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Okay, I suppose I’ll start reviewing episodes of a 30-year-old animated series. Let’s see how it goes.

SEASON 1 (1989-1990)

1. SIMPSONS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE

December 17, 1989
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G08
SCRIPT: Mimi Pond
DIRECTION: David Silverman

Where everything started. The most praiseworthy aspect about this episode is its good heart, as Homer tries it all to impede his family from spending a bad Christmas time, even if it means embarrassing himself by attending Santa Claus classes (that’s a pretty funny segment) and being forced to settle for 13 bucks. That said, this première showcases multiple flaws, starting with the plot itself, which is very straight-forward… maybe too straight-forward. It wouldn’t be an issue on its own if the pacing wasn’t so sluggish overall, as the first half is basically filler, from the school Christmas pageant to Homer setting Christmas lights in the house, whereas the second half is a tad less floppy since it’s around the greyhound race. Furthermore, while the first two seasons are part of the era I like to call “wrinkled round teeth era” and would eventually get us used to incredibly fluid animation, this episode looks unbelievably stiff and awkward. Expressions are okay, but character poses look too clumsy and they’re not that animated. Even the second half is just as wonky as the first one, and all in all, the fade-out transitions do get in the way, they’re just too frequent and banal.
Bottom line, good soul but with a revisable execution. 7/10

2. BART THE GENIUS

January 14, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G02
SCRIPT: Jon Vitti
DIRECTION: David Silverman

Yes, first time with the opening segment (which I didn’t recall being so different), the very first chalkboard line and the very first couch gag of the entire run. It’s the first episode that focuses on Bart’s character, as he’s mistaken for a genius since he swapped his own test with Martin Prince’s, unbeknownst to everyone, so he’s sent into a dweeb school. First of all, despite being only the second ever produced episode, I really enjoy how much animated it looks compared to the première. Sure, it’s rough around the edges, but sort of gives me authentic vibes, which is the best compliment I can think of. Furthermore, I enjoyed Homer and Bart bonding while at the opera or while playing baseball in the garden, sure enough their relationship is portrayed as sincerely likeable, even though I wish they focused on it way more than those unpleasant school scenes. Unfortunately, the jokes are pretty hit and miss, there’s not too many of them, and as a whole, the atmosphere of this episode is kinda petty: Milhouse and the others are unbelievably petty towards Bart at some point, the scholars of the dweeb school behave in a very condescending manner towards Bart and the ending would be severely nasty if Homer’s expressions didn’t look so great. I see what they wanted to accomplish, but I suppose this is an overappreciated episode. 6/10

3. HOMER’S ODYSSEY

January 21, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G03
SCRIPT: Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky
DIRECTION: Wes Archer

In this one Homer actually faces the consequences of his actions, as he’s fired from from his job at the nuclear power plant while in the middle of Bart’s school trip (featuring dark-skinned Smithers). This episode actually has Homer attempt suicide for his frustration, only to be dissuaded from it once his family appears. Whoa, that was extremely… quick for someone THAT eager to conclude his own existence. If Bart the Genius was very animated, this episode looks as wonky and awkward as the pilot. I don’t really like the visuals as much as the entire school trip segment, which is not very amusing and not that useful, overall. As for the shift in tone after Homer’s suicide attempt, it’s kinda alright even though the second half isn’t filled with jokes (unless you count the newspaper headlines). I mean, we finally get Bart’s first prank call on Moe (I.P. Freely), which is a classic, but to be fair, I’m not that inclined to rewatch this episode that gladly. Retrospectively, the hyperbolically darker tone would prove to be completely redundant later on, as Homer would make far more severe mistakes, and wouldn’t always be punished. I kinda expected more from this episode, considering its mythical title. 5/10
FUN FACT: the F-bomb is dropped after Homer announces he’ll install an HALT sign.

4. THERE’S NO DISGRACE LIKE HOME

January 28, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G04
SCRIPT: Al Jean and Mike Reiss
DIRECTION: Gregg Vanzo and Kent Butterworth

This episode is pretty interesting, as it focuses on the Simpsons being a quite dysfunctional family, and Homer’s role as head of the family feels kinda unripe but also unique at the same time. Considering how he’s going to behave in the following seasons, seeing him put his family in line is both odd and fascinating. Unlike the following seasons, both Bart and Lisa are boisterous and Marge even gets intoxicated at Mr. Burns’ party and gets scolded by Homer, which feels like an utter rarity since the opposite normally happens. Seeing him sell their own TV to afford Marvin Monroe’s therapy is actually something Marge herself would suggest in the first place, but the family is portrayed in such a dysfunctional context you kinda relate to Homer’s positive intentions. Needless to say, the shock therapy is the scene everybody remembers and no wonder, it’s the highlight of this episode. Nevertheless, Monroe isn’t a very good character and Burns isn’t yet the entertaining scumbag we all know, but he’s still a bland and charmless douche (like Vegeta, lol). Apart from these gaps, I do enjoy this one. 8/10

5. BART THE GENERAL

February 4, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G05
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: David Silverman

Bart has to deal with a bully, Nelson in his first appearance, and that’s pretty much it. While the military training is pretty well-animated, showing some nice background animation, I actually believe this episode is kinda boring and predictable, with tons of fillers, including the excessively long military training montage and the Herman segment. There’s a severe lack of jokes, which would’ve helped the plot flow more seamlessly and the bullying issue is treated in a pretty shallow way, as if it were a matter of fighting in a war. I’m afraid an armistice isn’t sufficient to stop someone from bullying any longer. Much like Mr. Burns, I don’t really like Nelson’s character here either, as he’s still not the amusing scumbag we all know, but a pretty generic bully all around. Lastly, while the moral in the end is pretty much correct, it smells like mere rhetoric. Not a very good episode, overall. 6/10

6. MOANING LISA

February 11, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G06
SCRIPT: Al Jean and Mike Reiss
DIRECTION: Wes Archer

The first episode as Lisa as the protagonist, who didn’t have an actual role up to that point. And yes, her encounter with Bleeding Gums Murphy is indeed crucial for her character development, as she’ll be into blues for the remainder of the series, BUT something is missing here. First of all, I don’t like how this episode handles Lisa’s depression, it’s treated with very little empathy and tact, especially by Homer. Then, I can totally view one of the main gaps season 1 showcases, that is the Simpsons being the only characters getting spotlight, which automatically makes non-Simpsons characters unlikeable because they’re not as developed and are unable to relate with Lisa’s issues. They do embody the “I don’t care if you’re depressed, you have to work anyway” trope, which is quite disgusting in my opinion. Moreover, not even this episode is filled with jokes, save Bart’s phone prank to Moe (Jock Strap, the highlight), and I do consider it quite dull and abrupt, since the solution to one’s depression shouldn’t be restricted to “keep your fake smile no matter what”… sorry, I don’t believe such a remedy could possibly work. All in all, we’re halfway through this first season and it’s been quite a letdown so far. 6/10

