R+R Blood Feud

[Gabbo]

It had its moments, but not a great episode. 6/10

"Hello my name is Mr. Burns"...the best part of the ep.

[SideshowTim]

Pretty Funny Episode IMO It was when the show started getting really really good 4/5

[Sunday Best Hugo]

I agree, I think that's when the show started to get good. Not the best episode, but def on the up side of the halfway mark. 4/5.

[Warren]

4/5. Really good episode.

[Bender]

Boring. 2/5. I'm not a big fan of season 2 episodes but some of them can be good - but this one just stood out to me as a crappy episode.

[Number Two]

4/5 pretty good.

[Eddie]

4/5. Very good episode. Not my fave of Season Two (that still goes to "Three Men and a Comic Book"), but definitely one of the funnest of the season, and the best Mr. Burns episode of that season, too.

[George Cauldron]

9/10. Definitely not crap or boring. Here, the characters are at their most human, and every situation COULD happen in real life. A far cry from the wackiness of later seasons.

[snrub]

6/10 - A good season 2 ep, but not one of my greatest of all time

[Sloppy Jimbo IV]

4/5

[wee raging wilie]

7/10 I like the ending. When they get the giant sculpted head and how Mr. Burns feels so proud of himself.

[lousysmarchweather]

3/5. An above average episode

[Firewalker]

First episode I ever saw. Loved it then, love it now. 9/10.

[Necromancer]

4/5, 8/10, good episode

[Mike Scully]

A good episode, though I wonder what people would think of the strange ending if this episode had aired today.

Funniest moment:
"Hello, my name is Mr. Burns. I believe you have a letter for me."
"Ok, Mr. Burns, what's your first name?"
"I...don't know!"

[Simpson Purist]

8/10, not an original idea but it provides many great laughs.

[Stevie V. Scrivello]

Honestly, I have nothing but love in my heart for this episode; I can't remember anything cringeworthy about it at all, and there were so many good lines, I can't put them all down. (And I love Mr. Burns episodes.) Then again, after prolonged exsposure to the modern seasons, one begins to see the classic season through rose-colored glasses.

10/10...and I don't just hand those out.

[Philip Cheesesteak]

Honestly, I have nothing but love in my heart for this episode; I can't remember anything cringeworthy about it at all, and there were so many good lines, I can't put them all down. (And I love Mr. Burns episodes.) Then again, after prolonged exsposure to the modern seasons, one begins to see the classic season through rose-colored glasses.

10/10...and I don't just hand those out.

Agreed - A

[TheForbiddenDonut]

9/10; a good reason why Season 2 isn't the undeveloped boredom some people claim it is.

[Sniper Squirrel]

one of season 2's finest, classic Burns, love that he goes from wanting Homer dead to being overjoyed in the mall trying to find the perfect gift, Will there ever be a rainbow indeed, 9/10

[Xt'Tapalatakettle]

10/10... for obvious reasons.

[Imperciph]

Mr. Burns is probably the most fascinating secondary character ever created for OFF and any episode from the classic Era featuring him in am major role is poised for greatness (usual exceptions aside) . He is in great form in this episode, with just the right amount of cold-heartedness ("I just robbed a man of his livelyhood yet I feel srangely empty.Tell you what Smithers, have him beaten to a pulp.) and the right amount of cynicism (his reaction at being asked with whom he had slept with) combined with just the right number of old-timey jokes. This episode is first of the genre of "just a bunch of stuff that happens" which it itself acknowledges very cleverly by mocking the notion of tv characters learning a lesson at the end of the episode.

This episode also features great performances by OFF and Smithers. Not only possessing the extremly charming witty dialogue-based humour of season 2, it has lots of stand-out gags (Homer's rendition of a standard letter, Homer's version of a bible story featuring Hercules who was showered with riches by a lion,the nuclear warning sign at the beginning). It has extremely hilarious quotable lines like : "My name is Mr. Burns. I believe you have a letter for me", "Oh, hey there, Mr. uh... Brown-Shoes! How about that ..local sports team!" "Marge, you're my wife, I love you very much, but you're living in a world of make-believe! With flowers and bellsand leprechauns and magic frogs with funny little hats" . Also, this episode pretty much defined the role Smithers would continue to play in the later years : very caring about Burns, always ready to help Burns in endeavors with a substantial amount of toadying yet often acting as the only person who can serve as Burns's conscience.

Credit must also be given to the excellent animation direction in this by the great David Silverman. There is fabolous facial acting done by the characters : especially on Burns. The direction in the scenes taking place in his mansion and his office are fantastic with many subtle little effects such as extremely low lighting, dark colouring, slanted camera angles, slightly sinister background music truly making those places seem menacing. This episode set the tone for how Burn's mansion and office were to be animated : at least till Who Shot Mr. Burns Pt. 1. Once again, the gradual changing expression of Burn's face, from happy to furious as he reads Homer's letter is flawlessly done. Just like Sideshow Bob, Burns appears extremely menacing when he's shot from a very low angle. The scene where Burns' yells out "Judas!" at Smithers is one of the finest directions of a scene I have ever seen.

