This has been something of a long time coming as I think I posted my last Simpsons piece several months ago...but as the saying goes "Better late than never"...or "than pregnant" if you are Blanche Devereaux.
So, just to catch everyone up: my intention was to create something of another series of posts surrounding The Simpsons but specifically for the first 10 seasons as many consider these to be the "Golden Age". For me, the golden age sort of varies depending on my mood but I do feel that seasons 2-8 in particular would rank as my favorite seasons.
When discussing seasons 1 and 2, I talked about how the show had to find a way to work through its growing pains and to find a formula that worked...not to mention, improving the quality of the animation.
After a somewhat erratic though rather fascinating first season, I did think season 2 was a perfect example of how a show was able to take what didn't work and build upon to make a stronger sophomore outing. The success of that season 2 was able to help cement a foundation that was sturdy enough for the writers to build upon.
Season 3 helped maintain the momentum with some of the writing staff, such as eventual seasons 7-8 co-showrunner Bill Oakley, referring to it as "the best season of any TV show of all time".
I will be candid and say that I don't agree...and that's okay. It is a great season, but I am partial to a couple of seasons that will come up later.
Season 3 was also the first season to no longer be overseen by the series' creators: Matt Groening, Sam Simon, and James L. Brooks. While each of them would remain in some capacity as consultants for at least a couple of additional seasons, they handed over the reigns to the writing team of Al Jean & Mike Reiss.
Honestly, I would say that they are successful at maintaining a consistent tone so that it doesn't feel like brand new writers just came in and upended the show (more on that with Season 5), but I would say they helped sort of build on something that the show needed more of.
More push on the cynical satire and just a smidge less on the schmaltz.
I do think the remarkable thing about these early seasons of The Simpsons are the surprising level of schmaltzy moments. You always hear about to controversies over Bart and the satirical nature of the show but I still think the show went a little too hard on the schmaltz at times. However, to their credit, I would say that the schmaltz worked better on this show than most of the saccharine sitcoms that were dominating the airwaves at the time.
Season 3 does admittedly improve on this and I feel like a lot of the episodes manage to keep a grounded feel while also adding a little more cynicism to the tone...which would only really increase with a lot of the passing seasons.
The writers also clearly saw how successful the pairing of Lisa and Homer could be after the season 2 masterpiece that was Lisa's Substitute so they wisely develop a few episodes to focus on that relationship dynamic again.
This season would also help further develop some of the supporting characters who represent either members of the Simpson family or citizens of Springfield.
While Season 2 mostly had a side character like Mr. Burns dominating, I would say season 3 also allows for more character development for such characters as Patty & Selma, Krusty the Clown, Moe, and Ned Flanders.
While I might not have an overwhelming love for some of these episodes like I do for other seasons, I can't ignore the importance of season 3. Honestly, I think Jean & Reiss did a more than admirable job and...to spoil everything right away...they were also showrunners for season 4 which is one of my absolute favorites so more on that in the next post!
And now, here are my top 10 favorite SIMPSONS: Season 3 Episodes!
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#10 - Lisa The Greek
Written by Jay Kogen & Wallace Wolodarsky
As stated above, writers noticed that there was a lot to grab from when doing stories that paired Homer with Lisa...and perhaps the best example of that dynamic (shortly beating out "Lisa's Pony") is "Lisa The Greek.
With their relationship being as divided as ever, Marge suggests that maybe Lisa should do something with Homer that might make him happy. Unfortunately for her, that means sitting with him while he watches a football game.
After being cheated by a betting hotline, Homer has Lisa pick a team that she thinks will win and with that, he calls Moe and puts a bet for $50 on the Miami Dolphins...they end up winning. It seems as if little Lisa has a gift with predicting the winning team week after week.
Of course, Marge isn't thrilled with this development and soon ends up becoming a case of "Is it for the money or because you love spending time with your daughter?".
While it certainly doesn't pack the punch of Season 2's "Lisa's Substitute" (which I consider one of the 5 best episodes of the entire series run), I certainly always enjoy when these two get paired for an episode...and soon enough, the writers would realize the magic that would also form with the Marge/Bart pairing.
