Friday 29 May 2020

The Simpsons: 30 for 30 - Part Two


Like almost everyone else I stopped watching The Simpsons at least 15 years ago, but the show has still had a great influence on me and the stuff I say.

Nearly three years ago I drafted a list of my 30 favourite episodes.

About two and a half years later I finally finished PART ONE.

After a further six months, I've realised I'm never going to properly complete parts two and three. I blame COVID-19. Even for the four months of procrastination from November to March.

So instead I'm providing a very brief synopsis of each episode. Images are generated for the outstanding website frinkiac.com.

And now, without further Apu, here is Part Two... 

20. Bart Sells His Soul (Season 7, Episode 4)
Bart sells his soul for $5 to Milhouse and regrets it, while Moe turns his bar into a family restaurant and regrets it. It's two very good stories in one episode!

19. Radio Bart (Season 3, Episode 13)
Bart's prank of pretending a boy is trapped in a well goes awry when he really gets trapped in the well. Suddenly the townspeople are less inclined to be sending our love down the well... until Gordon Sumner gets them to reconsider.

18. Mr. Plow (Season 4, Episode 9)
Homer stars a snow-removal business and ends up in fierce competition with Barney. Say hello to the Plow King! The former best friends eventually reunite and look unstoppable, until God has other ideas.

17. Whacking Day (Season 4, Episode 20)
The holiday Whacking Day is either Springfield's oldest tradition or a sham originally conceived in 1922 as an excuse to beat up on the Irish.

16. King-Size Homer (Season 7, Episode 7)
Homer becomes morbidly obese to qualify for disability support to work from home. He should've just eaten some bats and started a global pandemic.

15. Homer's Phobia (Season 8, Episode 15) 
The Simpsons befriend John... except for Homer when he realises that John is gay. This is cutting edge for 1997. And almost got cut by the censors.

14. I Love Lisa (Season 4, Episode 15)
If you haven't seen it, you should choo-choo-choose to watch this episode.

13. Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment (Season 8, Episode 18) 

When Bart accidentally gets drunk at the St. Patrick's Day parade, Springfield starts enforcing an old alcohol prohibition law on its books. Enter the mysterious Beer Baron to save the day, and Eliot Ness Rex Banner as his nemesis.

12. The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show (Season 8, Episode 12)
This is the perfect episode for those that want a realistic, down-to-Earth show... that's completely off-the-wall and swarming with magic robots.

11. Lisa's Substitute (Season 2, Episode 19)
Lisa has a crush on her substitute teacher, Mr. Bergstrom (voiced by critically-acclaimed actor Sam Etic). It is a story arc so emotional and meaningful that it could be ripped from a Wonder Years episode. Except that it is also funny.
I'm not crying. You're crying!

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