[Rest your giant head]

I absolutely love Homer's characterisation and quotes in this episode: Homer trying to act like Burns,talking what kind of letters people write etc. Pretty good episode overall,but I didn't like the ending. 8.5/10 > 8/10 for the poll.

[Green_Peaness]

One of the first laugh-a-minute episodes, and I love the ending...self-conscious moments that try to excuse the show aren't necessarily bad. A-

[BrideofMoleman]

I really do not like this episode

I find it dull beyond belief. I do think there are some nice moments here and there, mainly with Homer's letter, the mailman, and the obvious bank scene, but I can never get interested in this episode. The ending leaves me unsatisfied as well.

I don't think the fact that it's realistic redeems the fact that it's quite boring, in my oinion.

[Dewey Finn]

This episode is not 10/10, but I think the episode style is close to Season 3~4-esque. The plot was actually better than I thought before I watched it. Some gags resembled the hilarity of Season 4 (Homer dreaming of choking Mr. Burns, Homer trying to disguise himself as Mr. Burns etc.). It's very hilarious in some ways.

Seriously, what if this episode came out in Season 3 or 4? An instant classic, in my opinion. This is how Season 2 is undervalued in some ways.

9/10

Conclusion: There is no moral in this episode.

[General Jack D. Ripper]

9/10. Like most season 2 episodes, it has very solid characterizations, a good story (even if it is alittle disjointed for the era), and several good jokes. Plus, it has that great season 2 charm.

Only complaint is that the ending wasn't quite satisfying.

[snosdwiS]

You're kidding? The whole bit with the mail lady was one of the funniest parts in season 2... 4.5/5

[tom cody]

8/10, great episode.

[SpringShield]

Voted 9/10 but I should have voted 10/10. So many hilarious moments. I love the gag with the guy in the lift.

[banana plantation]

10/10, probably my favorite episode from season 2

[panterafan06]

WOW, i just saw this one on fox the other day and never realized the humor in this episode was so sharp. Mabye because i havent seen this one since i was too young to understand most of the humour. This episode definitly has me thinking of dusting off the old season 2 Box-Set to take a look at some more classics. Easily 9/10

[Basil-Ovelby]

Definitely up there amongst my all-time favorites. I just love everything in this episode. Not only does it have some of the best laugh-out-loud moments, but it's one of the episodes that starts to really define the characters. Plus, as mentioned above by Imperciph, fanTASTIC animation direction.
Nothing but a 10/10 for me.

[Rufus Jones]

One of the greats. 10/10

[Swartzweldian]

I havent seen it in a long time. I loved it. Was one of my fav rom S2.

[Syd]

7.0 Bart Gets an F
7.5 Simpson and Delilah
6.0 Treehouse of Horror
9.5 Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish - my all-time favorite.
7.0 Dancin' Homer
6.5 Dead Putting Society
7.5 Bart vs. Thanksgiving
7.0 Bart the Daredevil
8.0 Itchy & Scratchy & Marge
7.0 Bart Gets Hit by a Car
6.5 One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish
7.0 The Way We Was
8.0 Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
7.0 Principal Charming
6.0 Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
5.5 Bart's Dog Gets an F - i don't like Bart and dog, so for me it stinks naturally
6.0 Old Money
7.5 Brush With Greatness
7.0 Lisa's Substitute
7.0 The War of the Simpsons
7.0 Three Men and a Comic Book
7.0 Blood Feud

[Drumstick]

Great episode with Burns and Smithers best characterization and Homer being a jerk helping the episode ,the plot was good and I liked the ending especially Lisa and the family going over the morals of the episode.8/10

[sconer]

Yeah, pretty funny but still not the best of season 2. Kinda funny with the whole letter thing though. 8/10

[The Sovereign]

Great Episode, good laughs all the way through (the Homer-Bart stuff, the two reinterpretations of the accident, Lionel Hutz) and some good emotional stuff between Homer and Marge

9/10

[Moe Nopoly]

good episode, Homer is really funny in this one.
I like especially when Homer tries to get the letter back :D

B

[ThatAsianGuy]

shit, a ten point scale? i don't know, 8.5

[Dewey Finn]

One of the very first classic episodes of the Simpsons history along with Brush With Greatness or Three Men and a Comic Book. First of all, I think the plot was completely driven from the start of the episode, which I think is a great thing for an episode. It didn't need any subplot since it was good as is with a twist (Homer's letter getting caught by Burns, etc). Humor was good too, that's what I can remember... My favorite one was Homer's dream when he strangles Burns and Burns turns into a pancake and Homer ends up chewing his pillow.