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#9 - Colonel Homer
Written by Matt Groening
Part of me rolls my eyes including this episode on my list, but I just really enjoy the episode.
I am trying to think of it based on its placement in the series' run more than anything but if there was ever a topic that the show basically bled dry it is that Homer and Marge's marriage being put to the test.
Hell, even at this point, they already tackled the topic in season 1.
With "Colonel Homer", which is actually the only episode to be credited to creator Matt Groening as a solo effort, we see Homer drive off into the night after a fight with Marge when he embarrasses her while they have a date at the movie theatre.
Homer stops off at a honky-tonk bar and encounters a singing waitress named Lurleen (voiced by Beverly D'Angelo) that he finds to be truly enchanting...although that is due to the fact that her song has lyrics that essentially tie into his current emotional state: "You're wife don't understand you, but I do".
Homer decides to become Lurleen's manager and make her a star, much to Marge's chagrin. Lurleen also sees something in Homer that is, perhaps, a little questionable to us but let's just say Homer could have her anytime he wanted.
I can see why some might get annoyed watching this episode in retrospect because it just feels like this was a well that the writers sucked dry to the point where there was no water to even suck up.
Still though, this was earlier on and it still remains one of the better examples of this repetitive trope.
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#8 - Like Father, Like Clown
Written by Jay Kogen & Wallace Wolodarsky
Along with Mr. Burns, I feel like Krusty the Klown was the first recurring character to sort of get the spotlight and also receive character development far greater than any other recurring character pre-season 3.
Krusty is certainly a bit of a hack and a legend all at once...not to mention he is Bart's personal hero. His raspy voice and cynical nature act as a great contrast for someone who is supposed to be a children's entertainer...and he has a penchant for being a complete and utter sell-out as he will hock any type of merchandise in his name for a few bucks.
So, what makes Krusty tick? Or rather, how did Herschel Krustofsky become Krusty?
Krusty's father Hyman (voiced by the late Jackie Mason) was a rabbi who brought young Herschel up in the Lower East Side of Springfield (an obvious nod to the strong Eastern European influences of Manhattan's Lower East Side). As one might suspect, Rabbi Hyman wanted young Herschel to become a Rabbi much like himself...but soon after, Herschel decides he wants to be a clown and takes on the name of Krusty...and Hyman disowns him.
As usual, both Lisa and Bart take charge and try to make Hyman forgive Krusty...and thus starts another hilarious cycle: Bart & Lisa save the day for Krusty and then he promptly forgets them in time for his next crisis.
Certain characters being involved in plots would greatly pique my interest and for me, one of those was certainly Krusty. He was always such a vivid creation voiced to perfection by Dan Castellaneta.
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#7 - Flaming Moe's
Written by Robert Cohen
As the first defining character voiced by Hank Azaria, Moe Syzlak is quite the lovable and irascible oaf. As the proprietor of his own bar, Moe helps cure the ills of Homer, Barney, Carl, and Lenny night after night to the point where Homer is probably spending just as much time there during the week as his job as time goes on.
He never seems to be able to catch a break in his life in pretty much any fashion...although one such moment where he almost comes close to finding success (at Homer's disdain) is in "Flaming Moe's".
This was the first episode to truly showcase Moe and I think it does a fantastic job in establishing just what makes someone like him tick.
While at Moe's one night, Homer mixes random drops from near empty bottles of liquor into a Krusty the Klown brand non-narcotic cough syrup. When Selma accidentally ashes a cigarette into it, it is set ablaze only for Homer to discover that it actually tastes great after the flames help balance the alcohol content.
When Moe makes the same drink for another customer, he then takes credit for the drink when the customer expresses how great it is. He gives the drink a new name: Flaming Moe...and also renames the bar after the drink. Soon after, business is booming and Homer is plotting revenge.
What really works with this episode (and often many episodes of The Simpsons) is that the writers find a way to make us enjoy watching Moe despite his despicable nature. As the show progresses, they only manage to find ways to make him be oddly lovable without losing his rather irritable edge.
