Season Eighteen Episodes 8-22

Episode 8: The Haw-Hawed Couple
A great episode. It was funny yet it had some genuine emotion too. Funniest moment of the episode was the alternate ending Homer came up for the novel. Also Lisa going Haw-haw in the bus was nice subversion. Nelson & Bart plot was solid, it had some laughs and it kept unpredictable in the end. Nothing too special, but not bad. Characterizations were near-perfection for the whole family and episode had time for every family member without feeling that it was all over the place. Overall it was top-notch stuff and deserves easily 8/10.

Episode 9: Kill Gil (Volumes 1 & 2)
Bit of a dissapointment for a holiday episode, but this wasn't still completely out of laugs. Premise was fair, just not executed very well and Gil, who is a great background character, proved that he don't really have the depth or charisma to be in a central role in any episode. "What the hell is this thing?" from Homer in the bar after killing the grinch was hilarious though. That alone is enough to lift it no near decency, 3/10.

Episode 10: The Wife Aquatic
Quite a miserable episode. Plot was more or less of a mess and it never had the emotional impact it was intended to have. They concentrated on wrong things like the that music motif instead of building solid plot with interesting characters. That said, I'm not saying that the plot was terrible, but it wasn't anything special. Besides, Yum yum fish? I gotta say that I'd feel pretty stupid for coming up with something like that. It doesn't even have camp-value. It's not completely atrouchious, but very forgettable. 2/10.

Episode 11: Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Three Times
I amazingly didn't remember practically anything about this episode. Usually at some point I've gotten "oh this is that episode", but now only parts that got something ringing in my was the ending of first segment. I'm amazed because it wasn't that bad episode of this type. Certainly the segments weren't that forgettable even. The first and third were plotwise pretty straightforward knock-offs of the original stories and the second segment was fairly forgettable. Humorwise first and second were a bit weak, but the third one was excellent, especially on sight gags. You gotta love Poison Lenny. Even if lacking in humor the first segment was pretty equal of the third, for what it lost in humor it got back in good ominous atmosphere and it got me into the mood of revenge as well. Overall.. Hell I don't know, I've got so mixed feelings of these. I can't believe I didn't remember these from the first viewing. 5/10.

Episode 12: Little Big Girl
Meh. Lisa's plot was fairly useless. Everybody knew how it was going to end and the story-telling in it was hardly inspiring. Bart getting married was pretty far-fetched overall, but I don't mind that kind of stuff too much. It was okay, but nothing special. It had great line in the end when Bart complimented that Homer will be a good dad someday too. This wasn't really bad, but it wasn't too good either. Still I'm going to be generous and give it 4/10.

Episode 13: Springfield Up
Different kind of episode and pretty good as such. The whole concept was interesting and it worked out very well. There could've been a bit more emphasis on the other character than the Simpsons as we already knew their history quite well. There was lot of good stuff - young Lenny at the start, Cat Lady's origin and Disco Stu just to mention the most important ones. It dragged a bit at times and ending was badly paced, but it didn't ruin the episode. It definitely goes to the great-category, so 7/10 it is.

Episode 14: Yokel Chords
Again kind of a mixed bag. There was some great animation and stuff in the Dark Stanley-bits and overall I'd say Bart's subplot is lot more interesting than Lisa & hillbillies -plot. There's some decent songs in that but to be honest I didn't care about it that much. It wasn't bad again, it just wasn't that interesting. Good b-plot brings this up to 4/10.

Episode 15: Rome-old and Juli-eh
Same kind of deal as with the last episode - great side plot, but the main plot leaves much room for improvement. Abe & Selma is very far-fetched to begin with and it never elevates really to anything nor it comedic potential gets used. Bart & Lisa subplot with the boxes on the other hand was simple but brilliant. I happen to have rewatched the whole LOTR trilogy just this month (yeah I've watched a lot of stuff this month come to think of it) so the battle scene was even more effective. Still on a whole it doesn't deserve anything higher than 4/10.

Episode 16: Homerazzi
I guess there was nothing wrong with this episode. There's some clever lines, good jokes and a solid plot with an okay characterizations. Nearly everything worked out and flaws were kept to a minimum. Still it lacks that certain something to really be a great episode. I liked how they kept the whole episode focused on just the main plot, I'd wish more episodes (and more series) would do that. Overall it was very good execution of good premise, 6/10.

