This is one I’ve been waiting on a long time, because it factors heavily into a major Simpsons theory of mine: Jerkass Homer is neither a reason for nor symptom of the show’s eventual decline. Not only does the entire … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Five, Episode Eight, “Boy-Scoutz ‘N The Hood”

The show has long known the difference between superficial pleasure and genuine emotional or spiritual fulfillment for a very long time, and it’s always known the power of the angry mob; this is one of its best combinations of both, … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Five, Episode Seven, “Bart’s Inner Child”

We’re never gonna see Homer shape up and become a respectable husband and father, and we’re never gonna see Marge leave Homer. What we get instead are variations on the theme of a rocky marriage, where Marge and Homer always … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Five, Episode Six, “Marge On The Lam”

My approach with these essays is to connect disparate observations and feelings across the episode into a singular, unified whole, and that always fights with my instincts to follow the lead of the “Treehouse” episodes and divide the essay into … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Five, Episode Five, “Treehouse Of Horror IV”

My main takeaway from this episode is how uniquely Simpsons it feels. One big thing I personally value in a television show is a sense of identity; a sense that this is what we do, this is what we don’t … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Five, Episode Four, “Rosebud”

I’m beginning to see what you all mean when you divide the Golden Age into smaller units – this is one of the silliest episodes we’ve had so far without actually delving into a musical number or an all-star softball … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Five, Episode Three, “Homer Goes To College”

So, I’m big enough to admit when I’m wrong and handsome. Last week, I remarked that “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet” was the only full-episode parody I could think of, and right here, not only do we have an episode-long parody of … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Five, Episode Two, “Cape Feare”

You know, thinking about it, this is one of the few times the show has ever done a full-episode parody of something. We’ve seen individual jokes, of course, and certain characters like Wolfcastle are parodies of specific people or characters, … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Five, Episode One, “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”

I have this idea that a great protagonist is someone caught between two completely contradictory drives, and from this perspective, Krusty is one of the best side characters on The Simpsons. On the one hand, he has a compulsive need … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Twenty-Two, “Krusty Gets Kancelled”

Part of the fun of this series is tracking the evolution of the show, and this deftly combines two things we’ve already discussed: the occasional forays into riff-heavy plotting, and the development of the town of Springfield. This episode finds … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Twenty-One, “Marge In Chains”

“Whacking Day” is the most direct and pointed satirical statement in the entire show. More accurately, it’s a pair of statements: ‘doing things out of a sense of tradition can lead to you committing evil’, and ‘mob justice is fickle’. … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Twenty, “Whacking Day”

I confess, last week’s clip show was a bit of a struggle to write about to the length I’m usually satisfied, obviously because it was low on new #content. This week, I have the opposite problem – there’s so much … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Nineteen, “The Front”

As far as I know, the only person still thinking about clip shows in the year 2018 is Dan Harmon, and he’s more interested in parodying the various setups for clip shows than in ever delivering the real deal. Nobody … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Eighteen, “So It’s Come To This: A Simpsons Clip Show”

This is the first episode where, as a filthy foreign non-American, I almost don’t feel qualified to write about this episode. It feels so rooted in a specifically American (and specifically working-class American) perspective that I’m certain there are nuances … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Seventeen, “Last Exit To Springfield”

After dealing with Homer’s eating problems, this episode delves into his drinking. Once again, we’ve seen all through the show how Homer can be a little *glug glug* – I recall the flashback of Homer getting Barney into alcohol as … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Sixteen, “Duffless”

Once again, The Simpsons is setting out to develop a minor character by using romantic interest as a plot device. But this time, like a football to the groin, “I Love Lisa” works on so many levels – as an … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Fifteen, “I Love Lisa”

As we work through what I consider the Golden era of the show – seasons four through eight – we’re gonna see episodes that are controversial, and we’re gonna see episodes that I personally find difficult to watch because the … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Fourteen, “Brother From The Same Planet”

I will confess that Selma episodes have never been my favourite. In general, I like Marge’s sisters in small doses, dropping some barb about Homer to punctuate a scene (e.g. “Homer’s Triple Bypass” has a great gag where they’re completely … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Thirteen, “Selma’s Choice”

I’m sure few people will think I’m overstating things when I say that this is not only one of the greatest episodes of The Simpsons, it’s one of the greatest episodes of any half-hour sitcom ever made. By my weak … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Twelve, “Marge vs The Monorail”

“Homer’s Triple Bypass” is a culmination. Even throughout those first couple of seasons, when the show was gradually pulling itself together and building a world, it never really went in for continuity. At the risk of sounding massively pretentious (The … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Eleven, “Homer’s Triple Bypass”

A few weeks ago, beloved commentor Ruck Cohlchez observed that the run from “Mr Plow” to “Marge Vs The Monorail” is the best run The Simpsons would ever do; what I love is how we’ve jumped straight from one of … Continue reading The Simpsons, Season Four, Episode Ten, “Lisa’s First Word”