to cross a line), and ESPECIALLY the complete destruction of the fourth wall. (To be fair, how else would we get Homer back from that avalanche? Just pretend it never happened? Have a weirdly far-fetched deus ex machina even by deus ex machina standards? But just because the alternatives are also bad doesn't excuse the actual decision.) Bart's last line of the episode really clinches it, smug masturbatory (figuratively!) brat. (And this is without deciding whether the "Jebus" meme is a mitigating factor or aggravating factor -- it's clearly both.)
If someone were to design a filtering algorithm that flagged episodes that just don't quite live up to The Simpsons' otherwise high standards, some of the business rules might involve questions like:
1. Does most of the episode take place somewhere other than Springfield?
2. How many celebrity guest stars are voicing themselves?
3. Is Homer's wacky scheme the "A" plot rather than a subplot?
4. Does Homer contemplate suicide (even jokingly)?
5. Is Homer is subjected to pain and/or humiliation at a zoo? (Sadly this covers at least two episodes, though the more infamous one isn't until Season 12.)
As of now I remain steadfast in my refusal to own The Simpsons beyond Season 10. But Netflix is about to start us on season 11.
I never did bother to wrap up that best-and-worst Simpsons thing from a few years ago, but in case you've forgotten, season 11 in its... glory...
Reasons why I've chosen not to buy this DVD include (but are not limited to):
Tomacco
That "Hello Gutter..." is so pale in comparison to both the Pin Pals episode and the First Annual Montgomery Burns Award [...].
Hell's Satans
Funzo
Leprosy -- though now that I think of it, the more I Love Lucy I've seen, the more I enjoy leprosy as a parody of how a Lucy/Ricardo scheme might go wrong. (see also this quote)
Bart as a faith healer
"Saddlesore Galactica"
"Kill the Alligator" -- with celebrity cameo by KID ROCK!
And, ah yes, "Behind the Laughter." (I realize there are fans who strongly disagree with me about that episode.)
After October 20, do not send fan mail to Ringo Starr.
(Of course the post title refers to this episode.)
As seen on TV last night. I just found it here while supplies last (i.e. until Fox notices).
As transcribed just now:
pain is brown
hate is white
love is black
stab the night
kingdom of numb
closet of hurt
feelings are dumb
kisses are dirt
At my wife's cast party last night there were two TVs: A big screen projector (with screwed-up aspect ratio that made everyone on the screen look short & fat) had the Saints-Seahawks on, while a smaller screen had a syndicated "Frasier." All Seattle.
Before Frasier (but after America's Funniest Home Videos) the smaller TV had this episode of a sit-com I'd never seen before. None of the on-line synopses mention the most memorable part: that after the mother-son fight, the patriarch's mom gets a job at Playpen Video (adult movie store). When I still had no idea what show this had been, Googling "Playpen Video" got me nowhere.
The second Simpsons episode last night quite obviously featured the voice of Steve Buscemi, who played Templeton (the rat) in a recent adaptation of Charlotte's Web (Dakota Fanning was Fern). The children's play my wife just finished directing was a musical version of Charlotte's Web, with Templeton played by a redheaded girl who probably doesn't have much in common with Steve Buscemi.
The X-Prize was funded by an insurance contract. The insurance underwriters may have underestimated the probability that the prize would be won, based on the advice they got from Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas.
The bonus Simpsons reference comes via this Marginal Revolution post about the ethics of book abuse:
The funniest Simpsons line I've newly heard this year (that is, funniest line from an episode that I'd never seen until 2007) comes from "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play" (Homer & Marge give marriage advice to an Isotopes player and his singer wife voiced by Mandy Moore), where Marge is reading from a marriage-improvement book and says something like:
"Ooh, here's a sentence the previous owner of this book underlined and highlighted!"
I realized last night that I'd previously never seen Treehouse of Horror IX.
Fun facts about the start of Season 10:
"Lard of the Dance" originally aired in August, almost a month before the official season premiere. Then new episodes September 20 and 27 and almost a month of baseball playoff-driven hiatus.
(Before looking it up I'd wondered why Treehouse wasn't the first new episode of the season, as has often been the case during Fox's baseball contract.)
You may not have realized just how soon the 1998 World Series ended relative to other recent Series: The season started a bit sooner than usual (Opening Day: March 31!) and the Yankees swept the Padres.
Season 10 episodes I think I've never seen (but will have seen by a few days from now):
Lisa Gets an A
Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble"
Marge Simpson in: "Screaming Yellow Honkers"
Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo
I seem to have seen every episode of Season 11, though some of them only once.
Season 12 unseens(?):
Treehouse of Horror XI
The Great Money Caper
Day of the Jackanapes
New Kids on the Blecch
Bye Bye Nerdie
Simpson Safari
Children of a Lesser Clod
From season 13 onward probably a bunch I haven't caught yet.
"Authority is bullshit."
--David Post
One commenter responded:
"The tone and the language in the original post are offensive and inappropriate for this forum. "
Even though I'll disagree with both "offensive" and "inappropriate," this was still -- how to put it? -- conspicuously out of place among the other Volokh Conspiracy posts, as much for being poorly thought out as for anything else.
(He must be trying to explain rather than persuade, since the post contains no attempt at anything beyond bare assertions of things that aren't very useful to assert.)
Meh.
It was as good as I could have reasonably expected. That is to say, it was good. Not great but not bad. It neither disappointed me (did I ever mention how big a letdown Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story was?) nor infuriated me (don't even get me started on the Hitchhiker's Guide movie!).
SPOILERS onward.
OMFG Bart is hung! Best sight gag ever, and I'm unashamed by how crude this is. They set it up perfectly.
That sight gag and the funeral arrangement of American Idiot were by far the two highlights of the movie.
They made judicious use of celebrity cameos: Green Day. Tom Hanks. As far as I could tell that's it. (Albert Brooks, the former Hank Scorpio, doesn't count.) Even at that the cameos weren't self-serving; if anything the Hanks was a neat bit of self-parody.
Aside from that:
Travel to an interesting destination for the sake of going there: check (at least they didn't exploit Alaska too much).
Homer's harebrained scheme: check.
Marge gets mad enough at Homer that their marriage is in jeopardy: check.
Political humor that seems vaguely cutting-edge until you realize it's standard issue center-left CW: check. (This is part of what makes either Family Guy or South Park so comparatively interesting.)
The motorcycle jump not even coming close to making it over the canyon is a nice allusion to one of my least-favorite of the early episodes. Bart's slingshot recovery almost redeems that scene 17 years after the fact.
I liked the end credit bits. This is actually around the point that I started mentally comparing the movie to, of all things, Dodgeball. That was a much funnier movie (Julia says "Of course! That had Ben Stiller") but obviously as live action it doesn't have the stunningly beautiful animation.
Twenty years from now the rest of this movie will be amiable mediocrity but it will be a fantastic piece of artwork until the technology comes along to make animation even more achingly beautiful.
Oh, one last thing: Both Julia and I absolutely adored the Disney parody involved in the birds-and-deer bit with Homer and Marge about to make love.
Today of all days needed one, and why not one with LOLCAT goodness?
Monorail... monorail... monorail! ("Mono... D'OH!")
The Simpsons have been a letdown since season 9.
I don't understand how Springfield can be in Vermont: Wouldn't that mean "Moe'N'A Lisa" (#HABF19 / SI-1719 ) never happened?
"Lisa feels sorry for Moe after Homer forgets that he offered to take him fishing for his birthday, so she decides to write a school report about him, and in the process discovers his written rantings can be turned into poetry; Lisa gets them published and Moe is invited to a writers' conference in Vermont, but when he discovers that anyone who claims they needed help in writing is shunned, he takes all of the credit for his success" --SNPP
If you care, some other debunkings:
"Evelyn won't anything unless it's shipped overnight from Vermont or Washington state, implying Springfield is in neither of these two states."
This screenshot supposedly shows Lisa pointing to the city of Springfield (with her arm obscured by Bart's head). But look at Vermont!
Miguel sent this collection of "top 10 episodes" lists (pasted verbatim in the extended entry, e-mail addresses snipped) to me several weeks ago but better later than never. What I find most interesting is the lack of overlap in the lists.
My ad hoc list (wow, that abortive attempt I made to rank every single one of them dates back to April 2005 -- geez).
1. Selma's Choice
2. The Last Temptation of Homer
3. Sideshow Bob Roberts
4. The New Kid on the Block
5. Homer and Apu
6. Lisa on Ice
7. $pringfield
8. Bart the Lover
9. Like Father, Like Clown
10. Bart of Darkness
Honorable Mention: I Love Lisa; Bart After Dark
Here are three lists (including the definitive list, mine, at the bottom).
Any list you care to share?
Miguel
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 9:36 PM
Subject: RE: Top 10 Simpsons Episiodes
1- The City of New York vs. Homer
2- Marge v. the Monorail
3- Homer: Bad Man
4- Homer the great
5- You only Move Twice
6- Last Exit to Springfield
7- El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer
8- Cape Feare
9- Deep Space Homer
10- Curse of Flying Hellfish
10a. Homer at Bat
10b. Homer's Enemy
10c. $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love
Legalized Gambling)
- discuss
>Subject: Top 10 Simpsons Episiodes
>Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:07:31 -0500
>
>What's your top 10?
>
>
>My best episodes
>
>1. Rosebud
>2. Last Exit to Springfield
>3. Homer: Bad Man
>4. Cape Feare
>5. You only Move Twice
>6. $pringfield
>7. The City of New York vs. Homer
>8. Deep Space Homer
>9. Bart gets hit by a Car
>10.Bart gets an F
>Runner-up: 138th Episode Spectacular
>
>
>My friend Miguel's:
>
>
>>So off the top of my head, my top 10 Simpsons Episodes are:
>>
>>1. Homer at the Bat
>>2. Last Exit to Springfield
>>3. Deep Space Homer
>>4. You Only Move Twice
>>5. Sideshow Bob Roberts
>>6. Cape Feare
>>7. Homer the Great
>>8. Marge v. the Monorail
>>9. Lisa on Ice
>>10. The Twisted World of Marge Simpson
>>10A. Homer and Apu.
>>
This round, three episodes enter, one advances; repeat as necessary (six times in all). After that, yet again three enter and one advance (just twice for that stage).
I never did announce "wild card" episodes (or do anything useful with the thread in question) but upon reflection two episodes are (to me) obviously the best choices; you'll see them when the time comes.
Today's nominees: (if an episode has gotten this far, you're presumably familiar with it, though as always the summary is linked)
51. 8F16 (SI-316 / S03E16) Bart the Lover
94. 1F10 (SI-510 / S05E13) Homer and Apu
124. 2F19 (SI-619 / S06E21) The PTA Disbands
Comment at will. Preferential balloting remains in play. From this point on I think I won't lead off with my own ranking, partly because in this case at least I'm just not sure yet.
"See Homer Run" (as rebroadcast tonight) is infuriatingly bad.
(About the 12th most annoying thing about it: Only two years late on the recall election satire. Hmm, where is Gray Davis these days?)
That said, if "Nanny 911" is a fair representation of replacement-level prime time television then The Simpsons remains above replacement level. (My sinking suspicion, as someone who watches little TV, is that "Nanny 911" is itself well above replacement level.)
The 16 that we all voted on over the past four months are below (but NOT yet reordered by airdate because I'm lazy).
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
Kill the Alligator and Run
Smart and Smarter
Gump Roast
Homer vs. Dignity
Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
Blame it on Lisa
A Tale of Two Springfields
The Frying Game
Large Marge
Bart-Mangled Banner
Note that the post title refers to 18, not 16. Why put 18 items into a runoff when 16 is such a round number? Well, if you watch a particular game show, you know that 18 is also a nice round number if you take things three at a time. Also, I like having a safety valve to avoid snubbing anything that obviously belongs here.
Your mission should you choose to comment here is to name the two worst episodes not on the list above. My tentative sens is that those are "A Star is Born-Again" and "Bart Carny," but I could be overlooking a true stinker. As with the top 18 (see the post below), I'd love to see discussion and even argument.
The 16 that we all voted on over the past four months are below, reordered by airdate.
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
Bart the Lover
Homer at the Bat
A Streetcar Named Marge
Mr. Plow
Marge vs. the Monorail
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
The Last Temptation of Homer
$pringfield
Homer and Apu
Sideshow Bob Roberts
Lisa on Ice
The PTA Disbands
You Only Move Twice
Bart After Dark
Note that the post title refers to 18, not 16. Why put 18 items into a runoff when 16 is such a round number? Well, if you watch a particular game show, you know that 18 is also a nice round number if you take things three at a time. Also, I like having a safety valve to avoid snubbing anything that obviously belongs here.
Your mission should you choose to comment here is to name the two best episodes not on the list above. My tentative sense is that those two episodes are in fact "Separate Vocations" and "Bart of Darkness"; however, I'd love to see discussion and even argument.
UPDATE: Don't feel constrained to list only two episodes - I think John is exactly on the right track here. If everyone limited himself to two then we might have an N-way tie at one vote apiece. Comment in particular if you'd second or third someone else's nomination.
1. Lisa on Ice
2. Separate Vocations
3. Last Exit to Springfield
4. Homer's Phobia
Now is as good a time as any to mention that I'm trying to learn more about preferential balloting, just because it dovetails with the rest of my schedule-geek knowledge set.
In the first stage of this Simpsons thing I almost always just averaged the rankings. I'd have avoided doing that if (for example) somebody spitefully ranked an obviously good episode dead last, though I don't remember that ever happening. In any case, if you just averaged the rankings, this one came out Ice 1.75, Vocations 2, Exit 2.5, Phobia 3.75.
Here of course we care a lot more about what comes out on top than the rest of the ordering. Vocations got 2 first-pace votes, 1 each for Ice and Exit. Throwing out Phobia doesn't change anything. I idly wondered how preferential balloting systems handle ties. Of the rules cited on the link, the one labeled "First Round" seems more equitable to me than the one labeled "All" (to say nothing of "Random" or "Order").
Counting what I posted myself, "Separate Vocations" and "Lisa on Ice" are in a dead heat. Take myself out and it's "Lisa on Ice." I'm surprised I listed those two in the order that I did, though David is absolutely right that the ending doesn't live up to the rest of the episode. Even so, the order you see above seems most appropriate. If you disagree, now is exactly the time to do something about it. (Or rather, however long it takes for me to get up the next post or two.)
1. The Homer They Fall
2. Pray Anything
3. The Parent Trap
WORST. Bart-Mangled Banner
Scroll up (or wait a few minutes) for the Bottom 16-going-on-18.
1. Mayored to the Mob
2. Lady Bouvier's Lover
3. Summer of 4 Ft. 2
4. Who Shot Mr. Burns (Part Two)?
Miguel, you're welcome. You voted and I appreciate that.
The Consolation Elite:
(reordered by airdate)
Dancin' Homer
Homer the Heretic
Whacking Day
Marge on the Lam
Homer the Vigilante
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
Homer Badman
Homie the Clown
Lemon of Troy
A Fish Called Selma
Much Apu About Nothing
Treehouse of Horror VII
The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
Lisa the Simpson
Lost Our Lisa
Mayored to the Mob
For our purposes that concludes this tier.
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)
Again, the four that are left:
102. 1F21 (SI-521 / S05E21) Lady Bouvier's Lover
Grampa Simpson falls in love with Marge's mother, Jackie, but Mr. Burns woos her away from him. Grampa is broken hearted when learning Jackie is going to marry Burns. (originally in Pool 34)
129. 2F20 (SI-620 / S07E01) Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)
With Burns shot, Chief Wiggum follows a trail of DNA that leads to the Simpsons front door step. Homer is charged for the shooting and before Homer can be jailed, he escapes. It's a race to see who reaches Burns' hospital room first. Tito Puente guest stars. (originally in Pool 9)
153. 3F22 (SI-722 / S07E25) Summer of 4 Ft. 2
In the hopes of making friends on the latest family vacation trip, Lisa packs an empty suitcase, determined to leave her 'nerdy' self behind. Christina Ricci guest stars. (originally in Pool 5)
212. AABF05 (SI-1005 / S10E09) Mayored to the Mob
When Homer rescues Mark Hamill and Mayor Quimby from a rowdy mob of sci-fi fanatics, he is appointed the mayor's new bodyguard. But after convincing Quimby that he needs to stop Fat Tony's mob from selling rat's milk to the town's schools, the mayor's life is placed in jeopardy. Also guest starring Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony and Dick Tufeld as the Robot. (originally in Pool 50)
I can't remember the last time the best episode seemed so obvious from among four at this level. I claim that the worst is also obvious, though this is partly backlash over how gimmicky the "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" meme was as a marketing tool.
That leaves a bittersweet Lisa episode that I like a lot (sleeper) and a really well-done farce centering on Homer, Quimby, and Fat Tony. I'll take the Lisa, though I'd be shocked if the commenter consensus agreed with me on this pair.
1. Lady Bouvier's Lover
2. Summer of 4 Ft. 2
3. Mayored to the Mob
4. Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)
The ones that are left (so no need for pseudorandomness)...
156. 4F03 (SI-803 / S08E03) The Homer They Fall
Moe turns Homer into a successful boxer after discovering Homer can absorb massive blows to the head, but Marge is worried that won't save Homer in the upcoming match with Dreaderick Tatum, the heavyweight champion. Michael Buffer and Paul Winfield guest star. (originally in Pool 41)
271. CABF22 (SI-1222 / S13E02) The Parent Rap
Bart appears in court to pay for an embarrassing joy ride in the police chief's patrol car. But just before he is set free, a second, vindictive judge named Constance Harm assumes the case and sentences him to the worst kind of detention imagineable: being tethered to Homer around the clock. Guest stars Jane Kaczmarek as Judge Harm. (originally in Pool 25)
301. EABF06 (SI-1406 / S14E10) Pray Anything
When Flanders wins a half-time money shot during a WNBA game, Homer decides his neighbor's secret to success is praying. Homer starts praying to get his way with everything...and it works. He even prays himself into an injury lawsuit against the Church and is awarded with the deed to the property. Homer promptly moves the family in, while Helen and the Reverend have been relocated to the Flanders and reduced to preaching at the Bowl-A-Rama. It can only take a miracle to make Homer see the error of his ways. (originally in Pool 12)
334. FABF17 (SI-1517 / S15E21) Bart-Mangled Banner
While trying to avoid an inoculation at Dr. Hibbert's office, Bart's wriggling causes a side-effect and he suffers a temporary loss of hearing, which Bart milks for all that it is worth. Bart participates in the annual Springfield Elementary Donkey Basketball tournament. During the playing of the national anthem, Bart feeds his shorts to the donkey, leaving him bare-assed for all to see. But when Bart's bare-bum appears in a photo, the Simpson family becomes portrayed as unpatriotic and un-American, getting them thrown into "re-education" therapy, where they escape and migrate to France. But the Simpsons decide France isn't for them (perhaps Bart had forgotten all the French he learned in Season One?) so they return home as illegal immigrants. (originally in Pool 56)
The latest instance of Keith Olbermann being an idiot (he usually quite insightful but now and then he's so wrong and so sanctimonious despite being so wrong that it hurts to watch/read): He's apparently disappointed that the current Simpsons season projects to be light on the political spoofing.
Now, they used to do political satire just brilliantly (see also "Sideshow Bob Roberts" and even "Much Apu About Nothing"), but Bart-Mangled Banner was so amateurish that from that point on even if you didn't believe the series itself was toast, this was at least the handwriting on the wall for their ever doing politics and actually being funny (as opposed to bludgeoning you with the same hammer repeatedly). For this episode you'd think they'd hired old Murphy Brown writers and gotten them drunk.
As always of course, your mileage may vary. Even unrelated to the politics, "Banner" commits two unforgiveable sins: Crossing the line on "that would never happen" plot devices of escalating absurdity (it's hard to define where this line is, but you know "over it" when you see it), and disrespecting (by ignoring) the series' own heritage.
Now that this rant is over with: Should "Parent Rap" get added demerits for being (as far as I can tell) the debut of Judge Harm? I can buy it as a bottom-16 episode, though a bottom 16 without it wouldn't seem like a glaring omission.
"The Homer They Fall" doesn't really possess badness so much as lack goodness. That said, badness is here: Building the physical comedy around Homer getting hit in the head so much is a sharp dropoff in quality from the highlights of season 8.
You'd think "Pray Anything" would flunk my above-mentioned, sometimes pedantic "that would never happen" test, except that you can suspend your disbelief just enough (since literal deus ex machina is involved) and appreciate the surprisingly well-executed theological message. That is to say, I think I'd never seen this when it was first ranked, but then subsequently saw it in syndication and absolutely loved it. "The dog thinks he's Papal!"
1. Pray Anything
2. The Homer They Fall
3. The Parent Trap
WORST. Bart-Mangled Banner
1. $pringfield
2. 22 Short Films About Springfield
3. Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie
4. Marge Be Not Proud
(again despite the fact that "Marge Be Not Proud" was the only one of the four NOT to rank dead last on someone's list)
The "haven't seen it" NR's make it harder to tally, though first place is majority rule and the exact order of 2-4 isn't life or death.
Pantheon in Progress:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Homer at the Bat
The Last Temptation of Homer
You Only Move Twice
Sideshow Bob Roberts
Homer and Apu
Marge vs. the Monorail
The PTA Disbands
Bart the Lover
Bart After Dark
$pringfield
1. Lisa, the Simpson
2. The Front
3. The Day the Violence Died
4. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
(Despite the fact that "Oh Brother" was the only one of the four NOT to appear dead last on someone's list.)
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
Whacking Day
Homer the Heretic
Lemon of Troy
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
Dancin' Homer
Lost Our Lisa
Much Apu About Nothing
Homer the Vigilante
Lisa the Simpson
1. Simpsons Bible Stories
2. The Mansion Family
3. Children of a Lesser Clod
WORST. Large Marge
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
Kill the Alligator and Run
Smart and Smarter
Gump Roast
Homer vs. Dignity
Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
Blame it on Lisa
A Tale of Two Springfields
The Frying Game
Large Marge
Obviously you should comment here, here, and here if you're so inclined and haven't already.
In theory I could go ahead and post the final quartets at each tier, since of course there's only four episodes left on the spreadsheet for each of them. Any potential fairness issues if I did that? Any effect either way on voter turnout?
(As I type this I couldn't tell you which four are at any level, since I haven't actually looked to see where the blanks are, much less drafted the posts.)
268. CABF16 (SI-1216 / S12E20) Children of a Lesser Clod
Homer injures himself while playing basketball at the YMCA, and needs surgery. While recovering at home, he finds he is good at caring for pets and at babysitting the Flandereses' children, so much so that he starts a daycare center which gets him nominated for a Good Guy award for service to the community. But Bart and Lisa feel neglected through all of this, and are determined to thwart his award campaign. (originally in Pool 31)
295. DABF18 (SI-1318 / S14E04) Large Marge
Marge mistakenly thinks Homer is eyeing other women. In an effort to uplift her appeal, she decides to get plastic surgery to look younger. But the surgery goes awry when Marge receives breast implants that were meant for a younger patient. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse catch an episode of Batman where Batman and Robin battle Clown Man - who happens to look a lot like Krusty. (originally in Pool 20)
221. AABF14 (SI-1014 / S10E18) Simpsons Bible Stories
Reverend Lovejoy is showing his stuff with the latest in a series of uninteresting sermons. Bored so terribly are the Simpsons that each gradually doses off, dreaming that they're Adam and Eve, Moses and David facing Goliath. (originally in Pool 38)
238. BABF08 (SI-1108 / S11E12) The Mansion Family
After receiving an award for oldest citizen of Springfield, Mr. Burns checks into the Mayo Clinic, leaving The Simpsons in charge of his luxurious mansion. Guest starring Britney Spears as herself. (originally in Pool 42)
I've still never seen "Lesser Clod" but the relative ranking of the other three couldn't possibly be more obvious. That the worst of this bunch includes The Baha Men at the end of its "guest star" list is just icing.
Sometimes an episode is so bad it's tempting to think, "Why even continue? This is the obvious choice for rock-bottom." But then one realizes that a good handful of episodes all give that vibe -- and they'll try to outstink each other soon enough.
(NR. Children of a Lesser Clod)
1. The Mansion Family
2. Simpsons Bible Stories
WORST. Large Marge
78. 9F16 (SI-416 / S04E19) The Front
After watching a particularly bad Itchy and Scratchy cartoon, Lisa and Bart ghost write their own using their grandfather's name. Meanwhile, Homer takes night school to make up a missing science credit. (originally in Pool 2)
28. 7F16 (SI-216 / S02E15) Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
Fearing death, Grandpa Simpson tells Homer that he has a half-brother. This half-brother, Herbert Powell, is a carmaker in Detroit, and wants Homer to design a car for the average man to save his car company. Danny DeVito guest stars as Herbert Powell. (originally in Pool 11)
195. 4F24 (SI-824 / S09E17) Lisa, the Simpson
Thanks to the unfounded predictions of Grampa Simpson, Lisa is convinced that she's genetically predisposed to lose her intelligence. Meanwhile, Apu discovers Jasper frozen in his freezer, and turns the Kwik-E-Mart into a tourist's trap. (originally in Pool 51)
146. 3F16 (SI-716 / S07E18) The Day the Violence Died
With the help of Lionel Hutz, Bart unwittingly bankrupts the studio that produces Itchy & Scratchy when he and Hutz successfully prove the idea for Itchy was stolen some 70-80 years ago. (originally in Pool 53)
If you ask me, the City of Brotherly Love isn't Philadelphia, it's Detroit...
I have to admit I really don't know what to do with this bracket, mainly how the "Itchy & Scratchy" episodes compare to each other. "Lisa, the Simpsons" is quite a sleeper. The problem with "Oh Brother" is that the debacle is really far more Herb's fault more than Homer's. Then again, Bart's line at the very end almost singlehandedly saves the show.
Please don't agree completely with the ratings below (unless I somehow managed to randomly nail them); these seem far less obvious to me than usual.
1. Lisa, the Simpson
2. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
3. The Front
4. The Day the Violence Died
1. Homer the Vigilante
2. Trilogy of Error
3. Two Dozen and One Greyhounds
4. The Principal and The Pauper
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
Whacking Day
Homer the Heretic
Lemon of Troy
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
Dancin' Homer
Lost Our Lisa
Much Apu About Nothing
Homer the Vigilante
1. The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
2. D'oh-in' in the Wind
3. The Fat and the Furriest
Worst. The Frying Game
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
Kill the Alligator and Run
Smart and Smarter
Gump Roast
Homer vs. Dignity
Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
Blame it on Lisa
A Tale of Two Springfields
The Frying Game
139. 3F07 (SI-707 / S07E11) Marge Be Not Proud
Bart manages to keep a failed 'four-fingered discount' trip a secret from Homer and Marge. But unfortunately, Marge finds out when the family returns to the store to have the family Christmas photo taken. Lawrence Tierney guest stars. (originally in Pool 45)
91. 1F08 (SI-508 / S05E10) $pringfield
When the local economy stalls, everyone, including Marge, votes to legalize gambling on Springfield. Mr. Burns even opens up his own casino, Homer gets to be a blackjack dealer, and Marge is addicted to the slot machines. (originally in Pool 41)
149. 3F18 (SI-718 / S07E21) 22 Short Films About Springfield
A dull, lazy afternoon, prompts Bart and Milhouse to wonder if anything interest ever happens in Springfield -- a cue for a series of clips about Springfield. (originally in Pool 39)
65. 9F03 (SI-403 / S04E06) Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie
When Bart fails to keeps an eye on Maggie and puts her life in danger, Homer finally puts his foot down on Bart's mischief by passing the ultimate punishment: Bart can never see The Itchy and Scratchy Movie. (originally in Pool 23)
Now that I've seen "PTA Disbands" on the Season 6 DVD, "22 Short Films..." is reputedly by far the best Simpsons episode among those I still have yet to see. Apparently it isn't even close. I hate having an "NR" at this elite stage but there's nothing else I can do. Season 7 can't come soon enough.
The order of the other three seems obvious to me; your mileage may vary. Side note: in an upset, I'll claim that "You have chosen a three wood. May I suggest a putter?" is only the third-best quote/exchange from those three episodes, behind {"Your manager says for you to shut up!" "Vera said that?!"} and {"Earl Warren wasn't a stripper!" "Now who's being naive?"}
1. $pringfield
2. Marge Be Not Proud
3. Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie
(NR. 22 Short Films About Springfield)
1. Bart After Dark
2. Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment
3. Treehouse of Horror IV
4. Bart's Friend Falls in Love
Pantheon in Progress:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Homer at the Bat
The Last Temptation of Homer
You Only Move Twice
Sideshow Bob Roberts
Homer and Apu
Marge vs. the Monorail
The PTA Disbands
Bart the Lover
Bart After Dark
92. 1F09 (SI-509 / S05E11) Homer the Vigilante
When a cat burglar hits Springfield, Homer vows to fight back. (originally in Pool 12)
123. 2F18 (SI-618 / S06E20) Two Dozen and One Greyhounds
Santa's Little Helper's frisky nature nets the Simpsons a new dog and 25 spanking new puppies. When Burns steals the young greyhounds, Bart and Lisa set out to discover why he wants them. (originally in Pool 35)
180. 4F23 (SI-823 / S09E02) The Principal and The Pauper
During a surprise banquet to honor his twentieth anniversary as principal, Seymour Skinner's true identity is revealed to be Armin Tamzarian. Now established as an impostor, Tamzarian retires and relocates to his old neighborhood in Capitol City. Guest starring Martin Sheen as the real Seymour Skinner. (originally in Pool 23)
266. CABF14 (SI-1214 / S12E18) Trilogy of Error
In a “Run, Lola, Run” parody, a breakfast accident involving Marge's kitchen knife and Homer's thumb is seen through the eyes of individual family members. While Homer & Marge make a mad dash for the hospital, Lisa takes her linguistic robot to the Springfield science fair, and Bart runs afoul of Fat Tony's illegal fireworks ring. (originally in Pool 2)
See my vest, Armin Tamzarian. See my vest. Maybe I backlash-underrate episodes that get way overrated on a single meme or song, though in this case I think two are obviously better than the other two, with close calls within each pair. Note that highly favorable comments on "Vigilante" last time around (John?) led me to rewatch it on DVD and ultimately agree about its high quality.
1. Homer the Vigilante
2. Trilogy of Error
3. Two Dozen and One Greyhounds
4. The Principal and The Pauper
209. AABF02 (SI-1002 / S10E06) D'oh-in' in the Wind
Homer sets out to determine what his middle initial stands for, but in the process, delves into the old free-spirit ways of hippies, inspired by his mother's radical past and former associates. Guest starring George Carlin as Munchie and Martin Mull as Seth. (originally in Pool 40)
290. DABF16 (SI-1316 / S13E21) The Frying Game
Homer is sentenced to community service after nearly killing a rare insect found in his backyard pond. While working in a Meals on Wheels program, Homer befriends an elderly old woman. When the woman is thought to be dead, Homer and Marge become murder suspects after being named the sole beneficiaries of her will. Homer is convicted and sentenced to the death penalty, but just before he is scheduled to die in the electric chair, it is revealed that he's a contestant on a new reality show called "Frame Up" and the old woman is alive and well. (originally in Pool 21)
254. CABF02 (SI-1202 / S12E06) The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
After realizing that he's missing the cyberspace boat, Homer plugs into the internet and builds a web site. But when low traffic hits him where it hurts, he resorts to spicing up his cyberslab with damaging gossip concerning fellow townsfolk. Guest starring Patrick McGoohan as Prisoner #6. (originally in Pool 33)
318. EABF19 (SI-1419 / S15E05) The Fat and the Furriest
After another failed Mother's Day gift, Homer takes the kids to Sprawl-Mart and ends up buying a Kitchen Carnival for Marge. Homer uses the Carnival to create an edible candy man, but Marge finally forces him to take it to the Springfield Dump - where he's promptly attacked by a bear. When he's labelled a coward by the media, Homer builds a bear-fighting suit, and after some Jackass style testing antics sets out to confront the bear. (originally in Pool 55)
The order here seems obvious to me but I'll be verbose anyway.
I'm told by fans of "The Prisoner" that the parody in "Menace Shoes" is actually hilarious, and not just randomly confusing (as it was to me when I saw it without ever being exposed to "The Prisoner"). It's obviously the least bad of these four.
"D'oh-in'" is somewhat cringe-inducing but only somewhat. It would be second-worst in some pools.
That stupid episode with the bear would be worst of a lot of pools and it's certainly worse than at least two of the Season 15 eps that hit worst-of-the-worst status almost by default -- but here it's in a pool with a especially noxious bottom-5 candidate.
1. The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
2. D'oh-in' in the Wind
3. The Fat and the Furriest
Worst. The Frying Game
1. Much Apu About Nothing
2. Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?
3. Bart Gets an Elephant
4. My Sister, My Sitter
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
Whacking Day
Homer the Heretic
Lemon of Troy
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
Dancin' Homer
Lost Our Lisa
Much Apu About Nothing
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
Kill the Alligator and Run
Smart and Smarter
Gump Roast
Homer vs. Dignity
Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
Blame it on Lisa
A Tale of Two Springfields
86. 1F04 (SI-504 / S05E05) Treehouse of Horror IV
In a Night Gallery parody, Bart presents three tales of terror... In "The Devil and Homer Simpson," Homer gives up his soul for a single doughnut. Now, the Devil wants Homer. Next, Bart has a nightmare about a bus crash. And his nightmare is about to come true when a playful gremlin starts taking the bus apart piece by piece "Terror at 5 1/2 Feet." Finally, Mr. Burns is a vampire, and he wants blood, and he turns Bart into a vampire in "Bart Simpson's Dracula." (originally in Pool 39)
158. 4F06 (SI-806 / S08E05) Bart After Dark
As punishment for destroying private property, Bart is force to work for the homeowner, but unbeknown to everyone in the family, including Bart, the homeowner runs a shady business where people leave with lighter wallets and smiles on their faces. (originally in Pool 54)
171. 4F15 (SI-815 / S08E18) Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment
When Prohibition hits the town of Springfield, and with Bart's help, Homer goes into the booze making business. (originally in Pool 23)
58. 8F22 (SI-322 / S03E23) Bart's Friend Falls in Love
Bart and Milhouse enter the age of cooties, when Milhouse dates a new girl... without her father knowing it. Meanwhile, Homer tries to lose weight by listening to a subliminal tape. (originally in Pool 31)
Drinkin' and oglin' -- can either of the Season 8 vice episodes top what seems to be the most highly acclaimed of the Treehouses of Horror?
I claim "Bart After Dark" nips the Treehouse, though it needs the Lisa-saves-the-environment subplot to push it over the top. "Bart's Friend" has a hilarious sex-ed video and also a brilliant subplot, but it's just too bittersweet for all-time greatness. Fourth quartile of the top tier seems exactly right for it. As always, your mileage may vary.
1. Bart After Dark
2. Treehouse of Horror IV
3. Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment
4. Bart's Friend Falls in Love
(Two sidebets: I predict that at least three people will comment but that nobody else other than me will put "Bart After Dark" at #1 among these. Prove me right/wrong, as appropriate.)
1. Bart the Lover
2. Bart of Darkness
3. I Love Lisa
4. Hungry, Hungry Homer
Truly surprising. If memory serves, at least one regular reader/commenter (though typically not a Simpson-pool commenter) believes "I Love Lisa" to be the all-time best. Maybe because of that, I thought it was more popular than it was (or better than it was). It's a slam dunk for my personal top 20, though I'll admit I also dearly love both "Lover" and "Darkness".
In any case, I think the combination of my post, Paul's comment and John's comment dictates the result above.
Pantheon in Progress:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Homer at the Bat
The Last Temptation of Homer
You Only Move Twice
Sideshow Bob Roberts
Homer and Apu
Marge vs. the Monorail
The PTA Disbands
Bart the Lover
Be sure also to comment #6-13 (right below this) and #1-13 (here).
151. 3F20 (SI-720 / S07E23) Much Apu About Nothing
Anti-immigration fever hits Springfield and Homer catches the fever until he discovers Apu is an illegal immigrant. (originally in Pool 16)
170. 4F13 (SI-813 / S08E17) My Sister, My Sitter
Lisa's babysitting reputation is put to the test when she is assigned the task of babysitting Bart and Maggie, for which Bart is determine to make Lisa's life a 'living Hell'. (originally in Pool 25)
98. 1F15 (SI-515 / S05E17) Bart Gets an Elephant
When 'KBBL is going to give me something stupid', Bart forgoes the $10,000 cash price for an elephant. Problem is, the elephant is causing some major problems. (originally in Pool 51)
59. 8F23 (SI-323 / S03E24) Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?
Herbert Powell returns, and asks the Simpsons help for an invention idea of his, using the money Homer received from the nuclear plant for some bogus award. Guest stars Joe Frazier and Danny DeVito. (originally in Pool 24)
I haven't gratuitously quoted lines in awhile, but nobody else has either. In a world where All the best bands are affiliated with Satan and The NY-Mets are my favorite squadron, there's still one particular episode here that demonstrates outstanding achievement in the field of excellence.
1. Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?
2. Much Apu About Nothing
3. Bart Gets an Elephant
4. My Sister, My Sitter
77. 9F17 (SI-417 / S04E18) So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
When Homer get seriously injured from Bart's practical joke, the Simpsons recall at the hospital various moments from past episodes. (originally in Pool 55)
250. BABF20 (SI-1120 / S12E02) A Tale of Two Springfields
After Springfield's telephone area code splits in two, Homer spearheads a movement to divide the town itself in half along the new area code line. Guest starring The Who. (originally in Pool 44)
304. EABF08 (SI-1408 / S14E13) A Star Is Born-Again
In a send-up of "Notting Hill", Ned Flanders begins dating a forgotten starlet. Guest stars Marisa Tomei, Helen Fielding, and James L. Brooks. (originally in Pool 37)
265. CABF13 (SI-1213 / S12E17) Simpson Safari
A belated prize awaits Homer in his next box of animal crackers, one which starts the family out on an exotic trip to Ngorongoro, Africa. (originally in Pool 33)
Remind me what, if anything, the consensus revealed about clip shows generally. Least-bad of the worst? Worst of the worst? Bad but easily out-stinked?
I've actually never seen "Safari" but the other two non-clip shows in this bracket just make me shudder. Homer's "divide the town" crusade is irredeemably stupid, and the cameo by The WHo is exactly how not to handle a celebrity cameo.
NR. So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
NR. Simpson Safari
Second-Worst (and quite awful). A Star Is Born-Again
Worst. A Tale of Two Springfields
1. I, D'oh-Bot
2. Bart of War
3. Bart Carny
Worst. Blame it on Lisa
Despite the ordering I posted a week ago, I've come to realize just how right Paul is about "Carny." Still not as bad as "Blame it on Lisa" though.
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
Kill the Alligator and Run
Smart and Smarter
Gump Roast
Homer vs. Dignity
Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
Blame it on Lisa
1. Lost Our Lisa
2. Stark Raving Dad
3. Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy
4. Marge Gets a Job
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
Whacking Day
Homer the Heretic
Lemon of Troy
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
Dancin' Homer
Lost Our Lisa
104. 1F22 (SI-522 / S06E01) Bart of Darkness
After breaking his leg, Bart spends the Summer at his bedroom window, spying on the neighbors with a telescope. Bart finds the view boring until he sees Ned Flanders murdering his wife. (originally in Pool 46)
74. 9F13 (SI-413 / S04E15) I Love Lisa
Lisa's valentine to the most disliked boy in her class causes her to be chased by him. (originally in Pool 50)
263. CABF09 (SI-1209 / S12E15) Hungry, Hungry Homer
After Homer discovers that the Springfield Isotopes are being moved to Albuquerque, he stages a hunger strike outside the stadium. (originally in Pool 51)
51. 8F16 (SI-316 / S03E16) Bart the Lover
He has the name of the 23rd president, the face of Gordie Howe, and the lines of a Frenchman. Is Mrs. Krabapple's new pen pal/lover Bart's latest practical joke? Meanwhile, Homer starts building a doghouse, and learns to give up swearing. (originally in Pool 11)
Much better pool than #12, in my opinion. One behemoth and at least two episodes that would have made fine top choices in a weaker playoff pool. Tough call for second place in this one, since both deserve at least that much.
1. I Love Lisa
2. Bart the Lover
3. Bart of Darkness
4. Hungry, Hungry Homer
1. The PTA Disbands
2. Like Father, Like Clown
3. Bart Sells His Soul
4. Boy-Scoutz N the Hood
Pantheon in Progress:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Homer at the Bat
The Last Temptation of Homer
You Only Move Twice
Sideshow Bob Roberts
Homer and Apu
Marge vs. the Monorail
The PTA Disbands
(After commenting here, be sure also to comment here and here.)
