Can you believe this is the 16th season under Al Jean and his zombie-tier writing staff? Think about the first two seasons, the supposed "golden age", however long you think it lasted, and then the four seasons under Mike Scully in which it crumbled. That, altogether, was only 12 seasons. Can you imagine that there'll likely be two, three, maybe even more seasons of this show with the exact same people running and writing it? Well, guess what? It sucked!
Its overall score of 6.39 just edges out Season 26 as the second worst-scored season of the series (though nowhere near the disaster of Season 23, still). A couple of good episodes save it from a worse fate, but overall the bulk of the episodes from this season struggle to achieve mediocrity.
And remember! No notable major staff or editorial changes for next season! Again! For the 16th time!
Season 28 Overall Score: 6.39
Favorite Season 28 Episode: A Father's Watch
Least Favorite Season 28 Episode: Fatzcarraldo
1) Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus
Fueled by a desire to avenge a failed performance as a child, Mr. Burns hosts a children's variety show, while Homer and pals take full advantage of Burns' absence at the plant.
Score: 6.1
2) Friends and Family
Mr. Burns acquires VR technology and uses it to start a virtual family, using the Simpsons as motion capture actors. Homer is left out, but spends his free time with a new female friend.
Score: 5.8
3) The Town
Mad at Boston's football team, and Bart's bandwagoning of said team, Homer takes the family to Boston in the hopes that everyone will hate it.
Score: 7.0
4) Treehouse of Horror XXVII
Dry Hard: a terrible Hunger Games reference of a segment.
BFF/R.I.P.: Lisa's imaginary friend is killing her real friends.
Moefinger: Moe and pals are spies, who recruit Bart to take Homer's place.
Score: 6.4
5) Trust But Clarify
Kent Brockman is fired for being a liar, but when Lisa's anti-Krusty story won't be accepted by the corrupt media, to whom can she turn? (its not that dramatic, or funny)
Score: 5.9
6) There Will Be Buds
Mistaking Homer's gesture of aid as friendship, Kirk coerces Homer into helping him build and coach a youth lacrosse team.
Score: 7.1
7) Havana Wild Weekend
The Simpsons go to Cuba to help an ailing Grampa, who is rejuvenated by Cuba's nostalgic ruin.
Score: 5.7
8) Dad Behavior
Homer's app escapades ends up with him being pals with Milhouse, and Bart with Milhouse's father. Also Grampa might have gotten a lady pregnant.
Score: 6.9
9) The Last Traction Hero
Homer gets hurt at work, and tries to sue. Smithers tries to befriend Marge to get a waiver signed, but Marge takes Smithers' attempts a little too well. Also Lisa becomes a hall monitor, like you care.
Score: 6.2
10) The Nightmare After Krustmas
Krusty's commercialism gets his daughter to hate him again so he decides to convert to Christianity for her. Meanwhile, Maggie deals with an Elf on the Shelf knockoff.
Score: 5.8
11) Pork and Burns
Marge gets the family to clean up based on whether items bring you joy. This causes Lisa to fall apart while Homer spends new quality time with his movie pig, Plopper aka Spider-Pig.
Score: 7.0
12) The Great Phatsby: Part One
In Part One, a rap mogul whose ruthlessness is thanks to Mr. Burns is able to gets Mr. Burns to spend himself broke.
Score: 6.4
13) The Great Phatsby: Part Two
In Part Two, Burns attempts to get revenge at said rap mogul for the events of Part One. Also Marge gets a little shop crazy!
Score: 6.6
14) Fatzcarraldo
Homer rediscovers a chili dog stand he loved as a kid.
Score: 5.3
15) The Cad and the Hat
Bart is haunted by guilt after tossing Lisa's treasured hat. Meanwhile, its revealed that Homer is good at chess.
Score: 5.7
16) Kamp Krustier
A direct sequel to Kamp Krusty, the kids are traumatized by a specific event and Homer is traumatized because he can't get any because the kids are so traumatized! Trauma drama! (I'm sorry)
Score: 6.5
17) 22 for 30
Set up as a sports documentary, it highlights a basketball point shaving scandal featuring Bart.
Score: 5.8
18) A Father's Watch
As Springfield falls for the participation trophy fad, Bart gets the family pocket watch from Grampa.
Score: 8.0
19) Caper Chase
Burns opens up a for-profit university and his nuclear plant employees, Homer included, has to teach there.
Score: 6.5
20) Looking for Mr. Goodbart
Bart realizes being a fake grandson to old ladies is profitable. Homer realizes Pokemon Go ripoffs are still popular enough in his world for him to enjoy.
Score: 6.0
21) Moho House
Mr. Burns' wealthy friend wagers that he can break Homer and Marge up. Homer and Marge give him a head start!
Score: 7.3
22) Dogtown
Homer opting to hit Gil instead of his dog with a car makes dogs so popular in Springfield that they take the town over.
Score: 6.6
Showing posts with label episode list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label episode list. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Sunday, September 20, 2015
The Simpsons: Season 27 Episode List
After the disaster that was Season 26, my expectations for Season 27 was at an all-time low. To make matters worse, this season had a very long string of Lisa-focused episodes, and Lisa episodes are never particularly good because Lisa episodes focus on things that aren't funny.
Indeed, this season overall scored better than last season, but indeed this season scored about as well as any of the other 13 Al Jean zombie-Simpsons seasons. Although there were actually two (2!) good episodes in this batch (at least, to me there were), so many other episodes ranged from dull to downright awful to make this season any worthwhile.
Well, at least there aren't any Tim Long-written episodes *defeated laugh*.
Season 27 Overall Score: 6.68
Favorite Season 27 Episode: Puffless
Least Favorite Season 27 Episode: The Girl Code
1) Every Man's Dream
Homer's new narcolepsy problem is too much for Marge to handle, and the two break up. Subsequently, Homer hooks up with some pharmacist.
Score: 6.6
2) Cue Detective
Homer acquires an excellent bee-themed smoker that makes him the talk of town. However, after being challenged by a celebrity chef to a cook off, Homer's smoker is stolen, leaving Bart and Lisa to investigate.
Score: 7.0
3) Puffless
After learning their father died from lung cancer, Patty and Selma decide to quit smoking, or try to anyway. Meanwhile, Maggie befriends a troupe of animals.
Score: 8.3
4) Halloween of Horror
In this Halloween episode that isn't a trio of tales, Lisa gets too scared by Halloween and so Homer has to protect her on Halloween night from guys he angered the other day.
Score: 7.4
5) Treehouse of Horror XXVI
Wanted: Dead Then Alive: Bob kills Bart then brings him to life to kill him again.
Homerzilla: A tale of a Homer monster is remade for modern audiences.
Telepaths of Glory: Lisa and Milhouse gain and then abuse telepathic powers.
Score: 7.0
6) Friend with Benefit
Lisa befriends a girl with a rich, rich, father and she (and Homer) reap the benefits, until Lisa realizes her new friend doesn't treat her like a real friend.
Score: 7.7
7) Lisa with an "S"
Lisa goes on broadway with an aging, former Broadway star, which worries Marge significantly.
Score: 6.0
8) Paths of Glory
Lisa uncovers the invention of an ancient female scientist, while Bart makes his parents believe he's a sociopath.
Score: 7.1
9) Barthood
An episode that's basically a Boyhood reference that depicts Bart growing up with a neglectful father, a very successful sister and Grampa actually being liked.
Score: 5.7
10) The Girl Code
After Marge gets Homer fired for a poor social media post, Lisa teams up with a female coding team to develop an app to predict social media consequences.
Score: 4.2
11) Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles
Hormone-infused "milk" gives Lisa acne problems and Bart a mustache while the latter tries to earn the affection of his new 4th grade teacher.
Score: 5.8
12) Much Apu About Something
The Kwik-E-Mart is forced to rebuild thanks to a series of events started by Bart. As Homer forces Bart to stop pranking, Sanjay gives up to store to his millennial son Jay, whom irks Apu quite a lot.
Score: 7.3
13) Love is in the N2-O2-Ar-CO2-Ne-He-CH4
Professor Frink uses science to make himself attractive to women. Grampa and the other seniors at the retirement home are given new pills and hallucinate their loved ones are back.
Score: 5.9
14) Gal of Constant Sorrow
Bart screws up a homeless woman's belongings and decides to help her, as Lisa finds out the woman is musically gifted. Meanwhile, Homer's home repairs results in pets getting stuck in the wall.
Score: 6.0
15) Lisa the Veterinarian
Lisa saves an animal's life and subsequently becomes interested in saving more. Marge cleans up some crime scenes and becomes dead inside.
Score: 6.7
16) The Marge-ian Chronicles
As Lisa chases a dream of becoming a settler on Mars, Homer advises a wary Marge to support Lisa until she loses interest. Lisa doesn't, so Marge goes all out to get her to stop.
Score: 8.2
17) The Burns Cage
Smithers is spurned again by Mr. Burns, but Homer and pals help hook him up with a new boyfriend, and newfound freedom. Also, Lisa is not happy that Milhouse is her co-star in a play.
Score: 6.4
18) How Lisa Got Her Marge Back
After Lisa finds out Marge doesn't actually like jazz, the two are at extreme odds. Meanwhile, Bart enlists Maggie to help him regain his pranking skill.
Score: 6.8
19) Fland Canyon
Homer recalls a time two years ago where the Simpsons and the Flanders went to the Grand Canyon and had mild misadventures there.
Score: 6.3
20) To Courier with Love
To pay for a trip to Paris for Marge, Homer agrees to be a courier for what turns out to be a live blue snake.
Score: 6.4
21) Simprovised
Homer overcomes his fear of public speaking by starting up an improv group. Meanwhile, Bart gets Marge to rebuild his treehouse. Features the "Homer Live" gimmick.
Score: 6.9
22) Orange is the New Yellow
Marge goes to prison for not directly supervising Bart while he was outside. She comes to like it there.
Score: 7.2
Indeed, this season overall scored better than last season, but indeed this season scored about as well as any of the other 13 Al Jean zombie-Simpsons seasons. Although there were actually two (2!) good episodes in this batch (at least, to me there were), so many other episodes ranged from dull to downright awful to make this season any worthwhile.
Well, at least there aren't any Tim Long-written episodes *defeated laugh*.
Season 27 Overall Score: 6.68
Favorite Season 27 Episode: Puffless
Least Favorite Season 27 Episode: The Girl Code
1) Every Man's Dream
Homer's new narcolepsy problem is too much for Marge to handle, and the two break up. Subsequently, Homer hooks up with some pharmacist.
Score: 6.6
2) Cue Detective
Homer acquires an excellent bee-themed smoker that makes him the talk of town. However, after being challenged by a celebrity chef to a cook off, Homer's smoker is stolen, leaving Bart and Lisa to investigate.
Score: 7.0
3) Puffless
After learning their father died from lung cancer, Patty and Selma decide to quit smoking, or try to anyway. Meanwhile, Maggie befriends a troupe of animals.
Score: 8.3
4) Halloween of Horror
In this Halloween episode that isn't a trio of tales, Lisa gets too scared by Halloween and so Homer has to protect her on Halloween night from guys he angered the other day.
Score: 7.4
5) Treehouse of Horror XXVI
Wanted: Dead Then Alive: Bob kills Bart then brings him to life to kill him again.
Homerzilla: A tale of a Homer monster is remade for modern audiences.
Telepaths of Glory: Lisa and Milhouse gain and then abuse telepathic powers.
Score: 7.0
6) Friend with Benefit
Lisa befriends a girl with a rich, rich, father and she (and Homer) reap the benefits, until Lisa realizes her new friend doesn't treat her like a real friend.
Score: 7.7
7) Lisa with an "S"
Lisa goes on broadway with an aging, former Broadway star, which worries Marge significantly.
Score: 6.0
8) Paths of Glory
Lisa uncovers the invention of an ancient female scientist, while Bart makes his parents believe he's a sociopath.
Score: 7.1
9) Barthood
An episode that's basically a Boyhood reference that depicts Bart growing up with a neglectful father, a very successful sister and Grampa actually being liked.
Score: 5.7
10) The Girl Code
After Marge gets Homer fired for a poor social media post, Lisa teams up with a female coding team to develop an app to predict social media consequences.
Score: 4.2
11) Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles
Hormone-infused "milk" gives Lisa acne problems and Bart a mustache while the latter tries to earn the affection of his new 4th grade teacher.
Score: 5.8
12) Much Apu About Something
The Kwik-E-Mart is forced to rebuild thanks to a series of events started by Bart. As Homer forces Bart to stop pranking, Sanjay gives up to store to his millennial son Jay, whom irks Apu quite a lot.
Score: 7.3
13) Love is in the N2-O2-Ar-CO2-Ne-He-CH4
Professor Frink uses science to make himself attractive to women. Grampa and the other seniors at the retirement home are given new pills and hallucinate their loved ones are back.
Score: 5.9
14) Gal of Constant Sorrow
Bart screws up a homeless woman's belongings and decides to help her, as Lisa finds out the woman is musically gifted. Meanwhile, Homer's home repairs results in pets getting stuck in the wall.
Score: 6.0
15) Lisa the Veterinarian
Lisa saves an animal's life and subsequently becomes interested in saving more. Marge cleans up some crime scenes and becomes dead inside.
Score: 6.7
16) The Marge-ian Chronicles
As Lisa chases a dream of becoming a settler on Mars, Homer advises a wary Marge to support Lisa until she loses interest. Lisa doesn't, so Marge goes all out to get her to stop.
Score: 8.2
17) The Burns Cage
Smithers is spurned again by Mr. Burns, but Homer and pals help hook him up with a new boyfriend, and newfound freedom. Also, Lisa is not happy that Milhouse is her co-star in a play.
Score: 6.4
18) How Lisa Got Her Marge Back
After Lisa finds out Marge doesn't actually like jazz, the two are at extreme odds. Meanwhile, Bart enlists Maggie to help him regain his pranking skill.
Score: 6.8
19) Fland Canyon
Homer recalls a time two years ago where the Simpsons and the Flanders went to the Grand Canyon and had mild misadventures there.
Score: 6.3
20) To Courier with Love
To pay for a trip to Paris for Marge, Homer agrees to be a courier for what turns out to be a live blue snake.
Score: 6.4
21) Simprovised
Homer overcomes his fear of public speaking by starting up an improv group. Meanwhile, Bart gets Marge to rebuild his treehouse. Features the "Homer Live" gimmick.
Score: 6.9
22) Orange is the New Yellow
Marge goes to prison for not directly supervising Bart while he was outside. She comes to like it there.
Score: 7.2
Friday, August 22, 2014
The Simpsons: Season 26 Episode List
Season 26 follows a season, 25, which was one of the strongest in years, one episode aside. However, Season 26 acts as a reverse of 25, where most of the season is very poor except one really good episode was around to salvage things
Going in, I considered this season a "gimmick" season, in that many of the plots in this season I figured were going to be gimmicky. The season premiere had a character die, there was a crossover episode, a non-Halloween episode featuring the Rigelian aliens, an episode written by "comedy legend" Judd Apatow almost 25 years ago, stuff like that.
Overall, though, the season suffered from the usual suspects that plague modern Simpsons: poor humor, pointless referencing, poor guest spots, poor humor, its pretty much all here. It says a lot when the best the season has to offer comes from a different show (the Futurama crossover).
