THIS IS INDEED A DISTURBING UNIVERSE: The Simpsons Season 6 Poll

Even though this season gets kinda hit and miss, this is still tough. "Sideshow Bob Roberts" strikes me as the most consistently funny of these, but there are great individual bits scattered throughout the season. Plus, you know, "A Star is Burns" has football in the groin.

Also, the ending of "And Maggie Makes Three" never fails to bring a tear to my eye.

(That said, my favorite throwaway gag from this season occurs in "Homer vs. Patty and Selma." See if you can guess what it is - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!)

"I never want to see you again! You either."

Close!

"You have to understand, Homer is a complicated man."
"Wrong!" *leans out window, breaks plate over head*

YES!

Fucking love that.

This never fails to bring tears of laughter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YZDbeu2li8

"Lisa on Ice" is, for me, the undeniable tearjerker. Plus it has Homer snapping Uter in the ass with a towel.

xp YES, "don't you eat this pie" is something I say at least once a week!

Still, "A Star is Burns" has a man getting hit in the groin.

Probably my favorite misdirect:

http://media0.giphy.com/media/REQUMI3igf7AA/200_s.gif

Whenever I park anywhere, anytime, I say, "Remember: we're in the Itchy lot."

http://www.11points.com/images/embarrass-itchy.jpg

And this comes up at least twice a week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ja17JNE4ZU

Whenever I park anywhere, anytime, I say, "Remember: we're in the Itchy lot."

Me, too. Every single time.

Shortlist, but I need to rewatch a bunch of the others:

Lisa on Ice
Fear of Flying
Homie the Clown
Lemon of Troy

Watched "Bart of Darkness" last night, was still into the biggest jokes as always but it felt a lot rockier than Season 5 suddenly. The Jimmy Stewart bit, for example, just seemed unnecessary or gratuitous, the kind of thing you'd expect them to have the confidence to not go for. Still: "Milpool," "Klassic Krusty,"

"Grandpa Vs. Sexual Inadequacy" was just kind of awkward despite some really good bits.

But man oh man, "Homie the Clown." Would be in my top list of Simpsons episodes even if just for the animation of Marge's mouth when Homer's hearing her go "Doot-doot-doodle-oodle-doodle" etc. And just lots of stupid little gags along the way that tickle the hell out of me. Possibly Krusty's best episode? "A thief, am I? WELL EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE! ME!" Also:

* "Ehhh, without-a the loop, it is nothing."
* "Stop! Stop! He's already de-e-ead!"
* "I must be seein' double - four Krustys!"
* "You mean like that bozo, Bonko the clown?"
* "...a pretty big wheel down at the cracker factory!"
* Krusty betting against the Harlem Globetrotters: JUST TAKE THE BALL!
* Flanders protected by the Bible/true cross, then looking around with concern before retreating inside

God, I know someone else brought this up, but it is sooooo bizarre to read the old Usenet commentary on these through snpp.com. Just a cavalcade of Comic Book Guy.

OTM re: Krusty's best ep.

Also, this season has two of my favorite gags, both having to do with windows:

From "Bart's Girlfriend," Homer's "Stop him! He's headed for the window!"

and of course
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egebWiYgq8M
(but since Marge is a scab, I can't in good conscience vote for this)

I almost forgot about this gag:

[Removed Illegal Image]

http://img.pandawhale.com/39710-homer-bart-simpson-kangaroo-me-JU4w.jpeg

Homer the Great, Bart v. Australia, Lemon of Troy

Gonna flip a coin between Homer the Great and Bart v. Australia

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111123223305/simpsons/images/c/c9/Logo.png

Oh I forgot about a star is burns

Everybody please leave your lefty politics at the door, goddammit

This is the fucking Simpsons we're talking about!!!!!!!!!!

some less-than-stellar episodes this time around -- not really fond of the grampa one, the greyhounds one, the marge-becomes-a-cop one. agree with doc casino on 'bart of darkness,' which is funny but does seem like a harbinger of the bad trends of the future -- too-obvious parodies, fake suspense, stupid ending. i'm not that big a fan of 'lisa's wedding' either -- much prefer the future where bart is chief justice of the supreme court.

otoh who cares because the rest of these episodes are completely fucking awesome and this was still the best show ever.

'and maggie makes three' really hit me hard on a recent rewatch -- homer being forced to give up his dream job and trudge back to the factory is maybe the saddest moment in the show's history. the justly famous tearjerker ending works so well because it comes immediately after 'don't forget, you're here forever.'

also love 'lemon of troy,' which is such a great, weird idea for an episode.

not really fond of the grampa one, the greyhounds one

He's a witch! Burn him!

http://i.imgur.com/rZdNJ.jpg

"let's sacrifice him to our goooood!"