36. 7F24 (SI-224 / S03E01) Stark Raving Dad
Thanks to Bart leaving his lucky red hat in the load of washed white shirts, Homer wears a pink shirt to the nuclear power plant. He is promptly committed to a mental institution, where he meets up with a white man (Leon Kompowski) who walks and talks like Michael Jackson. (originally in Pool 3)
202. 5F17 (SI-917 / S09E24) Lost Our Lisa
After hastily boarding the wrong bus to a limited engagement museum exhibit, Lisa finds herself lost in unfamiliar parts of Springfield. Meanwhile, Bart adheres novelty items to his face, only to later discover that the glue he was given--by Homer--is permanent. (originally in Pool 42)
113. 2F07 (SI-607 / S06E10) Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy
Grampa Simpson's love tonic saves Homer and Marge's sex life, but breaks the bond between Father and Son. Meanwhile, Bart thinks Springfield is invaded by UFOs. (originally in Pool 35)
66. 9F05 (SI-405 / S04E07) Marge Gets a Job
The Simpsons home needs about $8,000 worth of foundation work, so Marge gets a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. However, things start getting a bit sticky when Mr. Burns develops a crush on Marge. Tom Jones guest stars. (originally in Pool 14)
"Stark Raving Dad" can't hang with the other three. It's not a huge difference, but aside from sentimental value and pop "yes that's really him" trivia, it doesn't offer much and the other three all do.
"Marge Gets a Job" might be the most overlooked episode in season 4. If you own that season on DVD, (re)watch that episode. You'll appreciate it. I don't think it's better than the other two this pool but your mileage may vary.
I absolutely adore "Lost Our Lisa" but then I'm a sucker for Lisa/Homer episodes. The ending really makes this episode (contrast the beautiful tune the egg plays with Homer's version of the Old Spice theme), as does the Russian chessplayers giving directions. That said, I predict the commenters' consensus will be for "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequcy," itself a very good choice.
1. Lost Our Lisa
2. Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy
3. Marge Gets a Job
4. Stark Raving Dad
322. FABF04 (SI-1504 / S15E09) I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot
Homer and Bart are watching a BattleBots-type program on cable and are inspired to build a robot of their own. Marge disapproves, believing that their lack of engineering knowledge will doom their project. They build a robot anyway, but it gets slaughtered in its first competition. Unable to repair completely, they adjust the robot so that Homer can operate it from the inside. Homer and the robot begin to win competition after competition, and they eventually make it to the finals of the show that inspired them, where they not only find themselves outmatched, but with their lives at risk. (originally in Pool 40)
284. DABF10 (SI-1310 / S13E15) Blame it on Lisa
Lisa sponsors a South American orphan - and when the child is reported missing, the Simpsons go to Brazil to find him. (originally in Pool 3)
312. EABF16 (SI-1416 / S14E21) The Bart of War
After his latest bout of mischief results in another encounter with the Springfield police department (as the result of watching a South Park episode), Marge and Homer elect to place Bart into a program of supervised afternoon activities - in the form of a quasi-Native American tribe dubbed "The Pre-Teen Braves." But tribal war ensues when his clan is forced into a game of community service one-upsmanship with an opposing group of do-gooders, "The Cavalry Kids." (originally in Pool 27)
190. 5F08 (SI-908 / S09E12) Bart Carny
When Homer costs a carnival worker and his son their jobs, Homer offers the pair a place to stay. But when the carnies lock the family out of their house and claim it as their own, Homer attempts to get it back by outsmarting the two. Guest starring Jim Varney as Cooder. (originally in Pool 54)
The SNPP.com summary of "Blame it on Lisa" is mercifully short, with no mention of kidnapping or risque Sesame Street ripoffs.
All four of these are pretty bad, with (in my opinion) an obvious pecking order.
1. Bart Carny
2. I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot
3. The Bart of War
Worst. Blame it on Lisa
1. Faith Off
2. The Blunder Years
3. The Strong Arms of the Ma
Worst. Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
Kill the Alligator and Run
Smart and Smarter
Gump Roast
Homer vs. Dignity
Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
1. Dancin' Homer
2. Itchy & Scratchy Land
3. The Twisted World of Marge Simpson
4. Realty Bites
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
Whacking Day
Homer the Heretic
Lemon of Troy
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
Dancin' Homer
41. 8F05 (SI-305 / S03E06) Like Father, Like Clown
Krusty finally drops by to have dinner with the Simpsons to thank Bart for believing him (see Krusty Gets Busted), and drops a bombshell: He real name is Krustofsky, and he is estranged from his rabbi father, who disowned him when Krusty decided to be a clown instead of a rabbi. Now, Bart vows to reunite Klown and rabbi. (originally in Pool 46).
124. 2F19 (SI-619 / S06E21) The PTA Disbands
A few weeks away from school is what Dr. Bart has ordered when he successfully schemes to have the teachers go on strike. But much to Bart's surprise the school reopens and Marge is his new teacher. Meanwhile, Lisa tries to cope with the situation. (originally in Pool 28).
89. 1F06 (SI-506 / S05E08) Boy-Scoutz N the Hood
When Bart finds a $20, he spends it on a squishy, made of pure syrup. After a wild night, he wakes up to find that he joined a boy scout troop, with den father Ned Flanders. (originally in Pool 42).
132. 3F02 (SI-702 / S07E04)Bart Sells His Soul
Bart's faith is tested when he sells his soul for five dollars. Meanwhile, Moe turns the Tavern into Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag. (originally in Pool 13).
As much as I enjoyed finally seeing "The PTA Disbands" on DVD (I'd never seen it first-run or syndicated!), it fell short (in my opinion) of what I'd expect from an episode whose high esteem almost pushed it ahead of "Mr. Plow" in the prelims.
Nonetheless, I'd be equally unsurprised to see any episode in this quintet lauded as consensus best of the four or consensus worst of the four.
Despite one of the all-time great opening segments, I think the second half of "Boy-Scoutz" flags way too much for it to hang with other top-16 contenders. I also think both of the deep spiritual episodes in this pool trump "PTA" but your mileage may vary on both counts.
1. Bart Sells His Soul
2. Like Father, Like Clown
3. The PTA Disbands
4. Boy-Scoutz N the Hood
A quick programming note: Five weeks from now we'll be through with this stage. We'll have 16 very best episodes, 16 "consolation elite," and 16 very worst. I'm inclined to just ditch tier 2 at that point (what would we settle? epsiode most egregiously screwed by pairings?) but for both best-of and worst-of, we'll throw the floor open for two wild card bids, any episode eligible, spots granted after what with luck will be a long, passionately argued comment thread.
1. Marge vs. the Monorail
2. Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
3. Bart the General
4. Lisa's Sax
Pantheon in Progress:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Homer at the Bat
The Last Temptation of Homer
You Only Move Twice
Sideshow Bob Roberts
Homer and Apu
Marge vs. the Monorail
Be sure also to vote in #6-11 (right below this one) and #1-11 (scroll down a bit).
18. 7F05 (SI-205 / S02E05) Dancin' Homer
After helping the Springfield Isotopes win a game, Dancin' Homer becomes the team mascot, and the family gets invited to Capital City. Tom Poston guest stars, and Tony Bennett sings the Capital City song. (originally in Pool 55)
187. 5F06 (SI-906 / S09E09) Realty Bites
When Marge becomes a real estate agent, her firm loses lucrative sales due to her total honesty. Meanwhile, Homer buys a 1960s hot-rod convertible at the local police auction. Unfortunately, the rod's former owner and convicted felon, Snake, wants his property returned post haste, and will do anything to get it back. (originally in Pool 4)
107. 2F01 (SI-601 / S06E04) Itchy & Scratchy Land
The family's trip to Itchy & Scratchy Land, the violentest place on earth, proves heavenly until the Itchy & Scratchy robots want to put the family there for real. (originally in Pool 6)
164. 4F08 (SI-808 / S08E11) The Twisted World of Marge Simpson
Marge's new pretzel franchise is failing until Homer strikes a deal with Fat Tony, Springfield's local mobster (originally in Pool 10)
Very deep pool; top to bottom this would even be plausible (albeit very weak) as a Tier 1 pool. Well, maybe 75% of it would be plausible. Having recently gotten the Season 2 DVD (already had the other five that are out), I have a much higher opinion of "Dancin' Homer" now than I did a few months ago. It may not be better than "A Streetcar Named Marge" (top ep in its original pool) but it can hold its own among the top tier.
I do feel guilty putting both "Marge's business venture" eps at the bottom, but neither is as good as the other two (in my opinion) and now's as good a time as any to mention that the local syndication showed "All's Fair in Oven War" last night. The main theme would make it an instant anti-classic but the hilarious Playboy subplot salvages it. Anyhow...
1. Dancin' Homer
2. Itchy & Scratchy Land
3. The Twisted World of Marge Simpson
4. Realty Bites
214. AABF07 (SI-1007 / S10E11) Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
Homer and his drunken cohorts celebrate an improbable victory by the Springfield Isotopes by trashing the local elementary school. But when the police force fails to locate the actual vandals, the town's children are hastily blamed for the rowdiness and punished with a new sunset curfew. (originally in Pool 27)
274. CABF21 (SI-1221 / S13E05) The Blunder Years
A restaurant hypnotist causes Homer to relive a traumatic childhood experience where, upon swimming in a quarry, he found a dead body. That dead body turned out to be Waylon Smithers' father, Waylon Sr., who had disappeared twenty-five years earlier under suspicious circumstances. Meanwhile, Marge fancies Chad Sexington, the man who appears on the packaging of Burly paper towels. (originally in Pool 19)
300. EABF04 (SI-1404 / S14E09) The Strong Arms of the Ma
Marge is mugged at the Kwik-E-Mart and has a severe anxiety attack, which makes her completely unable to leave the house. In order to pass the time, Marge begins lifting weights, which make her stronger and ultimately allows her to overcome her fear. Marge's newfound physique motivates her to take up body building, and she wins 2nd prize in a contest. But when she begins taking steroids on the advice of Ruth Powers, she becomes aggressive and in a fit of rage destroys Moe's, which prompts Marge to rethink her new lifestyle. (originally in Pool 36)
237. BABF06 (SI-1106 / S11E11) Faith Off
Bart becomes hooked on the art of faith healing after witnessing the spin of a traveling revivalist. Meanwhile, Homer prepares for the homecoming game of his old college-days chums. Guest starring Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony and Don Cheadle as Brother Faith. (originally in Pool 6)
The order of these is so obvious to me that I'm probably wrong.
1. The Blunder Years
2. The Strong Arms of the Ma
3. Faith Off
Worst. Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
1. The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
2. The Springfield Connection
3. Treehouse of Horror
4. Lisa the Beauty Queen
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
Whacking Day
Homer the Heretic
Lemon of Troy
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
1. Homer's Odyssey
2. Half-Decent Proposal
3. The Ziff Who Came to Dinner
Worst. Homer vs. Dignity
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
Kill the Alligator and Run
Smart and Smarter
Gump Roast
Homer vs. Dignity
181. 3G02 (SI-826 / S09E03) Lisa's Sax
When Lisa's saxophone is destroyed during a scuffle with Bart, the family recounts the story of how she got her instrument during the terrible heat wave of 1990. Guest starring Fyvush Finkel as himself and Krusty. (originally in Pool 12)
137. 3F08 (SI-708 / S07E09) Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
Sideshow Bob slips away from prison detail, steals an atomic bomb and threatens to detonate it unless the town of Springfield gives up television. R. Lee Ermey and Kelsey Grammer guest star. (originally in Pool 22)
5. 7G05 (SI-105 / S01E05) Bart the General
When Bart gets beat up by the school bully for defending Lisa, he organizes his friends to go after the bully. (originally in Pool 52)
71. 9F10 (SI-410 / S04E12) Marge vs. the Monorail
After getting $3 million from a fine due to Mr. Burn's illegal disposal of nuclear waste, the town decides to spend money on a needless monorail ....built from shoddy materials. Leonard Nimoy guest voices as himself. (originally in Pool 32)
Allow me to express a sacrilege, which I assume will be rebutted in the comments but you never know. "Monorail" not only isn't the best epsiode in this pool, it isn't even second-best. Speak up if you disagree with me.
1. Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
2. Bart the General
3. Marge vs. the Monorail
4. Lisa's Sax
By the way, David's comment was correct, I mistallied #1-9. That's been fixed on the appropriateresults post. Original #1-10 post here.
1. Homer and Apu
2. The Curse of the Flying Hellfish
3. Radio Bart
4. Simpson and Delilah
So H&A got two first-place "votes," to one each for the next two. But if we used preferential balloting then Hellfish and Apu might end up tied. At any rate of those who spoke up, two put Apu above Hellfish, two vice versa.
Pantheon in Progress:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Homer at the Bat
The Last Temptation of Homer
You Only Move Twice
Sideshow Bob Roberts
Homer and Apu
Last night's syndicated epsiode was "Goo Goo Gai Pan." (Previously in syndication: "On A Clear Day...", hence my earlier rant.)
I still find the "Simpsons travel somewhere" template quite underwhelming and wonder how much of the material from any given episode in that vein is culturally offensive. This particular epsiode rehashes some issues from Selma's Choice (as the Season 16 page does point out) without paying any homage to that ep. Then again, there's also a scene that evokes bad memories of "Homer vs. Dignity."
(Getting back to hating on "Clear Day": When Lisa tries to remember three good things Bart did for her, has she totally forgotten both "Separate Vocations" and "Lisa on Ice"? (The writers obviously had.))
Worst of all, as the SNPP.com writers put it (regarding the adopted Chinese baby who may or may not ever be seen again in subsequent eps): Somebody cancel this week's "Everything's Back to Normal" BBQ...
On the plus side, one quote singlehandedly saves this episode from my hypothetical bottom tier:
"He's just like a little angel who killed 50 million people." --Homer Simpson on Mao
Looking ahead on the Season 16 page: If you've seen "Future-Drama," how can it possibly be anything other than a cheap knockoff of "Lisa's Wedding"?
(Given the original airdates, this has nothing to do with anything else ongoing, I just wanted someone to confirm or deny my opinion that these episodes are all horrible, and perhaps put them in perspective compared to other bottom-feeder eps.)
A Star is Torn
[...] Lisa sings them to sleep with a rendition of "Mockingbird". Krusty is sponsoring a "Li'l Starmaker" competition [...]
Midnight Rx
Mr. Burns is true to his word when he promised a "nasty surprise" for the company office party; he cancels the company's prescription drug plan. Homer has the solution: get some fake Canadian ID papers, go to Canada [...]
The Bonfire of the Manatees
Homer gets into trouble with football gambling debts. As compensation, Fat Tony wants to use the Simpson home for shooting the adult film [...] (summary via Wikipedia, other summaries of course are from snpp.com)
On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister
Everybody up at 3 AM for a field trip to Springfield Glacier. [...]
Each of these is worse than the ones listed above it. All four of these are plausibly among the 20 worst episodes ever. (Any ep from Season 16 onward that isn't listed here, either I've never seen it or it's not all that bad.)
Explanations happily given on request for what makes each episode truly, truly putrid. "On a Clear Day" alone might be worth 1,000+ words of itemized scorn.
185. 5F04 (SI-904 / S09E07) The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
Just as he begins to enjoy his popularity as a swinging bachelor, Apu receives an unwelcome reminder of his pending arranged marriage. Desperate to escape the agreement, Apu claims to have already married Marge Simpson. Guest starring Jan Hooks as Manjula and Andrea Martin as Apu's mother. (originally in Pool 13)
63. 9F02 (SI-402 / S04E04) Lisa the Beauty Queen
Homer enters Lisa in a beauty contest, and Lisa comes in as runner up. However, when the original winner is injured, Lisa becomes Little Miss Springfield. Bob Hope guest stars. (originally in Pool 49)
16. 7F04 (SI-204 / S02E03) Treehouse of Horror
Bart and Lisa swap three horror stories in their tree house: In "Bad Dream House," the Simpsons move into a haunted house, complete with a dimensional vortex, bleeding walls, and an Indian burial ground. Next, aliens kidnap the Simpsons, and invite them to a 'great feast' on Rigel 4 in "Hungry Are the Damned." Finally, James Earl Jones narrates Edgar Allen Poe's classic tale "The Raven." (originally in Pool 1)
126. 2F21 (SI-621 / S06E23) The Springfield Connection
There's a new cop in town and her name is Marge Simpson. Her job is to clean up the town of its criminals. Unfortunately, not all the criminals are on the street as Marge soon discovers (originally in Pool 17)
Two of these dominate the other two. The best two are very hard to compare because of their different themes/styles. Of the other two, I just didn't care for "The Springfield Connection," sorry. Your mileage may vary.
1. The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
2. Treehouse of Horror
3. Lisa the Beauty Queen
4. The Springfield Connection
279. DABF04 (SI-1304 / S13E10) Half-Decent Proposal
Marge, with a little help from Patty, Selma, and Jack (Daniels), e-mails Artie Ziff, who offers $1,000,000 for a weekend ("no funny business") alone with her - money they could use for an operation to make Homer stop snoring. Jon Lovitz reprises his role as Artie Ziff. (originally in Pool 56)
253. CABF04 (SI-1204 / S12E05) Homer vs. Dignity
Short on funds, Homer approaches the ever-wealthy C. Montgomery Burns for a token raise. But when Burns grants his request on the condition that Homer act as his personal jester, the Simpson family finds itself the subject of degrading and embarassing activities. (originally in Pool 49)
3. 7G03 (SI-103 / S01E03) Homer's Odyssey
Homer gets fired for causing another accident at the nuclear plant, and almost commits suicide. He see the light, and becomes a safety activist, and soon goes after the plant he was fired from. (originally in Pool 26)
327. FABF08 (SI-1508 / S15E14) The Ziff Who Came to Dinner
Marge's ex-boyfriend Artie Ziff is discovered in the Simpsons' attic penniless, unemployed, and on the run from the authorities. When the feds come in to arrest Artie, they find that Homer has won all of Artie's assets in a poker game and is now the primary stockholder, and he takes the fall for Artie's shady business dealings. (originally in Pool 30)
Well this is pretty obvious, the only remotely suspenseful outcome being the (mostly irrelevant) Ziff pecking order.
1. Homer's Odyssey
2. Half-Decent Proposal
3. The Ziff Who Came to Dinner
Worst. Homer vs. Dignity (named by Paul(?) as "Homer vs. Quality")
1. The Boy Who Knew Too Much
2. Trash of the Titans
3. Treehouse of Horror IX
4. A Milhouse Divided
Re Paul, "A Milhouse Divided" was a best-of-bracket episode, probably by far the worst of those.
Re everyone at various times: Sometimes I try to comment on my own blog and the comment doesn't "take," because instead of clicking "Post" I just hit enter, except that with Preview as the default option, that just previews instead of publishing. So if you ever thought you'd commented only the comment seems to disappear, that might be what's going on. Anyway...
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
Whacking Day
Homer the Heretic
Lemon of Troy
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
n/a. I'm Goin' to Praiseland
n/a. Dude, Where's My Ranch?
n/a. Eight Misbehavin'
Worst. Gump Roast
Paul seems to be correct, though everyone agreed on which was worst.
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
Kill the Alligator and Run
Smart and Smarter
Gump Roast
48. 8F11 (SI-311 / S03E13) Radio Bart
It's Bart's tenth birthday. Bart receives a radio microphone, which he promptly uses to play practical jokes on everyone, including that a little boy named Timmy O'Toole has fallen down the local well. (originally in Pool 21)
94. 1F10 (SI-510 / S05E13) Homer and Apu
After getting food poisoning from eating the Kwik-E-Mart food, Homer gets Apu, the Kwik-E-Mart employee, fired. Regretting his actions, Homer vows to get Apu his job back. James Woods guest stars. (originally in Pool 47)
150. 3F19 (SI-719 / S07E22) The Curse of the Flying Hellfish
Buried World War II treasure is the prize in a tontine, in which Grampa and Mr. Burns are the last two surviving members. But Burns is determined that he'll be the one who collects the prize. (originally in Pool 7)
15. 7F02 (SI-202 / S02E02) Simpson and Delilah
After trying a hair-growing formula (charged to the company's health insurance), Homer gets promoted to an executive position, and gets a male secretary who helps him along in his job. Harvey Fierstein guest stars. (originally in Pool 44)
Klaus never stood a chance in this quarter--which makes "Delilah" no less of a masterpiece. Depending on whether I've grossly overestimated "Homer and Apu," this is either a 2-way or 3-way bracket of death.
1. Homer and Apu
2. The Curse of the Flying Hellfish
3. Radio Bart
4. Simpson and Delilah
1. Sideshow Bob Roberts
2. The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
3. Blood Feud
4. Lisa's First Word
Pantheon in Progress:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Homer at the Bat
The Last Temptation of Homer
You Only Move Twice
Sideshow Bob Roberts
Be sure also to vote in #6-9 (right below this) and #1-9.
101. 1F19 (SI-519 / S05E20) The Boy Who Knew Too Much
Bart skips class and witnesses a waiter brutally beaten. The Mayor's nephew is blamed, but Bart can clear him -- however it would mean coming clean about skipping class. (originally in Pool 30)
159. 4F04 (SI-804 / S08E06) A Milhouse Divided
Homer questions his own marriage bless when, at the latest Simpsons party, Kirk and Luann Van Houten (Milhouse's parents) announce their divorce.
(originally in Pool 4)
200. 5F09 (SI-909 / S09E22) Trash of the Titans
When his crude insults persuade the local garbage men to terminate his trash pick-up service, Homer enters the race for sanitation commissioner, banking on the laziness of his fellow towns- people as the key to victory. Guest starring Steve Martin as Ray Patterson, Paul McGuinness, Susie Smith, and U2. (originally in Pool 13)
207. AABF01 (SI-1001 / S10E04) Treehouse of Horror IX
In "Hell Toupee," Homer's new hair transplant commands him to avenge its former owner's foes. Next, Bart and Lisa are sucked into their television to play a deadly game of cat and mouse with Itchy & Scratchy in "The Terror of Tiny Toon." Finally, in "Starship Poopers," Maggie's actual father is revealed to be an alien, leading to a spot on the esteemed Jerry Springer Show. (originally in Pool 33)
"CHOW-da!!!!"
1. The Boy Who Knew Too Much
2. Trash of the Titans
3. Treehouse of Horror IX
4. A Milhouse Divided
233. BABF03 (SI-1103 / S11E07) Eight Misbehavin'
Apu's wife Manjula gives birth to octuplets. Everyone in Springfield soon pitches in to help, until a couple in Shelbyville gives birth to nine, causing everyone to forget about Apu and Manjula. Guest starring Jan Hooks as Manjula, Butch Patrick as himself, and Garry Marshall as Larry Kidkill. (originally in Pool 4)
267. CABF15 (SI-1215 / S12E19) I'm Goin' to Praiseland
When Ned discovers that one of Maude's goals was to build a bible-themed amusement park, he reunites with Rachel in order to fulfill her dream. But when an accident dupes the public into believing that the park was the site of a miracle, Ned is forced to decide between revealing the truth versus enjoying his increased profits. Guest starring Shawn Colvin as Rachel Jordan. (originally in Pool 12)
286. DABF12 (SI-1312 / S13E17) Gump Roast
The Springfield Friars Club roasts Homer, with help from clips from past episodes..."but don't call it a clip show". (originally in Pool 21)
309. EABF13 (SI-1413 / S14E18) Dude, Where's My Ranch?
While out Christmas caroling, the family finds out from a lawyer that the carol they are singing is copyrighted, leading Homer to write his own carol. But when Ned tries to help, Homer turns it into an anti-Flanders song. A passing David Byrne just happens to hear Homer play his song at Moe's, and he turns it into a hit record. When stardom becomes too much, the family spends a week at a dude ranch. (originally in Pool 39)
This time I think the clip show outstinks the rest, as any of the others I can turn my brain off and genuinely enjoy. Well, maybe not "Eight Misbehavin'" so much.
1. I'm Goin' to Praiseland
2. Dude, Where's My Ranch?
3. Eight Misbehavin'
4. Gump Roast
1. Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo
2. Another Simpsons Clip Show
3. The Great Louse Detective
Worst. Smart and Smarter
The anti-pantheon is quickly becoming a dumping ground for Season 15's grating-but-not-terrible fare, none of which is appreciably worse than [not part of this process] Season 16 or Season 17.
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
Kill the Alligator and Run
Smart and Smarter
1. Lemon of Troy
2. Mom and Pop Art
3. Homer's Triple Bypass
4. Moaning Lisa
That said, on watching it again via the season 6 DVD, I found "Lemon of Troy" nearly as underwhelming this time as I remember finding it the first time. Paul obviously likes it a lot more than I do.
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
Whacking Day
Homer the Heretic
Lemon of Troy
179. 4F22 (SI-822 / S09E01) The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
Driven to the brink of sanity by his appointed status as designated driver, Barney Gumble drives to downtown Manhattan in Homer's car, leaving it there. But when the family journeys to the Big Apple to retrieve their property, Homer faces a one-on-one showdown with the dreaded boot. (originally in Pool 38)
69. 9F08 (SI-408 / S04E10) Lisa's First Word
While trying to get Maggie to say her first words, Homer recalls what happened a few years back when Lisa was born, when they first moved into their present home, and what Lisa said her first words. (originally in Pool 8)
108. 2F02 (SI-602 / S06E05) Sideshow Bob Roberts
With the help of a radio talk show host, Mayor Quimby is pressured into releasing Sideshow Bob from prison. Once out, Bob promptly runs against the mayor and wins. Bart and Lisa set out to prove Mayor Bob didn't win legally. (originally in Pool 44)
35. 7F22 (SI-222 / S02E22) Blood Feud
Mr. Burns needs double-O negative blood, and only Bart can supply it. Now, Homer wants some gratitude for Bart's donation. (originally in Pool 21)
Very tough call for second-best episode this bracket. Best episode in this bracket is an absolute monster, one of those that works from start to finish, on so many levels, from the Dr. Demento throw-in to the "When YOU drive, YOU can pick the station" gag to the snide Princeton reference.
1. Sideshow Bob Roberts
2. Blood Feud
3. Lisa's First Word
4. The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
Placing New York at the bottom says a lot more about the other two than about it, though I apparently appreciate "destination" episodes a lot less than other people do, even the ones that aren't bad (c.f. my being underwhelmed by "Bart vs. Australia").
1. You Only Move Twice
2. Homer's Barbershop Quartet
3. Brother from the Same Planet
4. Bart the Genius
Re Paul's comment, I think "You Only Move Twice" is a slam-dunk for top 20 yet borderline for top-10. That's just my opinion though.
Pantheon in Progress:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Homer at the Bat
The Last Temptation of Homer
You Only Move Twice
(In addition to this one, don't forget to comment on the top tier and second tier.)
106. 2F33 (SI-633 / S06E03) Another Simpsons Clip Show
A romance novel prompts Marge to have a family meeting to discuss the values of love and past romances. (originally in Pool 45)
226. AABF20 (SI-1020 / S10E23) Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo
After losing their last million yen, the Simpsons agree to participate in a dangerous Japanese TV game show in exchange for air fare back home. Guest voice George Takei as the Game Show Host. (originally in Pool 41)
326. FABF09 (SI-1509 / S15E13) Smart and Smarter
After Apu and Majula send two of their octuplets to the prestigious Miss Wickerbottom's Pre-Nursery School, Homer is inspired to do the same for Maggie. Maggie is intially rejected because she doesn't talk, but Lisa eventually finds hidden talents in Maggie that lead to the discovery that Maggie's IQ is actually higher than Lisa. Dejected that she is no longer the "smart one", Lisa tries other ways of getting attention, including trying to sabotage Maggie's future. Guest stars American Idol judge Simon Cowell as the Admissions Officer. (originally in Pool 25)
297. EABF01 (SI-1401 / S14E06) The Great Louse Detective
Somebody from Homer's past tries to murder him, and it's up to Sideshow Bob to help Homer find out who that person is. (originally in Pool 5)
No obvious bottom-feeder here. Throw out "Louse Detective" as the only one of the quartet for which I can't make a plausible "worst of the worst" case.
The clip show is actually the first of the clip shows to hit an anti-playoff pool. I could see an argument that they're the worst episodes ever, but then the true bottom 10-15 are so bad that they eclipse even clip shows. This one I have to say is below average even among clip shows because the pretext for the family meeting captures 90% of what's grating about Marge (not that she's objectively grating in general, but on occasion you have to admit).
The Tokyo trip is about as bad as any given Simpsons travel episode, though not necessarily any worse. Actually on a skim of the ep summary, it's got great early moments I'd forgotten about.
I hate the fact that Simon Cowell whored himself out to the episode built around his guest appearance, but that ep has its redeeming features (especially Principal Skinner's wet-blanket one-liners). Then again the jokes within the museum are pretty crude. On the third hand I love some of the learning-themed Springfield police comments.
Tough call; this one will definitely need multi-commenter input.
1. The Great Louse Detective
2. Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo
3. Smart and Smarter
Worst. Another Simpsons Clip Show
Even beyond clip-showness, I couldn't not put ASCS there. Even given every crappy thing Homer ever did to Marge over 16+ seasons, her dippiness in this particular episode is egregious enough for me to wish all the bad things on her (other than being framed for DUI, I guess) and more.
1. My Mother the Carjacker
2. The Dad Who Knew Too Little
3. The Sweetest Apu
Worst. Kill the Alligator and Run
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
Kill the Alligator and Run
70. 9F09 (SI-409 / S04E11) Homer's Triple Bypass
All those years of eating those fatty foods has caused Homer to have a heart attack. Now, Homer has a choice - spend $40,000 for Dr. Hibbert's bypass operation, or $129.95 for Dr. Nick Riviera's operation--any operation. (originally in Pool 42)
6. 7G06 (SI-106 / S01E06) Moaning Lisa
Lisa is feeling down and blue about the problems around her, and meets a fellow blues musician, Bleedin' Gums Murphy. (originally in Pool 11)
222. AABF15 (SI-1015 / S10E19) Mom and Pop Art
When Homer learns to vent his anger through home-grown artwork, he attracts the attention of a professional art dealer. Guest voices Isabella Rossellini as Astrid Weller and Jasper Johns. (originally in Pool 15)
127. 2F22 (SI-622 / S06E24) Lemon of Troy
Bart leads a group of boys in taking back the town's beloved Lemon tree when it is stolen by a group of Shelbyville kids. (originally in Pool 56)
I don't think I like "Homer's Triple Bypass" as much as you do. When syndicated runs hit the powerhouse season 4 stretch, "Bypass" is as likely to make me groan as to put a spring in my step.
I do like "Moaning Lisa" a lot, perhaps more than you. For each of the last two epsiodes above, at least one of the regular readers (if not regular commenters) is an especially big fan of the ep.
In any case my rankings are a very close call and this could easy come out any of the possible orderings.
1. Lemon of Troy
2. Mom and Pop Art
3. Moaning Lisa
4. Homer's Triple Bypass
1. Homer the Heretic
2. Lisa the Iconoclast
3. The Last Temptation of Krust
4. Krusty Gets Busted
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
Whacking Day
Homer the Heretic
2. 7G02 (SI-102 / S01E02) Bart the Genius
Bart swaps IQ tests with Martin, and ends up the butt of everyone's jokes at a school for gifted kids. (originally in Pool 10)
155. 3F23 (SI-723 / S08E02) You Only Move Twice
Homer moves the family to a new town after he receives a better job offer, at a better nuclear power plant, but Homer is oblivious to the fact that his new boss is a Super Villain who is out to rule the world. (originally in Pool 15)
82. 9F21 (SI-421 / S05E01) Homer's Barbershop Quartet
We flashback to 1985, where Homer, Apu, Principal Skinner, and Chief Wiggum (replaced with Barney) were the hit barbershop quartet known as the 'B Sharp'. George Harrison guest stars. (originally in Pool 6)
73. 9F12 (SI-412 / S04E14) Brother from the Same Planet
Bart decides to get a bigger brother when Homer neglects him for the last time. Turnabout is fair play, Homer replaces Bart with a little brother. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes addicted to the Corey hot-line, a 900 number. (originally in Pool 48)
The top and bottom of this one seem obvious (the best of season 1 doesn't match up well against the best of the rest, but then the worst of season 1 isn't nearly as bad as the worst of the rest). Interesting call for the middle slots.
1. You Only Move Twice
2. Brother from the Same Planet
3. Homer's Barbershop Quartet
4. Bart the Genius
1. The Last Temptation of Homer
2. Kamp Krusty
3. Bart vs. Australia
4. Life on the Fast Lane
Pantheon in Progress:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Homer at the Bat
The Last Temptation of Homer
Three or more episodes, please. (I think this rules out Frank Grimes and Homer's mother and Rabbi Krustofsky, though I could be wrong.) Characters whose names are knowable by Simpson viewers, please.
(So no "pimply teenager," unless he has a name and that name is more commonly known than I think it is.)
I ran into a brick wall at 64.
Homer Simpson
Marge Simpson
Bart Simpson
Lisa Simpson
Maggie Simpson
Abe Simpson
Jacqueline Bouvier
Selma Bouvier
Patty Bouvier
Ned Flanders
Maude Flanders
Rod Flanders
Todd Flanders
Rev. Timothy Lovejoy
Helen Lovejoy
C. Montgomery Burns
Waylan Smithers
Carl Carlson
Lenny
Clancy Wiggum
Sara(h) Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum
Officer Eddie
Officer Lou
Apu N.
Manjula N.
Milhouse van Houten
Martin Prince
Terri
Sherri
Nelson Muntz
Jimbo
Kerney
Edna Krapappel
Ms. Hoover
Principal Skinner
Agnes Skinner
Comic Book Guy
Krusty the Klown
Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Mel
Fat Tony
Mario (the restauranteur)
Dewey Largo
Bleeding Gums Murphy
Superintendent Chalmers
Jasper
Uter
Arnie Pie
Kent Brockman
Bumblebee Man
Lionel Hutz
Troy McClure
McBain
Capt. Horatio McAllister
Judge Harm
Santa's Little Helper
Snowball II
Professor Frink
Dr. Hibbert
Barney Gumbel
Moe Syzlak
Groundskeeper Willie
Kirk van Houten
(Incidentally, we're running at a one-per-week-per-tier pace. If you check here on a Thursday or Friday, you should see all three somewhere. For this week, you're looking at #2; 1 and 6 of course stay open.)
62. 9F01 (SI-401 / S04E03) Homer the Heretic
Homer, in a dream, gets permission from God to skip church, much to Marge's objections. (originally in Pool 3)
193. 5F10 (SI-910 / S09E15) The Last Temptation of Krust
After finally accepting that his comedic style is outdated, Krusty settles on more edgier material: what's wrong with today's crop of stand-up comedians. Guest starring Jay Leno, Steven Wright, Janeane Garofalo, Bobcat Goldthwait and Bruce Baum. Featuring Hank Williams Jr. (originally in Pool 38)
12. 7G12 (SI-112 / S01E12) Krusty Gets Busted
When Krusty the Clown is caught robbing the Kwik-E-Mart, Bart vows to clear his hero's name, even though the robbery was witnessed by his father, Homer. (originally in Pool 29)
144. 3F13 (SI-713 / S07E16) Lisa the Iconoclast
While digging into Jebediah Springfield's past, Lisa discovers that the town founder isn't the hero as everyone thinks he was. Donald Sutherland guest stars. (originally in Pool 9)
This one seems wide open. "Iconoclast" drew tremendously positive commenter response. "Temptation" is an elaborate George Carlin homage that also includes the first appearance of the Canyonero. "Busted" launched the Sideshow Bob recurring storyline. And of course "Heretic" is a personal favorite.
1. Homer the Heretic
2. Lisa the Iconoclast
3. The Last Temptation of Krust
4. Krusty Gets Busted
1. Whacking Day
2. Bart's Dog Gets an F
3. 'Round Springfield
4. A Star Is Burns
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
Whacking Day
315. EABF18 (SI-1418 / S15E02) My Mother the Carjacker
Homer learns of his mother's whereabouts, through clues that she leaves in the newspaper. When Mother Simpson returns to Springfield, she is quickly recognized by police and Mr. Burns, and is taken to court over her germ warefare sabotage from the 60s. With help from Homer, she is acquitted, but when she reveals that she used false names when visiting national parks, she is booked on forgery charges. [...] (originally in Pool 48)
245. BABF16 (SI-1116 / S11E19) Kill the Alligator and Run
After running over Florida's beloved alligator Captain Jack, Homer and the family dedicate their spring break vacation to avoiding the local authorities. Guest starring Kid Rock, Joe C., Charlie Rose, Robert Evans and Diedrich Bader as themselves. (originally in Pool 45)
299. EABF03 (SI-1403 / S14E08) The Dad Who Knew Too Little
After Homer gets Lisa an inappropriate birthday present, he worries that he is losing touch with his daughter, so he hires a private investigator to follow her around. Guest stars Elliot Gould. (originally in Pool 19)
288. DABF14 (SI-1314 / S13E19) The Sweetest Apu
Apu's unbearable life of work and eight kids drives him to have an affair with another woman, and when Manjula finds out, Apu will have to do everything it takes to win her back. (originally in Pool 10)
Three of these are pretty bad (one of which might be the worst best bad episode, if that string of adjectives makes sense) but nowhere near as bad as spring break with a gratuitous Kid Rock song (and Simpsons as country bumpkins). Obvious bottom feeder in this pool, then I could go either way ("any of six ways") on the three non-worst.
1. My Mother the Carjacker
2. The Dad Who Knew Too Little
3. The Sweetest Apu
Worst. Kill the Alligator and Run
Least Bad - Call of the Simpsons
Next Least Bad - Tales from the Public Domain
Lucky to Be in this Bracket - Pokey Mom
Worst - Helter Shelter
Yes, Paul, "Pokey Mom" is probably one of the 20 worst, but it's honestly not worse than Helter Shelter.
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
Helter Shelter
60. 8F24 (SI-324 / S04E01) Kamp Krusty
Bart and Lisa spend six weeks at Camp Krusty. However, the camp is not what it seems, as Bart and Lisa quickly find out. (originally in Pool 18)
9. 7G11 (SI-111 / S01E09) Life on the Fast Lane
Homer gives Marge a bowling ball for her birthday, intending to use it for himself. However, Marge vows to learn how to bowl, and ends up getting intimate with Jacques, her bowling teacher. (originally in Pool 29)
90. 1F07 (SI-507 / S05E09) The Last Temptation of Homer
Homer falls in love with a new female employee at the nuclear plant who is just like Homer. Homer, however, feels guilty. Michelle Pfiffer and Werner Klemperer guest star. (originally in Pool 31)
119. 2F13 (SI-613 / S06E16) Bart vs. Australia
The government of Australia isn't impressed with Bart's prank phone call and demand that he apologize in person. (originally in Pool 51)
So as it happens I rewatched "Bart vs. Australia" just last night and was disappointed. Again. Perhaps my opinion of that episode is an outlier, since I know there's a very strong fan base for it. Otherwise I find this pool easy to rank.
It's oddly appropriate to have "Last Temptation" and "Fast Lane" in the same pool (c.f. the Season 6 clip show), though obviously this wasn't intentional.
1. The Last Temptation of Homer
2. Kamp Krusty
3. Life on the Fast Lane
4. Bart vs. Australia
1. Lisa's Date With Density
2. Homer at the Bat
3. Duffless
4. Bart's Girlfriend
UPDATE: Paul's vote (see comment on the post above this one) would actually swing this one the other way. If I fixed this after the fact, would that just be setting a horrible precedent, or do we all agree that this is informal enough that rough justice should prevail?
Pantheon in Progress:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Lisa's Date With Density
(Homer at the Bat?)
I never thought I'd say this, because even diminishing utility still typically produces positive utility, but if last night's season premiere is the best they can do with The Simpsons these days (and its season premiere status is prima facie evidence that it was the best one they had), then I not only can't watch new episodes any more but also hope the series dies soon.
(While you're here, be sure also to vote in this week's top tier and bottom tier.)
79. 9F18 (SI-418 / S04E20) Whacking Day
While the town of Springfield prepares for the annual snake whacking day (which Lisa dreads), Bart gets expelled from school for embarrassing Mr. Skinner during a school inspection. Barry White guest stars. (originally in Pool 18)
29. 7F14 (SI-214 / S02E16) Bart's Dog Gets an F
After chewing up Homer's new $125 sneakers and the Bouvier family quilt, Santa's Little Helper is enrolled in an obedience school. Tracey Ullman guest stars. (originally in Pool 53)
121. 2F31 (SI-631 / S06E18) A Star Is Burns
In order to boost the towns' sagging popularly, the people of Springfield holds a Film Festival to attract more tourists. Marge invites Jay The Critic Sherman to guest judge. Jon Lovitz guest stars. (originally in Pool 9)
125. 2F32 (SI-632 / S06E22) 'Round Springfield
While visiting Bart in the hospital, Lisa learns a real-life lesson when a fellow patient is Bleeding Gums Murphy and he tells his life story for the last time. Guest starring Steve Allen and Ron Taylor (as Bleeding Gums Murphy). (originally in Pool 26)
The 1-4 ordering of these seems so obvious to me that I'm probably wrong.
1. Whacking Day
2. Bart's Dog Gets an F
3. 'Round Springfield
4. A Star Is Burns
1. A Fish Called Selma
2. Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song
3. Girly Edition
4. Old Money
The Consolation Elite (so far):
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
A Fish Called Selma
More dreck.
258. CABF05 (SI-1205 / S12E10) Pokey Mom
Following a prison rodeo, Marge befriends an inmate whom she considers undeserving of incarceration, and eventually sees to his release. Guest starring Michael Keaton as Jack, and Charles Napier as the prison warden. (originally in Pool 52)
296. DABF21 (SI-1321 / S14E05) Helter Shelter
While the Simpson house is being fumigated after a Russian termite infestation, the family moves into a house that's part of a reality show where they have to live in 1895. When the ratings for the show begin to fail, the producers bring in Squiggy from Laverne and Shirley. Guest stars Larry Holmes and David Lander. (originally in Pool 9)
7. 7G09 (SI-109 / S01E07) Call of the Simpsons
It's a camping misadventure for the Simpsons. First, the Simpson's get lost in the woods and lose all their camping equipment. Then, Bart and Homer go get help, but get washed down a waterfall, and lose all their clothes. Meanwhile, Maggie meets up with some bears. Then, Homer is mistaken for Bigfoot. (originally in Pool 28)
283. DABF08 (SI-1308 / S13E14) Tales from the Public Domain
"The Odyssey" / "Joan of Arc" / "Hamlet" (originally in Pool 16)
Two of these are notoriously bad; two of them don't belong in this tier, though I can see how they'd slip in. Interesting decisions within each pair, though ultimately not difficult.
1. Tales from the Public Domain
2. Call of the Simpsons
3. Pokey Mom
Worst. Helter Shelter
Not Worst: Bart Star
Not Worst: The Joy of Sect
Not Worst: Today I Am A Clown
Worst: Barting Over
In a small sample size, three episodes got the bottom rung, of which one was the second-worst on the other two slates.
Anti-Pantheon:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Barting Over
52. 8F13 (SI-313 / S03E17) Homer at the Bat
Mr. Burns bets $1,000,000 that his company team can beat a competing plant's team. In order to do so, he replaced the regular company team with new security guard Roger Clemens, new janitor Wade Boggs, lunchroom cashier Ken Griffey Jr., and other new employees like Steve Sax, Don Mattingly, Ozzie Smith, Darryl Strawberry, Jose Canseco, and Mike Scoscia (who runs the solid contaminate encapsulator). (originally in Pool 30)
110. 2F04 (SI-604 / S06E07) Bart's Girlfriend
Bart's infatuation with the Reverend's daughter is short-lived when she steals the church collection plate and he is blamed for the theft. Meryl Streep guest stars. (originally in Pool 52)
75. 9F14 (SI-414 / S04E16) Duffless
After Homer gets caught drunk driving, he promises Marge to stay off the Duff for one month. Meanwhile, when Bart ruins Lisa's science project, Lisa vows to take revenge by determining which is smarter: a hamster or Bart. (originally in Pool 5)
160. 4F01 (SI-801 / S08E07) Lisa's Date with Density
Lisa enters into a doomed romance when she attempts to change Nelson Muntz, the school bully she develops a crush on. Meanwhile, Homer discovers quick cash in telemarketing fraud. (originally in Pool 13)
Two of these are the second-best episodes involving Bart's love life and Lisa's, respectively, with the proviso that "New Kid on the Block" and "I Love Lisa" are (in my opinion) absolute juggernauts, and so being almost as good as them is no shame.
The other two are (among eps that clearly belong in this tier) about as big a contrast as you can get between hype and sleeperdom.
In addition to falling short of "New Kid," "Girlfriend" compares unfavorably to the other eps on the first disc of the Season 6 DVD, which probably says more about "Bob Roberts" et al than about it, but still. Despite where I put it below, I have to admit that with one line "Bart Simpson, you're BAD!" Jessica Lovejoy hooked me. That is to say, Meryl Streep, age [however old she was in 1994] hooked me, though maybe not quite, since being smitten with Lisa doesn't really translate to being smitten with Yeardley Smith.
One thing about "Homer at the Bat": I suspect it has a significantly better reputation than (e.g.) "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation," though we have to be very careful thinking about whether and why it's really that much better or just lucky to have come early and thus feel more original.
1. Lisa's Date With Density
2. Duffless
3. Homer at the Bat
4. Bart's Girlfriend
1. Cape Feare
2. Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk
3. In Marge We Trust
4. Krusty Gets Kancelled
These #1's have made it to the next level so far:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Cape Feare
Once more into the NIT layer:
30. 7F17 (SI-217 / S02E17) Old Money
When Abraham 'Grandpa' Simpson inherits one hundred six thousand dollars from his deceased sweetie, he decides to give it to people who need it most. (originally in Pool 40)
147. 3F15 (SI-715 / S07E19) A Fish Called Selma
Troy McClure's sagging film career is given a boost when he is seen in public with a woman. And to stay in the public eye, Troy must do more than merely date this woman, who happens to be Selma. Jeff Goldblum guest stars. (originally in Pool 8)
100. 1F18 (SI-518 / S05E19) Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song
Bart brings the family dog to school for Show and Tell, unfortunately the dog escapes and indirectly gets Principal Skinner fired. School life under Principal Flanders just isn't the same and Bart schemes to get Skinner back. (originally in Pool 37)
199. 5F15 (SI-915 / S09E21) Girly Edition
Bart attempts to upstage his sister when the pair land anchor seats on a Children's educational news program. Meanwhile, Homer exploits his elderly father to obtain a helper monkey, which he quickly puts to work looting donut shops. (originally in Pool 36)
"Old Money" is kind of bittersweet. In tone and pacing it resembles more of a Season 1 than a Season 2, making it hard to compare to the other three. Really all four of these are hard to separate; all are generally above average.
1. Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song
2. A Fish Called Selma
3. Girly Edition
4. Old Money
1. Marge on the Lam
2. Three Men and a Comic Book
3. Principal Charming
4. Insane Clown Poppy
Second Flight Elite, so far:
Homie the Clown
Treehouse of Horror VII
Homer Badman
Marge on the Lam
Back into the depths... Appropos of nothing more than a mistyped URL, those of you near Bucks County, Pennsylvania, should go visit this picnic park. Thank goodness it wasn't pr0n.
319. FABF01 (SI-1501 / S15E06) Today I am A Clown
When Krusty admits that he never had a Bar Mitzvah, he turns to his father for help. Later, when Krusty realizes his shooting schedule has him working on the Sabbath he proposes to hire a guest host. Not wanting to hire anyone that will upstage him or threaten his career, Krusty hires Homer. (originally in Pool 47)
184. 5F03 (SI-903 / S09E06) Bart Star
A local health fair shows that Springfield's young boys are out of shape, leading parents to sign their sons up for pee-wee football. But when Homer snags coaching position, a more talented quarterback is replaced by Bart. Guest starring Roy Firestone, Mike Judge as Hank Hill, and Joe Namath. (originally in Pool 2)
191. 5F23 (SI-923 / S09E13) The Joy of Sect
Along with the majority of Springfield, Homer and company are lured into the Movementarian cult by a slick pamphlet and tantalizing promises. But as Marge begins to realize that the cult only has money on its mind, she must try her hand at deprogramming to rescue her family. (originally in Pool 32)
302. EABF05 (SI-1405 / S14E11) Barting Over
Bart learns that he had acted in commercials as a baby, as Baby Stinkbreath (for a baby mouthwash) and that Homer has squandered all his money on buying back incriminating photos of Homer dropping Bart from a balcony. Bart becomes so angry, he sues to become an emancipated minor. Frustrated, Bart leaves home and lands in a loft, where guest stars Tony Hawk and Blink 182 are also living. (originally in Pool 22)
Boy, two of these really underscore how spoiled I was when I badmouthed "Bart Star." The gap between the (let's say) 100th-worst episode and the 20th-worst is astounding, as is the gap between the 20th-worst and 5th-worst.
In any case, I completely and utterly despise "The Joy of Sect." There was an overwhelming chance that it would land in a pool where (in my opinion) it was easily rock-bottom, yet pro-"Sect" sentiment (see Pool 32 comments) would rescue it from its fate. That said, it may not be the worst episode in this pool. In fact, I predict "Barting Over" will get your votes, though pro forma I'll express my opinion that it's not quite as bad as "Sect." It's close, and I may change my mind between now and next week.
1. Bart Star
2. Today I Am A Clown
3. Barting Over
Worst. The Joy of Sect
1. Miracle on Evergreen Terrace
2. Three Gays of the Condo
3. Bye Bye Nerdie
Worst. Make Room For Lisa
Our Anti-Pantheon so far:
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Simpsons Tall Tales
Co-Dependent's Day
Make Room For Lisa
Back into the elite...
46. 8F09 (SI-309 / S03E11) Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk
Homer finds that his job as `safety inspector' is in danger when Mr. Burns sells the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to German businessmen for $100,000,000. (originally in Pool 6)
81. 9F19 (SI-419 / S04E22) Krusty Gets Kancelled
When the Gabbo show causes Krusty to get cancelled, Krusty quickly hits the skids. However, Lisa and Bart vow to help Krusty out by organizing a comeback special. (originally in Pool 56)
175. 4F18 (SI-818 / S08E22) In Marge We Trust
Marge becomes the "Listen Lady" when the people of Springfield turn to her after Reverend Lovejoy loses interest in helping people. Meanwhile, Homer sets out to discover why his face is on a box of dish soap. (originally in Pool 6)
83. 9F22 (SI-422 / S05E02) Cape Feare
Sideshow Bob is paroled from prison, and he has only one thing in mind for Bart: revenge. (originally in Pool 30)
All four of these richly deserve top-tier status, but at this level of distinction it matters which episodes have that "all-time classic" sheen and which are "only" very very good.
I realize the order you see below reverses my original ordering of Kraftwerk and Marge; so help me the last time I saw Kraftwerk changed my mind.
1. Cape Feare
2. Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk
3. In Marge We Trust
4. Krusty Gets Kancelled
1. Selma's Choice
2. Bart the Murderer
3. Treehouse of Horror III
4. Bart on the Road
These #1's have made it to the next level so far:
Mr. Plow
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
A Streetcar Named Marge
Selma's Choice
Once more into the Congeniality flight. (Still open: 1-4 and 6-4.)
34. 7F21 (SI-221 / S02E21) Three Men and a Comic Book
In order to earn enough money to purchase the very first Radioactive Man comic book (valued at $100), Bart takes a part time job with a neighbor. However, after discovering that working is for chumps, Bart enters into a partnership with Martin and Milhouse. Cloris Leachman guest stars. (originally in Pool 7)
251. BABF17 (SI-1117 / S12E03) Insane Clown Poppy
Krusty takes parenting lessons from Homer when he discovers that he has a daughter about Bart's age from a one-night stand. Guest starring Drew Barrymore as Sophie and Stephen King. (originally in Pool 22)
87. 1F03 (SI-503 / S05E06) Marge on the Lam
When Homer fails to show up, Marge decides to go to the ballet with Ruth Powers, the next door neighbor. Ruth returns the favour and takes Marge out the next night. Unbeknown to Marge, Ruth is driving a stolen car. (originally in Pool 4)
27. 7F15 (SI-215 / S02E14) Principal Charming
Homer sets up a date between Principal Skinner and Marge's sister, Selma. However, it ends up being Skinner and Patty. (originally in Pool 48)
This might be a weak pool, my evidence being that the order seems obvious to me but that the episodes I rank highest are ones I think I like more than the consensus. In any case:
1. Marge on the Lam
2. Insane Clown Poppy
3. Three Men and a Comic Book
4. Principal Charming
1. Homer Badman
2. The Old Man and the Lisa
3. Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
4. Colonel Homer
Once more into the dreck. (#1-4 is still open; #2-4 tomorrow.)
219. AABF12 (SI-1012 / S10E16) Make Room For Lisa
Lisa experiences stress when forced to temporarily share a room with Bart. Meanwhile, Marge discovers the joys of eavesdropping on cellular telephone calls and becomes obsessed with the personal dramas of complete strangers. (originally in Pool 44)
188. 5F07 (SI-907 / S09E10) Miracle on Evergreen Terrace
People throughout Springfield open their hearts--and wallets--after Bart accidentally burns the family's Christmas presents and claims they were stolen by a burglar. But when the truth is alas revealed, the Simpsons find themselves pariahs. Guest starring Alex Trebek. (originally in Pool 18)
264. CABF11 (SI-1211 / S12E16) Bye Bye Nerdie
Lisa's attempts to befriend a new student at Springfield Elementary result in constant bullying, leading her on a crusade to find out just what makes bullies tick. (originally in Pool 48)
308. EABF12 (SI-1412 / S14E17) Three Gays of the Condo
While looking for a missing puzzle piece, Homer stumbles upon an angry note Marge wrote on the back of a placemat one night when he suffered alcohol poisoning. Homer wonders why Marge every stayed with him and decided he wasn't good enough for her. So Homer moves out and settles on a condo, which he shares with two homosexuals. Guest stars Weird Al Yankovic as himself, Scott Thompson as Grady, Terry W. Greene as Julio, and Ben Schatz (Weird Al band member) as himself. (originally in Pool 50)
Okay, so what's the second worst epiosde in this quad? Two of these I still haven't seen; one is depressing and unfunny but not nearly as bad as the other.
1. Miracle on Evergreen Terrace
NR. Bye Bye Nerdie
NR. Three Gays of the Condo
Worst. Make Room For Lisa
1. Burns, Baby Burns
2. Saddlesore Galactica
3. How I Spent My Strummer Vacation
Worst. Co-Dependent's Day
Once more into the cream of the crop...
148. 3F17 (SI-717 / S07E20) Bart on the Road
With fake drivers ID in hand, have Bart will travel. In this case, Nelson, Martin and Milhouse come along for the ride when Bart hits the wide open road. Meanwhile, Lisa spends some quality time with Homer at the power plant. (originally in Pool 34)
39. 8F03 (SI-303 / S03E04) Bart the Murderer
After having a very lousy day of school, Bart accidentally stumbles into `The Legitimate Businessman Social Club', a mobster front. He becomes a bartender, but when he shows up late at work and blames Principal Skinner, Skinner disappears. (originally in Pool 24)
64. 9F04 (SI-404 / S04E05) Treehouse of Horror III
The Simpsons hold a Halloween Party, in which three stories are exchanged: In "Clown Without Pity," Bart receives, as a birthday present, a talking Krusty doll....from the House of Evil 'Your One Stop Evil Shop'. Next, in "King Homer," three words King Kong Klone. Finally, After being assigned to read a another book, Bart picks out an item from the occult section, and tries to raise the dead Snowball I, but instead cause the dead people to rise up in "Dial 'Z' For Zombies." (originally in Pool 20)
72. 9F11 (SI-411 / S04E13) Selma's Choice
After aunt Gladys Bouvier dies, Selma decided to try and get married and have a child. (originally in Pool 19)
Brutal. Are all four of these better than all four of the #1-3 episodes?
If this were all about my favorite episode, it'd be "Selma's Choice" all the way, with a pool essentially to decide second best. But the more idiosyncratic my opinion is, the tougher a time that episode will have surviving amongst Landon Alger, potassium benzoate, and those legitmate businessmen.
1. Selma's Choice
2. Treehouse of Horror III
3. Bart the Murderer
4. Bart on the Road
1. A Streetcar Named Marge
2. Brother from Another Series
3. Radioactive Man
4. Homer Alone
Once more into the equivalent of the NIT:
174. 4F17 (SI-817 / S08E21) The Old Man and the Lisa
Mr. Burns loses his vast fortune and turns to Lisa for help in getting it back through environmental means. Bret "the Hitman" Hart guest stars. (originally in Pool 10)
112. 2F06 (SI-606 / S06E09) Homer Badman
Homer's life comes crashing down on him when a simple grab for a candy treat is misinterpreted is sexual harassment by the family's new baby-sitter. Dennis Franz guest stars. (originally in Pool 47)
95. 1F12 (SI-512 / S05E14) Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
After objecting to the voice disk used on her new talking Malibu Stacy doll that demeans women, Lisa find the creator and they produce a new doll that reflects the 90s. Kathleen Turner guest stars. (originally in Pool 20)
55. 8F19 (SI-319 / S03E20) Colonel Homer
After a particularly bad movie experience, Homer drives to a bar where he discovers a singer named Lurleen Lumpkin. Now, Colonel Homer is her manager, much to Marge's disgust. Beverly D'Angelo guest stars as Lurleen Lumpkin. (originally in Pool 33)
Two Lisa crusades, a happy Homer, and a sad(dish) Homer. I liked these particular crusades.
Between Lurleen Lumpkin (this pool) and Rancho Relaxo (last pool), is there a general sense that years worth of syndication overexposed Season 3? I do remember being disabused of the notion that Colonel Homer was a consensus classic; now disabused of that notion, I can't even put it ahead of any other episode this quad (it's not out of its league per se, just happens to be 4th best of these four and of course among Homer love stories it's far inferior to "Last Temptation").
1. The Old Man and the Lisa
2. Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
3. Homer Badman
4. Colonel Homer
1. Treehouse of Horror VII
2. Homer the Great
3. The Canine Mutiny
4. Lisa's Pony
Four more from the bottom of the barrel...
293. DABF22 (SI-1322 / S14E02) How I Spent My Strummer Vacation
Homer is secretly videotaped complaining about his family while in cab (a la Taxi Cab Confessions). In an effort to help him regroup, Marge, Bart, Lisa and little Maggie send him to Mick Jagger's (playing himself) Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy camp. Once there, Homer lives the life of a rock star, taught to him by the likes of Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and Brian Setzer, all of whom guest star as themselves. (originally in Pool 17)
157. 4F05 (SI-805 / S08E04) Burns, Baby Burns
Burns discovers his long lost 60-year-old illegitimate son, Larry, is insulting and lazy, and wants nothing to do with him. Homer thinks a good kidnapping is all that's needed to change Burns' mind. Rodney Dangerfield guest stars. (originally in Pool 46)
239. BABF09 (SI-1109 / S11E13) Saddlesore Galactica
Homer and Bart adopt an abandoned racehorse, named Duncan, and soon discover the ups and downs of horse racing. Guest starring Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO) and Jim Cummings as Duncan. (originally in Pool 34)
328. FABF10 (SI-1510 / S15E15) Co-Dependent's Day
Marge looks for an activity for Homer that doesn't involve beer and naively takes him to an Oktoberfest celebration. Then when Homer gets drunk, Marge winds up taking the fall for his DUI and is sent to rehab. (originally in Pool 53)
Two of these just aren't in the same league of suckitude as the other two, though from the preliminary pool results apparently I just don't see the level of bad in either Rodney Dangerfield's C material or Mick Jagger and friends. They may belong in this tier but they're too watchable/enjoyable to sink any deeper than that.
As much as I despise the extended Land of the Jockeys sequence, it's hard to think of anything more loathsome than Homer's framing Marge for a DUI rap. Given that one of you actually liked LotJ (Make Corn, you know who you are...), I suppose that reduces Saddlesore's chances at richly deserved infamy, but we'll see how the votes tally. There's always the sucktacular wild card...
1. Burns, Baby Burns
2. How I Spent My Strummer Vacation
Second-Worst. Saddlesore Galactica
Worst. Co-Dependent's Day
1. The Wandering Juvie
2. Skinner's Sense of Snow
3. Bart to the Future
Worst. Simpsons Tall Tales
Rank episodes from top to bottom, with your comments. Each pool will be active as long as it's on the main page of my blog (about five days). Four episodes per installment for this stage of the "tournament."
Today, four randomly chosen from my #1 tier. If the quads were balanced (given random draw, that's unlikely) then implicitly your episode ordering would mean "This one's in the top 16 of all time; this one is in 17-32; 33-48; 49-64" -- you get the idea.
130. 2F17 (SI-617 / S07E02) Radioactive Man
Friendships could be torn when Bart and Milhouse are both up for the role of `Fallout Boy' in the new `Radioactive Man' movie. Meanwhile, the town of Springfield sees $$$ and milk the `Radioactive Man' film crew for all their cash. Mickey Rooney. (originally in Pool 33)
50. 8F14 (SI-314 / S03E15) Homer Alone
When the family causes Marge to flip out, she takes a vacation from it all at Rancho Relaxo, leaving Lisa and Bart with Patty and Selma (shudder), and Homer alone with Maggie. Then, Maggie goes searching for Marge. (originally in Pool 9)
61. 8F18 (SI-318 / S04E02) A Streetcar Named Marge
Marge takes a part in the musical version of “A Streetcar Named Desire”, a musical which has a strange resemblance to the Simpsons' own home life. (originally in Pool 55)
169. 4F14 (SI-814 / S08E16) Brother from Another Series
Bart suspects a sinister motive when Sideshow Bob reunites with his estranged bother Cecil, who promptly places Bob in charge of supervising the building of Springfield's Hydroelectric Dam. David Hyde Pierce guest stars. (originally in Pool 35)
Sometimes I wish your comments explained your rankings or at least elaborated on them a bit. Then we get pools like this, where a top-to-bottom ordering is immediately clear to me, yet I can't eloquently explain why the pecking order is (in my opinion) what it is. Anyhow:
1. Homer Alone
2. Brother From Another Series
3. A Streetcar Named Marge
4. Radioactive Man
1. Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
2. New Kid on the Block
3. Treehouse of Horror V
4. Lisa's Rival
Wow. I thought "Lisa's Rival" was much more popular than it apparently was (at least amongst our sample size). It does contain more than its fair share of quotable Ralph Wiggum, though perhaps it's for the best that quotable Ralph Wiggum not be overrated.
Really, I like it for the "funny because it's true" elements, especially given how the Diorama-rama is ultimately judged.
But anyway, "Mr. Lisa" moves on; the other three may or may not get some love when the time comes.
Once more into the realm of the perfectly cromulent...
115. 2F09 (SI-609 / S06E12) Homer the Great
Homer joins a secret sociality, where his greatness is revealed, but only after he destroys the secret parchment and stripped of his membership. Patrick Stewart guest stars. (originally in Pool 41)
43. 8F06 (SI-306 / S03E08) Lisa's Pony
After disappointing Lisa, again, Homer finally gives Lisa a pony. Now, in desperation to pay off the bills associated with owning a pony, Homer works the graveyard shift at Apu's Kwik-E-Mart. (originally in Pool 19)
173. 4F16 (SI-816 / S08E20) The Canine Mutiny
Purchasing an expensive purebred dog on a fraudulent credit card lands Bart in the doghouse when creditors want the pooch back, but Santa's Little Helper ends up the real loser here. Frank Welker guest stars. (originally in Pool 46)
154. 4F02 (SI-802 / S08E01) Treehouse of Horror VII
In The Thing and I, Bart discovers the 'evil twin' brother he never knew he had, locked away in the Simpsons' attic. Next, Lisa's tooth-desolved-in-soda science experiment develops into a higher form of life, who eventually see Lisa as God and Bart as the Devil in The Genesis Tub. Finally, as the election draws near, the aliens Kang and Kodos kidnap and assume the roles of Bob Dole and Bill Clinton. It's up to Homer to expose their evil plot for world domination in Citizen Kang. (originally in Pool 43)
These are very closely matched. I think "Canine Mutiny" beats the rest by a nose, though the other three are about even.
1. The Canine Mutiny
2. Lisa's Pony
3. Homer the Great
4. Treehouse of Horror VII
With a small sample size but still a reasonable result:
1. Homie the Clown
2. This Little Wiggy
3. The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase
4. Homerpalooza
1. When You Dish Upon a Star
2. Treehouse of Horror XIII
3. Sunday, Cruddy Sunday
Worst. My Big Fat Geek Wedding
"Geek Wedding" bottoms out not for outright suckitude so much as lack of redeeming virtue.
Four more randomly chosen from my #6 tier. If the quads were balanced (given random draw, that's unlikely) then implicitly your episode ordering would mean "This one's merely in the 49th-64th worst of all time; this one's 33rd-48th; 17th-32nd; and then this one's one of the all-time 16."
329. FABF11 (SI-1511 / S15E16) The Wandering Juvie
After setting up a fake wedding registry with a department store and receiving lots of undeserved gifts, Bart is sent to Juvenile Hall, where he befriends a bad girl named Gina, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, who helps him escape. The two of them then go on the Lam, a la The Defiant Ones. Also stars Jane Kaczmarek reprising as Judge Harm and Charles Napier as the warden. (originally in Pool 47)
269. CABF17 (SI-1217 / S12E21) Simpsons Tall Tales
A rail-riding hobo tells the tales of American legends, leading to Homer imagine himself as Paul Bunyan, Lisa as Connie Appleseed versus the wagon train pioneers, and Bart and Nelson as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a rafting adventure on the Mississip'. (originally in Pool 24
243. BABF13 (SI-1113 / S11E17) Bart to the Future
While visiting an Indian casino with his family, Bart encounters an Indian who foretells of his future. Bart learns that in the future he is a ne'er-do-well musician with Ralph Wiggum as a room mate. He goes to see Lisa to borrow money, but Lisa has her own problems, being the newly-elected President of the United States and facing a tax crisis. (originally in Pool 9)
256. CABF06 (SI-1206 / S12E08) Skinner's Sense of Snow
When a large storm snows in Springfield Elementary, the children are trapped inside for the holidays and soon rebel against Principal Skinner. (originally in Pool 8)
Julia really liked Juvie (it's all about the fake registry) and I get some tiny bit of pleasure from Sense of Snow. Future is worse than those two but wasn't even bad enough to bottom out its prelim bracket (nor was Juvie). All in all, this seems like a very easy ranking to me.
1. The Wandering Juvie
2. Skinner's Sense of Snow
3. Bart to the Future
Worst. Simpsons Tall Tales
Having mulled it over while also being a busy and productive worker, I propose this:
0. If at least one person comments to this post saying, "I want to rank episodes within the 3rd thru 5th tiers," then we will indeed have quads of episodes within those tiers, along with what we already have going with the quads from #1, #2, and #6. If nobody expresses interest in the 3rd thru 5th tiers then they will fade into mediocre oblivion.
1. The 16 episodes that "win" top-tier quads, will each make it to the next stage. So will two "wild card" episodes chosen by you all, from among episodes nominated by you all. The wild card episodes need not even have made the #1 tier to begin with. (Though I suspect that in choosing among wild cards, eps that made it to #1 to begin with will have a much better shot.)
2. The 16 episodes that "win" #2-tier quads, will each make it to the next stage of what you might think of as a consolation bracket. So will at least two "wild card" episodes chosen by you all, from among episodes nominated by you all. Episodes that made the top tier (or that hit a Cinderella wild card bit) won't be eligible here, any other episode will be.
3. You'll notice that this gives us an 18-episode finalist pool and an 18-episode equivalent of college basketball's NIT. 18 isn't a power of two, but it's a multiple of a power of three, which is almost as good.
666. The 16 episodes that "lose" #6-tier quads, will each sink to the next stage of the anti-tournament, along with two "wild card" episodes chosen by... you get the idea.
So you'll get one or two chances to show some love to an episode you think got screwed -- plus a chance to tell the world just how much you despise some episode that we didn't sufficiently degrade.
Rank episodes from top to bottom, with your comments. Each pool will be active as long as it's on the main page of my blog (about five days). Four episodes per installment for this stage of the "tournament."
Today, four randomly chosen from my #1 tier. If the quads were balanced (given random draw, that's unlikely) then implicitly your episode ordering would mean "This one's in the top 16 of all time; this one is in 17-32; 33-48; 49-64" -- you get the idea.
109. 2F03 (SI-603 / S06E06) Treehouse of Horror V
The Shinning; Time and Punishment; Nightmare Cafeteria (originally in Pool 2)
67. 9F06 (SI-406 / S04E08) New Kid on the Block
Bart develops a crush on the new girl next door, but his heart is broken when she dates Jimbo. Sara Gilbert guest stars. (originally in Pool 40)
105. 1F17 (SI-517 / S06E02) Lisa's Rival
It looks as if Lisa's days as the class brain are numbered when the new student proves to be smarter, younger, and plays the sax better than her. Meanwhile, Homer strikes white gold in the form of an over-turned Sugar truck. Winona Ryder guest stars. (originally in Pool 7)
37. 8F01 (SI-301 / S03E02) Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
Thanks to Lisa's patriotic and winning essay in a Reading Digest contest, the Simpsons win a trip to Washington DC. However, Lisa's faith in democracy is shaken when she sees her local representative taking a bribe for a permit to cut down Springfield National Forest. (originally in Pool 36)
For me, this pool includes two all-time great episodes and two very very good but just don't stand a chance against either of the other two. As often happens when two titanic plots clash, the difference is in the subplot ("Does that sound like the behavior of a man who's had all he could eat?!?").
Here's what I have - of course your mileage will vary, which is why you'll comment as much:
1. New Kid on the Block
2. Lisa's Rival
3. Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
4. Treehouse of Horror V
1. Mr. Plow
2. Lisa the Vegetarian
3. The Trouble With Trillions
4. Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
(Searching back through "prelim" pools I realized that it's annoying to have some other results at the entry for a new pool.)
Wide variety of opinions on Trillions, among which I'm closer to Paul. The fate of episodes other than Mr. Plow depends perhaps on what clever scheme gets us a stage further as elegantly and equitably as possible.
First, to answer David's (and possibly your) questions:
We have six "playoff" pools. My intent for each playoff pool is to do 1-thru-4 rankings within each of the appropriate number of randomly grouped quads. (Distribution is 64-64-48-48-48-64, so 16-16-12-12-12-16 quads.) I'll definitely do this for groups 1, 2, and 6; I'd like your feedback as to whether you'd find this exercise at all interesting for groups 3-5.
(Since there are four more quads apiece in 1-2-6 than in 3-4-5, we can do those four before having to decide whether to do 3 thru 5.)
After all that, in theory we'd have several tiers of 16 episodes each (or 12 episodes each in the zone of mediocrity). For all but the top pool, one of two things would happen: If people lose interest, nothing at all; if people maintain interest, then do a real quick ranking within each of those tiers. (Given how little is at stake, I'm disinclined to futz with promotion/relegation within the minitiers within the also-ran playoff flights.)
For the very top it's a lot trickier, since I think it's unlikely that the 16 best episodes ever will have happened each to have been placed in a different quad. Some sort of second chance scheme will be necessary, and for all I despise those situations where people seem to make up the rules as they go along, I'm afraid this will be one of those for lack of obvious insight as to how to do it most equitably.
Anyhow, you know the drill: Rank episodes from top to bottom, with your comments. Each pool will be active as long as it's on the main page of my blog (about five days). Four episodes per installment for this stage of the "tournament."
Today, four randomly chosen from my #2 tier. If the quads were balanced (given random draw, that's unlikely) then implicitly your episode ordering would mean "This one's merely in the 65th-80th best of all time; this one's 81st-96th; [etc.]"
196. 5F13 (SI-913 / S09E18) This Little Wiggy
Taking pity on the hapless Ralph Wiggum, Marge pairs him with Bart. But his association with Ralph quickly turns out to be more beneficial than burdensome when Bart learns that his father holds the master key to every store in Springfield. (originally in Pool 14)
118. 2F12 (SI-612 / S06E15) Homie the Clown
Homer's new job as a Krusty The Klown knock-off lands him in deep waters when mobsters want to give him a pair of cement clown shoes, thinking he's the real thing. Joe Mantegna and Johnny Unitas guest star. (originally in Pool 38)
177. 4F20 (SI-820 / S08E24) The Simpsons Spin-off Showcase
Troy McClure present three Simpsons spinoff spoofs: In “Chief Wiggum, P.I.”, Chief Wiggum becomes a detective and moves to New Orleans with Principal Skinner as his assistant. Next, Grampa Simpson's soul is trapped inside Moe's Love tester machine in “The Love-Matic Grampa”. Finally, the Simpson family host a '70ish variety show in “The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour”. (originally in Pool 28)
152. 3F21 (SI-721 / S07E24) Homerpalooza
Homer earns himself a place in Lollapalooza, as part of the travelling freak show: catching cannon balls with his belly. Cypress Hill, Peter Frampton, The Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth guest star. (originally in Pool 27)
I still like "This Little Wiggy" more than you all seem to and "Spinoff Showcase" a lot less than you all seem to. The tough call is between the two outlandish Homer adventures; my final push came from thinking of the Godfather theme as sounded out on those upside-down glasses. Knowing full well that your input will cause this ordering to change, I'll start it off as:
1. This Little Wiggy
2. Homie the Clown
3. Homerpalooza
4. The Simpsons Spin-off Showcase
You know the drill: Rank episodes from top to bottom, with your comments. Each pool will be active as long as it's on the main page of my blog (about five days). Four episodes per installment for this stage of the "tournament."
Today, four randomly chosen from my #6 tier. If the quads were balanced (given random draw, that's unlikely) then implicitly your episode ordering would mean "This one's merely in the 49th-64th worst of all time; this one's 33rd-48th; 17th-32nd; and then this one's one of the all-time 16."
Interesting conceptual question of whether the bottom bracket will draw interest from people.
215. AABF08 (SI-1008 / S10E12) Sunday, Cruddy Sunday
Super Bowl fever takes control of Homer's psyche after a travel agent offers him and a bus-load of friends free passage to the game. But when the tickets turn out to be counterfeit, Homer must consult his cunning in finding a way into the stadium. Guest starring Fred Willard as Wally, Troy Aikman, Rosie Grier, John Madden, Dan Marino, Pat Summerall, Dolly Parton and Rupert Murdoch. (originally in Pool 4)
292. DABF19 (SI-1319 / S14E01) Treehouse of Horror XIII
"Send in the Clones"; "The Fright to Creep"; "The Island of Dr. Hibbert." (originally in Pool 7)
330. FABF12 (SI-1512 / S15E17) My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Principal Skinner and Edna Krabappel plan their wedding, but Seymour finds himself getting cold feet during a bachelor party thrown for him at Moe's. Edna herself decides she can't go through with it, and runs away from the altar. Homer and Marge go after Seymour and Edna and try to bring the pair back together. When Edna then falls for the Comic Book Guy, [...] (originally in Pool 5)
208. 5F19 (SI-919 / S10E05) When You Dish Upon a Star
Keeping Hollywood secrets proves difficult for Homer when he scores a personal assistant job for the husband and wife team, Alec Baldwin & Kim Basinger. Also guest starring Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. (originally in Pool 1)
So there are now two ways in which randomness can give the impression of clustering: When the show aired, or which of the prelim pools it came from. This time, the clustering of early pools is pure happenstance. I liked this particular Treehouse better than any of you all did, and I know Coen put in a good word for "When You Dish" last time around. I don't know whether any of these is in the worst 16 ever.
Let's go with (from least bad to most bad):
1. Treehouse of Horror XIII
2. When You Dish Upon a Star
3. My Big Fat Geek Wedding
4. Sunday, Cruddy Sunday
Against my better judgment I'll admit I'd still watch and enjoy any of these. Even "Cruddy Sunday" has the Vincent Price subplot.
They're back!
Now that Craig's TV pool is over, the Simpsons rankings return. Tell your friends, wake the neighbors, and so on.
You know the drill: Rank episodes from top to bottom, with your comments. Each pool will be active as long as it's on the main page of my blog (about five days). Four episodes per installment for this stage of the "tournament."
Today, four randomly chosen from my #1 tier. If the quads were balanced (given random draw, that's unlikely) then implicitly your episode ordering would mean "This one's in the top 16 of all time; this one is in 17-32; 33-48; 49-64" -- you get the idea.
26. 7F13 (SI-213 / S02E13) Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
In 2300 B.C., Moses received the ten commandments from God, among which was Thou Shalt Not Steal. In present day Springfield, Homer gets an illegal cable hook-up, which Lisa refuses to watch, for fear of losing her soul. (originally in Pool 54)
133. 3F03 (SI-703 / S07E05) Lisa the Vegetarian
A trip to a local petting zoo leads to confrontations at the dinner table when Lisa decides to become a vegetarian. Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney guest star. (originally in Pool 16)
198. 5F14 (SI-914 / S09E20) The Trouble With Trillions
When Homer's unfastidious tax return accidentally falls into the severe audit bin at the IRS, he is promptly nabbed by the government. Forced to go undercover for them, Homer finds himself on a mission to retrieve a trillion dollar bill stolen by Mr. Burns. Guest voice Paul Winfield as Lucious Sweet. (originally in Pool 53)
68. 9F07 (SI-407 / S04E09) Mr. Plow
After Homer wrecks the two family cars during a snowstorm, he buys a snowplow, and starts up Mr. Plow. However, the competition becomes cut-throat when Homer's best buddy, Barney, starts up a competing plowing business, Plow King. Guest stars Linda Ronstadt and Adam West. (originally in Pool 28)
Mr. Plow is clearly top 16 material, though Vegetarian might also be. I'm less impressed with 8th Commandment (which barely made it into the 1's, coming off the bubble) and Trillions. I'll rank them as you see below, though I could easily be talked into swapping the bottom two.
1. Mr. Plow
2. Lisa the Vegetarian
3. The Trouble with Trillions
4. Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
Barker's got his tournament up and running.
This provides a nifty excuse for me to continue to neglect those Simpsons episode rankings. I'll revisit them before long, though, I promise.
So earlier this week we were watching the syndicated Simpsons and a hamburger ad came on with some chick inexplicably gyrating to Ella Fitzgerald's "I Love Paris." WTF? I thought at the time and groaned and rolled over facing away from the screen.
Based on Craig's Thursday comment about the California state motto, corroborated with Fark-type sightings, apparently this very ad was big news, news that completely went over my head.
I apparently saw Ms. Hilton on-screen and not only failed to recognize her but also failed to find her attractive.
On a related note, as of a couple years ago my Dad had no recognition of the nickname J. Lo.
Finally getting a chance to see it on TV. Am I just being a partisan hack or is this a thousand times worse than the next-worst Simpsons episode?
You can mock whatever you want to, but for the love of god at least try to be clever about it instead of bludgeoning viewers over the head repeatedly with your particular axe-to-grind.
Lisa's tone of voice alone ("that's from the First Amendment") calls on the entire writing staff to need to be hurt.
The running feature wherein we rank a list of randomly-drawn Simpsons episodes is on hiatus until the week of June 6-10. That's four weeks from now.
Currently we're in a lull where in theory all of you check out this spreadsheet showing results from all 56 prelim pools along with how I'd rebracket the episodes (with some being promoted or relegated). The more of you weigh in with comments - what should I have promoted/relegated but didn't?; what did I promote/relegate that shouldn't have been? - the less bogus the playoff tiers will be.
(Reminder: David's observation was exactly right on the post a few days ago, for ranking integrity I can't/won't move an episode into a tier above that of an episode that did better in the same pool, though obviously two episodes from the same pool can share the same tier.)
Of course you can always check the category archive for the latest, not to mention our comments on the pools as they happened, almost like a time capsule.
Promotion/relegation is (still) open for nominees.
Here's the convenient spreadsheet of where everything stands now, plus blog entries for Tier 1, Tier 2, Tiers 3-5, and Tier 6.
You have three ways to give your feedback (well, by now, two):
1. E-mail me
2. Comment on the original threads (which may no longer accept comments given anti-spam measures)
3. Just comment right here
In particular, there are a couple quasi-pools of episodes "on the bubble."
"Playoffs" will begin no sooner than a week from today.
Download this spreadsheet for much more sophisticated comparisons, including links to episode blurbs from snpp.com.
Check Tiers 3-5 below (and use this post to comment on any overrankings and underrankings in those tiers that you'd fix by promotion or demotion).
Comment on the two "bubble" pools separating 1/2 and 2/3. Also, comment on Homer Loves Flanders versus Treehouse of Horror XI (two episodes I'd promote from at least 5th to 4th, one of which I'd bump up as high as 3rd if I could).
My Tier 3 Candidates
Nominated for the dreaded demotion from #2
25 2 33. 7F20 (SI-220 / S02E20) The War of the Simpsons 3
36 2 88. 1F05 (SI-505 / S05E07) Bart's Inner Child 3
17 2 122. 2F15 (SI-615 / S06E19) Lisa's Wedding 3
48 2 136. 3F06 (SI-706 / S07E08) Mother Simpson 3
43 2 172. 4F09 (SI-809 / S08E19) Grade School Confidential 3
27 2 248. BABF19 (SI-1119 / S11E22) Behind the Laughter 3
32 2 314. EABF21 (SI-1421 / S15E01) Treehouse of Horror XIV 3
Nominated to stand pat
56 3 10. 7G10 (SI-110 / S01E10) Homer's Night Out 3
52 3 14. 7F03 (SI-203 / S02E01) Bart Gets an F 3
39 3 23. 7F10 (SI-210 / S02E10) Bart Gets Hit by a Car 3
49 3 25. 7F12 (SI-212 / S02E12) The Way We Was 3
20 3 31. 7F18 (SI-218 / S02E18) Brush with Greatness 3
37 3 38. 7F23 (SI-223 / S03E03) When Flanders Failed 3
15 3 49. 8F12 (SI-312 / S03E14) Lisa the Greek 3
31 3 93. 1F11 (SI-511 / S05E12) Bart Gets Famous 3
12 3 96. 1F13 (SI-513 / S05E15) Deep Space Homer 3
18 3 99. 1F16 (SI-516 / S05E18) Burns' Heir 3
3 3 117. 2F11 (SI-611 / S06E14) Bart's Comet 3
24 3 134. 3F04 (SI-704 / S07E06) Treehouse of Horror VI 3
44 3 141. 3F09 (SI-709 / S07E13) Two Bad Neighbors 3
43 3 143. 3F12 (SI-712 / S07E15) Bart the Fink 3
47 3 145. 3F14 (SI-714 / S07E17) Homer the Smithers 3
19 3 163. 3G01 (SI-825 / S08E10) The Springfield Files 3
50 3 165. 4F10 (SI-810 / S08E12) Mountain of Madness 3
5 3 176. 4F19 (SI-819 / S08E23) Homer's Enemy 3
14 3 178. 4F21 (SI-821 / S08E25) The Secret War of Lisa Simpson 3
54 3 225. AABF18 (SI-1018 / S10E22) They Saved Lisa's Brain 3
1 3 246. BABF15 (SI-1115 / S11E20) Last Tap Dance in Springfield 3
26 3 257. BABF22 (SI-1122 / S12E09) HOMR 3
22 3 259. CABF08 (SI-1208 / S12E11) The Worst Episode Ever 3
34 3 306. EABF10 (SI-1410 / S14E15) C.E. D'oh. 3
29 3 311. EABF15 (SI-1415 / S14E20) Brake My Wife, Please 3
Nominated for promotion
10 4 11. 7G13 (SI-113 / S01E11) The Crepes of Wrath 3
56 4 13. 7G01 (SI-101 / S01E13) Some Enchanted Evening 3
9 4 32. 7F19 (SI-219 / S02E19) Lisa's Substitute 3
35 4 84. 1F02 (SI-502 / S05E03) Homer Goes to College 3
12 4 162. 3F24 (SI-724 / S08E09) El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer 3
15 4 167. 4F12 (SI-812 / S08E14) The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show 3
20 4 210. AABF03 (SI-1003 / S10E07) Lisa Gets an "A" 3
8 4 216. AABF09 (SI-1009 / S10E13) Homer to the Max 3
4 4 218. AABF10 (SI-1010 / S10E15) Screaming Yellow Honkers 3
11 4 280. DABF06 (SI-1306 / S13E11) The Bart Wants What It Wants 3
38 4 294. DABF20 (SI-1320 / S14E03) Bart vs. Lisa vs. 3rd Grade 3
29 4 321. FABF03 (SI-1503 / S15E08) Marge vs. SSCCaTaG 3
Nominated (but on the bubble) for that vaunted double-promotion
35 5 97. 1F14 (SI-514 / S05E16) Homer Loves Flanders 3.5
23 5 249. BABF21 (SI-1121 / S12E01) Treehouse of Horror XI 3.5
My Tier 4 Candidates
Flagged for that dreaded DOUBLE-relegation
45 2 273. CABF18 (SI-1218 / S13E04) A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love 4
Flagged for "only" one relegation
36 3 8. 7G07 (SI-107 / S01E08) The Tell-Tale Head 4
45 3 17. 7F01 (SI-201 / S02E04) Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes… 4
32 3 186. 5F05 (SI-905 / S09E08) Lisa the Skeptic 4
40 3 194. 5F12 (SI-912 / S09E16) Dumbbell Indemnity 4
25 3 203. 5F18 (SI-918 / S09E25) Natural Born Kissers 4
17 3 204. 5F20 (SI-920 / S10E01) Lard of the Dance 4
21 3 282. DABF09 (SI-1309 / S13E13) The Old Man and the Key 4
Nominated to stand pat
33 4 4. 7G04 (SI-104 / S01E04) There's No Disgrace Like Home 4
19 4 19. 7F08 (SI-208 / S02E06) Dead Putting Society 4
39 4 20. 7F07 (SI-207 / S02E07) Bart vs. Thanksgiving 4
31 4 22. 7F09 (SI-209 / S02E09) Itchy & Scratchy & Marge 4
24 4 24. 7F11 (SI-211 / S02E11) One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish 4
43 4 85. 1F01 (SI-501 / S05E04) Rosebud 4
40 4 114. 2F08 (SI-608 / S06E11) Fear of Flying 4
54 4 116. 2F10 (SI-610 / S06E13) And Maggie Makes Three 4
46 4 211. AABF04 (SI-1004 / S10E08) Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble" 4
30 4 213. AABF06 (SI-1006 / S10E10) Viva Ned Flanders 4
14 4 220. AABF13 (SI-1013 / S10E17) Maximum Homerdrive 4
52 4 227. AABF23 (SI-1023 / S11E01) Beyond Blunderdome 4
18 4 228. AABF22 (SI-1022 / S11E02) Brother's Little Helper 4
22 4 230. BABF01 (SI-1101 / S11E04) Treehouse of Horror X 4
2 4 231. AABF19 (SI-1019 / S11E05) E-I-E-I-(ANNOYED GRUNT) 4
28 4 236. BABF04 (SI-1104 / S11E10) Little Big Mom 4
44 4 255. CABF03 (SI-1203 / S12E07) The Great Money Caper 4
16 4 261. CABF10 (SI-1210 / S12E13) Day of the Jackanapes 4
53 4 270. CABF19 (SI-1219 / S13E01) Treehouse of Horror XII 4
7 4 275. DABF02 (SI-1302 / S13E06) She of Little Faith 4
42 4 276. DABF01 (SI-1301 / S13E07) Brawl in the Family 4
25 4 277. DABF03 (SI-1303 / S13E08) Sweets and Sour Marge 4
34 4 278. DABF05 (SI-1305 / S13E09) Jaws Wired Shut 4
1 4 285. DABF11 (SI-1311 / S13E16) Weekend at Burnsie's 4
36 4 298. EABF02 (SI-1402 / S14E07) Special Edna 4
49 4 310. EABF14 (SI-1414 / S14E19) Old Yeller-Belly 4
50 4 313. EABF17 (SI-1417 / S14E22) Moe Baby Blues 4
3 4 317. EABF22 (SI-1422 / S15E04) The Regina Monologues 4
26 4 335. FABF18 (SI-1518 / S15E22) Fraudcast News 4
Nominated for promotion
42 5 44. 8F07 (SI-307 / S03E09) Saturdays of Thunder 4
46 5 54. 8F17 (SI-317 / S03E19) Dog of Death 4
38 5 128. 2F16 (SI-616 / S06E25) Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One) 4
10 5 135. 3F05 (SI-705 / S07E07) King-Size Homer 4
52 5 166. 3G03 (SI-827 / S08E13) Simpsoncalifragilistic… 4
50 5 206. 5F22 (SI-922 / S10E03) Bart, the Mother 4
15 5 217. AABF11 (SI-1011 / S10E14) I'm With Cupid 4
11 5 242. BABF12 (SI-1112 / S11E16) Pygmoelian 4
51 5 272. CABF20 (SI-1220 / S13E03) Homer the Moe 4
Look out for that vaunted DOUBLE-promotion
35 6 307. EABF11 (SI-1411 / S14E16) `Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky 4
My Tier 5 Candidates
Flagged for that dreaded DOUBLE-relegation
27 3 21. 7F06 (SI-206 / S02E08) Bart the Daredevil 5
48 3 229. AABF21 (SI-1021 / S11E03) Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner? 5
55 3 247. BABF18 (SI-1118 / S11E21) It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge 5
Flagged for "only" one relegation
48 4 142. 3F11 (SI-711 / S07E14) Scenes from the Class Struggle 5
47 4 161. 4F07 (SI-807 / S08E08) Hurricane Neddy 5
17 4 201. 5F16 (SI-916 / S09E23) King of the Hill 5
21 4 224. AABF17 (SI-1017 / S10E21) Monty Can't Buy Me Love 5
27 4 234. BABF05 (SI-1105 / S11E08) Take My Wife, Sleaze 5
5 4 235. BABF07 (SI-1107 / S11E09) Grift of the Magi 5
37 4 260. CABF07 (SI-1207 / S12E12) Tennis the Menace 5
55 4 291. DABF17 (SI-1317 / S13E22) Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge 5
32 4 323. FABF05 (SI-1505 / S15E10) Diatribe of a Mad Housewife 5
45 4 331. FABF14 (SI-1514 / S15E18) Catch 'em if You Can 5
Nominated to stand pat
24 5 1. 7G08 (SI-108 / S01E01) Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire 5
16 5 40. 8F04 (SI-304 / S03E05) Homer Defined 5
30 5 47. 8F10 (SI-310 / S03E12) I Married Marge 5
49 5 57. 8F21 (SI-321 / S03E22) The Otto Show 5
18 5 80. 9F20 (SI-420 / S04E21) Marge in Chains 5
29 5 103. 1F20 (SI-520 / S05E22) Secrets of a Successful Marriage 5
43 5 120. 2F14 (SI-614 / S06E17) Homer vs. Patty and Selma 5
31 5 131. 3F01 (SI-701 / S07E03) Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily 5
2 5 140. 3F10 (SI-710 / S07E12) Team Homer 5
53 5 182. 5F02 (SI-902 / S09E04) Treehouse of Horror VIII 5
54 5 183. 5F01 (SI-901 / S09E05) The Cartridge Family 5
22 5 189. 5F24 (SI-924 / S09E11) All Singing, All Dancing 5
7 5 192. 5F11 (SI-911 / S09E14) Das Bus 5
8 5 197. 3G04 (SI-828 / S09E19) Simpson Tide 5
3 5 205. 5F21 (SI-921 / S10E02) The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace 5
1 5 223. AABF16 (SI-1016 / S10E20) The Old Man and The "C" Student 5
36 5 240. BABF10 (SI-1110 / S11E14) Alone Again, Natura-Diddly 5
39 5 241. BABF11 (SI-1111 / S11E15) Missionary: Impossible 5
26 5 244. BABF14 (SI-1114 / S11E18) Days of Wine and D'oh'ses 5
14 5 252. CABF01 (SI-1201 / S12E04) Lisa the Tree Hugger 5
17 5 262. CABF12 (SI-1212 / S12E14) New Kids on the Blecch 5
20 5 287. DABF13 (SI-1313 / S13E18) I Am Furious (Yellow) 5
28 5 303. EABF07 (SI-1407 / S14E12) I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can 5
32 5 316. EABF20 (SI-1420 / S15E03) The President Wore Pearls 5
34 5 325. FABF07 (SI-1507 / S15E12) Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore 5
37 5 332. FABF15 (SI-1515 / S15E19) Simple Simpson 5
Too good for the bottom (in my opinion)
43 6 45. 8F08 (SI-308 / S03E10) Flaming Moe's 5
51 6 138. 3F31 (SI-731 / S07E10) The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular 5
15 6 232. BABF02 (SI-1102 / S11E06) Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder 5
42 6 238. BABF08 (SI-1108 / S11E12) The Mansion Family 5
14 6 281. DABF07 (SI-1307 / S13E12) The Lastest Gun in the West 5
11 6 289. DABF15 (SI-1315 / S13E20) Little Girl in the Big Ten 5
23 6 320. FABF02 (SI-1502 / S15E07) 'Tis the Fifteenth Season 5
29 6 324. FABF06 (SI-1506 / S15E11) Margical History Tour 5
13 6 333. FABF13 (SI-1513 / S15E20) The Way We Weren't 5
See posts immediately below this one for boilerplate text; see Extended Entry for most of Tier 2 proper. Comment to flag overrated or underrated choices.
In my opinion these six episodes are worth considering for a multi-bracket promotional leap. If you agreed completely with me on everything else, then we'd have a bubble here, where three of these went up and three went down.
You may choose 3-and-3, or just rank these 1-6. Also, of course, flag anything in Tier 2 proper that's too high or too low.
On the Bubble:
56: 8F20 (SI-320/ S03E21) Black Widower (Pool 41 #4)
Sideshow Bob gets paroled, and marries Selma. However, Bart suspects that Sideshow Bob has something else up his sleeve.
98: 1F15 (SI-515/S05E17) Bart Gets an Elephant (Pool 51 #4)
When 'KBBL is going to give me something stupid', Bart forgoes the $10,000 cash price for an elephant. Problem is, the elephant is causing some major problems.
107: 2F01 (SI-601 / S06E04) Itchy & Scratchy Land (Pool 6 #4)
The family's trip to Itchy & Scratchy Land, the violentest place on earth, proves heavenly until the Itchy & Scratchy robots want to put the family there for real.
185: 5F04 (SI-904 / S09E07) The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons (Pool 13 #4)
Just as he begins to enjoy his popularity as a swinging bachelor, Apu receives an unwelcome reminder of his pending arranged marriage. Desperate to escape the agreement, Apu claims to have already married Marge Simpson. Guest starring Jan Hooks as Manjula and Andrea Martin as Apu's mother.
305: EABF09 (SI-1409 / S14E14) Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington (Pool 23 #4)
Krusty gets elected to Congress in part to help get the flight path for Springfield Airport diverted from directly over Homer's house, but he falls in line with the establishment once he's there.
42: 8F02 (SI-302 / S03E07) Treehouse of Horror II (Pool 13 #5)
"The Monkey's Paw" / "Bart the Monster" / "Homer's Brain"
9 episodes that won their pools but (in my opinion) did not merit staying in the top tier:
49 1 27. 7F15 (SI-215 / S02E14) Principal Charming
3 1 62. 9F01 (SI-401 / S04E03) Homer the Heretic
17 1 126. 2F21 (SI-621 / S06E23) The Springfield Connection
27 1 152. 3F21 (SI-721 / S07E24) Homerpalooza
43 1 154. 4F02 (SI-802 / S08E01) Treehouse of Horror VII
4 1 159. 4F04 (SI-804 / S08E06) A Milhouse Divided
25 1 170. 4F13 (SI-813 / S08E17) My Sister, My Sitter
14 1 196. 5F13 (SI-913 / S09E18) This Little Wiggy
36 1 199. 5F15 (SI-915 / S09E21) Girly Edition
29 episodes that took #2 in their pools and in my opinion should stay in Tier #2:
11 2 6. 7G06 (SI-106 / S01E06) Moaning Lisa
29 2 12. 7G12 (SI-112 / S01E12) Krusty Gets Busted
1 2 16. 7F04 (SI-204 / S02E03) Treehouse of Horror
40 2 30. 7F17 (SI-217 / S02E17) Old Money
3 2 36. 7F24 (SI-224 / S03E01) Stark Raving Dad
19 2 43. 8F06 (SI-306 / S03E08) Lisa's Pony
24 2 59. 8F23 (SI-323 / S03E24) Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?
49 2 63. 9F02 (SI-402 / S04E04) Lisa the Beauty Queen
14 2 66. 9F05 (SI-405 / S04E07) Marge Gets a Job
42 2 70. 9F09 (SI-409 / S04E11) Homer's Triple Bypass
2 2 78. 9F16 (SI-416 / S04E19) The Front
12 2 92. 1F09 (SI-509 / S05E11) Homer the Vigilante
20 2 95. 1F12 (SI-512 / S05E14) Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
34 2 102. 1F21 (SI-521 / S05E21) Lady Bouvier's Lover
47 2 112. 2F06 (SI-606 / S06E09) Homer Badman
38 2 118. 2F12 (SI-612 / S06E15) Homie the Clown
35 2 123. 2F18 (SI-618 / S06E20) Two Dozen and One Greyhounds
26 2 125. 2F32 (SI-632 / S06E22) 'Round Springfield
56 2 127. 2F22 (SI-622 / S06E24) Lemon of Troy
9 2 129. 2F20 (SI-620 / S07E01) Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)
53 2 146. 3F16 (SI-716 / S07E18) The Day the Violence Died
8 2 147. 3F15 (SI-715 / S07E19) A Fish Called Selma
5 2 153. 3F22 (SI-722 / S07E25) Summer of 4 Ft. 2
10 2 174. 4F17 (SI-817 / S08E21) The Old Man and the Lisa
4 2 187. 5F06 (SI-906 / S09E09) Realty Bites
33 2 207. AABF01 (SI-1001 / S10E04) Treehouse of Horror IX
50 2 212. AABF05 (SI-1005 / S10E09) Mayored to the Mob
15 2 222. AABF15 (SI-1015 / S10E19) Mom and Pop Art
22 2 251. BABF17 (SI-1117 / S12E03) Insane Clown Poppy
20 episodes that took #3 in their pools but that I consider worthy of promotion:
11 3 28. 7F16 (SI-216 / S02E15) Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
53 3 29. 7F14 (SI-214 / S02E16) Bart's Dog Gets an F
7 3 34. 7F21 (SI-221 / S02E21) Three Men and a Comic Book
33 3 55. 8F19 (SI-319 / S03E20) Colonel Homer
4 3 87. 1F03 (SI-503 / S05E06) Marge on the Lam
30 3 101. 1F19 (SI-519 / S05E20) The Boy Who Knew Too Much
35 3 113. 2F07 (SI-607 / S06E10) Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy
41 3 115. 2F09 (SI-609 / S06E12) Homer the Great
9 3 121. 2F31 (SI-631 / S06E18) A Star Is Burns
8 3 144. 3F13 (SI-713 / S07E16) Lisa the Iconoclast
16 3 151. 3F20 (SI-720 / S07E23) Much Apu About Nothing
10 3 164. 4F08 (SI-808 / S08E11) The Twisted World of Marge Simpson
46 3 173. 4F16 (SI-816 / S08E20) The Canine Mutiny
28 3 177. 4F20 (SI-820 / S08E24) The Simpsons Spin-off Showcase
23 3 180. 4F23 (SI-823 / S09E02) The Principal and The Pauper
38 3 193. 5F10 (SI-910 / S09E15) The Last Temptation of Krust
51 3 195. 4F24 (SI-824 / S09E17) Lisa, the Simpson
13 3 200. 5F09 (SI-909 / S09E22) Trash of the Titans
42 3 202. 5F17 (SI-917 / S09E24) Lost Our Lisa
2 3 266. CABF14 (SI-1214 / S12E18) Trilogy of Error
(Apologies for the suboptimal formatting; there should be scads of hyperlinks that I couldn't immediately think of how to insert cleverly without time/manual effort. Between this post and the one below it, you see I'm working from outside inward.)
I made the executive decision to rebracket episodes by these field sizes:
Tier #1: 64 episodes
Tier #2: 64 episodes
Tier #3: 48 episodes
Tier #4: 48 episodes
Tier #5: 48 episodes
Tier #6: 63 real episodes plus a placeholder
(Introducing "This Sucks But I'll Still Watch It": That is, the worst possible episode that you'd nonetheless watch if you caught it in syndication, as opposed to flipping over to That '70s Show, going out for a brisk walk, or some other alternative.)
All of Tier #6 (in all its infamy) is in the extended entry. Barring a convincing argument about the merits of some episode in the extended entry (or the non-merits of one currently ticketed to a higher tier), there's your "playoff" bracket from hell.
Here's where you post comments flagging diamonds in the rough.
46 episodes that earned a #6 ranking and unless there's a diamond in the rough here, will keep that #6 ranking:
(26) 3. 7G03 (SI-103 / S01E03) Homer's Odyssey
(28) 7. 7G09 (SI-109 / S01E07) Call of the Simpsons
(55) 77. 9F17 (SI-417 / S04E18) So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
(46) 157. 4F05 (SI-805 / S08E04) Burns, Baby Burns
(2) 184. 5F03 (SI-903 / S09E06) Bart Star
(18) 188. 5F07 (SI-907 / S09E10) Miracle on Evergreen Terrace
(54) 190. 5F08 (SI-908 / S09E12) Bart Carny
(32) 191. 5F23 (SI-923 / S09E13) The Joy of Sect
(1) 208. 5F19 (SI-919 / S10E05) When You Dish Upon a Star
(40) 209. AABF02 (SI-1002 / S10E06) D'oh-in' in the Wind
(4) 215. AABF08 (SI-1008 / S10E12) Sunday, Cruddy Sunday
(44) 219. AABF12 (SI-1012 / S10E16) Make Room For Lisa
(38) 221. AABF14 (SI-1014 / S10E18) Simpsons Bible Stories
(41) 226. AABF20 (SI-1020 / S10E23) Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo
(6) 237. BABF06 (SI-1106 / S11E11) Faith Off
(34) 239. BABF09 (SI-1109 / S11E13) Saddlesore Galactica
(45) 245. BABF16 (SI-1116 / S11E19) Kill the Alligator and Run
(49) 253. CABF04 (SI-1204 / S12E05) Homer vs. Dignity
(8) 256. CABF06 (SI-1206 / S12E08) Skinner's Sense of Snow
(52) 258. CABF05 (SI-1205 / S12E10) Pokey Mom
(48) 264. CABF11 (SI-1211 / S12E16) Bye Bye Nerdie
(33) 265. CABF13 (SI-1213 / S12E17) Simpson Safari
(31) 268. CABF16 (SI-1216 / S12E20) Children of a Lesser Clod
(24) 269. CABF17 (SI-1217 / S12E21) Simpsons Tall Tales
(25) 271. CABF22 (SI-1222 / S13E02) The Parent Rap
(19) 274. CABF21 (SI-1221 / S13E05) The Blunder Years
(16) 283. DABF08 (SI-1308 / S13E14) Tales from the Public Domain
(3) 284. DABF10 (SI-1310 / S13E15) Blame it on Lisa
(10) 288. DABF14 (SI-1314 / S13E19) The Sweetest Apu
(21) 290. DABF16 (SI-1316 / S13E21) The Frying Game
(7) 292. DABF19 (SI-1319 / S14E01) Treehouse of Horror XIII
(17) 293. DABF22 (SI-1322 / S14E02) How I Spent My Strummer Vacation
(20) 295. DABF18 (SI-1318 / S14E04) Large Marge
(9) 296. DABF21 (SI-1321 / S14E05) Helter Shelter
(5) 297. EABF01 (SI-1401 / S14E06) The Great Louse Detective
(36) 300. EABF04 (SI-1404 / S14E09) The Strong Arms of the Ma
(12) 301. EABF06 (SI-1406 / S14E10) Pray Anything
(22) 302. EABF05 (SI-1405 / S14E11) Barting Over
(37) 304. EABF08 (SI-1408 / S14E13) A Star Is Born-Again
(50) 308. EABF12 (SI-1412 / S14E17) Three Gays of the Condo
(39) 309. EABF13 (SI-1413 / S14E18) Dude, Where's My Ranch?
(27) 312. EABF16 (SI-1416 / S14E21) The Bart of War
(47) 319. FABF01 (SI-1501 / S15E06) Today I am A Clown
(30) 327. FABF08 (SI-1508 / S15E14) The Ziff Who Came to Dinner
(53) 328. FABF10 (SI-1510 / S15E15) Co-Dependent's Day
(56) 334. FABF17 (SI-1517 / S15E21) Bart-Mangled Banner
17 episodes that "earned" a #5 ranking but (in my opinion) didn't even deserve that:
(45) 106. 2F33 (SI-633 / S06E03) Another Simpsons Clip Show
(41) 156. 4F03 (SI-803 / S08E03) The Homer They Fall
(27) 214. AABF07 (SI-1007 / S10E11) Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
(4) 233. BABF03 (SI-1103 / S11E07) Eight Misbehavin'
(9) 243. BABF13 (SI-1113 / S11E17) Bart to the Future
(44) 250. BABF20 (SI-1120 / S12E02) A Tale of Two Springfields
(33) 254. CABF02 (SI-1202 / S12E06) The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
(12) 267. CABF15 (SI-1215 / S12E19) I'm Goin' to Praiseland
(56) 279. DABF04 (SI-1304 / S13E10) Half-Decent Proposal
(21) 286. DABF12 (SI-1312 / S13E17) Gump Roast
(19) 299. EABF03 (SI-1403 / S14E08) The Dad Who Knew Too Little
(48) 315. EABF18 (SI-1418 / S15E02) My Mother the Carjacker
(55) 318. EABF19 (SI-1419 / S15E05) The Fat and the Furriest
(40) 322. FABF04 (SI-1504 / S15E09) I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot
(25) 326. FABF09 (SI-1509 / S15E13) Smart and Smarter
(47) 329. FABF11 (SI-1511 / S15E16) The Wandering Juvie
(5) 330. FABF12 (SI-1512 / S15E17) My Big Fat Geek Wedding
10 pools whose worst episode still seemed too good to me to relegate:
(11)(13)(14)(15)(23)(29)(35)(42)(43)(51)
(Apologies for the suboptimal formatting; there should be scads of hyperlinks that I couldn't immediately think of how to insert cleverly without time/manual effort.)
Transcription errors: At least one already caught thanks to David's comment. Worried there might be more. Glad I didn't do the Knuth offer of one cent for the first, 2^n cents for the nth.
[Boilerplate text cut from this entry and pasted in the entry above it.]
Most of Tier #1 (in all its glory) is in the extended entry. However, we have some episodes on the bubble (in my opinion). That's where I explicitly ask you to help with the decision, though you're also welcome to flag any of the allegedly non-bubble episodes as overrated.
Barring a convincing argument about the non-merits of some episode in the extended entry (or the merits of one currently ticketed to a lower tier), four of the seven episodes listed immediately below would make the top playoff tier; three would make the second tier. You can specify which 4/3 split, or rank them 1-7, your choice.
On the Bubble:
79: 9F18 (SI-418 / S04E20) Whacking Day (Pool 18 #2, behind "Kamp Krusty")
While the town of Springfield prepares for the annual snake whacking day (which Lisa dreads), Bart gets expelled from school for embarrassing Mr. Skinner during a school inspection. Barry White guest stars.
35: 7F22 (SI-222 / S02E22) Blood Feud (Pool 21 #2, behind "Radio Bart")
Mr. Burns needs double-O negative blood, and only Bart can supply it. Now, Homer wants some gratitude for Bart's donation.
100: 1F18 (SI-518 / S05E19) Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song (Pool 37 #2, behind "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington")
Bart brings the family dog to school for Show and Tell, unfortunately the dog escapes and indirectly gets Principal Skinner fired. School life under Principal Flanders just isn't the same and Bart schemes to get Skinner back.
15: 7F02 (SI-202 / S02E02) Simpson and Delilah (Pool 44 #2, behind "Sideshow Bob Roberts")
After trying a hair-growing formula (charged to the company's health insurance), Homer gets promoted to an executive position, and gets a male secretary who helps him along in his job. Harvey Fierstein guest stars.
26: 7F13 (SI-213 / S02E13) Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment (Pool 54 #2, behind "Bart After Dark")
In 2300 B.C., Moses received the ten commandments from God, among which was Thou Shalt Not Steal. In present day Springfield, Homer gets an illegal cable hook-up, which Lisa refuses to watch, for fear of losing her soul.
18: 7F05 (SI-205 / S02E05) Dancin' Homer (Pool 55 #2, behind "A Streetcar Named Marge")
After helping the Springfield Isotopes win a game, Dancin' Homer becomes the team mascot, and the family gets invited to Capital City. Tom Poston guest stars.
46: 8F09 (SI-309 / S03E11) Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk (Pool 6 #3, behind "In Marge We Trust" and "Homer's Barbershop Quartet")
Homer finds that his job as safety inspector is in danger when Mr. Burns sells the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to German businessmen for $100,000,000.
No need for my impressions: If I knew for sure how I'd rank these seven they wouldn't be on the bubble. Obviously I like (claim to like?) the 60 listed in the extended entry better than these seven but these seven better than any other episodes (including the nine top finishers that I flagged for demotion).
If you can't bear to fail to promote any of the above then look for an "overrated" top finisher in the extended entry and flag it in your comment.
Tier #1:
47 top seeds that should easily maintain that distinction:
(10) 2. 7G02 (SI-102 / S01E02) Bart the Genius
(52) 5. 7G05 (SI-105 / S01E05) Bart the General
(29) 9. 7G11 (SI-111 / S01E09) Life on the Fast Lane
(37) 37. 8F01 (SI-301 / S03E02) Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
(24) 39. 8F03 (SI-303 / S03E04) Bart the Murderer
(46) 41. 8F05 (SI-305 / S03E06) Like Father, Like Clown
(21) 48. 8F11 (SI-311 / S03E13) Radio Bart
(9) 50. 8F14 (SI-314 / S03E15) Homer Alone
(11) 51. 8F16 (SI-316 / S03E16) Bart the Lover
(30) 52. 8F13 (SI-313 / S03E17) Homer at the Bat
(41) 53. 8F15 (SI-315 / S03E18) Separate Vocations
(18) 60. 8F24 (SI-324 / S04E01) Kamp Krusty
(55) 61. 8F18 (SI-318 / S04E02) A Streetcar Named Marge
(20) 64. 9F04 (SI-404 / S04E05) Treehouse of Horror III
(23) 65. 9F03 (SI-403 / S04E06) Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie
(40) 67. 9F06 (SI-406 / S04E08) New Kid on the Block
(28) 68. 9F07 (SI-407 / S04E09) Mr. Plow
(8) 69. 9F08 (SI-408 / S04E10) Lisa's First Word
(32) 71. 9F10 (SI-410 / S04E12) Marge vs. the Monorail
(19) 72. 9F11 (SI-411 / S04E13) Selma's Choice
(48) 73. 9F12 (SI-412 / S04E14) Brother from the Same Planet
(50) 74. 9F13 (SI-413 / S04E15) I Love Lisa
(5) 75. 9F14 (SI-414 / S04E16) Duffless
(26) 76. 9F15 (SI-415 / S04E17) Last Exit to Springfield
(56) 81. 9F19 (SI-419 / S04E22) Krusty Gets Kancelled
(30) 83. 9F22 (SI-422 / S05E02) Cape Feare
(42) 89. 1F06 (SI-506 / S05E08) Boy-Scoutz N the Hood
(31) 90. 1F07 (SI-507 / S05E09) The Last Temptation of Homer
(47) 94. 1F10 (SI-510 / S05E13) Homer and Apu
(7) 105. 1F17 (SI-517 / S06E02) Lisa's Rival
(44) 108. 2F02 (SI-602 / S06E05) Sideshow Bob Roberts
(2) 109. 2F03 (SI-603 / S06E06) Treehouse of Horror V
(1) 111. 2F05 (SI-605 / S06E08) Lisa on Ice
(51) 119. 2F13 (SI-613 / S06E16) Bart vs. Australia
(33) 130. 2F17 (SI-617 / S07E02) Radioactive Man
(13) 132. 3F02 (SI-702 / S07E04) Bart Sells His Soul
(16) 133. 3F03 (SI-703 / S07E05) Lisa the Vegetarian
(22) 137. 3F08 (SI-708 / S07E09) Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
(45) 139. 3F07 (SI-707 / S07E11) Marge Be Not Proud
(34) 148. 3F17 (SI-717 / S07E20) Bart on the Road
(39) 149. 3F18 (SI-718 / S07E21) 22 Short Films About Springfield
(15) 155. 3F23 (SI-723 / S08E02) You Only Move Twice
(54) 158. 4F06 (SI-806 / S08E05) Bart After Dark
(35) 169. 4F14 (SI-814 / S08E16) Brother from Another Series
(6) 175. 4F18 (SI-818 / S08E22) In Marge We Trust
(38) 179. 4F22 (SI-822 / S09E01) The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
(12) 181. 3G02 (SI-826 / S09E03) Lisa's Sax
(53) 198. 5F14 (SI-914 / S09E20) The Trouble With Trillions
13 second-seeds that I believe are obviously worthy of promotion:
(30) 52. 8F13 (SI-313 / S03E17) Homer at the Bat
(31) 58. 8F22 (SI-322 / S03E23) Bart's Friend Falls in Love
(6) 82. 9F21 (SI-421 / S05E01) Homer's Barbershop Quartet
(30) 83. 9F22 (SI-422 / S05E02) Cape Feare
(39) 86. 1F04 (SI-504 / S05E05) Treehouse of Horror IV
(41) 91. 1F08 (SI-508 / S05E10) $pringfield
(46) 104. 1F22 (SI-522 / S06E01) Bart of Darkness
(52) 110. 2F04 (SI-604 / S06E07) Bart's Girlfriend
(28) 124. 2F19 (SI-619 / S06E21) The PTA Disbands
(7) 150. 3F19 (SI-719 / S07E22) The Curse of the Flying Hellfish
(13) 160. 4F01 (SI-801 / S08E07) Lisa's Date with Density
(16) 168. 4F11 (SI-811 / S08E15) Homer's Phobia
(23) 171. 4F15 (SI-815 / S08E18) Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment
(51) 263. CABF09 (SI-1209 / S12E15) Hungry, Hungry Homer
Pools from which I believe not even the best episode was worthy of the top tier (your mileage may vary, and you'll see these episodes in other tiers for your potential promotion/relegation feedback):
(3)(4)(14)(17)(25)(27)(36)(43)(49)
This closes out the preliminary pools. (Very quick on the trigger for Pool 56, I know, but I'm impatient. If you have comments about rebracketing of episodes in pools you didn't get a chance to comment on the first time around, I'll give your opinion a bit more consideration on those.)
Posts about rebracketing, promotion, and relegation will come before you know it.
Pool 53 Results (initial ranking in parentheses)
1. The Trouble With Trillions (4)
2. The Day the Violence Died (NR)
3. Bart's Dog Gets an F (1)
4. Treehouse of Horror XII (2)
5. Treehouse of Horror VIII (5)
6. Co-Dependent's Day (6)
I had no idea "Trillions" was so universally acclaimed; one good reason to get group input. The closest pairing above is "Violence" and "Bart's Dog."
Pool 54 Results (initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Bart After Dark (1)
2. Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment (4)
3. They Saved Lisa's Brain (3)
4. And Maggie Makes Three (2)
5. The Cartridge Family (5)
6. Bart Carny (6)
Razor-thin between #3 and #5 above.
Pool 55 Results (initial ranking in parentheses)
1. A Streetcar Named Marge (1)
2. Dancin' Homer (2)
3. It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge (3)
4. Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge (5)
5. The Fat and the Furriest (4)
6. So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show (6)
The rare, dreaded double-relegation is rare but may rear its ugly head on Pool 55. (Read: "Mad Marge" isn't anywhere near average, much less above, yet is still only the fourth-worst of the pool.)
Pool 56 results (initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Krusty Gets Kancelled (1)
2. Lemon of Troy (4)
3. Homer's Night Out (3)
4. Some Enchanted Evening (2)
5. Half-Decent Proposal (NR)
6. Bart-Mangled Banner (NR)
Pairing the above into 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6, there's still a tight margin (or nonexistent margin) between each pair. Might as well turf that over to the rebracketing, though, as in all it's not a terribly interesting pool. Like John said, "With a whimper."
Pool 51 results (original ranking in parentheses)
1. Bart vs. Australia (3)
2. Hungry, Hungry Homer (1)
3. Lisa, the Simpson (2)
4. Bart Gets an Elephant (4)
5. Homer the Moe (5)
6. The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular (6)
Very close at the top and bottom, promotions looming throughout.
Pool 52 results (original ranking in parentheses)
1. Bart the General (2)
2. Bart's Girlfriend (1)
3. Bart Gets an F (4)
4. Beyond Blunderdome (3)
5. Simpsoncalifragilistic... (5)
6. Pokey Mom (6)
Not close at all (from the seconding and thirding of Paul's rankings, which you see above intact) but another case of looming promotions.
Pool 53, Pool 54, and Pool 55 are still open.
Pool 53-56 results to come as soon as it's practical, then of course a special announcement about rebracketing.
Numbers...
(Since we're down to these six, no need for a random draw, I'll just present them in ascending order.)
10: 7G10 (SI-110 / S01E10) Homer's Night Out
Using his new mail-order spy camera, Bart catches Homer dancing with a strip dancer at a stag party.
13: 7G01 (SI-101 / S01E13) Some Enchanted Evening
When Marge calls a radio shrink and tells that their marriage is failing, Homer takes Marge out to a nice dinner and a night at the Offramp Inn. However, the sitter they hired was featured that night on America's Most Armed and Dangerous. Guest starring Penny Marshall.
81: 9F19 (SI-419 / S04E22) Krusty Gets Kancelled
When the Gabbo show causes Krusty to get cancelled, Krusty quickly hits the skids. However, Lisa and Bart vow to help Krusty out by organizing a comeback special. Guest stars Bette Midler, Elizabeth Taylor, Hugh Hefner, Johnny Carson, Luke Perry and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
127: 2F22 (SI-622 / S06E24) Lemon of Troy
Bart leads a group of boys in taking back the town's beloved Lemon tree when it is stolen by a group of kids from a rivalling town.
279: DABF04 (SI-1304 / S13E10) Half-Decent Proposal
Marge, with a little help from Patty, Selma, and Jack (Daniels), E-mails Artie Ziff, who offers $1,000,000 for a weekend ("no funny business") alone with her - money they could use for an operation to make Homer stop snoring. Jon Lovitz reprises his role as Artie Ziff.
334: FABF17 (SI-1517 / S15E21) Bart-Mangled Banner
While trying to avoid an inoculation at Dr. Hibbert's office, Bart's wriggling causes a side-effect and he suffers a temporary loss of hearing, [...]
My first impressions:
Well, not exactly "first" impressions. We get both of those late Season 1 episodes that are pretty good but easily forgotten. We tap Season 4 with a solid top seed (at least in my opinion) and Season 6 with kind of a dud.
I don't think I've seen either "Proposal" or "Banner" but the latter sounds terrible. Interesting question whether either of them are better than any of the other four. Also tough call between the two S1's.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Krusty Gets Kancelled
2. Some Enchanted Evening
3. Homer's Night Out
4. Lemon of Troy
NR. Half-Decent Proposal
NR. Bart-Mangled Banner
Pool 50 results (original ranking in parentheses)
1. I Love Lisa (1)
2. Mayored to the Mob (3)
3. Mountain of Madness (5)
4. Moe Baby Blues (2)
5. Bart, the Mother (4)
6. Three Gays of the Condo (NR)
"Mountain of Madness" and "Bart, the Mother" were both all over the map on votes but in aggregate we came out fine. Nice unanimity at the top.
If you saw this in the first five minutes it was posted, pretend the Pool 51 results didn't happen. I still want a bit more input on that pool.
Pool 51, Pool 52, Pool 53, and Pool 54 are all still open.
Pool 56 will go up early this upcoming week, along with Pool 51 and Pool 52 results. Then Pools 53-56 results will come out as soon as is practical.
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
77: 9F17 (SI-417 / S04E18) So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
When Homer get seriously injured from Bart's practical joke, the Simpsons recall at the hospital various moments from past episodes.
318: EABF19 (SI-1419 / S15E05) The Fat and the Furriest
After another failed Mother's Day gift, Homer takes the kids to Sprawl-Mart and ends up buying a Kitchen Carnival for Marge. Homer uses the Carnival to create an edible candy man, but Marge finally forces him to take it to the Springfield Dump - where he's promptly attacked by a bear.
291: DABF17 (SI-1317 / S13E22) Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge
Homer accidentally causes an electrical blackout in Springfield, and all of the citizens begin looting the town's businesses. Chief Wiggum is useless at restoring order, so Homer takes the law into his own hands and becomes a policeman.
247: BABF18 (SI-1118 / S11E21) It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge
When Marge forces Otto to choose between rock 'n' roll and his bride to be, Marge quickly finds herself playing hostess to a now-single Becky. But when Becky's attempt to earn her keep upstages Marge's own homemaking abilities, Marge quickly finds herself losing her mind. Guest starring Parker Posey as Becky.
61: 8F18 (SI-318 / S04E02) A Streetcar Named Marge
Marge takes a part in the musical version of “A Streetcar Named Desire”, a musical which has a strange resemblance to the Simpsons' own home life.
18: 7F05 (SI-205 / S02E05) Dancin' Homer
After helping the Springfield Isotopes win a game, Dancin' Homer becomes the team mascot, and the family gets invited to Capital City. Tom Poston guest stars. Tony Bennett sings the Capital City song, a variation of New York, New York.
My first impressions:
So you realize that as soon as these six come out, I know exactly what the final six are, right? But, a confession: You won't see this entry until days after I typed it. Saved a couple drafts at the same time, then went back to fill results in right before changing the timestamp and publishing. Anyhow...
"So It's Come to This" is poor even by clip show standards.
Oh yeah, I think I've caught the tail end of "Furriest." Slapstick funny, which is the best you can say about it.