To note, the overall score is the second lowest amongst all seasons, only better than the localized disaster area that was Season 23.
Season 26 Overall Score: 6.40
Favorite Season 26 Episode: Simpsorama
Least Favorite Season 26 Episode: Mathlete's Feat
1) Clown in the Dumps
Krusty comes to believe he's really unfunny. He goes to his father for advice, but he dies while telling Krusty he's "eh". What's a clown to do?
Score: 6.6
2) The Wreck of the Relationship
Homer and Bart are so against each other, Marge has the two forced onto a father-son relationship building boat. In the meantime, Marge also takes care of Homer's fantasy football team.
Score: 7.3
3) Super Franchise Me
Marge opens up a sandwich chain! That's the episode!
Score: 6.8
4) Treehouse of Horror XXV
School is Hell: Bart takes a liking to a school located in hell.
A Clockwork Yellow: Stanley Kubrick references everywhere.
The Others: The Simpsons meet the ghosts of Simpsons past.
Score: 6.1
5) Opposites A-frack
Mr. Burns' hidden fracking operation gets found out, and Lisa brings in a liberal congresswoman to put a stop to it. During that political battle, the two become passionate lovers. ...yep.
Score: 7.3
6) Simpsorama
Bender, from Futurama, and eventually the rest of the Planet Express crew head to the past to kill Homer Simpson for something that was actually Bart's fault.
Score: 8.3
7) Blazed and Confused
Bart's new teacher, Jack Lassen, is a psychopath. In retaliation, Bart goes after the thing Lassen is most fond of: "Blazing Guy", convincing Homer to take the family there in lieu of an actual camping trip.
Score: 6.6
8) Covercraft
Homer and four other dads create a cover band, with Apu's unique singing voice leading the way. When Apu gets and takes a better opportunity, Homer is left super envious.
Score: 6.0
9) I Won't Be Home for Christmas
Marge kicks Homer out after he comes home super late on Christmas Eve. As Homer goes on an odd, sad adventure, Marge learns Moe's at fault and goes out to find and apologize to her husband.
Score: 6.1
10) The Man Who Came to Be Dinner
While not having fun at a theme park, the Simpson family is abducted by the Rigelian aliens where they continue to not have fun.
Score: 4.1
11) Bart's New Friend
Written by a young Judd Apatow, Homer is hypnotized to be 10 years old, and stuck that way. He eventually becomes Bart's best friend.
Score: 7.2
12) The Musk Who Fell to Earth
Well-renowned entrepreneur and inventor Elon Musk comes to Springfield looking for ideas, and gets them from the ever-so-random Homer Simpson.
Score: 6.1
13) Walking Big & Tall
After Lisa and Bart write a new hit anthem for Springfield, Homer deals with his weight problems by (accidentally) joining a fat acceptance group.
Score: 6.1
14) My Fare Lady
Marge learns about a service where she can be a cabbie without getting a license! Meanwhile, Moe's "pals" wreck his bar, but make up for it by letting him be the nuclear plant's new janitor.
Score: 6.7
15) The Princess Guide
As Mr. Burns sets up an uranium deal with a Nigerian king, Homer is forced to guard the king's daughter. Of course, she starts to become enamored with a suspicious Moe.
Score: 6.6
16) Sky Police
Chief Wiggum's jetpack escapades ultimately leads to the church getting damaged, leaving Marge and other church patrons no other choice but to card-count at a casino to earn funding.
Score: 7.5
17) Waiting for Duffman
Injury forces Duffman to retire, and in a subsequent contest Homer ends up becoming a new Duffman. The job requires Homer to be sober, causing him to reflect on, well, Duff.
Score: 6.1
18) Peeping Mom
Marge tries to get Bart to confess to stealing a bulldozer by constantly watching him in hopes he'll break. Meanwhile, Flanders' new dog takes a liking to Homer.
Score: 7.0
19) The Kids are All Fight
Homer and Marge recall that, six years ago, Bart and Lisa were always fighting one another. How did that, uh, lessen?
Score: 5.8
20) Let's Go Fly a Coot
Air Force vets who recognize Grampa "help" Homer treat Abe with more respect. Later, as Bart is wooed by Milhouse's Dutch cousin and her e-cigs, Abe tells a story to help the boy out.
Score: 6.3
21) Bull-E
After Bart gets bullied again, Marge gets the town to enact heavy anti-bullying laws. Homer then gets arrested for his continued bullying of Ned Flanders.
Score: 6.1
22) Mathlete's Feat
The elementary school gets a big technology upgrade which gets ruined when everything overloads. Instead, Groundskeeper Willie and Lisa helps the school learn with ancient Scottish methods.
Score: 4.0
Going in, I considered this season a "gimmick" season, in that many of the plots in this season I figured were going to be gimmicky. The season premiere had a character die, there was a crossover episode, a non-Halloween episode featuring the Rigelian aliens, an episode written by "comedy legend" Judd Apatow almost 25 years ago, stuff like that.
Overall, though, the season suffered from the usual suspects that plague modern Simpsons: poor humor, pointless referencing, poor guest spots, poor humor, its pretty much all here. It says a lot when the best the season has to offer comes from a different show (the Futurama crossover).
To note, the overall score is the second lowest amongst all seasons, only better than the localized disaster area that was Season 23.
Season 26 Overall Score: 6.40
Favorite Season 26 Episode: Simpsorama
Least Favorite Season 26 Episode: Mathlete's Feat
1) Clown in the Dumps
Krusty comes to believe he's really unfunny. He goes to his father for advice, but he dies while telling Krusty he's "eh". What's a clown to do?
Score: 6.6
2) The Wreck of the Relationship
Homer and Bart are so against each other, Marge has the two forced onto a father-son relationship building boat. In the meantime, Marge also takes care of Homer's fantasy football team.
Score: 7.3
3) Super Franchise Me
Marge opens up a sandwich chain! That's the episode!
Score: 6.8
4) Treehouse of Horror XXV
School is Hell: Bart takes a liking to a school located in hell.
A Clockwork Yellow: Stanley Kubrick references everywhere.
The Others: The Simpsons meet the ghosts of Simpsons past.
Score: 6.1
5) Opposites A-frack
Mr. Burns' hidden fracking operation gets found out, and Lisa brings in a liberal congresswoman to put a stop to it. During that political battle, the two become passionate lovers. ...yep.
Score: 7.3
6) Simpsorama
Bender, from Futurama, and eventually the rest of the Planet Express crew head to the past to kill Homer Simpson for something that was actually Bart's fault.
Score: 8.3
7) Blazed and Confused
Bart's new teacher, Jack Lassen, is a psychopath. In retaliation, Bart goes after the thing Lassen is most fond of: "Blazing Guy", convincing Homer to take the family there in lieu of an actual camping trip.
Score: 6.6
8) Covercraft
Homer and four other dads create a cover band, with Apu's unique singing voice leading the way. When Apu gets and takes a better opportunity, Homer is left super envious.
Score: 6.0
9) I Won't Be Home for Christmas
Marge kicks Homer out after he comes home super late on Christmas Eve. As Homer goes on an odd, sad adventure, Marge learns Moe's at fault and goes out to find and apologize to her husband.
Score: 6.1
10) The Man Who Came to Be Dinner
While not having fun at a theme park, the Simpson family is abducted by the Rigelian aliens where they continue to not have fun.
Score: 4.1
11) Bart's New Friend
Written by a young Judd Apatow, Homer is hypnotized to be 10 years old, and stuck that way. He eventually becomes Bart's best friend.
Score: 7.2
12) The Musk Who Fell to Earth
Well-renowned entrepreneur and inventor Elon Musk comes to Springfield looking for ideas, and gets them from the ever-so-random Homer Simpson.
Score: 6.1
13) Walking Big & Tall
After Lisa and Bart write a new hit anthem for Springfield, Homer deals with his weight problems by (accidentally) joining a fat acceptance group.
Score: 6.1
14) My Fare Lady
Marge learns about a service where she can be a cabbie without getting a license! Meanwhile, Moe's "pals" wreck his bar, but make up for it by letting him be the nuclear plant's new janitor.
Score: 6.7
15) The Princess Guide
As Mr. Burns sets up an uranium deal with a Nigerian king, Homer is forced to guard the king's daughter. Of course, she starts to become enamored with a suspicious Moe.
Score: 6.6
16) Sky Police
Chief Wiggum's jetpack escapades ultimately leads to the church getting damaged, leaving Marge and other church patrons no other choice but to card-count at a casino to earn funding.
Score: 7.5
17) Waiting for Duffman
Injury forces Duffman to retire, and in a subsequent contest Homer ends up becoming a new Duffman. The job requires Homer to be sober, causing him to reflect on, well, Duff.
Score: 6.1
18) Peeping Mom
Marge tries to get Bart to confess to stealing a bulldozer by constantly watching him in hopes he'll break. Meanwhile, Flanders' new dog takes a liking to Homer.
Score: 7.0
19) The Kids are All Fight
Homer and Marge recall that, six years ago, Bart and Lisa were always fighting one another. How did that, uh, lessen?
Score: 5.8
20) Let's Go Fly a Coot
Air Force vets who recognize Grampa "help" Homer treat Abe with more respect. Later, as Bart is wooed by Milhouse's Dutch cousin and her e-cigs, Abe tells a story to help the boy out.
Score: 6.3
21) Bull-E
After Bart gets bullied again, Marge gets the town to enact heavy anti-bullying laws. Homer then gets arrested for his continued bullying of Ned Flanders.
Score: 6.1
22) Mathlete's Feat
The elementary school gets a big technology upgrade which gets ruined when everything overloads. Instead, Groundskeeper Willie and Lisa helps the school learn with ancient Scottish methods.
Score: 4.0
Monday, September 16, 2013
The Simpsons: Season 25 Episode List
Season 25 is frustrating. Counting the top 21 episodes of the batch, its combined score is about a 7.05 which, if it were just those 21 episodes, or even throw in a 22nd episode scored at a 6 to keep the season score above seven, would've made Season 25 the highest rated season since Season 13. Season 13 was the last season to be given an overall rating above seven, that's how long its been since there's even been decently consistant quality.
This is because, with one major exception, the season does a better job actually making jokes instead of just making references. What results is the first season since Season 21 to feature episodes rated eight or higher, and several episodes scored seven or higher, which hadn't really happened in awhile either.
Alas, this season also featured the truly terrible episode Married to the Blob. It was an episode so filled with pointless comic book, anime, and Japanese references wrapped around a cringeworthy plot, I felt it could rightfully be called the worst episode of the entire series. The entire series! A whole 551 episodes to this point were better than it, and it just so happened to basically hinder what was otherwise a redemption of a season.
Season 25 Overall Score: 6.86
Favorite Season 25 Episode: Steal This Episode
Least Favorite Season 25 Episode: Married to the Blob
1) Homerland
Homer comes back from a nuclear convention acting very odd. After some investigating, Lisa believes Homer's been brainwashed to commit terrorism.
Score: 7.8
2) Treehouse of Horror XXIV
Oh, the Places You'll D'oh: a rather demented Cat in the Hat parody.
Dead and Shoulders: Bart's head is cut off, but is attached to Lisa's body to save it.
Freaks No Geeks: a 1920s circus freak show rallies to, uh, do things.
Score: 7.0
3) Four Regrettings and a Funeral
A funeral of a beloved nobody leaves Homer, Marge, Mr. Burns and Kent Brockman dealing with but facing their various regrets.
Score: 5.7
4) Yolo
Homer grows tired of his boring life, so Marge gets ahold of his old pen pal to help him live out his childhood dreams. Meanwhile, Lisa starts up an honor system at school to stop rampant cheating.
Score: 7.1
5) Labor Pains
Homer and a pregnant woman get stuck in an elevator and Homer is forced to help deliver a baby whom he takes a liking to. Meanwhile, Lisa helps cheerleaders get more money.
Score: 7.5
6) The Kid is All Right
Lisa befriends a new kid at school, Isabel. However, their friendship becomes shaky when Lisa's liberal leanings conflict with Isabel's conservative views.
Score: 6.3
7) Yellow Subterfuge
When Principal Skinner eventually denies Bart a chance to go on a nuclear submarine for a field trip, Bart gets help from Homer to exact his revenge on the rather smug Principal.
Score: 7.6
8) White Christmas Blues
Despite a warm winter nationwide, Springfield gets chemically-induced snowfall, making it the tourist attraction of the season. As everyone price gouges tourists, Lisa tries to find the meaning of Christmas.
Score: 7.1
9) Steal This Episode
Homer is introduced to the world of internet movie piracy. Marge then learns about it and unwittingly gets Homer in trouble over it.
Score: 8.2
10) Married to the Blob
A lovelorn comic book guy starts dating a Japanese girl, Kumiko, who likes his demeanor somehow, but their relationship is threatened by Kumiko's father, and Homer's standard buffoonery.
Score: 2.8
11) Specs and the City
Homer acquires new-fangled glasses that can do everything... including spy on his wife.
Score: 7.0
12) Diggs
Bart becomes a social outcast after eating a whole frog for money. As such, Bart befriends the equally lonely Diggs, who is skilled at falconry.
Score: 6.6
13) The Man Who Grew Too Much
As Marge tries to get teens to pledge abstinence, Lisa becomes friends with Sideshow Bob as the latter becomes the head scientist of a genetically modified food company.
Score: 7.2
14) The Winter of His Content
Homer is forced to bring home not just Grampa, but his friends after the retirement home shuts down, but comes to like their old man lifestyle. Meanwhile, Bart becomes an honorary bully after defending Nelson.
Score: 7.1
15) The War of Art
Seeking a replacement for their busted boat painting, Homer and Marge buy a painting from the Van Houtens that they learn could be worth at least $80,000.
Score: 7.2
16) You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee
Lisa's speech on great a hero Homer is to her, including his work as a soccer referee, gets Homer a job working as a referee at the World Cup, where corruption is rampant.
Score: 7.5
17) Luca$
Lisa tries to change a boy who acts remarkably like Homer. Marge worries that she'll marry someone like Homer just like she did. Meanwhile, Bart and Snake become bros.
Score: 7.1
18) Days of Future Future
Homer dies, but is reborn via a clone, which keeps happening. Thirty years later, Homer has no more clones, and both future Bart and future Lisa have new marital problems.
Score: 6.0
19) What to Expect When Bart's Expecting
Bart uses voodoo to make his teacher sick, but when she gets pregnant instead (by coincedence, right?), Bart becomes the go-to for pregnancy needs by everyone, including the mafia.
Score: 6.5
20) Brick Like Me
Homer wakes up in a Lego version of Springfield, where everything fits into place and nobody gets hurt, but then Homer deals with the pains of his fleshy past.
Score: 8.1
21) Pay Pal
As Marge's last genuine attempt at gaining friends fails (thanks again to Homer), she intends to make sure Lisa doesn't share her fate.
Score: 6.6
22) The Yellow Badge of Cowardge
Milhouse was winning the big race until Nelson beats him up to avoid losing bet money. Bart sees this but does nothing, so that he can win the big race. Also, Homer sets up a 4th of July fireworks show.
Score: 7.0
This is because, with one major exception, the season does a better job actually making jokes instead of just making references. What results is the first season since Season 21 to feature episodes rated eight or higher, and several episodes scored seven or higher, which hadn't really happened in awhile either.