(That said, my favorite throwaway gag from this season occurs in "Homer vs. Patty and Selma." See if you can guess what it is - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!)

Is it tethered swimming?

I don't think I will *ever* get the stanning for "Homie the Clown" -- it's prime Simpsons, but some kind of transcendent-level godhead? Meh.

Almost certainly going to go for "And Maggie...", but wow, "Who Shot Mr. Burns" was in season SIX? It seems so much more recent than that!

And by more recent I mean season TEN or something.

Wait, nevermind, it was revealed upthread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us3glFag2C4

xp

Well only one of us is Matt Groening's cousin.

Whenever I park anywhere, anytime, I say, "Remember: we're in the Itchy lot."

Me, too. Every single time.

― Ian from Etobicoke (Phil D.), Monday, November 18, 2013 2:50 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

yeah, I really think I'm starting to annoy people. Not gonna stop though

With a cool, dry wit like that, you could be an action hero!

"Clowns are funny."

'when i started this whole clown thing, i thought it would be nothing but glory! you know? the glory of being a clown?"

"Look, you're going to be having dinner with Groucho tonight if you don't beat it."

It's weird to me to see a lot of these episodes being in season six; some of them feel earlier ("Lisa's Rival), while others seem much, much later ("Who Shot Mr. Burns?").

A lot of good episodes, but imo it's the start of a long, slow decline in quality. A few episodes that I outright love and lots and lots of great moments scattered through each episode. I'm gonna give this one to "Itchy and Scratchy Land".

"We need more Bort licence plates!"

"In gratitude for stopping the killer robots, here are two free passes."

"But there are five of us?"

"Here are TWO free passes!"

"That's better!"

On the other hand, I forgot that "Homer the Great" was this season...

"We need more Bort licence plates!"

At the Universal Simpsons park:
http://splitsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/aAEVgyi1.jpg

Repping for THOH V, the guys at Dead Homer Society take a look at how great the animation in that ep was: http://deadhomersociety.com/2013/10/24/animation-alley-treehouse-of-horror-v/

Including calling out the amazing animation poses accompanying Dan Castellanetta's bravura "Go crazy? Don't mind if I DO!"

http://deadhomersociety.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/tohv-04.jpg

agree about bart of darkness but marge's song attempt at the end morals and ethics and carnal forbearance... is amazing

the Treehouse of Horror ending really freaked me out as a kid.

How has no one mentioned "Bart's Comet" yet?

Different eps; "Bart of Darkness" is the Rear Window pastiche, while "Bart After Dark" is where Bart works in a burlesque house, which I was only at to get directions on how to get away from it.

(xp)

"Bart After Dark" has long been my claim for the point of no return for the show.

need to rewatch this season but I remember thinking season 7 was actually a little better.

Worth mentioning: Even though we already knew about Jebediah Springfield, it's a stroke of writerly genius that the founder of Shelbyville is not a Roger Shelby or somesuch, but "Shelbyville Manhattan."

My second favorite screengrab from this season after the dancing clowns in the first post:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m10m3k9I721r32wpdo1_1280.png

Lisa: This is so cool, Bart. We're just like Woodward and Bernstein.

Bart: Yeah, except their dad wasn't waiting in the car reading Archie comics.

"Milpool"

Itchy and Scratchy land was great for theme-park weary Floridians such as myself (and I was still a kid at the time). especially the "glad that wasn't us" car crash fakeout.

the video edit in Homer's interview in "Homer Badman" was hilarious too.

Homer: Oh, that man is _sick_!
Marge: Groundskeeper Willy saved you, Homer.
Homer: But listen to the music! He's evil!
Marge: Hasn't this experience taught you... you can't believe everything you hear?
Homer: Marge, my friend, I haven't learned a thing.

governor in a kiddie pool with a Fosters.jpg

Actually it was the PM, plus don't forget he was nude

ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM! I'M ALLLLLL OUTTA ICE CREAM!!!!

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Haha on my recent rewatch the ice cream man joke was definitely the highlight of the ep, had totally forgotten that.

always though Willie was a fairly rubbish character tbh

GTFO

but i agree with you about Bart vs. Australia!

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Thats fuckin right

"Eat all our shirts!"

Must be why we beat them at football nearly half the time.

Homie the Clown 0

WHAT THE. i guess i forgot to vote again :'(.

this is one of the all time great simpsons facial expressions:

OTM.

Omg, wow. My vote for Lisa on Ice was partly on the assumption that Homie the Clown would take it in a landslide.

I voted for "Lisa On Ice" on the assumption more people would be voting for "A Star is Burns."