Couldn't they have saved a ton of production costs just by rebroadcasting "Homer the Vigilante" instead of making "Brand New Badge"?
Season 11 mercifully tapped. Up to this point, it looks like we didn't exactly save the best for next-to-last, though I do like the idea of Cyanide, the Poison tribute band.
With 1 in 7 probability, "Streetcar" will be the best in this pool by a wide margin. Side question: At this point, would you override the pseudorandom draw if you felt the need?
...and the side question is moot (eh, as far as you know). But I'll admit both that I would have doctored it if necessary and that fortunately I didn't feel the need. Tough call on 4 vs. 5 but the rest seem blindingly obvious to me; your mileage may vary.
Preliminary rankings:
1. A Streetcar Named Marge
2. Dancin' Homer
3. It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge
4. The Fat and the Furriest
5. Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge
6. So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
Pool 49 results (original ranking in parentheses)
1. Principal Charming (3)
2. Lisa the Beauty Queen (4)
3. The Way We Was (1)
4. Old Yeller-Belly (2)
5. The Otto Show (6)
6. Homer vs. Dignity (5)
The top two could go either way, though neither is especially cut out for a #1 anyway. The other four are clear-cut, my personal weakness for faux-nostalgia shows aside.
Pool 50, Pool 51, Pool 52, and Pool 53 are still open.
As you'll shortly discover, I actually have the rest of the prelims in the can already, though each post's "first impressions" are genuine from the point at which I did the random draw. Let's say Pool 55 over the weekend, Pool 56 early next week?
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
116: 2F10 (SI-610 / S06E13) And Maggie Makes Three
When Lisa wonders what happen to Maggie's photos in the family album, prompts Homer to tell the story on how he had to give up his dream job when Maggie was born.
26: 7F13 (SI-213 / S02E13) Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
In 2300 B.C., Moses received the ten commandments from God, among which was Thou Shalt Not Steal. In present day Springfield, Homer gets an illegal cable hook-up, which Lisa refuses to watch, for fear of losing her soul.
225: AABF18 (SI-1018 / S10E22) They Saved Lisa's Brain
Lisa is invited to join the local MENSA society after penning an inspiring letter over Springfield's complete humiliation at the hands of her father. Guest starring Stephen Hawking.
190: 5F08 (SI-908 / S09E12) Bart Carny
When Homer costs a carnival worker and his son their jobs, Homer offers the pair a place to stay. But when the carnies lock the family out of their house and claim it as their own, Homer attempts to get it back by outsmarting the two. Guest starring Jim Varney as Cooder.
158: 4F06 (SI-806 / S08E05) Bart After Dark
As punishment for destroying private property, Bart is force to work for the homeowner, but unbeknown to everyone in the family, including Bart, the homeowner runs a shady business where people leave with lighter wallets and smiles on their faces.
183: 5F01 (SI-901 / S09E05) The Cartridge Family
After a wild soccer riot tears up Springfield, Homer purchases a handgun to protect his family. But when Marge's repeated requests to dispose of the weapon go without notice, she whisks herself and the kids away to a seedy motel.
My first impressions:
Paul may not be a fan of the nostalgia episodes but I've always liked them. This one is solidly above average. Plus, "Knightboat" rocks.
8th Commandment: Meh. Then again, is Obedience Training School that much better than this one or Pool 53 just weak? Rather, it's that I badly misassessed Pool 53 in light of the emerging consensus.
That taps Season 10, with an episode whose name always makes me think "suck" even though matching name to content, I actually like it.
Carnies: [shudder]
Ah, the Maison Derriere. Bona fide classic.
"Cartridge Family" starts off great and peters out. Not terrible. #2 through #5 in this bracket all kind of run together, though the choice is clear for #1 and #6.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Bart After Dark ("You'll have to speak up, I'm wearing a towel.")
2. And Maggie Makes Three
3. They Saved Lisa's Brain ("Oh, a sarcasrm detector! That's useful!")
4. Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
5. The Cartridge Family
6. Bart Carny
No new results; I want more than two comments on Pool 49. If for some reason your comment won't "take" there, you can leave a Pool 49 comment here. I was also waiting for Pool 52 to get a comment, though come to think of it that's stupid: "Someone comments on a pool" implies "Someone read this blog who might have also commented on this pool if it were up." Meh.
Pool 49, Pool 50, Pool 51, and Pool 52 are all still open. Five pools open at once: Madness!
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
270: CABF19 (SI-1219 / S13E01) Treehouse of Horror XII
"Hex in the City" / "House of Whacks" / "Wiz Kids"
198: 5F14 (SI-914 / S09E20) The Trouble With Trillions
When Homer's unfastidious tax return accidentally falls into the severe audit bin at the IRS, he is promptly nabbed by the government. Forced to go undercover for them, Homer finds himself on a mission to retrieve a trillion dollar bill stolen by Mr. Burns. Guest voice Paul Winfield as Lucious Sweet.
182: 5F02 (SI-902 / S09E04) Treehouse of Horror VIII
In "The Homega Man," Homer battles killer mutants after Springfield is destroyed in a nuclear blast. Next, a matter transportation device melds Bart with a housefly in "Fly Vs. Fly." Finally, Marge is accused of witchcraft during colonial times in "Easy-Bake Coven."
328: FABF10 (SI-1510 / S15E15) Co-Dependent's Day
Marge looks for an activity for Homer that doesn't involve beer and naively takes him to an Oktoberfest celebration. Then when Homer gets drunk, Marge winds up taking the fall for his DUI and is sent to rehab.
146: 3F16 (SI-716 / S07E18) The Day the Violence Died
With the help of Lionel Hutz, Bart unwittingly bankrupts the studio that produces Itchy & Scratchy when he and Hutz successfully prove the idea for Itchy was stolen some 70-80 years ago. Guest starring Alex Rocco, Jack Sheldon, Suzanne Somers and Kirk Douglas (as Chester J. Lampwick, the original Itchy creator).
29: 7F14 (SI-214 / S02E16) Bart's Dog Gets an F
After chewing up Homer's new $125 sneakers and the Bouvier family quilt, Santa's Little Helper is enrolled in an obedience school.
My first impressions:
XII is above average even by Treehouse standards.
I'm sure I've seen "The Trouble With Trillions" but it's not a very sticky memory.
VIII taps the Treehouses; that particular one is below average.
"Co-Dependents" is a darkhorse in the race to the bottom. #6 with a bullet.
That taps Season 7; would you believe I've never seen "The Day the Violence Died" either?
Schmaltz and all, I think Santa's Little Helper tops this bracket by default. I also have a reasonable intuition, even sight-unseen, of the logical slot for "Violence Died" in this very so-so bracket.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Bart's Dog Gets an F
2. Treehouse of Horror XII
NR. The Day the Violence Died
4. The Trouble With Trillions
5. Treehouse of Horror VIII
1000. Co-Dependent's Day
Two pools in one day?!? That's crazy-talk! Eyes on the prize, man.
Pool 48 results (original ranking in parentheses)
1. Brother from the Same Planet (1)
2. Mother Simpson (2)
3. Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner? (4)
4. Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield (NR)
5. My Mother the Carjacker (3)
6. Bye Bye Nerdie (NR)
We already got input from John, Paul, Mark, James, and of course myself, and a remarkably well-defined oredering. Why leave it up any longer? Onward!
Pool 49, Pool 50, and Pool 51 are still open.
Looks like 53 and 54 later this week (not necessarily with analogous results: I'll leave pools open as long as seems necessary and fair), 55 over the weekend, 56 first thing next week, initial rebracketing by the end of next week, and then we discuss the promotions and relegations.
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
110: 2F04 (SI-604 / S06E07) Bart's Girlfriend
Bart's infatuation with the Reverend's daughter is short-lived when she steals the church collection plate and he is blamed for the theft. Meryl Streep guest stars.
14: 7F03 (SI-203 / S02E01) Bart Gets an F
If Bart fails another test, he may have to repeat the fourth grade. So he enlists the aid of the class brain to help him pass.
5: 7G05 (SI-105 / S01E05) Bart the General
When Bart gets beat up by the school bully for defending Lisa, he organizes his friends to go after the bully.
258: CABF05 (SI-1205 / S12E10) Pokey Mom
Following a prison rodeo, Marge befriends an inmate whom she considers undeserving of incarceration, and eventually sees to his release. Guest starring Michael Keaton as Jack, and Charles Napier as the prison warden.
227: AABF23 (SI-1023 / S11E01) Beyond Blunderdome
Homer becomes a Hollywood consultant after proving himself the only man on earth who shares Mel Gibson's ill will against an inadequately-violent remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
166: 3G03 (SI-827 / S08E13) Simpsoncalifragilistic...
The Simpson family get a nanny after Marge starts loosing her hair to overwork stress.
My first impressions:
Bart Simpson, you're bad! Solid #1.
"Bart Gets an F" is solid enough as early episodes go.
So I got the Season 1 DVD as a birthday gift (yes, this year; no, I hadn't previously owned that season) and am surprised at how poorly the whole season compares to 3-5 in pacing, animation, plot, everything. "Bart the General" is even my favorite from that season (it's the "Patton" music that gets me), and yet...
Season 12 closes out on a sour note.
Ooh, "Beyond Blunderdome" might be the best episode of Season 11 (faint praise indeed). That leaves one S11 to go, and that one's about par for the S11 course.
My favorite Julie Andrews fan watched a syndicated airing of the Mary Poppins parody with me; it left her cold. I'll trust her judgment. That leaves one S8 to go, and it's (in my opinion) a classic.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Bart's Girlfriend
2. Bart the General
3. Beyond Blunderdome
4. Bart Gets an F
5. Simpsoncalifragilistic...
6. Pokey Mom
Pool 47 results (original ranking in parentheses)
1. Homer and Apu (1)
2. Homer Badman (4)
3. Homer the Smithers (3)
4. Hurricane Neddy (6)
5. The Wandering Juvie (NR)
6. Today I am A Clown (NR)
How obvious is it that I'm ready for the prelims to end and next stage to begin? On the pool above, the only thing close was Badman vs. Smithers. Come to think of it I agree with Paul about the corrections et al.
Pool 48, Pool 49, and Pool 50 are still open.
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
195: 4F24 (SI-824 / S09E17) Lisa, the Simpson
Thanks to the unfounded predictions of Grampa Simpson, Lisa is convinced that she's genetically predisposed to lose her intelligence. Meanwhile, Apu discovers Jasper frozen in his freezer, and turns the Kwik-E-Mart into a tourist's trap.
272: CABF20 (SI-1220 / S13E03) Homer the Moe
After Moe heads for a bartending school to brush up his business skills, Homer is charged with keeping tabs on Springfield's premiere watering hole. But when Moe decides to make his tavern over into something more hip and modern, a disgruntled Homer opens his own bar in the Simpson family garage. Guest stars R.E.M.
98: 1F15 (SI-515 / S05E17) Bart Gets an Elephant
When 'KBBL is going to give me something stupid', Bart forgoes the $10,000 cash price for an elephant. Problem is, the elephant is causing some major problems.
138: 3F31 (SI-731 / S07E10) The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular
Troy McClure hosts an half- hour show looking back at The Simpsons' past eight year history.
263: CABF09 (SI-1209 / S12E15) Hungry, Hungry Homer
After Homer discovers that the Springfield Isotopes are being moved to Albuquerque, he stages a hunger strike outside the stadium.
119: 2F13 (SI-613 / S06E16) Bart vs. Australia
The government of Australia isn't impressed with Bart's prank phone call and demand that he apologies in person.
My first impressions:
Sleeper alert. "Lisa, the Simpson" has a great plot and a great subplot, but I haven't seen it in years and would have had trouble remembering that it existed.
No, we haven't already had "Homer the Moe," just discussed it a lot relative to other Moe episodes. Average, I guess? A bit below?
...and Season 5 is tapped out. When "Elephant" first aired, we were in Minnesota for the Frozen Four. No idea why the room I was in wasn't watching but a bandmate burst in to tell us about the "best f'ing line ever":
"D'oh!"
"A deer!"
"A female deer!"
So, "clip show" and bury it accordingly? Or give it props for doing the clip show schtick in style? Either way, this is inferior to the three commented on above.
Surprisingly I've never seen "Hungry Hungry Homer," but heard all about it. UPDATE: And the read-through is fantastic. There can be but one choice.
Very deep pool, but not so top-heavy. As I'm less impressed than you are by the most famous episodes in the pool, I really do have to go with the sleeper. Note that I'd be equally unsurprised to hear you argue that "Hungry, Hungry Homer" was the best of this lot, the worst, or anywhere in between.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Hungry, Hungry Homer
1.2. Lisa, the Simpson
2.3. Bart vs. Australia
3.4. Bart Gets an Elephant
4.5. Homer the Moe
5.6. The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular
NR. Hungry, Hungry Homer
Pool 46 results (original ranking in parentheses)
1. Like Father, Like Clown (1)
2. Bart of Darkness (4)
3. The Canine Mutiny (2)
4. Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble" (NR)
5. Dog of Death (5)
6. Burns, Baby Burns (3)
But... he spelled "Yale" with a 6! An episode with a line that memorable can't be all-bad, right? The commenters have spoken, though, and to the bottom Rodney goes. I can't really argue with you.
In the aggregate, no close calls here. I'm intrigued at the degree of disagreement on the merits of the "Canine Mutiny" ending.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 47, Pool 48, and Pool 49 are still open. Those of you recharging from TRASHionals, this'd be a good time to get caught up.
Pool 51 whenever I feel like it. Pool 56 (of 56) ETA midweek next week.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
206: 5F22 (SI-922 / S10E03) Bart, the Mother
Bart accidentally kills a mother bird with Nelson Muntz's bee-bee gun, and tries his best to raise the mother's eggs on his own. But when the hatchlings turn out to be a pair of destructive lizards that harvest nests for their own survival, the town's bird population is placed at great risk. Guest voice Phil Hartman, in his final speaking role on The Simpsons.
313: EABF17 (SI-1417 / S14E22) Moe Baby Blues
[...] Springfield Botanical Gardens [...] during the ensuing traffic jam Maggie is thrown from the Simpsons' car into the arms of a suicidal Moe - who is dubbed a hero by the city. Maggie accepts him unconditionally as her new babysitter and surrogate father [...].
212: AABF05 (SI-1005 / S10E09) Mayored to the Mob
When Homer rescues Mark Hamill and Mayor Quimby from a rowdy mob of sci-fi fanatics, he is appointed the mayor's new bodyguard. But after convincing Quimby that he needs to stop Fat Tony's mob from selling rat's milk to the town's schools, the mayor's life is placed in jeopardy. Also guest starring Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony and Dick Tufeld as the Robot.
74: 9F13 (SI-413 / S04E15) I Love Lisa
Lisa's valentine to the most disliked boy in her class causes her to be chased by him.
308: EABF12 (SI-1412 / S14E17) Three Gays of the Condo
While looking for a missing puzzle piece, Homer stumbles upon an angry note Marge wrote on the back of a placemat one night when he suffered alcohol poisoning. Homer wonders why Marge every stayed with him and decided he wasn't good enough for her. So Homer moves out and settles on a condo, which he shares with two homosexuals.
165: 4F10 (SI-810 / S08E12) Mountain of Madness
To promote team work amongst the power plant's employees Burns makes them go on a corporate retreat up in the mountains: the goal to find a hidden cabin.
My first impressions:
Didn't know about the Phil Hartman milestone, unclear how relevant that is. I have deep mixed emotions about "Bart the Mother": Mostly a poignant episode (high quality albeit hard to watch comfortably), but then it degenerates into overheated plot twists. "Feels like" a 4, but obviously that depends on the rest of the pool.
"Moe Baby Blues" is fantastic. I'd slot it at #1 without regret, if the pool called for it.
Ah, "Luke be a Jedi tonight." An inspired episode. Two in a row that are diamonds among the later seasons' rough.
But "I Love Lisa" is demonstrably the best episode left. Superior episodes, to the extent that they even exist, were already covered in pools 1-49. I'd be shocked if anyone disagreed.
"Three Gays": NR by force, without even a good sense of how good I'd guess it to be. If it's at all above average then this pool is top-heavy. That wipes out Season 14.
Did Season 8 have any mediocre episodes, or just a jarring combination of greatness and suckitude?
Preliminary rankings:
1. I Love Lisa
2. Moe Baby Blues
3. Mayored to the Mob
4. Bart, the Mother
5. Mountain of Madness
NR. Three Gays of the Condo
Remaining episodes (final six pools), count by season:
Three S1, four S2, zero S3, three S4, one S5, four S6, two S7, two S8, five S9, one S10, two S11, two S12, four S13, no S14, three S15.
Pool 45 results (original ranking in parentheses)
1. Marge Be Not Proud (1)
2. A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love (2)
3. Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish (4)
4. Catch 'em if You Can (3)
5. Another Simpsons Clip Show (5)
6. Kill the Alligator and Run (6)
Weak and easily ordered. I didn't leave this up anywhere near a full week but really there was no need.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 46, Pool 47, and Pool 48 are still open.
Pool 50 whenever I feel like it, though probably not until Monday. Pool 56 (of 56) ETA two weekends from now.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
63: 9F02 (SI-402 / S04E04) Lisa the Beauty Queen
Homer enters Lisa in a beauty contest, and Lisa comes in as runner up. However, when the original winner is injured, Lisa becomes Little Miss Springfield. Bob Hope guest stars.
253: CABF04 (SI-1204 / S12E05) Homer vs. Dignity
Short on funds, Homer approaches the ever-wealthy C. Montgomery Burns for a token raise. But when Burns grants his request on the condition that Homer act as his personal jester, the Simpson family finds itself the subject of degrading and embarassing activities.
310: EABF14 (SI-1414 / S14E19) Old Yeller-Belly
Santa's Little Helper is shunned as a coward after opting to devour a roast turkey rather than pull Homer from a fire. [...]
25: 7F12 (SI-212 / S02E12) The Way We Was
When the TV goes out, Homer and Marge tell how they first met in 1974 Springfield.
27: 7F15 (SI-215 / S02E14) Principal Charming
Homer sets up a date between Principal Skinner and Marge's sister, Selma. However, it ends up being Skinner and Patty.
57: 8F21 (SI-321 / S03E22) The Otto Show
Otto loses his job driving the school bus, partially because he doesn't have a driver's license, and, after being kicked out of his apartment, goes to live with the Simpsons. Spinal Tap guest star.
My first impressions:
You don't remember "Lisa the Beauty Queen"?!? Heck, I didn't either until seeing it on the Season 4 DVD. Forgettable relative to that season, maybe average overall?
Oy. "Prank monkey." Worse than a "meh" but not as bad as a "shudder."
By contrast, "Yeller-Belly" is deeply underrated, like much of the best of S14.
"The Way We Was" might be #1 by default. We'll see.
Ah yes, "Might be a Homer-sexual."
That wipes out Season 3. I warned you that the last S3 episode was atrocious, didn't I? So the point behind putting 49 up so soon (how many of you are in Pittsburgh as I type this?) was to get rid of 45's unpleasant aftertaste. See how well that worked. Every pool like this just ratchets up the probability of a bracket of death or two before this whole thing's out.
Preliminary rankings:
1. The Way We Was
2. Old Yeller-Belly
3. Principal Charming
4. Lisa the Beauty Queen
5. Homer vs. Dignity
6. The Otto Show
Pool 41-44 results are here.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 45, Pool 46, and Pool 47 are still open.
Pool 49 whenever I feel like it, though probably not until Monday. Pool 56 (of 56) ETA two weekends from now.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
229: AABF21 (SI-1021 / S11E03) Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?
With a little help from Lisa, Homer takes on the job of food critic for The Springfield Shopper. But when his reviews begin to spoil reputations, the local restaurant owners devise a plan of action against Homer's sour grapes. Guest starring Ed Asner as the editor.
315: EABF18 (SI-1418 / S15E02) My Mother the Carjacker
Homer learns of his mother's whereabouts, [...] When the bus crashes, Mother Simpson is feared dead. But another subliminal newpaper message reveals otherwise.
136: 3F06 (SI-706 / S07E08) Mother Simpson
Through a misunderstanding, Homer discovers his mother is very much alive, but with a very shady past and the FBI are eager to find her. Glen Close and Harry Morgan guest star.
73: 9F12 (SI-412 / S04E14) Brother from the Same Planet
Bart decides to get a bigger brother when Homer neglects him for the last time. Turnabout is fair play, Homer replaces Bart with a little brother. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes addicted to the Corey hot-line, a 900 number.
142: 3F11 (SI-711 / S07E14) Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield
The Simpson family mingle with social highbrows when a chance encounter between Marge and an old classmate yields an invitation to the Springfield Country Club. Tom Kite guest stars.
264: CABF11 (SI-1211 / S12E16) Bye Bye Nerdie
Lisa's attempts to befriend a new student at Springfield Elementary result in constant bullying, leading her on a crusade to find out just what makes bullies tick.
My first impressions:
I vaguely remember the food critic episode; not terrible. Not good, but among Season 11's best (a dubious distinction).
The return of Homer's mom is bittersweet. Another non-terrible episode, though the first two are both average at best and probably worse than that.
Heh. So which "mom" ep is the better one?
Since only Paul may use the "Homer is a jerk" criterion, I'll overlook the stunning boorishness involved in "Brother." Clear #1 compared to the other three so far, though it's unclear how this would stack up against other #1s.
I have no memory of "Class Struggle," though I'll glance through the writeup to see if I've seen it after all. But first...
The heck? Two I've never seen? Apparently not. I don't even have much of a sense of where they'd slot. This bracket totally confuses me.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Brother from the Same Planet
2. Mother Simpson
3. My Mother the Carjacker
4. Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?
NR. Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield
NR. Bye Bye Nerdie
Pool 41-44 results are here.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 45 and Pool 46 are still open.
Pool 48 whenever I feel like it.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
112: 2F06 (SI-606 / S06E09) Homer Badman
Homer's life comes crashing down on him when a simple grab for a candy treat is misinterpreted is sexual harassment by the family's new baby-sitter. Dennis Franz guest stars.
329: FABF11 (SI-1511 / S15E16) The Wandering Juvie
After setting up a fake wedding registry with a department store and receiving lots of undeserved gifts, Bart is sent to Juvenile Hall, where he befriends a bad girl named Gina, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, who helps him escape. The two of them then go on the Lam, a la The Defiant Ones. Also stars Jane Kaczmarek reprising as Judge Harm and Charles Napier as the warden.
145: 3F14 (SI-714 / S07E17) Homer the Smithers
Smithers takes a much needed vacation and to insure his position at the nuclear plant, he hires Homer as his temporally replacement.
161: 4F07 (SI-807 / S08E08) Hurricane Neddy
Ned Flanders checks himself into a mental hospital after suffering a nervous breakdown when his house is destroyed in a hurricane.
94: 1F10 (SI-510 / S05E13) Homer and Apu
After getting food poisoning from eating the Kwik-E-Mart food, Homer gets Apu, the Kwik-E-Mart employee, fired. Regretting his actions, Homer vows to get Apu his job back. James Woods guest stars.
319: FABF01 (SI-1501 / S15E06) Today I am A Clown
When Krusty admits that he never had a Bar Mitzvah, [...] holds his Bar Mitzvah at the Isotope Stadium and invites Mr. T to read from the Torah.
My first impressions:
"Badman" is very funny but very difficult to watch.
Never seen "Wandering Juvie."
"Homer the Smithers" is strictly inferior to "Simpson and Delilah."
Speaking of episodes that are difficult to watch because of the bad things, I imagine I dislike "Hurricane Neddy" far more than you do. For one thing, the line about insurance as a form of gambling is so ass-backwards it's not even funny. I've known religious zealots; they're not that stupid. Taking it way too seriously, but if it's not meant to be taken so seriously then why ruin the buzz with something that tragic? (Yes, there's such a thing as black comedy, but I don't even think "Hurricane" works on that level.) At least there's the University of Minnesota Spankological Protocol for random trivia nuts.
We don't get a viable #1 candidate until "Homer and Apu," but my what a candidate this is. One of my personal top 20.
NR but boy does that sound like a good episode. A little help on Season 15 here? I can guess where they'd slot given the gaps in this one, but it's still an uneducated guess.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Homer and Apu
NR. Today I am A Clown
3. Homer the Smithers
4. Homer Badman
NR. The Wandering Juvie
6. Hurricane Neddy
Pool 41-44 results are here.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 45 is less than a day old and obviously still open.
Pool 47 whenever I feel like it.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
173: 4F16 (SI-816 / S08E20) The Canine Mutiny
Purchasing an expensive purebred dog on a fraudulent credit card lands Bart in the doghouse when creditors want the pooch back, but Santa's Little Helper ends up the real loser here. Frank Welker guest stars.
104: 1F22 (SI-522 / S06E01) Bart of Darkness
After breaking his leg, Bart spends the Summer at his bedroom window, spying on the neighbors with a telescope. Bart finds the view boring until he sees Ned Flanders murdering his wife.
41: 8F05 (SI-305 / S03E06) Like Father, Like Clown
Krusty finally drops by to have dinner with the Simpsons to thank Bart for believing him (see Krusty Gets Busted), and drops a bombshell: He real name is Krustofsky, and he is estranged from his rabbi father, who disowned him when Krusty decided to be a clown instead of a rabbi. Now, Bart vows to reunite Klown and rabbi.
54: 8F17 (SI-317 / S03E19) Dog of Death
When Santa's Little Helper suffers from a twisted stomach, the Simpsons sacrifice in order to pay for a life saving operation. However, when the family's morale suffers from the cuts, the dog runs away, and quickly becomes one of Mr. Burns' hounds.
157: 4F05 (SI-805 / S08E04) Burns, Baby Burns
Burns discovers his long lost 60-year-old illegitimate son, Larry, is insulting and lazy, and wants nothing to do with him. Homer thinks a good kidnapping is all that's needed to change Burns' mind. Rodney Dangerfield guest stars.
211: AABF04 (SI-1004 / S10E08) Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble"
On behalf of Homer's infamous ignorance, Grampa Simpson falls victim to a textbook kidney blowout. But when Homer steps up to offer a donor kidney, he quickly finds himself suffering from a much more common phenomenon: cold feet.
My first impressions:
One of the best reasons for carrying all this out is to remember fantastic episodes that I haven't seen in awhile and wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Laddie is one of my favorite one-episode-only characters (certainly hard to beat among non-human mammals) and the ending is just priceless. Get your best Chief Wiggum voice on and sing along with me... (I was literally rolling on the floor laughing for several minutes the first time I saw/heard that) Anyway, if "Canine Mutiny" isn't #1 then we have a very good pool.
"Bart of Darkness" is also very good albeit easy to forget. Not as good as "Canine Mutiny" though.
"Like Father Like Clown" is easily top-50 material, possibly top-20. This pool could be brutally deep.
How funny that "Dog of Death" and "Canine Mutiny" are in the same pool. I claim the former is clearly inferior to the latter (and in fact clearly least good of these first four, though all four are above average). For that matter, "Dog of Death" is inferior to "Two Dozen and One Dalmations" covered several pools ago.
Did I say "brutally deep pool"? Then again, is it a good episode or just a good line? (Or just one of the all-time best Simpson guest appearances?) The best line of this show is a freebie to whoever wants to quote it (as is the Groundskeeper Willie line from "Canine Mutiny").
And finally one I haven't seen. A little help? Note that if "Kidney Trouble" is above average (which I doubt, given when it aired) then all six of these are arguably above average.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Like Father, Like Clown
2. The Canine Mutiny
3. Burns, Baby Burns
4. Bart of Darkness
5. Dog of Death
NR. Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble"
With ten (10) pools left, remaining shows by season:
Three S1, six S2, only one S3 (the worst of the season, at that), six S4, two S5, five S6, five S7, four S8, five S9, three S10, three S11, four S12, four S13, three S14, six S15. In general the last 10 pools have a high expected overall quality.
Pool 41-44 results were just posted (scroll down or click on the "previous" link).
(See the category archive for other results.)
Thanks to the week's hiatus, this is the only pool currently open.
Pool 46 ETA sometime Wednesday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
273: CABF18 (SI-1218 / S13E04) A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love
Homer's new job as the author of fortune cookies assures Mr. Burns that love is on the horizon. Mr. Burns finds it in a woman named Gloria, whom he loves so much that he wants to marry. But as he proposes to Gloria, her ex shows up - which happens to be Snake, and he's just broken out of prison. Guest stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and George Takei.
106: 2F33 (SI-633 / S06E03) Another Simpsons Clip Show
A romance novel prompts Marge to have a family meeting to discuss the values of love and past romances.
17: 7F01 (SI-201 / S02E04) Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish
In order to keep his nuclear plant from being closed down due to numerous violations, Montgomery Burns decides to run for governor.
139: 3F07 (SI-707 / S07E11) Marge Be Not Proud
Bart manages to keep a failed 'four-fingered discount' trip a secret from Homer and Marge. But unfortunately, Marge finds out when the family returns to the store to have the family Christmas photo taken. Lawrence Tierney guest stars.
331: FABF14 (SI-1514 / S15E18) Catch 'em if You Can
[...] Marge and Homer look forward to taking a vacation away from the kids and going to see Uncle Tyrone. But on a whim, Marge and Homer decide to go elsewhere. When Uncle Tyrone's town is wiped out by a tornado, [...] the kids then chase Homer and Marge around the country [...].
245: BABF16 (SI-1116 / S11E19) Kill the Alligator and Run
[...] beloved alligator [...] Guest starring Kid Rock [...]
My first impressions:
I liked "Burns in Love" (had no idea about the guest stars). Probably best described as "zany." I have no pretentions that it'll be at or near the top, but I liked it. Just saying.
I don't remember this particular clip show one way or another but almost by definition it'll be at the bottom unless the pool has something worse.
What's the appeal with "Two Cars"? It's ham-handed and ridiculously unsubtle. I've never known whether my intense dislike for this episode is politically motivated or just reflecting that it actually does suck. Best test for this is my opinion of "Bob Roberts" (not as high as Paul's but I do like it; my initially putting that one at #2 has far more to do with "Delilah" than with itself). Probably this episode sucks and my political leanings cause me to underrate it.
"Marge Be Not Proud" is a solid #1 even though you wouldn't think of it without being reminded of it (at least I wouldn't). Still, both Lisa's sibling resentment at the end and Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge are priceless.
Isn't "Catch 'Em" almost exactly "Natural Born Kissers" only far inferior and with loads of gratuitous travelogue? Does the extended artsy sequence near the end save it? (I'd cite what that cultural reference is, but after Julia pointed it out to me I promptly forgot.)
And we close with another #6-with-a-bullet early frontrunner for the race to the bottom. Words can't adequately express my distaste for this episode, to the point that I'd been waiting with dread for the pool it would blight.
Okay, #1 is obvious. #5 and #6 are obvious. And I claim that the middle are obvious relative to each other. "Obvious" all around, though your mileage may vary (though I'll lose a lot of respect for you if you disagree with me about #1, #5, or #6). Weak pool (#2 thru #6 are all conspicuously at least one tier overrated) but when you come off a hiatus, gotta ease into things, right?
Preliminary rankings:
1. Marge Be Not Proud
2. A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love
3. Catch 'em if You Can
4. Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish
5. Another Simpsons Clip Show
6. Kill the Alligator and Run
With the side claim that the bottom four are all inferior to all 12 of {Pool 42 and Pool 43}.
(For anyone new to this weblog: A couple months ago I took on a project to go through all 335 Simpsons episodes of Seasons 1-15 -- with S16 in progress it seems too soon to assess those -- and get as close as possible to my full hierarchy of them, with your input. For the first stage, we just do a top-to-bottom ranking of six randomly chosen epiosdes at a time. Formally it's a benevolent dictatorship, where in the end I decide what I decide, but in practice this is a lot more compelling if you all not only give your comments but I also account for them. See the category archive for past results, and stay tuned for Pool 45 as soon as is convenient.)
Pool 41 results: (my initial ranking in parentheses)
(original post here)
1. Separate Vocations (2)
2. $pringfield (1)
3. Homer the Great (3)
4. Black Widower (4)
5. The Homer They Fall (5)
6. Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo (6)
Counterintuitively, really top-heavy brackets make for easy ballot-tallying. I think the top two above are both easily top-30 material, maybe top-20, which meant I gave the edge to $pringfield when it effectively tied with the Stonecutters (sorry, John). Assuming you'd put Stonecutters somewhere higher than third-tier, remember this when promotion/relegation comes around.
Pool 42 results: (my initial ranking in parentheses)
(original post here)
1. Boy-Scoutz N the Hood (1)
2. Homer's Triple Bypass (4)
3. Lost Our Lisa (2)
4. Brawl in the Family (3)
5. Saturdays of Thunder (6)
6. The Mansion Family (5)
Conversely, insanely deep (though not top-heavy) brackets are agonizing. Voting all over the map on these. I remain mildly surprised by the affinity for "Homer's Triple Bypass" (kind of a tearjerker), though I understand it. Flipping the bottom two results entirely from my changing my mind about their relative order; your own votes effectively tied them.
Pool 43 results: (my initial ranking in parentheses)
(original post here)
1. Treehouse of Horror VII (2)
2. Grade School Confidential (1)
3. Bart the Fink (3)
4. Rosebud (5)
5. Homer vs. Patty and Selma (NR)
6. Flaming Moe's (4)
Treehouse by one of the widest margins imaginable. (i.e. clear-cut #1, with the other five all over the map). Aside from how it hapened to come out, there's a good justification for this precise ordering, along with the obvious note that each of the bottom three are underslotted. In particular, as memorable as "Flaming Moe's" is, this was arguably the first ever of the bad kind of celebrity cameo.
(Really, what does Aerosmith bring to the table here? Nothing more than "Hello St. Louis" and the pre-character-development whorish version of Mrs. Krabappel with their drummer. Contrast to "Homer at the Bat," with everything from Lord Palmerston! to "The washer goes next to the dryer.")
All that said, any episode with "Do you realize how much of my blood and sweat are in this drink?!?" deserves a better fate than sixth-tier. Like maybe fourth-tier.
Pool 44 results: (my initial ranking in parentheses)
(original post here)
1. Sideshow Bob Roberts (2)
2. Simpson and Delilah (1)
3. Two Bad Neighbors (3)
4. The Great Money Caper (4)
5. A Tale of Two Springfields (6)
6. Make Room For Lisa (5)
Of the four pools here, the easiest tally by far, though I do tend to agree with John's relative sentiments on both "Bad Neighbors" (underrated) and "Bob Roberts" (cartoonish).
"Make Room For Lisa" joins "Blame it on Lisa" and "Simpson Tall Tales" among the early front-runners for the race to absolute bottom. Also, I think it's safe to say that all 12 of {Pools 42-43} will end up going into the playoff portion somewhere ahead of both "Two Springfields" and "Make Room."
If you're inclined to rank Simpsons episodes, go to the category archive and post your comments on Pools 41-44 if you haven't already.
Everyone else, see you Tuesday, April 12. Most of the intervening time I'll be in New Orleans running a quiz tournament. Don't leave until Wednesday but between now and then I've too many things to do to blog.
Pool 40 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. New Kid on the Block (1)
2. Old Money (2)
3. Dumbbell Indemnity (6)
4. Fear of Flying (5)
5. Robot (NR)
6. D'oh-in' in the Wind (4)
Near unanimity in the top half, razor-thin margin among the bottom three. But I agree with Paul about how generally easy this bracket is to rank. Also I'm in "hurry up and wait" mode in real life as I type this. I hope these past couple brackets don't end up seeming too rushed.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 41, Pool 42, and Pool 43 are all still open.
Pool 45 won't be ready until over a week from now. All four sets of Pool 41-44 results will be posted when we get back from New Orleans.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
250: BABF20 (SI-1120 / S12E02) A Tale of Two Springfields
After Springfield's telephone area code splits in two, Homer spearheads a movement to divide the town itself in half along the new area code line. Guest starring The Who.
108: 2F02 (SI-602 / S06E05) Sideshow Bob Roberts
With the help of a radio talk show host, Mayor Quimby is pressured into releasing Sideshow Bob from prison. Once out, Bob promptly runs against the mayor and wins. Bart and Lisa set out to prove Mayor Bob didn't win legally.
15: 7F02 (SI-202 / S02E02) Simpson and Delilah
After trying a hair-growing formula (charged to the company's health insurance), Homer gets promoted to an executive position, and gets a male secretary who helps him along in his job. Harvey Fierstein guest stars.
141: 3F09 (SI-709 / S07E13) Two Bad Neighbors
Homer's jealousy at all the attention his new neighbors, George and Barbara Bush, receives, turns to rage when the former President gives Bart a spanking.
255: CABF03 (SI-1203 / S12E07) The Great Money Caper
Strapped for cash, Homer and Bart thumb their way through "A Child's Garden of Cons" in search of the road to easy money.
219: AABF12 (SI-1012 / S10E16) Make Room For Lisa
Lisa experiences stress when forced to temporarily share a room with Bart. Meanwhile, Marge discovers the joys of eavesdropping on cellular telephone calls and becomes obsessed with the personal dramas of complete strangers.
My first impressions:
"Two Springfields": Big fat ugh. Brutally heinous. Lousy excuse for The Who to perform.
Ah, Birch Barlow. Interesting side question is how to rank the Sideshow Bob episodes, nearly all of which are fantastic. This one's clearly top 100 material; hard to say whether it's top 50.
Klaus!! I love this episode wholeheartedly. Old-school masterpieces like this are why the series took off so quickly despite various weaker early efforts. So far this is my top pick, though I assume a healthy chunk of you would still put Sideshow Bob Roberts ahead.
"The one where Bart gets spanked by George H.W.": Solid 4-seed in a good bracket, not a terrible 3-seed in a weaker bracket but then not the end of the world if it slipped to 5 in a really stacked one.
Had to think about it a moment but yes, I've seen "The Great Money Caper." Not as bad as the miasma that hangs over {end of 10 through start of 12} but not very good either.
The biggest dilemma in this bracket turns out to be which of the worst two episodes I despise more. Very shallow pool: Arguably four below average of which two are way below average. But the top of the bracket is perfectly cromulent, there are three obvious tiers of two episodes each, and at least two of the those tiers feature interesting comparisons.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Simpson and Delilah
2. Sideshow Bob Roberts
3. Two Bad Neighbors
4. The Great Money Caper
999. Make Room For Lisa
1000. A Tale of Two Springfields
Pool 39 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. 22 Short Films About Springfield (NR)
2. Treehouse of Horror IV (1)
3. Bart Gets Hit by a Car (2)
4. Bart vs. Thanksgiving (4)
5. Missionary: Impossible (6)
6. Dude, Where's My Ranch? (NR)
Toughest #1 vs. #2 decision I can remember, made even tougher by my continued baffling failure to have ever seen "22 Short Films." Those of you who aren't me put that over Treehouse by a 3-2 margin. Even if it's no longer the case, the fact that Paul at some point had this in his all-time top 5 I'm willing to believe says a lot.
The race to the bottom was also razor-thin, but at least the middle ones slotted easily.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 40, Pool 41, and Pool 42 are all still open.
Pool 44 ETA Tuesday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
85: 1F01 (SI-501 / S05E04) Rosebud
When Mr. Burns was very young, he gave up his teddy bear, Bobo, for a life of riches. Now growing old, he desires for his teddy bear, which Maggie loves dearly.
45: 8F08 (SI-308 / S03E10) Flaming Moe's
Homer helps invent the hottest drink in Springfield. However, when Moe steals the recipe and turns Moe's Tavern into the hottest spot in Springfield, Homer vows revenge. Guest stars Catherine O'Hara and the Rock band Aerosmith.
143: 3F12 (SI-712 / S07E15) Bart the Fink
When Bart accidentally finks on him to the IRS, Krusty the Klown decides to go for that last plane ride. Bob Newhart guest stars.
154: 4F02 (SI-802 / S08E01) Treehouse of Horror VII
"The Thing and I"; "Genesis Tub"; "Citizen Kang"
172: 4F09 (SI-809 / S08E19) Grade School Confidential
After stumbling across Principal Skinner and Mrs. Krabappel kissing, Bart strikes a deal with them to keep it a secret, but unknown to Bart the deal he makes lands him in the middle of this love affair.
120: 2F14 (SI-614 / S06E17) Homer vs. Patty and Selma
Homer's latest money making scheme backfires and he goes to Patty and Selma as the last resort to borrow money. Meanwhile, Bart takes up ballet. Mel Brooks and Susan Sarandon guest star.
My first impressions:
"Rosebud": Bittersweet; mediocre; depressing. Horrible ending.
"Moe's:" See above (ironically!).
"Fink": Not bad; hard to remember.
"Treehouse": Best so far? Weak bracket? At least nothing sucks yet.
"Confidential": See Treehouse comment (ironically!).