Alas, this season also featured the truly terrible episode Married to the Blob. It was an episode so filled with pointless comic book, anime, and Japanese references wrapped around a cringeworthy plot, I felt it could rightfully be called the worst episode of the entire series. The entire series! A whole 551 episodes to this point were better than it, and it just so happened to basically hinder what was otherwise a redemption of a season.
Season 25 Overall Score: 6.86
Favorite Season 25 Episode: Steal This Episode
Least Favorite Season 25 Episode: Married to the Blob
1) Homerland
Homer comes back from a nuclear convention acting very odd. After some investigating, Lisa believes Homer's been brainwashed to commit terrorism.
Score: 7.8
2) Treehouse of Horror XXIV
Oh, the Places You'll D'oh: a rather demented Cat in the Hat parody.
Dead and Shoulders: Bart's head is cut off, but is attached to Lisa's body to save it.
Freaks No Geeks: a 1920s circus freak show rallies to, uh, do things.
Score: 7.0
3) Four Regrettings and a Funeral
A funeral of a beloved nobody leaves Homer, Marge, Mr. Burns and Kent Brockman dealing with but facing their various regrets.
Score: 5.7
4) Yolo
Homer grows tired of his boring life, so Marge gets ahold of his old pen pal to help him live out his childhood dreams. Meanwhile, Lisa starts up an honor system at school to stop rampant cheating.
Score: 7.1
5) Labor Pains
Homer and a pregnant woman get stuck in an elevator and Homer is forced to help deliver a baby whom he takes a liking to. Meanwhile, Lisa helps cheerleaders get more money.
Score: 7.5
6) The Kid is All Right
Lisa befriends a new kid at school, Isabel. However, their friendship becomes shaky when Lisa's liberal leanings conflict with Isabel's conservative views.
Score: 6.3
7) Yellow Subterfuge
When Principal Skinner eventually denies Bart a chance to go on a nuclear submarine for a field trip, Bart gets help from Homer to exact his revenge on the rather smug Principal.
Score: 7.6
8) White Christmas Blues
Despite a warm winter nationwide, Springfield gets chemically-induced snowfall, making it the tourist attraction of the season. As everyone price gouges tourists, Lisa tries to find the meaning of Christmas.
Score: 7.1
9) Steal This Episode
Homer is introduced to the world of internet movie piracy. Marge then learns about it and unwittingly gets Homer in trouble over it.
Score: 8.2
10) Married to the Blob
A lovelorn comic book guy starts dating a Japanese girl, Kumiko, who likes his demeanor somehow, but their relationship is threatened by Kumiko's father, and Homer's standard buffoonery.
Score: 2.8
11) Specs and the City
Homer acquires new-fangled glasses that can do everything... including spy on his wife.
Score: 7.0
12) Diggs
Bart becomes a social outcast after eating a whole frog for money. As such, Bart befriends the equally lonely Diggs, who is skilled at falconry.
Score: 6.6
13) The Man Who Grew Too Much
As Marge tries to get teens to pledge abstinence, Lisa becomes friends with Sideshow Bob as the latter becomes the head scientist of a genetically modified food company.
Score: 7.2
14) The Winter of His Content
Homer is forced to bring home not just Grampa, but his friends after the retirement home shuts down, but comes to like their old man lifestyle. Meanwhile, Bart becomes an honorary bully after defending Nelson.
Score: 7.1
15) The War of Art
Seeking a replacement for their busted boat painting, Homer and Marge buy a painting from the Van Houtens that they learn could be worth at least $80,000.
Score: 7.2
16) You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee
Lisa's speech on great a hero Homer is to her, including his work as a soccer referee, gets Homer a job working as a referee at the World Cup, where corruption is rampant.
Score: 7.5
17) Luca$
Lisa tries to change a boy who acts remarkably like Homer. Marge worries that she'll marry someone like Homer just like she did. Meanwhile, Bart and Snake become bros.
Score: 7.1
18) Days of Future Future
Homer dies, but is reborn via a clone, which keeps happening. Thirty years later, Homer has no more clones, and both future Bart and future Lisa have new marital problems.
Score: 6.0
19) What to Expect When Bart's Expecting
Bart uses voodoo to make his teacher sick, but when she gets pregnant instead (by coincedence, right?), Bart becomes the go-to for pregnancy needs by everyone, including the mafia.
Score: 6.5
20) Brick Like Me
Homer wakes up in a Lego version of Springfield, where everything fits into place and nobody gets hurt, but then Homer deals with the pains of his fleshy past.
Score: 8.1
21) Pay Pal
As Marge's last genuine attempt at gaining friends fails (thanks again to Homer), she intends to make sure Lisa doesn't share her fate.
Score: 6.6
22) The Yellow Badge of Cowardge
Milhouse was winning the big race until Nelson beats him up to avoid losing bet money. Bart sees this but does nothing, so that he can win the big race. Also, Homer sets up a 4th of July fireworks show.
Score: 7.0
Thursday, August 29, 2013
The Simpsons: Season 24 Episode List
Season 24 is an improvement over the disaster that was Season 23, but its still by no means a good season. Aside from a few decent episodes, several clunkers drag the season down with no real good episodes to cancel that out.
Also, I'm not sure when this started, but Matt Selman has been credited as showrunner for a few episodes both this and last season and I wouldn't be surprised if there is a "changing of the guard" that may or may not happen in years to come where Selman takes over for Al Jean. Selman, whose written episodes I felt were hit-or-miss early on, has mostly written underwhelming episodes since, including last season's The Food Wife, and this season's The Day the Earth Stood Cool and Gorgeous Grampa. So, if he does take over for Jean, it probably won't mean much good in the grand scheme of things.
Season 24 Overall Score: 6.49
Favorite Season 24 Episode: Dark Knight Court
Least Favorite Season 24 Episode: Love is a Many-Splintered Thing
01) Moonshine River
Lisa reminds Bart that his girlfriends end up hating him after a week or so. Bart tries to prove her wrong, going to New York to eventually do so by finding not-really-previous-girlfriend Mary Spuckler.
Score: 6.4
02) Treehouse of Horror XXIII
The Greatest Story Ever Holed: People keep throwing junk into an expanding black hole.
Unnormal Activity: Demonic things happen in the Simpson home, and Marge knows why.
Bart and Homer's Excellent Adventure: Bart goes to the past, ends up making his present better.
Score: 7.4
03) Adventures in Baby-Getting
Marge is forced to get a new car, but when it has only enough room for three kids, she tries to get Homer to conceive a fourth child.
Score: 6.1
04) Gone Abie Gone
Grampa goes missing, and Homer and Marge end up revealing a previously unknown part of Grampa's past while looking for him.
Score: 5.8
05) Penny-Wiseguys
A previously unknown acquaintance of Homer's is also the mafia's accountant, forced to take over Fat Tony's job as he goes to jury duty. Meanwhile, Lisa starts eating bugs for their precious iron.
Score: 7.3
06) A Tree Grows in Springfield
A depressed Homer finds some happiness in a "MyPad", but when that breaks Homer finds new hope in a tree with the word "hope" etched in maple syrup.
Score: 5.4
07) The Day the Earth Stood Cool
Homer befriends a "cool" new person whom he sets up to move right next door to. As Homer becomes more and more "cool", Marge and Bart aren't as impressed with the "cool" family.
Score: 6.4
08) To Cur with Love
Homer shows definite disdain towards Santa's Little Helper, and Grampa reveals why, telling the story of Homer's first dog: Bongo.
Score: 7.5
09) Homer Goes to Prep School
After experiencing the worst of human kind during a crisis, a traumatized Homer gets help from a survivalist "prepper" who helps Homer prepare for an "end of the world" scenario.
Score: 7.2
10) A Test Before Trying
With increased electricty prices, the school district must shut down a school - one with the lowest test scores. Bart Simpson is the difference between Springfield Elementary being last or second to last.
Score: 6.4
11) The Changing of the Guardian
After a near death experience, Homer and Marge decide to find guardians for the kids in case they actually do die. The process is more complicated than they expected.
Score: 7.0
12) Love is a Many-Splintered Thing
Mary Spuckler returns to Springfield, and starts going out with a rather indifferent Bart until she gets tired of Bart's indifference.
Score: 3.9
13) Hardly Kirk-ing
Bart learns that Milhouse can look and sound just like his father Kirk, if his hair is cut like Kirk's and he wears a tie straightened enough to affect his vocal chords.
Score: 6.5
14) Gorgeous Grampa
The family learns Grampa was a "villain" wrestling back in the 50s, but Mr. Burns convinces Grampa to come back to wrestling, much to Bart's adulation.
Score: 6.0
15) Black Eyed, Please
Ned becomes so frustrated with Homer he punches his neighbor right in the eye. Meanwhile, Lisa is bullied by her substitute teacher.
Score: 6.9
16) Dark Knight Court
As Bart gets blamed for an Easter prank - and might actually be innocent of doing - Mr. Burns become so nostalgic of comic books he turns himself into a comic book hero (with Smithers' help).
Score: 7.7
17) What Animated Women Want
Homer has trouble getting an angry Marge to forgive him, and Milhouse starts acting like a jerk to Lisa to get her to like him which actually works.
Score: 6.7
18) Pulpit Friction
A new Reverend gets people to enjoy church after he uses references to relate to them. Furthering this end, he makes Homer the church Deacon, annoying several people in the process.
Score: 7.0
19) Whiskey Business
Moe's latest bout with depression lead to Marge and Homer buying him a new suit which improves both his outlook on life, and his actual life as well.
Score: 5.1
20) The Fabulous Faker Boy
Bart takes up piano lessons to spend time with an attractive older girl, faking piano recitals to gain her fame in hopes she'll love him back.
Score: 6.0
21) The Saga of Carl
Homer, Moe, Lenny and Carl win the lottery together, but Carl disappears with the ticket. The other three give chase, taking them to Carl's home country of Iceland.
Score: 7.1
22) Dangers on a Train
Homer salvages a kiddie train he and Marge rode on during their 1st anniversary and plans to rebuild it and surprise it to Marge for their 10th. Marge, though, picks up the wrong idea.
Score: 7.0
Also, I'm not sure when this started, but Matt Selman has been credited as showrunner for a few episodes both this and last season and I wouldn't be surprised if there is a "changing of the guard" that may or may not happen in years to come where Selman takes over for Al Jean. Selman, whose written episodes I felt were hit-or-miss early on, has mostly written underwhelming episodes since, including last season's The Food Wife, and this season's The Day the Earth Stood Cool and Gorgeous Grampa. So, if he does take over for Jean, it probably won't mean much good in the grand scheme of things.
Season 24 Overall Score: 6.49
Favorite Season 24 Episode: Dark Knight Court
Least Favorite Season 24 Episode: Love is a Many-Splintered Thing
01) Moonshine River
Lisa reminds Bart that his girlfriends end up hating him after a week or so. Bart tries to prove her wrong, going to New York to eventually do so by finding not-really-previous-girlfriend Mary Spuckler.
Score: 6.4
02) Treehouse of Horror XXIII
The Greatest Story Ever Holed: People keep throwing junk into an expanding black hole.
Unnormal Activity: Demonic things happen in the Simpson home, and Marge knows why.
Bart and Homer's Excellent Adventure: Bart goes to the past, ends up making his present better.
Score: 7.4
03) Adventures in Baby-Getting
Marge is forced to get a new car, but when it has only enough room for three kids, she tries to get Homer to conceive a fourth child.
Score: 6.1
04) Gone Abie Gone
Grampa goes missing, and Homer and Marge end up revealing a previously unknown part of Grampa's past while looking for him.
Score: 5.8
05) Penny-Wiseguys
A previously unknown acquaintance of Homer's is also the mafia's accountant, forced to take over Fat Tony's job as he goes to jury duty. Meanwhile, Lisa starts eating bugs for their precious iron.
Score: 7.3
06) A Tree Grows in Springfield
A depressed Homer finds some happiness in a "MyPad", but when that breaks Homer finds new hope in a tree with the word "hope" etched in maple syrup.
Score: 5.4
07) The Day the Earth Stood Cool
Homer befriends a "cool" new person whom he sets up to move right next door to. As Homer becomes more and more "cool", Marge and Bart aren't as impressed with the "cool" family.
Score: 6.4
08) To Cur with Love
Homer shows definite disdain towards Santa's Little Helper, and Grampa reveals why, telling the story of Homer's first dog: Bongo.
Score: 7.5
09) Homer Goes to Prep School
After experiencing the worst of human kind during a crisis, a traumatized Homer gets help from a survivalist "prepper" who helps Homer prepare for an "end of the world" scenario.
Score: 7.2
10) A Test Before Trying
With increased electricty prices, the school district must shut down a school - one with the lowest test scores. Bart Simpson is the difference between Springfield Elementary being last or second to last.
Score: 6.4
11) The Changing of the Guardian
After a near death experience, Homer and Marge decide to find guardians for the kids in case they actually do die. The process is more complicated than they expected.
Score: 7.0
12) Love is a Many-Splintered Thing
Mary Spuckler returns to Springfield, and starts going out with a rather indifferent Bart until she gets tired of Bart's indifference.
Score: 3.9
13) Hardly Kirk-ing
Bart learns that Milhouse can look and sound just like his father Kirk, if his hair is cut like Kirk's and he wears a tie straightened enough to affect his vocal chords.
Score: 6.5
14) Gorgeous Grampa
The family learns Grampa was a "villain" wrestling back in the 50s, but Mr. Burns convinces Grampa to come back to wrestling, much to Bart's adulation.
Score: 6.0
15) Black Eyed, Please
Ned becomes so frustrated with Homer he punches his neighbor right in the eye. Meanwhile, Lisa is bullied by her substitute teacher.
Score: 6.9
16) Dark Knight Court
As Bart gets blamed for an Easter prank - and might actually be innocent of doing - Mr. Burns become so nostalgic of comic books he turns himself into a comic book hero (with Smithers' help).
Score: 7.7
17) What Animated Women Want
Homer has trouble getting an angry Marge to forgive him, and Milhouse starts acting like a jerk to Lisa to get her to like him which actually works.
Score: 6.7
18) Pulpit Friction
A new Reverend gets people to enjoy church after he uses references to relate to them. Furthering this end, he makes Homer the church Deacon, annoying several people in the process.
Score: 7.0
19) Whiskey Business
Moe's latest bout with depression lead to Marge and Homer buying him a new suit which improves both his outlook on life, and his actual life as well.
Score: 5.1
20) The Fabulous Faker Boy
Bart takes up piano lessons to spend time with an attractive older girl, faking piano recitals to gain her fame in hopes she'll love him back.
Score: 6.0
21) The Saga of Carl
Homer, Moe, Lenny and Carl win the lottery together, but Carl disappears with the ticket. The other three give chase, taking them to Carl's home country of Iceland.
Score: 7.1
22) Dangers on a Train
Homer salvages a kiddie train he and Marge rode on during their 1st anniversary and plans to rebuild it and surprise it to Marge for their 10th. Marge, though, picks up the wrong idea.
Score: 7.0
Sunday, August 18, 2013
The Simpsons: Season 23 Episode List
Season 23 was a disaster. How bad was it? Comparing scores:
Season 23 Overall Score: 6.03
Favorite Season 23 Episode: Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart
Least Favorite Season 23 Episode: Moe Goes from Rags to Riches
01) The Falcon and the D'ohman
Homer befriends the new security guard at work, whose past haunts him at every turn. Also, the results of the Nedna vote are revealed: guess which side won?
