13 Reviews about Season 1
Chris Pfeiler
I know that season 1 wasn愒 as good as seasons 2 or 3 and there were many
obvious problems with the animation or the plots or with too much in-your-face
morality and sappyness. Real subtlety was no strength of season 1 either and
the moral was often too direct or the story and satire too thin and too much
political correct and pretty tame. However, I think there were many good
episodes and lines in the first season and I hope I can show it with the
reviews and remind some of you of the good old times. The weakest episodes were
IMO 7G01, 7G03 and 7G04 while stuff like 7G06 or 7G12 was really outstanding
and way better than most of the episodes past season 9. Season 1 had a certain
depth and intelligence and wit that is completely lost in todays weird
episodes.
Season 1 has a bad reputation and I think it愀 partly the fault of syndication
which ruined the episodes by cutting out the best scenes including some prank
calls. Try to watch the episodes uncut (thank God for the DVD or the Video Box
Set) or read at least the capsules on snpp.com to get a real impression.
Pardon my English. As more I write as more mistakes I make.
7G08 Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
The very first episode from December 1989 but actually the eighth episode while
the real first episode 7G01 was moved to the end of the season. I think it愀 a
good and well-written episode, sometimes a little too sappy and sitcom-typical,
but as there are not many good Christmas episodes (just two of them, this one
and "Marge Be Not Proud") I always enjoy it. Some serious moments like Homer
standing very sadly in the snow in front of his house plus some great funny
moments such as Homer as Santa Claus plus the story how the family got SLH plus
a great and defining line by Lisa ("Aside from the fact that he has the same
frailties as all human beings, he's the only father I have. Therefore, he is my
model of manhood, and my estimation of him will govern the prospects of my
adult relationships. So I hope you bear in mind that any knock at him is a
knock at me, and I am far too young to defend myself against such onslaughts.")
make the episode a good all-time-classic though the almost satireless and too
sappy family plot seems very tame and sitcom-typical by todays standards.
Lisa愀 serious comment shows clearly that the episode was supposed to be aired
after 7G06.
7G02 Bart the Genius
The first real Simpsons episode in correct order and a superb one with much
more intelligent and satirical content. Especially memorable for some nice
character scenes and bonding between Homer and Bart without being too sappy and
for the famous line "You愉e damned if you do and you愉e damned if you don愒"
which is the paradoxon that affects Bart愀 life. The episode was supposed to
introduce Principal Skinner with the scene where the "I惴 a Weiner" graffito
fades into his actual face but we already saw him in 7G08. The deeper
intelligence of the show is now much more apparent and there愀 some nice satire
about schools for gifted children. There愀 also a pretty cool animation
sequence where Bart tries to visualize the maths problem with the train (and
fails) and Dr. Prior compares Bart愀 plan to "play" a stupid kid with Jane
Goodall (with the real one of course.)
7G03 Homer愀 Odyssey
A somewhat strange episode with partly pretty weak animation and content but
with some nice lines and satire such as the weird movie or the signs in the
power plant ("Danger - severe radiation - enter at your own risk - enjoy your
visit") or the first appearance of a three-eyed fish. We also hear some famous
words by Monty Burns "Ah, Homer Simpson, at last we meet" which is in fact no
joke but really the first time they meet in an episode. Smithers seems to be
very tanned - actually he愀 black and there愀 the first prank call ever when
Bart wants to speak to "I.P.Freely". However, the plot of Homer losing his job
and trying to commit suicide seems a little strange to me as well as the more
wacky scenes where he puts safety signs all over the town. It愀 the episode
where Homer becomes safety inspector and there愀 a too preachy speach by him at
the end about "the little Homer Simpson in all of us." Homer as serious fighter
for safety? Watchable but strange episode and best watched together with 4F19
"Homer愀 Enemy" ;-)
7G04 There愀 No Disgrace Like Home
My least favourite episode of the entire first three seasons. It愀 more of a
20-minute-version of a Tracey Ullman short (particularly of MG47 "Family
Therapy") than a real Simpsons episode and thus I don愒 really like it. The
animation is weak and Bart and Lisa are back to their old flat selfs from the
shorts, fighting, doing nothing but mischief on the party while Homer is
embarrased about his weird family (what an absurd idea) and even goes so far to
pawn the TV set to save the family. There愀 a nice movie reference to "Freaks"
("One of us") with a weird scene and some more or less funny lines by OFF and
Monty Burns but on the whole it愀 too strange to be funny and way out of touch
with the style of other early episodes.