And then one I've never seen. That's what I get for trying to plow through one of these during a quick break: An entire bracket of misfit toys, with perhaps by far the least quality difference between the very top and very bottom.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Grade School Confidential
2. Treehouse of Horror VII
3. Bart the Fink
4. Flaming Moe's
5. Rosebud
NR. Homer vs. Patty and Selma
Of the 720 possible iterations, literally any of the 720 I'd find plausible.
Pool 38 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson (1)
2. Homie the Clown (2)
3. The Last Temptation of Krust (3)
4. Bart vs. Lisa vs. 3rd Grade (4)
5. Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One) (5)
6. Simpsons Bible Stories (6)
First time in several pools that the initial rankings survived completely intact. But there's a reason for this: Also the first time in several pools that I subverted democracy and went against two episodes' relative ranking (in this case, "3rd Grade" and "Part 1" in that I agree with Dinan on both counts).
If I've done "Part 1" a grievous disservice, you'll get your chance to rectify that.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 39, Pool 40, and Pool 41 are all still open.
Pool 43 ETA Sunday, Pool 44 ETA Tuesday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
89: 1F06 (SI-506 / S05E08) Boy-Scoutz N the Hood
When Bart finds a $20, he spends it on a squishy, made of pure syrup. After a wild night, he wakes up to find that he joined a boy scout troop, with den father Ned Flanders.
276: DABF01 (SI-1301 / S13E07) Brawl in the Family
When a Monopoly game goes sour, the Simpsons are forced to undergo the supervision of a social services officer to reinforce the ideals of a functional family. Guest stars Jane Kaczmarek as Judge Harm and Delroy Lindo as Gabriel the Angel.
70: 9F09 (SI-409 / S04E11) Homer's Triple Bypass
All those years of eating those fatty foods has caused Homer to have a heart attack. Now, Homer has a choice - spend $40,000 for Dr. Hibbert's bypass operation, or $129.95 for Dr. Nick Riviera's operation--any operation.
44: 8F07 (SI-307 / S03E09) Saturdays of Thunder
In order to build a father/son relationship, Homer helps Bart build a soapbox racer. However, when Martin crashes his racer during the time trials, Bart must make an important decision: Turn his back on his father and be Martin's replacement driver, or race in his soapbox and let Nelson win.
238: BABF08 (SI-1108 / S11E12) The Mansion Family
After receiving an award for oldest citizen of Springfield, Mr. Burns checks into the Mayo Clinic, leaving The Simpsons in charge of his luxurious mansion. Guest starring Britney Spears as herself.
202: 5F17 (SI-917 / S09E24) Lost Our Lisa
After hastily boarding the wrong bus to a limited engagement museum exhibit, Lisa finds herself lost in unfamiliar parts of Springfield. Meanwhile, Bart adheres novelty items to his face, only to later discover that the glue he was given--by Homer--is permanent.
My first impressions:
"Boy-Scoutz" is a fantastic, albeit deeply flawed, episode. If the entire thing were as good as the first segment, it'd be a reasonable choice for best ever.
"Brawl in the Family" is surprisingly good. You have to accept that it'll have a late-season type of humor but still. Willie "Singin' in the Rain" is stupid yet hilarious, as is poor Grandpa the morning after.
Sad, funny, bittersweet... all three of these so far are well above average, yet each is flawed in its own way.
Tough bracket. "Saturdays of Thunder" is clearly (in my opinion) the least good of the first four, yet it's not bad. To be sure it's one of about a billion Homer-Bart bonding episodes.
Is the International Waters bit enough to save "Mansion Family"? Actually, for Season 11 that one really isn't so bad.
Aww, I love "Lost Our Lisa." Am I crazy or is this another "all six are average or better" pool?
At the very least, none of these six deserves anything lower than a 4, though obviously that's where two of them are headed. "Saturdays of Thunder" is the least objectionable choice for the bottom slot, if only because Homer's such a jerk.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Boy-Scoutz N the Hood ("Money can be exchanged for goods and services.")
2. Lost Our Lisa
3. Homer's Triple Bypass Brawl in the Family ("You're going to Stanford!")
4. Brawl in the Family Homer's Triple Bypass
5. The Mansion Family
6. Saturdays of Thunder
With the 37 results pretty obvious, pushing ahead very aggressively here partly to make sure we post Pool 44 before I leave for New Orleans next week. That'll be five days of no blogging (therefore obviously none of this); two of you regular commenters will be down there for the same reason anyway.
After that, there'll be 12 pools left, or three weeks. Given that TRASHionals also affects multiple regular commenters, even though I won't be going to Pittsburgh myself, expect a hiatus/workaround for it.
Pool 37 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington (2)
2. Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song (1)
3. When Flanders Failed (3)
4. Tennis the Menace (5)
5. Simple Simpson (NR)
6. A Star Is Born-Again (6)
Aside from Simple Simpson, the relative ranking of the other five was almost unanimous. Coen never commented on this pool, so maybe his opinion of Pieman would have been relevant. Its place above splits the difference between potential slots.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 38, Pool 39, and Pool 40 are all still open (not to mention poppin' fresh).
Pool 42 ETA Friday, Pool 43 ETA Sunday, Pool 44 ETA Tuesday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
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.
156: 4F03 (SI-803 / S08E03) The Homer They Fall
Moe turns Homer into a successful boxer after discovering Homer can absorb massive blows to the head, but Marge is worried that won't save Homer in the upcoming match with Dreaderick Tatum, the heavyweight champion. Michael Buffer and Paul Winfield guest star.
115: 2F09 (SI-609 / S06E12) Homer the Great
Homer joins a secret sociality, where his greatness is revealed, but only after he destroys the secret parchment and stripped of his membership. Patrick Stewart guest stars.
226: AABF20 (SI-1020 / S10E23) Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo
After losing their last million yen, the Simpsons agree to participate in a dangerous Japanese TV game show in exchange for air fare back home. Guest voice George Takei as the Game Show Host.
91: 1F08 (SI-508 / S05E10) $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)
When the local economy stalls, everyone, including Marge, votes to legalize gambling on Springfield. Mr. Burns even opens up his own casino, Homer gets to be a blackjack dealer, and Marge is addicted to the slot machines. Robert Goulet and Gerry Cooney guest star.
56: 8F20 (SI-320 / S03E21) Black Widower
Sideshow Bob gets paroled, and marries Selma. However, Bart suspects that Sideshow Bob has something else up his sleeve.
My first impressions:
"Separate Vocations" is definitely "one to beat." A strong personal favorite, though not as easy to remember out of the blue as other personal favorites. A strong pool indeed if this falls below #1, though it's not a lock for the top spot.
Homer as a boxer is very difficult to watch. Season 8 starts off really strong, but when that DVD set comes out in a couple years this will be an episode people skip over to get from/to the true classics.
Damn Stonecutters. I bet this wins the Pool, but I won't be happy. "Separate Vocations" is clearly a better episode. Compare, contrast, and discuss, especially if you do rank "Homer the Great" ahead.
Season 10 ends so dismally, even the looking over the episode titles makes my brain hurt.
Wow. Maybe Stonecutters won't win this pool. The Robert Goulet sequence really sells me on "$pringfield," not to mention Burns as Howard Hughes. Easily top-25 material in my book.
And a Sideshow Bob episode?!? Not as good as some of the other ones, but still, it's Sideshow Bob and yet through no fault of it's own it looks ticketed for #4 at best. Well, at least the bottom half of this will be trivial to rank.
In fact, the ordering of all six is obvious to me. You ("WE DO!") will probably disagree.
Preliminary rankings:
1. $pringfield ("I'm Idaho!")
2. Separate Vocations ("I will not expose the ignorance of the faculty")
3. Homer the Great
4. Black Widower
5. The Homer They Fall
6. Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo
Tonight "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder" was on in syndication here (7:30 slot). I remember savaging it in a previous Simpsons pool, justifiably, and yet I enjoyed it enough to stick with it from start to finish.
By contrast there are episodes so bad that I'd be unwilling to see them again.
Instead of using "hypothetical worst episode ever" as a placeholder, I think the "playoff" portion of this thng (if it's done out in full, top to bottom) will include a hypothetical "worst episode that you'd still willingly watch in syndication" placeholder.
A day earlier than usual but I needed to put 36 out of its misery.
Pool 36 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Girly Edition (NR)
2. Bart's Inner Child (2)
3. The Telltale Head (5)
4. Special Edna (4)
5. Alone Again, Natura-Diddly (3)
6. Strong Arms of the Ma (6)
Although it doesn't seem obvious, I gave Craig's good word for Special Edna slightly more weight than usual. Other candidates (off the top of my head) for weakest episode to take a pool #1: A Milhouse Divided; My Sister, My Sitter; Homerpalozza.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 37, Pool 38, and Pool 39 are all still open.
Pool 41 will be up by Friday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
114: 2F08 (SI-608 / S06E11) Fear of Flying
Marge's fear of flying is revealed after the family earns a free trip to almost any state of their choice. To help overcome her fear, Marge visits a psychiatrist played by Anne Bancroft. Guest appearances by Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger and George Wendt.
322: FABF04 (SI-1504 / S15E09) I, [...]-Bot
Homer and Bart are [...] inspired to build a robot [...]. Marge disapproves [...]. They build a robot anyway, but it gets slaughtered in its first competition. Unable to repair completely, they adjust the robot so that Homer can operate it from the inside. Homer and the robot begin to win [...] with their lives at risk.
194: 5F12 (SI-912 / S09E16) Dumbbell Indemnity
When Moe breaks himself romancing a new love, he enlists the aid of Homer in an illegal scheme to collect $5,000 dollars from his automobile's insurance policy. But after Homer botches the scam, Moe must find a way to bust his best customer out of the pen. Guest starring Helen Hunt as Renee.
209: AABF02 (SI-1002 / S10E06) D'oh-in' in the Wind
Homer sets out to determine what his middle initial stands for, but in the process, delves into the old free-spirit ways of hippies, inspired by his mother's radical past and former associates. Guest starring George Carlin as Munchie and Martin Mull as Seth.
30: 7F17 (SI-217 / S02E17) Old Money
When Abraham 'Grandpa' Simpson inherits one hundred six thousand dollars from his deceased sweetie, he decides to give it to people who need it most. Audrey Meadows.
67: 9F06 (SI-406 / S04E08) New Kid on the Block
Bart develops a crush on the new girl next door, but his heart is broken when she dates Jimbo. Sara Gilbert guest stars.
My first impressions:
"Fear of Flying" is average at best, but subpar as season 6 goes. I wish this had been one of the season 6's in Pool 35 instead of, say, "Sexual Inadequacy."
Never seen "Robot," idly wonder how it compares to "Saturdays of Thunder."
"Dumbbell Indemnity" is cute, but I always worry when halfway through a pool there's still no plausible #1.
Still a lot of decency and no excellence. Incidentally, if you could travel back in time to the summer of '98, would you among other things warn people of the impending drastic decline of new Simpsons episodes and try to avert it?
"Old Money" is, so help me, the best of the first five. It's easily forgotten but when you do (re)discover it, my gosh is it good if bittersweet. C'mon juggernaut, c'mon juggernaut, big bucks and stop...
BIG BUCKS! I'll be idly curious to see where "Old Money" comes out when all this is said and done. Top 100? Top 50? But I'd be shocked if "New Kid" isn't top 10. And as much as I try to leave you all the honors with the quotes, I can't not claim dibs here.
We have an obvious #1, an equally obvious (at least in my opinion) #2, three #4 types that arbitrarily have to yield a #3 and a #5, and one I've never seen that (from the paragraph summary) I'd be intrigued to find anywhere above bottom. Of the "pack," I tried to apply the "Is it plausible that someone, maybe even one of my readers, thinks this is the best thing since slided bread?" test - just in case I was inadvertently selling something short.
Preliminary rankings:
1. New Kid on the Block ("You won't be needing this...")
2. Old Money
3. D'oh-in' in the Wind Dumbbell Indemnity
4. Dumbbell Indemnity D'oh-in' in the Wind
5. Fear of Flying
NR. Robot
There are surprisingly many dislikeable Marge-centered episodes. Also a lot of "meh" Moe-centered episodes. I end up feeling guilty when I slot a Moe episode low, but never when I slot a Marge episode low. (Partly because there are in fact some really good Marge eps to contrast.)
Pool 35 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Brother From Another Series (3)
2. Two Dozen and One Greyhounds (2)
3. Grandpa vs. Sexual Inadequacy (6)
4. Homer Goes To College (5)
5. Homer Loves Flanders (4)
6. 'Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky (1)
Yes, you spoke and I listened and Eric Idle's mockumentary fell all the way from such great heights. While it's true that a top-heavy bracket produces easy results, an insanely deep (or anti-deep) bracket produces a mess like this one (or next one).
By the way, I have an idea for playoff repooling that won't be quite like starting with six flights and promoting/relegating. Instead of applying the latter to the six naturally generated flights, I might present 11 groups (of 32, 32, 32, 30, ..., 30, 29). In theory flight 2N+1 would be entirely of episodes that were Nth place in their prelim pool, with flight 2N taking either Nth place episodes or (N+1)th place. In practice I might go even further and promote/demote obvious cases before posting. Just as with what I originally envisioned, you guys would still get a period to flag overseeded or underseeded episodes.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 36, Pool 37, and Pool 38 are all still open.
Pool 40 will be up by Wednesday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
86: 1F04 (SI-504 / S05E05) Treehouse of Horror IV
In a Night Gallery parody, Bart presents three tales of terror... In "The Devil and Homer Simpson," Homer gives up his soul for a single doughnut. Now, the Devil wants Homer. Next, Bart has a nightmare about a bus crash. And his nightmare is about to come true when a playful gremlin starts taking the bus apart piece by piece "Terror at 5 1/2 Feet." Finally, Mr. Burns is a vampire, and he wants blood, and he turns Bart into a vampire in "Bart Simpson's Dracula."
149: 3F18 (SI-718 / S07E21) 22 Short Films About Springfield
A dull, lazy afternoon, prompts Bart and Milhouse to wonder if anything interest ever happens in Springfield -- a cue for a series of clips about Springfield.
309: EABF13 (SI-1413 / S14E18) Dude, Where's My Ranch?
While out Christmas caroling, the family finds out from a lawyer that the carol they are singing is copyrighted, leading Homer to write his own carol. But when Ned tries to help, Homer turns it into an anti-Flanders song. A passing David Byrne just happens to hear Homer play his song at Moe's, and he turns it into a hit record. When stardom becomes too much, the family spends a week at a dude ranch. Lisa initially objects, until she meets a young junior wrangler named Luke Stetson. Guest stars Jonathan Taylor Thomas , Andy Serkis, and David Byrne.
23: 7F10 (SI-210 / S02E10) Bart Gets Hit by a Car
When Mr. Burns hits Bart in a auto accident, and is willing to pay only one-hundred dollars, Homer sues Mr. Burns for a million.
241: BABF11 (SI-1111 / S11E15) Missionary: Impossible
Homer becomes a missionary on a remote, tropical island as part of his effort to evade the local PBS affiliate's pledge drive collection officials. Guest starring Betty White as herself.
20: 7F07 (SI-207 / S02E07) Bart vs. Thanksgiving
Bart runs away from home when he accidentally burns Lisa's masterpiece and refuses to apologize about it.
My first impressions:
We've had so much Season 5 and so much Treehouse, yet not this one yet. Early candidate for "episode to beat." (Then again technically the first number pulled is always "the one to beat" unless/until something beats it.)
Of all the episodes I've never seen, "22 Short Films" might be the second most famous behind "The PTA Disbands." Yet off the top of my head I can't remember whether people like it or hate it or "meh."
Hmm, so this bracket will have at least two "NR."
"Hit By A Car" is inferior to Treehouse IV but you can't say anything that bad about Lionel Hutz's debut episode.
"Missionary: Impossible" - quoting Paul's assessment of the Hell's Satans episode (which I disagreed with, though it does apply here): "OH GOD IT BURNS!"
And speaking of Paul... I guess he won't be slotting "Thanksgiving" very high. The question is, will I?
Both of the NR's below are slotted despite the fact that their slots are at best educated guesses. Of course I claim they're formally both still NR, but given how the other four come out (plus what one can infer from what I do know) I'd be stunned if I would've rated them any differently.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Treehouse of Horror IV
2. Bart Gets Hit by a Car
NR. 22 Short Films About Springfield
4. Bart vs. Thanksgiving
NR. Dude, Where's My Ranch?
6. Missionary: Impossible
Incidentally: Episodes remaining by season...
1: three; 2: nine(!) [about time we got a couple more of these]; 3: seven; 4: eight; 5: five; 6: eleven(!); 7: eight; 8: nine; 9: seven; 10: seven; 11: five (whew!); 12: six; 13: six; 14: only three; 15: eight
Pool 34 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Bart on the Road (2)
2. Lady Bouvier's Lover (1)
3. C.E. D'oh (3)
4. Jaws Wired Shut (4)
5. Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore (5)
6. Saddlesore Galactica (6)
Very well-defined, even with gaps in what people have seen (this time around I took "AVERAGE" instead of "SUM" to adjust).
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 35, Pool 36 and Pool 37 are all still open.
Pool 39 will go up some time Monday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
118: 2F12 (SI-612 / S06E15) Homie the Clown
Homer's new job as a Krusty The Klown knock-off lands him in deep waters when mobsters want to give him a pair of cement clown shoes, thinking he's the real thing. Joe Mantegna and Johnny Unitas guest star.
128: 2F16 (SI-616 / S06E25) Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)
It's bad enough that Mr. Burns steals the newly discovered oil under Springfield Elementary, but it's going too far when he steals the town's sunshine. He is shot and everyone wonders who did the dirty deed. Tito Puente guest stars.
193: 5F10 (SI-910 / S09E15) The Last Temptation of Krust
After finally accepting that his comedic style is outdated, Krusty settles on more edgier material: what's wrong with today's crop of stand-up comedians. Guest starring Jay Leno, Steven Wright, Janeane Garofalo, Bobcat Goldthwait and Bruce Baum. Featuring Hank Williams Jr.
221: AABF14 (SI-1014 / S10E18) Simpsons Bible Stories
Reverend Lovejoy is showing his stuff with the latest in a series of disinteresting sermons. Bored so terribly are the Simpsons that each gradually doses off, dreaming that they're Adam and Eve, Moses and David facing Goliath.
179: 4F22 (SI-822 / S09E01) The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
Driven to the brink of sanity by his appointed status as designated driver, Barney Gumble drives to downtown Manhattan in Homer's car, leaving it there. But when the family journeys to the big apple to retrieve their property, Homer faces a one-on-one showdown with the dreaded boot.
294: DABF20 (SI-1320 / S14E03) Bart vs. Lisa vs. 3rd Grade
After taking an aptitude test, Bart is held back a grade, and Lisa is skipped ahead, landing them both in third grade at the same time, and in the same class. Tension develops between them, but they are forced to work together when they become lost on a school field trip.
My first impressions:
"Homie the Clown" always makes me smile, though as great episodes go I'd never think of it if someone didn't remind me it existed. Also, if this same episode had been in a struggling late season, would we cite it as evidence of the show's recovery or more of the same?
We had WSMB part 2 way back in Pool 9 (it came in second to "Homer Alone"); check the category archive for votes and comments. I think part 1 is inferior to part 2 but then I vastly underrated part 2 compared to y'all.
Krusty as a George Carlin type is, among other things, the actual episode in which the Canyonero made its debut (NOT "Screaming Yellow Honkers"). So far I like all three of these without loving any of them, if that makes sense.
Happy Easter, everyone. That said, the "Bible Stories" were horrible.
See, this pool is going to get three or four different episodes with first place votes, and as long as none of those is "Bible Stories" I can't disagree.
Ah yes, the "Learn to Fart" state. This is a really tough pool to evaluate, especially the two clown ones. Any ordering of the top five would seem plausible to me.
Preliminary rankings:
1. The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
2. Homie the Clown
3. The Last Temptation of Krust
4. Bart vs. Lisa vs. 3rd Grade
5. Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)
6. Simpsons Bible Stories
Pool 33 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Radioactive Man (2 3)
2. Treehouse of Horror IX (3 NR)
3. Colonel Homer (1)
4. There's No Disgrace Like Home (4)
5. The Computer Wore Menace Shoes (5)
6. Simpson Safari (6 NR)
Individual ballots were all over the map but in aggregate it was a well-defined order. Did I mention my surprise that "Colonel Homer" isn't pantheon-level? Maybe it's not so much that I believed this as that for some reason I assumed it.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 34, Pool 35, and Pool 36 are all still open.
Pool 38 will go up over the weekend.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
332: FABF15 (SI-1515 / S15E19) Simple Simpson
Homer splurges on pork products after being inspired by a Willy Wonka-like contest where the winner of a golden ticket gets to visit Farmer Billy's Bacon Factory. A consolation prize wins him a chance to judge a pig contest at the county fair. Lisa enters a pig in the contest but fails to win, [...]
100: 1F18 (SI-518 / S05E19) Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song
Bart brings the family dog to school for Show and Tell, unfortunately the dog escapes and indirectly gets Principal Skinner fired. School life under Principal Flanders just isn't the same and Bart schemes to get Skinner back.
304: EABF08 (SI-1408 / S14E13) A Star Is Born-Again
In a send-up of "Notting Hill", Ned Flanders begins dating a forgotten starlet. Guest stars Marisa Tomei, Helen Fielding, and James L. Brooks.
37: 8F01 (SI-301 / S03E02) Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
Thanks to Lisa's patriotic and winning essay in a Reading Digest contest, the Simpsons win a trip to Washington DC. However, Lisa's faith in democracy is shaken when she sees her local representative taking a bribe for a permit to cut down Springfield National Forest.
260: CABF07 (SI-1207 / S12E12) Tennis the Menace
Instead of buying a casket for his father, Homer uses the money to build a tennis court instead. Springfield wants to use the court for a tennis tournament, which all of the family members enter. But when teams are divided, the family gets competitive with each other, and they recruit professional tennis players to play in their places.
38: 7F23 (SI-223 / S03E03) When Flanders Failed
Ned Flanders quits his regular job and announces at a barbecue that he is opening a mall store catering to lefties. Homer, however, wishes that Flanders would fail.
My first impressions:
Not only have I never seen "Simple Simpson," the blurb reads like a mescaline hallucination. I'm overwhelmed.
"Badass" has definite "this is the one to beat" vibes, not sure to what extent it's a classic among all 335. Am I overrating the Willy/SLH chase scene?
Depending on the actual quality of "Simple Simpson," if "A Star Is Born-Again" doesn't hit rock-bottom then this will have been quite a regrettable bracket.
"Mr. Lisa" is a perfectly cromulent 2-seed or 3-seed. I love the "Reader's Digest" parody; the Capitol Steps spoof is well-deserved albeit painful to watch (Bart's critique being right-on).
"Tennis": Meh at best, flimsy celebrity-cameo-driven pointless waste of a half-hour at worst. Not a deep bracket by any means, though adequate at the top. UPDATE: I'd forgotten how funny the first segment is. The rest, not so much. I stand by my ordering of the five I've seen, though odds are this is better than "Simple Simpson"
Ah, the Leftorium. So sad. So hard to endure Homer's rottenness. I bet Paul hates this one. Top-to-bottom rankings seem blindingly obvious to me, the NR aside. Even that one's going to be hard pressed to avoid its natural slot. Of the other five I cannot overemphasize the gaping quality chasm between the top three and bottom two.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song
2. Mr. Lisa Goes To Washington
3. When Flanders Failed
NR. Simple Simpson
5. Tennis the Menace
6. A Star Is Born-Again
Pool 32 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Marge vs. the Monorail (1)
2. Treehouse of Horror XIV (2)
3. Lisa the Skeptic (3)
4. Diatribe of a Mad Housewife (4)
5. The President Wore Pearls (NR)
6. The Joy of Sect (6)
The only close call was the bottom two. Hard to give a fair assessment with so many "I haven't seen this one," but Pearls came out infinitessimally ahead of Sect and -- sorry Paul -- I do strongly agree with Dinan's assessment of the latter.
Funny thing: Wouldn't each of the six Pool 35 episodes (Greyhounds, Sexual Inadequacy, et al) obviously slot in at #2 compared to the above?
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 33, and Pool 34, and Pool 35 are all still open.
Pool 37 should be up by Friday morning.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
88: 1F05 (SI-505 / S05E07) Bart's Inner Child
Bart accidentally has the entire town emulating his actions, thanks to a feel-good therapist. James Brown guest stars.
300: EABF04 (SI-1404 / S14E09) The Strong Arms of the Ma
Marge is mugged at the Kwik-E-Mart and has a severe anxiety attack, which makes her completely unable to leave the house. In order to pass the time, Marge begins lifting weights, which make her stronger and ultimately allows her to overcome her fear. Marge's newfound physique motivates her to take up body building, and she wins 2nd prize in a contest. But when she begins taking steroids on the advice of Ruth Powers, she becomes aggressive and in a fit of rage destroys Moe's, which prompts Marge to rethink her new lifestyle.
199: 5F15 (SI-915 / S09E21) Girly Edition
Bart attempts to upstage his sister when the pair land anchor seats on a Children's educational news program. Meanwhile, Homer exploits his elderly father to obtain a helper monkey, which he quickly puts to work looting donut shops.
8: 7G07 (SI-107 / S01E08) The Tell-Tale Head
In order to impress some bad kids at school, Bart cuts off the head of a statue of the town's founder, Jebediah Obediah Zacariah Jenadiah Springfield. Unfortunately, this stunt shocks the whole town.
298: EABF02 (SI-1402 / S14E07) Special Edna
After cancelling an apple picking trip due to "mother issues", Principal Skinner upsets Ms. Krabappel. When Bart discovers this, he gets Edna nominated for Teacher of the Year and everyone travels to Orlando, Florida for the ceremony. Skinner decides to tag along, and musters up the courage to propose to Edna. Little Richard guest stars as himself.
240: BABF10 (SI-1110 / S11E14) Alone Again, Natura-Diddly
When Maude Flanders dies in a freak accident, Homer takes it upon himself to help Ned rebuild his life and gets him back into the dating game. After several unsuccessful dates, Ned walks into church and finds himself interested in the lead singer of a Christian rock band. Guest starring Shawn Colvin and Frank Welker.
My first impressions:
My opinion of "Bart's Inner Child" vaccillates wildly. In tone and quality it feels more at home in a late season than in Season 5, especially given the final chase scene. I do like the "moral" (i.e. the final scene), though.
Hey, steroids really are everywhere this week! Below average episode but non-terrible.
What the... I've never seen "Girly Edition." From the description, I think so far all three of these are worse than all six from Pool 35.
All four of these are worse than all six from Pool 35. What's the best of the four? "Bart's Inner Child" by default?
All five of these...
All six of these... am I wrong?
Seriously now - can I get a show of hands for how many people think literally all six of Pool 35 are better than literally all six of Pool 36? And if so... I'm torn between procedural integrity and common sense.
Well, assume I won't do anything crazy. Just rank these, and rank those, and tune in next week. Maybe "Girly Edition" is astonishingly good and I'd it at #1 if I were aware of just how good it were. I mean, not that any of these are horrible, but talk about your lack of depth...
Preliminary rankings:
NR. Girly Edition
2. Alone Again Bart's Inner Child
3. Bart's Inner Child Alone Again
4. Special Edna
5. The Tall-Tale Head
6. Strong Arms of the Ma
Pool 31 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. The Last Temptation of Homer (1)
2. Bart's Friend Falls In Love (2)
3. Bart Gets Famous (4)
4. Itchy & Scratchy & Marge (3)
5. Home Sweet Home... (5)
6. Children of a Lesser Clod (NR)
Very clear 1, 2, and 6, but 3 thru 5 were almost a dead heat. Everyone ranked "Bart Gets Famous" and "Home Sweet Home..." adjacent, with most people putting "Famous" ahead. Big disagreement on I&S&M.
The above is my initial ranking with I&S&M down a tick, or the Dinan/Coen ranking with I&S&M up a tick.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 32, Pool 33, and Pool 34 are all still open.
Pool 36 should be up by Wednesday morning.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
NOTE TO SELF: =INDIRECT("A"&(FLOOR(RAND()*(335-COUNT(C2:C336)),1)+COUNT(C2:C336)+1))
Numbers...
84: 1F02 (SI-502 / S05E03) Homer Goes to College
In order to continue in his job at the Nuclear power plant, Homer must attend college.
123: 2F18 (SI-618 / S06E20) Two Dozen and One Greyhounds
Santa's Little Helper's frisky nature nets the Simpsons a new dog and 25 spanking new puppies. When Burns steals the young greyhounds, Bart and Lisa set out to discover why he wants them.
307: EABF11 (SI-1411 / S14E16) 'Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky
Snobby English documentary filmmaker Declan Desmond convinces Lisa she must choose a career path immediately, prompting her entry into astronomy. But when her successful petition to reduce outdoor light pollution gives criminals increased cover of darkness, an angered citizenry sees to it that Springfield's outdoor lighting becomes brighter than ever, leading to perpetual daylight. Meanwhile, after being humiliated at the hands of Nelson and company, Bart tries to salvage his cool by stealing the golden hood ornament from Fat Tony's '30s Stutz Bearcat-style gangster car.
113: 2F07 (SI-607 / S06E10) Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy
Grampa Simpson's love tonic saves Homer and Marge's sex life, but breaks the bond between Father and Son. Meanwhile, Bart thinks Springfield is invaded by UFOs
97: 1F14 (SI-514 / S05E16) Homer Loves Flanders
After Ned Flanders give a ticket to Homer for a much-hyped football game, Homer becomes Ned's best friend.
169: 4F14 (SI-814 / S08E16) Brother from Another Series
Bart suspects a sinister motive when Sideshow Bob reunites with his estranged bother Cecil, who promptly places Bob in charge of supervising the building of Springfield's Hydroelectric Dam. David Hyde Pierce guest stars.
My first impressions:
"Homer Goes to College": Above-average episode, not a classic (and therefore lost in the season 5 shuffle sometimes). I love the vast disparity between the actual dean's personality and Homer's dean archetype from "Animal House" type movies. Also, poor Bart & Lisa missing the best Itchy & Scratchy ever.
"Greyhounds": Classic, or do I overrate it based on Songs in the Key of Springfield? Probably a classic, at least a "this is the one to beat" vibe.
"Miss the Sky": Brilliant. Madcap. An example of a late-season episode succeeding at the over-the-topness that it attempts. Better than "Greyhounds"? Tough to say, but at the very least I'd slot it at #2 with no regret, though I have no idea to what extent y'all agree with me.
Wow, there aren't many Abe Simpson episodes that I could just take or leave. This one's not bad but it's clearly fourth best so far.
Welcome, Seasons 5 and 6. Recipe for a deep, insanely hard-to-sort-out bracket. "Homer Loves Flanders" is solidly above average - I love the name of the sermon - but this isn't the bracket where it gets a chance to shine.
Son of a... Deepest Bracket Ever. I claim all six of these are above-average. You?
I fear for the Season 14 episode that I absolutely love but at least two of you won't have seen and one more probably hated. Oh well, blah blah promotion/relegation blah. Also, I'm putting at #1. Dead serious, as good as all six of these are I think it's the best of the six. Lisa's battle of wits with Desmond is priceless, as are the museum scenes.
Preliminary rankings:
1. 'Scuse Me While I Miss The Sky
2. Two Dozen and One Greyhounds
3. Brother From Another Series ("[shudder] Princeton!")
4. Homer Loves Flanders ("...What Ned Did...")
5. Homer Goes To College
6. Grandpa vs. Sexual Inadequacy
...without checking, I imagine this (or whatever actually does land at 6 when all is said and done) will enter promotion/relegation as by far our best 6th-placer.
No results to post, as a week ago at this time I was in Mexico.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 31, Pool 32, and Pool 33 are all still open.
Pool 35 should go up Mondayish.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
102: 1F21 (SI-521 / S05E21) Lady Bouvier's Lover
Grampa Simpson falls in love with Marge's mother, Jackie, but Mr. Burns woos her away from him. Grampa is broken hearted when learning Jackie is going to marry Burns.
325: FABF07 (SI-1507 / S15E12) Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Milhouse and his mother move to Capital City, leaving Bart without a best friend and Kirk without a son. Bart finds himself bonding with Lisa, and their relationship grows, that is, until Kirk is awarded "pity custody " of his son. Meanwhile, Homer, after getting drunk, is mistaken for a beggar, and discovers it's not a bad source of second income.
148: 3F17 (SI-717 / S07E20) Bart on the Road
With fake drivers ID in hand, have Bart will travel. In this case, Nelson, Martin and Milhouse come along for the ride when Bart hits the wide open road. Meanwhile, Lisa spends some quality time with Homer at the power plant.
278: DABF05 (SI-1305 / S13E09) Jaws Wired Shut
Homer breaks his jaw in an accident, requiring it to be wired shut for a month. His resulting inability to talk makes him a better listener, and he becomes closer to family and friends because of it. They all like the new Homer much better, but when the wires come off and Homer retains his new attitude, everyone begins to miss the old Homer's antics.
239: BABF09 (SI-1109 / S11E13) Saddlesore Galactica
Homer and Bart adopt an abandoned racehorse, named Duncan, and soon discover the ups and downs of horse racing. Guest starring Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO) and Jim Cummings as Duncan.
306: EABF10 (SI-1410 / S14E15) C.E. D'oh.
After being rejected by a sleepy Marge on Valentine's Night, Homer enrolls in Stark Richdale's extension class Successmanship 101, which gives him the "Megatronics" tools needed to take over the SNPP - by replacing the plant's true owner, a canary, with himself, and firing Mr. Burns.
My first impressions:
And we begin with a heavyweight. All-time great? Solid #1? Somewhere in between? (My favorite thing about this process has been seeing my preconceived notions disproved. Case in point from one pool ago, I'd always assumed "Colonel Homer" was in everyone's pantheon. Apparently not.) Anyhow, this is a dead solid #1 at least in my book. Ever notice that the episodes centering on Abe are almost always top-notch?
Another good one that perhaps I like more than you do. The Bart-Lisa bonding is priceless and I'd forgotten about the subplot.
"Knoxville! Knoxville!" Ouch. Sweet bracket so far. Comparing this and Lady Bouvier's Lover to the one between 'em, Season 15 eps have been (for their sake) unluckily distributed.
Even "Jaws Wired Shut" is really sweet. Four above-average episodes so far.
...and then ugh. On "Saddlesore" were they even trying? Is Season 11 the worst one ever? It's the first one for which I'd emphatically decline to buy the full-season DVD.
Nice recovery, though, and a very deep pool. Whatever lands at #5 is royally screwed by pool depth (and I changed my mind between 4/5 two minutes after posting this). Agonizing call for the top two as well.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Lady Bouvier's Lover
2. Bart on the Road
3. C.E. D'oh
4. Jaws Wired Shut
5. Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore
6. Saddlesore Galactica
Pool 30 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Cape Feare (1)
2. Homer at the Bat (2)
3. The Boy Who Knew Too Much (3)
4. Viva Ned Flanders (4)
5. I Married Marge (5)
6. The Ziff Who Came To Dinner (6)
Killer brackets seem to produce really easy pecking orders. 4 and 5 above were a dead heat, all others unanimously pigeonholed to their respective slots.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 31 and Pool 32 are both still open.
Pool 34 should go up over the weekend.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
207: AABF01 (SI-1001 / S10E04) Treehouse of Horror IX
Hell's Toupee, The Terror of Tiny Toon, and Starship Poopers.
4: 7G04 (SI-104 / S01E04) There's No Disgrace Like Home
After seeing family bliss at the recent family picnic, Homer sells the TV and goes to a psychiatrist advertised on TV.
130: 2F17 (SI-617 / S07E02) Radioactive Man
Friendships could be torn when Bart and Milhouse are both up for the role of 'Fallout Boy' in the new 'Radioactive Man' movie. Meanwhile, the town of Springfield sees $$$ and milk the 'Radioactive Man' film crew for all their cash. With Mickey Rooney.
254: CABF02 (SI-1202 / S12E06) The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
After realizing that he's missing the cyberspace boat, Homer plugs into the internet and builds a web site. But when low traffic hits him where it hurts, he resorts to spicing up his cyberslab with damaging gossip concerning fellow townsfolk. Guest starring Patrick McGoohan as Prisoner #6.
55: 8F19 (SI-319 / S03E20) Colonel Homer
After a particularly bad movie experience, Homer drives to a bar where he discovers a singer named Lurleen Lumpkin. Now, Colonel Homer is her manager, much to Marge's disgust. Beverly D'Angelo guest stars as Lurleen Lumpkin.
265: CABF13 (SI-1213 / S12E17) Simpson Safari
A belated prize awaits Homer in his next box of animal crackers, one which starts the family out on an exotic trip to Ngorongoro, Africa.
My first impressions:
I KNEW IT! There's a Treehouse of Horror I've never seen. NR by force. But what on Earth was I doing that made me miss this?
The one where they go to Marvin Monroe and electroshock each other is much more famous than good. It's alarming to see Homer and Marge so far removed from the characters they developed into (contrast to "Secrets of a Successful Marriage," on in syndication last night and panned in a recent pool), especially Marge.
"Radioactive Man" is decent, still no "episode to beat" in this pool yet.
"Menace Shoes" = major meh.
Paraphrasing Lurleen, I finally found me a #1. Unless...
You can't be serious. I know I haven't seen "Safari" either but if I saw the previews I'd skip it without regret. Weak bracket, depending on the merits of the two I've never seen. Just guessing on their respective slots even though they're both formally NR.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Colonel Homer
NR. Treehouse of Horror IX
3. Radioactive Man
4. There's No Disgrace Like Home
5. The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
NR. Simpson Safari
Pool 29 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Life on the Fast Lane (1)
2. Krusty Gets Busted (4)
3. Brake My Wife, Please (NR)
4. Marge vs. SSCCaTaG (2)
5. Secrets of a Successful Marriage (3)
6. Margical History Tour (5)
"Brake My Wife" flew in so far under the radar that Paul's comment is a sample size of one. SSCCaTaG and Successful Marriage ended up in a dead heat but I stand by my opinion that SSCCaTaG is the better of the two.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 30 and Pool 31 are both still open and both still flat-out stacked.
Pool 33 should be up by Friday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
71: 9F10 (SI-410 / S04E12) Marge vs. the Monorail
After getting $3 million from a fine due to Mr. Burn's illegal disposal of nuclear waste, the town decides to spend money on a needless monorail ....built from shoddy materials. Leonard Nimoy guest voices as himself.
186: 5F05 (SI-905 / S09E08) Lisa the Skeptic
While Lisa and her classmates conduct an archaeological survey, a skeleton with abnormal bone structures growing from the shoulders is uncovered, leading the townspeople to conclude the remains are that of an angel. Guest starring Stephen Jay Gould and Phil Hartman.
191: 5F23 (SI-923 / S09E13) The Joy of Sect
Along with the majority of Springfield, Homer and company are lured into the Movementarian cult by a slick pamphlet and tantalizing promises. But as Marge begins to realize that the cult only has money on its mind, she must try her hand at deprogramming to rescue her family.
316: EABF20 (SI-1420 / S15E03) The President Wore Pearls
After Martin stages a school charity casino that turns ugly, Lisa replaces him as school president, defeating Nelson in the election. The teachers decide she has too much power and distract her from making real changes by filling her days with meaningless duties. When Lisa uncovers a plot by Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers to cut art, gym and shop classes out of the school budget, she calls for a student strike that is so successful she is banished to a school for the gifted (and troublesome).
323: FABF05 (SI-1505 / S15E10) Diatribe of a Mad Housewife
Marge writes a novel and gets endorsements from writers playing themselves. Guest stars Tom Clancy and Thomas Pynchon.
314: EABF21 (SI-1421 / S15E01) Treehouse of Horror XIV
Reaper Madness, Frinkenstein, and Stop The World I Want To Goof Off
My first impressions:
How many of you have been waiting all meme for Monorail? Clear early top seed and then some. I'm not as big a fan as the rest of you but even I see this as a strong #1.
Skeptic is solidly above average but Joy of Sect is mind-numbingly unwatchable.
Never seen "The President Wore Pearls" but it sounds appealing. NR by force, with the fervent hope that y'all have seen it.
Marge's novel made for a serviceable episode. I got the impression that other people liked it more than I did.
Wow... welcome to Season 15. That's nine Treehouses down, five to go. This one really revived the Treehouse series after some serious missteps.
Overall the top two seem obvious to me, as does the bottom (you all probably don't hate it nearly as much as I do; you probably even like it). Any ordering of the other three would seem reasonable .
Preliminary rankings:
1. Marge vs. The Monorail
2. Treehouse of Horror XIV
3. Lisa the Skeptic
4. Diatribe of a Mad Housewife
NR. The President Wore Pearls
6. The Joy of Sect
Pool 27 and Pool 28 results are here (or just scroll down).