7. THE CALL OF THE SIMPSONS

February 18, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G09
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: Wes Archer

WORST COUCH GAG EVER. Could this be the very first instance of what they call “jerk-ass Homer”? Kinda, I think he’s more stupid and gullible than usual, as he reminds me of Peter Griffin picking the mystery box when Homer buys the battered motorhome at the beginning. The worst thing is playing with Homer’s stupidity would actually work if he was handled with good jokes, instead what we do get is Homer and Bart getting lost in the forest and a second half deciding that Homer is Bigfoot now. Such an over-the-place plot change would be expected from Family Guy, which has its moments like the newspaper headlines or grizzly bears taking care of Maggie (sort of recalls that Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers episode with the bear and the Elmer Fudd lookalike toddler), but as a whole I don’t really care for the rest of the story. Pretty much of a bore for the most part and not even a bizarre Bigfoot twist could catch my interest. 5/10

8. THE TELLTALE HEAD

February 25, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G07
SCRIPT: Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon and Matt Groening
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

I actually like this one. It’s not excellent and could be more amusing, but the story is quite solid. After all, I couldn’t expect no less from Matt Groening in the flesh among the writers. I suppose this episode learnt from the previous erroneous portrayals of bullying and depression, by emphasizing Bart’s will to gain someone else’s respect by doing something wrong. If he’s portrayed as naive, it makes perfect sense in this case since he’s just a kid who needs to commit mistakes in order to learn how not to commit them next time. On top of that, Jones and the other bullies are already more defined characters than Nelson was a few episodes ago, as they’re shown doing something different from bullying, and believe it or not, their hypocritical thoughts on Jebediah’s head cut off is in actuality in line with their personalities: I mean, they are bullies, did you expect anything from them? Clearly, this episode got some flaws, like Marge’s annoying behavior in the first act or the ending being slightly rushed, but I still enjoy it regardless. Retrospectively, it’s quite funny to see Sideshow Bob beside Krusty and not in prison. 8/10

9. LIFE ON THE FAST LANE

March 18, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G11
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: David Silverman

This episode launches a narrative formula that will also be featured in the next seasons, the “Homer and Marge’s marital drama” kind of plot, in which an extraneous entity comes in questioning either Homer or Marge’s standpoint of their marriage. AND, considering such a formula is very recurring, let me already rephrase my thoughts: I LOATHE MARITAL DRAMA. As we all know, status quo would never cause them to divorce, so it remains a lame excuse for a story. As for the episode itself, it’s the first one to focus on Marge and I don’t like it because it’s BORING and very SLOW. Jacques is a stereotypical simp with a French accent who has a severe crush on Marge and that’s about it. On the flip side, I guess adding Bart and Lisa’s reactions to their parents’ plausible divorce is a nice idea, possibly what I like the most about this episode, but I just can’t unsee how sluggish the pacing manages to be, especially during Marge’s dream sequence, which is LONG and COMMONPLACE. Not a fan. 5/10

10. HOMER’S NIGHT OUT

March 25, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G10
SCRIPT: Jon Vitti
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

Second marital drama IN A ROW. Marge kicks Homer out of the house once she discovers a picture of him dancing with a curvaceous belly dancer in a bachelor party. It wouldn’t be a problem on its own, but are we really forgetting MARGE WAS FUCKING HANGING OUT WITH A FRENCH SIMP AN EPISODE AGO??? Seriously, TWO CONSECUTIVE EPISODES of Homer and Marge’s marriage in trouble, but in this case Homer isn’t as guilty as Marge last episode, because he was actually pushed into dancing with Princess Kashmir, whereas Marge DID agree to have a date with her bowling instructor ABOVEBOARD and Homer NEVER kicked the bitch out of the house in the first place. It was all a cliched misunderstanding since Marge is so intolerant and oblivious that Homer actually never finds a way to explain her what happened in reality. For fuck’s sake, if someone is to be blamed, Bart should be blamed for taking the pic to begin with. As for the “women aren’t objects” moral, it’s fair and square and all… BUT isn’t really an overreaction? Belly dancing is an alternate kind of entertainment, I don’t think it’s necessarily disrespectful, women shouldn’t be ashamed to do their job. ONLY if they felt uncomfortable or were insulted, I’d be able to understand, but the episode never questions their integrity since the moral is more like a simple pretext for Marge’s tantrums. Her real goal is essentially making sure Homer would hit rock bottom. You know what’s worse? The rest isn’t even that bad, as the interaction between Homer and Barney is amazing, easily my favorite part, and Mr. Burns asking Homer how to win women over is another nice moment. It’s just I can’t bear such hypocritical behavior and the marital drama formula will also ruin tons and tons of future episodes. Fuck this. 4/10

11. THE CREPES OF WRATH

April 15, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G13
SCRIPT: George Meyer, Sam Simon, John Swartzwelder and Jon Vitti
DIRECTION: Wes Archer and Milton Gray

This one might appear outdated since it’s set during the Cold War after-effects, as the subplot with Adli, the Albanian kid, suggests. Personally, I like they didn’t focus on Bart’s plot exclusively, otherwise it would’ve been too simplistic: Bart’s main plot is indeed very mean-spirited, probably a tad too harsh punishment for his mischiefs and to be 100% honest, Homer is such a douchebag in this episode once Bart leaves, but Lisa’s disgusted reaction to his attitude is worth my praise. Considering what I was aware of expecting, it’s not a bad episode by any means. The French paintings on the road to Château Maison are a nice touch. 7/10

12. KRUSTY GETS BUSTED

April 29, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G12
SCRIPT: Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky
DIRECTION: Brad Bird

Where everything started, the beginning of the Sideshow Bob formula, which will have considerably better fortune than marital drama bullshit. Forementioned formula starts in a rather solid episode, in which Krusty gets arrested for stealing at Apu’s store, but is in actuality framed by his sidekick Sideshow Bob, who can’t stand being Krusty’s butt-monkey in his shows anymore. Everyone but Bart thinks Krusty is the culprit, and Bart gets to solve the mystery. While the Bob formula will be depicted much better in future episodes, I quite like the riddle enveloping the whole plot through apparently minor details, such as Krusty’s illiteracy and the size difference between the two’s feet. One of the most convincing episodes of the season. 8/10

13. SOME ENCHANTED EVENING

May 13, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7G01
SCRIPT: Matt Groening and Sam Simon
DIRECTION: David Silverman and Kent Butterworth

