Are there any Classic Era Episodes you feel like don't get enough love?

I honestly agree with your choices (with the only exception been Bart Gets Famous).

For me, I'd include
- Separate Vocations
- Marge on the Lam
- Lisa's Rival
- Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy
- The Springfield Connection
- Grade School Confidential
 
Meko said:
i would say bart the mother, but not alot of people consider S10 classic
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I have a good few for both Season 9 & 10, but I too am not sure if I'd put them in.

Also, I did just remember another classic era episode I forgot to add, that been In Marge We Trust
 
Meko said:
i would say bart the mother, but not alot of people consider S10 classic
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I don't consider season 10 classic, but I do agree that Bart the Mother is a really good episode. There have been other good episodes after that, but more than Bart the Mother just being good, to me it feels like the very last episode that actually to some extent just felt like a classic era episode.

I actually remember thinking that when I watched it for the first time. "These new Simpsons episodes are usually so disapointing, but this one reminds me of the pre-1998 episodes".
 
Marge and Bart episodes are so rare but they've never let me down. Supremely underrated duo.
 
im not sure what constitutes underrated but i see little talk of the big brother episode
 
Bart Gets Famous is one of my top 10 favorite classic era episodes, though it seems the general consensus is that it’s only okay. Grade School Confidential is also excellent, even though it’s often seen as a weaker Season 8 effort.
 
Kangdos said:
I don't consider season 10 classic, but I do agree that Bart the Mother is a really good episode. There have been other good episodes after that, but more than Bart the Mother just being good, to me it feels like the very last episode that actually to some extent just felt like a classic era episode.

I actually remember thinking that when I watched it for the first time. "These new Simpsons episodes are usually so disapointing, but this one reminds me of the pre-1998 episodes".
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Technically speaking, Bart the Mother is part of S9's production run - hence it being the final episode with Phil Hartmann.

I consider everything from New York to it as effectively apocrypha to the classic series' primary text.
 
Personally, I consider When You Dish Upon a Star, Lard of the Dance, The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace and Bart the Mother as the official ending to the classic era, mainly because I love the last one and I think it's a fitting episode to stop. Also, any episode with Phil Hartman in it must be a classic.

Anyway, I'd say almost all of season 1 doesn't get enough love. It's a wonderful and iconic season of ground-breaking television only underappreciated because the team in charge knew how to make the series even better in the following years.
 
Lisa the Simpson is the final classic-era episode as far as I'm concerned. As I've previously written:

As the third and final season 8 holdover, Lisa the Simpson originally aired as episode 17 of season 9, but has since been shuffled around to third position after the show went up on Disney+. That might seem like a bizarre and inexplicable change, but it actually corrects an anomaly that never made much sense to begin with. This was the very last episode that Oakley and Weinstein produced, but it was held back for months for reasons I’ve never been able to ascertain which effectively separated it from the rest of their work and conflated it with Scully’s. Consequently, the pertinence of the themes and motifs underpinning the story was diminished.

Now the episode is right where it should be; where it should always have been.

For all intents and purposes, Lisa the Simpson is the swan song of the classic era. Like other meta-textual Oakley and Weinstein episodes, it contains a number of ideas and messages that can be extrapolated to the show itself. The episode is a lovely meditation on the fear of getting older, the inexorable passage of time, the inevitability of decline, and the desire to leave behind a worthy legacy. When Lisa worries that her best years are behind her and the future looks bleak, The Simpsons is reflecting on its own advancing age and expressing anxiety about its possible atrophy. When Lisa exalts intellectual virtues and warns against taking one’s faculties for granted, the show is venerating its own defining qualities and imploring its future stewards to treat it with the care and respect it deserves.

The allegory is a powerful and prescient one given the subsequent downfall of the series. With dialogue like “I've hit my mental and creative peak at the tender age of eight; what will my life be like after I descend into mediocrity?” and “I will soon become vapid, sluggish and slow witted”, how can this story be viewed as anything other than The Simpsons reflecting on its own mortality? One can’t help but wonder if Oakley and Weinstein had an inkling of what was looming on the horizon. They could never have known in 1997 that The Simpsons would still be on the air churning out new episodes in the 2020’s, but their anticipation of its decline was frightfully accurate. That outcome has only enhanced the sombre poignancy of Lisa the Simpson, which stands as one of the best episodes they produced and, arguably, the last breath of the golden age firing on all cylinders.
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Incidentally, I reckon Lisa the Simpson doesn't get enough love for these reasons.
 
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I understand that criteria, but in a recent rewatch I thought that Lisa the Simpson is one of the lesser efforts of the wonderful Oakley and Weinstein era. Oh it's great, of course, part of the most perfectly crafted season of the show. But I think that it only holds up at a metatextual level, while at the surface shows a protagonist family where almost all the bad and good individualities are only the result of... bad and good genetics. I think it's a very flawed retcon if not even entirely problematic to begin with.

Anyway, The Principal and the Pauper is great.
 