Episode 17: Marge Gamer
I didn't care for this episode too much. Both plots seemed a little too unplausible as a gamer and as a football fanatic. I just didn't find that many jokes funny and I think Lisa wouldn't have been so stupid to get angry at Homer for just following the rules. Mainplot was okay, nothing special especially since the theme has already been explore. There was some funny lines in the subplot too, but to be honest I just don't find most soccer jokes that funny. That said, this is very watchable episode and I'll give it 4/10.

Episode 18: The Boys of Bummer
Another quite mediocre episode. Mainplot with Bart wasn't that entertaining for me. It isn't badly made, characterizations are pretty much okay, but the whole premise just doesn't exactly attract greatness. Watching Bart fail so spectacularly isn't that funny really. The mattress subplot was okay, I guess. There was some good jokes like that homeless guy squeezing Homer's fat and stuff. I rate this 3/10.

Episode 19: Crook and Ladder
Plot was a bit of a mess. It was very late in the episode when Homer became a fireman, or even that element was introduced. Makes kind of hard to pinpoint what the episode was actually about. That said it worked surprisingly well and there was some funny jokes. Maggie was great going on her rampage at the beginning. Overall, it's not bad, but it's not that great either. 4/10.

Episode 20: Stop or My Dog Will Shoot
Ugh. That was pretty bad. I was bored out of my mind. There was some jokes that were funny in the first viewing but didn't work anymore - for example that paperclip joke was absolutely great but had lost it's power. Though if I remember correctly that joke was recycled later anyway, so it's little wonder. Homer acting like a dog was probably the funniest bit and it wasn't that funny. I didn't really care for the main plot and it was a problem. There was some jokes that would've worked better if there was an interesting plot, that can turn mediocre jokes into acceptable ones. As it is, it's an episode that comes close to being decent, but just can't cut it in the end. 2/10.

Episode 21: 24 Minutes
A great episode, definitely a classic already. Animation is brilliant, direction excellent, there's a thrilling plot and great characterizations, especially Bart's. Besides it's damn funny! I don't think there's anything else really that needs to be said about this. I loved every part of the plot - Homer and Mihouse going around in a dumpster, Bart being a tough guy, yet showing some of his own antics like pranking Jack Bauer and Marge kicking Helen's ass. All of the plots intertwined in the end - it was great stuff. There was something that I didn't like, but I forgot what it was. 8/10.

Episode 22: You Kent Always Say What You Want
Meh. It's not bad again, but it's nothing special. There was some funny moments like the swear word Kent said, Flanders watching videos and the end's Fox stuff, but they just make get this up to average. While ending was funny it was also abrupt. I rate this 4/10. Kind of a dissapointment for 400th episode though.

That was overall a little mediocre season. Lots of bad and only average episodes. I didn't sunk as low as Scully era, but it's low point of Jean era so far. Average was 4,50 with only three episodes that can be considered great. It's fourth worst season so far.

Averages:
Season Three 6.21
Season Four 6.18
Season Six 6.12
Season Seven 5.88
Season Fifteen 5.82
Season Five 5.73
Season Two 5.59
Season Seventeen 5.59
Season Eight 5.40
Season Thirteen 5.36
Season Sixteen 4.90
Season Nine 4.88
Season One 4.69
Season Fourteen 4.55
Season Eighteen 4.50
Season Twelve 4.29
Season Eleven 4.14
Season Ten 4.00

Great episodes:
Season Seven 13 (52 %)
Season Six 12 (48 %)
Season Three 11 (46 %)
Season Four 10 (45 %)
Season Fifteen 9 (41 %)
Season Eight 9 (36 %)
Season Five 8 (36 %)
Season Two 7 (32 %)
Season Thirteen 6 (27 %)
Season Seventeen 6 (27 %)
Season Nine 6 (24 %)
Season Sixteen 5 (24 %)
Season One 3 (23 %)
Season Eighteen 3 (14 %)
Season Twelve 2 (10 %)
Season Fourteen 2 (9 %)
Season Eleven 2 (9 %)
Season Ten 1 (4 %)

That's 14 episodes today so far - 65 episodes + movie to go! 56 hours left in the month. Kind of close..