Would get 10/10 on 10 scale, or A+

[TerwilligerBob]

"Hello, my name is Mr. Burns. I believe you have a letter for me."
"Alright Mr. Burns, what's your first name?"
"Um. I don't know."
(Homer, sitting on the post office steps): "Great plan, Bart!"

That exchange alone is enough to make this episode, but it was still above average. A nice, solid plot, a down-to-earth problem, some great characterization of Marge slipped in, and a side-splitting ending. 7/10

[Rococo Fox]

Haha, I've never posted on this thread before? :p Well, it's time to rectify that...

This used to be my favorite episode, and while it doesn't quite make that cut, it still is in my top 10 and possibly top 5.

This episode is considered by most (including me) to be the definitive Burns/Smithers episode, so it's probably not a surprise that it is one of my favorites. I really can't find any flaws in it. The plot was down-to-earth but captivating, the characterization was some of the best ever to be written, and it was filled with both excellent humor and meaningful character interaction. The animation was also notable, as it was just that: animated. Every scene was interesting and beautiful to watch.

This was one of the best Burns/Smithers characterization and interaction episodes, showing most of both of their best traits as individuals and as a duo. Burns' evil and darkness was balanced perfectly with his archaic references, amiability, and lightheartedness, while Smithers was displayed both his unconditional love for Burns and his own conscience.

Of course, this was also one of the beau ideals of the Burns/Smithers friendship. It's one of the episodes that fleshes out the different aspects of their relationship and establishes them, probably for the first time, as true friends. It also is the best characterization and examination of Smithers as a character by himself, one of the episodes that gave him the moral conscience trait of his character and officially decreed him as "the sober yin to Burns' raging yang".

On a similar note, it is one of the few episodes that has an almost completely serious moment between Burns and Smithers and ends on that note without a joke directly subsequent to it. It shows how the writers truly cared more about their characters than their jokes.

In addition to the Burns/Smithers aspect of the episode, it's pretty much brilliant in every regard. The plot a plot was very well-rounded, played out effortlessly, and had several inspired twists. There was also only a brief and rather cute subplot with Lisa and Maggie, the exhibition of how Marge makes Homer a better person and how Bart represents Homer's impulsiveness, a characterization of Homer that is not overdone in any regard and exhibits almost all his traits equally, a trademark existentialist ending, and despite its focus on the characterizations, contains a plethora of clever, extremely funny jokes and gags.

Promulgating superb writing, folksy humor, a single driven plot, and unpretentious characterization, "Blood Feud" earns an easy A+.

[Gold Homer]

BUMP

Great Solid 10/10 for me!

"Hello, my name is Mr. Burns. I believe you have a letter for me."
"Okay Mr. Burns, what's your first name?"
"I don't know...."
"Great plan, Bart!"

[Generic]

I've always really enjoyed this episode as well. Rococo Fox has already covered the Burns/Smithers aspect of the episode very eloquently but the aspect I enjoy most is the contrasting attitudes towards charity held by Homer and Marge and Homer's resulting quest for what he perceives to be justice.

When it comes to their differing attitudes on charity, I think Homer and Marge are both shown to be in the right in the episode. Marge's "a good deed is its own reward" line of thinking is selfless and noble and its merits are demonstrated by Homer's contrasting attitude landing him in trouble. Yet, at the same time Homer's more selfish version of "one good turns deserves another" is an argument that carries weight as well given the good turn in question; given that the transfusion saved Mr Burns life, a greeting card in the mail was quite an impersonal gesture and disproportionate to Bart's deed.

Homer's motivation is also more sympathetic than such an attitude might normally be. As the family's breadwinner, he is under pressure to provide for his family and given the way the family is/was often shown to only just make ends meet, Homer's greed for money is understandable, if not forgivable. He would also harbour some resentment towards Mr Burns, his wealthy boss who is stingy with his money and does little to reward the loyalty of longtime employees. The gesture of a thank you card from a man who can easily afford to show his gratitude with an expensive meal or something similar (if not the fabulous riches Homer imagined) therefore comes off as rather insulting to someone of Homer's station.

The resolution kind of proves both of their points however, as Burns is made to see he acted rashly by firing Homer and wanting to have him beaten and decides to reward them after all, an approach that appeases Homer's sensibilities about charity, yet the gift is as useless as the card which also supports Marge's belief that charity is its own reward.

Perhaps the episode could also be seen as somewhat of a cautionary tale about putting too much stock in fables, legends and a traditional sense of what is "right". Homer's belief in (mangled) old stories leads him to believe that charitable actions will result in tremendous rewards, whereas common courtesy dictates only a thank you is necessary.