I think 'Lisa The Simpson' has gotten plenty of love (such as on these boards) so I don't think it suffers from a lack of love, per se. I absolutely understand why some don't like it much and speaking of which, much like 'My Sister My Sitter' (which is one I feel doesn't get enough love) it seems like it is another episode that have gotten more vocal dislike and criticism over the years as opposed to, like, a decade ago.
 
Quilloughby said:
But I think that it only holds up at a metatextual level, while at the surface shows a protagonist family where almost all the bad and good individualities are only the result of... bad and good genetics. I think it's a very flawed retcon if not even entirely problematic to begin with.
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This.

Also my go-to answer to this thread would probably be 'Bart Gets an Elephant'. 'Raging Abe Simpson...' is also a favorite of mine and while its reception is fairly positive, perhaps it's not positive enough ? Aha. It's one of their most exciting episodes, and also one of their most gorgeous.
 
Quilloughby said:
I understand that criteria, but in a recent rewatch I thought that Lisa the Simpson is one of the lesser efforts of the wonderful Oakley and Weinstein era. Oh it's great, of course, part of the most perfectly crafted season of the show. But I think that it only holds up at a metatextual level, while at the surface shows a protagonist family where almost all the bad and good individualities are only the result of... bad and good genetics. I think it's a very flawed retcon if not even entirely problematic to begin with.
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I think this may be one reason why more have been turning against 'Lisa The Simpson' with time, now that I think of it.

Back when it premiered, this metatextual way of how they did the story was more novel, but as time has passed (and especially nowadays), metafiction and metafictionality itself has been overused in media and lost its bite and people have understandably gotten tired of it and will likely look back at an episode like this with less fondness but more with a critical eye.

That and many understandably have reacted more negatively to the faulty genetics thing, which I am sure Oakley & Weinstein were more tongue in cheek about rather than serious in terms of series retcons (and they were known for their brand of experimentalism, which wasn't always meant to be taken at face value, so I think this should be taken with a grain of salt), but I do see why some feel it was going too far.
 
CousinMerl said:
Back when it premiered, this metatextual way of how they did the story was more novel, but as time has passed (and especially nowadays), metafiction and metafictionality itself has been overused in media and lost its bite and people have understandably gotten tired of it and will likely look back at an episode like this with less fondness but more with a critical eye.
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Regardless of historical context, Lisa the Simpson is a thoughtful, thematically rich, and emotionally resonant story on multiple levels. That will always remain true.
 
B-Boy said:
Regardless of historical context, Lisa the Simpson is a thoughtful, thematically rich, and emotionally resonant story on multiple levels. That will always remain true.
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Well yes, it is a well told story with a lot of depth and meaning, but I still think it is important to note, acknowledge and understand why it has gotten more critics with time (and some never really loved to begin with, also).
 
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Jackomon said:
I honestly agree with your choices (with the only exception been Bart Gets Famous).

For me, I'd include
- Separate Vocations
- Marge on the Lam
- Lisa's Rival
- Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy
- The Springfield Connection
- Grade School Confidential
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I Honestly agree with your choices as well thank you for sharing I really forgot how underrated Grade School Confidental was I really should've put on my list lol
Nitsy said:
Bart Gets Famous is one of my top 10 favorite classic era episodes, though it seems the general consensus is that it’s only okay. Grade School Confidential is also excellent, even though it’s often seen as a weaker Season 8 effort.
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Both really good choices thank you for sharing
 
CousinMerl said:
I think 'Lisa The Simpson' has gotten plenty of love (such as on these boards) so I don't think it suffers from a lack of love, per se. I absolutely understand why some don't like it much and speaking of which, much like 'My Sister My Sitter' (which is one I feel doesn't get enough love) it seems like it is another episode that have gotten more vocal dislike and criticism over the years as opposed to, like, a decade ago.
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I've spoken quite a lot about how much I love My Sister, My Sitter, but I adore Lisa the Simpson just as much if not moreso (another contender for my favourite all time episode easily) and the fact that it too seems to have a growing negative reception is just as baffling to me as it is for MS,MS. Feels to me like people are gradually turning on my favourite episodes so I hope the same doesn't happen to Summer of 4 ft. 2!
 
I Love Lisa said:
I've spoken quite a lot about how much I love My Sister, My Sitter, but I adore Lisa the Simpson just as much if not moreso (another contender for my favourite all time episode easily) and the fact that it too seems to have a growing negative reception is just as baffling to me as it is for MS,MS. Feels to me like people are gradually turning on my favourite episodes so I hope the same doesn't happen to Summer of 4 ft. 2!
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Aw Man, Summer of 4 Ft. 2 is a great choice
 
Not to start a debate, but I feel like people's problem with Lisa the Simpson and the Simpson gene thing is that it's terribly a reduction of the characters' struggles (Bart and Homer for example). Is it a good episode? Yes, yes it is, I don't think it's great but it is fascinating to unpack. But I definitely wouldn't take it entirely as a statement from the characters' text, because in any case the thesis is a bit contradictory—forgetting that in that same season we have Lisa's Sax, who showed why Bart is the way he is and why he came to become the naughty boy we all know. And in the case of Homer, well... It's even sillier considering that in any case it was Abe who crushed Homer's potential early on ("Quit your daydreaming, melonhead").