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#6 - Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
Written by George Meyer
I think Lisa Simpson might be the show's unsung hero. Even as a kid, I loved her as a character and how she was often the voice of reason in the house and she would often have a very dry sense of humor.
It also can't be ignored that her penchant for feeling like she doesn't fit in with her family or many around her due to her interests in art, politics, or wanting to find more in life, I related a lot to Lisa...and even on repeat viewings, I think she remains just as strong as ever in my mind.
When the series began, Lisa Simpson was less defined as a character and even in the first season, she often seemed nearly as bratty as Bart...until the episode "Moaning Lisa" gave her more to work with.
Season 2 continued the path of making Lisa into a more sensitive and intelligent soul, which reached new heights with "Lisa's Substitute" and then led us to Season 3's "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington".
When Homer sees an ad in the "Reading Digest" magazine about a children's essay contest, Lisa decides to respond and write about the topic "What Makes America Great?".
Her final essay, "The Roots of Democracy" is selected to be read aloud at the National Finals in Washington D.C. and while there, Lisa discovers that perhaps her image of America and our politics is not as admirable as she might've thought.
"Mr. Lisa Goes To Washington" is one of the earliest examples of a piece of entertainment that sort of let me realize that perhaps there truly were issues with our country...and now...I would say that the idea of country having issues is a complete understatement.
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#5 - Black Widower
Written by Thomas Chastain, Sam Simon, & Jon Vitti
The big return of Kelsey Grammer's Sideshow Bob after he framed Krusty for a robbery back in season 1...and thus begins one of the more hilarious recurring characters from the show's history.
Sideshow Bob is released from prison after becoming a model prisoner for falling in love with Bart's Aunt Selma via letters. Bob comes to dinner explaining that he had been building up a huge revenge plot in hopes to kill Bart upon his release but his love for Selma has tamed him.
Bringing Sideshow Bob back was a stroke of genius, but I also love how the show really delves into the idea of doing a mystery episode...and tying in Selma's (and Patty's) immense love for MacGyver and how much Bob hates the series.
I also think "Black Widower" might be one of the series' best episodes in terms of what it achieves for its animation. The colors are vivid and the manage to capture the feeling of film noir/neo noir very well...and frankly, I think a lot of these early episodes take a lot of creative chances with how the draw certain moments of episodes.
It gave The Simpsons a little bit of a cinematic feel that other TV shows of that era weren't trying to achieve...at least not in terms of sitcoms.
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#4 - Homer at the Bat
Written by John Swartzwelder
Many people dub "Homer at the Bat" as a true classic. Even writers who work on the show, such as original showrunner Sam Simon and this season and now current showrunner Al Jean, consider this the greatest episode in the series' history.
Some of the cast, such as Julie Kavner and Harry Shearer, disliked the episode due to its big push of major guest stars and a more surreal and rather unrealistic story.
Honestly, I think this episode manages to achieve a good mix of the guest stars, the family, and the regular supporting characters without seeming like the show is only relying on the power of several Major League Baseball players.
It also doesn't hurt that this episode was written by John Swartzwelder, the series' longest serving and one of its best writers; he wrote more episodes than any other Simpsons writer starting in the first season up to his departure around season 15.
While I am not often drawn to sports-themed episodes, I would say the main draw for this episode is Mr. Burns and his feud with the Shelbyville Nuclear Plant owner Aristotle Amadopolis because anything involving the deliciously evil Mr. Burns is comic gold.
Burns hires 9 famous baseball players (after his first 9 choices were all dead) with the intention of using them to easily win a baseball game against Amadopolis' plant team. However, 8 of the 9 end up having a series of misfortune befall on them leaving only Daryl Strawberry available and the rest of the real Springfield team remaining.
As far as sports episodes go, I definitely rank it among the best.
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#3 - When Flanders Failed
Written by Jon Vitti
One of the greatest neighbor characters in all of television is Ned Flanders. As a man who portrayed as being overly happy, successful, and with a good family, his perky attitude is a source of disgust for Homer but is usually comic gold for us.
