I have a certain fondness for Homer's Triple Bypass. There isn't much going on, it's just about how Homer needs a surgery they can't afford, and they spend the episode trying to find a means to get it for him, but I loved how the ending was just the family's relief to see their father and husband alive after his heart surgery, and he just kind of weakly smiles and waves at them. It was probably the episode that made me realize just how much heart and soul The Simpsons had in it's heyday.
Agreed! One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish hits similar notes, but with that Season 2 down to earthiness. But one thing I love in HTB is something common in a lot of those earlier episodes which is how it depicts them as a working class family with real money issues they have to deal with. The Simpsons is at its best when it’s offering biting critiques of American Capitalism (such as the healthcare system), and when it’s kind of The Simpsons against the world. The mid seasons basically just had them being able to do and afford whatever they wanted to, in the name of a wacky plot or joke, and it put them at the center of the universe, with everyone coming to them with their issues whether or not that made any sense at all. It just made the stakes so much lower and the universe seen so much smaller.
@@scruvydom That's correct, key drawing are done at Film Roman in LA, and sent to Korea for in-betweening. These days though I guess it's more like 'uploaded'.
Seasons 6 and 7 is what made me appreciate The Simpsons not just as a simple cartoon but a real sitcom with jokes that work in animated form and in real life too.
Agreed. Season 7 has amazing episodes all around and some of the best quotes. "Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins. Homer Simpson, Smiling Politely" will always be one of my favorite lines along with the "Steamed Hams" bit.
Season four had more peaks then any other season, Marge vs the Monorail, Last Exit to Springfield, and Mr Plow being some of the best the show has to offer, but season 5 just had more consistency where no episode is the goat, but they were all strong episodes
Season 6 and 7 TOGETHER is the peak of the Simpsons imo, Who Shot Mr. Burns was literally a national mystery, and Marge Be Not Proud is my favorite episode ever
"If I wanted smoke blown up my ass I'd be at home with a pack of cigarettes and a short length of hose." and "Sure, right now he's a little boy stealing little toys, but some day he'll be a grown man stealing stadiums, and quarries." Two of the best lines ever from a guest star.
Seasons 3 to 6 were the gold of the Simpsons Golden age (which was from its inception to about season 8-9), and I concur that Season 4 is the absolute best.
ageed, cant go wrong with either of those, 1 to 8 are all watchable and the core of the show, but 4 5 and 6 are the BEST of the best, i guess 7 too lol
@DoctorGonzo41 - I agree, especially if he wrote it. “Marge vs. the Monorail” and Homer Goes to College” are great, classic episodes, and “New Kid on the Block” is one of my favourite ‘Simpsons’ episodes, mainly due to Bart and Laura’s relationship.
As a father any time i need to make a self-sacrifice for my kids "Lisa needs braces" and "Do it for her" always pop into my head and help me make the right decision
Holy sh*t. This is an amazing video. Seasons 3-7 formed my type of humor growing up. But to really delve into this…wow. Just thank you is what I’m trying to say.
It's sad to remember when The Simpsons had seasons where the family discussed real family issues, and expressed love to each other. Over time they all just became crazy and sociopathic.
how? to me it seems there will never be 2 people who will have full agreement. everyone lists different best season, best episode, season when the show fell to okay and when it got bad
@@kallemetsahalme5701I think the general consensus amongst the majority of fans (especially those that grew up with it) is that the show's overall brilliance deteriorated after season 8 or 9. I can hardly watch it nowadays.
I think Season 5 is underrated! Everyone is talking about season 4, 6 & 7. But 15 years ago when I got into the Simpsons this season was uploaded to UA-cam where I watched it on repeat and learned to love this show.
I feel Season 5 is also a perfect season. Homer and Apu (favourite episode of all time) Homer's Barbershop Quartet Marge on the Lam Cape Feare Homer loves Flanders Homer goes to College Rosebud Bart's Inner Child Treehouse of Horror 4 Boy Scoutz N the Hood Last Temptation of Homer Springfield Homer the Vigilante Bart Gets Famous Lisa vs Malibu Stacy(top 10 favourite too) Deep Space Homer Bart gets an Elephant Burns' Heir Sweet Seymour's Badassss Song The Boy Who Knew Too Much Lady Bouvier's Lover Secrets of a Successful Marriage
I am watching all the episodes on the 30th anniversary of their original air date. Today, for example, I'm going to watch Marge vs. the Monorail. Season 4 truly was something special.
@@marnenotmarnie259 Wednesday I watched Another Simpsons Clip Show and having watched all the episodes on the anniversaries, it hit pretty hard seeing all those old clips. They took me back to some great memories over the past couple years. I can only imagine the reaction of the audience back in September 1994. It's like living vicariously in the past almost.