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 29 and Pool 30 are both still open.
Pool 32 will go up sometime Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. We'll be back on four-a-week if time permits, three-a-week otherwise.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
90: 1F07 (SI-507 / S05E09) The Last Temptation of Homer
Homer falls in love with a new female employee at the nuclear plant who is just like Homer. Homer, however, feels guilty. Michelle Pfiffer and Werner Klemperer guest star.
58: 8F22 (SI-322 / S03E23) Bart's Friend Falls in Love
Bart and Milhouse enter the age of cooties, when Milhouse dates a new girl... without her father knowing it. Meanwhile, Homer tries to lose weight by listening to a subliminal tape. Kimmy Robertson guest stars.
93: 1F11 (SI-511 / S05E12) Bart Gets Famous
After escaping from a field trip to a cardboard factory, Bart sneaks into the Krusty the Klown show, and becomes his assistant. However, Bart is launched into instant stardom after accidentally wrecking a set on live TV and uttering, 'I didn't do it.'
268: CABF16 (SI-1216 / S12E20) Children of a Lesser Clod
Homer injures himself while playing basketball at the YMCA, and needs surgery. While recovering at home, he finds he is good at caring for pets and at babysitting the Flandereses' children, so much so that he starts a daycare center which gets him nominated for a Good Guy award for service to the community. But Bart and Lisa feel neglected through all of this, and are determined to thwart his award campaign.
22: 7F09 (SI-209 / S02E09) Itchy & Scratchy & Marge
After watching an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon, Maggie bonks Homer in the head with a hammer. When this happens, Marge vows to eliminate violence in cartoons.
131: 3F01 (SI-701 / S07E03) Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily
Bart, Lisa and Maggie are placed in the care of the Flanders family when Homer and Marge are found to be unfit parents. Now, Homer and Marge must prove to the authorities that they are fit parents before the kids become too Flanders like. Joan Kenley guest stars.
My first impressions:
I've been waiting all meme for Last Temptation; if this isn't the clear #1 then we'll have a very strong bracket.
Damn. I've been waiting all meme for Samantha Stanky too. In most brackets this is a clear #1, yet I'm pretty sure it's below Last Temptation. Then again, the sex ed video...
Apparently my cruise will be bookened by two behemoth brackets. "Bart Gets Famous" is clearly only third-best so far, and yet easily at least #2 in a typical bracket.
Wow, I don't know a thing about "Lesser Clod," though the episodes right before and after it on the Season 12 page utterly fail to recommend it. NR by force but I'd be shocked if it's remotely as good as the three before it in this bracket.
Is I&S&M in the top half of episodes by quality? It's certainly in the top half by name recognition. We've had brackets weak enough that this would be #1, though it's stretched at #2 and in this bracket has to fight for #3, not even taking into account...
A very high-quality episode that I nonetheless didn't enjoy watching and will slot without much regret, even knowing that this bracket probably screws it a little. Still leaving the tough call for 3/4, which I'll resolve on gut without bothering to explain.
Preliminary rankings:
1. The Last Temptation of Homer
2. Bart's Friend Falls In Love
3. Itchy & Scratchy & Marge
4. Bart Gets Famous
5. Home Sweet Home...
NR. Children of a Lesser Clod
Pool strength metric: Two behemoths, at least four above average, at most one that truly stinks.
New pool coming soon.
Pool 27 results:
1. Homerpalooza (2)
2. Behind the Laughter (NR/1)
3. Bart the Daredevil (5)
4. Take My Wife, Please (3)
5. Wild Barts Can't Be Broken (6)
6. Bart of War (4)
The top five are probably all at least one slot too high. I'll grudgingly agree that the "Behind the Laughter" concept was good, but while Mark describes it as "much less watchable now," I remember the first time it aired; I had my fill of it by the first commercial break.
Pool 28 results:
1. Mr. Plow (1)
2. The PTA Disbands (2)
3. Simpsons Spinoff Showcase (NR/6)
4. Little Big Mom (3)
5. I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can (4)
6. Call of the Simpsons (5)
Craig's comment made it a lot easier to go with Plow over PTA, though between promotion and any "playoff" pools, this probably isn't the last those two episodes have seen of each other. Re John's question, I really enjoyed 138th when it first aired; if I saw a rerun of it I'd probably turn it off.
(Turn it off, not "change the channel": Unlike most of the U.S., I watch TV to see specific shows rather than to flip through channels. I don't say this to brag, though I do feel smug about it now and then.)
This is effectively the halfway point of the prelims; as of this entry, 26 pools are in the book, 26 are yet to come, and four are open.
Pool 26 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Last Exit to Springfield (4)
2. Round Springfield (2)
3. HOMR (1)
4. Fraudcast News (5)
5. Days of Wine and D'Oh-ses (3)
6. Homer's Odyssey (6)
Last Exit by acclamation, Fraudcast News with some guesswork as to how one would rank it if you'd all seen it.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 27, and Pool 28, and Pool 29 are all still open. Pools 27 and 29 especially need some love.
Pool 31 will go up sometime Tuesday with a double-dip of results to post.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
52: 8F13 (SI-313 / S03E17) Homer at the Bat
Mr. Burns bets $1,000,000 that his company team can beat a competing plant's team. In order to do so, he replaced the regular company team with new security guard Roger Clemens, new janitor Wade Boggs, lunchroom cashier Ken Griffey Jr., and other new employees like Steve Sax, Don Mattingly, Ozzie Smith, Darryl Strawberry, Jose Canseco, and Mike Scoscia (who runs the solid contaminate encapsulator). Terry Cashman also guest stars.
47: 8F10 (SI-310 / S03E12) I Married Marge
Picking up where The Way We Was left off....The year is 1980, and Homer is working at the local miniature golfing course, living with Marge's parents, and dating Marge. Then Marge becomes pregnant with Bart.
83: 9F22 (SI-422 / S05E02) Cape Feare
Sideshow Bob is paroled from prison, and he has only one thing in mind for Bart: revenge.
327: FABF08 (SI-1508 / S15E14) The Ziff Who Came to Dinner
Marge's ex-boyfriend Artie Ziff is discovered in the Simpsons' attic penniless, unemployed, and on the run from the authorities. When the feds come in to arrest Artie, they find that Homer has won all of Artie's assets in a poker game and is now the primary stockholder, and he takes the fall for Artie's shady business dealings. When Homer receives 10 years in the pokey, Marge becomes convinced that Artie is and will forever be the most selfish man on Earth, but a memorable night out with Selma helps Artie grow a conscience. Guest stars Jon Lovitz, reprising his role as Artie Ziff.
213: AABF06 (SI-1006 / S10E10) Viva Ned Flanders
Discouraged by sixty years of minding his P's and Q's, Ned Flanders asks Homer to reveal the secret of his intoxicating lust for life. But Homer's plans to put the spice back into Ned's brio go haywire when they land the pair in wedlock with two grubby casino cocktail waitresses. Guest starring The Moody Blues.
101: 1F19 (SI-519 / S05E20) The Boy Who Knew Too Much
Bart skips class and witnesses a waiter brutally beaten. The Mayor's nephew is blamed, but Bart can clear him -- however it would mean coming clean about skipping class.
My first impressions:
Way to start it off! Mind, if the celebrity-cameo episodes had been in a different order, would we find this one tendentious and gratuitous? Probably not - in addition to spawning the episode type, this one's way funnier than the others. Can you imagine Lord Palmerston somewhere in the afterlife, unaware of the pop cultural reference from 100 years later and baffled as to why everyone thinks he's so funny?
Speaking of recurring episode types... this is one of the weaker "nostalgia" eps, if only because so much of it is a downer.
Speaking of recurring episode types again... the quintessential Sideshow Bob return, and we have all the warning signs of a Bracket of Death. Hasn't it been awhile since Barker exclaimed, "Damn you, Clippy!"?
I vaguely remember the return of Artie Ziff - could never come near enough suspension of disbelief to work with Homer's grossly unfair prison sentence, and this ep doesn't stand much of a chance in this bracket anyway.
Oh, and I love Viva Ned Flanders, though I've seen bulletin board discussions to the effect that hardcore fans despise it. Of the subset of episodes that require absolutely no intelligence to enjoy them, this is cream of the slapstick crop.
...and our Bracket of Death is complete. It's CHOW-da, say it! Say it! Non! Shau-DAIR!
Ranking these is really gonna hurt.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Cape Feare
2. Homer at the Bat
3. The Boy Who Knew Too Much
4. Viva Ned Flanders
5. I Married Marge
6. The Ziff Who Came To Dinner
At least five of these would have been clearly the best in godforsaken Pool 27 (Behind the Laughter, Homerpalooza, et al), at least in my opinion.
Pool 25 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. My Sister, My Sitter (1)
2. War of the Simpsons (2)
3. Natural Born Kissers (3)
4. Sweets and Sour Marge (5)
5. Smart and Smarter (6)
6. The Parent Rap (4)
Weak brackets don't get much commentary, eh? Speaking of which, Pool 27 seriously needs some input.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 26, Pool 27, and Pool 28 are all still open.
Pool 30 might go up late Thursday. Still out of town Friday through Monday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
321: FABF03 (SI-1503 / S15E08)Marge vs. SSCCaTaG
When a group of singles, seniors, childless couples, teens, and gays band together to protest having to accommodate families (including paying property taxes used to teach children they don't have), Marge takes up the cause for the families, with some help from Bart and Lisa.
103: 1F20 (SI-520 / S05E22) Secrets of a Successful Marriage
Worrying about being slow, Homer decides to teach a marriage course. Unfortunately, he doesn't succeed as a teacher until he starts spilling some of Marge's personal secrets.
324: FABF06 (SI-1506 / S15E11) Margical History Tour
When the Springfield library becomes low on books, Marge educates her children on some classic tales, which include {Henry VIII, Lewis & Clark, Mozart}.
9: 7G11 (SI-111 / S01E09) Life on the Fast Lane
Homer gives Marge a bowling ball for her birthday, intending to use it for himself. However, Marge vows to learn how to bowl, and ends up getting intimate with Jacques, her bowling teacher.
311: EABF15 (SI-1415 / S14E20) Brake My Wife, Please
Judge Harm revokes Homer's license, and he discovers the healthy joys of walking, while Marge becomes stressed by the added running around to the point where she accidentally runs him over. Now Marge has to nurse him on top of everything else and they realize they need to visit a marriage counsellor. Homer realizes he must do unselfish deeds for his wife to save their marriage. Guest stars Steve Buscemi and Jackson Browne as themselves, and Jane Kaczmarek as Judge Harm.
12: 7G12 (SI-112 / S01E12) Krusty Gets Busted
When Krusty the Klown is caught robbing the Kwik-E-Mart, Bart vows to clear his hero's name, even though the robbery was witnessed by his father, Homer.
My first impressions:
SSCCaTaG is easily Season 15's best effort (that I know of). Interesting side question: When's the last time a better Simpsons episode than this was broadcast for the first time?
Secrets is decent. Not one of Season 5's best but that just shows how good Season 5 was.
If you have to have two S15 in one bracket, this is about as good as it gets. The "Lewis & Clark" segment was lame but the other two compare favorably to "Tales From The Public Domain." As a whole, maybe even the best of the three episodes of its kind. So far, no obvious #1 but no obvious #6.
If you have to have a season 1 in your bracket, the bowling episode is a mighty fine choice. Yet another side question: Best episode of Season 1? People seem to default to "Bart the Genius." I'm a "Bart the General" kind of guy myself but "Fast Lane" needs to be in that mix.
Never saw "Brake My Wife" but the paragraph above doesn't recommend it. I had no idea they let Judge Harm into episodes other than "Parent Rap"; who drank that Kool-Aid?
Wow, so the pool 29 episodes by season are 1, 1, 5, 14, 15, 15. And we have another of what I like to call "deep but not top-heavy" (i.e., either "Mr. Plow" or "PTA Disbands" would mop the floor with this bracket). I hope "Brake My Wife" is as terrible as it looks, since even if that's an obvious sixth choice, whatever comes in fifth seems a little hosed.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Life on the Fast Lane
2. Marge vs. SSCCaTaG
3. Secrets of a Successful Marriage
4. Krusty Gets Busted
5. Margical History Tour
NR. Brake My Wife, Please
Extra brownie points to the first person to complete/correctly quote Homer's line exiting the power plant. I can't do it myself without looking it up or badly mangling it.
Pool 24 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Bart the Murderer (2)
2. Brother Can You Spare Two Times (1)
3. Treehouse of Horror VI (5)
4. One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Bluefish (3)
5. Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire (4)
6. Simpson Tall Tales (6)
Other than 3 and 4, nothing was even close. Allyson's comment was enough for me to give the 3D Treehouse the edge.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 25, Pool 26, and Pool 27 are all still open.
Pool 29 will go up later this week; Pool 30 might also, though probably won't. Still out of town Friday through Monday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
177: 4F20 (SI-820 / S08E24) The Simpsons Spin-off Showcase
Troy McClure present three Simpsons spinoff spoofs: In "Chief Wiggum, P.I.," Chief Wiggum becomes a detective and moves to New Orleans with Principal Skinner as his assistant. Next, Grampa Simpson's soul is trapped inside Moe's Love tester machine in "The Love-Matic Grampa." Finally, the Simpson family host a '70ish variety show in "The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour."
124: 2F19 (SI-619 / S06E21) The PTA Disbands
A few weeks away from school is what Dr. Bart has ordered when he successfully schemes to have the teachers go on strike. But much to Bart's surprise the school reopens and Marge is his new teacher. Meanwhile, Lisa tries to cope with the situation.
7: 7G09 (SI-109 / S01E07) Call of the Simpsons
It's a camping misadventure for the Simpsons. First, the Simpson's get lost in the woods and lose all their camping equipment. Then, Bart and Homer go get help, but get washed down a waterfall, and lose all their clothes. Meanwhile, Maggie meets up with some bears. Then, Homer is mistaken for Big Foot.
236: BABF04 (SI-1104 / S11E10) Little Big Mom
After suffering an accident at a local skiing attraction, Marge relinquishes control of the household to the next-most responsible member of the family. Guest starring Elwood Edwards (the voice of AOL).
68: 9F07 (SI-407 / S04E09) Mr. Plow
After Homer wrecks the two family cars during a snowstorm, he buys a snowplow, and starts up Mr. Plow. However, the competition becomes cut-throat when Homer's best buddy, Barney, starts up a competing plowing business, Plow King. Guest stars Linda Ronstadt and Adam West.
303: EABF07 (SI-1407 / S14E12) I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can
While Homer falls in love with the new limited-time Krusty Ribwich, Lisa enjoys the sudden popularity of being a spelling champ -- and soon becomes the state rep for the Spell-lympics. When the Ribwich is discontinued locally, Homer joins up with the Ribheads and follows the mystery meat sandwich tour around the country. At the finals, George Plimpton tells Lisa to take a dive (and get a free college scholarship) so that a cuter kid will win and ensure the future of competitive spelling. Guest stars George Plimpton.
My first impressions:
Is "Spinoff Showcase" a repeat of the "Behind the Laughter" standoff or do the rest of you agree with me about its immense suckitude? Look for a diplomatic NR depending on how the rest of this comes out.
Speaking of "NR", do I have any memory of "PTA Disbands"? It seems not to be quite what I thought it was. Skimming the write-up may be necessary.
Lame, lame, lame, lame, lame: Homer is big and apelike, and they can have quasi-amusing father-son camping hijinx in the nude. Not nearly as bad as "Homer's Odyssey" but one of those that makes you thankful the rest of Season 1 was good enough for the show not to be cancelled prematurely.
A pool "won" by "Little Big Mom" would be pretty weak, but you can do worse. Of all the Simpsons episodes that I think Julia has never seen, this is right near the top of the ones I want her to see, strictly for the Lucille Ball device.
Okay, a legit #1 and suddenly a respectable bracket. The only question is whether it'll be unanimous at the top.
Hmm, probably unanimous. The Spellympics/Ribwich/Plimpton episode is a very interesting case of how to rank things. It's a very clever one but also a very annoying one. How much of my annoyance is anti-late-season bias? Suppose this were smack dab in the middle of Season 7 - would we rave about it?
Time to cheat and skim "PTA Disbands"... hey, it was the one I thought it was. Should've just searched the page for "malk." Okay, that means this is actually a fairly good bracket, with fairly obvious rankings. As "PTA Disbands" would be a solid #1 in about half the pools we've had, I suppose the top slot won't be unanimous after all.
You know what, I don't think I've ever seen "The PTA Disbands" in its entirety, even though I already knew at least half the best lines. This could easily be the best episode I've never fully seen. Thank goodness the Season 6 DVD is only a few months away.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Mr. Plow
2. The PTA Disbands
3. Little Big Mom
4. I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can
5. Call of the Simpsons
NR. Spinoff Showcase
(If you forced me to supress the gag reflex and give "Showcase" a fair ranking, I'd put it above "Call of the Simpsons" but that's it.)
Pool 23 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie (1)
2. Homer vs. The 18th Amendment (4)
3. The Principal and the Pauper (2)
4. Mr. Spritz Goes To Washington (5)
5. Treehouse XI (3)
6. Tis the 15th Season (6)
You're all right that I badly underrated 18th Amendment. It's probably still underrated (don't forget the upcoming promotion/relegation scheme) but head-to-head with Itchy & Scratchy, more people opted for the latter.
The brackets of death always have surprisingly easy tallies. Apparently you can have a close call between mediocre episodes, or lament that good episodes were screwed by the bracketing, but not both at once.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 24, Pool 25, and Pool 26 are all still open.
Tentative schedule for the next few pools (working around a weekend trip): Pool 28 Tuesday (with two result sets posted), Pool 29 Thursday, Pool 30 next Tuesday (with two result sets posted), Pool 31 Thursday, Pool 32 Saturday, etc.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
234: BABF05 (SI-1105 / S11E08) Take My Wife, Sleaze
Homer and Marge win a motorcycle in a dance contest. Homer decides to form his own motorcycle gang called "Hell's Satans". But there's just one problem - the name is already taken, and when the two gangs encounter one another, trouble ensues. Guest stars NRBQ, John Goodman as Meathook, Henry Winkler as Ramrod, and Jay North as himself.
248: BABF19 (SI-1119 / S11E22) Behind the Laughter
Explore the "actual," off-stage lives of the Simpson family, from the money and drugs to celebrity and supermodels, including testimonial from Springfield citizens about how fame tore the family apart. Guest starring Willie Nelson and Jim Forbes.
214: AABF07 (SI-1007 / S10E11) Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
Homer and his drunken cohorts celebrate an improbable victory by the Springfield Isotopes by trashing the local elementary school. But when the police force fails to locate the actual vandals, the town's children are hastily blamed for the rowdiness and punished with a new sunset curfew. Guest starring Cyndi Lauper.
312: EABF16 (SI-1416 / S14E21) The Bart of War
After his latest bout of mischief results in another encounter with the Springfield police department (as the result of watching a South Park episode), Marge and Homer elect to place Bart into a program of supervised afternoon activities -- in the form of a quasi- Native American tribe dubbed "The Pre-Teen Braves." But tribal war ensues when his clan is forced into a game of community service one-upsmanship with an opposing group of do-gooders: "The Calvary Kids."
21: 7F06 (SI-206 / S02E08) Bart the Daredevil
Bart embarks on a life of death-defying feats when he sees a daredevil perform at a Monster Truck Rally.
152: 3F21 (SI-721 / S07E24) Homerpalooza
Homer earns himself a place in Lollapalooza, as part of the travelling freak show: catching cannon balls with his belly. Cypress Hill, Peter Frampton, The Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth guest star.
My first impressions:
Hell's Satans: All the signs of late-season decline (right down to the celebrity cameos and travel sequences), yet it's still a pretty good episode in my book.
It had to come up sometime. You already know how I feel about "Behind the Laughter." I already know how some of you feel. I will decline to assign it a ranking and let the chips fall where they may.
Goodness gracious the curfew episode was awful.
I've only seen the last 20 minutes of "Bart of War." Had no idea it specifically made a South Park reference. Weird. Not very good but not as bad as you might fear. This bracket needs serious help overall. How embarrassing compared to Pool 23 above.
Ugh. So many Season 2 episodes would have easily been tops among the first five of this pool. "Bart the Daredevil" just isn't one of them. Lowlighted by the extended serious-phyiscal-injury-to-Homer sequence at the end, arguably the most appalling segment of the first ~10 Simpson seasons.
Homerpalozza: Speaking of good episodes that set terrible precedents. By the way, I despise this bracket. Not every single episode, but just the amalgam, compared to Pool 23. It makes a strong case for pre-seeding these things.
Preliminary rankings:
NR. Behind the Laughter
2. Homerpalooza
3. Take My Wife (Hell's Satans)
4. Bart of War
5. Daredevil
6. Wild Barts
Hate to say this, but my all-time least favorite Simpsons episode looks an awful lot like the only plausible top-seed in this whole group.
Pool 22 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming (2)
2. Insane Clown Poppy (1)
3. The Worst Episode Ever (4)
4. Treehouse X (3)
5. All Singing, All Dancing (5)
6. Barting Over (6)
Big cluster for 2-4, with Poppy all over the place but everyone ranking Treehouse and Worst consecutively. Those two deadlocked and I'm breaking the tie against myself because to me it really could go either way.
Paul is of course dead right about the dominance of Gleaming, though I'm still not wrong about Insane Clown Poppy. Great lines and scenes from the latter:
"Fine, I'll just discuss heavenly matters. So, how's Maude Flanders doing up there? She playing the field? Ooh, yeah, really? All those guys?"
"I guess musical talent skips a generation ... like diabetes!"
Fat Tony playing the violin... for real.
Homer literally playing a pinball game called "Devil's Advocate." (Sorry, it's the Family Guy fan in me. That and the Maya Angelou B-2 quote tickled the same part of my brain.)
"I thought I *was* on! When was I off? That bit about the tide pool?"
"Just a second, honey. Daddy's on his high horse."
"He discovered electricity -- and used it to torture small animals and green mountain men."
Amy Tan, embarrassed at how badly Lisa Simpson misunderstood "The Joy Luck Club." (It's funny because it's true.)
[The less said about the fireworks in the first act, the better.]
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 23, Pool 24, and Pool 25 are all still open. Pool 27 will go up over the weekend.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
244: BABF14 (SI-1114 / S11E18) Days of Wine and D'oh'ses
After seeing a videotape of himself intoxicated, Barney turns over a new leaf and goes the sober route. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa learn the ups and downs of photography in a contest held by the local telephone company.
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. Dr. Joyce Brothers guest stars.
3: 7G03 (SI-103 / S01E03) Homer's Odyssey
Homer gets fired for causing another accident at the nuclear plant, and almost commits suicide. He see the light, and becomes a safety activist, and soon goes after the plant he was fired from.
125: 2F32 (SI-632 / S06E22) 'Round Springfield
While visiting Bart in the hospital, Lisa learns a real-life lesson when a fellow patient is Bleeding Gums Murphy and he tells his life story for the last time. Guest starring Steve Allen and Ron Taylor (as Bleeding Gums Murphy).
257: BABF22 (SI-1122 / S12E09) HOMR
When doctors find and remove a crayon lodged in Homer's brain, his true IQ emerges, leading to a strong relationship with Lisa. But his relationship with others falls out once his new-found competence in safety inspecting leads to the closure of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.
335: FABF18 (SI-1518 / S15E22) Fraudcast News
Homer ruins a town celebration by defacing a public landmark, and in the process deprives Lisa of a chance to read her poetry in front of a crowd. Discouraged, Lisa decides to publish her writing in her own newsletter, which becomes under threat of corporate takeover after Mr. Burns buys all the media outlets in town. Instead of selling out to Mr. Burns, Lisa goes underground, but when Mr. Burns pays Homer to spill dirt on Lisa and undermine her enterprise, Lisa becomes disillusioned and gives up on her writing. But Homer sees the error of his ways and publishes his own work, encouraging the people to read what they want to read.
My first impressions:
I remember Barney going sober (doesn't he fly a helicopter?). The photography bit was cute. Much better episode than you'd think from the season it's in.
Last Exit is weak by season 4 standards but Homer's inadvertent negotiating ploys are priceless.
Continuity buffs will remember the black Smithers. "Odyssey" is one of the worst season 1 episodes, just not even remotely fun to watch.
Bleeding Gums's death is bittersweet but mostly sweet. So far this pool is respectable but not even remotely top-heavy.
Is HOMR a plausible #1? How weak a bracket do you need for that to happen? It's uniquely appropriate that this shares a bracket with "Odyssey." It and "'Round Springfield" are of comparable heartstring-tugging.
Hmm, HOMR on top it is. And we've knocked out both our edge cases. (Incidentally, do you have any interest in seeing Season 16 eps worked into this process? 12 and counting have aired. It's a lot easier to exclude them though.)
What's up with the novella-length blurbs on the Season 15's?
All in all, very challenging to rank: Five episodes probably around the dead center of quality (though HOMR is really unlike any other), and then a clunker that clunks in ways that few other Simpsons episodes clunk.
Preliminary rankings:
1. HOMR
2. Round Springfield
3. Wine and D'oh'ses
4. Last Exit
5. Fraudcast News
6. Homer's Odyssey
Pool 21 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Radio Bart (1)
2. Blood Feud (2)
3. The Old Man and the Key (3)
4. Monty Can't Buy Me Love (4)
5. Gump Roast (5)
6. Frying Game (6)
Two episodes that probably should make the top flight, two somewhat below average, a clip show, and an atrocity. Everyone ranked the top two on top, with a 3-2 edge to Funky See, Funky Do (when we played as I Do Believe We're Naked years ago at TRASHionals, my alias was Demi Moore; 1:3 male-female ratio on the team too). Middle two were 2-2 with John not having seen it. I boldly claim that if Paul remembered "Old Man" better he'd put it above "Monty," not that either of them necessarily deserve a #3 ranking when they can't hold a candle to any of the top five eps in, say, Pool 23.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 22, Pool 23, and Pool 24 are all still open. Pool 26 will go up some time Friday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Incidentally, pseudorandomness is still brought to you by MS Excel and =FLOOR(RAND()*335,1)+1 - as we're nearing the halfway point, this means a handful of dupes with each set (with the category archive up, the Firefox search bar is good at nailing those), which I'm lazy enough to tolerate. Maybe when there are 50 eps left I'll do something clever.
Numbers...
326: FABF09 (SI-1509 / S15E13) Smart and Smarter
After Apu and Majula send two of their octuplets to the prestigious Miss Wickerbottom's Pre-Nursery School, Homer is inspired to do the same for Maggie. Maggie is intially rejected because she doesn't talk, but Lisa eventually finds hidden talents in Maggie that lead to the discovery that Maggie's IQ is actually higher than Lisa. Dejected that she is no longer the "smart one", Lisa tries other ways of getting attention, including trying to sabotage Maggie's future. Guest stars American Idol judge Simon Cowell as the Admissions Officer.
277: DABF03 (SI-1303 / S13E08) Sweets and Sour Marge
When Springfield is named the "World's Fattest Town", thanks to a diabolical scheme by the Motherloving Sugar Corporation, Marge takes it upon herself to rid the entire town of the sweet stuff. Guest stars Ben Stiller as Garth Motherloving.
271: CABF22 (SI-1222 / S13E02) The Parent Rap
Bart appears in court to pay for an embarrassing joy ride in the police chief's patrol car. But just before he is set free, a second, vindictive judge named Constance Harm assumes the case and sentences him to the worst kind of detention imagineable: being tethered to Homer around the clock. Guest stars Jane Kaczmarek as Judge Harm.
170: 4F13 (SI-813 / S08E17) My Sister, My Sitter
Lisa's babysitting reputation is put to the test when she is assigned the task of babysitting Bart and Maggie, for which Bart is determine to make Lisa's life a 'living Hell'.
203: 5F18 (SI-918 / S09E25) Natural Born Kissers
After a near-fatal encounter with a peeved farmer and his pitch-fork, Homer and Marge uncover the secret to reigniting their crapped-out sex life: dangerous situations. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa make their own discoveries, including the lost ending to Casablanca, using a metal detector.
33: 7F20 (SI-220 / S02E20) The War of the Simpsons
After being embarrassed by Homer during a house party, Marge signs up for Reverend Lovejoy's marriage retreat at Catfish Lake. However, Homer has fishing on his mind, and the only sitter they could get at the last minute is Grandpa Simpson.
My first impressions:
Worst... episode... even by Season 15 standards... gah.
Never saw the fat one, remember the promos.
Judge Judy knockoff below average but not awful.
Lisa's babysitting nightmare is very solid.
Kissers: not bad, way better than a similarly-themed episode shown here in syndication last night (that other one involved a gratuitous trip to Miami).
Ooh, intriguing play at the end, with the last three sort of rescuing what looked like a disastrous bracket.
Preliminary rankings:
1. My Sister, My Sitter
2. The War of the Simpsons
3. Natural Born Kissers
4-5. The Parent Rap
NR. Sweets and Sour Marge
666. Smart and Smarter
Pool 20 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Treehouse of Horror III (1)
2. Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy (3)
3. Brush With Greatness (2)
4. Lisa Gets An "A" (4)
5. I Am Furious (Yellow) (5)
6. Large Marge (6)
Sort of a hybrid of the Paul/David S./myself ordering and the Mark/Dave V. ordering. Both the third and fourth above seem underrated in their respective slots. With John's comment in mind I almost bumped up Lisa Gets An "A" but I still have to say Brush With Greatness is better. ("P.S. Please forgive the lateness of my response.")
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 21, Pool 22, and Pool 23 are all still open. Pool 25 will go up some time Wednesday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
59: 8F23 (SI-323 / S03E24) Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?
Herbert Powell returns, and asks the Simpsons help for an invention idea of his, using the money Homer received from the nuclear plant for some bogus award. Guest stars Joe Frazier and Danny DeVito.
24: 7F11 (SI-211 / S02E11) One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish
Homer believes that he has 24 hours to live after thinking he ate the deadly blowfish at a local sushi restaurant. NOTES: George Takei guest voices as the Japanese waiter. Larry King narrates the bible.
39: 8F03 (SI-303 / S03E04) Bart the Murderer
After having a very lousy day of school, Bart accidentally stumbles into The Legitimate Businessman Social Club, a mobster front. He becomes a bartender, but when he shows up late at work and blames Principal Skinner, Skinner disappears. Joe Mantegna and Neil Patrick Harris guest star.
134: 3F04 (SI-704 / S07E06) Treehouse of Horror VI
This year's Halloween Special features two science fiction stories and one horror: In “Attack of the 50 ft Eyesores”, Giant billboard characters come to life during a freakish weather storm. Next, After a freakish boiler room accident, Groundskeeper Willy's dying curse is to vow revenge through the dreams of Springfields' children in “Nightmare On Evergreen Terrace”. Finally, Homer discovers a 3D dimension in his attempt to hide during Patty and Selma's latest house visit in Homer^3.
269: CABF17 (SI-1217 / S12E21) Simpsons Tall Tales
A rail-riding hobo tells the tales of American legends, leading to Homer imagine himself as Paul Bunyan, Lisa as Connie Appleseed versus the wagon train pioneers, and Bart and Nelson as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a rafting adventure on the Mississip'.
1: 7G08 (SI-108 / S01E01) Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
It's a not-so-merry Christmas for the Simpsons, when Mr. Burns decides to cut the Christmas bonuses and Marge had to spend the Christmas savings to erase a tattoo Bart thought would make a great Christmas present. In order to hide the fact that he did not get the bonus, Homer takes a second job as a store Santa.
My first impressions:
"1": The ultimate borderline case, the number that always seems non-random even if you trust your pseudorandomness. Also one of the greatest test cases of sentimental value versus, well, quality. I can see this episode getting overrated in a weak bracket even beyond the relative fortune of being in a weak bracket, or underrated in a strongish bracket like this one.
Even before that, you know the "strong Season 2 in a bracket with a strong Season 3" pattern that happened a couple times a week ago? This bracket has "strong Season 2 and two strong Season 3's." (It's almost too stacked and too early to let stand, though I'm extremely reluctant to throw something out lest the pseudorandom quality be ruined.) Plus a Treehouse that, much like XI, you all probably don't like nearly as much as I do.
And in the cellar, as Paul put it in the Pool 16 comments, "Tall Tales was a heaping pile of excrement which made the life of everyone who watched it a little poorer."
Aside from the obvious #6, this is a very deep bracket, though not necessarily top-heavy. I can't honestly put this Treehouse ahead of any of the top four (are we on pace to exhaust the Treehouses before we're halfway through?), nor the series premiere ahead of any of the top three. Of those three it's a crapshoot, though "Blowfish" is the quintessential "Season 2 episode that ages well," much like "Brush With Greatness" and unlike "Putting Society."
Preliminary rankings:
1. Brother Can You Spare Two Dimes? ("I want what the dog is eating.")
2. Bart the Murderer
3. Blowfish
4. Roasting On An Open Fire
5. Treehouse VI ("Mmm... erotic cake.")
6. Tall Tales
Pool 19 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Selma's Choice (1)
2. Lisa's Pony (2)
3. The Springfield Files (6)
4. Dead Putting Society (5)
5. The Dad Who Knew Too Little (3)
6. The Blunder Years (4)
Low turnout compared to pools immediately before and after it. The final rankings came out pretty orderly (points: 5-10-13-16-19-21). That I prefer Lisa's Pony to The Springfield Files was relevant, though the vast gulf in my ratings between the two turned out not to be.
I actually don't think either "Too Little" or "Blunder Years" is terrible, though the three commenters would seem to disagree.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 20, Pool 21, and Pool 22 are all still open. Pool 24 will go up some time Monday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
180: 4F23 (SI-823 / S09E02) The Principal and The Pauper
During a surprise banquet to honor his twentieth anniversary as principal, Seymour Skinner's true identity is revealed to be Armin Tamzarian. Now established as an impostor, Tamzarian retires and relocates to his old neighborhood in Capitol City. Guest starring Martin Sheen as the real Seymour Skinner.
65: 9F03 (SI-403 / S04E06) Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie
When Bart fails to keeps an eye on Maggie and puts her life in danger, Homer finally puts his foot down on Bart's mischief by passing the ultimate punishment: Bart can never see The Itchy and Scratchy Movie.
171: 4F15 (SI-815 / S08E18) Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment
When Prohibition hits the town of Springfield, and with Bart's help, Homer goes into the booze making business. Dave Thomas and Joe Mantegna guest star.
249: BABF21 (SI-1121 / S12E01) Treehouse of Horror XI
"G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad" - Homer chokes to death on a piece of broccoli and his spirit must perform a good deed in order to enter heaven.
"Scary Tales Can Come True" - The dark side of fairy tale characters is exposed.
"Night of the Dolphin" - The world is overtaken by dolphins after Lisa frees their leader from captivity.
305: EABF09 (SI-1409 / S14E14) Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington
Krusty gets elected to Congress in part to help get the flight path for Springfield Airport diverted from directly over Homer's house, but he falls in line with the establishment once he's there.
320: FABF02 (SI-1502 / S15E07) 'Tis the Fifteenth Season
Homer is given a Joe DiMaggio rookie card by Mr. Burns (who has no idea how much it's worth), so he sells it for a lot of money. After spending most of it on himself, Homer comes to realize his greedy ways when he sees "A Christmas Carol" on TV. So he reverses course and starts to do favors for everyone he can, making Flanders jealous by becoming Springfield's new king of nice. He and Flanders then engage in a head-to-head "nice-off". Guest stars Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony.
My first impressions:
Are we stacked?
The very recent stuff I probably dislike less than you do. Yes, the holiday special is the one with the talking astrolabe. I like the talking astrolabe. Otherwise, meh. Krusty in Congress is a good viewing if you like slapstick, otherwise not so much. They're going to end up on the bottom, yet that actually says a lot more about the rest of this pool than about those two. Sometimes the late eps just can't catch a break.
Treehouse XI is brilliant. Quotes galore, which I'll leave (mostly) up to the commenters.
Many people think "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment" is a classic. I think it's deeply overrated, a sentiment fueled entirely by its final line (go ahead, quote it; you know you want to). I also think "Principal" gets overrated by the sort of quiz player who feels way too much pride in remembering Skinner's real name, which doesn't change the fact that it's a darned good ep.
That leaves the one that I thought to myself, "this will be the one to beat," when its number came up. Lots of good stuff here, but I don't think any of it tops...
Preliminary rankings:
1. Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie ("Warren E. Burger was NOT a stripper!" "Oh, Marge, NOW who's being naive?")
2. The Principal and the Pauper
3. Treehouse XI ("The dolphins just wanted it more.")
4. Homer vs. the 18th Amendment
5. Mr. Spritz Goes To Washington
6. Tis the 15th Season
Pool 18 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Kamp Krusty (1)
2. Whacking Day (2)
3. Burns's Heir (3)
4. Brother's Little Helper (4)
5. Marge in Chains (5)
6. Miracle on Evergreen Terrace (6)
This might be the first time my ratings stayed completely intact. I was the tiebreaker on the relative order of Kamp Krusty and Whacking Day; others were well-ordered. #2 thru 5 above all got screwed by the strength of this bracket. Dave V's CBI seeding reference is especially apt. ("It's apt! APT!!")
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 19, Pool 20, and Pool 21 are all still open. Pool 23 will go up before you know it.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
230: BABF01 (SI-1101 / S11E04) Treehouse of Horror X
"I Know What You Diddily-Iddily Did."
"Desperately Xeeking Xena"
"Life's A Glitch, Then You Die"
189: 5F24 (SI-924 / S09E11) All Singing, All Dancing
Anticipating a bloody Clint Eastwood-Lee Marvin shoot-'em-up, Bart and Homer are horrified to discover that their video rental, Paint Your Wagon, is actually a musical. Several song and dance moments from seasons past are recalled. Guest starring George Harrison.
259: CABF08 (SI-1208 / S12E11) The Worst Episode Ever
The Comic Book Guy has a heart attack after witnessing the work of special make-up effects master Tom Savini, giving Bart and Milhouse their cue to babysit the Android's Dungeon.
137: 3F08 (SI-708 / S07E09) Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
Sideshow Bob slips away from prison detail, steals an atomic bomb and threatens to detonate it unless the town of Springfield gives up television. R. Lee Ermey and Kelsey Grammer guest star.
302: EABF05 (SI-1405 / S14E11) Barting Over
Bart learns that he had acted in commercials as a baby, as Baby Stinkbreath [...] Frustrated, Bart leaves home and lands in a loft, where the show's guest stars are also living. [...] Skewed Tour [...] Guest stars Tony Hawk, Blink 182 and Jane Kaczmarek as Judge Harm. Fox has incorrectly billed this as the series' 300th episode.
251: BABF17 (SI-1117 / S12E03) Insane Clown Poppy
Krusty takes parenting lessons from Homer when he discovers that he has a daughter about Bart's age from a one-night stand. Guest starring Drew Barrymore as Sophie and Stephen King.
My first impressions:
That was Drew Barrymore?!? As relentlessly as Fox promotes its celebrity cameos, how did I miss this? UPDATE: If your memory of this episode is hazy, follow the link. I'd totally forgotten about the book fair, particularly Christopher Walken reading to children.
Any pool devoid of early episodes makes my heart sink a little but this one's at least serviceable. Once again a clip show (actually pretty good as clip shows go) avoids the cellar by sharing the bracket with an atrocity. Fox's inability to count basically seals the infamy there.
That leaves four pretty good episodes with no obvious (to me) ordering. The Sideshow Bob series is also hard to judge because aside from "Cape Feare," I tend to confuse them with each other.
Well, maybe three good and one decent. And even the staggeringly brilliant middle segment of Treehouse X can only carry the other two segments so far.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Insane Clown Poppy ("The ebony fighter awakens, dabbled with the dewy beads of morn. It is a mach-5 child, forever bound to suckle from the shriveled breast of congress.")
2. Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
3. Treehouse X
4. The Worst Episode Ever
5. All Singing, All Dancing
6. Barting Over
Pool 17 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. The Springfield Connection (5)
2. Lisa's Wedding (3)
3. Lard of the Dance (1)
4. King of the Hill (4)
5. New Kids on the Blecch (6)
6. How I Spent My Strummer Vacation (2)
As Mark said, "one of those pools." To some extent the above reflects aggregate rankings. David S's comment that "New Kids" is better than "Lisa's Wedding" (I'm tempted to agree!) affected how I placed the top two and bottom two.
Come to think of it, Rock N' Roll Fantasy Camp reflects why The Simpsons so frequently uses those celebrity-driven shows even though they're dreadful on principle: Each of them will tickle somebody's fancy, and sure enough this one reeled me in. I blame the Tom Petty lyrics scene. Anyhow, that show pandered to me. You can guess who "New Kids" was blatantly pandering to, so much so that until Paul reminded me I'd forgotten that this was pretty funny.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 18, Pool 19, and Pool 20 are all still open. Pool 22 will go up Friday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
282: DABF09 (SI-1309 / S13E13) The Old Man and the Key
Grandpa Simpson re-applies for his driver's license in order to impress a woman who moves into the Retirement Castle. Guest stars Olympia Dukakis and Bill Saluga.
