Top 7 Best
7. "Bart's Friend Falls in Love"
I generally try to pick my favorites based on the strengths of the episode as a whole rather than a few parts I might enjoy, but this is an episode that I love because of a very brief subplot that it has. This subplot highlights Homer's poor health and the danger that it could pose to him, so he decides to use subliminal messaging to try and lose weight. Instead of a weight-loss tape, they send him a vocabulary builder and Homer's eloquent diction is hilarious! There are also a bunch of ads in this episode for fattening treats and they use the same seductive female voice in every single ad. The main plot also has a few elements that I like. It is nice to see Millhouse get some happiness in his new relationship. I also enjoy the video the kids watch for Sex Education about Fuzzy Bunny. I think there is also some nice analysis on the way that your friendship dynamic can shift when your friend enters a new relationship. It is also pretty funny that Bart goes to ask Homer for advice but cannot understand anything he is saying due to Homer's new vocabulary. I wish the main plot was as funny as the subplot, but there are a lot of elements to like in the episode as a whole.
6. "Black Widower"
This episode is great at setting up an interesting mystery with a variety of clues hidden in the episode as a whole. While part of me wants to believe that Sideshow Bob sincerely loves Selma, there is an element of suspicion and you can see the elements of Sideshow Bob's plan build up as he learns more about Selma. There is a missed opportunity in the fact that Lisa does not help with the investigation in this one. It is likely because the show wants Sideshow Bob to primarily stay Bart's nemesis and he would have to hate Lisa too if she helps with too many of the Sideshow Bob cases. But it is nice to see that Bart can be clever on his own as well. It is also funny how many times he tries to explain Bob's evil plan to Homer before he just gives up and tells Marge.
5. "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"
One of the best things about this episode is that you can see a Lisa who has strong convictions and fights for them. Lisa falls into that sweet spot between mature and childlike because she knows so much but it is also idealistic since she does not even entertain the possibility that some political figures may be corrupt men who fail to live up to their promises and positions of power. I like when Lisa has a dream that she believes in, but she also follows her convictions in a very likable way, in contrast to other episodes that make her seem preachy or stubborn. In a larger sense, I think this makes a good patriotic episode since it shows everything that America could be even if there are times when it falls short of this potential. I love seeing Lisa's impassioned speech about the "Cesspool on the Potomac" followed by a man who runs to the phone and bands the government together to put a stop to the corruption immediately because "a little girl is losing faith in democracy!" Overall, this episode is funny, patriotic, and sweet.
4. "Lisa's Pony"
There are two episodes in this season that focus on Homer and Lisa's relationship, this one and "Lisa the Greek," an episode that has fallen into the space of middle obscurity in my ranking. I think that other episode is better at showing moments of Homer and Lisa spending time together, but it also makes it look like Homer only likes spending time with Lisa because she is helping him win a lot of money. While this one could use more scenes of the two of them together, it is great at showing what Homer will sacrifice just to make sure that Lisa is happy. He takes on that extra job and is so tired that he sees beds everywhere in a dream sequence that I find extremely relatable, especially when I have late nights of studying followed by early mornings teaching. There are also a lot of funny scenes as Homer tries to purchase the pony and figure out which instrument Lisa plays. You can tell that their relationship needs help from the first scene when you find out that Lisa has tried every number, including strangers she just met so that she can find someone to buy her a new saxophone reed. I also like that the episode shows that their relationship doesn't improve just because Homer buys Lisa the pony but rather because Lisa recognizes how much her father will sacrifice for her.
3. "Bart the Murderer"
This episode has such a hilarious opening as Bart anticipates a great day only to have everything possible go wrong for him. Seeing the dog chew his homework and Bart missing out on a fun field trip places him in the perfect position to stand up to Fat Tony's mob. It is funny that all of Bart's expressions are the names of actual racehorses and there are also a lot of funny scenes as Bart starts working for Fat Tony. This episode is also much better at handling a suspenseful scene of someone going missing than "Homer Alone" is since we don't see what happens to Principal Skinner until the end of the episode. While Bart is a bad boy who may thrive in organized crime due to his intellect, it is also clear that he would not be the kind of person to murder someone no matter how much he might want to. Like the fact that Homer will never have an affair, Bart will never kill someone. He does bad things, but, as he tells Lisa in "Separate Vocations": "Even I have my limits!" These limits make Bart a much more interesting character throughout this episode and his fears that the Mob killed Skinner on his behalf make him feel increasingly guilty.
2. "I Married Marge"
This is one of my favorite flashback episodes. While I enjoy seeing how Marge and Homer met and fell in love, I think that the first flashback episodes could have used more discussion of why they love each other so much. That is something that is much more on display here. I love the opening when the kids leave after they hear Homer's story about rotating the windmill blades. I like seeing Homer's desire to care for Marge and how he thinks he has to leave until he can afford to provide for her. It is also very sweet when Marge goes to the drive-thru and says that she wants "My husband by my side" and then Homer asks her if she "wants fries with that." Or the scene when Homer marches into Burns' office to forcefully tell him that he needs to hire Homer for the job because he will be a compliant people-pleaser. There are a lot of jokes that really work in this episode, but this episode balances the humor with the sweetness of Homer's proposal. While Bart's conception was an accident, I think it is sweet that Homer and Marge treat it as an early and unexpected start to their family but one that they are excited about. Overall, this episode is good at pointing out how money worries might change the way your wedding or the birth of your child will play out, if you find the right person, those other details are not nearly as important as the time you spend together.
