Season One, Episodes 7-13

Alright, let's do rest of the season.

Episode 8: Telltale Head
An episode that can be considered classic, at least in terms of memorability. It really isn't packed with laughs like Season One episodes rarely were and this time there weren't even that much emotion, so what is so good in this? Well-made plot and good characterizations are all that is needed sometimes. Perhaps they were left off the hook a bit easily in the end, but whatever. Sideshow Bob looks fucked up in his first appereance, but later in the episode he looks his normal design. Krusty sounds a mess in the end. Those minor blips aside it's a good episode, worthy of 4/10.

Episode 9: Life on the Fast Lane
The Simpsons is loaded with great episodes and I knew that it would be hard to pin down even best episodes of the season, let alone best episodes of the whole series. In fact I think the latter is easier. This episode among with Moaning Lisa is the best episode of Season One. It's the first real Homer & Marge's marriage crisis episode, which seem so abundant in later seasons. This one is among the best of those. Very memorable episode. It continues the first season trend of not having many laughs (that said, it has more of them than Season One on average), but it's another very serious episode with genuine emotion. Homer doesn't do much expect realise he made a mistake and be sad for the rest of the episode - It's mostly about Marge's internal confict. Bart and Lisa are well on the background and compliment on the main plot well - it really tells about the plot strenght that there wasn't any b-plots. I think they wouldn't even have worked on this episode. It's terrific as it is. Another 8/10.

Episode 10: Homer's Night Out
Well we get two marriage crisis episodes on a trot, and this one's pretty good too. Whoever said Season One isn't part of the classic era? his episode was among the funniest of the season, yet it has good theme and valuable message to put across all the while. It's a little lighter on emotion, but that's okay. Animation is on Season One standards decent. However, this is not as liked as the most episodes and I'm definitely against mainstream when liking this. There's some problems. Marge's reaction is a bit of an overkill, but that said it's pretty easily solved. Some people found it preachy, but not me. I think it had a message worth putting across, even if it was a very standard one. I also liked Homer's speech in the end. Maybe I'm overrating this a bit, I don't know, but it definitely wasn't that bad. 3/10. I guess I give it nostalgia value already. Exhibit A on the fact that Simpsons fans are overly cricical?

Episode 11: Crepes of Wrath
I don't know. Basically I shouldn't like it as it's low on laughs and Bart's situation gets really bad. But on the other hand, that makes you more involved with the plot which was after all well made, even if a bit over the top. I guess this continues the solid line of episodes in Season One, but it is nothing too spectacular. No standout scenes, just decently made episode with a good plot. Though I have to say the ending was a little easy again, those two thugs make a big mistake by sending Bart among civilization. Though they seemed pretty dumb anyway, so maybe it was just in-character. 3/10 again.

Episode 12: Krusty Gets Busted
Ah, the first Sideshow Bob episode. This was a set-up for many classics, including Cape Feare that many consider the best episode ever (on what I remember of it I think it's overrated, but I'm getting ahead of thing). There is the first full-lengt Itchy&Scratchy in this episode too (there has been segment of them earlier, but this was the first full one and the first where we her I&S theme. It's decent on laughs and it has good plot with nothing over the top, unlike later Sideshow Bob episodes. The animation continues the steady improvement which was seen through the season and everything starts to look pretty well established at this point. You also gotta love Kelsey Grammer's voice. It's an easy 5/10, let's move on.

Episode 13: Some Enchanted Evening
This episode just gets better on every viewing. When I first saw this on a rerun few years ago I didn't like it. Animation looked too foreign compared to 10+ season quality that I was used to and I didn't find it that funny. But it really is kind of funny. I mean there's two prank calls to Moe in one episode and I always love those. Also there's Happy Little Elves which are hilarious and I also loved the bit on tv when it read "Homer Simpson, Local boob". Plot was well contructed and it was funny to see Moe characterized exactly like in the Season Twentyone Moe-episode - giving advice to Homer how to make up with Marge. Angry Marge was great too. Lot's of great things in the end. I also loved the animation after all, it was a lot better than I remembered and now the oddities look interesting more than anyting. Solid 5/10 for this.

So that's Season One for you. I'm actually surprised I kept giving so high ratings to every episode, maybe I have softened up my criteria. Then again, I am not your average Simpsons fan, I'm a Simpsons junkie. There wasn't any genuinely bad episodes, couple that flirted with mediocrity but nothing worse. Also the nostalgia value is definitely helping this season, even more so than the South Park, in which the first seasons are still the bottom of the barrel in my ratings.

Season One averaged an impressive 4,85 making it already better than almost all South Park seasons.. Well that just isn't right. I gotta recalibrate my ratings, sorry.. A moment please. Okay the new average is 4,69 which is still damn impressive. I think it's safe to say that Simpsons have at least 10 better seasons than this, and it's would still be in top 5 of South Park seasons. But enough comparing the series, I really can't argue with that rating. I would be harsh if I give lower ratings to some episodes, so it is really that good. My ratings reward great episodes and this had few of them among some average ones. But just wait, it's soon gonna get crowded in the great episode sector. Seasons 2-8.. Great one after great one.

That's the daily six episode quota done, but I'm not done today. I'll continue after a break.