The season finale, which happens to be the first episode ever produced, was supposed to air in fall 1989, but was postponed due to well-known animation issues (just look at the lazy couch gag). Beforehand, I suppose I got to address the pet peeve of this episode, the animation… I don’t think it’s the worst. This website has existed since 2019 and I’ve been around since 2016/17, so by now you should know the difference between ART and ANIMATION: ART = drawings, ANIMATION = movement. Visual-wise, this episode is actually a mixed bag, it looks both serviceable and wonky at times, and switches between stiff movements and surprisingly fluid character acting, especially on Ms. Botz. Believe me, this is superior to the Christmas pilot animation-wise. It’s kind of an overhated episode, I do enjoy how sketchy it looks at parts. Content-wise, it’s fine, even though the marital drama is a pain in the arse, but I suppose it’s for the sake of the plot so… I’m going to ignore it this time. Ms. Botz is an awful character, then again I also suppose it’s for the sake of the plot, so let’s ignore that, too. Bart’s phone pranks on Moe are the highlight (Al Coholic and Oliver Klozoff), Marge’s overreaction in the first act gets annoying really fast… mixed bag of a season finale. Except that it’s not technically a final episode since it was the first one… let’s skip it. 6/10

One of the main aspects the fandom criticizes the first season for is the animation, which I think it’s mostly fine and the fact it does look so imperfect makes me quite appreciate it. In fact, my complaints about the first season stand on everything else: while it’s globally considered a good season, I do consider it a middle-of-the-road season, which is hindered by extremely slow-paced plots lacking a good deal of jokes. Even though heartfelt moments aren’t missing at all, such flaws are just too crucial to be unseen. Season 1 is for the most part solid at its best and downright boring at its worst. Therefore, I might be the only one who think this, but season 1 doesn’t belong to the golden era of the show, too sluggish and unripe.

Krusty Gets Busted
The Telltale Head
There’s No Disgrace Like Home
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
The Crepes of Wrath
Some Enchanted Evening
Moaning Lisa
Bart the Genius
Bart the General
Homer’s Odyssey
Life on the Fast Lane
The Call of the Simpsons
Homer’s Night Out

SEASON 2 (1990-1991)

14. BART GETS AN “F”

October 11, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F03
SCRIPT: David M. Stern
DIRECTION: David Silverman

Great season opener, with Bart risking to repeat the fourth grade due to his very poor grades, so he tries it all, like faking illness in the middle of the exam, asking Martin Prince for help and even asking God to let it snow. While there’s no other subplot beside the main one, this episode works so much because it’s built upon a damn realistic situation, as Bart must study hard to pass that crucial exam, in what’s essentially a matter of do or die. The audience is aware of him actually putting some effort for once, which definitely makes him extremely sympathetic during the last act, where he fails again and breaks down for his umpteenth failure. As for the rest, the montage of Bart and Martin’s respective training is great, only backfiring once Martin gets too carried away with the mischiefs and stuff Bart taught him. I don’t have many complaints, apart from Bart’s purplish t-shirt (why isn’t it red like always?), since this is a classic. 9/10
P.S.: also new opening.

15. SIMPSON AND DELILAH

October 18, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F02
SCRIPT: Jon Vitti
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

Another episode with Bart’s purplish t-shirt. I do admit I actually forgot about this one, the time Homer’s long hair grew back, thus increasing his confidence and self-esteem. While I did enjoy some moments, like Karl’s constant motivation role to Homer, the happy-go-lucky long-haired Homer montage and Burns’ unexpected sympathy towards Homer’s hair loss near the end, I’m afraid it gets kinda dull after the long hair montage. Karl is a positive one-shot character, Joe Cocker’s You Are So Beautiful is still a song I strongly dislike for its schmaltz, but nevertheless, it’s a decent episode. I guess it may be the first time for Mr. Burns to shine as a charming scumbag. 7/10

16. TREEHOUSE OF HORROR

October 25, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F04
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder (Bad Dream House), Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky (Hungry Are the Damned), Edgar Allan Poe and Sam Simon (The Raven)
DIRECTION: Wes Archer (Bad Dream House), Rich Moore (Hungry Are the Damned), David Silverman (The Raven)

The very first Halloween yearly special episode. The very first anthology made of three different stories, which I’m going to rate singularly and then the episode itself. Oh, Bart’s shirt is red again.
The first segment, Bad Dream House, is a parody of Poltergeist and a 7/10: the knives bit is well-arranged, but personally I’m not a fan of this segment, it’s really nothing too noteworthy.
The second one, Hungry Are the Damned, is a reference to a The Twilight Zone episode and introduces Kang and Kodos (and a third alien) who abduct the Simpsons to take them to their home planet. It’s a 7/10 to me: it’s slightly more engaging than the first segment, the aliens’ recipe book got a few welcome twists, but I think it’s mostly fine.
On the other hand, the third one is my favorite. It’s the adaptation of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, in which Bart as the raven mocks Homer’s grief. This segment is a masterpiece, one of the best Treehouse of Horror segments ever created: the action is simply astounding, cinematography is excellent, Homer chasing the raven is handled masterfully and the narration is by James Earl Jones of all people (Tonino Accolla, Homer’s voice actor, narrates in the Italian version). An easy 10/10.
So, the first Treehouse of Horror is an 8/10, two decent segments and the best comes for last.

17. TWO CARS IN EVERY GARAGE AND THREE EYES ON EVERY FISH

November 1, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F01
SCRIPT: Sam Simon and John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: Wes Archer

So… even though I understand the satirical meaning of this episode, I wish it left me a bigger impression. Sure, this may be Mr. Burns’ first time as a protagonist, but there’s not too many jokes and the second act is pretty dull and arid, too. I honestly have nothing else to say, the idea isn’t bad but the execution is just too linear and bland. 5/10

18. DANCIN’ HOMER

November 8, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F05
SCRIPT: Kevin Levine and David Isaacs
DIRECTION: Mark Kirkland

I’m afraid I don’t care for this episode, either. The story isn’t bad, but feels far too simplistic and linear. The setup of dancing Homer’s promotion lacks substance, the Capital City montage goes on and on without any interesting visual gags, and much like the previous episode, I wondered when the real events are going to begin. It’s like waiting for a story that will never arrive. 6/10

19. DEAD PUTTING SOCIETY

November 15, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F08
SCRIPT: Jeff Martin
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

The episode in which Homer challenges Ned Flanders to a mini golf game. While Homer acts a little bit too aggressively, having Flanders also succumb to his neighbor’s competitiveness sort of reminds me of the Spongebob episode ‘Employee of the month’, which features a similar premise with Squidward being fed up with Spongebob’s paranoias and ending up challenging him. All in all, it’s a pretty solid episode with its moments like Marge stealthly making fun of Flanders’ apology letter alongside, the montage of Bart’s golf training or the amusing conclusion. 8/10

20. BART VS. THANKSGIVING

November 22, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F09
SCRIPT: George Meyer
DIRECTION: David Silverman

