1x05 - Bart the General

Here's the first episode of The Simpsons that I think of as a true parody. While rewatching it, I was actually surprised by how little of the episode is devoted to the war on Nelson - it's really just that third act. There's lots of setup to the war, and it gets overshadowed in my memory due to the fact that the war itself is so over the top. Some of that setup is good and gives us new character interactions, while other scenes are just rehashes of bits that have been done before.

In this episode, we finally got a little more interaction between Bart and Lisa. So far, the two have only been in a handful of scenes together, and they mostly consist of Bart annoying Lisa. Granted, Bart is still a huge pain in the ass, but there is a little more depth to the relationship in this episode. Most obviously, Bart puts himself in physical danger to protect Lisa. That's a little unexpected given how antagonistic Bart has been towards Lisa throughout the entire series. But then again, we've seen that Bart isn't adverse to causing trouble at school and actually does care what his family thinks about him (baseball with Homer in Bart the Genius). For me, it's not too much of a stretch, and it's another necessary piece of Bart that makes him more than the slacker class clown. I also really love how Lisa sticks up for herself in the episode. She takes Bart's sass and is able to give it back to him just as easily; she seems incredibly confident in herself (remember this for the next episode...). That one scene on the bus gives you the sense that Bart and Lisa are actually friends; they might not always want to, but they are capable of spending time together and enjoying each others company.

Homer's advice in this episode was also very descriptive of his character. In two separate occasions, Homer essentially tells Bart that you need to take whatever steps you can to succeed. Whether that's sucking up to the teacher by making cupcakes or going after the "family jewels", Homer wants Bart to use whatever he can to get a leg up. This is, once again, somewhat unorthodox advice for the hero of a television show to be giving, and I think it it meant to be taken as a joke to some degree. But at the same time it is realistic and practical. I have no trouble believing that Homer actually does this in his day to day life.

Lastly, we have the war parody. It's not the best of the series, but for the first attempt at a genre parody, I think they do a pretty good job (in fact, I think the show does a good job with just about every genre parody). The preparation montage was a little bit long, but that's my only real complaint. I love the resolution to the war with creepy Herman (more on him in a second...) writing the treaty, and then Marge breaking the mood by being a mom.

Springfield characters:

Nelson - This is the scariest and most intimidating Nelson will ever be in the show. I think once more bullies get introduced, the writers can spread around the nastiness a little bit more.

Grandpa - Grandpa's introduction to the show as an angry old coot is amazing. His angry letter to generic "advertizes" is hands down the funniest segment of the series so far. Especially with the callback to the family jewels. As the show goes on, Grandpa becomes half angry/half senile. He is relatively sane this episode, and while I love him here, I'm also looking forward to senile Grandpa

Jasper - It would be hard for me to define what role Jasper fills in the show. He's basically Grandpa's Milhouse. There needs to be a couple familiar faces in the nursing home, so Jasper ends up filling that slot most of the time. I guess he's often very grumpy. It's funny how he's introduced as a bully because that definitely does not continue.

Herman - For me, Herman represents everything that is weird and off-putting about the first couple seasons of the show. He's way to intense and way too creepy to be introduced this early. He appears a couple of times in the first few seasons and then disappears entirely. It's hard for me to articulate what's so off about him, but, to me, he feels the least Sprinfieldian of all the character in the show - he feels very out of place. I think the writers felt this too and quickly got rid of him.


Other things I liked:

Bart has a couple more daydreams in class. They did this earlier in the season with Bart's terrifying math problem. I think the animators were flexing the muscles. These sequences must have been somewhat impressive for the time.

The death from above happy birthday balloons always make me laugh

Skinner remains blissfully unaware and lame. "No, no, no, he'll get you after school, son" and "There's learning afoot" are both great lines

The show breaks the fourth wall for the first time with Bart's PSA at the end of the episode. They do this several times over the course of the show (most memorably to "warn" the viewers about upcoming Halloween episodes)


This was the most unique episode so far. It had a fairly basic plot, but was fun to watch, and had some good lines. If Herman wasn't in it, I would probably rate it higher

5.5/10

edit - I forgot about "You made me bleed my own blood!" This is the first quote of the series that I overuse in real life.