7G05 Bart The General
This episode is a real masterpiece of the first year. The animation has
noticeably improved to 7G03 and 7G04 and the characterization is way better
than 7G04. It愀 not so much a simple episode about bullies or about a
schoolyard conflict but more of a subtle parable about war in general with some
more radical lines ("I thought I was too old. I thought my time had passed. I
thought I'd never hear the screams of pain, or see the look of terror in a
man's eyes. Thank heaven for children") and many references to certain movies
such as Patton or Full Metal Jacket. One of the best lines is "We surrender. We
were only following orders" by Nelsons loyal goons which raises the question
whether soldiers are responsible for what they do or not. Beside the subtle
satirical content there are also many funny lines such as Homer talking about
the code of the schoolyard or a fine example of early meta-humour when Abe愀
list of words he don愒 want to hear on TV includes "family jewels" and Homer
has said it just a few scenes before. There愀 just one thing that bothers me:
Bart愀 final comment. They tried to make it more radical than a typical sitcom
but letting Bart say that World War II with its 55 million dead was a good war
is IMO somewhat tasteless and below the high niveau of the episode.
7G06 Moaning Lisa
Very very good and very dark and serious character episode. Until now (except
7G08) Lisa wasn愒 much more than a flat female version of Bart but now she gets
more depth and character and we see for the first time what she will be in
later episodes. Some great existential musings and a first short glimpse of
Homer愀 inability to communicate with Lisa on the same level. There are many
moving and deeply serious lines by Lisa so I won愒 quote them all, just watch
the episode in an uncut version or read at least the capsule. On the lighter
side of the plot are Bart and Homer and their insanely violent Super Slugfest
video game, the great Maggie scene "Run to the one you love best" (which is
neither Bart nor Lisa but the TV) and Moe愀 telephone encounter with Jock
Strapp. There are also some nice scenes for big child Homer like the one at the
Noiseland Arcade or the one where he wakes up and screams but goes back to
sleep within a second. Such scenes show that his character has much more
potential than a typical sitcom dad. But it愀 not Homer愀 but Lisa愀 time to
shine and of course the time of Bleedin孱ums Murphy and his sad sad Blues.
People call the episode extremly sappy and partly they愉e right but I think
it愀 more than that. It愀 a very defining episode not only for Lisa but for the
family and it愀 an episode about the suppression of a creative spirit. I call
it a great episode and all-time-classic (of course not as good as 7F19).
7G09 Call of the Simpsons
The Simpsons have entered the woods. A very nice and funny episode but clearly
not as good as "Moaning Lisa" and more superficial and fun-oriented than other
season 1 episodes. The stuff at the RV Round-Up seems a little too long and
pointless but there are some good lines for Homer who愀 now clearly dumber than
in the very first episodes ("Is that a good siren?" "Mr. Simpson, have you ever
known a siren to be good?") The episode becomes better when the camping story
begins but it愀 partly too much joke-in-a-row and pointless. Homer愀 rabbit
trap (catapulting the poor animal into the air) and his various attempts to
find food and rescue are funny and there愀 some nice bonding between him and
Bart and the Maggie subplot with the bears is cute but IMO a little childish.
The best parts of the episode are the Bigfoot scenes with Homer, the crazy
Bigfoot merchandise and the newspapers with the weird news about the "Bigfoot
Diet" and "Wife pleads: Call him Homer." Not really outstanding but I like it
and it愀 clearly better than current vacation episodes.
7G07 The Tell-Tale Head
An episode that many people hate but I don愒 know exactly why. It isn愒 that
bad. The animation has once again improved in comparison to 7G06 and there are
many good jokes like Homer in church and Reverend Lovejoy "promoting" Duff Beer
or the violent cloud fantasies of the bullies and so on. The episode also has a
good characterization of Bart and Homer (Homer even supports Bart when he
learns that he愀 partly responsible for what Bart did) and the very first time
we see Homer being chased by an angry mob. The episode even has the first
appearance of Sideshow Bob as Krusty愀 silent stooge. The title and even the
story are good Poe references and I like some of the moral implications. The
talking head of Jebedia is rather wacky but maybe it愀 just Bart愀 conscience
who talks to him and not the head. The ending is of course way too sappy and
the moral too much in-your-face and even too "political correct" when Bart puts
the head back and says "Forgive me, Sir." Surprisingly, Matt Groening himself
was one of the writers so the "correct" ending seems even more strange. Not
among my season 1 favourites but not really bad. Homer愀 voice is now much more
familiar than the Walter Matthau voice of the earlier episodes.
