The Simpsons: Which do you like better, flashback episodes or future episodes?

Cafe Society
1

It is clear what I’m talking about, right? Episodes that take place in the past versus episodes that take place in the future.

I was thinking of this tonight because of the rerun of this past season’s future episode. I don’t think there have been as many future episodes as flashback episodes (I can only think of three), so maybe it’s not a fair comparison, but nobody said it had to be fair.

I prefer the flashback episodes. I think I like the one about when Maggie was born the best. I think it was a funny episode, and it had perhaps the most touching ending of any Simpsons episode that has a non-joke finish.

2

I like the future episodes better. It’s always interesting to see what will become of a character and then try to figure out how they got there, like pumped-up Milhouse.

3

Man… Homer’s Barbershop Quartet vs. Lisa’s Wedding? That’s tough.

4

I think we can all agree that the episodes set in the past or future tend to kick the ass of the episodes set in the present. I can’t think of a bad one.

I gotta go with the past if just for Dr. Hibburt’s changing hair.

5

I gotta vote for past episodes. They usually include several hysterical historical references that just crack me up. For example, Krusty Burger going broke after offering free meals to customers holding tickets to Olympic events won by Americans during the 1984 Summer Olympics.

6

President Lisa/Jimmy Buffett ripoff Bart (rightly voted one of the worst episodes) vs. Homer the Pin-Jockey. Man this is tough. :stuck_out_tongue:

7

Past episodes hands down. There’s been a number of crappy future episodes, and nary a bad past one.

8

Past episodes, hands down. None of the future episodes are really “classics” that I can think of, but there are a bunch of past episodes that are like that:

“The Way We Was” (How Homer and Marge met in high school)
“Lisa’s First Word”
“Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”

Those are just the ones that leap to mind.

9

The past episodes are always better. I’d add “Maggie’s Conception” to Neurotik’s list.

10

I like the future episodes. I always want to know more about characters and what happens later.
I’m this way with books & movies.

11

That’s a difficult question. I like the future episodes, as I love to see what has happened to everyone. However, the ‘past’ episodes are often funnier.

12

Past wins hands down, solely because of the inclusion of Homer’s Barbershop Quartet.

That is top five, all-time material.

For me, it may be the best episode ever (only Mountain of Madness keeps it from being the surefire #1).

13

But in past episodes we never get to see talking celebrity heads in a jar!

14

I like the flashbacks - seeing Homer and Marge when they were younger is priceless.

15

“Oh, you’ll have a true love, but I specialize in foretelling the relationships where you get jerked around.”

:slight_smile:

16

:d