1x04 - There's No Disgrace Like Home

Out of the first four episodes of the series, three of them have focused on the Simpson family learning to embrace their flaws, and to some extent, their social class. And while you might expect this theme to quickly overstay its welcome, Simspons Roasting, Bart the Genius, and Disgrace all vary enough in plot for me to accept their repetitive stories. Luckily, the next few episodes change the formula with a war parody episode followed by a Lisa-centric story.

As for this episode, the first thing that I noticed was the change in Marge's character. Right off the bat, we see that Marge is flawed. She can't always be the supportive parent in the dysfunctional family; every once in a while she needs to let off a little bit of steam. In fact, this theme comes up again and again in the show. Marge will occasionally have a stress-cigarette, need to drink a "Large Island Iced Tea", or go to Rancho Relaxo. It's nice to see that the writers realized how stressful Marge's life would be right from the beginning of the show.

In addition to her behavior at the party, Marge's behavior around the house is somewhat surprising given her role in the first three episodes. She is embracing the dysfunction of her family and even contributing to it. You would expect Marge to be the one to try to fix the family, but instead it is Homer. It seems a little bit out of character for Homer to try to make a perfect family, but after observing Homer's behavior in the series so far, I think it works well. Impressing Burns is just another task that over-enthusiastic Homer becomes obsessed with. Just like with his quest to make Springfield safe in the previous episode, Homer is determined to have a normal family because he doesn't like to admit defeat. But in doing so, Homer makes the family even more dysfunctional. He makes five jello desserts, prods Bart into giving him a kiss, and sneaks into the neighbors yard without realizing that he is being more absurd than everyone else. It's believable that Marge has accepted her fate in the dysfunctional family; there's no way she could survive if she were constantly at odds with everyone she lives with. Instead, Homer is the one that needs to learn the lesson. Interestingly, the past two episodes have ended on the same note. Homer basically sells out and gives up, but makes the best of the situation. I'll have to pay attention to this theme as we get into later seasons.

I also always associate this episode with stretching the envelope in terms of what's acceptable on television. Its the first episode where we see Homer begin to strangle Bart, and I know that the shock therapy scene raised some eyebrows.

Springfield characters (not many this episode):

Itchy and Scratchy: Ah the demented Tom and Jerry. I think Itchy and Scratchy were the reasons why I wasn't allowed to watch the show as a kid. I distinctly remember turning on the tv right as an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon was starting. Itchy created a cloning machine, cloning Scratchy, and sending the clones directly into a killing machine. My mom was not pleased. The best part about Itchy and Scratchy is how hard Bart and Lisa laugh at them. Perfectly captures kids' love of cartoons.

Eddie and Lou: They were in the episode, but didn't do anything remarkable. Should I talk about them here, or wait until they actually are given characterization? I skipped Chief Wiggum in the last review... I think I'll wait until they actually do something.

Dr Monroe: It's unclear whether Dr Monroe died in the canon of the show. He was used occasionally in the first couple seasons, but his voice was too strenuous for the voice actor so they killed him off.


Other things I liked:

Another Bart-ism with "Don't have a cow". It's funny how his most famous lines came so early in the show. I guess this was when most people were watching.

I noticed the first reference of the show (at least the first reference that I caught) - The perfect family is serving dinner just like the family of Whos from the animated grinch.

Lisa wants to go to Vassar - fantastic.


I liked this episode more than I was expecting. Maybe it was due to watching it so carefully, but it had a lot of laughs and I really enjoyed the conclusion.

6.5/10

1x03 - Homer's Odyssey

This is the first episode of the show to follow the "Homer takes another job" formula. This plotline is a crutch that the writers tend to fall on, especially in the later seasons. And while this formula isn't necessarily bad ("Homer becomes a plow driver" and "Homer becomes an astronaut" are both hugely successful episodes), when it doesn't work the episode usually is a disaster (Homer becomes a horse jockey, Homer becomes a superhero). All of that considered, this episode is fairly middle of the road. It help that Homer working at his new job is essentially contained within the second act, and all the jokes involving his insignificant safety signs are pretty funny. Its the funniest and wittiest episode so far, but it doesn't have the emotional punch of the first two.

