The family that doesn't know the meaning of the word "cancelled" - The Simpsons!

[Reply #720 on:]

Question: is there an episode of The Simpsons that is generally disliked by everyone? Such as "A Leela of Her Own" for Futurama. I know a lot of people dislike the episode "The Principal and the Pauper", but is there a specific episode that is universally disliked by most of the fans?

"Lisa Goes Gaga" is one that pretty much every fan dislikes. It's really awful.

"The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" is also not well received amongst fans, although I'd argue that it's nowhere near the quality of "Lisa Goes Gaga".

[Reply #721 on:]

"The Principal and the Pauper" definitely used to be that "go to" episode, but it's easily in the better third of episodes produced thanks to the last 12 seasons or so.

I agree that the general consensus seems to be that "Lisa Goes Gaga" and "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" are the worst, though I don't really understand the hatred people have for the latter, either. It's bad, but I don't think it's particularly worse than most of the episodes that they've made over the last decade. "Lisa Goes Gaga" is the lowest rated episode on IMDb, with 4.9/10 - significantly lower than the second lowest episode, which has 5.3/10.

The clip show episodes are also often considered among the worst, but I'd contest that given that all of the clip shows are made up of clips from when the show was still fantastic. I'd much rather watch a contrived selection of flashbacks made up from previous, good episodes than almost any episode of the last decade.

Back when it aired, a lot of people singled out "That '90s Show" as the worst, but that was silly. They only took such an issue with it because it retconned a load of dates in order to do a flashback episode without Homer and Marge being in their 50s, given how long the show has been on the air. Whilst I don't think it's a good episode by any stretch of the imagination, I think it's probably one of the best episodes of its era.

Personally, I'd say that "E Pluribus Wiggum" is the worst episode ever, but that's just me.

Also, I'd say that "The Futurama Holiday Craptacular" is the universally accepted "worst episode ever" for Futurama, according to fan-consensus. Maybe it was "A Leela of Her Own" before the show was revived.

[Reply #722 on:]

"A Leela of Her Own" may be the least liked episode of Futurama's original run, but I don't think I know many people who actively dislike it. I don't anyway, I just find it a little boring which, from a show like Futurama, may be translated to "bad" by some fans.

[Reply #723 on:]

Yeah, a lot of the new episodes are much, much worse than "A Leela of her Own."

I liked "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed."  It's got Ned Flanders, Borat as a tour guide, and Bart getting beaten up by girl.  Seriously, what's not to like?

I wonder how many hours a day fxx will air the show once the marathon is over

They should just turn it into a 24 hour Simpsons channel.  I'm kind of surprised that there isn't one already.

[Reply #724 on:]

Cryonic Woman and Lobstertainment are both worse than A Leela of her Own, and that's just the FOX run.

Kill the Alligator and Run used to be a really hated episode. People may have warmed to it in the last few years, though.

[Reply #725 on:]

No, it's still hated, but a lot of people are less violent towards scully due to the last few seasons shitiness. Also, "Moe goes from riches to rags" may be the current most hated

[Reply #726 on:]

Jean's worst Simpsons episodes are far, far worse than Futurama's worst. Scully's worst episodes are probably about the same quality as "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular"s. I'd pick Futurama's worst no contest.

[Reply #727 on:]

Show spoiler

Just watching the "Days of Future Future" episode and there are a few continuity errors, such as how Grandpa ages but then reverts back to how he normally looks, and how Krusty is alive yet he's presumably going to be the one killed in the new season (we could be wrong about that, though).

*edit*

Ah, so it was all a dream? Or false memories? I see. Why are people mad at this episode then if a large chunk of it never happened?

I didn't know people were mad at this episode because of continuity issues, I just dislike it because it's incredibly unfunny and filled with loads of half-assed future jokes that seemed like cast-offs from Futurama (literally taking the twist from "Obsoletely Fabulous" but in a much less meaningful and creative way). It's just a poor excuse for an episode that, whilst wasn't necessary, didn't use any potential it may have had.


Also it's pretty much confirmed that it's in fact Krusty's father, the Rabbi, who will die in the season premier.

Sorry to change the subject, but then again the topics go in cycles.

I'm currently catching up on season 25 (sigh) and got to "Days of Future Future". The way it starts with Homer's clones and all is just.. disturbing
I'd say about a third of the jokes hit, but the plots were not interesting at all. (Zombiesssszz.....  )
However, it felt very well written, and I hope it's a good sign that "Simpsorama" will be so too.

..and yes, I also thought of Futurama because many ideas felt like something rejected for the early seasons.

[Reply #728 on:]

Season 27 confirmed.