Good lord, Bart is such a dick in this episode. It’s quite a rarity to observe such a toxic atmosphere in a holiday-centered plot, since Bart’s behavior is already pretty annoying in the opening and suffers a further nosedive once he destroys Lisa’s centerpiece. This is by no means played for laughs, as Bart doesn’t even know why he’d act like a douche towards his own sister, which actually makes this whole sequence kinda uncomfortable to watch. His meanness is 100% gratuitous, Lisa did absolutely nothing wrong in this instance. Even though the remainder tries to regain some holiday spirit, that event still remains distasteful. On a side note, I do like Bart’s scapegoat segment a lot, it’s well-choreographed, probably the best part of this awkward episode. 5/10

21. BART THE DAREDEVIL

December 6, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F06
SCRIPT: Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky
DIRECTION: Wes Archer

Let’s be honest, the final climax is what makes this episode a classic. Homer’s stunt is the highlight of a solid entry, which has a few funny bits like the lion dunked in the pool alongside the other predators and Bart’s autograph. Again, nothing much to say. 8/10

22. ITCHY & SCRATCHY & MARGE

December 20, 1990
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F09
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: Jim Reardon

How to satirize those folks who condemn cartoon (fictional) violence, despite history providing blood, wars, genocides, casualties, mortal accidents and so on… IN REAL LIFE. What are even the odds of a child being traumatized by a real tragedy over a mere cartoon??? This episode emphasizes Marge’s hypocrisy so so well that you can’t help but laugh at her contradicting her own ideas once Michelangelo’s David is bashed for its exposed nudity. I also love how the renewed Itchy and Scratchy show isn’t that dissimilar to 1975’s Tom and Jerry Show, in which they altered the original formula by depicting Tom and Jerry as pals, and the whole sequence of children playing outside is simply fantastic, a rough minute of pure animation. Yes, that’s a way better satire than Two Cars. 9/10

23. BART GETS HIT BY A CAR

January 10, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F10
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: Mark Kirkland

Despite this introduction of two of my favorite characters of the entire show, I don’t have a positive opinion on this episode AT ALL. The story is boring and forgettable, Marge is uncharacteristically dumber than usual, since her stupidity let Homer lose a million bucks. I swear if the roles were reversed, Marge would throw Homer out, instead it’s Homer who leaves out of his sheer disappointment. Furthermore, I really appreciate Lionel Hutz’ character, but I feel the episode doesn’t even take full advantage of him because there’s nothing able to make me care for it. As for the ending, while someone could call it sweet, I do consider it status quo slavery because… let’s face it, the Simpsons would never undergo a divorce in the second season. Meh. 5/10

24. ONE FISH, TWO FISH, BLOWFISH, BLUE FISH

January 24, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F11
SCRIPT: Nell Scovell
DIRECTION: Wes Archer

Very nice episode, albeit not among my favorite. Homer thinks he got only one day to live, so he spends his time with the people he loves the most, his family, his father and his friends. After the previous nosedive, this return to the roots feels like a breath of fresh air, the return of the same spirit we found in the pilot. Oh, and we also get the first prank call of the season (Seymour Butz is a classic) and the reused animation of Homer eating pork rinds from Moaning Lisa. In any case, it’s been enjoyable. 8/10

25. THE WAY WE WAS

January 31, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F12
SCRIPT: Al Jean, Mike Reiss and Sam Simon
DIRECTION: David Silverman

Here we are, the first episode set in a flashback segment, which tells the story of how Homer met Marge. It’s a solid one, even though a few narrative mechanics result in stereotypical territory, such as Homer falling in love at first sight, the shady drama before the “main event” and the obvious happy ending. I know I’m being fastidious since the conclusion of the story must be in line with the present time, it’s just I’m not a massive fan of the offhand love trope. Fortunately, the fact Marge isn’t showing interest at first makes it slightly more natural. The main sources of comedy involve Homer rejecting a job at Mr. Burns’ nuclear powerplant and Barney Barneying, otherwise the story doesn’t really propose many good jokes. I know it’s for the sake of narrative fluency, but the show has to seek its ultimate maturity after two seasons, thus it needs to mix both narration and entertainment. Overall, it’s an 8/10.

26. HOMER VS. LISA AND THE 8TH COMMANDMENT

February 7, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F13
SCRIPT: Steve Pepoon
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

I suppose this episode launches another formula, the so-called “Lisa’s rebuke”, albeit in a less invasive manner than in the following entries, so her know-it-all attitude isn’t much of an issue since Homer is the one being wrong for stealing other people’s objects. So… given how much Lisa’s formula would get more and more tiresome at times, this is actually an all right episode. Even though Troy McClure, one of my favorite characters, appears for the first time ever, he doesn’t get to do much here. 7/10

27. PRINCIPAL CHARMING

February 14, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F15
SCRIPT: David M. Stern
DIRECTION: Mark Kirkland

This is an interesting episode, as it focuses on secondary characters like Skinner and Patty and Selma. I really like the way Skinner and Patty’s relationship is portrayed, both of their actions are seamlessly in-character, especially Patty who is completely unsatisfied by her first date and refuses to follow the stock “hold me in movie theater” trope and even Skinner’s marriage proposal near the end, only for the sake of maintaining her twin bond with Selma. It looks like a sincere relationship that rarely falls into trope category. On top of that, the episode is also quite funny, with moments like Homer scanning men like a cyborg or the classic Homersexual prank call. Fun fact, Maggie doesn’t appear at all. 8/10

28. OH BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?

February 21, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F16
SCRIPT: Jeff Martin
DIRECTION: Wes Archer

Homer discovers he has a half-brother, who happens to be one very wealthy bastard. It’s a decent entry, I’m personally not a big fan of the second half in which Herb Powell loses everything due to Homer’s new car. Comedy is also questionable, then again I suppose they wanted to be more careful to narration rather than humor. It’s quite an overappreciated episode, not among my favorite of the season. 7/10

29. BART’S DOG GETS AN F

March 7, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F14
SCRIPT: Jon Vitti
DIRECTION: Jim Reardon

This one is all right. The story gets way too repetitive with Santa’s Little Helper never learning anything from his lessons, until the very end in which he follows Bart’s commands randomly. The episode is quite dull at parts and isn’t very humorous. 6/10

30. OLD MONEY

March 28, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F17
SCRIPT: Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky
DIRECTION: David Silverman

Even though the damp drops falling on the picture of Abe’s fiancée is a pretty humorous trope subvertion, I didn’t enjoy this episode that much. The scene where Abe blames and disowns Homer for not letting him spend his final hours with his fiancée is extremely obnoxious, and his noble intentions to help indigents with his inherited money feels like a blatant excuse for not giving it to Homer. Abe’s sense of morals certainly place perfect strangers before his own son, don’t they? It’s a 5/10, simply pathetic at parts.