More importantly, it doesn't really earn the dramatic moments that it tries to hit. We know that Homer is distraught about losing his job, but we don't really see the repercussions of being unemployed. The kids seem completely unphased by the whole ordeal and we are given less than ten seconds of the burden placed on Marge. All of this results in Homer's suicide note becoming over-dramatic and unrealistic (although I did laugh at Homer's line "live and learn" as he's about to jump off a bridge). However it is fitting that Homer's enthusiasm for the little things is what pulls him out of his depression. This early on, most of the characters are still finding their feet, but Homer has been fairly consistent. His undying faith in Santa's Little Helper, his sudden intense interest in genius Bart, and his devotion to a random street sign are all great descriptions of the childish, loving, and simple man that is Homer Simpson.

Marge has also been incredibly consistent in these episodes; she is constantly positive and caring for her family. In writing these reviews, I've been thinking a lot about The Simpsons on a larger scale, and I think Marge is my favorite character from the family. Even though she is sometimes wonderfully unaware and naive, she is the emotional core of the family, and her love is basically the only thing that keeps Homer sane. On top of that, almost all of her comedic lines are already hysterical ("Now people won't be caught off guard by that little mmmmmmm in the road). What a great character.

It was also nice to get a more extended introduction to the powerplant. The one thing this episode is most famous for is Black Smithers. I read up on this before writing this review, and the animators had to make Smithers black at the last minute due to an error in production. The writers were uncomfortable with having Mr. Burns' obedient lapdog being black, so this mistake was immediately corrected in all future episodes. Burns is also given a little bit more character depth. He is much shrewder in these early episodes. He seems like a no-nonsense tycoon who is hellbent on getting his way. Personally, I'm glad that they add some childishness to Burns because as of now, he is fairly boring.

Springfield Characters:

Mrs. Krabappel - Krabappel is the perfect over-worked, under-paid, burnt out teacher. She means well, but she's just tired. I love her empty threat of humiliation via singing because it is both something that you could see a teacher actually trying and something that could easily backfire if they do it to a showoff like Bart.

Otto - Otto is a stoner. That's pretty much it. If the show needs stoner humor, Otto will walk into the scene. He has some memorable lines over the course of the series, but he's pretty one dimensional. I also don't know how old he's supposed to be. In this episode he seems like a high school dropout, but later on, he sounds and acts much older. I think I like him more as an older guy. A 30 year old content failure is more fun to watch than a kid who is being irresponsible.

Sherri and Terri - These characters are somewhat creepy. I don't know if there is ever an episode that focuses on the two of them. They are probably the most infrequently seen regulars at the school and are used to be a nuisance to Bart or catty to Lisa.


Other things I liked:

The first terribly produced informational video! These are usually absolutely hilarious, especially once Troy McClure narrates them.

Blinky the three-eyed fish makes his first appearance. He is somewhat of a mascot for the show in the early seasons, and still occasionally appears in newer episodes.

Bart's first prank phone call to Moe! I absolutely love these bits and wish they still did them (although I realize it would be hard for writers to come up with fake names for 25 years). The best part of these bits is Moe's overreaction.

"Who is that man, Smithers?" Yet another running joke over the course of the show. Homer also lands his permanent job in the series as safety inspector. Considering each episode is usually an extremely self-contained story with no long term ramifications, this episode may be the most important one in terms of Springfield canon.


Some funny lines, but overall a weak, and frankly bizarre storyline for episode 3. Up next we have another episode that focuses on Homer's conflict between his work and home life

4/10

1x02 - Bart the Genius

Episode two of The Simpsons is what I consider to be the first real episode. Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire could have easily been a one off special, similar to A Charlie Brown Christmas. This is the episode where we find out if these crudely drawn characters actually have what it takes to tell a 22 minute long story. And judging by this episode, the answer is mostly yes. While the conclusion is slightly weak, the episode features some good jokes, nice family moments, and the continued assertion that the Simpsons are the most realistic American family on tv.

