# Simpsons fans: which season should I buy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932 "2008-01-17T21:02:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/1 "2008-01-17T21:02:47Z")
I want to buy a season or two of The Simpsons on DVD. I watched the show a lot several years ago, but haven’t watched it much for a few years now. I have a bunch of questions: I remember there were several episodes, maybe even a season or two, where Homer was exceptionally stupid, and I remember thinking it was funnier then. This was probably somewhere around 1998 - 2001. However, I was also smoking a lot of weed back then. Which seasons would those be? Which season included the episode with Carl’s line “I just logged on to my Internet”? I thought that was a well-written episode. Was there one where Homer goes to New York City and winds up with a boot on his car. Something about having to drink a bunch of crab juice? Was there an episode where the scenes were in reverse chronological order? I know there was a Seinfeld like that, but I seem to recall a Simpsons episode too. Which seasons are your favourites, and why? ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/2 "2008-01-17T21:10:15Z")
[Simpsons achive](http://www.snpp.com/) This should be able to direct you to any particular episode. [“I just logged on to my Internet”? Dec. 2001](http://www.snpp.com/episodes/CABF21) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/3 "2008-01-17T21:15:55Z")
My favorites are earlier than that, I like seasons 5 through 8 the most. That’s where my favorite episodes are, mostly, and they had the most consistent and funny episodes while staying in character. The New York one is from Season 9, and the Karl line you quoted comes from “The Blunder Years” in season 13. That’s not on DVD yet - I think you’ll have to wait until next year for it. I can’t think of a backwards episode. Maybe you mean “Trilogy of Error” from season 12? It’s got interlocking stories, but it’s not on DVD yet either. They did one this season that sort of matches that description, but not really. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/4 "2008-01-17T21:21:21Z")
[QUOTE=MrSquishy] Was there one where Homer goes to New York City and winds up with a boot on his car. Something about having to drink a bunch of crab juice? [/QUOTE] [The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_of_New_York_vs._Homer_Simpson) “Of course you’ll have a bad impression of New York if you only focus on the pimps and the C.H.U.D.s.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/5 "2008-01-17T21:28:03Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] My favorites are earlier than that, I like seasons 5 through 8 the most. That’s where my favorite episodes are, mostly, and they had the most consistent and funny episodes while staying in character. [/QUOTE] I agree, but would probably go earlier and say seasons 3 through 8. I mean, Season 3 has got “Homer at the Bat” and “Flaming Moe’s,” and season 4 has just a panoply of classics like “Mr. Plow,” “The Monorail,” “A Streetcar Named Marge,” “Last Exit To Springfield,” etc. I’d say seasons 4 and 8 would be the best two to pick. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/6 "2008-01-17T21:34:00Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] I can’t think of a backwards episode. Maybe you mean “Trilogy of Error” from season 12? It’s got interlocking stories, but it’s not on DVD yet either. They did one this season that sort of matches that description, but not really. [/QUOTE] “Trilogy of Error” is the one I was thinking of. I was misremembering how it worked; I guess it’s not backward, but it kind of jumps around chronologically where one story ends and the next begins. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/7 "2008-01-17T21:37:26Z")
Season 3 is also excellent. For whatever reason, I tell myself that five seasons is a fair recommendation and six is a little much. If I had to pick two I would probably go with 4 and 5. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/8 "2008-01-17T21:41:47Z")
[QUOTE=MrSquishy] “Trilogy of Error” is the one I was thinking of. I was misremembering how it worked; I guess it’s not backward, but it kind of jumps around chronologically where one story ends and the next begins. Thanks. [/QUOTE] Any time. And based on your, uh, viewing enhancement material, when season 13 comes out, go straight to “Weekend at Burnsie’s,” the medical marijuana episode. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/9 "2008-01-17T21:48:47Z")
I like the earlier stuff OK, but I think maybe I’ve just seen those ones too many times in reruns. Between **RedSwinglineOne** ’s link, Marley23’s help, and Wikipedia, I think I’m leaning towards seasons 7, 8 or 9. Maybe I’ll end up with all three. There’s one other, I think more recent episode I can’t find (due to search weakness on my part). It’s the one where Homer builds a “robot” for Bart, to compete in one of those robot battle tournaments. It includes my all-time favourite line that goes something like “If you’ve ever wanted to see a mailbox shoot a boy, that’s about as close as you’re going to get”. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/10 "2008-01-17T21:59:08Z")
[QUOTE=MrSquishy] There’s one other, I think more recent episode I can’t find (due to search weakness on my part). It’s the one where Homer builds a “robot” for Bart, to compete in one of those robot battle tournaments. It includes my all-time favourite line that goes something like “If you’ve ever wanted to see a mailbox shoot a boy, that’s about as close as you’re going to get”. [/QUOTE] “I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot,” season 15. You just like testing the geeks, don’t you? There are plenty of great episodes in the three you’re talking about, including two of my all-time favorites, ‘Flying Hellfish’ (7) and “Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment” (8). ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/11 "2008-01-17T22:01:52Z")