Anyway, speaking of that particular quote; Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy which is the best study of father-son relationships, along with the best story (and use) of the Homer-Abe duo in the series for me. Also Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield is my favorite Marge story of the entire series and I will always shout it from the rooftops.
 
I Love Lisa said:
I've spoken quite a lot about how much I love My Sister, My Sitter, but I adore Lisa the Simpson just as much if not moreso (another contender for my favourite all time episode easily) and the fact that it too seems to have a growing negative reception is just as baffling to me as it is for MS,MS. Feels to me like people are gradually turning on my favourite episodes so I hope the same doesn't happen to Summer of 4 ft. 2!
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I think 'Summer Of 4 Ft. 2' will remain safe, as it is one oft hose "evergreen" episodes that don't really have anything that stands out a something that people would latch onto and hate (Not even the sibling conflict of Bart & Lisa, as it clearly was bart's fault and he apologized and made peace with her in the end). But there's probably a bunch of other classics that aren't looked on as fondly now.

And speaking of season 5 episodes, I always kinda liked 'Bart's Inner Child', but it often tends to be mentioned among the seasons weakest.
 
Sandboy said:
Not to start a debate, but I feel like people's problem with Lisa the Simpson and the Simpson gene thing is that it's terribly a reduction of the characters' struggles (Bart and Homer for example). Is it a good episode? Yes, yes it is, I don't think it's great but it is fascinating to unpack. But I definitely wouldn't take it entirely as a statement from the characters' text, because in any case the thesis is a bit contradictory—forgetting that in that same season we have Lisa's Sax, who showed why Bart is the way he is and why he came to become the naughty boy we all know. And in the case of Homer, well... It's even sillier considering that in any case it was Abe who crushed Homer's potential early on ("Quit your daydreaming, melonhead").
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I do understand that criticism about the Simpson gene actually with it being unfair to Bart and Homer to essentially say they're genetically handicapped and all, but that's only a problem if you actually believe the gene exists. No evidence is ever provided for it and the only people who actually address it are Grampa and Dr. Simpson at the very end. Abe I can very much see explaining away his own subpar parenting by blaming it all on some "gene" so I don't think we can take his word as authority, but Lisa was in a vulnerable enough moment that it did bother her and its only resolved by having a distant relative in a white coat telling her that the faulty gene only effects men, without offering any proof whatsoever. Lisa's young enough to buy that and really was only looking for assurance that her intelligence wasn't doomed so it seems to me like the doctor just said that to provide that assurance to a little girl who was freaking out about her future. Like you said, its existence is contradicted a lot, both before and after, so it makes the most sense to assume Simpson gene is just something that exists in Grampa's imagination that he spooked his granddaughter with.
 
The Boy Who Knew Too Much is one of my favorite episodes ever, top 10 worthy. One of the greatest displays of the Skinner vs Bart dynamic. With how tightly paced, funny, and well plotted it is, I am surprised it is not up there with episodes like Marge vs the Monorail and King Sized Homer in popular discourse. "Am I so out of touch? No, it is the children that are wrong".

Not to start a debate, but I feel like people's problem with Lisa the Simpson and the Simpson gene thing is that it's terribly a reduction of the characters' struggles (Bart and Homer for example).
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This is the main reason I am lukewarm on the episode. The first 2 acts are pretty good imo, but the reduction of intelligence to good and bad genetics based on gender (which is a yikes and a half) is so stupid that whatever meta commentary the episode may or may not have had hits me less since the episode self destructs with the third act.
 
I Love Lisa said:
so it makes the most sense to assume Simpson gene is just something that exists in Grampa's imagination that he spooked his granddaughter with.
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Does mean mentally deleting everything said by Doctor Simpson though. She said it, it's in the episode, and that's how the episode is resolved. Sure if you want to have your own personal non-problematic edited version, then hey more power to you if the result is something that you love. It's just an episode of an animated show. It ultimately doesn't matter that much.

Personally I can only view it as an unfortunate product of the time where the only way it seemed there was to big up women was to put down men as basically stupid overgrown children. What makes it kinda sad is that 9.9 times out of 10 the people writing that were men cause they, in their clumsy mid to late 90's way, thought that was how to be progressive. Well there was a cynical edge to it too as that was what sold. At the time you saw a bunch of bumbling idiot men messes up yet again, as the wise totally together women rolls their eyes at them in advertising.

I like parts of Lisa the Simpson. The children's puzzle a brilliant device in the way it instigates and then drives the plot. The whole thing though? Nah, don't like it much. Still probably top 5 best episodes in s9, but well that says more about the average quality of s9 doesn't it :D
 
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