The majority of this episode focuses on the Simpsons being a simple but flawed family and why that's a good thing (in fact, that is pretty much the theme of the first season). Springfield Elementary School is set up as a place where the students can have fun. The establishing shot shows the kids playing marbles and jumping rope - probably two of the simplest pleasures of recess as a kid. Bart is a troublemaker at the school, but his actions are more of an inconvenience to the administration rather than being hurtful to other students. You really get the sense that Springfield Elementary is an idyllic school; the kids students are appropriately happy, the principal is appropriately strict, and the teachers are appropriately disengaged. The only student to break this happy image is Martin, the one student who doesn't belong. Martin doesn't belong because he isn't simple like the Simpsons and he is almost presented as a villain because of it. Bart shouldn't be a sympathetic character, but he is. I don't think the writers are saying that Martin's intelligence, or the intelligence of the students at Bart's new school is a bad thing. But they are saying that there is something missing from that school that the Simpsons, and most of America, have. The Simpsons are flawed; they laugh at the opera, go out for cheap frosty chocolate milkshakes, and argue over a scrabble game. But they are able to survive just as well as the students at Bart's new school, and have more fun doing so.

This episode also does a good job developing Bart's character to something more than an obnoxious rebel. You can really see how much he craves Homer's approval. At the start of the episode, Bart transfers schools because it will be easier for him. But as the episode progresses, he continues the lie because he realizes Homer is proud of him. My favorite scene in the episode is where the two are playing baseball together. Bart knows that he should come clean and end the charade, but he enjoys Homer's love too much to do so. It's an incredibly relatable moment. My only problem with the episode is the ending. Homer gets so angry at Bart, and for a good reason. But I wish he showed a little more compassion and realized the reason why Bart continued the lie. At the same time, Homer's imperfect parenting only adds to the realism and simplicity of the family, which works well with the theme of the show.

Springfield Characters:

Martin: A character you are meant to hate right from the very beginning. As the show goes on, they start to add a little bit of humor to him, but in this episode he's only annoying. It's funny that he gets so much screentime so early on because he definitely a background schoolkid as the series goes on.

Milhouse: Milhouse had one scene in the last episode, but it was so short it wasn't worth mentioning. In this episode, he gets a little more time, but his character is essentially the same. As of now, he is only acting as Bart's #2. Milhouse is a great character with a lot of depth and I can't wait for him to become more than Bart's random friend.

Dr. Pryer: The first character that would seem like an obvious regular but isn't. He might appear in one or two more episodes, but that's it. It's actually pretty remarkable that the writers have never gone back to the school counselor for any storyline.

Maggie: Maggie is already a genius (her e=mc^2 blocks are a nice touch). This is probably Maggie's biggest character trait so it's awesome to see it so early. It's also funny how a story about Bart faking his genius opens with Maggie displaying her genius.

Lisa: Lisa is already way smarter than she was in the pilot. I don't think she has a single line in the episode where she isn't being a know-it-all. She's not nearly as obnoxious as Martin though - a line that the writers had to tread very carefully


Other things I liked:

The opening credits are slightly different. As the show establishes its universe, regulars will begin to populate the streets.

Bart's math problem was a cool, trippy sequence. Very cartooney

Bart continues to create fake lyrics to songs. The writers seem to go through phases where they are obsessed with certain jokes (for example, Bart's prank calls to Moe will last for several seasons). I wonder when the fake lyrics will stop.

The teacher at Bart's new school is so obnoxiously wonderful. RDRR makes me want to storm out of the classroom every time

My favorite joke of the episode is when we see that Skinner has turned Bart's graffiti into a piece of art.


Overall, I think this episode would work really well as the pilot for the show. It focuses on the family dynamic, which is the core of the show. And more specifically, it Bart and Homer take center stage, who are probably the two main characters in the early seasons. Again, not nearly as funny as later seasons, but the writers are laying good groundwork

6/10

1x01 - Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

This is a difficult episode to begin reviewing The Simpsons because it is so far removed from the traditional format of the show. This is truly a special episode of The Simpsons shorts that aired on the Tracey Ullman show intended to springboard the established characters into a full series. Even so, this episode lays the groundwork for many of the themes seen throughout the series: edginess, an expansive universe, and a flawed but loving family.

After rewatching this episode it is hard to believe that this show was ever considered edgy. After all, this episode contains this exchange:

Homer: I love you, Marge.