@EverySimpsons Lena Dunham with Dan Castellaneta recording season 27 premiere! pic.twitter.com/rq1YpmtZZW

— Al Jean (@AlJean) August 22, 2014

So unless Season 26 isn't gonna be a standard 22 episode run, Fox already ordered more episodes after that 15 episode contract for Season 26 (though Season 27 could possibly be a shorter run).

[Reply #729 on:]

"The Principal and the Pauper" definitely used to be that "go to" episode, but it's easily in the better third of episodes produced thanks to the last 12 seasons or so.

I never understood the dislike for the episode, given that it's a satire on the way tv shows will retcon characters' backstories for a contrived story idea, as opposed to the show legitimately doing it. Though I'd say that they never should have referred back to it ever again - the whole joke ONLY works if it's just one, big, stupid stand-alone episode.

I agree that the general consensus seems to be that "Lisa Goes Gaga" and "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" are the worst, though I don't really understand the hatred people have for the latter, either. It's bad, but I don't think it's particularly worse than most of the episodes that they've made over the last decade.

Yeah, I never quite understood it, either. As painful as the celebrity ass-kissing was, the episode actually had a few solid gags and made me laugh more than most average episodes these days.

Personally, I'd say that "E Pluribus Wiggum" is the worst episode ever, but that's just me.

Yeah, I think we've already discussed this, but I still don't totally get your disdain for the episode. The plot was silly, but given that it was intended as exaggerated satire, I ultimately find it far less grating than the wackiness of plots like "Homer and Burns find the loch ness monster," "all the old peoples' eyes fall out" or "jockey elves." Writing-wise, the episode's structure is also god-awful, but it's still far from the worst thing they've done on that front, in my opinion.

Scully's worst episodes are probably about the same quality as "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular"s.

Again: Jockey elves.

"A Leela of Her Own" may be the least liked episode of Futurama's original run, but I don't think I know many people who actively dislike it.

I actively disliked it back when the Fox run was all we had, but given that we've since had far worse (ie. Attack of the Killer App), my boiling hatred for it has cooled to a hot simmer of dislike.

Being a boring, pointless episode devoid of laughter is one thing, but destroying everything that made Blernsball hilarious is unforgivable. It'd still make my bottom 3, I think.

Question: is there an episode of The Simpsons that is generally disliked by everyone? Such as "A Leela of Her Own" for Futurama. I know a lot of people dislike the episode "The Principal and the Pauper", but is there a specific episode that is universally disliked by most of the fans?

Yet again:

[Reply #730 on:]

Beamer, C_T was talking about how he doesn't see why D'ohed is considered one of the worst, not Gaga.

[Reply #731 on:]

I liked "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed."  It's got Ned Flanders, Borat as a tour guide, and Bart getting beaten up by girl.  Seriously, what's not to like?

The boring storyline and awful jokes? Also, Ned Flanders is in most episodes so I don't know if it's much of a valid plus-point.

Also, "Moe goes from riches to rags" may be the current most hated

Yeah, I nearly mentioned that one, myself.

Jean's worst Simpsons episodes are far, far worse than Futurama's worst. Scully's worst episodes are probably about the same quality as "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular"s. I'd pick Futurama's worst no contest.

Hell, the vast majority of Jean's best (post season 12) episodes are far, far worse than Futurama's worst.

I'm currently catching up on season 25 (sigh) and got to "Days of Future Future". The way it starts with Homer's clones and all is just.. disturbing
I'd say about a third of the jokes hit, but the plots were not interesting at all. (Zombiesssszz.....  )
However, it felt very well written, and I hope it's a good sign that "Simpsorama" will be so too.

The opening would have been fine if it were presented as clearly non-canon. There's no real indication that the episode is non-canon, though. In fact, it more or less fits in with the canon of other episodes set in the future, suggesting that that's legitimately meant to be what happens to Homer.

I agree about the jokes and, for modern-day Simpsons, I'd say a third of the jokes hitting is pretty outstanding work. I don't think it was well-written at all, though. I thought the writing was pretty lazy and messy. I still think that it represents one of the better episodes of The Simpsons in recent years, although I wouldn't say it was a good episode by any means.

Season 27 confirmed.

@EverySimpsons Lena Dunham with Dan Castellaneta recording season 27 premiere! pic.twitter.com/rq1YpmtZZW

That's cool, I guess. The longer the show runs, the more chance of a second Futurama crossover.

"The Principal and the Pauper" definitely used to be that "go to" episode, but it's easily in the better third of episodes produced thanks to the last 12 seasons or so.

I never understood the dislike for the episode, given that it's a satire on the way tv shows will retcon characters' backstories for a contrived story idea, as opposed to the show legitimately doing it. Though I'd say that they never should have referred back to it ever again - the whole joke ONLY works if it's just one, big, stupid stand-alone episode.