Currently the first 10 seasons are available. Season 10 aired 1998-1999, and IMO was when the show started to suck. This was when the show transitioned from being about _The Simpsons_ to being _The Wacky Adventures of Stupid, Belligerent Homer and This Week’s Celebrity Guest Star (and sometimes Bart)_. So if you like Stupid Homer, Seasons 9 and 10 are the way to go. Personally, I’d go with Seasons 3 and 4. Lots of classics (“Flaming Moes”, “Last Exit to Springfield”, “The Itchy and Scratchy Movie”, “I Love Lisa”), only a few clunkers. My breakdown: Season 1: Very hit or miss, but holds personal sentimental nostalgic appeal to me. Seasons 2-4: Really hits its stride. The Golden Years. Primarily character driven humor and stories. Seasons 5-6: More pop-culture gag oriented. Lots of extended movie parodies. Seasons 7-8: Return to character driven humor, but still lots of gags. Season 9: Homer becomes dumber. Humor gets a lot more random. Still lots of good shows, but the clunkers are getting more frequent. Seasons 10-12: Mostly crap, with a few bright spots. Season 13: Original show runner returns, but keeps newer writers. Some improvement, but not enough to stop me from giving up. Seasons 14-on: Haven’t seen enough to comment The show runners changed after Seasons 4, 6, 8, and 12. My recommendation would be Season 4, and then either Season 3 if you prefer the character driven stuff or Season 5 if you prefer the more gag-driven stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/12 "2008-01-17T22:14:41Z")
Don’t make the mistake of buying season one, like I did. I was all excited until i started watching- ‘Wait, these episodes are on TV all the time. And I sort of hate them.’ Season 5 is a safe bet. Or any of the Conan years ('91-'93). ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/13 "2008-01-17T22:27:24Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] “I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot,” season 15. You just like testing the geeks, don’t you? There are plenty of great episodes in the three you’re talking about, including two of my all-time favorites, ‘Flying Hellfish’ (7) and “Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment” (8). [/QUOTE] Thanks again, **Marley**. So did you have to look it up, or did you just know? Thanks for the breakdown, **ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness**. I think I’m going to start with Season 9, since I just noticed it includes “Lisa The Simpson”. I love that one. “Behold Frostillicus!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/14 "2008-01-17T22:38:49Z")
This is getting too confusing. You’re better off just getting them all and then selling off the ones you revisit and don’t like as much. Works for me (though I’m still holding onto all 10). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/15 "2008-01-17T22:53:12Z")
Just gonna chime in to say seasons 4-6 was the peak of the show. If you buy one season, make it season 5. Not even one flawed episode in that box. The worst of Season 5 is probably Lady Bouvier’s Lover, and I’m sure the only reason I say that is because I never got around to watching The Graduate, which it parodies. Season 6 is also great, but it gets pretty wacky, and Season 4 contains the universally picked best episode ever - Last Exit To Springfield, and was the season where the show REALLY started getting funny (FUNNY funny, not wacky funny). Stop after season 8. Season 9 is where it goes downhill very fast (City of NY vs Homer Simpson was the last good episode, which was the premiere), and 10 is where it totally blows. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/16 "2008-01-18T00:53:51Z")
[QUOTE=MrSquishy] Thanks again, **Marley**. So did you have to look it up, or did you just know? [/QUOTE] Nobody should know all that from memory, but someday when I look back at my life, I’ll be sad I came close. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/17 "2008-01-18T03:02:50Z")
[QUOTE=MrSquishy] I think I’m going to start with Season 9, since I just noticed it includes “Lisa The Simpson”. I love that one. “Behold Frostillicus!” 😃 [/QUOTE] Why, thank you! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/18 "2008-01-18T03:03:33Z")
If you’re buying it on DVD, get season 4. Conan O’Brien does commentary on two of the episodes he wrote (the Monorail, and another one), and it is hilarious. I want to say Jon Lovitz does one (“A Streetcar Named Marge”), but I’m not positive it’s season 4. Conan’s commentary alone is worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/19 "2008-01-18T23:46:16Z")
[QUOTE=Dignan] If you’re buying it on DVD, get season 4. Conan O’Brien does commentary on two of the episodes he wrote (the Monorail, and another one), and it is hilarious. I want to say Jon Lovitz does one (“A Streetcar Named Marge”), but I’m not positive it’s season 4. Conan’s commentary alone is worth it. [/QUOTE] Speaking of the commentaries, I’ve found them to be consistently worth listening to (the ones I’ve heard, with several seasons represented). Unlike so many other TV-on-DVD commentary tracks, there’s very little “dead air,” there’s a lot of discussion relevant to what’s going on in the episode, and it’s frequently informative and/or funny. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-fans-which-season-should-i-buy/433932/20 "2008-01-18T23:51:51Z")
You can’t go wrong with anything in Season 2-6, although 5 is my personal favourite.