31. BRUSH WITH GREATNESS

April 11, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F18
SCRIPT: Brian K. Roberts
DIRECTION: Jim Reardon

An episode featuring THIS and that sigma guy known as Richard Starkey as a guest star cannot possibly be a bad one. I like this one a lot, as it focuses on Marge painting Mr. Burns’ portrait, whose intentions are made harder due to Burns’ insufferable attitude. Nevertheless, that’s what makes this episode function: Mr. Burns pulls no punches, since he displays a toxic behavior towards anyone, including Smithers, whose lackey role ironically makes him extremely likeable. There are some funny scenes as well, like Burns feeling assaulted by Maggie or the entire ending, in which he praises Marge for her portrait and for not making fun of his genitals.
For the record… yes, Homer has any right reason for being jealous of Ringo. Peace and Love, 8/10.

32. LISA’S SUBSTITUTE

April 25, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F19
SCRIPT: Jon Vitti
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

This one is widely considered a fan-favorite, as well as one of the best episodes of the entire show… I think it’s more likely a rollercoaster. Bart’s subplot manages to sound way more entertaining than the main one, because apparently there’s a very thin line between admiring a substitute and being utterly obsessed with him, and Lisa is part of the latter category. In fact, she’s quite obnoxious in this episode as it tries so hard to portray her relationship with her substitute as charming and pure as possible, when it’s more like morbid and pushed over the edge. Even the most profound admiration knows when and how to stop, yet Lisa is completely subjugated by Mr. Bergstrom, who isn’t even that great as a one-way character (Karl from Simpson and Delilah was better, fight me). He’s like a bland, laid-back wise guy. Don’t get me started on her opinion on Homer, either: assuming that his attitude at the museum is definitely asinine, it still doesn’t prove anything because Lisa already tells Bergstrom about him being an ignoramus BEFORE visiting the museum, which confirms that she is as toxic as her father’s ignorance. The final segment is abominable, with Lisa insulting Homer, but thankfully his character growth lets the ending get an unexpected redemption. I also like Homer comforting Bart after losing the class president election, that’s a genuinely nice moment. Overall, it’s not a bad episode but feels very far from the show’s best. 7/10

33. THE WAR OF THE SIMPSONS

May 2, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F20
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: Mark Kirkland

Whoa, I definitely missed marital drama… I’m speechless, this is one of the worst episodes of the classic era. I swear every SINGLE character here is annoying: Homer is a self-centered douche, Marge is an annoying bitch, Bart is a dick, Lisa is obnoxious and Maggie STILL can’t talk… and the whole plot is just a tangle of sheer ANNOYANCE. Let me recap it: Homer and Marge’s marriage is in danger… AGAIN, so Marge drags him to a retreat in order to save their marriage, but Homer would rather go fishing a catfish. Meanwhile, Abe babysits the two brats, who turn his weekend into a nightmare. Look, EVEN Homer’s Night Out had its redeeming aspects, like Homer’s genuine feelings and his interactions with Barney… this one has none of them, because not only Homer’s attitude couldn’t care a shit, but also Marge’s fucking detestable behavior contributes to the episode being a bomb. Seriously, was Marge listing Homer’s flaws a poor attempt to make a marital joke? Because it doesn’t work, the episode takes the whole events way too severely, by addressing Homer as the SOLE responsible for tearing apart his marriage. While he’s DEFINITELY to blame for his egocentricity, what does Marge do to improve the situation, apart from being a complete pain in the ass? N-O-T-H-I-N-G, she just stands there, rebuking him for going fishing. She’s not propositional at all, she keeps being a pain in the ass… too bad Homer couldn’t find a single flaw on her… well, I could. I’m not looking forward to watching this garbage again, the marital drama formula sucks. 3/10

34. THREE MEN AND A COMIC BOOK

May 9, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F21
SCRIPT: Jeff Martin
DIRECTION: Wes Archer

That’s more like it. I personally enjoy the second act more than the first, in which Bart, Milhouse and Martin go insane over who’s going to keep the very first Radioactive Man comic book. That’s definitely the highlight of this episode, the rest isn’t too memorable. Bart working in order to get some money is a decent concept on paper, but it’s not very humorous altogether. 7/10

35. BLOOD FEUD

July 11, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F22
SCRIPT: George Meyer
DIRECTION: David Silverman

Solid season finale. I’ve been noticing a pattern during these final episodes: the artwork is gradually leaving the “wrinkled round teeth era”, slowly approaching the season 3-5 era, and the pacing is also getting the hang of it. Interesting how season 2 feels so far away from season 1 all around, compared to its first episodes. As for this one, it’s got its funny moments like Burns’ recovery, Homer and Bart’s mocking letter, Homer being Mr. Burns, the Mike Rotch prank call and Burns’ very bulky gift to the Simpsons, which only Bart appreciates. So, I like this. 8/10

Season 2 is a massive improvement over season 1 mediocrity, the artwork is gradually more solid, the pacing isn’t as sluggish, there’s a more substantial usage of secondary characters and the humor is partially improving, albeit not in a very consistent way. Even though there are no perfect episodes, season 2 highs manage to leave a bigger impression than season 1 highs, thus launching the Classic era.
All things considered, it’s a good season despite a few underwhelming episodic successions.

Itchy & Scratchy & Marge
Bart Gets an ‘F’
Brush with Greatness
One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish
Blood Feud
Treehouse of Horror
The Way We Was
Principal Charming
Dead Putting Society
Bart the Daredevil
Lisa’s Substitute
Three Men and a Comic Book
Simpson and Delilah
Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
Bart’s Dog Gets an ‘F’
Dancin’ Homer
Bart Gets Hit by a Car
Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish
Bart vs. Thanksgiving
Old Money
The War of the Simpsons

SEASON 3 (1991-1992)

36. STARK RAVING DAD

September 19, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F24
SCRIPT: Al Jean and Mike Reiss
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

DISCLAIMER: the fact this episode was banned from streaming platforms won’t affect my rating.