I think that most people get that, but they don't feel that it's enough to justify fucking with the show's continuity. I mean, imagine if they'd intended Bender and Amy's relationship in "Proposition Infinity" to be a parody of how ongoing sitcoms will tend to romantically pair up all of the characters to try and get some cheap mileage out of them. Would that make it any less jarring or out of character? I don't think so.

I agree that the general consensus seems to be that "Lisa Goes Gaga" and "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" are the worst, though I don't really understand the hatred people have for the latter, either. It's bad, but I don't think it's particularly worse than most of the episodes that they've made over the last decade.

Yeah, I never quite understood it, either. As painful as the celebrity ass-kissing was, the episode actually had a few solid gags and made me laugh more than most average episodes these days.

Yeah, as Cudry said, I was saying I don't understand the hate for "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed". "Lisa Goes Gaga" is appalling.

Personally, I'd say that "E Pluribus Wiggum" is the worst episode ever, but that's just me.

Yeah, I think we've already discussed this, but I still don't totally get your disdain for the episode. The plot was silly, but given that it was intended as exaggerated satire, I ultimately find it far less grating than the wackiness of plots like "Homer and Burns find the loch ness monster," "all the old peoples' eyes fall out" or "jockey elves." Writing-wise, the episode's structure is also god-awful, but it's still far from the worst thing they've done on that front, in my opinion.

I don't remember much of it, frankly, beyond my hatred for it, but I've learned to trust my emotional memory towards episodes of things. I remember really hating the ending. I find the wackiness of the plots you mentioned to be more grating, but the episodes in which they take place were still, for the most part, fairly funny and entertaining, unlike almost everything post-season 13.

Question: is there an episode of The Simpsons that is generally disliked by everyone? Such as "A Leela of Her Own" for Futurama. I know a lot of people dislike the episode "The Principal and the Pauper", but is there a specific episode that is universally disliked by most of the fans?

Yet again:

[picture of jockey elves]

I'd say this is easily the worst episode of the first 12 seasons, so 10 years ago, most people probably agreed that it was awful. Nowadays though, it's probably in the better half of episodes of the show. That's the tragic thing about how much crap they've been pumping out.

[Reply #732 on:]

I've actually argued in favor of jockey elves a couple times in this thread. So universally hated it is not.

"I'll handle those murderous trolls!" "What?" "I mean...I'll handle those murderous trolls!"

[Reply #733 on:]

Beamer, C_T was talking about how he doesn't see why D'ohed is considered one of the worst, not Gaga.

... I knew that.

(Though, my point does still stand: The Lady Gaga episode is terrible, but still not the worst thing the show has put out)

I'd say this is easily the worst episode of the first 12 seasons, so 10 years ago, most people probably agreed that it was awful.

I actually think Tennis the Menace is slightly worse than Saddlesore Galactica. The plot isn't quite as inane, but it has the whole "pointless celebrity cameos" thing going against it, and horrible jokes like "I guess you could say I'm Iraqi" which I actually find a little more painful to sit through than the show's current bland and predictable style of humour. Not to mention that whole weird thing with Homer thinking that Bart is trying to usurp him, and the entire family being awful to one another for no good reason (which is another recurring element of the Scully era and one reason I find quite a few episodes from seasons 10-12 hard to watch).

My vote for worst episode ever would go to Moe Goes From Riches to Rags, with Husbands and Knives as a close second.

[Reply #734 on:]

I actually agree with Beamer on the worst episode, I extremely hated MGFRTR and consider it the worst. There was nothing likable about it, and it was just a sad excuse of an episode. 

[Reply #735 on:]

It never should've made it past the pitch. The whole thing was doomed right from the moment they decided to do an episode narrated by Moe's bar rag.

[Reply #736 on:]

Which Simpsons character scenario would you prefer to masturbate to?  Like say if you were Bart Simpson, and Ms. Krabapple was being pretty sexy.

[Reply #737 on:]

I still hate Lisa Goes Gaga the most, even if it wasn't objectively the worst. There was just some stuff out of character and that all...
I also still find Saddlesore Galactica very bad and only thing I can say for it is some good jokes, maybe.

I never thought MGFRTR as one of the worst of Simpsons, but it wasn't good either. On the other hand, talking rag telling its life story is very dumb, so I guess I can see why.

[Reply #738 on:]

And they made moe a yeti

[Reply #739 on:]

Which Simpsons character scenario would you prefer to masturbate to?  Like say if you were Bart Simpson, and Ms. Krabapple was being pretty sexy.

Amy is pretty cute, but Dr Cahill has her own appeal. Tough call. Leela is not bad either, if you don't mind the big nose and the boots that may or may not come in women's sizes.