@Megakiller981 - Season five is also my favourite ‘Simpsons’ season. I vaguely remember many years ago, I wanted something to watch at my house in Portugal where we’d stay during the summer holidays so I went to the shopping centre to browse the DVDs and saw ‘The Simpsons’. Naturally, I wanted to start with the first season since I hadn’t really watched the show before but the earliest season they had was five, so I bought it. Every summer since then, when my family and I go to stay at our house in Portugal, I rewatch season five. It’s the season that officially introduced me to the series and the one I’m the most nostalgic for 😄
Homer Goes to College and Boy Scouts 'N Da Hood are possibly my two favourite ever episodes, although Last Exit to Springfield is up there too. Homer's line "This ain't one of your church picnic flare-gun firings, Flanders, this is the real thing!" 😂
Personally my favouurite is season 6. I think every episode in that season was amazing. Lemon of Troy, Homie the Clown, Who shot Mr. Burns Part 1, etc.
Nicely done. I’d also say that taking a chance on having an episode that focused on Otto in season 3 was a catalyst for taking a chance on Ralph in season 4. Season 4 was the best
Season 4 was definitely an amazing season for The Simpsons. There were a few other stand out episodes after that. But season 8 was when the show started going downhill. However, there is one episode in season 33 that felt like it was a resurgence back to the old style of The Simpsons. Episode 12 Pixelated and Afraid was one of the best returns to form that I've ever seen come out of this show that has long since lost its identity. The episode focused on margin Homer's love of sitting and watching television shows together and just genuinely enjoying each other's company, Well also sharing marital bliss in just the mundane and the regular. Lisa takes this as a sign that their marriage is dying because there is nothing flashy or over the top about their relationship. In fact she even compares their marriage to that of what she sees in cheesy black and white romance films. Which as we know are completely unrealistic to what a real romance is. Lisa and Bart then decide to stage an intervention to encourage their parents to go off to a marriage retreat. Begrudgingly Homer and Marge leave for the retreat but halfway to getting there realize that they really don't want to go and they would rather just sit and enjoy their programs together so they turn around to go home. But in the process The car jack knives falls into a ditch and then into a river, stranding Homer and Marge in the middle of nowhere. This is when the episode really shines. The whole rest of the episode is just showing Marge and Homer literally using the wisdom that they've gathered from the various educational television shows that they've watched together. Allowing them to both survive and even somewhat thrive in the middle of nowhere. This episode to me, Was a brilliant and wonderful depiction of why Homer and Marge are still together, despite all of Homer's previous screw-ups and Marge's shortfalls, they work as a couple.
Same here Hurricane Neddy, Springfield files, Lisa's date with density, Mountain of madness, Homer's phobia, Homer vs 18. amendment, ... and Citizen Kang is just all and all perfection :)
Season 6 is peak Simpsons, seasons 4 and 5 were a little more consistent but Treehouse of Horror V, Lemon of Troy and Who Shot Mr. Burns Part 1 are too good
It's a victim of its own success it was so good that even now if they make a good episode it completely lacks what it had But mainly for me they've stop telling stories that make you care ie there's been nothing like do it for her or homer sitting looking at the stars now knowing that not only was his mum alive but that she really loves him two beautiful moments that the show wouldn't know how to do now
For me, it’s either season 4 or 6 - though I have to give it to six just for me personally. It has my favourite episode in it (pta disbands “hello, mother dear”). I just wish I haven’t already seen these episodes a hundred plus times each over the course of my life, sometimes it’s like there’s no point putting them on. I can quote the entire episode of Apu moving in with the Simpsons like I can with the empire strikes back (dialogue, sound effects and music cues) completely solo (I know)
I love that season 4 is pretty much universally considered the best. Its my personal favourite because by sheer coincidence it was the first season I got on DVD as a kid, which started a crazy obsession of collecting the rest lol. Something about the way the first 10 boxsets are presented is so satisfying, and season 4's shiny blue box is so special to me for that reason.
I don’t think it is universally considered that because I think there’s actually a lot of debate on which is the best season. I don’t think it’s true when he says “it’s impossible to deny it’s the best season”. I’m personally partial to season 6.
i bought season 4 at walmart on dvd and shortly after ended up moving to a place that had no cable/internet just a dvd player i'm not kidding when i say i watched season 4 almost every single day and I would always catch something new rewatching it def the best season imo! my fav eps from season 4 are marge vs the monorail and marge gets a job/new job and mr plow honestly all so good
These Simpsons retrospectives just make me sad. I genuinely love this show. I’m 34, so I grew up watching it. It’s depressing to see something like this die a slow death.
You're meant to have a fond sense of nostalgia for things from your childhood.... you're not meant to be personally invested in or offended by their current form. People really need to grow up.
Something else about The Simpsons was the heartfelt moments. I can think of a lot of episodes that made me tear up, and there was a perfect amount of those episodes in each season.
@@Syndiate__ I haven't watched it in years so I'll take your word for it, but that doesn't surprise me at all. Definitely agree that a lot of other adult cartoons fail at it :(
The character of Ralph really connected with me. I use Ralph as my illustration as to why I hate Valentine's Day. It's a day that goes out of its way to make certain people feel bad. Ralph knows he's not popular, he didn't need an entire day devoted to pointing that out to him. When I was in school, I was Ralph. To this day I will always hate Valentine's Day.
I started watching The Simpsons in season 4. I wasn't allowed to stay up to watch it every time I asked if I could watch it but season four was when my older brother started taping it for me. I have great memories from watching back then and how strange those episodes often were to my young mind. We'd also would ask my brother to tape Married With Children for us. Those were the two main primetime shows for my younger brother and I at the time.