Score: 5.7
02) Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts
Superintendent Chalmers is tasked with teaching Bart Simpson, and Chalmers finds a way to connect with him and other boys: by telling them about the manly adventures of Theodore Roosevelt.
Score: 6.9
03) Treehouse of Horror XXII
The Diving Bell and the Butterball: Homer deals with his newfound paralysis.
Dial D for Diddily: Ned gets orders from "God" to kill people, but its Homer pulling the strings.
In the Na'vi: Obvious Avatar parody.
Score: 6.2
04) Replaceable You
Homer gets a new assistant at work who quickly gets him demoted to be her assistant. Meanwhile, Bart teams up with Martin to make a robot baby seal that's really cute... until its wires are crossed.
Score: 6.9
05) The Food Wife
Marge is tired of seeing Homer have fun with the kids so she finds something to do with the kids that's fun as well: trying out new foods, something which Homer is, shockingly, unwilling to join.
Score: 5.2
06) The Book Job
Lisa learns the horrible secret about book publishing, but lets the secret be known to Homer who decides to take full advantage of the scheme.
Score: 5.7
07) The Man in the Blue Flannel Pants
Mr. Burns is impressed with Homer's demeanor enough that Homer is promoted to account manager. The job starts taking a toll, though, worrying Marge.
Score: 6.3
08) The Ten-Per-Cent Solution
Krusty loses both his TV gig and his agent. The Simpsons reunite him with his old estranged agent who eventually gets him back on track in more ways than one.
Score: 6.8
09) Holidays of Future Passed
Thirty years into the future, Bart and Lisa have trouble connecting with their own kids, while rock star Maggie is about to give birth to her first.
Score: 7.0
10) Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson
Homer goes on a rant in an airplane, which becomes popular on the internet. Homer is able to translate that success into a conservative-leaning TV show.
Score: 5.3
11) The D'oh-cial Network
Lisa creates a social network to make friends, but the consequences of her actions land her in court. These events are revealed in opposite order, mind you.
Score: 4.7
12) Moe Goes from Rags to Riches
After claims are made that Moe's best friend is his bar rag, the rag decides to tell the viewers about its long, painful history.
Score: 3.7
13) The Daughter Also Rises
Lisa gains a crush on a boy who is "Hemmingway-esque", while Bart and Milhouse follow a shows lead and 'cracks' several school myths.
Score: 6.0
14) At Long Last Leave
500th episode. The town banishes the Simpsons for being financially draining to the whole town, and they end up living in the off-the-grid Outlands.
Score: 6.4
15) Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart
As Apu can't deal with a new market that's actually pleasant, Bart decides to deal with Homer's latest round of abuse by spraypainting taunts of him across town.
Score: 7.1
16) How I Wet Your Mother
Homer gets away with misdeeds at work, but when he starts wetting his bed, he believes its simply karma being an ass. Turns out, he's only partly right.
Score: 6.6
17) Them, Robot
Mr. Burns replaces all of his workers with inexpensive robots, only keeping Homer on the payroll as a possible scapegoat. Then Homer tries to hang out with his new robot friends.
Score: 7.0
18) Beware My Cheating Bart
Bart is forced by Jimbo to protect his girlfriend, Shauna, when he's not around. Predictably, the two start to like one another. Meanwhile, Homer becomes obsessed with a years-old crazy show.
Score: 6.3
19) A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again
Bart's life has become very boring, so he's able to gather enough money to take the family on a fun cruise. Then Bart realizes the fun cruise will end at some point, taking him back to his boring life.
Score: 6.8
20) The Spy Who Learned Me
Homer suffers a concussion at work and is given eight weeks worth of paid vacation. With Marge mad at him over an earlier event, his concussion induces a popular spy to help him fix his marriage.
Score: 6.6
21) Ned 'n Edna's Blend
It's revealed the Ned Flanders and Edna Krabappel married secretly some time earlier. As Marge prepares a proper party for the two, they get into an argument about Rod and Todd's education.
Score: 5.3
22) Lisa Goes Gaga
A failed attempt to turn around her unpopularity leaves Lisa depressed and ready to give up on life. Coincedentally, Lady Gaga arrives in Springfield.
Score: 4.2
- Season 19 had an overall score of 6.43, which was the record low before this season. You can see below just how much worse this season was to 19.
- Seasons 16 and 18 tied for the record low of episodes scored 7.0 or above, with seven each. Season 23 blows away that record with only three such episodes.
- The lowest rated "top episode" prior to Season 23 was Season 20's No Loan Again, Naturally, whose 7.7 topped the season. This season's best episode, Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart, scored only a 7.1, by far the worst such mark.
- Seasons 16, 19 and 20 are tied for the most episodes that failed to score a 6.0 or above with five. Not any longer: Season 23 had eight episodes the scored below 6, crushing the old record.
Season 23 Overall Score: 6.03
Favorite Season 23 Episode: Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart
Least Favorite Season 23 Episode: Moe Goes from Rags to Riches
01) The Falcon and the D'ohman
Homer befriends the new security guard at work, whose past haunts him at every turn. Also, the results of the Nedna vote are revealed: guess which side won?
Score: 5.7
02) Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts
Superintendent Chalmers is tasked with teaching Bart Simpson, and Chalmers finds a way to connect with him and other boys: by telling them about the manly adventures of Theodore Roosevelt.
Score: 6.9
03) Treehouse of Horror XXII
The Diving Bell and the Butterball: Homer deals with his newfound paralysis.
Dial D for Diddily: Ned gets orders from "God" to kill people, but its Homer pulling the strings.
In the Na'vi: Obvious Avatar parody.
Score: 6.2
04) Replaceable You
Homer gets a new assistant at work who quickly gets him demoted to be her assistant. Meanwhile, Bart teams up with Martin to make a robot baby seal that's really cute... until its wires are crossed.
Score: 6.9
05) The Food Wife
Marge is tired of seeing Homer have fun with the kids so she finds something to do with the kids that's fun as well: trying out new foods, something which Homer is, shockingly, unwilling to join.
Score: 5.2
06) The Book Job
Lisa learns the horrible secret about book publishing, but lets the secret be known to Homer who decides to take full advantage of the scheme.
Score: 5.7
07) The Man in the Blue Flannel Pants
Mr. Burns is impressed with Homer's demeanor enough that Homer is promoted to account manager. The job starts taking a toll, though, worrying Marge.
Score: 6.3
08) The Ten-Per-Cent Solution
Krusty loses both his TV gig and his agent. The Simpsons reunite him with his old estranged agent who eventually gets him back on track in more ways than one.
Score: 6.8
09) Holidays of Future Passed
Thirty years into the future, Bart and Lisa have trouble connecting with their own kids, while rock star Maggie is about to give birth to her first.
Score: 7.0
10) Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson
Homer goes on a rant in an airplane, which becomes popular on the internet. Homer is able to translate that success into a conservative-leaning TV show.
Score: 5.3
11) The D'oh-cial Network
Lisa creates a social network to make friends, but the consequences of her actions land her in court. These events are revealed in opposite order, mind you.
Score: 4.7
12) Moe Goes from Rags to Riches
After claims are made that Moe's best friend is his bar rag, the rag decides to tell the viewers about its long, painful history.
Score: 3.7
13) The Daughter Also Rises
Lisa gains a crush on a boy who is "Hemmingway-esque", while Bart and Milhouse follow a shows lead and 'cracks' several school myths.
Score: 6.0
14) At Long Last Leave
500th episode. The town banishes the Simpsons for being financially draining to the whole town, and they end up living in the off-the-grid Outlands.
Score: 6.4
15) Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart
As Apu can't deal with a new market that's actually pleasant, Bart decides to deal with Homer's latest round of abuse by spraypainting taunts of him across town.
Score: 7.1
16) How I Wet Your Mother
Homer gets away with misdeeds at work, but when he starts wetting his bed, he believes its simply karma being an ass. Turns out, he's only partly right.
Score: 6.6
17) Them, Robot
Mr. Burns replaces all of his workers with inexpensive robots, only keeping Homer on the payroll as a possible scapegoat. Then Homer tries to hang out with his new robot friends.
Score: 7.0
18) Beware My Cheating Bart
Bart is forced by Jimbo to protect his girlfriend, Shauna, when he's not around. Predictably, the two start to like one another. Meanwhile, Homer becomes obsessed with a years-old crazy show.
Score: 6.3
19) A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again
Bart's life has become very boring, so he's able to gather enough money to take the family on a fun cruise. Then Bart realizes the fun cruise will end at some point, taking him back to his boring life.
Score: 6.8
20) The Spy Who Learned Me
Homer suffers a concussion at work and is given eight weeks worth of paid vacation. With Marge mad at him over an earlier event, his concussion induces a popular spy to help him fix his marriage.
Score: 6.6
21) Ned 'n Edna's Blend
It's revealed the Ned Flanders and Edna Krabappel married secretly some time earlier. As Marge prepares a proper party for the two, they get into an argument about Rod and Todd's education.
Score: 5.3
22) Lisa Goes Gaga
A failed attempt to turn around her unpopularity leaves Lisa depressed and ready to give up on life. Coincedentally, Lady Gaga arrives in Springfield.
Score: 4.2
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
The Simpsons: Season 22 Episode List
Season 22 continues a mini-rebound for the series. While the couch gags get much longer and less funny, the episodes themselves have reached a level of consistency that it hasn't seen in a long time. That's not to say the episode have gotten really good again, most of them still rate below a 7, but for the first time since Season 10, there isn't an episode rated lower than a 5. Hell, there isn't even an episode rated lower than a 6, a first since Season 9. Of course, unlike last season, there isn't an episode this season that rated higher than an 8. So, there is more consistency this season, but the overall quality still hasn't returned.
Season 22 Overall Score: 6.87
Favorite Season 22 Episode: A Midsummer's Nice Dream
Least Favorite Season 22 Episode: The Ned-Liest Catch
01) Elementary School Musical
Lisa is depressed Bart and Maggie get to do fun things, so Marge makes it up to her by taking her to Performance Arts camp. Meanwhile, Bart and Homer go with Krusty to Europe in their own wacky adventure.
Score: 7.6
02) Loan-a Lisa
The Simpsons gets $50 each from Grampa, and Lisa decides to invest it in a bike repair business Nelson is trying to start up. Meanwhile, Homer gets a thrill buying and returning expensive wares.
Score: 6.3
03) MoneyBART
To pick up extracurriculars for her Yale resume, Lisa becomes manager of Bart's little league baseball team, using stats-based Sabrmetrics to win, taking the fun out of it for Bart.
Score: 7.0
04) Treehouse of Horror XXI
War and Pieces: an evil board game turns other board games into real life.
Master and Cadaver: Homer and Marge are involved in a horror plot at sea.
Tweenlight: Lisa falls in love with a young vampire boy, but both are embarrassed by their fathers.
Score: 7.3
05) Lisa Simpson, This Isn't Your Life
Lisa learns Marge was just as smart as she was when Marge was young, but her grades dropped when Homer came into her life. Lisa vows to avoid that fate.
Score: 7.1
06) The Fool Monty
Mr. Burns only has a few weeks to live, and tries to end his life on his own terms. He survives, but loses his memory and mind, something the town gladly exploits for the purposes of vengeance.
Score: 7.0
07) How Munched is That Birdie in the Window?
A pigeon crashes into the house, and Bart mends it back to health. The pigeon becomes Bart's beloved pet, until another pet of his gets a little hungry...
Score: 6.9
08) The Fight Before Christmas
Four Simpsons have various Christmas dreams, including Bart getting what he's owed by Santa, Lisa angry about trees, Marge getting help from Martha Stewart, and Maggie imagining everyone as puppets except Katy Perry whom Maggie imagines as fully real for some reason.
Score: 6.7
09) Donnie Fatso
A series of unfortunate circumstances leaves Homer in jail, unless he agrees to become a mob informant. He does so, but he becomes true friends with Fat Tony.
Score: 6.4
10) Moms I'd Like to Forget
After seeing another boy with the same sword-shaped scar as him, Bart learns from Marge that the boys were playmates when they were little while Marge and some other moms were best of friends.
Score: 7.0
11) Flaming Moe
Smithers, looking for Mr. Burns' respect, convinces Moe to turn his once-again struggling tavern into a gay bar. Meanwhile, Principal Skinner falls in love with a free spirited substitute teacher.
Score: 6.7
12) Homer the Father
Homer takes cues from an 80s sitcom to be a better father for a mostly confused Bart.
Score: 7.8
13) The Blue and the Gray
Marge "remembers" that her hair is now naturally gray and decides to give that a whirl. Meanwhile, Moe makes Homer his wingman.
Score: 6.6
14) Angry Dad: The Movie
Bart's old web cartoon Angry Dad is being made into a movie, and this time Homer gets to provide his own voice. When the eventual short film starts winning awards, though, Homer takes all the credit.
Score: 6.9
15) The Scorpion's Tale
Lisa creates a drug which has the unintended side effect of calming cranky seniors. Homer, with some help, is able to synthesize more of the drug, but it has nasty side effects.
Score: 7.1
16) A Midsummer's Nice Dream
When stoner comedy duo Cheech and Chong break up, Homer takes over as Cheech's Chong, but real life Cheech is nothing like Homer expected. Also, Marge takes up the fun activity of hoarding.
Score: 7.9
17) Love Is a Many Strangled Thing
Homer accidentally tickles Bart so hard at a football game, Bart ends up wetting his pants. Homer makes up for it by getting therapy, where he's forced to confront his love of strangling Bart.
Score: 6.7
18) The Great Simpsina
Lisa becomes the apprentice of a famed magician, but loses his trust when she gives away his biggest secret.
Score: 6.5
19) The Real Housewives of Fat Tony
Selma and Fat Tony fall in love, but Marge doesn't appreciate how Selma is treating her this time around. Meanwhile, Lisa learns Bart can hunt for truffles.
Score: 6.8
20) Homer Scissorhands
Homer learns he has a natural ability to cut hair, particularly for women. He opens up a salon, then learns he has no ability to listen to women complain about their husbands. Also, Lisa gets jealous of Milhouse's new girlfriend.
Score: 6.5
21) 500 Keys
The Simpsons uncover a drawer full of keys, and each member goes on adventures with at least one key, the most prominent of which is Lisa uncovering a conspiracy at the school.
Score: 6.2
22) The Ned-Liest Catch
Ned Flanders and Edna Krabappel start dating, but Ned starts to reconsider when he learns of Edna's loose past. Will the two stay together? You decide! ...years ago.
Score: 6.1
Season 22 Overall Score: 6.87
Favorite Season 22 Episode: A Midsummer's Nice Dream
Least Favorite Season 22 Episode: The Ned-Liest Catch
01) Elementary School Musical
Lisa is depressed Bart and Maggie get to do fun things, so Marge makes it up to her by taking her to Performance Arts camp. Meanwhile, Bart and Homer go with Krusty to Europe in their own wacky adventure.
Score: 7.6
02) Loan-a Lisa
The Simpsons gets $50 each from Grampa, and Lisa decides to invest it in a bike repair business Nelson is trying to start up. Meanwhile, Homer gets a thrill buying and returning expensive wares.