This episode is generally praised by fans, yet I think it’s not a very good opener. Bart is such a prick throughout the entire picture: he essentially sends Homer to a mental institution by drawing up his psychological test sloppily and overlooks Lisa’s birthday more than once. She literally does nothing wrong here, in fact she’s kind of sympathetic. Furthermore, the prologue is dumb and not in an endearing or even zany way, but more like gratuitously dumb, as Homer’s mental health is questioned due to his pink shirt… if you think I’m nitpicking, I also used to think this the first time I watched this episode. That’s fucking stupid. On the flip side, I suppose having Michael Jackson as a guest star sort of gives bonus points, even though his musical numbers feel a bit distracting, but as a whole I don’t really enjoy how the new season began. 6/10

37. MR. LISA GOES TO WASHINGTON

September 26, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F01
SCRIPT: George Meyer
DIRECTION: Wes Archer

I’m aware of my thoughts being in line with most of the fandom, but Lisa-centric episodes are not my stuff, because Lisa isn’t exactly my favorite character and her topics tend to weigh down the plot considerably. This is no exception, since I do realize the satirical purpose behind this story, but once again it takes itself way too seriously for focusing on Lisa’s character. Regardless of its message, which isn’t even exempt from mere rethoric, it’s still an incredibly boring episode with very little jokes therein, preceded by a second-rate prologue with Homer reading a magazine. Not the most exciting setup for a likewise unremarkable story which teaches us that politicians are corrupt… you don’t say?
Season 3 didn’t start so well, did it? 5/10

38. WHEN FLANDERS FAILED

October 3, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 7F23
SCRIPT: Jon Vitti
DIRECTION: Jim Reardon

I do have mixed feelings over this entry: Homer is thoroughly unlikeable in this episode, since he wishes for Flanders’ business to bomb and constantly gloats over his neighbor’s failures. Once again, there’s not many good jokes, but if there are any, Homer’s douchy behavior will overlook them with ease. The subplot with Bart attending karate lessons isn’t much better, as he’s also kinda annoying and his punishment sort of feels deserved.
Nonetheless, Homer helping Flanders in the final quarter is supposedly a redeeming moment, as we also find out EVERYONE is left-handed in Springfield. How bloody convenient. Although, I can’t unsee what occurred prior to the final quarter, since not only Homer mocks Flanders’ Leftorium going south, but also takes advantage of his misfortunes by grasping his selling out items. All in all, it’s definitely a mixed bag, which looks more like a season 2 episode through and through: just look at the recycled couch gag and its production code. 5/10

39. BART THE MURDERER

October 10, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F03
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

Again, I don’t have many reasons for appreciating this episode, as it’s got the “X being blamed for something he/she didn’t commit” formula, on the specific Bart being accused of Skinner’s disposal. I’m not much of a fan of this narrative trope, it sucks in all the jokes in order to rely on some sort of misunderstanding comedy, which falls flat here. Besides, the first quarter is unbelievably hyperbolic, as Bart suffers any, like ANY sort of disadventure at school, which would be fine if the plot did actually something to restore his mood… sadly it doesn’t. I mean, Lisa’s role is rather reduced in this episode, but she’s quite a bitch for no solid reason. Thus, the streak of meh episodes continues. What happened? 6/10

40. HOMER DEFINED

October 17, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F04
SCRIPT: Howard Gewirtz
DIRECTION: Mark Kirkland

The official beginning of the “oversized eyeballs era“, which couldn’t be launched by a better episode. After a streak of disappointing entries, it feels so much better to watch an actually perfect one, in which Homer saves the entire Springfield from a nuclear meltdown out of sheer luck, so everybody considers him a hero. The subplot is also very good, as Milhouse’s mother orders him to stay away from Bart because she considers him a bad influence, so their friendship is constantly put at risk. I do like how every single character is written so well, even Milhouse who didn’t invite Bart to his party, because it wasn’t really his fault, and Lisa increasing her admiration for Homer after the main event. The funny moments are indeed numerous, like Homer’s various definitions with THAT hilarious clueless expression, Milhouse playing alone and the ENTIRE nuclear meltdown panic, which is simply a perfect sequence: it’s tense, but also realizes when to add humor, like Homer solving Rubik’s cube out of nowhere while he’s been told which button he should press in the flashback. Such a solution is so contrived that manages to make perfect sense for Homer’s character. No regret, this is the first amazing episode in chronological order. 10/10

41. LIKE FATHER, LIKE CLOWN

October 24, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F05
SCRIPT: Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky
DIRECTION: Jeffrey Lynch and Brad Bird

This one is alright. We learn about Krusty’s Jewish origins, and the show introduces his father, but as a whole it’s not a particularly humor-centric episode. Krusty isn’t properly one of my favorite characters which is shown by my scarce interest. Decent. 7/10

42. TREEHOUSE OF HORROR II

October 31, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F02
SCRIPT: Al Jean and Mike Reiss (The Monkey’s Paw), Jeff Martin and George Meyer (The Bart Zone), Sam Simon and John Swartzwelder (If I Only Had a Brain)
DIRECTION: Jim Reardon

The second Halloween anthology of the season, which happens to be one of my personal favorite. While Bart and Lisa told the tales inside their treehouse in last season, here the three segments are Bart, Lisa and Homer’s nightmares after overeating candies.
-The Monkey’s Paw – Lisa’s nightmare – features Homer buying a cursed monkey’s paw which can grant any wish. This is a 9/10, the buildup of each wish is developed so well, from Maggie’s new pacifier brought by a limo chauffeur to Lisa asking for world peace, which has to face the most absurd consequences, with aliens invading Springfield. Humorous segment.
-The Bart Zone – Bart’s nightmare – is one of my absolute favorite ToH segments. Apparently, Bart possesses huge powers which make him read minds and turn everyone into weird objects. This brings such an enormous potential to a story, and that’s what it does: it may be a Halloween special, but I really like that everyone is in-character, including Otto Disk who deliberately lets Bart drive his school bus, much to everyone else’s panic. The school cutscene is simply amazing, with Skinner’s hilariously awkward love song and the “I’m a stupid moron…” prank call and the ending might appear as misleading, but it actually needs to move away from the main story so that it makes Bart’s awakening more traumatizing. This is a perfect segment. 10/10
-If I Only Had a Brain – Homer’s nightmare – is strongly inspired by Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, as Mr. Burns has to get a human brain in order to complete his creature. This is probably the less imaginative segment than the bunch, but it’s still solid: Burns and Smithers make a great pairing and their interactions are always so entertaining. I also like how much of a failure his creature gets to be, as the first thing it sees is a pack of donuts and smashes several walls to have some. 8/10
All in all, the second Halloween special is a 9/10. It’s better than the first.

43. LISA’S PONY

November 7, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F06
SCRIPT: Al Jean and Mike Reiss
DIRECTION: Carlos Baeza

In order to regain Lisa’s trust, Homer buys a damn expensive pony, which has him do some overtime to support it. The first half is probably funnier, with the montage of Homer playing with Lisa is and Bart making fun of him – despite that reused animation from Season 1’s Bart the General – and with Lisa finding out about her pony in her bed, which is a pretty hilarious callback to The Godfather. Unfortunately, the fun stops there since the second half is a bit weaker, even though the Slumberland sequence looks wonderful. If you also ask me, Marge is kind of a pain in the ass here, since she orders Homer to solve their economic troubles by getting another job… wait a sec, why doesn’t she help instead? Stand up and go get a job, you blue-haired prudish cunt.
Anyway, Homer’s strong will to get Lisa’s respect back is indeed commendable, but the episode remains decent. 7/10

44. SATURDAYS OF THUNDER

November 14, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F07
SCRIPT: Kevin Levine and David Isaacs
DIRECTION: Jim Reardon

First episode to feature the definitive theme song. The plot stands among the lines of Lisa’s Pony, but this time it’s about Homer and Bart’s relationship. It’s alright, maybe a bit less effective than the previous episode: MENDOZA is my personal highlight and as for Homer reading THAT book… do I even have to explain why it aged so poorly??? 7/10

45. FLAMING MOE’S

November 21, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F08
SCRIPT: Robert Cohen
DIRECTION: Rich Moore and Alan Smart

This is such a classic in which Moe becomes rich and famous thanks to a flambé drink Homer invented. Maybe the aspect I like the least is Lisa’s slumber party in the opening, because the rest is essentially flawless: the story is very solid, Aerosmith are among the best guest stars of the show, Edna stealing Joey Kramer’s drumsticks is pretty funny, Moe’s line “My mother won’t be home for another 20 minutes” is hilarious and the climax with Homer going insane over Moe’s success has what it takes to enter a satisfying conclusion. If only Lisa wasn’t involved, we’d be talking about a perfect episode. Thus, it’s ONLY a 9/10.

46. BURNS VERKAUFEN DER KRAFTWERK

December 5, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F09
SCRIPT: Jon Vitti
DIRECTION: Mark Kirkland

The highlight is the scene everybody remembers the most, Chocolate Land. That said, it’s not the only joke here, since we also have Lenny’s dazzling grin and the whole setup of Moe interacting with Bart after his prank call, which is plain humorous.
Unfortunately, the good stops here because the plot is kinda uninteresting and unstable, the German businessmen kind of blow as one-way characters and the epilogue with Mr. Burns getting his nuclear powerplant back could’ve been developed more thoroughly. Feels abrupt, to be honest. Therefore, 7/10.

47. I MARRIED MARGE

December 26, 1991
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F10
SCRIPT: Jeff Martin
DIRECTION: Jeffrey Lynch

Supertramp were more popular in the ’70s than in the ’80s… anyway, this episode features the aftermath of the events of The Way We Was, in which we find out how Bart was conceived and how the Simpsons’ marriage was even possible. Story-wise, it’s quite more interesting than the season 2 flashback, humor isn’t the most significant since the plot focuses on sentimentalism way more, exceeding at times, but I guess it’s for the sake of showing Homer and Marge’s bond, which has rarely been stronger than it is in this flashback. If it had more jokes, I’d rate it higher, but it’s still a solid 8/10.

48. RADIO BART

January 9, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F11
SCRIPT: Jon Vitti
DIRECTION: Carlos Baeza

So this is where the Lisa dancing gif that normies use on Twitter comes from. Anyway, I’m not really a fan of this episode, in which Bart fools the whole town by impersonating a 10-year-old kid trapped in a well, but once he’s the one to fall down into the well, none of them is eager to rescue him. I do suppose there’s indeed an attempt to satirize people acting like bandwagoners, once they hear the most absurd news like Abraham Lincoln’s squirrel, but the sudden change of mind of the townspeople when they realize Timmy doesn’t exist and Bart is the one in trouble feels… under the weather to say the least. People can be stupid, but come on, they decide to start digging only because they saw Homer doing it, blinded by some kind of unawareness. While Bart’s punishment is definitely way too harsh, his radio pranks get old quite fast. Therefore, I didn’t enjoy this episode that much. 5/10

49. LISA THE GREEK

January 23, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F12
SCRIPT: Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

It’s another Homer-Lisa episode and unfortunately I don’t care for it that much. Apparently, Homer starts caring about her only for her “prognosticating skills”, so they spend Sundays together watching football matches. Homer’s character isn’t in a good light in this episode and the setup of the final match definitely takes a turn for the oddest, since if Lisa truly loves Homer, Washington will win, otherwise Buffalo will win… what? Are you assuming Lisa’s relationship with her father depends on a mere football match??? I kinda liked the joke of the empty church during the Superbowl (Flanders was absent, too), but overall it’s totally an improvable episode. 6/10

50. HOMER ALONE

February 6, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F14
SCRIPT: David M. Stern
DIRECTION: Mark Kirkland

Barney is the best aspect of this episode, his moments are pretty funny, like him mistaking Maggie for Bart or his omelette priorities. That said, while the premise is kinda relatable to housewives never taking a break, the second half is plain miserable for the whole family, as Homer loses Maggie and Bart and Lisa end up in a hell of a situation with Marge’s sisters. Matriarchy intensifies in this episode, which I don’t appreciate that much. 6/10

51. BART THE LOVER

February 13, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F16
SCRIPT: Jon Vitti
DIRECTION: Carlos Baeza

A mean-spirited story done right. Bart pranks Edna by acting like her “pen lover”, only to break her heart once he stands her up on her date. As the very first Edna-centric entry, it’s indeed really good: we learn something more about her character and she turns out to be extremely sympathetic when she doesn’t get what she wants. The swear jar subplot is also great, featuring lots of memorable moments like the damn vegetable, the montage of Homer trying not to swear and the ‘I’m gay’ remark. All in all, pretty solid episode. 8/10

52. HOMER AT THE BAT

February 20, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F13
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: Jim Reardon

Phenomenal. Someone might call it overrated, but this is such a perfect episode. It’s interesting what you can create with a simple and linear plot lacking flight of fancy, which guarantees the success of this episode through the mere succession of events. NO scene feels like filler, anything here happens to be crucial for the plot, including the prologue of Homer choking after eating lots of donuts and Lenny reading the softball announcement next to the Heimlich maneuver picture, or Barney randomly arguing with Boggs over who was the better English Prime Minister, which already sounds ludicrous enough. Speaking of which, the different ways Mr. Burns loses his professional players are just so contrived they manage to be downright humorous. Again, there are so many jokes here which never distract from the actual plot, in fact they enrich it, like Bart and Lisa hurting Strawberry’s feelings, Mr. Burns wanting to hire deceased softball players, Canseco saving a lady’s kid and cat… and mechanical piano from a fire and the epic conclusion with Homer carrying his team to triumph. Not only this episode is hilarious, but also possesses an engaging story, even if I don’t care for baseball and/or softball. No doubt about it, best of the season as well as one of my favorite episodes of the entire show. 10/10.

