# The Simpsons: Which do you like better, flashback episodes or future episodes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 1, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066 "2005-08-01T02:24:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PigBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@PigBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigBoy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/1 "2005-08-01T02:24:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/2 "2005-08-01T02:26:25Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/3 "2005-08-01T02:31:18Z")
Man… Homer’s Barbershop Quartet vs. Lisa’s Wedding? That’s tough. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/4 "2005-08-01T03:11:10Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/5 "2005-08-01T03:25:54Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/6 "2005-08-01T03:59:52Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Man… Homer’s Barbershop Quartet vs. Lisa’s Wedding? That’s tough. President Lisa/Jimmy Buffett ripoff Bart (rightly voted one of the worst episodes) vs. Homer the Pin-Jockey. Man this is tough. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/7 "2005-08-01T09:18:42Z")
Past episodes hands down. There’s been a number of crappy future episodes, and nary a bad past one. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/8 "2005-08-01T14:13:39Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/9 "2005-08-01T14:15:50Z")
The past episodes are always better. I’d add “Maggie’s Conception” to **Neurotik** ’s list. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/10 "2005-08-01T14:17:34Z")
I like the future episodes. I always want to know more about characters and what happens later. I’m this way with books & movies. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/11 "2005-08-01T16:30:51Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/12 "2005-08-01T16:49:51Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/13 "2005-08-01T17:24:06Z")
But in past episodes we never get to see talking celebrity heads in a jar! ---
**Author:** ![chefjef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@chefjef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefjef)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/14 "2005-08-01T18:37:27Z")
I like the flashbacks - seeing Homer and Marge when they were younger is priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/15 "2005-08-01T18:45:44Z")
“Oh, you’ll have a true love, but I specialize in foretelling the relationships where you get jerked around.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chefjef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@chefjef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefjef)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-which-do-you-like-better-flashback-episodes-or-future-episodes/315066/16 "2005-08-01T18:46:34Z")
:d