Score: 6.3
03) MoneyBART
To pick up extracurriculars for her Yale resume, Lisa becomes manager of Bart's little league baseball team, using stats-based Sabrmetrics to win, taking the fun out of it for Bart.
Score: 7.0
04) Treehouse of Horror XXI
War and Pieces: an evil board game turns other board games into real life.
Master and Cadaver: Homer and Marge are involved in a horror plot at sea.
Tweenlight: Lisa falls in love with a young vampire boy, but both are embarrassed by their fathers.
Score: 7.3
05) Lisa Simpson, This Isn't Your Life
Lisa learns Marge was just as smart as she was when Marge was young, but her grades dropped when Homer came into her life. Lisa vows to avoid that fate.
Score: 7.1
06) The Fool Monty
Mr. Burns only has a few weeks to live, and tries to end his life on his own terms. He survives, but loses his memory and mind, something the town gladly exploits for the purposes of vengeance.
Score: 7.0
07) How Munched is That Birdie in the Window?
A pigeon crashes into the house, and Bart mends it back to health. The pigeon becomes Bart's beloved pet, until another pet of his gets a little hungry...
Score: 6.9
08) The Fight Before Christmas
Four Simpsons have various Christmas dreams, including Bart getting what he's owed by Santa, Lisa angry about trees, Marge getting help from Martha Stewart, and Maggie imagining everyone as puppets except Katy Perry whom Maggie imagines as fully real for some reason.
Score: 6.7
09) Donnie Fatso
A series of unfortunate circumstances leaves Homer in jail, unless he agrees to become a mob informant. He does so, but he becomes true friends with Fat Tony.
Score: 6.4
10) Moms I'd Like to Forget
After seeing another boy with the same sword-shaped scar as him, Bart learns from Marge that the boys were playmates when they were little while Marge and some other moms were best of friends.
Score: 7.0
11) Flaming Moe
Smithers, looking for Mr. Burns' respect, convinces Moe to turn his once-again struggling tavern into a gay bar. Meanwhile, Principal Skinner falls in love with a free spirited substitute teacher.
Score: 6.7
12) Homer the Father
Homer takes cues from an 80s sitcom to be a better father for a mostly confused Bart.
Score: 7.8
13) The Blue and the Gray
Marge "remembers" that her hair is now naturally gray and decides to give that a whirl. Meanwhile, Moe makes Homer his wingman.
Score: 6.6
14) Angry Dad: The Movie
Bart's old web cartoon Angry Dad is being made into a movie, and this time Homer gets to provide his own voice. When the eventual short film starts winning awards, though, Homer takes all the credit.
Score: 6.9
15) The Scorpion's Tale
Lisa creates a drug which has the unintended side effect of calming cranky seniors. Homer, with some help, is able to synthesize more of the drug, but it has nasty side effects.
Score: 7.1
16) A Midsummer's Nice Dream
When stoner comedy duo Cheech and Chong break up, Homer takes over as Cheech's Chong, but real life Cheech is nothing like Homer expected. Also, Marge takes up the fun activity of hoarding.
Score: 7.9
17) Love Is a Many Strangled Thing
Homer accidentally tickles Bart so hard at a football game, Bart ends up wetting his pants. Homer makes up for it by getting therapy, where he's forced to confront his love of strangling Bart.
Score: 6.7
18) The Great Simpsina
Lisa becomes the apprentice of a famed magician, but loses his trust when she gives away his biggest secret.
Score: 6.5
19) The Real Housewives of Fat Tony
Selma and Fat Tony fall in love, but Marge doesn't appreciate how Selma is treating her this time around. Meanwhile, Lisa learns Bart can hunt for truffles.
Score: 6.8
20) Homer Scissorhands
Homer learns he has a natural ability to cut hair, particularly for women. He opens up a salon, then learns he has no ability to listen to women complain about their husbands. Also, Lisa gets jealous of Milhouse's new girlfriend.
Score: 6.5
21) 500 Keys
The Simpsons uncover a drawer full of keys, and each member goes on adventures with at least one key, the most prominent of which is Lisa uncovering a conspiracy at the school.
Score: 6.2
22) The Ned-Liest Catch
Ned Flanders and Edna Krabappel start dating, but Ned starts to reconsider when he learns of Edna's loose past. Will the two stay together? You decide! ...years ago.
Score: 6.1
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
The Simpsons: Season 21 Episode List
This is the first full season in HD. This is also the first season in a long time where there were several really good episodes. The season average is its highest since Season 15. Treehouse of Horror XX was the first episode I rated at least an 8 since Season 18's The Boys of Bummer and there haven't been this many 8.0+ episodes (three) since Season 14 (which had five such episodes). Unfortunately, the season still possessed many clunkers as well, most notably a stretch of three out of four such episodes where comedy took a complete back seat to providing some message of some sort. Its hard to tell if the few great episodes this season contained is a fluke, or a sign of better things to come.
Also, some things I've noticed since the switch to HD but really noticeable this season: couch gags often have their own music rather than the opening theme (or, in one awful instance, the entire opening replaced with a pop song), episodes on several occasions ending with a slideshow of slightly relevant pictures, and Lisa being treated particularly well by writers as of late.
Season 21 Overall Score: 6.77
Favorite Season 21 Episode: Treehouse of Horror XX
Least Favorite Season 21 Episode: The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed
01) Homer the Whopper
The comic book guy publishes a successful comic book series about Everyman, a guy who absorbs comic book powers, and he casts Homer as the hero in the eventual movie.
Score: 6.6
02) Bart Gets a Z
In an attempt to get Mrs. Krabappel to be more fun, Bart spikes her coffee. Edna's resulting behavior gets her fired, and while her replacement isn't that bad Bart still feels guilty about what he did.
Score: 6.3
03) The Great Wife Hope
Marge learns about the ever-violent sport of mixed martial arts and ends up in a literal fight to have one of its leagues shut down.
Score: 6.7
04) Treehouse of Horror XX
Dial M for Murder: Bart and Lisa agree to a criss-cross to get revenge on each other's teacher.
Don't Have a Cow, Mankind: An unholy new burger zombifies the town, but Bart is immune.
There's No Business Like Moe Business: A musical where Moe tries to win Marge with beer containing a dying Homer's blood.
Score: 8.4
05) The Devil Wears Nada
Marge gets turned on from her own sexy photos on a calender, but Homer is so worn out as Carl's new assistant Marge can't get him to snuggle with her.
Score: 7.6
06) Pranks and Greens
Bart learns about an even better prankster than him, but then learns that kid has since grown up to be a loser. Also, Marge succumbs to peer pressure from other mothers.
Score: 8.0
07) Rednecks and Broomsticks
After the Simpsons crash their car near Cletus' place, Homer becomes a moonshine taster while Lisa takes an interest in group of young women posing as Wiccans.
Score: 6.0
08) O Brother, Where Bart Thou?
Bart becomes jealous of Lisa's bond with her sister Maggie, and wishes for a brother he could bond with. Eventually, he settles with an orphaned boy.
Score: 6.7
09) Thursdays with Abie
Grampa's stories take notice with a human interest journalist who publishes the old man's stories, making Homer jealous.
Score: 7.3
10) Once Upon a Time in Springfield
Krusty is being phased out of his own show by Princess Penelope, who later admits she's madly in love with her childhood icon.
Score: 7.8
11) Million Dollar Maybe
Homer bails on going to a wedding with Marge so that he can buy a lottery ticket on a lucky day. Getting hurt shortly afterwards, Homer wins a million dollars but can't tell Marge or she'll learn why he bailed on the wedding.
Score: 7.0
12) Boy Meets Curl
Homer and Marge get involved in curling and while Homer is merely average, Marge's sweeping skills are so good they get to curl in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Score: 6.4
13) The Color Yellow
Lisa digs up info about an ancestor named Eliza Simpson who supposedly helped free a slave named Virgil.
Score: 5.1
14) Postcards from the Wedge
Bart is forced to make up a month's worth of missed homework. Homer tries to force him to do it all, but Marge is more lenient, a wedge Bart is more than willing to exploit.
Score: 6.5
15) Stealing First Base
Bart tries to woo another (bipolar) girl in his life by following Grampa's advice: stealing a kiss from her. Meanwhile Lisa gets help being both popular and smart from a special guest star!
Score: 5.7
16) The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed
Flanders tries one last time to save Homer's soul by taking him to Jerusalem to soak in all of the religion.
Score: 3.5
17) American History X-cellent
Mr. Burns is imprisoned for grand theft and while he survives his new life there, Smithers takes over as head of the nuclear plant.
Score: 6.8
18) Chief of Hearts
Chief Wiggum and Homer become really good friends, but after Wiggum gets shot to save Homer's life, their friendship hits a bumpy road.
Score: 8.0
19) The Squirt and the Whale
A strong windstorm washes a whale ashore. Lisa tries to save it despite the odds.
Score: 6.4
20) To Surveil with Love
After a terrorist scare, Springfield gets cameras installed all over the place, and Ned Flanders eventually becomes the one to snoop on everybody. Also, Lisa is discredited because she's blonde.
Score: 7.2
21) Moe Letter Blues
As Homer, Apu and Reverend Lovejoy take their kids to an island park for Mother's Day, Moe sends them a letter stating he's leaving town with one of their wives.
Score: 7.0
22) The Bob Next Door
A new neighbor moves in which, to Bart's horror, sounds exactly like Sideshow Bob but looks nothing like him. What's the deal with that?
Score: 7.4
23) Judge Me Tender
Moe learns he's a natural at being a mean judge, and gets so good at it he goes to Hollywood to judge for American Idol. With Moe's Tavern closed, Homer annoys Marge with his presence.
Score: 7.2
Also, some things I've noticed since the switch to HD but really noticeable this season: couch gags often have their own music rather than the opening theme (or, in one awful instance, the entire opening replaced with a pop song), episodes on several occasions ending with a slideshow of slightly relevant pictures, and Lisa being treated particularly well by writers as of late.
Season 21 Overall Score: 6.77
Favorite Season 21 Episode: Treehouse of Horror XX
Least Favorite Season 21 Episode: The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed
01) Homer the Whopper
The comic book guy publishes a successful comic book series about Everyman, a guy who absorbs comic book powers, and he casts Homer as the hero in the eventual movie.
Score: 6.6
02) Bart Gets a Z
In an attempt to get Mrs. Krabappel to be more fun, Bart spikes her coffee. Edna's resulting behavior gets her fired, and while her replacement isn't that bad Bart still feels guilty about what he did.
Score: 6.3
03) The Great Wife Hope
Marge learns about the ever-violent sport of mixed martial arts and ends up in a literal fight to have one of its leagues shut down.
Score: 6.7
04) Treehouse of Horror XX
Dial M for Murder: Bart and Lisa agree to a criss-cross to get revenge on each other's teacher.
Don't Have a Cow, Mankind: An unholy new burger zombifies the town, but Bart is immune.
There's No Business Like Moe Business: A musical where Moe tries to win Marge with beer containing a dying Homer's blood.
Score: 8.4
05) The Devil Wears Nada
Marge gets turned on from her own sexy photos on a calender, but Homer is so worn out as Carl's new assistant Marge can't get him to snuggle with her.
Score: 7.6
06) Pranks and Greens
Bart learns about an even better prankster than him, but then learns that kid has since grown up to be a loser. Also, Marge succumbs to peer pressure from other mothers.
Score: 8.0
07) Rednecks and Broomsticks
After the Simpsons crash their car near Cletus' place, Homer becomes a moonshine taster while Lisa takes an interest in group of young women posing as Wiccans.
Score: 6.0
08) O Brother, Where Bart Thou?
Bart becomes jealous of Lisa's bond with her sister Maggie, and wishes for a brother he could bond with. Eventually, he settles with an orphaned boy.
Score: 6.7
09) Thursdays with Abie
Grampa's stories take notice with a human interest journalist who publishes the old man's stories, making Homer jealous.
Score: 7.3
10) Once Upon a Time in Springfield
Krusty is being phased out of his own show by Princess Penelope, who later admits she's madly in love with her childhood icon.
Score: 7.8
11) Million Dollar Maybe
Homer bails on going to a wedding with Marge so that he can buy a lottery ticket on a lucky day. Getting hurt shortly afterwards, Homer wins a million dollars but can't tell Marge or she'll learn why he bailed on the wedding.
Score: 7.0
12) Boy Meets Curl
Homer and Marge get involved in curling and while Homer is merely average, Marge's sweeping skills are so good they get to curl in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Score: 6.4
13) The Color Yellow
Lisa digs up info about an ancestor named Eliza Simpson who supposedly helped free a slave named Virgil.
Score: 5.1
14) Postcards from the Wedge
Bart is forced to make up a month's worth of missed homework. Homer tries to force him to do it all, but Marge is more lenient, a wedge Bart is more than willing to exploit.
Score: 6.5
15) Stealing First Base
Bart tries to woo another (bipolar) girl in his life by following Grampa's advice: stealing a kiss from her. Meanwhile Lisa gets help being both popular and smart from a special guest star!
Score: 5.7
16) The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed
Flanders tries one last time to save Homer's soul by taking him to Jerusalem to soak in all of the religion.
Score: 3.5
17) American History X-cellent
Mr. Burns is imprisoned for grand theft and while he survives his new life there, Smithers takes over as head of the nuclear plant.
Score: 6.8
18) Chief of Hearts
Chief Wiggum and Homer become really good friends, but after Wiggum gets shot to save Homer's life, their friendship hits a bumpy road.
Score: 8.0
19) The Squirt and the Whale
A strong windstorm washes a whale ashore. Lisa tries to save it despite the odds.
Score: 6.4
20) To Surveil with Love
After a terrorist scare, Springfield gets cameras installed all over the place, and Ned Flanders eventually becomes the one to snoop on everybody. Also, Lisa is discredited because she's blonde.
Score: 7.2
21) Moe Letter Blues
As Homer, Apu and Reverend Lovejoy take their kids to an island park for Mother's Day, Moe sends them a letter stating he's leaving town with one of their wives.
Score: 7.0
22) The Bob Next Door
A new neighbor moves in which, to Bart's horror, sounds exactly like Sideshow Bob but looks nothing like him. What's the deal with that?
Score: 7.4
23) Judge Me Tender
Moe learns he's a natural at being a mean judge, and gets so good at it he goes to Hollywood to judge for American Idol. With Moe's Tavern closed, Homer annoys Marge with his presence.
Score: 7.2
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
The Simpsons: Season 20 Episode List
Season 20 is a notable season for a few reasons. First, and most obviously, its a milestone season for the series. To commemorate the occasion, this season's DVD was released shortly after the season's conclusion, even though at that time only Seasons 1-12 had a DVD release.
More notably, though, is that once the season begins its new production order of episodes starting with Take My Life, Please, the series shifts to full HD. This includes a brand new opening sequence, the first major change to it since Season 2.
While this season ends up slightly better than Season 19, thanks in part to a string of episodes of decent quality, there are still several stinkers found within that prevent the season from making any positive strides. As it is, its just another throwaway season during Al Jean's zombie Simpsons run.
Season 20 Overall Score: 6.51
Favorite Season 20 Episode: No Loan Again, Naturally
Least Favorite Season 20 Episode: Four Great Women and a Manicure
01) Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes
A wild St. Patrick's Day leads to Marge getting a job as an erotic baker, and Homer teaming up with Ned to become bounty hunters.
