Omohide.com

First, a small rant.  The company distributing Cross Game had my upload of the OP song sequence removed from Youtube.  Is having the opening sequence of a series on Youtube such a horrible thing?  The worst it could do is drum up some interest in either the anime or the song, thus making more people watch it – or buy the actual full length song.  What a horrible thought, eh?

The Simpsons was a big part of growing up for me.  They would show multiple episodes on Saturday evenings on the local channel here and I think that I’ve seen pretty much every episode of seasons 1-8.  Animated television in North America is primarily aimed at children, but Simpsons was one of the exceptions with its smart writing, endearing characters and clever wit.  Unfortunately the show took a downturn at it went on and became just another silly cartoony series, like Family Guy.  At this point it’s a shadow of its former self, and I can’t bear to watch it.

Here are my 10 favourite Simpsons episodes:

10 – Bart vs. Thanksgiving (1990)

Bart runs away after ruining Lisa’s Thanksgiving project.  This episode is about not being able to apologize and admit you’ve done something wrong, which is something every child goes through at some point.  These kind of realistic sibling interactions used to be common in the Simpsons.

9 – Mother Simpson (1995)

Homer reunites with his long lost mother.  Points for the poignant final shot of Homer staring at the sky alone through the final credits.

8 – Homer the Great (1995)

This one is pure fun.  Homer joins a secret organization, is kicked out for being the goof he is, but then is discovered to be the “Chosen One”.

7 – Lisa’s First Word (1992)

A sweet episode which takes the viewers back to when Lisa was a baby and all the sibling jealousies that the young Bart experiences when a new kid enters the family.  Realistic and touching for everyone who seen the same situation (that is, anyone with a family and a sibling).

6 – Lisa on Ice (1994)

Another great character-episode where Bart and Lisa end up on opposing hockey teams.  Anyone with siblings will recognize the feeling of sibling jealousy, particularly the competition for the attention of your parents.

5 -Duffless (1993)

Remember when Homer used to be something other than a one-note caricature?  In this episode he’s forced to lay off the beer for a month to the approval of Marge, with funny and heartwarming results.

4 – Bart Sells His Soul (1995)

Bart agrees to sell his soul, written on a piece of paper, to Milhouse in exchange for plastic sponge toys. He comes to regret his decision and ends up on a desperate mission to get it back.  Like all great Simpsons episodes, this is a very enjoyable episode with an actual emotional climax.

3 – Lemon of Troy (1995)

A near-epic story of the Springfield kids marching over the border to Shelbyville to bring back their stolen lemon tree.  Plenty of hilarious gags in this one combined with a creative and interesting plot.

2 – Lisa’s Substitute (1991)

Again, a memento from a time when the Simpsons characters actually had some depth.  A natural question to ask when watching the Simpsons now is how an intelligent young girl like Lisa handles having a none-too-bright father.  Newer fans might not know that the Simpsons delved into this topic already in Lisa’s Substitute, where Lisa gets a new substitute teacher who is both smart and kind, and finds herself losing respect for her own father as a result.  One of the most touching episodes.

1 – Last Exit to Springfield (1993)

No surprise here – Last Exit is commonly touted as the greatest Simpsons episode, because it’s packed with everything that made Simpsons as good as it was.  Chris Turner, author of “Planet Simpsons”, says “Episode 9F15 of The Simpsons should be taught in schools, in history, economics, social studies, literature and art class. It’s flawless”.