Great video! Can't deny that Season 4 is fantastic and easily earns all of its praise. However, my personal favorite is still Season 6... "Lisa's Rival", "Homie the Clown", and "Treehouse of Horror V", are three of my all-time favorite episodes... plus, "And Maggie Makes Three", just might be the most heartfelt episode in the entire history of the show.
Season 4 had some wonderful gems but usually folks swear Season 6 is the goat. Me, I thank season 4 for carrying the momentum of the desired Simpsons formula lovingly crafted from Season 3!
Possibly the best season of any show ever. It opens with Kamp Krusy, an episode so good they considered making it into The Simpsons Movie. It then produces several more of the best episodes, like Homer the Heretic, Mr. Plow, I love Lisa, and the best flashback episode of television: Lisa’s First Word. Even the weakest episodes of this season are pretty good!
Even the clip show show was good. If you take out all the clips, you still get a good coherent storyline with tons of good jokes consistently spread throughout the episode, something you can't really say about any of the other three clip shows.
I was a teenager when the Simpsons came out, it was easily the best thing on television, and it just got better and better! Truly blessed! We would go into school the next day and try and work out all the cultural references. Excellent time.
6:45 Season 6's Showrunner was David Mirkin. Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein were Showrunners for Season 7 + 8 (Which you correctly state earlier in the video but not here). Fun video!
I'm glad they're trying to drop the Family Guy elements and get back to being fully the Simpsons. This and Fairy Odd Parents really did good recovering from Family Guy Syndrome
Fox has already announced that "The Simpsons," "Family Guy," and "Bob's Burgers" have all been renewed through 2025, so "The Simpsons" will have at least 37 seasons with 800 episodes. Of course Fox also announced that the series could last even longer, as they renew the series two seasons at a time. "The Simpsons" still has strong ratings in the key demographics, and is the top-rated acquired series on Disney+.
4:11 is that a Conan O'Brien cameo? Fun fact: Conan O'Brien wrote for the first few seasons for the Simpsons, most notably; the lead writer for the monorail episode. Also before writing for the Simpsons I believe he wrote for SNL
Corrections: the ratings peaked in season 2 (although the show quality got better, its weird) and Oakley (AND Josh Weinstein) ran seasons 7 and 8. 5 and 6 were David Mirkin
There needs to be an analysis around nostalgia and The Simpsons. Many of us grew up on seasons 1-8 and watched every episode repeatedly, so it's no surprise they're embedded in our minds alongside other nostalgic periods in our lives. I barely have time for a single episode these days, never mind repeat viewing, so there's no emotional attachment to episodes. We also didn't have as much choice back then in what we watched either.
Season 6 is my absolute favorite. But 4 is pretty damn good too. Homer's Triple Bypass, Last Exit to Springfield, Homer the Heretic, that year's Treehouse etc. Classic stuff.
Personally, I love season 8. May be unpopular but they had some pretty good episodes. You Only Move Twice, Homers Enemy, The Springfield Files, The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show, The Mary Poppin Parody Episode, El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer, Hurricane Neddy, Bart After Dark, Treehouse of Horror Seven. It's just a great season to me. (I do think Season 4 is equal because of Kamp Krusty, my favorite episode)
*correction: The first 9 seasons are widely recognized as the golden age of the series. ...Well, at least it should be. Just because the Principal and the Pauper exists in that season, doesn't take away from how good a lot of the rest of the season is.
That's the shame about the episode that destroyed the Simpsons, it was in (for what was the most part) a great final season. If only they had pushed that episode back to season 10.
Season 9 is quite a mixed bag. The City of New York vs Homer Simpson, The Joy of Sect, Lisa the Sceptic, Reality Bites are all great, but there are a fair few meh episodes - the Last Temptation of Krust, Dumbell Indemnity, and we’re bringing to see them getting more and more cartoony in the plots, looser and more two dimensional in the characterization, and some bad habits such as stuffing Homer into situations he doesn’t need to be there are coming into play. Tbf season 8 is already beginning to show little signs of this, it could just be a stylistic thing but there are less episodes which go for the heartstrings, but the writing and jokes are still absolutely top tier. It’s not like Season 8 good, season 9 bad, but there is a noticeable decline in quality between the two. I think the single sharpest decline in quality has to be between seasons 9 and 10. Again, there are some good episodes, The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace, Mayored to the Mob, and lots of episodes still have good joke writing and moments - but Jerkass Homer is in full effect (Homer Simpsons in “Kidney Trouble” *makes Lionel Hutz work without lawyers shudder*), the plots are now bouncing all over the place, Homer’s getting a new job in nearly every episode and they don’t even bother to address how that’d affect his actual job at the power plant, and by this point it’s just a cartoon, not an subversive anti-sitcom sitcom…
Choosing the best season for me personally is difficult. I was an OG fan of the show growing up, so its very tempting to just say it's any of the seasons before the point where I stopped being a regular watcher, which is anything prior to season nine if you're interested 🤔
I haven't watched the Simpsons in a long time. I didn't even know it was still on. I totally agree with the Golden-Era-thesis, while I found post-golden-era seasons still genuinely funny up until about when the movie came ot. That movie completely killed it for me.