1. "Homer at the Bat"
While this is probably the episode that is least focused on character relationships, it is a great episode at showcasing the show's mastery of characterization. I don't follow baseball, so I didn't know any of these players, but this episode is great at giving all 9 players a distinct and likable personality. But the real reason that I have this episode in the top slot is that it is hilarious. Each fate that the baseball players meet is hilarious and several of them are forecasted early. Many of them are random, like the player who gets arrested for every crime in New York City or the player who gets into a fight with Barney about the best Prime Minister, or the other player who has to take every piece of furniture out of a burning house. It is funny that Homer's replacement is the only one that stays in the game at the end but that Homer still gets a chance to win the game. It is also funny to see Bart and Ralph playing baseball and Ralph getting all the pro-ballers on his kid's team. I also think it is sweet to see Homer thriving in something that he is very good at and that he still gets his moment in the end. A watched a Youtube video last year that mentioned that the key to classic Simpsons humor was stacking as many jokes on top of each other as possible and this episode really masters that humorous approach
Top 7 Worst
7. "Colonel Homer"
Now that we are further along, the show has gotten even better at demonstrating that Homer would never cheat on Marge, but this episode is good at presenting a situation where Homer could be tempted and yet remains faithful. It is so funny to see Lurleen's clear flirtatiousness go completely over Homer's head. The problem I have with this episode is that it only really shows Lurleen's desire to steal Homer away when she sings the Baseball song, and she does not directly try to flirt with Homer until their final interaction. Because Lurleen's intentions are not clear until later, it makes Marge's jealousy seem paranoid rather than being an indication of how much she worries that this woman and her singing career will take Homer away. I think a more sympathetic look at Marge would have helped and it also would have been better to see more obvious flirtation from Lurleen throughout the episode. I liked how much Lurleen's song reached him. I have experienced those moments when a song just speaks to you, and it ties in nicely with Homer's consistent dreams of performing music. I also liked seeing Homer go to that other bar but I thought the opening scene was not great at establishing why Homer would drive off in such an angry mood. Marge taking the audience's side in the movie theater scene makes sense given Homer's disruptive behavior, and it is weird that his humiliation would put him over the edge enough to drive off like that. I think a different opening conflict would have worked better than this one.
6. "When Flanders Failed"
This episode has a few funny scenes with the BBQ or Bart's karate class, but much of the humor is overshadowed by feeling terrible for poor Ned's plight. Homer has always been hostile to Ned, and these earlier seasons are good at establishing a sense of competition between the two, where Ned is effortlessly successful and put together while Homer is always struggling to achieve similar success with his own family. If you watch previous episodes, you can see what is motivating Homer's mean-spirited wish, but there is not much to establish the competitive dynamic in this particular episode. As a result, Homer's wish seems needlessly cruel and the fact that he doesn't tell people about Flanders' store when they would clearly be interested in his wares makes it seem like he is deliberately trying to shatter Flanders' dreams. It is sweet to see Homer bring the whole town together to help Ned at the end, but it is not funny to see Flanders suffer so much misery in the process.
5. "Like Father, Like Clown"
I like how this episode adds a bit more depth to Krusty's character. I think his father is a funny character and I like all the scenes where Bart and Lisa team up to help these two men to reconcile. It is nice to see the episodes where Bart and Lisa team up together to solve a mystery or problem, but it can be easy to forget that they do this in more episodes than just the Sideshow Bob or Itchy & Scratchy ones. The problem with this episode is that like Moe, I have always had a hard time liking Krusty as a character. To this episode's credit, this is one of the times that I have been most sympathetic to Krusty, but he is a hard character to like due to his many self-destructive vices. Another obstacle to liking Krusty in this episode is the many times that he has disappointed Bart by canceling the dinner he promised to have with him. I think something like this could have worked if he canceled out of a fear of disappointing Bart like he disappointed his own father. Or if he was anxious knowing how much Bart looked up to him and remembered how crushed he was when he could no longer look up to his own father. Something more complex like this would have been much interesting and made Krusty more sympathetic in the process. Since I am only a little invested in Krusty, I find that I am only a little interested in him reconciling with his father. This episode also is not as funny as other episodes in the season.
4. "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?"