290: DABF16 (SI-1316 / S13E21) The Frying Game
Homer is sentenced to community service after nearly killing a rare insect found in his backyard pond. While working in a Meals on Wheels program, Homer befriends an elderly old woman. When the woman is thought to be dead, Homer and Marge become murder suspects after being named the sole beneficiaries of her will. Homer is convicted and sentenced to the death penalty, but just before he is scheduled to die in the electric chair, it is revealed that he's a contestant on a new reality show called "Frame Up" and the old woman is alive and well. Guest stars Carmen Electra.
286: DABF12 (SI-1312 / S13E17) Gump Roast
The Springfield Friars Club roasts Homer, with help from clips from past episodes..."but don't call it a clip show".
48: 8F11 (SI-311 / S03E13) Radio Bart
It's Bart's tenth birthday. Bart receives a radio microphone, which he promptly uses to play practical jokes on everyone, including that a little boy named Timmy O'Toole has fallen down the local well.
224: AABF17 (SI-1017 / S10E21) Monty Can't Buy Me Love
Mr. Burns tries his hand at winning the public's admiration by taking part in blue collar radio talk shows and retrieving the legendary Loch Ness Monster. Guest starring Michael McKean as Gerry Rude.
35: 7F22 (SI-222 / S02E22) Blood Feud
Mr. Burns needs double-O negative blood, and only Bart can supply it. Now, Homer wants some gratitude for Bart's donation.
My first impressions:
Ladies and gentlemen, Season 13. With truly (pseudo)random numbers, an anomaly like this is more plausible than you think. Yet a fourth S13 ep actually came up for the final slot but I threw that out just because.
Of the two three that aren't from 2001-2002, one is an alltime classic. The next... meh. The last... pretty good.
Of the three that are from 2001-2002, one makes me seethe with rage that it ever reached the airwaves, while another is (despite the ironic tag line) a clip show. (Is it statistically unlikely that we'd have gotten this far already without a clip show?)
Preliminary rankings:
1. Radio Bart ("Funky See Funky Do, with 'I Do Believe We're Naked'")
2. Blood Feud ("Okay, Mr. Burns, what's your first name?" "I... don't know")
3. The Old Man and the Key ("You want Branson, Missouri. This is Bronson, Missouri.")
4. Monty Can't Buy Me Love
5. Gump Roast
6. The Frying Game (yes, worse than a clip show... awful awful awful)
With promotion/relegation on the horizon, depending on whether we run these pools within each resulting "flight," this may not be the last that Gump Roast and The Frying Game have seen of each other.
Happy "Washington's Birthday"!
Like monthly magazines, these are coming earlier and earlier. We might shift to a four-brackets-a-week schedule; then again, this one might just be a bonus. No new results to report: Pool 17 is going to be tough to sort out.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 19 and Pool 18 are still open. (And of course Pool 17.) Pool 21 will go up some time on Wednesday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
31: 7F18 (SI-218 / S02E18) Brush with Greatness
While Homer tackles his weight problem, Marge takes up painting, a skill which she gave up due to an obnoxious art teacher in high school, and ends up being commissioned to do a portrait of Mr. Burns. NOTES: Ringo Starr guest stars.
287: DABF13 (SI-1313 / S13E18) I Am Furious (Yellow)
Bart creates an Internet cartoon entitled "Angry Dad" that's based on Homer - who then becomes a laughing stock. Marvel Comics' Stan Lee guest stars as himself.
95: 1F12 (SI-512 / S05E14) Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
After objecting to the voice disk used on her new talking Malibu Stacy doll that demeans women, Lisa finds the creator and they produce a new doll that reflects the '90s. Kathleen Turner guest stars.
64: 9F04 (SI-404 / S04E05) Treehouse of Horror III
The Simpsons hold a Halloween Party, in which three stories are exchanged: In "Clown Without Pity," Bart receives, as a birthday present, a talking Krusty doll....from the House of Evil 'Your One Stop Evil Shop'. Next, in "King Homer," three words King Kong Klone. Finally, after being assigned to read a another book, Bart picks out an item from the occult section, and tries to raise the dead Snowball I, but instead cause the dead people to rise up in "Dial 'Z' For Zombies."
210: AABF03 (SI-1003 / S10E07) Lisa Gets an "A"
In discovering the joy of video gaming, Lisa neglects to study for her upcoming test, which she later relents to cheating upon in order to pass. But when the resulting grade raises the school's state average and qualifies it for financial aid, she is forced to to cover up all wrong-doing. Meanwhile, Homer raises a baby lobster to beat the high store prices of adults.
295: DABF18 (SI-1318 / S14E04) Large Marge
Marge mistakenly thinks Homer is eyeing other women. In an effort to uplift her appeal, she decides to get plastic surgery to look younger. But the surgery goes awry when Marge receives breast implants that were meant for a younger patient. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse catch an episode of Batman where Batman and Robin battle Clown Man -- who happens to look a lot like Krusty. Guest stars Adam West, Burt Ward, Susan Yezzi, Jan Hooks, and the Baha Men.
My first impressions:
I haven't seen "I Am Furious," though I have my suspicions about its quality. I have seen "Large Marge," and even relative to the rest of S14 it's appalling. (Nothing like "...and the Baha Men" to round out a guest star list.) That leaves four above-average (in my opinion) episodes to sort out.
Oh, who am I kidding? This pool has an obvious #1 and an equally obvious #2 (at least in my opinion). Not entirely certain which of the Lisa's is better, though the Smithers role in "Malibu Stacy" intrigues me. (Back when The Simpsons handled sexuality subtly and delicately.)
Preliminary rankings:
1. Treehouse III ("The frogurt is also cursed.")
2. Brush With Greatness
3. Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
4. Lisa Gets an "A"
"NR". I Am Furious (but given the other eps, I'm comfortable 5'ing it sight-unseen)
6. Large Marge
Pool 16 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Lisa the Vegetarian (2)
2. Homer's Phobia (1)
3. Much Apu About Nothing (3)
4. Day of the Jackanapes (4)
5. Homer Defined (5)
6. Tales From The Public Domain (6)
Everyone commented on the vast gulf between the top three and bottom three, with a 3-2-2 split in first-place votes. Not sure what this reflects politically (probably nothing) but everyone ranked Vegetarian at least #2, with supporters of Phobia and Apu putting the other ep no higher than third.
Point totals: Treating David S's ballot as 1-4 with a couple NR's, we have 11-16-16-26*-31-36*. Tie broken in Homer's Phobia's favor by my prerogative. In theory it'd be relevant if David watched Jackanapes and loathed it. In practice... hey, don't forget about the big promotion/relegation blowout sometime this spring.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 17 and Pool 18 are still open. Pool 20 will be up by Wednesday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
274: CABF21 (SI-1221 / S13E05) The Blunder Years
A restaurant hypnotist causes Homer to relive a traumatic childhood experience where, upon swimming in a quarry, he found a dead body. That dead body turned out to be Waylon Smithers' father, Waylon Sr., who had disappeared twenty-five years earlier under suspicious circumstances. Meanwhile, Marge fancies Chad Sexington, the man who appears on the packaging of Burly paper towels. Guest stars Paul Newman, Judith Owen, and Joe Mantegna.
299: EABF03 (SI-1403 / S14E08) The Dad Who Knew Too Little
After Homer gets Lisa an inappropriate birthday present, he worries that he is losing touch with his daughter, so he hires a private investigator to follow her around. Guest stars Elliot Gould.
72: 9F11 (SI-411 / S04E13) Selma's Choice
After aunt Gladys Bouvier dies, Selma decided to try to get married and have a child.
19: 7F08 (SI-208 / S02E06) Dead Putting Society
Bart and Todd Flanders enter a miniature golf tournament at Sir Putt-A-Lots. However, Homer and Ned Flanders bet that the father of the boy who does not win mows the neighbor's lawn in their wife's Sunday dress.
43: 8F06 (SI-306 / S03E08) Lisa's Pony
After disappointing Lisa, again, Homer finally gives Lisa a pony. Now, in desperation to pay off the bills associated with owning a pony, Homer works the graveyard shift at Apu's Kwik-E-Mart.
163: 3G01 (SI-825 / S08E10) The Springfield Files
Homer witnesses something out of this world in Springfield woods, but no one believes him, not even FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully (from The X-Files), who came to investigate the incident. Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny and Leonard Nimoy guest star.
My first impressions:
Wow, the SNPP summary gives "Selma's Choice" (like all the S4 episodes) short shrift. Nothing there about the trip to Duff Gardens, nor Homer's beloved sandwich. You'd have no way of knowing the work of pure genius this entire episode is, from Bart's mimicking the corpse to the classic exchange: "How do you do it, Homer?" "Well, just wrap a sheet around like this..."
"Selma's Choice" is the best episode ever, period. Longtime readers know how strongly I feel about this. If the consensus puts this anywhere below #1 then my spirit will be crushed. But vote your honest opinion. To my relief, "Lisa's Pony" is probably the only other serious challenger.
Fitting that "Springfield Files" and "Blunder Years" are in the same bracket. To answer one of Paul's questions: Both involve Homer seeing something unnatural. -MLB 2/22 I loved the former at the time but not only is the latter clearly superior, the former is a shameless crossover. (I know Matt Groening was livid when they did that "Critic" crossover but did he ever weigh in on "Simpson Files"?)
Of the two late eps in this bracket, not only are neither of them atrocious, I actually distinctly remember them both and like them both a lot. "Blunder Years" covered in the previous paragraph, to remove the ambiguity that led to Paul's other question. -MLB 2/22 "Dad Who Knew" is clearly inferior to the much earlier "Lisa's Pony," but then so are a lot of episodes. Tough call comparing the late eps to each other.
Which leaves "Dead Putting Society," one you hardly ever see in syndication. It's jarring to see Ned Flanders so un-Flanders-like (remember how very early on he was just the richer, better, yuppier neighbor with neither religious overtones nor the "diddly" meme?). Wonderfully clever ending but the rest is blah in a way that only the earliest episodes are blah.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Selma's Choice
2. Lisa's Pony
3. The Dad Who Knew Too Little
4. The Blunder Years
5. Dead Putting Society
6. The Springfield Files
By the way, welcome to David S., Dave V., and Brian H. New record for most input to a particular pool, and it looks like the next couple are already similarly well commented-on.
Pool 15 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. You Only Move Twice (1)
2. Mom and Pop Art (3)
3. Lisa the Greek (4)
4. Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie (5)
5. I'm With Cupid (2)
6. Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder (6)
The aggregate ratings (N points for an Nth place vote, lower totals are better) clearly distinguished most of these, with #3 and #4 one point apart. Comparing people's preference of only those two left them deadlocked 4-4 and I chose to break it the way you see.
Incidentally, I might as well post those point totals (10, 19, 29, 28, 37, and 45 in this case - yes, 29 > 28 but if I bound myself to that then someone could break open a close midpack race by force by artificially putting eps at #1 and #6) whenever everyone who leaves a comment also gives a full breakdown. Sometimes there's a comment like "You underrated such-and-such" that I'll figure in somehow but can't do the aggregate thing.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 17 and Pool 16 are still open. Pool 19 will be up by Monday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
80: 9F20 (SI-420 / S04E21) Marge in Chains
When the Osaka Flu hits Springfield, everyone suffers. And when Marge accidentally shoplifts at the Kwik-E-Mart, she spends 30 days at the local prison.
188: 5F07 (SI-907 / S09E10) Miracle on Evergreen Terrace
People throughout Springfield open their hearts--and wallets--after Bart accidentally burns the family's Christmas presents and claims they were stolen by a burglar. But when the truth is alas revealed, the Simpsons find themselves pariahs. Alex Trebek guest stars.
79: 9F18 (SI-418 / S04E20) Whacking Day
While the town of Springfield prepares for the annual snake whacking day (which Lisa dreads), Bart gets expelled from school for embarrassing Mr. Skinner during a school inspection. Barry White guest stars.
99: 1F16 (SI-516 / S05E18) Burns' Heir
Nearly drowning in the bathtub, Mr. Burns decides to find an heir. He sees it in the form of Bart Simpson and coerces the young Simpson into staying with him.
228: AABF22 (SI-1022 / S11E02) Brother's Little Helper
When Bart is hastily diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, he becomes the latest victim of "Focusin," a new drug touted to boost academic attention spans. Guest starring Mark McGwire as himself.
60: 8F24 (SI-324 / S04E01) Kamp Krusty
Bart and Lisa spend six weeks at Camp Krusty. However, the camp is not what it seems, as Bart and Lisa quickly find out.
My first impressions:
Were I to do this pool thing over again, some ground rules like "no pool should have three episodes from the same season" would make sense. But, having not specified such things in advance, I'm inclined to leave this be.
As it happens I think Kamp Krusty and Whacking Day are both a little overrated, although there's nothing here I'd place above them. (This is even a solid, though not necessarily deadly bracket, at least in my opinion. For pool parity it's a lucky break that despite having three S4's and an S5, none of the real titans came up.)
"Marge in Chains" annoys me because it requires some seriously out-of-character behavior from Apu and his colleague. That would be fine in the first season or two when characters aren't fully fleshed out yet, but... well, at least it does have a quote that I relish for purely political reasons (and incongruity).
The Christmas miracle is very cliched. It has some of the feel of the very first Christmas ep. Odd that a late(ish)-season ep would have the drawbacks of very early eps rather than the over-the-top-ness that plagues the later ones.
Despite my initial faulty memory, Mark McGwire's cameo has nothing to do with "implied oral consent" to retransmit Major League Baseball. I still love the "MLB is spying on us all" premise.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Kamp Krusty ("No, but the bear ate his hat." "Was it a nice hat?" "Oh, yeah.")
2. Whacking Day
3. Burns' Heir
4. Brother's Little Helper ("Do you want to know the terrifying truth, or do you want to see me sock a few dingers?")
5. Marge in Chains ("Jimmy Carter? He's History's greatest monster!")
6. Miracle on Evergreen Terrace
Pool 14 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. This Little Wiggy (1)
2. Marge Gets A Job (2)
3. The Secret War of Lisa Simpson (4)
4. Maximum Homerdrive (6)
5. Lisa the Treehugger (5)
6. Lastest Gun in the West (3)
Biggest outlier were John's rankings, especially the revision. Wiggy stays on top despite the aggregate rankings, as all but John ranked it first. Bottom three were within a point of each other on aggregate and of the four full rankings (including mine); comparing any two of them led to a deadlock. Both Craig's comment and John's revised ranking clinch fourth place for Homerdrive but after that, Lastest Gun and Treehugger still deadlock. As nobody put Treehugger dead last on their individual ballot, as John must have revised his own ballot for a reason, and as I'm the outlier on Lastest myself, I'll bite the bullet and put it at the end. But trust me that you're all underrating it.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 15 and Pool 16 are still open. Pool 18 will be up by Friday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
122: 2F15 (SI-615 / S06E19) Lisa's Wedding
Lisa attends the Springfield Renaissance Faire, where a deck of fortune-teller cards spells out future wedding plans. Mandy Patinkin guest stars.
275: DABF22 (SI-1322 / S14E02) How I Spent My Strummer Vacation
Homer is secretly videotaped complaining about his family while in cab (a la Taxi Cab Confessions). In an effort to help him regroup, Marge, Bart, Lisa and little Maggie send him to Mick Jagger's (playing himself) Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy camp. Once there, Homer lives the life of a rock star, taught to him by the likes of Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and Brian Setzer, all of whom guest star as themselves.
126: 2F21 (SI-621 / S06E23) The Springfield Connection
There's a new cop in town and her name is Marge Simpson. Her job is to clean up the town of its criminals. Unfortunately, not all the criminals are on the street as Marge soon discovers.
201: 5F16 (SI-916 / S09E23) King of the Hill
Crestfallen by Bart's shame of his poor physical condition, Homer sets out to work out. But when a pair of publicity scouts offer him the job of climbing The Murderhorn to promote their product, Homer is too blindsided by lust for physical perfection to turn down the expedition.
262: CABF12 (SI-1212 / S12E14) New Kids on the Blecch
When a talent agency discovers the musical abilities of Bart, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph, it scurries to set them up as the next big boy band sensation, complete with a sinister subliminal propaganda campaign in mind: "Join the Navy".
204: 5F20 (SI-920 / S10E01) Lard of the Dance
Homer and Bart team up to dip their hands in the grease recycling business. Meanwhile, Lisa is chosen to introduce a new student to Springfield Elementary, one who's years ahead of her age.
My first impressions:
I love it when the final pick salvages an otherwise heinous bracket. First and second seem dead obvious to me. I hate "Lisa's Wedding" with a white-hot fiery passion (the adult Lisa is way too ditzy compared to what the child Lisa is clearly becoming) but I can't honestly put it below any of the bottom three, all of which would plausibly hit #6 in a strong bracket.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Lard of the Dance
2. Rock N' Roll Fantasy Camp
3. Lisa's Wedding
4. The gratuitous swipe at Powerbars ("Oh, it appears I will have to find a new fortress of solitude.")
5. Marge as a cop
6. New Kids
Pool 13 Results (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Bart Sells His Soul (1)
2. Lisa's Date With Density (2)
3. Trash of the Titans (4)
4. The Two Mrs. (3)
5. Treehouse of Horror II (5)
6. The Way We Weren't (NR)
Not much to say here except to reiterate: Really strong bracket! I wish The Way We Weren't had been in a weaker bracket and some known clunker in this one.
(See the category archive for other results.)
Pool 15 and Pool 14 are still open. Pool 17 will be up by Wednesday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
261: CABF10 (SI-1210 / S12E13) Day of the Jackanapes
Upon learning that Krusty has erased all the archival tapes of his show from the Sideshow Bob era, Bob schemes to use Bart as a manchurian candidate to blow up Krusty live on the air. Guest starring Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob.
40: 8F04 (SI-304 / S03E05) Homer Defined
When Homer accidentally saved two nuclear plants, he becomes a hero, and is admired by his daughter, Lisa. Magic Johnson and Chick Hearn guest star.
283: DABF08 (SI-1308 / S13E14) Tales from the Public Domain
In a variation on "Simpsons Tall Tales", the Simpson family portray mythological and medieval characters. (The Odyssey, Joan of Arc, Hamelt)
151: 3F20 (SI-720 / S07E23) Much Apu About Nothing
Anti-immigration fever hits Springfield and Homer catches the fever until he discovers Apu is an illegal immigrant. Joe Mantegna guest stars.
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.
133: 3F03 (SI-703 / S07E05) Lisa the Vegetarian
A trip to a local petting zoo leads to confrontations at the dinner table when Lisa decides to become a vegetarian. Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney guest star.
My first impressions:
Wow, those last two certainly kicked this bracket up a notch. Tough decision at the top.
I actually watched "Homer Defined" last night on DVD and was surprised by how poorly it aged. It's clearly inferior to "Jackanape."
The first time I saw it I found "Much Apu About Nothing" hackneyed and grating and almost unwatchable. I love immigration myself, yet I parsed the ep as a poorly thought out anti-righty political hack job. In hindsight I was way too sensitive; this one clearly has its moments.
The Tall Tales / Public Domain eps are just bad on principle; your mileage may vary.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Homer's Phobia ("Steelworkers of Local [#], keep reaching for that rainbow!")
2. Lisa the Vegetarian ("Llllisa! I thought you lllloved me! LLLLoved me!")
3. Much Apu ("The Nymets are my favorite squadron")
4. Day of the Jackanapes
5. Homer Defined
6. Tales From the Public Domain
(No new results to post: See the category archive for results from Pools 1 thru 12.)
Pool 13 and Pool 14 are still open. Pool 16 will be up by Monday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
155: 3F23 (SI-723 / S08E02) You Only Move Twice
Homer moves the family to a new town after he receives a better job offer, at a better nuclear power plant, but Homer is oblivious to the fact that his new boss is a Super Villain who is out to rule the world.
222: AABF15 (SI-1015 / S10E19) Mom and Pop Art
When Homer learns to vent his anger through home-grown artwork, he attracts the attention of a professional art dealer. Guest voices Isabella Rossellini as Astrid Weller and Jasper Johns.
205: AABF11 (SI-1011 / S10E14) I'm With Cupid
As Kwik-E-Mart convenience store proprietor Apu showers his wife with glowing, outrageous Valentine's Day gifts, the other husbands of Springfield are made to look bad in his shadow. But as his gifts grow increasingly grand, the men attempt to foil his efforts, instigating a Valentine's massacre. Guest starring Jan Hooks as Manjula and Elton John.
167: 4F12 (SI-812 / S08E14) The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
Homer provides the voice for Poochie, a new character added to the The Itchy and Scratchy Show in a desperate attempt to boost sagging ratings.
232: BABF02 (SI-1102 / S11E06) Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder
Homer blows off work and goes bowling with Carl and Lenny. When he bowls a 300 game, he becomes a local celebrity. But when his fleeting fame begins to fade, he finds little comfort in anything. Suicidal thoughts and a brush with death lead him to spend more time with Maggie, who learns to bowl and nearly upstages him. Guest stars Penn Jillette, Teller, Ron Howard, Nancy O'Dell and Pat O'Brien as themselves.
49: 8F12 (SI-312 / S03E14) Lisa the Greek
Lisa's football predicting skills brings about a closer relationship between Homer and Lisa, not to mention making Moe broke, until Lisa realizes that the relationship may end with the Super Bowl.
My first impressions:
I was wondering when we'd see a couple of these. Distinct lack of great-but-not-classic episodes in this pool, with a runaway winner (at least in my book; weakish bracket helps) and then some issues.
I don't think I've seen "Mom and Pop Art," though I'll skim the link for it... hey, not bad really.
Two eps in this pool that I viscerally dislike. One is probably the second biggest test (behind only "Behind the Laughter") of how my opinions can possibly mesh with yours. As for the other... accidentally successful Homer was done much better in "Homer Defined" (Season 3), and suicidal Homer was done much better in "Homer's Odyssey" (Season 1). Even Homer bowling was done better in "Team Homer."
"I'm With Cupid" is probably the third best Apu episode behind "Homer and Apu" and "The Two Mrs." I watched it from my hotel room at a chess tournament in New Jersey. A lot of the over-the-top slapstick/caper/cameos-galore episodes are fusterclucks but this one actually works out really well.
"Lisa the Greek" is of course the defining Super Bowl ep. It's also the worst episode on arguably the best individual disc (from the Season 3 box set) of all Simpsons DVDs released to this point and perhaps of all possible "Season N" box sets. Seriously, the one before it and the four after it are a hell of a run.
2 thru 4 are interchangeable; the rest are no-brainers for their slots. Note the extreme aesthetic sacrifice involved in my placing the second worst episode EVER ahead of a generically crappy one that doesn't have any of the redeeming virtues that you people probably see in Poochie.
Preliminary rankings:
1. You Only Move Twice
2. I'm With Cupid
3. Mom and Pop Art ("I'm not like other men - that's why you buy me pants at that special store.")
4. Lisa the Greek
5. Poochie
6. Gutter
(No new results to post: See the category archive for results from Pools 1 thru 12.)
Pool 13 is still open. Pool 15 will be up by Friday.
As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
196: 5F13 (SI-913 / S09E18) This Little Wiggy
Taking pity on the hapless Ralph Wiggum, Marge pairs him with Bart. But his association with Ralph quickly turns out to be more beneficial than burdensome when Bart learns that his father holds the master key to every store in Springfield.
281: DABF07 (SI-1307 / S13E12) The Lastest Gun in the West
Bart and Lisa meet a washed-up movie star of westerns from the 1950s and attempt to revive his career by getting him to appear on the Krusty the Klown show. But years of alcohol abuse get in the way. Dennis Weaver guest stars.
220: AABF13 (SI-1013 / S10E17) Maximum Homerdrive
Homer takes on a gruff truck driver in a beef-eating contest. But when the trucker pays the high price of trying to top Homer's bottomless stomach, Homer vows to deliver his cargo, leading to a cross-country truckin' adventure. Meanwhile, Marge and Lisa make the best of a troublesome new doorbell.
178: 4F21 (SI-821 / S08E25) The Secret War of Lisa Simpson
Lisa is determine to stick it out as the only girl at boot camp when she and Bart attends military school. Willem Dafoe guest stars.
66: 9F05 (SI-405 / S04E07) Marge Gets a Job
The Simpsons home needs about $8,000 worth of foundation work, so Marge gets a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. However, things start getting a bit sticky when Mr. Burns develops a crush on Marge. Tom Jones guest stars.
252: CABF01 (SI-1201 / S12E04) Lisa the Tree Hugger
Eager to join "Dirt First" after witnessing their pro-vegetarianism demonstration atop the local Krusty Burger franchise, Lisa attempts to prove her worth by camping out in a giant redwood destined for logging. Meanwhile, Bart joins the workforce in order to buy a new game console advertised on television.
My first impressions:
I stick to (pseudo)randomness at my great peril: None At most one of these would crack the top four in Pool 13. At least only one of them is flat-out terrible. Redeeming virtues of the other five:
"This Little Wiggy" is defined by a single Ralph Wiggum quote. UPDATE: What was I thinking??? There are at least three sidesplitting quotes this episode; the rest are an exercise for the reader.
"Lastest Gun" has surprising sentimental value for recent episode, and for that particular stretch of eps is about as good as it gets.
"Secret War" is defined by a single Lisa quote.
I'd never seen "Marge Gets A Job" until getting Season 4 on DVD. (Did you even realize Burns had, over time, hit on each of a mother-daughter pair?) It's not among the season's highlights (I was sorely tempted to cheat when #66 came up; couldn't it have been 67 or 68?) but what the hey: Neat ending and brilliant subplot. A solid #3 or passable #2 in a typical bracket.
"Lisa the Treehugger"... okay, you tell me. I guess the over-the-top portrayal of the dashing enviro-activist that she falls for is amusing.
Preliminary rankings:
(Yes, I switched the first two half an hour later. It had to be done. Goodness gracious I almost allowed a miscarriage of justice...)
1. This Little Wiggy ("The leprechaun told me to burn things.")
2. Marge Gets A Job ("Don't feel bad, I was rasslin' wolves when you were at yer mother's teat")
3. Lastest Gun in the West
4. The Secret War ("Is there any answer I could give that WON'T result in your making me do more push-ups?")
5. Treehugger
6. Maximum Homerdrive
(No new results to post: See the category archive for results from Pools 1 thru 12.)
As usually, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).
Numbers...
185: 5F04 (SI-904 / S09E07) The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons
Just as he begins to enjoy his popularity as a swinging bachelor, Apu receives an unwelcome reminder of his pending arranged marriage. Desperate to escape the agreement, Apu claims to have already married Marge Simpson. Guest starring Jan Hooks as Manjula and Andrea Martin as Apu's mother.
160: 4F01 (SI-801 / S08E07) Lisa's Date with Density
Lisa enters into a doomed romance when she attempts to change Nelson Muntz, the school bully she develops a crush on. Meanwhile, Homer discovers quick cash in telemarketing fraud.
333: FABF13 (SI-1513 / S15E20) The Way We Weren't
During a "family court" session, Homer and Marge wistfully recall the story of their first kiss at summer camp, and how Homer first met Lenny, Carl, and Moe. In this episode we get a glimpse at most of Springfield's more prominent citizens back when they were children.
42: 8F02 (SI-302 / S03E07) Treehouse of Horror II
In "The Monkey's Paw," the Simpsons, on a foreign trip, pick up a monkey's paw that gives the holder four wishes each with bad side effects. Next, In a parody of a classic Twilight Zone episode, everyone in Springfield must be happy or else something will happen to them by a monster. The monster is known as Bart Simpson, the kid with the mental powers, in "Bart the Monster." Finally, Homer gets randomly fired from the nuclear power plant, and gets hired as a gravedigger. He falls asleep in the grave, and gets picked up by Mr. Burns for a cyborg experiment in "Homer's Brain."
132: 3F02 (SI-702 / S07E04) Bart Sells His Soul
Bart's faith is tested when he sells his soul for five dollars. Meanwhile, Moe turns the Tavern into Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag.
200: 5F09 (SI-909 / S09E22) Trash of the Titans
When his crude insults persuade the local garbage men to terminate his trash pick-up service, Homer enters the race for sanitation commissioner, banking on the laziness of his fellow towns- people as the key to victory. Guest starring Steve Martin as Ray Patterson, Paul McGuinness, Susie Smith, and U2.
My first impressions:
Uh oh. I've never seen "The Way We Weren't" and I only vaguely remember "Trash of the Titans." Your help will be crucial here. I don't like reading the episode run-through before doing a ranking (and can't on anything from season 15 for lack of a resource) but hold on, I need to skim "Trash" and make sure the Apu episode is the one I think it is...
Back now. Okay, "Trash of the Titans" was pretty good (contradicting my vague impression that it was horrible) and the Apu one is the one that ends with the wedding (and Homer's unfortunate encounter with the elephant). Therefore, unless "The Way We Weren't" is awful, we have a pretty good bracket here.
"Bart Sells His Soul" and "Date With Density" are both all-time classics that I think would make strong #1's in any bracket. (Your mileage may vary.) A brutal decision as both eps even have brilliant subplots. The softer side of Nelson Muntz is almost always comedy gold, but how can you argue with "Remember when we made out to this hymn?" or "Bart did it! THAT Bart! RIGHT THERE!"?
Below that, we have an episode I can't fairly rank and three whose relative merits seem pretty obvious to me (this particular Treehouse being the weakest of the early Treehouses), though at least one the three gets hosed by being in the bracket it's in.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Bart Sells His Soul ("You shall eat naught but flaming hot coal and drink naught but flaming hot cola")
2. Date With Density
3. (Apu's wedding) ("The answer to all three of these is Fried Green Tomatoes")
4. Trash ("Dad, you're always telling me and Bart to apologize!" "Yeah, but I'm always secretly disappointed when you do")
5. Treehouse II
NR. The Way We Weren't
Pool 13 coming by Monday...
Pool 11 (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Bart the Lover (1)
2. Moaning Lisa (3)
3. Oh Brother Where Art Thou (4)
4. The Bart Wants What It Wants (2)
5. Pygmoelian (6)
6. Little Girl in the Big Ten (5)
Compared to other pools, #3-6 above are all probably underseeded.
Pool 12 (my initial ranking in parentheses)
1. Lisa's Sax (1)
2. Homer the Vigilante (4)
3. Deep Space Homer (5)
4. El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (2)
5. Praiseland (3)
6. Pray Anything (6)
You've seen results that far removed from my initial ranking before, and you'll see them again, but I'm intrigued that I got a "second" from Coen and a "you're on crack" from basically everyone else (though only Paul explicitly).
John's diehard support for Vigilante well noted, though the otherwise unanimous support for Lisa's Sax couldn't be overcome. When I posted Pool 12 I was way too hard on the Season 5 episodes, "Deep Space Homer" having been quite a letdown when I finally saw it.
This isn't quite playing by the rules but I want more feedback than I got on these episodes. Granted, it's just a brutal pool; you could maybe argue that all six episodes are above average.
Simpson fans, open that post in a new window and then (if you're not Mark or John - or if you are Mark or John but have updated/revised opinions) comment right here (you can't comment there because of some anti-spam measures).
Again the eps in question are
Bart the Lover
The Bart Wants What It Wants
Moaning Lisa
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
Little Girl in the Big Ten
Pygmoelian
(links and summaries in the original post)
I'll post results for both Pool 11 and Pool 12 either Friday or Monday. If I'd forced myself to post results right now, then there'd be a clear #1, a jumble for 2-4, and then I'd flip the bottom two based on Mark's feedback.
Side question: How easily to you confuse Pygmoelian (Moe gets a facelift) with Homer the Moe (Moe goes back to college; Homer runs the bar for awhile; cameo by R.E.M.)?
Pool 13 coming by Monday, February 7; further explanation of the whole premise in the category archives.
There's still time for you to comment on Pool 11 or Pool 12.
POOL #10 RANKING (my preliminary ranking in parentheses)
1. Bart the Genius (2)
2. The Old Man and the Lisa (1)
3. The Twisted World of Marge Simpson (3)
4. The Crepes of Wrath (5)
5. King Size Homer (4)
6. The Sweetest Apu (6)
Four different episodes received first place votes but last place was unanimous and the gap between top half and bottom half was big (even given Paul's support for The Crepes of Wrath).
For the first time in several pools I've imposed an undemocratic fiat: Li'l Lisa Slurry is better than Marge Simpson's pretzels because I said so. Not a power I plan to invoke often, though I did reserve it for those rare cases where I deemed it necessary. If you disagree, wait until the big promotion/relegation blowout later this spring (summer?).
(The relative ranking of Crepes and King Size is also mildly arbitrary, as a couple times in the past I've used the relative ranking of closely-grouped episodes rather than the overall ranking, but Paul's vote of confidence did make me take a closer look.)
This makes you long for the days of "Sunday Cruddy Sunday."
This feature will take a one-week hiatus; results for pools 10, 11, and 12 will come out at some appropriate time(s) next week.
POOL #9 RANKING (preliminary ranking in parentheses)
1. Homer Alone (1)
2. Who Shot Mr. Bruns (Part 2) (4)
3. A Star Is Burns (3)
4. Lisa's Substitute (2)
5. Bart to the Future (5)
6. Helter Shelter (6)
Pool 9 Explanation
The slanderous mambo makes a big rally!
Close among slots 2-4 but less close if you throw out my snap judgment (which a week later does seem suspect). A Star is Burns holds its position (and is also the only ep of these six to be ranked in the top half by everyone). Everyone other than me stuck either Homer Alone or Lisa's Substitute into the four-hole. No love for Dustin Hoffman (I actually like that ep independent of it being him), but I can see it: There are several better heartwarming Lisa-is-painfully-smart eps. Dead unanimity at the bottom.
Boilerplate Explanation
As usual, pseudorandom numbers pick the episodes; I rank 'em on the spot, you leave your rankings and critique in the comments, and a week later I post the revised list. In theory there's no voting per se in this benevolent dictatorship; in practice I usually just go by aggregate ratings of either all 6 episodes or some closely contested subset.
Coming this spring: All six tiers listed, plus your chance to nominate episodes from each list for promotion or relegation. After that... if we're still interested, then ranking within the tiers will be 100 times as tricky as the prelims were.
Stay tuned for #13 by Monday, February 7 and be sure to weigh in on #11 and #10 if you haven't already, or even if you have. Mr. Black can also browse the category archive.
Numbers, please...
96: 1F13 (SI-513 / S05E15) Deep Space Homer
After seeing their ratings decline, NASA decides to send Joe Average to space. In this case, Joe Average is Homer Simpson. James Taylor, and Buzz Aldrin guest star.
162: 3F24 (SI-724 / S08E09) El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer
Consuming too may hot peppers gives Homer visions, which tell him to seek out his "soulmate". Johnny Cash guest stars.
92: 1F09 (SI-509 / S05E11) Homer the Vigilante
When a cat burglar hits Springfield, Homer vows to fight back. Sam Neil guest stars.
267: CABF15 (SI-1215 / S12E19) I'm Goin' to Praiseland
When Ned discovers that one of Maude's goals was to build a bible-themed amusement park, he reunites with Rachel in order to fulfill her dream. But when an accident dupes the public into believing that the park was the site of a miracle, Ned is forced to decide between revealing the truth versus enjoying his increased profits. Guest starring Shawn Colvin as Rachel Jordan.
301: EABF06 (SI-1406 / S14E10) Pray Anything
When Flanders wins a half-time money shot during a WNBA game, Homer decides his neighbor's secret to success is praying. Homer starts praying to get his way with everything...and it works. He even prays himself into an injury lawsuit against the Church and is awarded with the deed to the property. Homer promptly moves the family in, while Helen and the Reverend have been relocated to the Flanders and reduced to preaching at the Bowl-A-Rama. It can only take a miracle to make Homer see the error of his ways. Guest stars Lisa Leslie (WNBA player) as herself.
181: 3G02 (SI-826 / S09E03) Lisa's Sax
When Lisa's saxophone is destroyed during a scuffle with Bart, the family recounts the story of how she got her instrument during the terrible heat wave of 1990. Guest starring Fyvush Finkel as himself and Krusty.
My first impressions:
While I was putting this together, SNPP.com started timing out. I hadn't realized until now how horrible Fox's official site was. Let's not speak of it again.
If you have to have two Season 5's in the same pool, might as well be two of that season's weakest offerings. (This says more about the season than about those two shows though.) I may have never seen Deep Space Homer until the Season 5 DVD. It contains at least two widely quoted references that people seem to take for granted as universal, references that I knew without ever seeing first-hand. (One I couldn't have placed in this particular ep.)
I've definitely never seen "Pray Anything" but the synopsis speaks for itself. "Praiseland" and "Mysterious Voyage" were both surprisingly good.
"Lisa's Sax" includes one of at least two direct Twins Peaks references in Simpson episodes. The other one, coincidentally, is Lisa's vision of Wiggum in Burns Part 2. I could do without the gratuitous WB reference but on skimming the episode summary, we have a clear #1, at least for this nondescript bracket.
"Homer, you're dumb as a mule and twice as ugly! If a strange man offers you a ride, I say, take it!" -Abe Simpson to his young son on the first day of school.
Preliminary rankings:
1. Lisa's Sax ("Vio-ma-lin? Tuba-ma-ba? Oboe-mo-boe? Oh, saxo-ma-phone.")
2. Mysterious Voyage
3. Praiseland ("The ticket price doesn't cover visions, miracles, or other Godly hoo-hah")
4. Vigilante
5. Deep Space
6. Pray Anything
(Tweaked the template a bit...)
POOL #8 RANKING (preliminary ranking in parentheses)
1. Lisa's First Word (1)
2. A Fish Called Selma (2)
3. Lisa the Iconoclast (4)
4. Homer to the Max (3)
5. Simpson Tide (6)
6. Skinner's Sense of Snow (5)
Pool 8 Explanation
Three episodes got first place votes. Commenters ranked Iconoclast 1, 1, 2, 4, 4, and 5. Tide got 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 6. Yet for all that disagreement the aggregate defines the final order (as seen above) really well. The rankings would be the same no matter where John ranked Skinner's Sense of Snow had he seen it, and also stay the same regardless of whether you count my own vote or not (in practice I usually not only count myself but also use myself to break ties - but in theory this is all benevolently dictatorial anyway).
Incidentally, we got "Simpson Tide" in syndication Friday (7:30 p.m. slot). I'll agree it was better than Snow. Contra Bogg, the best line wasn't about what's in; so help me, the best line was "quack, quack, quack, quack."
Boilerplate Explanation
As usual, pseudorandom numbers pick the episodes; I rank 'em on the spot, you leave your rankings and critique in the comments, and a week later I post the revised list. In theory there's no voting per se in this benevolent dictatorship; in practice I usually just go by aggregate ratings of either all 6 episodes or some closely contested subset.
Coming this spring: All six tiers listed, plus your chance to nominate episodes from each list for promotion or relegation. After that... if we're still interested, then ranking within the tiers will be 100 times as tricky as the prelims were.
Stay tuned for #12 by Friday morning (along with the #9 results), and be sure to weigh in on #9 and #10 if you haven't already, or even if you have. You can also browse the category archive.
Numbers, please...
51: 8F16 (SI-316 / S03E16) Bart the Lover
He has the name of the 23rd president, the face of Gordie Howe, and the lines of a Frenchman. Is Mrs. Krabapple's new pen pal/lover Bart's latest practical joke? Meanwhile, Homer starts building a doghouse, and learns to give up swearing.
6: 7G06 (SI-106 / S01E06) Moaning Lisa
Lisa is feeling down and blue about the problems around her, and meets a fellow blues musician, Bleedin' Gums Murphy.
280: DABF06 (SI-1306 / S13E11) The Bart Wants What It Wants
Bart develops a crush on Ranier Wolfcastle's daughter Greta. After hastily deciding he's not ready for love, he dumps her, only to change his mind later. But by then Greta only has eyes for one - Milhouse - and a trip to the set of Ranier's latest movie in Canada isn't enough to win her back. Guest stars Reese Witherspoon as Greta, and Wolfgang Puck as himself.
28: 7F16 (SI-216 / S02E15) Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
Fearing death, Grandpa Simpson tells Homer that he has a half-brother. This half-brother, Herbert Powell, is a carmaker in Detroit, and wants Homer to design a car for the average man to save his car company.
289: DABF15 (SI-1315 / S13E20) Little Girl in the Big Ten
In order to avoid a failing grade in gym, Lisa takes up gymnastics, which she uses to pose as a college student. Meanwhile, Bart is diagnosed with "Panda" virus and is forced to spend a week living in a plastic bubble. Guest stars Robert Pinsky.
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