Marge: You tell me that all the time.

However, throughout the first several seasons the show established a reputation of dysfunction, sarcasm and exaggeration. So much so that George Bush publicly slandered the family. And while this episode is somewhat mild, you can see some of these elements begin to emerge. Bart's laser is a good example of the cartoonish exaggeration that newer seasons use as a crutch. Homer clearly cares about his family, but solves his problems in the most roundabout way possible. And some scenes are frankly bizarre and uncomfortable, like Lisa's introduction to the series as a scantily clad tribal dancer (what the hell). None of these elements cross the line, but it is easy to see how it would raise a few eyebrows here and there.

Personally, I was not allowed to watch The Simpsons as a child because of this reputation. I probably started watching the show around 7th grade after marathoning a few episodes at a friend's house and going straight to the store to buy the season 3 DVDs. I distinctly remember showing my parents When Flanders Failed to convince them the show had some heart and was more than just dirty jokes. Looking back on it, this episode could have done the trick too.

One of the things that The Simpsons does so well is establish an absolutely massive universe. It's reached the point that no matter what a scene calls for, there is almost certainly an established character that can fit the role required. So as I begin reviewing these episodes I am going to pay special attention to the introduction of all the wonderful characters of Springfield to see how they've changed over the year.

Principal Skinner: One of my favorite characters. He is given a very brief introduction where he awkwardly announces each performance in the school play. Not a whole lot to go off of.

Patty and Selma: Pretty much nailed their characters from the beginning. They hate Homer, they're boring, and the kids hate spending time with them. To be honest, the don't get much character development until they begin to explore Patty's romantic life (other than the wonderful episode Selma's Choice). They're not my favorite characters, they have somewhat repetitive jokes, but they do occasionally give Marge a chance to defend Homer which is always nice.

Flanders: In this episode he is pretty much introduced as the anti-Homer. He's a wonderful father, is planning the perfect Christmas, and his children love him. I think as the show progresses you begin to see that Flanders is incredibly flawed and frankly pretty sad. It's a necessary addition to his character, because as of now, he's just the obnoxious neighbor.

Smithers and Burns: Smithers gets one line in the episode. He uses it to prove how useless he is at the power plant. I love it. I wish his character didn't go down the "I'm obsessed with Mr. Burns" path. Burns has a brief scene where he plays the most evil boss in the world. I like this introduction for him. He's one of the more cartooney characters on the show, so this exaggerated entrance serves him well

Moe and Barney: Surprisingly, Barney gets the most screentime of any secondary character this episode. I like Barney and like it when his horrible life choices work out for him. Moe is my favorite secondary character of the entire show. His scene showed us nothing of his true character other than that he can be compassionate towards his regulars. Can't wait for more Moe.

Finally we have the main family. Marge doesn't get much screentime, and when she does she is playing the role model. Constantly loving, caring, and supportive, but can still be pretty funny with morbid humor (i.e. Snowball II). In this episode Bart is an over-exaggeration of his bad-boy self. I would expect this to continue for the rest of the season. The Bart centric episodes where he shows character development are some of the best of the series, but those are a few seasons away. Lisa is really interesting in this episode. She has moments of weirdness (the opening dance), immaturity (Pony Pony Pony), and intelligence (her speech to Selma). I think as the series goes on, her immaturity goes away in favor of her brains. I think this is good because she helps ground the show in some realism, but at the same time, she's still in the 2nd grade. She becomes so smart and Homer becomes so dumb that Homer loses almost all opportunities to be a good father to her. That being said, when the two characters have an episode together, it's some of the best Simpsons out there. Lastly, we have Homer. I love early-season Homer so much. He cares so much but has so much to learn. My favorite scene in the episode is where he convinces Bart to let him bet on Santa's Little Helper. He gets so wrapped up in love and family and Christmas that he wants to make a horrible decision, but he's so genuine about it that it's impossible to say no. It's what makes Homer's bad parenting acceptable, and it explains why Marge would fall for him in the first place.

Overall, not a hilarious episode, but a nice introduction to the characters. And the added bonus of the Christmas charm helps it out a lot - I watch it every December. 6.5/10