This episode brings back Homer's half-brother, a man who is now very bitter with Homer for making him lose his fortune. I mentioned last time that I wasn't the biggest fan of that episode either because it doesn't focus much on Homer's relationship with Herb and it is a foolish decision for Herb to let Homer determine the future of his company. While this episode has a funny opening due to the kids' explanation of how the couch broke, and I also love the First Annual Monty Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence. Herb's invention is also really cool, I love seeing what the babies are saying. I had a lot of younger siblings and I would have loved a baby translator for the times when I was babysitting and could not figure out why one of my siblings was so upset. This episode does not do much to salvage Homer and Herb's relationship. You can understand why Herb is bitter but is also clear that he never asked for help from the Simpson family, so there is really only so much blame he can direct towards Homer. I also think it is sweet that Homer lends Herb the money to try out his idea even though Herb only seeks out the Simpson family because he sees the announcement in the paper that they now have money. And yet, even after Homer does all of this, Herb continues to be bitter and aggressive to Homer. At the end of the episode, when he gives gifts to the Simpson Family, his gifts to every other family member are more meaningful than his reconciliation with Homer. It also seems like a missed opportunity that Herb never interacts with Abe Simpson. This episode has some funny elements, but it also has some odd characterization when it comes to Homer and Herb's relationship.
3. "The Otto Show"
It is interesting that the show decided to use one of its first spotlight episodes to focus on Otto of all people. We don't know much about him before this episode beyond him driving the bus, repeating the 4th Grade twice, enjoying music, and possibly some hints toward the drug stuff that will later take over most of his characterization. There is a bit of mystery to the character, but it seems like the writers ran out of ideas for what to do with him midway through the episode. I love the scene when he scares Lisa with urban legends, and he has a nice bond with Bart, but this episode doesn't seem interested in offering commentary on how Otto living with the Simpson family changes their lives and household. When Otto goes to retake his test, he complains that Homer calls him a sponge and is frustrated with Homer being too authoritarian, but you do not get to see much of the relationship dynamic between Homer and Otto and get even less of the interaction between him and Marge. It is strange that an episode that is so desperate to make Otto grow up and take responsibility for his life comes also focuses almost exclusively on the way that he relates to the children in the family. I also would have liked to see if spending so much time with Otto demystified him in Bart's eyes. This episode isn't particularly funny, but the bigger problem is that it is almost completely forgettable.
2. "Homer Alone"
This episode has some things that I like about it. Marge's breakdown makes all too much sense given what we learn about her in Season 1, that her own mother taught her to smile on the outside and suppress all of her emotions. I have learned from experience that you cannot do that forever. Your emotions will come out at some point and in some way, and if you don't have a healthy way to share your feelings, they will likely erupt in some erratic fashion. It is so sad to see that Marge gets to that point, but I like that she then decides to take a trip so that she can relax a bit. My issue with this episode is that it reverts Homer to the insensitive jerk from the marriage crisis episodes in Season 1. Homer doesn't realize how all of Marge's errands and the constant demands from family may be a bit much and that he should maybe try to ease the load by taking care of his bowling ball problems himself or using alley balls for a few days. While Homer gets to experience some of the challenges that come from walking in Marge's shoes, it also seems like the family's promises to do better are just empty declarations to get Marge to go back to doing everything for them. It is funny to see Homer practice what to tell Marge about Maggie going missing, but since we see where Maggie went from her perspective, you do not share much of his anxiety. I also think the episode could have gotten more material out of Bart and Lisa staying with Patty and Selma. This episode isn't awful, but Homer is much less likable in it than usual.
1. "Flaming Moe's"
What bothers me about this episode is that it tries to make the audience angry at Homer for ruining Moe's success when Homer's anger for Moe stealing his creative invention is fully justified. Homer invented the drink and he should get due credit for doing so. Yet the episode tries to frame it like Homer and A later episode that follows a similar set-up to this one is Season 18's "Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em." In this episode, Marge discovers that she has a talent for handyman work. The problem is that that people doubt her competence and the men of Springfield feel that it would compromise their masculinity for Marge to build or repair things for them. To get around this issue, Marge asks Homer to pretend to be the handyman while she does all the work. As time goes on, Homer gets a bit full of himself after receiving so many compliments for work he isn't doing and thinks he can go off and do repairs on his own, while Marge is angry and begins to want credit for the work she has done without realizing that it would be a blow to Homer's masculinity if the truth came out that he didn't actually build anything. In this dynamic, both sides have made mistakes and you want to see them reconcile at the end. "Flaming Moe's" tries a reconciliation at the end, but this falls flat because Moe never asked Homer if he could take credit for the recipe and yet he acts like he is fully justified in taking it for himself. Homer tried to help his friend by showing him a new cocktail mix he could use since he was out of beer, and yet Moe immediately takes all the credit and money for the drink. Moe allows the town to think that Homer is crazy or starved for attention when the drink was Homer's idea. While Moe does come around in the end, I didn't realize until this time watching through the show how much this episode made me dislike Moe as a character. I don't think I legitimately cared about Moe again until Season 13, ten years after this episode came out. There are some catchy songs here, but a lot of the humor is tied to Homer's growing insanity due to having his ideas taken from him, and I feel so bad for Homer and so irritated at Moe that I find it difficult to laugh at those moments.
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