I will never understand how a show can do something so perfect and capture lightening in a bottle only to misread what that it was the lightening that made the show great and not bottle.
The Simpsons has gone on so long now past its best, that I sometimes forget how great the early seasons were. I think it might be time to go back and rewatch Last Exit to Springfield
Simpsons jumped the shark on it's 180th episode on it's 9th season episode 2 "principal and the pauper" this is where the show officially went from being an animated sitcom to a cartoon.
Great video! I've been saying season 4 is the perfect season (and, in my opinion, the greatest season of any TV show ever) for 20+ years at this point, a huge number of people have disagreed with me. But none of the other seasons could have been what they are without 4.
I have a certain fondness for Homer's Triple Bypass. There isn't much going on, it's just about how Homer needs a surgery they can't afford, and they spend the episode trying to find a means to get it for him, but I loved how the ending was just the family's relief to see their father and husband alive after his heart surgery, and he just kind of weakly smiles and waves at them. It was probably the episode that made me realize just how much heart and soul The Simpsons had in it's heyday.
“…How much HEART and soul…” Get it?
@@lewatoaofair2522 Nice
Agreed! One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish hits similar notes, but with that Season 2 down to earthiness.
But one thing I love in HTB is something common in a lot of those earlier episodes which is how it depicts them as a working class family with real money issues they have to deal with. The Simpsons is at its best when it’s offering biting critiques of American Capitalism (such as the healthcare system), and when it’s kind of The Simpsons against the world. The mid seasons basically just had them being able to do and afford whatever they wanted to, in the name of a wacky plot or joke, and it put them at the center of the universe, with everyone coming to them with their issues whether or not that made any sense at all. It just made the stakes so much lower and the universe seen so much smaller.
Also Dr Nick's "What the hell is that?" As Homer was falling under anesthesia is one of my favorite one liners in the show 🤣
You can thank your lucky stars we don’t live in Paraguay! 😂
I worked as an animator on Season 20 and my director was like: Make it like Season 4.
He won an Emmy.
Arent the animators from korea with rough draft studios
@@Kneevirus You would be assuming this guy is not commenting from somewhere in Asia.
@@Kneevirus I believe the Korean studio is more responsible for in-betweens, while they draw all the key frames in America…
@@scruvydom That's correct, key drawing are done at Film Roman in LA, and sent to Korea for in-betweening. These days though I guess it's more like 'uploaded'.
Seasons 6 and 7 is what made me appreciate The Simpsons not just as a simple cartoon but a real sitcom with jokes that work in animated form and in real life too.
"Last exit to Springfield" is one of the deepest and most meaningful episodes of all. When everybody is singing in a circle gets me every time.
dental plan!
"Now do Classical Gas"
Isn’t that from the grinch?? 😂😂😂
I like the epsiode but as a UK resident I am deeply offended by The Big Book of British Smiles.
I hate that song
Whilst my heart belongs to season 7, season 4 is what made The Simpsons an era defining show
7 was the peak and i will die on that peak.
Agreed. Season 7 has amazing episodes all around and some of the best quotes. "Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins. Homer Simpson, Smiling Politely" will always be one of my favorite lines along with the "Steamed Hams" bit.
My people
Yep couldn't agree more! Season 4 was like cocaine and season 7 was like crack cocaine! Both were great, but one was just a bit more addictive!
I agree. I’m 37 I wonder if that’s common in season 7 people
Season four had more peaks then any other season, Marge vs the Monorail, Last Exit to Springfield, and Mr Plow being some of the best the show has to offer, but season 5 just had more consistency where no episode is the goat, but they were all strong episodes
Monorail
Monorail
MONORAIL!!!
Mono... D'oh
When I read the tittle of the video I assumed it would be Season 5
Mr shrub also appears for the first time, it’s quite sad we won’t see him again however :(
Based comment
Season 6 and 7 TOGETHER is the peak of the Simpsons imo, Who Shot Mr. Burns was literally a national mystery, and Marge Be Not Proud is my favorite episode ever
Agreed.
"Haven't you learned anything from that guy who gives those sermons at church? Captain What's His Name?"
One of the best lines ever.
"If I wanted smoke blown up my ass I'd be at home with a pack of cigarettes and a short length of hose." and "Sure, right now he's a little boy stealing little toys, but some day he'll be a grown man stealing stadiums, and quarries." Two of the best lines ever from a guest star.
@@jtl9283 "Why do you think I took you to all those Police Academy movies? For fun!? Well, I didn't hear anybody laughing, did you!?"
seasons 1 to 8 is so true the golden age. the greatest tv comedy of all-time.
City of New York vs. Homer Simpson was in Season 9.
Trilogy of Error was in Season 12
Season 1 is meh, seasons 10-12 are better.
Seasons 3 to 6 were the gold of the Simpsons Golden age (which was from its inception to about season 8-9), and I concur that Season 4 is the absolute best.
Seasons 4, 5 and 6 are inseparable in quality, for me. Pure brilliance.
ageed, cant go wrong with either of those, 1 to 8 are all watchable and the core of the show, but 4 5 and 6 are the BEST of the best, i guess 7 too lol
Any episode that has Conan O'Brien's name in the credits is pure gold.
10000000%
@DoctorGonzo41 - I agree, especially if he wrote it. “Marge vs. the Monorail” and Homer Goes to College” are great, classic episodes, and “New Kid on the Block” is one of my favourite ‘Simpsons’ episodes, mainly due to Bart and Laura’s relationship.
@@tonyf.3932 So long dental plan! Lisa needs braces. Dental plan! Lisa needs braces…
@@DoctorGonzo41"good job, you broke my concentration"
*Lisa need new braces*
@@QueSeraSeraaaa Now play Classical Gas!
The shot of Marge in the rocker holding newborn Lisa is one of the purest things ever. Makes me cry every time I see it.
As a father any time i need to make a self-sacrifice for my kids "Lisa needs braces" and "Do it for her" always pop into my head and help me make the right decision
That episode of Homer having pictures of Maggie all over his work station wall broke me. Among a few others.
The show used to have so much heart.
Do It For Her ..makes me tear up almost every time.. i cant even BELIEVE that lol, but they just just dont hit home quite like that one does
I was 6-13 yrs old when the simpsons were must see tv on Sunday nights. I miss those days!
Thank you. I love the Simpsons so much, my childhood. I still watch the first 8 seasons when I'm depressed.
Holy sh*t. This is an amazing video. Seasons 3-7 formed my type of humor growing up. But to really delve into this…wow. Just thank you is what I’m trying to say.
Season 6 and 7 were my personal favourites, but all of the first 8 seasons are great.
It's sad to remember when The Simpsons had seasons where the family discussed real family issues, and expressed love to each other. Over time they all just became crazy and sociopathic.
Its a shame there were only 9 seasons of this amazing show
I don't know many shows that had 9 amazing seasons
But I see your point, I'm just thankful for those classic episodes.
There were 10 seasons.
@@Jllyrol311 No I think you Confuses with the 3 Seasons of M*A*S*H
Be careful what you wish for
8 seasons
Seasons 3-8 are the best imo
Impressive that arguably this seasons most famous episode, Marge vs The Monorail, wasn’t brought up at all. That’s how good this season is!
Later seasons be like:
Bart: "Hey Lisa, if you advance frame by frame you can pinpoint the exact moment his heart breaks."
how? to me it seems there will never be 2 people who will have full agreement. everyone lists different best season, best episode, season when the show fell to okay and when it got bad
@@kallemetsahalme5701I think the general consensus amongst the majority of fans (especially those that grew up with it) is that the show's overall brilliance deteriorated after season 8 or 9. I can hardly watch it nowadays.
I think Season 5 is underrated! Everyone is talking about season 4, 6 & 7. But 15 years ago when I got into the Simpsons this season was uploaded to UA-cam where I watched it on repeat and learned to love this show.
I feel Season 5 is also a perfect season.
Homer and Apu (favourite episode of all time)
Homer's Barbershop Quartet
Marge on the Lam
Cape Feare
Homer loves Flanders
Homer goes to College
Rosebud
Bart's Inner Child
Treehouse of Horror 4
Boy Scoutz N the Hood
Last Temptation of Homer
Springfield
Homer the Vigilante
Bart Gets Famous
Lisa vs Malibu Stacy(top 10 favourite too)
Deep Space Homer
Bart gets an Elephant
Burns' Heir
Sweet Seymour's Badassss Song
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
Lady Bouvier's Lover
Secrets of a Successful Marriage
Season 9 should 100% be included in the golden age. Great video! Very enlightening
Season 3-8 of the Simpsons is honestly the peak of TV, like 95% of those episodes minimum are absolutely first rate
I am watching all the episodes on the 30th anniversary of their original air date. Today, for example, I'm going to watch Marge vs. the Monorail. Season 4 truly was something special.
that's such a fun idea
@@marnenotmarnie259 Wednesday I watched Another Simpsons Clip Show and having watched all the episodes on the anniversaries, it hit pretty hard seeing all those old clips. They took me back to some great memories over the past couple years. I can only imagine the reaction of the audience back in September 1994. It's like living vicariously in the past almost.
In my opinion season five will always be my favorite season. I do put season four right behind five. Loved the video!
Season 5 is exceptional. The episode where Homer gets the trampoline is one of my all time favourites.
@Megakiller981 - Season five is also my favourite ‘Simpsons’ season. I vaguely remember many years ago, I wanted something to watch at my house in Portugal where we’d stay during the summer holidays so I went to the shopping centre to browse the DVDs and saw ‘The Simpsons’. Naturally, I wanted to start with the first season since I hadn’t really watched the show before but the earliest season they had was five, so I bought it. Every summer since then, when my family and I go to stay at our house in Portugal, I rewatch season five. It’s the season that officially introduced me to the series and the one I’m the most nostalgic for 😄
Exactly. Homer Goes to College is the greatest episode of all!
Homer Goes to College and Boy Scouts 'N Da Hood are possibly my two favourite ever episodes, although Last Exit to Springfield is up there too.
Homer's line "This ain't one of your church picnic flare-gun firings, Flanders, this is the real thing!" 😂
@@Nightopian1982 the treehouse of horror too!!
One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish will forever be the best episode for me. It's got it all.
