The Simpsons (Fox) TV Show • Page 4

I just found out every episode of this is on FXNow and i havn't been this pleasantly surprised about something in a long time.

 

Yes! And it can be streamed online at www.simpsonsworld.com . I feel like I haven't given that site enough attention, there's a ton of cool little features on there including scripts, episode notes/trivia, commentary from writers/producers, and "channels" which will focus in on specific themed episodes. It's awesome for any simpsons fan (and those looking to get into it), tell all your friends!

 

The DVD commentary of this episode is pretty great. Ken Keeler, who wrote this and many great episodes of The Simpsons and Futurama, defends the episode well.

Oakley and Weinstein were the showrunners at the time. They definitely pushed some experimental things like this. It kind of resets at the end but it's not overtly non-canonical or anything either. It could have been handled poorly if it wasn't SO well-written. I find it clever, interesting and hilariously quotable. The story isn't that out there or anything either. You've seen it in history and it's a major part of one of my favorite other series, Mad Men. I think The Simpsons had a great take on the imposter idea, that sitcoms have to reset at the end of every episode, and about the viewers. Yeah, a random character turn can be bad but this was well thought out and had a great concept. My bigger eventual problem with The Simpsons was the opposite, the Flanderization of characters. Martin Sheen is fantastic. Again, The Simpsons eventually seemed to just get celebrities to play themselves and it's SO boring. Here, we have a much more interesting character guest spot. This is about the time there was a slight decline in overall quality, but I think this is a weird one to cite. I'm definitely a fan of it and I think it's a great end to Oakley and Weinstein's excellent tenure as showrunners.

 

My story begins in the year nineteen dickety two. We had to use the word "dickety" because the Kaiser had stolen our word "twenty." I chased that rascal to get it back, but gave up after dickety six miles.

 

We can't bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell 'em stories that don't go anywhere - like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say.

Now where were we? Oh yeah: the important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...

 

What do you mean by the flanderization of characters?

 

Grandpa is one of the more quotable characters

What are you cackling at fatty? Too much pie that's your problem!

 

Flanderization - TV Tropes

 

Wow that's definitely one of the biggest issues the show ran into. Oddly enough I never found it to be negative for Flanders. His uber religiousness worked, mostly as a result of American society being impacted by the religious right. It also gave us great episodes like Viva Ned Flanders.

 

The whole sober Barney arc was a waste. It's understandable as to why the character wanted to go sober but in the end, Barney being forever drunk is just what makes that character so great.

 

Now I'm sucked into TV Tropes. Damn you, thread!

 

Dammit, the ending of And Maggie Makes Three never fails to make me tear up.

 

Personally I've never been one for the cheesy endings but that's one of the better overall episodes. Especially among their flashback episodes.

 

Forgot this was the b-plot to "Girly edition"

 

Lisa's Rival is probably my favourite episode for b-plots (Homer selling sugar and Milhouse on the run from the FBI)

 

One of my favorite quotes

 

I mean, there's no question that Hans Moleman is the greatest minor character in the show, right?

 

You call that a knife! This is a knife! ::falls over::

Boy scouts in the hood is a fucking awesome ep

 

Going on a moleman binge here guys:

 

Here's a great Moleman moment that didn't make the show:

It's from the season 8 episode "Brother from Another Series"

 

OMG that's absolutely hilarious! Why, why would anyone ever cut a moleman clip?

I'm dying.