Score: 5.8
02) Lost Verizon
Bart finally gets a cell phone - that belonged to Denis Leary. After consulting with Leary, Marge decides to enable its GPS so that she can track Bart.
Score: 5.9
03) Double, Double, Boy in Trouble
To evade punishment for misdeeds, Bart switches places with a very similar looking yet very rich boy he meets in the bathroom. However, it turns out that boy switched places to avoid being killed for his inheritance.
Score: 7.0
04) Treehouse of Horror XIX
Untitled Robot Parody: parody of Transformers
How to Get Ahead in Dead-vertising: parody of Mad Men
It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse: parody of Charlie Brown
Score: 7.3
05) Dangerous Curves
A love story that spans 20 years all in the same lodge almost comes back to ruin Homer and Marge's marriage. Or something, I dunno.
Score: 5.6
06) Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words
Homer gains a lot of money breaking up couples and consoling the hurt, then successfully bets it against Lisa in the finals of the crossword tournament she's in. Cool guy.
Score: 6.4
07) Mypods and Boomsticks
As Lisa gets a new "Mypod" that she downloads too much music for, Bart befriends a young Muslim boy whose family Homer suspects the worst from.
Score: 7.1
08) The Burns and the Bees
Mr. Burns earns himself a professional basketball team, and tries to be the hip new owner everyone likes. Meanwhile, Lisa tries to stop bees from dying.
Score: 6.9
09) Lisa the Drama Queen
Lisa befriends a new, intellectual girl in town named Juliet. Together the two create a new fantasy world called Equalia and both become just a little too enveloped in it.
Score: 6.7
10) Take My Life, Please
As the series shifts to HD, Homer is depressed that he lost his high school class president election to the now successful Vance Connor, and goes on a quest to find out what life would've been like had he won.
Score: 6.3
11) How the Test Was Won
As the elementary school prepares for an important test, Skinner and the less-than-ideal boys such as Bart are forced to Capital City for a day to prevent any screwups. Meanwhile, Homer is uninsured.
Score: 6.6
12) No Loan Again, Naturally
Homer's careless use of his home's equity put their house up for auction. Ned Flanders graciously buys the home and lets the family rent it back from him.
Score: 7.7
13) Gone Maggie Gone
After Marge is blinded by a solar eclipse, Homer accidentally leaves Maggie at a convent. Lisa goes to retrieve her, unveiling a deep mystery within the convent.
Score: 6.6
14) In the Name of the Grandfather
The Simpsons miss an important day for Grampa so to make it up they take him to Ireland so he can drink once more at a bar he enjoyed when he was younger.
Score: 4.6
15) Wedding for Disaster
Homer and Marge learn that their second wedding wasn't official, and so they prepare another wedding, however Marge turns into a 'Bridezilla' during the process, which worries Homer.
Score: 7.1
16) Eeny Teeny Maya Moe
Moe has a new girlfriend, but her small stature makes it hard for him not to make comments, unintentional or otherwise, about it.
Score: 7.4
17) The Good, the Sad and the Drugly
Milhouse takes full blame for a prank he and Bart pulled, and Bart promises to visit Milhouse during his suspension. However, Bart meets a girl instead.
Score: 7.2
18) Father Knows Worst
Homer burns his tongue and becomes ultra-sensitive to taste so he goes to the school's cafeteria to eat its bland food. There, he learns about the necessity that is helicopter parenting.
Score: 7.0
19) Waverly Hills 9-0-2-1-D'oh
Marge decides to send the kids to a much nicer elementary school in Waverly Hills, but in order to do that Homer has to rent and live in an apartment within that city.
Score: 6.9
20) Four Great Women and a Manicure
Marge and/or Lisa tell four tales about women: Queen Elizabeth I, Snow White, alternate reality murderous Marge during the production of a Lady MacBeth play, and a Jodie Foster voiced Maggie.
Score: 4.4
21) Coming to Homerica
Tainted barley in a vegetarian burger basically shuts down the Norwegian-descended farm town of Ogdenville, so everyone there goes to Springfield to do cheap labor.
Score: 6.2
More notably, though, is that once the season begins its new production order of episodes starting with Take My Life, Please, the series shifts to full HD. This includes a brand new opening sequence, the first major change to it since Season 2.
While this season ends up slightly better than Season 19, thanks in part to a string of episodes of decent quality, there are still several stinkers found within that prevent the season from making any positive strides. As it is, its just another throwaway season during Al Jean's zombie Simpsons run.
Season 20 Overall Score: 6.51
Favorite Season 20 Episode: No Loan Again, Naturally
Least Favorite Season 20 Episode: Four Great Women and a Manicure
01) Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes
A wild St. Patrick's Day leads to Marge getting a job as an erotic baker, and Homer teaming up with Ned to become bounty hunters.
Score: 5.8
02) Lost Verizon
Bart finally gets a cell phone - that belonged to Denis Leary. After consulting with Leary, Marge decides to enable its GPS so that she can track Bart.
Score: 5.9
03) Double, Double, Boy in Trouble
To evade punishment for misdeeds, Bart switches places with a very similar looking yet very rich boy he meets in the bathroom. However, it turns out that boy switched places to avoid being killed for his inheritance.
Score: 7.0
04) Treehouse of Horror XIX
Untitled Robot Parody: parody of Transformers
How to Get Ahead in Dead-vertising: parody of Mad Men
It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse: parody of Charlie Brown
Score: 7.3
05) Dangerous Curves
A love story that spans 20 years all in the same lodge almost comes back to ruin Homer and Marge's marriage. Or something, I dunno.
Score: 5.6
06) Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words
Homer gains a lot of money breaking up couples and consoling the hurt, then successfully bets it against Lisa in the finals of the crossword tournament she's in. Cool guy.
Score: 6.4
07) Mypods and Boomsticks
As Lisa gets a new "Mypod" that she downloads too much music for, Bart befriends a young Muslim boy whose family Homer suspects the worst from.
Score: 7.1
08) The Burns and the Bees
Mr. Burns earns himself a professional basketball team, and tries to be the hip new owner everyone likes. Meanwhile, Lisa tries to stop bees from dying.
Score: 6.9
09) Lisa the Drama Queen
Lisa befriends a new, intellectual girl in town named Juliet. Together the two create a new fantasy world called Equalia and both become just a little too enveloped in it.
Score: 6.7
10) Take My Life, Please
As the series shifts to HD, Homer is depressed that he lost his high school class president election to the now successful Vance Connor, and goes on a quest to find out what life would've been like had he won.
Score: 6.3
11) How the Test Was Won
As the elementary school prepares for an important test, Skinner and the less-than-ideal boys such as Bart are forced to Capital City for a day to prevent any screwups. Meanwhile, Homer is uninsured.
Score: 6.6
12) No Loan Again, Naturally
Homer's careless use of his home's equity put their house up for auction. Ned Flanders graciously buys the home and lets the family rent it back from him.
Score: 7.7
13) Gone Maggie Gone
After Marge is blinded by a solar eclipse, Homer accidentally leaves Maggie at a convent. Lisa goes to retrieve her, unveiling a deep mystery within the convent.
Score: 6.6
14) In the Name of the Grandfather
The Simpsons miss an important day for Grampa so to make it up they take him to Ireland so he can drink once more at a bar he enjoyed when he was younger.
Score: 4.6
15) Wedding for Disaster
Homer and Marge learn that their second wedding wasn't official, and so they prepare another wedding, however Marge turns into a 'Bridezilla' during the process, which worries Homer.
Score: 7.1
16) Eeny Teeny Maya Moe
Moe has a new girlfriend, but her small stature makes it hard for him not to make comments, unintentional or otherwise, about it.
Score: 7.4
17) The Good, the Sad and the Drugly
Milhouse takes full blame for a prank he and Bart pulled, and Bart promises to visit Milhouse during his suspension. However, Bart meets a girl instead.
Score: 7.2
18) Father Knows Worst
Homer burns his tongue and becomes ultra-sensitive to taste so he goes to the school's cafeteria to eat its bland food. There, he learns about the necessity that is helicopter parenting.
Score: 7.0
19) Waverly Hills 9-0-2-1-D'oh
Marge decides to send the kids to a much nicer elementary school in Waverly Hills, but in order to do that Homer has to rent and live in an apartment within that city.
Score: 6.9
20) Four Great Women and a Manicure
Marge and/or Lisa tell four tales about women: Queen Elizabeth I, Snow White, alternate reality murderous Marge during the production of a Lady MacBeth play, and a Jodie Foster voiced Maggie.
Score: 4.4
21) Coming to Homerica
Tainted barley in a vegetarian burger basically shuts down the Norwegian-descended farm town of Ogdenville, so everyone there goes to Springfield to do cheap labor.
Score: 6.2
Monday, July 1, 2013
The Simpsons: Season 19 Episode List
Season 19 is the first season following the theatrical release of The Simpsons Movie. Given that the movie was a huge commercial success, one might think things are going to improve in terms of quality.
The movie as well as a Writer's Guild strike probably are the reasons why this season has only 20 episodes. Among the 'notable' moments of the season are the return of Sideshow Bob, Ralph Wiggum as a Presidential candidate, a major 90s-related retcon of Homer and Marge, and the death of an infrequently seen member of the Simpson family.
Though the season starts off decently enough, once things get into a new production order, the season falls apart. You know its bad when the only decent episodes in the second half of the season are all Lisa-centric. From this, Season 19 has the worst overall score to this point, barely edging out Season 16 for that dishonor. Remember, this season was coming off the movie.
Season 19 Overall Score: 6.43
Favorite Season 19 Episode: Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind
Least Favorite Season 19 Episode: That '90s Show
01) He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs
Homer gets to fly on Mr. Burns' private jet for a night, but afterward realizes his life will never be that good again, and gets ultra depressed until a life coach comes to get him back on track.
Score: 7.0
02) Homer of Seville
An accident leaves Homer completely able to sing at an opera-level just by lying on his back. He becomes a big opera sensation and gets his share of stalker-level fans.
Score: 6.3
03) Midnight Towboy
As Marge struggles with Maggie's clingyness, Homer takes up a job as a tow truck driver which he loves, but everyone else hates.
Score: 7.6
04) I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Marge is able to convince an armed robber to turn himself in, but only if she visits him in prison. Then, out of panic, she doesn't visit him.
Score: 7.1
05) Treehouse of Horror XVIII
E.T. Go Home: Kodos is left behind, uses Bart to secretly set up an invasion portal.
Mr. & Mrs. Simpson: Homer and Marge are secret assassins, then they learn each other's secret.
Heck House: Flanders get the power of the devil to scare some kids straight.
Score: 7.6
06) Little Orphan Millie
Milhouse's parents remarry... but are lost at sea during their honeymoon cruise. Milhouse copes by becoming a hardened loner, which is so cool Bart can't deal with it.
Score: 7.2
07) Husbands and Knives
Stiff competition and a resulting meltdown causes comic book guy to close his shop. Marge takes it over to create a very successful gym for women, and Homer is worried he'll be replaced with a trophy husband.
Score: 6.3
08) Funeral for a Fiend
Bob tries to kill the Simpsons after what happened in Italy, but fails again. During the trial, Bart supposedly causes Bob's death, leading to a family-sized funeral.
Score: 7.4
09) Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind
Homer wakes up unable to remember what happened the night previous, but during his inner journey he recalls fragments and worries that he might have hurt Marge.
Score: 7.8
10) E Pluribus Wiggum
Springfield becomes the first town in America to have its primary election. With both the media and the candidates annoying everyone, the town writes in Ralph Wiggum as a 'screw you', and it works.
Score: 4.1
11) That '90s Show
Homer and Marge recall their time in the 1990s, when their relationship hit the rocks so hard he became a grunge band leader and she dated a radical assistant professor.
Score: 4.0
12) Love, Springfieldian Style
Three tales of love involving Bonnie and Clyde, Lady and the Tramp knockoffs, and Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen.
Score: 5.9
13) The Debarted
Bart befriends a new kid in school who is actually a rat working for Skinner. Meanwhile, Homer really loves a car he was loaned.
Score: 6.7
14) Dial 'N' for Nerder
Bart and Lisa accidentally push Martin off a cliff, and they deal with the guilt of his presumed murder. Meanwhile, Marge hires a show to catch Homer cheating... on his diet.
Score: 6.8
15) Smoke on the Daughter
Lisa starts living out Marge's dreams of being a ballerina, but finds out second-hand smoke makes her a better dancer.
Score: 7.3
16) Papa Don't Leech
Lurleen Lumpkin returns to stay with the Simpsons as she sorts out her tax evasion problems, as well as problems regarding her deadbeat dad.
Score: 4.7
17) Apocalypse Cow
Bart becomes a member of the 4H club, where he grows attached to a cow that's going to be slaughtered.
Score: 5.0
18) Any Given Sundance
Principal Skinner encourages Lisa to pursue filmmaking. She films the Simpsons in their everyday life, which gets accepted to the Sundance Film Festival.
Score: 6.0
19) Mona Leaves-a
Mona Simpson returns to finally settle down with the family, but Homer has been hurt twice already by her, and refuses to forgive her. Then she dies.
Score: 6.5
20) All About Lisa
Sideshow Mel narrates a tale detailing Lisa's rise to stardom and the addiction that is fame. He also shares a story about Homer and Bart collecting coins for some reason.
Score: 7.3
The movie as well as a Writer's Guild strike probably are the reasons why this season has only 20 episodes. Among the 'notable' moments of the season are the return of Sideshow Bob, Ralph Wiggum as a Presidential candidate, a major 90s-related retcon of Homer and Marge, and the death of an infrequently seen member of the Simpson family.
Though the season starts off decently enough, once things get into a new production order, the season falls apart. You know its bad when the only decent episodes in the second half of the season are all Lisa-centric. From this, Season 19 has the worst overall score to this point, barely edging out Season 16 for that dishonor. Remember, this season was coming off the movie.
Season 19 Overall Score: 6.43
Favorite Season 19 Episode: Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind
Least Favorite Season 19 Episode: That '90s Show
01) He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs
Homer gets to fly on Mr. Burns' private jet for a night, but afterward realizes his life will never be that good again, and gets ultra depressed until a life coach comes to get him back on track.
Score: 7.0
02) Homer of Seville
An accident leaves Homer completely able to sing at an opera-level just by lying on his back. He becomes a big opera sensation and gets his share of stalker-level fans.
Score: 6.3
03) Midnight Towboy
As Marge struggles with Maggie's clingyness, Homer takes up a job as a tow truck driver which he loves, but everyone else hates.
Score: 7.6
04) I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Marge is able to convince an armed robber to turn himself in, but only if she visits him in prison. Then, out of panic, she doesn't visit him.
Score: 7.1
05) Treehouse of Horror XVIII
E.T. Go Home: Kodos is left behind, uses Bart to secretly set up an invasion portal.
Mr. & Mrs. Simpson: Homer and Marge are secret assassins, then they learn each other's secret.
Heck House: Flanders get the power of the devil to scare some kids straight.
Score: 7.6
06) Little Orphan Millie
Milhouse's parents remarry... but are lost at sea during their honeymoon cruise. Milhouse copes by becoming a hardened loner, which is so cool Bart can't deal with it.
Score: 7.2
07) Husbands and Knives
Stiff competition and a resulting meltdown causes comic book guy to close his shop. Marge takes it over to create a very successful gym for women, and Homer is worried he'll be replaced with a trophy husband.