7G11 Life on the Fast Lane
An extremly sad and dark episode, probably the most serious episode ever. You
know my taste: it愀 sad, it愀 serious, it愀 depressing, it愀 a great Simpsons
character episode. Even the subplot with Bart and Lisa is deeply serious (and
inspired by "Childhood is Hell") and there is no lighter side of the plot as it
was in 7G06. That愀 hardcore seriousness at its best without anything really
funny but with deep looks inside the characters, especially the scene where
Homer wants to tell Marge that he loves her but fails because of his
inarticulateness is depressing. Very memorable for a well-done surreal dream
sequence of Marge and Jacques dancing and for one of the most moving (and
sappy) endings ever with a reference to "An Officer and Gentleman" including a
rendition of "Up Where We Belong". It愀 sappy and boring and unfunny and there
are no Jockey Elves? All right, so it is. It愀 a great character episode which
you can either love or hate. Personally, I love it. The concept of the "ironic
street" that convinced Marge to stay to Homer is used again in 1F20 "Secrets of
a Sucessful Marriage", one of the few more serious season 5 episodes.
7G10 Homer愀 Night Out
Another episode about adultery but this time it愀 more lighthearted than 7G11.
There are many funny scenes like Homer愀 encounter with Princess Kashmir and
the chain reaction with Bart愀 photo (one of the funniest scenes of season 1).
Homer as wrongly accused womanizer is funny as well as Burns who asks Homer
about the secrets of women but there愀 also a moralistic side of the plot about
how men treat women in a wrong and sexistic way. Homer愀 final speech may seem
a little too preachy and once again too much in-your-face but the episode
includes some good moral and dark sides in good balance with fun. Not very
memorable though.
7G13 The Crepes of Wrath
Another episode many people hate for some reason. I admit that the plot isn愒
very memorable and certain scenes such as Bart asking a policeman for help seem
strange from todays point of view but there are many witty lines and scenes
such as Homer愀 line about the machinery of capitalism being oiled with the
blood of workers (a radical line for a cartoon sitcom) or the landscape
paintings by Rembrandt we see as background in France. There愀 some nice satire
about France (of course more tame than in later seasons) and the two evil
winemakers are lifted from the novel L嶧u des Collines by Marcel Pagnol. The
issue about wine and antifreeze was very important over here in Europe in the
80s and we should remember that the episode was made in the late 80s. Bart
shows again depth and character in France and Homer has lost his last traces of
being a sitcom dad and is now mostly the Homer of the second and third season.
7G12 Krusty Gets Busted
Another early masterpiece. Great episode with lots of fun and wit and
intelligence on a deeper level and of course with an outstanding performance by
Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob. Bob refering to stoicism, Mozart愀 "Eine Kleine
Nachtmusik" as background music, lots of references to literature such as "The
Catcher in the Rye" and even a reference to The Prisoner and to the Black Sox
scandal ("Say it ain愒 so, Krusty") make the episode a timeless classic in
Simpsons history. Bart and Lisa as team are great and Bob愀 final comment
"Treat the children as equals. They愉e smarter than you think" is something the
producers and writers of today should learn. Especially memorable for the giant
footsteps it left in the history of the show. It愀 not the best Bob episode
(this is IMO "Sideshow Bob Roberts") but way better than
"Hit-his-crotch-Jackanapes".
7G01 Some Enchanted Evening
The first produced episode and maybe a little inappropriate as Season Finale.
The animation is very weak, the voices sound strange (Yeardly Smith seems to
speak Bart in some scenes) and Homer is back to Walter Matthau. Bart and Lisa
are back to their flat selfs from the Ullman shorts and the plot is too empty
and sitcomish to be good. If you think weird Marge freak-outs are a problem of
current episodes you haven愒 seen 7G01, she has one of her weirdest freak-outs
ever. Some nice lines like Homer in the Flower Shop ("Do you have flowers?")
but he愀 too much of a sitcom dad. The entire episode is mostly limited to the
family because the other characters weren愒 introduced yet and Arnie Pie is
called Bill Pie. It愀 more of a real episode than 7G04 but on the whole too
much Ullman short and too little content. We have the first produced and
written prank calls: "Al Coholic" and "Oliver Clothesoff". It certainly would
have been a good introduction to the show but seems rather strange and weak
after the previous 12 episodes. Nice final comment by Homer "Lord help me, I'm
just not that bright."
And this is how the first season ended. The next season was the best ever.
Chris
P.S. Comments are as usual welcome.
Legion1979
>
I loved this!!! Very, very well written. Do the rest of the seasons for us,
okay. :)
Chris Pfeiler
>okay. :)
>
Thanks :-)
I already did season 2 but I think I´ll write reviews for the entire season 3
in the next days (I´ll need a little longer for that, there are 24 episodes in
season 3)
Chris