Personally my favouurite is season 6. I think every episode in that season was amazing. Lemon of Troy, Homie the Clown, Who shot Mr. Burns Part 1, etc.
Nicely done. I’d also say that taking a chance on having an episode that focused on Otto in season 3 was a catalyst for taking a chance on Ralph in season 4. Season 4 was the best
I thought you were going to say in the beginning that the Simpsons is one rare case of defining more than one generation.
The magic of the simpsons is long gone and i fear it will never return.
Season 4 was definitely an amazing season for The Simpsons. There were a few other stand out episodes after that. But season 8 was when the show started going downhill. However, there is one episode in season 33 that felt like it was a resurgence back to the old style of The Simpsons. Episode 12 Pixelated and Afraid was one of the best returns to form that I've ever seen come out of this show that has long since lost its identity. The episode focused on margin Homer's love of sitting and watching television shows together and just genuinely enjoying each other's company, Well also sharing marital bliss in just the mundane and the regular. Lisa takes this as a sign that their marriage is dying because there is nothing flashy or over the top about their relationship. In fact she even compares their marriage to that of what she sees in cheesy black and white romance films. Which as we know are completely unrealistic to what a real romance is. Lisa and Bart then decide to stage an intervention to encourage their parents to go off to a marriage retreat. Begrudgingly Homer and Marge leave for the retreat but halfway to getting there realize that they really don't want to go and they would rather just sit and enjoy their programs together so they turn around to go home. But in the process The car jack knives falls into a ditch and then into a river, stranding Homer and Marge in the middle of nowhere. This is when the episode really shines. The whole rest of the episode is just showing Marge and Homer literally using the wisdom that they've gathered from the various educational television shows that they've watched together. Allowing them to both survive and even somewhat thrive in the middle of nowhere. This episode to me, Was a brilliant and wonderful depiction of why Homer and Marge are still together, despite all of Homer's previous screw-ups and Marge's shortfalls, they work as a couple.
I’d recommend the two parter “a serious Flanders” from that season too. Very creative and felt like a classic
Whether or not it’s my favourite season, s8 contains my favourite episodes.
Same here
Hurricane Neddy,
Springfield files,
Lisa's date with density,
Mountain of madness,
Homer's phobia,
Homer vs 18. amendment,
...
and Citizen Kang is just all and all perfection :)
@@gitavalimaterdey267 The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show is a classic, too
Season 6 is peak Simpsons, seasons 4 and 5 were a little more consistent but Treehouse of Horror V, Lemon of Troy and Who Shot Mr. Burns Part 1 are too good
Also, And Maggie Makes Three, The Springfield Connection, Lisa's Wedding, Homer The Great, Lisa on Ice, etc. Yeah, S6 is a fking masterpiece!
It's a victim of its own success it was so good that even now if they make a good episode it completely lacks what it had
But mainly for me they've stop telling stories that make you care ie there's been nothing like do it for her or homer sitting looking at the stars now knowing that not only was his mum alive but that she really loves him two beautiful moments that the show wouldn't know how to do now
For me, it’s either season 4 or 6 - though I have to give it to six just for me personally. It has my favourite episode in it (pta disbands “hello, mother dear”). I just wish I haven’t already seen these episodes a hundred plus times each over the course of my life, sometimes it’s like there’s no point putting them on. I can quote the entire episode of Apu moving in with the Simpsons like I can with the empire strikes back (dialogue, sound effects and music cues) completely solo (I know)
Agreed that Season 6 is the best.
- For instance, tonight I'm using a...Apu, what
do you call this thing again?
- A "napkin"
- Hahaha outrageous!
You should do a video on Marge. I just think she’s neat.
The episode "Holidays of Future Passed" was supposed to be the series finale, but I'm glad it didn't end on that episode
Love learning this behind the scenes stuff 💛
I love that season 4 is pretty much universally considered the best. Its my personal favourite because by sheer coincidence it was the first season I got on DVD as a kid, which started a crazy obsession of collecting the rest lol. Something about the way the first 10 boxsets are presented is so satisfying, and season 4's shiny blue box is so special to me for that reason.
Same but with season 6 🥰
I don’t think it is universally considered that because I think there’s actually a lot of debate on which is the best season. I don’t think it’s true when he says “it’s impossible to deny it’s the best season”. I’m personally partial to season 6.
Season 7 is better and peak Simpsons
@@jpc2470 what? No way you called homer the smithers a meh episode that's a classic
i love season two ngl
I'd argue that season 6 is where the show peaked.
Simpsons was my childhood
I had a bart pencil case, 1991 baby!
same 💙✨
as a kid i had seasons 1-11 on dvd, season 4 was the one i binged the most
Got "Dental plan; Lisa Needs Braces" stuck in my head again now!
DENTAL PLAN!
i bought season 4 at walmart on dvd and shortly after ended up moving to a place that had no cable/internet just a dvd player i'm not kidding when i say i watched season 4 almost every single day and I would always catch something new rewatching it def the best season imo! my fav eps from season 4 are marge vs the monorail and marge gets a job/new job and mr plow honestly all so good
Seasons 3 - 9 comedy gold mine. Literally every episode and every joke in those episodes worked.