[Reply #740 on:]

Dr. Cahill would likely experience la petite mort within 200 nanoseconds of walking through my front door, so there is that.

[Reply #741 on:]

Also, Ned Flanders is in most episodes so I don't know if it's much of a valid plus-point.

Yeah, but in this one he's doing stuff.

[Reply #742 on:]

"But he's got a new hat!"

[Reply #743 on:]

Moe Goes from Rags to Riches is definitely the worst episode ever.

EDIT - Found this interesting - http://www.reddit.com/r/TheSimpsons/comments/1lx6qo/results_of_our_simpsons_season_10_poll/

[Reply #744 on:]

It's odd that season 19 ranked higher than most post-season 10. I think that might well be the worst season of the show (yet).

[Reply #745 on:]

Homer to the Max is actually one of my least favourite season 10 episodes and one that I will never understand the love for.

[Reply #746 on:]

Homer to the Max is actually one of my least favourite season 10 episodes and one that I will never understand the love for.

Homer to the Max is funnier than every episode past Season 12. It's probably one of the last classics.

[Reply #747 on:]

I think Behind the Laughter holds that accolade.

[Reply #748 on:]

That and trilogy of error are still held in pretty high regards, even though their respected seasons usually aren't

[Reply #749 on:]

Yeah, they both are very good. What about Seemingly Never-Ending Story? I think that's a good one too and it's from season 17.

[Reply #750 on:]

Yeah, they both are very good. What about Seemingly Never-Ending Story? I think that's a good one too and it's from season 17.

Nah, it's way below the quality of Trilogy of Error.

[Reply #751 on:]

Homer to the Max is actually one of my least favourite season 10 episodes and one that I will never understand the love for.

Homer to the Max is funnier than every episode past Season 12. It's probably one of the last classics.

I'd say the first two acts are really good, it all goes to hell in the third.

[Reply #752 on:]

Shitty/wacky third acts were probably the biggest crutch of the scully era

[Reply #753 on:]

Shitty/wacky third acts were probably the biggest crutch of the scully era

Unfunny/boring episodes were probably the biggest crutch of the jean era

[Reply #754 on:]

Fxx just came out with their schedule for the show following the marathon

m: 6 pm - midnight
t: 8 pm - midnight
th: 8 pm - midnight
f: 6 pm - midnight
su: 4 pm - 8pm

Hopefully they'll run it in chronological order except for the occasional specialty marathon

[Reply #755 on:]

I can't believe this marathon has another 10 seasons to go. Madness!

[Reply #756 on:]

I'd say the last episode of the series that I really love, chronologically, is The Blunder Years. It certainly has flaws, but it makes me laugh a lot and I quote it much more consistently than any episode that's come after it.

I certainly wouldn't call it a classic though. Personally, in my brain I consider everything through the end of season 10 to be "classic" era. I know people have talked in here about 10 being a weak season, but to me personally I think it's easily better than any season after it. I love almost every episode wholeheartedly...I'd say there are only 3 or 4 episodes I'd consider weak, and they're still good by current standards.

I've said this before, but I give much less of a shit about stupid wacky story turns and even non-canon weirdness if the episode continues to make me laugh enough. Which is why I've proclaimed fondness for some of the worst offenders of that, such as Saddlesore (although it's far from an episode I'd consider a favorite, I really just find it tolerable in spite of itself), Principal and the Pauper, Simpsons Bible Stories, Kill the Alligator and Run, The Computer Wore Menace Shoes, and The Great Money Caper, whose ending was pretty much the writers poking fun at their own tendency to let Scully-era episodes go off the rails (hey everybody, surf's up!).

[Reply #757 on:]

Smart by FXX. In the UK, reruns of friends pulled millions of viewers for years.

[Reply #758 on:]

Fxx just came out with their schedule for the show following the marathon

m: 6 pm - midnight
t: 8 pm - midnight
th: 8 pm - midnight
f: 6 pm - midnight
su: 4 pm - 8pm

Hopefully they'll run it in chronological order except for the occasional specialty marathon

Having watched as much as I can of the marathon, I can say they're smart to have huge blocks because it is so easy to just sit down and spend hours watching the show. I did that last Friday, spent my whole day watching season 4.

[Reply #759 on:]

I certainly wouldn't call it a classic though. Personally, in my brain I consider everything through the end of season 10 to be "classic" era. I know people have talked in here about 10 being a weak season, but to me personally I think it's easily better than any season after it. I love almost every episode wholeheartedly...I'd say there are only 3 or 4 episodes I'd consider weak, and they're still good by current standards.

Yeah, it's sad to see Season 10 is currently winning the most overrated Simpsons season of all-time on NoHomers. Honestly, the early solo Jean seasons should be winning easily, especially Season 15.