Score: 6.3
08) Funeral for a Fiend
Bob tries to kill the Simpsons after what happened in Italy, but fails again. During the trial, Bart supposedly causes Bob's death, leading to a family-sized funeral.
Score: 7.4
09) Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind
Homer wakes up unable to remember what happened the night previous, but during his inner journey he recalls fragments and worries that he might have hurt Marge.
Score: 7.8
10) E Pluribus Wiggum
Springfield becomes the first town in America to have its primary election. With both the media and the candidates annoying everyone, the town writes in Ralph Wiggum as a 'screw you', and it works.
Score: 4.1
11) That '90s Show
Homer and Marge recall their time in the 1990s, when their relationship hit the rocks so hard he became a grunge band leader and she dated a radical assistant professor.
Score: 4.0
12) Love, Springfieldian Style
Three tales of love involving Bonnie and Clyde, Lady and the Tramp knockoffs, and Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen.
Score: 5.9
13) The Debarted
Bart befriends a new kid in school who is actually a rat working for Skinner. Meanwhile, Homer really loves a car he was loaned.
Score: 6.7
14) Dial 'N' for Nerder
Bart and Lisa accidentally push Martin off a cliff, and they deal with the guilt of his presumed murder. Meanwhile, Marge hires a show to catch Homer cheating... on his diet.
Score: 6.8
15) Smoke on the Daughter
Lisa starts living out Marge's dreams of being a ballerina, but finds out second-hand smoke makes her a better dancer.
Score: 7.3
16) Papa Don't Leech
Lurleen Lumpkin returns to stay with the Simpsons as she sorts out her tax evasion problems, as well as problems regarding her deadbeat dad.
Score: 4.7
17) Apocalypse Cow
Bart becomes a member of the 4H club, where he grows attached to a cow that's going to be slaughtered.
Score: 5.0
18) Any Given Sundance
Principal Skinner encourages Lisa to pursue filmmaking. She films the Simpsons in their everyday life, which gets accepted to the Sundance Film Festival.
Score: 6.0
19) Mona Leaves-a
Mona Simpson returns to finally settle down with the family, but Homer has been hurt twice already by her, and refuses to forgive her. Then she dies.
Score: 6.5
20) All About Lisa
Sideshow Mel narrates a tale detailing Lisa's rise to stardom and the addiction that is fame. He also shares a story about Homer and Bart collecting coins for some reason.
Score: 7.3
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Simpsons: Season 18 Episode List
Season 18 continues the run of mediocrity that has been around since Al Jean took over as showrunner back in Season 13. It is also the last season before The Simpsons Movie was released in theatres. Judging from this season, it seems as though the quality writing talent was removed from this season (and the past several, I hope?) to focus on writing the movie. None of these episodes, other than the Jazz one and the Kent Brockman one, were really offensively bad, but barely any of these episodes provided the quantity and quality of jokes that was once expected from the show.
Maybe I've become a bit jaded as I've now finished my 6th season of Al Jean's zombie Simpsons, but with the movie coming up next, I surely hope it brings about a rejuvenation for the seasons to come.
Season 18 Overall Score: 6.58
Favorite Season 18 Episode: The Boys of Bummer
Least Favorite Season 18 Episode: Jazzy and the Pussycats
01) The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer
Lisa befriends the son of Fat Tony, Michael, whose dreams of becoming a chef come in conflict with his family "business".
Score: 7.0
02) Jazzy and the Pussycats
Bart takes a liking to drums, and gets so good he becomes part of a jazz troupe... before Lisa! To take her mind off that, Lisa starts adopting abandoned animals. The two plots eventually crash into each other.
Score: 4.9
03) Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em
Marge picks up carpentry, but when nobody takes her seriously, she uses Homer to take the credit so she can get work. Meanwhile, Bart learns that Principal Skinner has a peanut allergy, and takes full advantage of it.
Score: 6.4
04) Treehouse of Horror XVII
Married to the Blob: Homer eats a strange alien glob, becomes a giant blob of cannibal.
You Gotta Know When to Golem: Bart acquires a strange Jewish golem who feels bad about hurting people.
The Day the Earth Looked Stupid: 1938 Springfield gets tricked by Orson Welles, then invaded for real.
Score: 7.1
05) G.I. (D'oh)
Homer joins the army, but is so bad at it he gets put on the enemy team during war games, but is so good at it he continuously evades capture.
Score: 5.6
06) Moe'N'a Lisa
Lisa learns that Moe carries a 'tortured soul' and forms poetry out of his depressing thoughts.
Score: 5.7
07) Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair)
Homer gets a new job as the ice cream man. Marge is feeling depressed over not having any sort of legacy. Then Homer gives Marge his discarded popsicle sticks which could be used for crafts...
Score: 6.0
08) The Haw-Hawed Couple
Bart becomes friends with Nelson though he's not quite fully into it. Meanwhile, Homer and Lisa read a popular wizard book with a shocking conclusion.
Score: 7.4
09) Kill Gil, Volumes I & II
Marge Simpson feels sorry for Gil Gunderson after seeing him get fired, and lets him stay at her house for awhile. Then she learns that its okay to say 'no' every once in awhile.
Score: 6.7
10) The Wife Aquatic
Marge grows nostalgic over a place she visited as a child, so Homer takes her there. Of course, the place is now a dump.
Score: 6.6
11) Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Three Times
The Count of Monte Fatso: French Homer gets revenge on French Moe.
Revenge of the Geeks: Milhouse gets revenge on everyone.
Bartman Begins: Its basically campier parts of Batman Begins, but with Bart.
Score: 6.4
12) Little Big Girl
Lisa fakes a Native American heritage for a school report because her real heritage is really boring. Bart, meanwhile, earns a driver's license for some heroics, and gets into a wild fling out of town.
Score: 6.2
13) Springfield Up
Declan Desmond returns to follow up on a documentary he's been doing about citizens of Springfield when they were eight years old 32 years ago.
Score: 6.8
14) Yokel Chords
Bart's latest scheme gets him time with a psychiatrist he actually bonds with. Meanwhile, Lisa goes to tutor Cletus' seven kids about the world, much more so than she had wanted.
Score: 7.0
15) Rome-old and Juli-eh
In this wacky episode, Grampa and Selma like each enough to marry, which drives Homer nuts!
Score: 6.3
16) Homerazzi
Homer becomes a paparazzo, and is so good celebrities are forced to fight fire with fire.
Score: 7.3
17) Marge Gamer
Marge begins playing an online game, where Bart is the terrifying Shadow King. Meanwhile, Homer becomes a referee for Lisa's soccer games, which Lisa tries to take advantage of by flopping.
Score: 6.7
18) The Boys of Bummer
Bart botches a game-winning catch in the championship little league game, and becomes the most hated person in Springfield. Meanwhile, Homer takes up work as a mattress salesman.
Score: 8.0
19) Crook and Ladder
Homer, Apu, Moe and Principal Skinner all become volunteer firefighters, but the former three eventually become corrupt.
Score: 7.5
20) Stop or My Dog Will Shoot
Santa's Little Helper displays his keen tracking abilities, which earn him a spot on the police force. The dog is not ready for the big leagues at all.
Score: 6.4
21) 24 Minutes
In a full-blown spoof of 24, Principal Skinner and his team of truancy officers (including Lisa and eventually Bart) try to stop bullies from setting off a massive stink bomb.
Score: 6.8
22) You Kent Always Say What You Want
400th Episode. Kent Brockman gets fired from his job after yelling a swear word on the news (thanks to Homer). Lisa helps him get back on his feet by attacking the corporate-owned media.
Score: 5.9
Maybe I've become a bit jaded as I've now finished my 6th season of Al Jean's zombie Simpsons, but with the movie coming up next, I surely hope it brings about a rejuvenation for the seasons to come.
Season 18 Overall Score: 6.58
Favorite Season 18 Episode: The Boys of Bummer
Least Favorite Season 18 Episode: Jazzy and the Pussycats
01) The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer
Lisa befriends the son of Fat Tony, Michael, whose dreams of becoming a chef come in conflict with his family "business".
Score: 7.0
02) Jazzy and the Pussycats
Bart takes a liking to drums, and gets so good he becomes part of a jazz troupe... before Lisa! To take her mind off that, Lisa starts adopting abandoned animals. The two plots eventually crash into each other.
Score: 4.9
03) Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em
Marge picks up carpentry, but when nobody takes her seriously, she uses Homer to take the credit so she can get work. Meanwhile, Bart learns that Principal Skinner has a peanut allergy, and takes full advantage of it.
Score: 6.4
04) Treehouse of Horror XVII
Married to the Blob: Homer eats a strange alien glob, becomes a giant blob of cannibal.
You Gotta Know When to Golem: Bart acquires a strange Jewish golem who feels bad about hurting people.
The Day the Earth Looked Stupid: 1938 Springfield gets tricked by Orson Welles, then invaded for real.
Score: 7.1
05) G.I. (D'oh)
Homer joins the army, but is so bad at it he gets put on the enemy team during war games, but is so good at it he continuously evades capture.
Score: 5.6
06) Moe'N'a Lisa
Lisa learns that Moe carries a 'tortured soul' and forms poetry out of his depressing thoughts.
Score: 5.7
07) Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair)
Homer gets a new job as the ice cream man. Marge is feeling depressed over not having any sort of legacy. Then Homer gives Marge his discarded popsicle sticks which could be used for crafts...
Score: 6.0
08) The Haw-Hawed Couple
Bart becomes friends with Nelson though he's not quite fully into it. Meanwhile, Homer and Lisa read a popular wizard book with a shocking conclusion.
Score: 7.4
09) Kill Gil, Volumes I & II
Marge Simpson feels sorry for Gil Gunderson after seeing him get fired, and lets him stay at her house for awhile. Then she learns that its okay to say 'no' every once in awhile.
Score: 6.7
10) The Wife Aquatic
Marge grows nostalgic over a place she visited as a child, so Homer takes her there. Of course, the place is now a dump.
Score: 6.6
11) Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Three Times
The Count of Monte Fatso: French Homer gets revenge on French Moe.
Revenge of the Geeks: Milhouse gets revenge on everyone.
Bartman Begins: Its basically campier parts of Batman Begins, but with Bart.
Score: 6.4
12) Little Big Girl
Lisa fakes a Native American heritage for a school report because her real heritage is really boring. Bart, meanwhile, earns a driver's license for some heroics, and gets into a wild fling out of town.
Score: 6.2
13) Springfield Up
Declan Desmond returns to follow up on a documentary he's been doing about citizens of Springfield when they were eight years old 32 years ago.
Score: 6.8
14) Yokel Chords
Bart's latest scheme gets him time with a psychiatrist he actually bonds with. Meanwhile, Lisa goes to tutor Cletus' seven kids about the world, much more so than she had wanted.
Score: 7.0
15) Rome-old and Juli-eh
In this wacky episode, Grampa and Selma like each enough to marry, which drives Homer nuts!
Score: 6.3
16) Homerazzi
Homer becomes a paparazzo, and is so good celebrities are forced to fight fire with fire.
Score: 7.3
17) Marge Gamer
Marge begins playing an online game, where Bart is the terrifying Shadow King. Meanwhile, Homer becomes a referee for Lisa's soccer games, which Lisa tries to take advantage of by flopping.
Score: 6.7
18) The Boys of Bummer
Bart botches a game-winning catch in the championship little league game, and becomes the most hated person in Springfield. Meanwhile, Homer takes up work as a mattress salesman.
Score: 8.0
19) Crook and Ladder
Homer, Apu, Moe and Principal Skinner all become volunteer firefighters, but the former three eventually become corrupt.
Score: 7.5
20) Stop or My Dog Will Shoot
Santa's Little Helper displays his keen tracking abilities, which earn him a spot on the police force. The dog is not ready for the big leagues at all.
Score: 6.4
21) 24 Minutes
In a full-blown spoof of 24, Principal Skinner and his team of truancy officers (including Lisa and eventually Bart) try to stop bullies from setting off a massive stink bomb.
Score: 6.8
22) You Kent Always Say What You Want
400th Episode. Kent Brockman gets fired from his job after yelling a swear word on the news (thanks to Homer). Lisa helps him get back on his feet by attacking the corporate-owned media.
Score: 5.9
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
The Simpsons: Season 17 Episode List
Season 17 continues Al Jean's zombie Simpsons run, now in its 5th season. As you may note, this is the first season which contains absolutely zero episodes scored 8 or above - every other season had at least two such episodes, even Season 1. Still, this season scores higher than Season 16 as Season 16 contained several very poor episodes, while Season 17 contained just a couple. Despite not having a really good episode, that comparative lack of bad quality was enough to keep Season 17 from being as bad as Season 16.
...you can tell how low things have gotten when a season's only saving grace is that it wasn't as bad as the previous season, and only as a whole.
Season 17 Overall Score: 6.63
Favorite Season 17 Episode: Bart Has Two Mommies
Least Favorite Season 17 Episode: Girls Just Want to Have Sums
01) Bonfire of the Manatees
Away from Springfield, angry after Homer's latest misadventure with the mafia, Marge takes up a passion for saving manatees.
Score: 6.9
02) The Girl Who Slept Too Little
After the Simpsons prevent a stamp museum from being built behind their backyard, a graveyard is put there instead which scares Lisa far more than she wants to admit.
Score: 6.8
03) Milhouse of Sand and Fog
Milhouse's parents reunite at Maggie's chicken pox party, but they shower each other with love rather than their son. Milhouse and Bart try to separate them again, but end up separating Homer and Marge instead.
Score: 7.5
04) Treehouse of Horror XVI
B.I. Bartificial Intelligence: Bart gets replaced by a robot, so he becomes a robot.
Survival of the Fattest: Mr. Burns hunts man, which may or may not be the deadliest game of all.
I've Grown a Costume on Your Face: A witch turns everyone into their Halloween costumes.
Score: 7.4
05) Marge's Son Poisoning
Bart decides to spend time with Marge after she buys a tandem bicycle nobody else will ride with her on. Meanwhile, Homer pumps up his right arm enough to dominate in arm wrestling.
Score: 6.0
06) See Homer Run
Homer becomes the school's "Safety Salamander" to show Lisa he can be a positive male role model. After becoming a hero, Homer as the Salamander runs for mayor in a recall election.
Score: 7.3
07) The Last of the Red Hat Mamas
Marge becomes friends with a group of ladies who call themselves the "Cheery Red Tomatoes". Meanwhile, Lisa learns Italian from her surprise tutor... Milhouse!
Score: 7.1
08) The Italian Bob
The Simpsons are in Italy to deliver Mr. Burns his new car when they come across... wait for it... Sideshow Bob! In the town he's the mayor of! With his new Italian family!
Score: 5.1
09) Simpsons Christmas Stories
A trio of Christmas tales.
The First D'oh-El: Homer's retelling of the first Christmas.
I Saw Grampa Cussing Santa Claus: Grampa tells how he got screwed by Santa during World War II.
The Nutcracker... Sweet: a typical Christmas Eve in Springfield.
Score: 7.2
10) Homer's Paternity Coot
A 40 year old letter to Mona Simpson finally gets sent which reveals that Homer's father might not of been Grampa, but another, more impressive man.
Score: 6.5
11) We're on the Road to D'ohwhere
Homer is forced to skip a trip to Las Vegas because he has to take Bart to a boot camp in Oregon after Bart ruined the school once again.