9 is iffy
@@Chilltown95 9 isn't iffy at all. Doesn't get included in the classic era often enough.
@@AlkisenSuper 9 was the beginning of the end. Pretty sure that was the season they destroyed Skinner for no reason
If you would ignore that infamous skinner episode. It's a pretty good season.
FUCK Season 9. The Simpsons ended after Season 8, period.
i still remember that ralph wiggum episode. thank you for bringing that up. it got more powerful after I turned 30
Season 2 and 3 were my favs 😊
7 and 8 were absolute perfection in my opinion. It never got better than that
Last exit to Springfield gotta be one of my favorite Simpsons episodes
These Simpsons retrospectives just make me sad. I genuinely love this show. I’m 34, so I grew up watching it. It’s depressing to see something like this die a slow death.
You're meant to have a fond sense of nostalgia for things from your childhood.... you're not meant to be personally invested in or offended by their current form.
People really need to grow up.
Something else about The Simpsons was the heartfelt moments. I can think of a lot of episodes that made me tear up, and there was a perfect amount of those episodes in each season.
This is somthing that Modern Simpsons (and a lot of other adult animated shows) fail at.
@@Syndiate__
Modern Simpsons has still had quite a few great emotional episodes- Pixelated & Afraid came out only last season, as a prime example.
@@DTheAustralian I'm not saying it can't; I'm saying that it falls flat most of the time.
@@Syndiate__ I haven't watched it in years so I'll take your word for it, but that doesn't surprise me at all. Definitely agree that a lot of other adult cartoons fail at it :(
For a kid who grew up watching it
First episode I watched when I was 4 and still remember it to this day
The 3-8 were my truly golden seasons
First 14 seasons are the best.
The character of Ralph really connected with me. I use Ralph as my illustration as to why I hate Valentine's Day. It's a day that goes out of its way to make certain people feel bad. Ralph knows he's not popular, he didn't need an entire day devoted to pointing that out to him. When I was in school, I was Ralph. To this day I will always hate Valentine's Day.
fantastic video sir
Ohh yes. Season 4 was always the dvd box set I always had on rotation the most. In fact, the most episodes I have downloaded on my iPad are from S4.
I started watching The Simpsons in season 4. I wasn't allowed to stay up to watch it every time I asked if I could watch it but season four was when my older brother started taping it for me. I have great memories from watching back then and how strange those episodes often were to my young mind. We'd also would ask my brother to tape Married With Children for us. Those were the two main primetime shows for my younger brother and I at the time.
Great video! Can't deny that Season 4 is fantastic and easily earns all of its praise. However, my personal favorite is still Season 6... "Lisa's Rival", "Homie the Clown", and "Treehouse of Horror V", are three of my all-time favorite episodes... plus, "And Maggie Makes Three", just might be the most heartfelt episode in the entire history of the show.
I never gave it any thought, but seasons 4, 6 and 7 are my go tos when I wanna watch the simpsons.
Season 4 had some wonderful gems but usually folks swear Season 6 is the goat. Me, I thank season 4 for carrying the momentum of the desired Simpsons formula lovingly crafted from Season 3!
Possibly the best season of any show ever. It opens with Kamp Krusy, an episode so good they considered making it into The Simpsons Movie. It then produces several more of the best episodes, like Homer the Heretic, Mr. Plow, I love Lisa, and the best flashback episode of television: Lisa’s First Word. Even the weakest episodes of this season are pretty good!
Even the clip show show was good. If you take out all the clips, you still get a good coherent storyline with tons of good jokes consistently spread throughout the episode, something you can't really say about any of the other three clip shows.
Lisa’s first word is one of my favourite episodes..
I was a teenager when the Simpsons came out, it was easily the best thing on television, and it just got better and better! Truly blessed! We would go into school the next day and try and work out all the cultural references. Excellent time.
6:45
Season 6's Showrunner was David Mirkin.
Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein were Showrunners for Season 7 + 8 (Which you correctly state earlier in the video but not here).
Fun video!
Fun fact: the creator of The Office, Greg Daniels, used to be a writer for The Simpsons :)
Wasn't Greg Daniels also a vital part of King Of The Hill?
I'm glad they're trying to drop the Family Guy elements and get back to being fully the Simpsons.
This and Fairy Odd Parents really did good recovering from Family Guy Syndrome
Yeah I like season 4 because that's the season where you see Bart Simpson take over Camp Crusty, Lord of The Fly Style
One of the few season I own on DVD mainly because of the amount of episodes I love and have engrained into my DNA.
Fox has already announced that "The Simpsons," "Family Guy," and "Bob's Burgers" have all been renewed through 2025, so "The Simpsons" will have at least 37 seasons with 800 episodes. Of course Fox also announced that the series could last even longer, as they renew the series two seasons at a time. "The Simpsons" still has strong ratings in the key demographics, and is the top-rated acquired series on Disney+.
Al Jean himself said that season 3 was their best although for me season 2 was. The episode where Mr. Burns hits Bart with his luxury car of death.
Wow I had no idea all those iconic episodes were in the same season...
What a season...
“You only move twice” in season 8 might be the perfect episode of the Simpsons.
Great video.
I really loved the first eight or so seasons, before it descended into a sprawling, meandering parody of itself.