Paid off.

i was sure Homie The Cown was an absolute ILX all-time fave.

http://www.snpp.com/episodes/2F31.html the reviews for 'A Star is Burns' are a lark. "While I can't call this one the *worst* ever, because lots of the individual jokes were funny and because nothing can sink to the depths of "Bart Gets an Elephant" or "Bart Gets Famous" ..."

LOL @ everyone forgetting to vote each round (i voted TOH and I remembered!)

struggling to find a jpg of bart's failed campaign for class president a few seasons ago

I knew this reminded me of something! Well, that and this:

http://theinfosphere.org/images/2/29/Robo_Nixon.png

AH crap well you know.

Homer vs. Patty and Selma 0

Boo!

when are people going to learn! democracy doesn't work!

"Shake harder, boy!"

"Lemon" feels kind of unique with its touches of self-reflexive kidhood nostalgia

I don't have much of "Lemon of Troy" committed to long-term memory, but this. is. eternal.

http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l9i4abLVeD1qc073co1_400.gif

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121215223329/simpsons/images/1/11/Tumblr_mcu2n9is8I1qzycpbo1_500.png

Really don't get the overwhelming love for this winning episode.

Like the episode myself, but yeah, these are some baffling results.

Also, my fave gags in this episode all involve Homer in Flanders' RV:

"Something's draining the battery!" [cut to Homer cooking a Turkey]

"I'll be in the shower."

They had banished the awful lemon tree forever. Because it was haunted.

Also, my fave gags in this episode all involve Homer in Flanders' RV:

"Something's draining the battery!" [cut to Homer cooking a Turkey]

"I'll be in the shower."

plus: "Aah! Oh, great, now I'm upside down."

Bart: [on walkie talkie] Milhouse! What's seven in roman numerals?
Milhouse: I'll tell you, Bart, but you really should end each
transmission with the word "over". Over!
Milhouse2: [snatching Milhouse's walkie talkie] Correction: the only
thing that's over is this transmission.
Milhouse: Is this the untimely end of Milhouse?
Milhouse2: [pause] But Milhouse is my name!
Milhouse: But I thought I was the only one!
Milhouse2: [shakes head] A pain I know all too well.
Milhouse: So this is what it feels like...when doves cry.

The best thing about the show lasting as long and falling off as far as it has is that rewatching these early seasons that I once recorded and watched VHS feels like discovering a time capsule of awesome. Might as well be beamed in from another planet.

One thing that's funny to me is how many of the Season 6 episodes feel like a decline, which I'm sure I didn't fully feel at the time ("Bart vs. Australia" excepted). It's probably partly that I know where things are headed, but also the boiling-the-frog thing where watching so many of these in a month gives a much clearer indication of the changes (e.g. Homer as lunatic jerk/dummy) which just weren't so obvious when these were new, even though the early episodes were basically airing side by side. I dunno.

Hey everybody an old man's talking!

I'm sure Lemon of Troy grew in my estimation because it was one of the ones that was originally hardly ever run in syndication (I doubt this has changed) - when I was taping all these episodes onto VHS it took *forever* to finally catch that one, it was like the holy grail. and it doesn't disappoint, almost every line is a solid joke, not a second is wasted. The classical references, the childlike logic underpinning everything, all the verbal sparring between the kids and their evil twins, it's just perfect. in conclusion if you don't like this episode you are a weak little baby, you stupid weak baby.

^^^ Love this episode so much. So many wonderful, off the wall bits of dialogue.

"Bart's quit his tutoring job and joined a violence gang!"

"They're always eatin' candy. They love the sweet taste."

"Get out here, son. There's a doin's a-transpiring!"

And my alltime favorite: "Faster, son! He's got a taste for meat now!"

Grampa's the name.

one of homer's finest moments:

"now marge, you can't blame all of bart's problems on your one little speech! if anything messed the boy up, it's that time you let him wear a bathing suit instead of underwear! AND, let's not forget your little speech!"

Definitely one of the all-time best. No one's even mentioned the Nelson-Martin scene.

"Spring forth, burly protector, and save me!"

running gag re: attractive cousins

i use "there's a-doin's a-transpirin'!" way too often in real life

fwiw I say "spring forth, burly protector, and save me!" way too often irl

Really love the failure of cartoon logic in this show, how Bart thinks he can use spray paint as makeshift rockets and Milhouse thinks a camouflage suit will turn him into the Cheshire Cat.

also how graffiti makes one immortal, how Bart assumes he's famous in other towns etc. so much of that in this episode

I really dislike that tiger bit more than is necessary, but there's plenty more good stuff to make up for it.

this season definitely feels like a harbinger of the show's decline but it does have a lot of the funniest scenes in the series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArNxvgiMKeE