# Worst Simpsons episodes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019 "2009-06-07T16:15:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/81 "2010-10-02T03:59:53Z")
> [@Michael\_Faldeglim](#): > > Season 22’s not off to a good start, but “Missionary: Impossible” will always get my vote for “Worst Episode Ever”. > [@Maiira](#): > > Eh, too much funny stuff in that one for me to dislike it. Homer licking frogs, the villagers following Homer’s lead and falling to the ground shouting “OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD,” and “SAVE ME, JEBUS” crack me up every time. even if the overall story was goofy the religion jokes were great. then there was Betty White and the PBS stuff that was ROFL. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/82 "2010-10-02T04:47:49Z")
The worst was “New Kids on the Blecch,” where Bart and his friends form a boy band and become a recruiting tool for the navy. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/83 "2010-10-02T16:16:45Z")
Just about every episode from season 10-12 could get this. The show was nearly unbearable during that age, and I don’t know WHY I stuck with that show during it. If you want to hear something funny, listen to the commentary for _Saddlesore Galatica_ - Matt Groening had never seen that episode before (and wasn’t even there for the table read or rewrite), and you can actually hear his jaw drop to the floor during the Jockeytown scene. When Al Jean took over again in season 13, the show got a little bit better, but Mike Scully’s Jerkass Homer was only slightly worse than Jean 2.0’s “Cringeworthy Marge”. I don’t know why Julie Kavner continued to voice that character, with the stuff they wanted to come out of her mouth (the worst one of all being “I make a practice dinner every afternoon at 4…because at 6:30 WE GO LIVE!”) I haven’t seen most of the episodes from after season 17, but two which I _did_ see, E Pluribus Wiggum and That 90s Show, were enough to convince me that I wasn’t missing anything. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/84 "2010-10-02T16:26:03Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > There have been a few good segments here and there; I rather liked the Great Pumpkin parody from 2008. > > Nelson: “One more step, and I’ll carve her!” > Great Pumpkin: “What do I care? That’s a _yellow_ pumpkin.” > Nelson: “You’re racist!” > Great Pumpkin: “All pumpkins are racist, at least _I_ admit it.” I’ll admit, there are a very few good segments in those, but not anywhere near enough to make those episodes anything but horrible. (The part you quoted is the only good segment of that particular episode.) ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/85 "2010-10-02T17:24:14Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > (the worst one of all being “I make a practice dinner every afternoon at 4…because at 6:30 WE GO LIVE!”) Hmm, funny line IMO. Not normal marge behaviour, but a normal kind of simpsons joke (virtually everything apu and wiggam say are this kind of ridiculous / self-parodying kind of statement). * * * On a wider point, I think it’s inevitable that the characters will end up as extreme versions of themselves. The concept of simpsons where there is continuity (except for halloween eps) and yet the characters don’t age means in the long term, there’s only one way for the series to go. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/86 "2010-10-02T18:00:49Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Just about every episode from season 10-12 could get this. The show was nearly unbearable during that age, and I don’t know WHY I stuck with that show during it. Hogwash. A good portion of them are absolute drek (the aforementioned “Saddlesore Galactica” and “New Kids on the Blecch”), but a lot of them are fun. This is the era that gave us… – “When You Dish Upon a Star” (Homer meets Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger and Ron Howard) – “D’oh-in in the Wind” (Homer meets Mona’s old hippie buddies played by George Carlin and Martin Mull) – “I’m with Cupid” (Apu’s crazy Valentine’s Day gift give-a-thon) – “Maximum Homerdrive” (Homer becomes a trucker) – “Behind the Laughter” – “Skinner’s Sense of Snow” (The kids are trapped in the school during a snowstorm) – “Simpsons Tall Tales” And even “New Kids on the Blecch” had the absolutely crazy NSync self-parody where all of them acted like little more than trained monkeys. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/87 "2010-10-02T18:17:52Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Seems like half the Simpsons writers get it: Lisa is just as much of an obnoxious attention whore as Bart–she just does it by being the outsider. The rebel. Did you just say that Lisa is a rebel whereas Bart is not? ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/88 "2010-10-02T22:10:57Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > > [@Fenris](#): > > > > Unfortunately, the _other_ half of the Simpsons writers look at Lisa and say "OMG!! Poor Lisa’s so alone and _soooooo_ misunderstood cuz she’s SO MUCH SMARTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE! _THAT’S_ why she has no friends! I WAS JUST LIKE THAT! \< sob \> " and then produce a “Lisa gets to be smug about being correct in a world that JUST DOESN’T GET IT!” episode. > > I don’t quite agree with your assessment. I do think a part of her enjoys being high and mighty, it comes with the True Nerd territory. But I’m not as convinced that she’s all radical for the sake of it. There was an episode in which there were some kids’ after school sports type thing, wherein Lisa barges onto the football field defiantly and asks something like, “Well how would you feel if a GIRL joined the team?” Coach goes, “No problem, we have plenty of girls.” Cut to happy, smiley girls waving in their football uniforms. Attempting to find a new challenge, Lisa decries their using hog skin for their footballs. The response was that the footballs were made from some non-animal-product, biodegradable material, and was purchased from some company who donated a portion of its profits to Amnesty International. Trembling, Lisa was out of rebellion, and ran off. I think that scene sums up L. Simpson well enough for me. > [@](#): > > A bit, yes, but not entirely. Okay, so she may not be entirely a sham, but my impression of her is that she’s built a very deliberate niche as an outsider. My favorite character, of course, is Moe. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/89 "2010-10-03T15:42:59Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Okay, so she may not be entirely a sham, but my impression of her is that she’s built a very deliberate niche as an outsider. Which wouldn’t be a problem if about half the writing staff _got the damn joke_ instead of sobbing (and writing episodes about) how she’s OMG SO RIGHT!!! and so SO abused for it. (The Football team thing is a perfect example of how to write Lisa correctly. The snivelly half of the writers would have written it so that Lisa was excluded and then it turns out that the football team’s beloved pig mascot was about to be turned into a football so they have to save him and realize that Lisa Was Right All Along!) ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/90 "2010-10-03T21:41:40Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > > [@TBG](#): > > > > ugh, the other day the local station ran E Pluribus Wiggum again. I changed the channel and watched Happy Days instead. > > A million irony points to you if it was the episode where Fonzie jumps the shark Nah, it was the first part of the two parter with the criminals running a funeral home and the faked death of Fonzie (whoop, I hope that’s not a spoiler). ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/91 "2010-10-04T02:07:49Z")
Lots of contenders, but I remember “The Color Yellow” (in which the Simpsons learn of their black ancestor Virgil) being really bad. No memorable jokes, weird rushed pacing, historical para-Simpsons, plot basically ripped off Family Guy, etc. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/92 "2010-10-04T16:15:28Z")
Any of the episodes where one/all of the Simpsons become superstars. The one where Homer got inside a robot suit and fought killer robots to impress Lisa. That one squicked me out like panda rape. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/93 "2010-10-04T17:08:28Z")
I’ll go with the Armin Tamzarian one too, but mostly just because they misspelled Armen. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/94 "2010-10-04T17:30:12Z")
I can’t believe nobody mentioned “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” I found that episode unendurable and totally unfunny. I haven’t really watched the show for the last 6 years or so, and I think just about everyone seems to agree that the show is really just not funny anymore, but “WSMB?” episode was made while the show was still in its “Golden Age,” which is why it gets my vote. There were some stinker episodes through the years, but that one was memorable to me because it was given a lot of hype and was realllllly bad! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/95 "2010-10-04T17:35:42Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Any of the episodes where one/all of the Simpsons become superstars. > > The one where Homer got inside a robot suit and fought killer robots to impress Lisa. That one squicked me out like panda rape. Didn’t he actually get into the robot suit to impress Bart? Homer wanted to build a battle-bot for Bart to compete in contests with, but as usual, had no mechanical aptitude and ended up becoming the robot himself so he wouldn’t lose Bart’s respect. I believe it was the “I, Doh-bot” episode. The subplot had Snowball II run over by Dr. Hibbert and Lisa’s subsequent efforts to adopt a new cat that ended up in the deaths of the cats. ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@Short\_Guy\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy_1)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/96 "2010-10-04T18:44:57Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > > [@MeanOldLady](#): > > > > Okay, so she may not be entirely a sham, but my impression of her is that she’s built a very deliberate niche as an outsider. > > Which wouldn’t be a problem if about half the writing staff _got the damn joke_ instead of sobbing (and writing episodes about) how she’s OMG SO RIGHT!!! and so SO abused for it. I just don’t agree with this at all. The thing about Lisa is that she _is_ smart, sensible, and practically the only voice of reason in the whole town. Yes, she can be arrogant and wrong-headed, but hey, she’s still an 8 year old. Most of the time, she hates the niche some of you accuse her of carving out for herself (especially when it comes to her classmates). There’s no joke to get, it’s just very clear that Lisa is _supposed_ to be the voice of reason, because it makes the rest of the insanity funnier. As much as I dislike self-righteous vegetarians, she was only a self-righteous vegetarian for about half an episode before she became sensible about it. (Disclaimer: this is based on “classic” episodes. I’ve seen very little beyond season ten, and, judging by what I’ve seen and heard, rightly so.) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/97 "2010-10-05T01:08:56Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > > [@control-z](#): > > > > Any of the episodes where one/all of the Simpsons become superstars. > > > > The one where Homer got inside a robot suit and fought killer robots to impress Lisa. That one squicked me out like panda rape. > > Didn’t he actually get into the robot suit to impress Bart? Homer wanted to build a battle-bot for Bart to compete in contests with, but as usual, had no mechanical aptitude and ended up becoming the robot himself so he wouldn’t lose Bart’s respect. I believe it was the “I, Doh-bot” episode. The subplot had Snowball II run over by Dr. Hibbert and Lisa’s subsequent efforts to adopt a new cat that ended up in the deaths of the cats. Just for clarity, I misremembered the title of this episode. Its actual title is “I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot.” (Annoyed Grunt) referring to Homer’s exclamation of “D’oh!” of course. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/98 "2010-10-05T05:18:16Z")
What I think is even more depressing about the “prank monkey” episode is that the event that sets it in motion – Smithers leaving town to be in a Malibu Stacy show – seems like a far more interesting plot to explore. I rather liked that “sold separately” song. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/99 "2010-10-05T06:01:14Z")
There’s been so many that it’s hard to pick a truly terrible episode. One classic era Simpsons episode I didn’t like was the one where Homer goes to the chili festival, eats a super hot chili, gets drunk, and gets Marge mad. The he goes to this stupid dream quest where he meets a fox and a turtle to find his soulmate when everyone knows it ends up being Marge after all. I don’t like episodes where they try to retcon Homer and Marge’s youth. I was fine with the first episode where they show how Homer and Marge met in school and how they got together after the dance. It was sweet, it had funny moments, and appeared within the first 10 seasons. I hated the episode where Homer makes a grunge band. Also hated the one where he and Marge supposedly first met as kids during a summer camp. Also, I thought the episode where Mother Simpson died was totally uncalled for. She died out of nowhere, added nothing lasting to Homer’s character, and seemed to eliminate a character for no reason. At least Ned got some episodes of him being single and dating after Maude died ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019/100 "2010-10-05T06:03:47Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > What I think is even more depressing about the “prank monkey” episode is that the event that sets it in motion – Smithers leaving town to be in a Malibu Stacy show – seems like a far more interesting plot to explore. I rather liked that “sold separately” song. And this is better than a movie…why? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-simpsons-episodes/499019.md?page=6)