Yep
Shouldve ended around 1998
I thought we were in a Simpsons renaissance with the latest couple of seasons?..
4:11 is that a Conan O'Brien cameo?
Fun fact: Conan O'Brien wrote for the first few seasons for the Simpsons, most notably; the lead writer for the monorail episode. Also before writing for the Simpsons I believe he wrote for SNL
Seasons 3-4 are still the peak for me. I hadn't realized that they had the same show runners, but it makes sense.
Corrections: the ratings peaked in season 2 (although the show quality got better, its weird) and Oakley (AND Josh Weinstein) ran seasons 7 and 8. 5 and 6 were David Mirkin
There needs to be an analysis around nostalgia and The Simpsons. Many of us grew up on seasons 1-8 and watched every episode repeatedly, so it's no surprise they're embedded in our minds alongside other nostalgic periods in our lives. I barely have time for a single episode these days, never mind repeat viewing, so there's no emotional attachment to episodes. We also didn't have as much choice back then in what we watched either.
Haven't started this video yet, but I hope it's about Season 4, my personal pick for the greatest season.
EDIT: Very pleased.
Season 6 is my absolute favorite. But 4 is pretty damn good too. Homer's Triple Bypass, Last Exit to Springfield, Homer the Heretic, that year's Treehouse etc. Classic stuff.
Personally, I love season 8. May be unpopular but they had some pretty good episodes. You Only Move Twice, Homers Enemy, The Springfield Files, The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show, The Mary Poppin Parody Episode, El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer, Hurricane Neddy, Bart After Dark, Treehouse of Horror Seven. It's just a great season to me. (I do think Season 4 is equal because of Kamp Krusty, my favorite episode)
2:38 me during my last algebra exam
Great choice. I think Season 4 is my second favorite season next to Season 8. You could say that Season 4 is where the show REALLY gets good.
I remember my reactions to it when it first aird - seeing the couch gags and how i felt ! 😊
*correction: The first 9 seasons are widely recognized as the golden age of the series. ...Well, at least it should be. Just because the Principal and the Pauper exists in that season, doesn't take away from how good a lot of the rest of the season is.
That's the shame about the episode that destroyed the Simpsons, it was in (for what was the most part) a great final season. If only they had pushed that episode back to season 10.
True and besides Principal and the Pauper was produced for a season 8 episode but aired during s9.
Season 9 is quite a mixed bag. The City of New York vs Homer Simpson, The Joy of Sect, Lisa the Sceptic, Reality Bites are all great, but there are a fair few meh episodes - the Last Temptation of Krust, Dumbell Indemnity, and we’re bringing to see them getting more and more cartoony in the plots, looser and more two dimensional in the characterization, and some bad habits such as stuffing Homer into situations he doesn’t need to be there are coming into play. Tbf season 8 is already beginning to show little signs of this, it could just be a stylistic thing but there are less episodes which go for the heartstrings, but the writing and jokes are still absolutely top tier.
It’s not like Season 8 good, season 9 bad, but there is a noticeable decline in quality between the two. I think the single sharpest decline in quality has to be between seasons 9 and 10. Again, there are some good episodes, The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace, Mayored to the Mob, and lots of episodes still have good joke writing and moments - but Jerkass Homer is in full effect (Homer Simpsons in “Kidney Trouble” *makes Lionel Hutz work without lawyers shudder*), the plots are now bouncing all over the place, Homer’s getting a new job in nearly every episode and they don’t even bother to address how that’d affect his actual job at the power plant, and by this point it’s just a cartoon, not an subversive anti-sitcom sitcom…
Choosing the best season for me personally is difficult. I was an OG fan of the show growing up, so its very tempting to just say it's any of the seasons before the point where I stopped being a regular watcher, which is anything prior to season nine if you're interested 🤔
I haven't watched the Simpsons in a long time. I didn't even know it was still on. I totally agree with the Golden-Era-thesis, while I found post-golden-era seasons still genuinely funny up until about when the movie came ot. That movie completely killed it for me.
Amen❤
I will never understand how a show can do something so perfect and capture lightening in a bottle only to misread what that it was the lightening that made the show great and not bottle.
"In the medium of television"
Shows a film serial for movie theaters
The Simpsons has gone on so long now past its best, that I sometimes forget how great the early seasons were. I think it might be time to go back and rewatch Last Exit to Springfield
The old “worse” animation is so wholesome
Simpsons jumped the shark on it's 180th episode on it's 9th season episode 2 "principal and the pauper" this is where the show officially went from being an animated sitcom to a cartoon.
Great video! I've been saying season 4 is the perfect season (and, in my opinion, the greatest season of any TV show ever) for 20+ years at this point, a huge number of people have disagreed with me. But none of the other seasons could have been what they are without 4.
Season 4 had some of the best episodes of the entire series!
To me, season 7, and especially the second half of season 7, is untouchable, a perfect run on par with Stevie Wonder in the 70s.
When I saw the title I thought it would've been season 6, which to me is the best for sure, not by loads, season 4 is pretty perfect as well.
Season 6 was showrun by David Mirkin, not Bill Oakley
They made like 14 perfect seasons which is pretty incredible