Score: 6.6
12) My Fair Laddy
Lisa decides to turn Willie from a pathetic Groundskeeper into a proper gentleman. Also, Homer goes a quest for a new pair of blue pants.
Score: 4.7
13) The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
Homer takes the family to Carl's Dad Caverns, where a series of events are told through a concurrent series of retold stories.
Score: 7.6
14) Bart Has Two Mommies
As Marge tries to get Rod and Todd Flanders to be more confident, Bart is kidnapped by an aging mother chimpanzee.
Score: 7.8
15) Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife
In order to win money to buy a new TV, Homer enters himself and Marge into a reality show where wives swap places.
Score: 7.6
16) Million Dollar Abie
Grampa ruins Springfield's chance at a pro football team, and becomes so hated he decides to kill himself. After failing, he takes up bullfighting because, hey, whatever.
Score: 6.2
17) Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore
The nuclear plant gets outsourced to India, with Homer become the head of the new plant there. Meanwhile, Patty and Selma meet MacGyver!
Score: 7.4
18) The Wettest Stories Ever Told
Three nautical adventures are told for some reason.
Mayflower Madman: The wacky tales of the Mayflower voyage.
The Whine-Bar Sea: The retelling of the Mutiny on the Bounty
Watership D'ohn: The Neptune capsizes in this survival adventure.
Score: 6.1
19) Girls Just Want to Have Sums
Principal Skinner offends girls and women, and is replaced by a woman who separates the school by gender. Lisa isn't allowed to learn real math in the girls half, so she has to disguise herself as a boy to actually learn math.
Score: 4.3
20) Regarding Margie
Marge suffers amnesia, but quickly remembers everything... except for Homer.
Score: 6.7
21) The Monkey Suit
A museum has displays on evolution, and Ned Flanders gets offended. He gets creationism taught at schools, and Lisa gets offended. Everyone's offended!
Score: 6.3
22) Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play
A minor league baseball star turns to Marge and Homer to fix his marriage with a hot singer.
Score: 6.7
...you can tell how low things have gotten when a season's only saving grace is that it wasn't as bad as the previous season, and only as a whole.
Season 17 Overall Score: 6.63
Favorite Season 17 Episode: Bart Has Two Mommies
Least Favorite Season 17 Episode: Girls Just Want to Have Sums
01) Bonfire of the Manatees
Away from Springfield, angry after Homer's latest misadventure with the mafia, Marge takes up a passion for saving manatees.
Score: 6.9
02) The Girl Who Slept Too Little
After the Simpsons prevent a stamp museum from being built behind their backyard, a graveyard is put there instead which scares Lisa far more than she wants to admit.
Score: 6.8
03) Milhouse of Sand and Fog
Milhouse's parents reunite at Maggie's chicken pox party, but they shower each other with love rather than their son. Milhouse and Bart try to separate them again, but end up separating Homer and Marge instead.
Score: 7.5
04) Treehouse of Horror XVI
B.I. Bartificial Intelligence: Bart gets replaced by a robot, so he becomes a robot.
Survival of the Fattest: Mr. Burns hunts man, which may or may not be the deadliest game of all.
I've Grown a Costume on Your Face: A witch turns everyone into their Halloween costumes.
Score: 7.4
05) Marge's Son Poisoning
Bart decides to spend time with Marge after she buys a tandem bicycle nobody else will ride with her on. Meanwhile, Homer pumps up his right arm enough to dominate in arm wrestling.
Score: 6.0
06) See Homer Run
Homer becomes the school's "Safety Salamander" to show Lisa he can be a positive male role model. After becoming a hero, Homer as the Salamander runs for mayor in a recall election.
Score: 7.3
07) The Last of the Red Hat Mamas
Marge becomes friends with a group of ladies who call themselves the "Cheery Red Tomatoes". Meanwhile, Lisa learns Italian from her surprise tutor... Milhouse!
Score: 7.1
08) The Italian Bob
The Simpsons are in Italy to deliver Mr. Burns his new car when they come across... wait for it... Sideshow Bob! In the town he's the mayor of! With his new Italian family!
Score: 5.1
09) Simpsons Christmas Stories
A trio of Christmas tales.
The First D'oh-El: Homer's retelling of the first Christmas.
I Saw Grampa Cussing Santa Claus: Grampa tells how he got screwed by Santa during World War II.
The Nutcracker... Sweet: a typical Christmas Eve in Springfield.
Score: 7.2
10) Homer's Paternity Coot
A 40 year old letter to Mona Simpson finally gets sent which reveals that Homer's father might not of been Grampa, but another, more impressive man.
Score: 6.5
11) We're on the Road to D'ohwhere
Homer is forced to skip a trip to Las Vegas because he has to take Bart to a boot camp in Oregon after Bart ruined the school once again.
Score: 6.6
12) My Fair Laddy
Lisa decides to turn Willie from a pathetic Groundskeeper into a proper gentleman. Also, Homer goes a quest for a new pair of blue pants.
Score: 4.7
13) The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
Homer takes the family to Carl's Dad Caverns, where a series of events are told through a concurrent series of retold stories.
Score: 7.6
14) Bart Has Two Mommies
As Marge tries to get Rod and Todd Flanders to be more confident, Bart is kidnapped by an aging mother chimpanzee.
Score: 7.8
15) Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife
In order to win money to buy a new TV, Homer enters himself and Marge into a reality show where wives swap places.
Score: 7.6
16) Million Dollar Abie
Grampa ruins Springfield's chance at a pro football team, and becomes so hated he decides to kill himself. After failing, he takes up bullfighting because, hey, whatever.
Score: 6.2
17) Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore
The nuclear plant gets outsourced to India, with Homer become the head of the new plant there. Meanwhile, Patty and Selma meet MacGyver!
Score: 7.4
18) The Wettest Stories Ever Told
Three nautical adventures are told for some reason.
Mayflower Madman: The wacky tales of the Mayflower voyage.
The Whine-Bar Sea: The retelling of the Mutiny on the Bounty
Watership D'ohn: The Neptune capsizes in this survival adventure.
Score: 6.1
19) Girls Just Want to Have Sums
Principal Skinner offends girls and women, and is replaced by a woman who separates the school by gender. Lisa isn't allowed to learn real math in the girls half, so she has to disguise herself as a boy to actually learn math.
Score: 4.3
20) Regarding Margie
Marge suffers amnesia, but quickly remembers everything... except for Homer.
Score: 6.7
21) The Monkey Suit
A museum has displays on evolution, and Ned Flanders gets offended. He gets creationism taught at schools, and Lisa gets offended. Everyone's offended!
Score: 6.3
22) Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play
A minor league baseball star turns to Marge and Homer to fix his marriage with a hot singer.
Score: 6.7
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Simpsons: Season 16 Episode List
Season 16 is the 4th season ran by Al Jean in what some refer to as the 'zombie Simpsons' run. This season is, by far, the worst yet. Unlike the past few seasons where there was still a semblance of mediocre consistency, the bottom just fell out for this season. Somehow, the quality episode Don't Fear the Roofer occurs this season, otherwise there's barely anything redeemable about this set of episodes. Hopefully, this is rock bottom for the series, and starting next season it starts its way back up.
Season 16 Overall Score: 6.47
Favorite Season 16 Episode: Don't Fear the Roofer
Least Favorite Season 16 Episode: Midnight Rx
01) Treehouse of Horror XV
The Ned Zone: Ned foresees, well, everyone dying eventually.
Four Beheadings and a Funeral: 1890s London is under attack by the Mutton-Chop Murderer.
In the Belly of the Boss: Mr. Burns swallows a pill with Maggie inside, the family goes in to save her.
Score: 6.4
02) All's Fair in Oven War
Marge enters a baking contest, but when the other contestants sabotage her entry, Marge gets an opportunity for revenge. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse get Playdudes with the nudes cut out.
Score: 7.8
03) Sleeping with the Enemy
With neither the embarrassed Bart nor the weight-conscious Lisa willing to spend time with their mother, Marge ends up getting to know Nelson Muntz, who remains saddened over his missing father.
Score: 5.6
04) She Used to Be My Girl
Marge's old journalist friend Chloe from high school returns to town, and becomes jealous of her exciting lifestyle especially when Lisa starts hanging out with Chloe.
Score: 6.3
05) Fat Man and Little Boy
Bart makes tons of money selling rude t-shirts, and an unemployed Homer just sits back and enjoys letting Bart be the head of the household.
Score: 8.1
06) Midnight Rx
With the exponentially increasing costs of prescription drugs, Homer and Grampa begin to smuggle a bunch out of Canada.
Score: 3.6
07) Mommie Beerest
After Homer takes out a second mortgage to pay for repairs to Moe's bar, Marge starts helping Moe out with business. To Homer's horror, the two start to become good friends.
Score: 5.9
08) Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass
Homer's latest round of antics lead him to becoming a showboating coach for athletes, while Ned starts a career filming rather gruesome bible stories.
Score: 4.6
09) Pranksta Rap
Bart goes to a rap concert without his parents' permission, and to hide that fact he stages a phony kidnapping.
Score: 6.5
10) There's Something About Marrying
To revive tourism, Springfield allows gay marriage. As Homer becomes the only person in town to actually wed couples, Marge is stunned to learn her sister Patty is gay.
Score: 6.4
11) On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister
Tired of Bart's pranks, Lisa files a restraining order on Bart, preventing him from doing most things because those things are within 20 feet of Lisa.
Score: 7.3
12) Goo Goo Gai Pan
Selma goes through menopause. So she adopts a baby, but is forced to go through China, but then is forced to fake having a husband to get a baby. Poor Homer.
Score: 7.2
13) Mobile Homer
Marge tries to penny pinch when Homer becomes un-insurable, however Homer gets tired of this and spends Marge's savings on a mobile home.
Score: 6.5
14) The Seven-Beer Snitch
After Marge's failed attempt at a concert hall gets converted into a prison, Homer is sent there for breaking a silly law and becomes a prison snitch.
Score: 6.7
15) Future-Drama
Professor Frink shows Bart and Lisa their future eight years later, where Lisa gets a scholarship to Yale and Bart somehow usurps that scholarship to get back with his girlfriend.
Score: 6.4
16) Don't Fear the Roofer
Homer gets help to fix the roof from a guy named Ray Magini, however Ray doesn't show up most of the time and nobody else has seen him, leaving some to believe Homer's going crazy.
Score: 8.6
17) The Heartbroke Kid
Bart becomes addicted to a new set of vending machine junk at school, and eventually has a heart attack. Even so, Bart's refusal to stop forces the family to take drastic actions.
Score: 7.2
18) A Star is Torn
Lisa enters a singing competition, with Homer becoming her manager and songwriter. However, tensions flare when Homer becomes just a tad power mad.
Score: 6.7
19) Thank God, It's Doomsday
Homer becomes afraid that the rapture is coming and tries to predict when its going to happen.
Score: 6.5
20) Home Away from Homer
Ned unwittingly lets a pair of co-eds stay in his house so they can stream a sexy webcam show. Homer spreads word across town, making Ned such a laughing stock he moves away.
Score: 7.2
21) The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star
After Bart gets expelled for a prank he didn't even commit, he gets sent to a Catholic school where, to much shock, he actually gets convereted.
Score: 4.4
Season 16 Overall Score: 6.47
Favorite Season 16 Episode: Don't Fear the Roofer
Least Favorite Season 16 Episode: Midnight Rx
01) Treehouse of Horror XV
The Ned Zone: Ned foresees, well, everyone dying eventually.
Four Beheadings and a Funeral: 1890s London is under attack by the Mutton-Chop Murderer.
In the Belly of the Boss: Mr. Burns swallows a pill with Maggie inside, the family goes in to save her.
Score: 6.4
02) All's Fair in Oven War
Marge enters a baking contest, but when the other contestants sabotage her entry, Marge gets an opportunity for revenge. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse get Playdudes with the nudes cut out.
Score: 7.8
03) Sleeping with the Enemy
With neither the embarrassed Bart nor the weight-conscious Lisa willing to spend time with their mother, Marge ends up getting to know Nelson Muntz, who remains saddened over his missing father.
Score: 5.6
04) She Used to Be My Girl
Marge's old journalist friend Chloe from high school returns to town, and becomes jealous of her exciting lifestyle especially when Lisa starts hanging out with Chloe.
Score: 6.3
05) Fat Man and Little Boy
Bart makes tons of money selling rude t-shirts, and an unemployed Homer just sits back and enjoys letting Bart be the head of the household.
Score: 8.1
06) Midnight Rx
With the exponentially increasing costs of prescription drugs, Homer and Grampa begin to smuggle a bunch out of Canada.
Score: 3.6
07) Mommie Beerest
After Homer takes out a second mortgage to pay for repairs to Moe's bar, Marge starts helping Moe out with business. To Homer's horror, the two start to become good friends.
Score: 5.9
08) Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass
Homer's latest round of antics lead him to becoming a showboating coach for athletes, while Ned starts a career filming rather gruesome bible stories.
Score: 4.6
09) Pranksta Rap
Bart goes to a rap concert without his parents' permission, and to hide that fact he stages a phony kidnapping.
Score: 6.5
10) There's Something About Marrying
To revive tourism, Springfield allows gay marriage. As Homer becomes the only person in town to actually wed couples, Marge is stunned to learn her sister Patty is gay.
Score: 6.4
11) On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister
Tired of Bart's pranks, Lisa files a restraining order on Bart, preventing him from doing most things because those things are within 20 feet of Lisa.
Score: 7.3
12) Goo Goo Gai Pan
Selma goes through menopause. So she adopts a baby, but is forced to go through China, but then is forced to fake having a husband to get a baby. Poor Homer.
Score: 7.2
13) Mobile Homer
Marge tries to penny pinch when Homer becomes un-insurable, however Homer gets tired of this and spends Marge's savings on a mobile home.
Score: 6.5
14) The Seven-Beer Snitch
After Marge's failed attempt at a concert hall gets converted into a prison, Homer is sent there for breaking a silly law and becomes a prison snitch.
Score: 6.7
15) Future-Drama
Professor Frink shows Bart and Lisa their future eight years later, where Lisa gets a scholarship to Yale and Bart somehow usurps that scholarship to get back with his girlfriend.
Score: 6.4
16) Don't Fear the Roofer
Homer gets help to fix the roof from a guy named Ray Magini, however Ray doesn't show up most of the time and nobody else has seen him, leaving some to believe Homer's going crazy.
Score: 8.6
17) The Heartbroke Kid
Bart becomes addicted to a new set of vending machine junk at school, and eventually has a heart attack. Even so, Bart's refusal to stop forces the family to take drastic actions.
Score: 7.2
18) A Star is Torn
Lisa enters a singing competition, with Homer becoming her manager and songwriter. However, tensions flare when Homer becomes just a tad power mad.
Score: 6.7
19) Thank God, It's Doomsday
Homer becomes afraid that the rapture is coming and tries to predict when its going to happen.
Score: 6.5
20) Home Away from Homer
Ned unwittingly lets a pair of co-eds stay in his house so they can stream a sexy webcam show. Homer spreads word across town, making Ned such a laughing stock he moves away.
Score: 7.2
21) The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star
After Bart gets expelled for a prank he didn't even commit, he gets sent to a Catholic school where, to much shock, he actually gets convereted.
Score: 4.4
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