While hosting a BBQ in his backyard, Ned announces to everyone that he will be opening a new store at the Springfield Mall that will focus on the niche market of left-handed people called The Leftorium.
Homer thinks this is a ridiculous idea and when he is given an opportunity to make a wish while pulling on a wish bone with Ned, he thinks to himself that he wants Ned's business to fail...which he thinks would be hilarious...only after thinking his wish for Ned to die is "too far".
Lisa is there to act as the moral center of the story but telling Homer that is never good to indulge in schaudenfreude...which is exactly what he does as Ned's business barely brings in any money. Then when situations arise where Homer could help out, like not telling a group of left handed people who are struggling to find the appropriate supplies about Ned's store, he chooses not to.
He barely even makes a peep when Ned is losing his home due to business going bankrupt.
In many ways, you could easily argue that Homer comes off as unforgivable here...but considering this is well before the "Jerk Ass Homer" years, his diabolical nature here comes off as surprisingly silly and you know he will learn his lesson at the end.
Even if the two men make something of a truce at the end, we all know that Homer will be back to hating Ned Flanders the moment he appears again.
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#2 - Homer Alone
Written by David M. Stern
When co-creator/Executive Producer James L. Brooks was more heavily involved with the storylines for the show, he was the primary person who pushed for "heart" and also for episodes that could have Marge or Lisa as the main protagonist.
Marge is a character who can certainly be seen as a nag and a killjoy, but she was also a character who could be sneakily funny and one who we can tell puts up with far too much nonsense.
While the episode does eventually veer into a more Homer-centric storyline, "Homer Alone" does begin with Marge finally snapping and having a nervous breakdown while driving home from picking up Homer's dry cleaning.
Stopping traffic by taking up both lanes on the Springfield Bridge, Marge causes a bit of a commotion including getting the local news Traffic Copter involved. After refusing for quite a while, she is arrested by Chief Wiggum but soon released by Mayor Quimby when the women of Springfield protest for her release as they are sympathetic to her plight.
Marge ends up taking a trip to a relaxing spa to unwind while Homer is left to tend to Maggie by himself and Bart and Lisa go stay with Patty & Selma (which is always a smart decision on the writers' behalf).
As expected, the episode ends with Marge returning and the family realizing how much they need her...and you also realize how much Marge, as a character, is so crucial to the dynamic of the series.
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#1 - Radio Bart
Written by Jon Vitti
I had toyed with a couple of episodes to put as my #1 but I settled on "Radio Bart" because it is one of the earliest episodes to truly showcase a combo of both the family and the wacky citizens of Springfield.
Also, The Simpsons writers were often masters at being able to tie in various plot points together in ways used least expect them...and I would argue one of the best call-backs/plot twists of sorts occurs in this episode.
The episode begins with Bart's birthday which is a disaster in terms of the present quality. His aunts, Patty & Selma, gift him with a label maker while Homer gives him a radio transmitter which Bart dislikes at first much to Homer's chagrin.
Soon after, mostly out of boredom, Bart starts plastering everything with labels reading "Property of Bart Simpson". Eventually, Homer convinces him that the radio is cool which in turn leads Bart to want to use it for pranks.
One such prank is lowering the radio down a wall and pretending that a young boy named Timmy fell down inside and can't get out.
Then, in a stroke of genius writing, Bart realizes that whenever "Timmy" is rescued, they will find the radio which will clearly say "Property of Bart Simpson".
I still think it is one of the best callbacks I have seen on any TV series...oh and I also must point out the hilarious "We Are The World/Do They Know It's Christmastime?" knock off sung by the celebrities of Springfield to raise money for Timmy entitled "We're Sending Our Love Down a Well".
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NEXT UP:
The Simpsons' Season 4 was an even better outing for showrunners Al Jean & Mike Reiss...and not to spoil it right off the bat but there are at least 3 episodes from Season 4 that rank among my top 10 favorite episodes of the entire series...so yes, that is going to be a bloodbath of a ranking for a season I will be very excited to talk about!
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REVISIT THE OTHER SEASONS!
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