53. SEPARATE VOCATIONS

February 27, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F15
SCRIPT: George Meyer
DIRECTION: Jeffrey Lynch

The episode features a role reversal, with Bart being the bright scholar and Lisa the disobedient vandal. This is quite an interesting story, it’s nice to see Bart playing a totally new role and his relationship with Skinner is also on-point.
Unfortunately, Lisa turns out to behave so poorly the ending follows the usual status quo, with the two siblings being back to their regular roles in the end. That’s too bad, I didn’t mind Bart as a decent scholar. While he definitely proves to be a great character defending his sister, the return to status quo likewise bothers me. 7/10

54. DOG OF DEATH

March 12, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F17
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: Jim Reardon

Santa’s Little Helper’s second episode as a protagonist after season 2’s Bart’s Dog Gets an F and unfortunately, we’re not dealing with a very good one. In order to afford a very expensive operation for Santa, the Simpsons have to make sacrifices, but for some reason, ALL OF THEM, including Bart, direct their anger towards Santa, causing him to run away. I could understand Homer, but LITERALLY EVERYONE is angry at him, which is quite mean-spirited even from Bart’s part. In fact, he’s conveniently out-of-character during that scene, as he rarely gets mad at his own dog.
Not a massive supporter of this episode, it’s kinda dull. It might have a few jokes, like Barney losing his own dog, but it’s middle of the road material. 5/10

55. COLONEL HOMER

March 26, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F19
SCRIPT: Matt Groening
DIRECTION: Mart Kirkland

So, marital drama is back on track, only because Marge scolded Homer in the movie theater for disturbing and spoiling the conclusion of the movie. This episode is more or less like season 1’s Life on the Fast Lane, only with Homer endangering his own marriage due to attempting an affair with Lurleen, whom he would become his manager of. He’s kind of an oblivious jackass here, as he even ignores his own family at some point, which turns out to be a quite unpleasant scene. Lurleen may not be the worst one-way character, but she’s just too bland and generic to provide solid entertainment and as for Marge, she’s completely sympathetic as she fears Homer might be cheating on her. While it may not be as sluggish as Life on the Fast Lane, I don’t really appreciate this episode. Pretty meh, 5/10.

56. BLACK WIDOWER

April 9, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F20
SCRIPT: Sam Simon and Thomas Chastain
DIRECTION: David Silverman

Second appearance for Sideshow Bob since season 1’s Krusty Gets Busted, and it’s another pretty solid episode. It’s not that humor-centric, but I like the idea of Bob marrying Selma in order to get his revenge on Bart, who is the only one who doesn’t believe he’s changed. As a result, he’s definitely the best character here, and unlike the previous entry, he unmasks Bob’s real plan all by himself in a more effective way, like being forced to explain the whole thing to Homer more than once. No detail is filler content on the slightest and actually serves the plot in order to find out Bob’s actual intentions. All in all, solid. 8/10

57. THE OTTO SHOW

April 23, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F21
SCRIPT: Jeff Martin
DIRECTION: Wes Archer

This episode isn’t very well-thought, in fact it’s quite all over the place: it starts with the Spinal Tap concert, then Bart wants to be a rockstar, Otto gets fired and evicted so Bart lets him stay at the Simpsons’ place and lastly he gets his job back… I feel this plot doesn’t really realize which direction it should be taking. The subplot of Bart willing to become a rockstar couldn’t be more short-lived than this, Otto can play electric guitar but doesn’t really go anywhere, either… it’s basically a mess. The first half may be overall funnier, it’s got the segment of Skinner as bus conductor which brings a few laughs, but the story goes downhill in the second one. Furthermore, the conclusion is too sudden and abrupt and the way Otto regains his old job only exists for the sake of status quo. We don’t even know whether he got his house back, as well. The story doesn’t tell us anything in that regard. It’s one hell of a chaotic story. 6/10

58. BART’S FRIEND FALLS IN LOVE

May 7, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F22
SCRIPT: Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky
DIRECTION: Jim Reardon

The highlight of this episode is Troy McClure’s documentary, the only genuinely hilarious scene here. The main plot involves Milhouse falling in love with a new girl, much to Bart’s jealousy, so he tries everything in order to wreck their relationship. While Bart is supposed to be the jerk of this episode, I’m actually with him in this case, because I don’t really enjoy this kind of formula, which makes the episode a bit dull. The subplot with Homer learning new vocabulary is a bit better, but overall it’s mostly decent content. 7/10

59. BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE TWO DIMES?

August 27, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F23
SCRIPT: John Swartzwelder
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

This final episode places its attention on Herb Powell getting his positive ending after Homer made him lose his entire fortune in season 2 (his car looked cool, though). I can definitely see where the story is supposed to go, but the whole setup of Herb getting rich again looks a bit too simple and predictable, as he borrows Homer’s money to finance his successful invention and *big surprise, it works without a tiny hesitation. I don’t consider neither of the two that memorable, even though there are a few funny moments like Homer receiving Mr. Burns’ award through a pointless ceremony and the dryer race at Moe’s tavern. 7/10

The Classic era develops in a pretty weird season: on a positive note, S3 highs are higher than the first two seasons and its lows consist of weak, yet not that bad episodes. Furthermore, the show finally encountered a decent balance between story and humor, as pacing is pretty much on-point and jokes are starting to become crucial for the series framework.
Unfortunately, what hinders this season is the amount of weaker streaks, which render it quite of a rollercoaster, especially at the beginning featuring 4-5 episodes I didn’t particularly enjoy and also near the end. While Homer at the Bat remains one of the best entries of the entire show 30 years later, it’s narrowly overshadowed by some considerable breaks which make this a tad more inconsistent than season 2, in spite of having no actual bad episode, and the decent entries are more numerous than the great ones.

Homer at the Bat
Homer Defined
Flaming Moe’s
Treehouse of Horror II
Bart the Lover
I Married Marge
Black Widower
Lisa’s Pony
Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk
Bart’s Friend Falls in Love
Saturdays of Thunder
Separate Vocations
Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?
Like Father, Like Clown
Homer Alone
Stark Raving Dad
The Otto Show
Lisa the Greek
Bart the Murderer
When Flanders Failed
Radio Bart
Colonel Homer
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
Dog of Death

SEASON 4 (1992-1993)

60. KAMP KRUSTY

September 24, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F24
SCRIPT: David M. Stern
DIRECTION: Mark Kirkland

This opener is considered a classic, but in actuality doesn’t leave me that enthusiastic. I probably like the first half set at school better, as it’s got some funny moments like Bart’s dream or the end of WWII, whereas the rest is quite uninteresting. The Bart being exploited plot was already used in season 1, and I don’t think this is much better. Overall, quite a bit overrated episode. 7/10

61. A STREETCAR NAMED MARGE

October 1, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 8F18
SCRIPT: Jeff Martin
DIRECTION: Rich Moore

Boring episode. I don’t like marital drama, especially if one of the main characters’ traits is CONVENIENTLY taken up to eleven – Homer’s sheer indifference -, so that we could sympathize with his/her spouse better. The final recital is unnecessarily prolonged, I don’t care for musicals and this one isn’t even that good. So, mediocre entry. 5/10

62. HOMER THE HERETIC

October 8, 1992
PRODUCTION CODE: 9F01
SCRIPT: George Meyer
DIRECTION: Jim Reardon