Bart Sells His Soul

[Bella Drape 'er]

It deserves its recognition, because other people like it.

But I never thought of it as anything more than a simple plot with a few dreams and emotional beats. Not the overwhelming spectacle that people on here describe.

[cinco]

...

[cinco]

It deserves its recognition, because other people like it.

But I never thought of it as anything more than a simple plot with a few dreams and emotional beats. Not the overwhelming spectacle that people on here describe.

Haha, the 'overwhelming spectacle that people on here describe'.

That episode is effin' better than Disneyworld, Bella! It should have its own religious following.

[Blobulle]

Top 50, excellent episode.

[MrPlowKing]

Great episode, weird poll.

[Financial Panther]

Yeah, that poll isn't very good. It makes it seem like a "love it or hate it" deal.

[Lionel Hutz]

Yeah, it made more sense when the thread was created 7 years ago

[MrPlowKing]

It was on page one, not many threads being made it seems.

[Lionel Hutz]

It was on page one, not many threads being made it seems.

Threads are in the order that they thay are replied to, not created. This being an R*R thread, it could lie dormant for months, even years, before being bumped again

[MrPlowKing]

Threads are in the order that they thay are replied to, not created. This being an R*R thread, it could lie dormant for months, even years, before being bumped again

I know, I just thought you were being sarcastic towards me with your 7 years comment, then realized otherwise

[Lionel Hutz]

I know, I just thought you were being sarcastic towards me with your 7 years comment, then realized otherwise

Oh, that's alright. I'm NEVER sarcastic to new members! (seriously)

[Jesse Pinkman]

it was hard for me to originally pick an option in the poll since i don't have top 5/10/20 lists.

[leprechaun_dan]

Top 3 here

Third favourite episode behind Lemon of Troy and Who Shot Mr Burns - Part One

[Professorfrink]

the secpnd greatest episode ever

Also this is my first post via my nook™

[Sinister Burns]

I would ditch it if I were you.

[Infinity183]

Would I be a downer if I stated this episode is really overrated? While I can certainly appreciate the broader message being conveyed here, it's told through a rather predictable plot. Although Bart undergoes a dynamic character arc, strong use of emotion alone isn't enough to hallmark this as one of the greatest episodes of the entire series. By all practical means, Bart "selling his soul" on a sheet of paper should do absolutely nothing, but with such a blatant setup, of course the exact opposite happens. The rest of the plot from this point out is painfully easy to anticipate. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he's suddenly going to be cursed with bad luck and a cloud of ambivalence, and the resolution simply amounts to him trying to get his soul back.

Also, I know the moral is supposed to emphasize the significance of spirituality, and it factors well into Bart's conflict, but the episode is so consumed by story rather than explanation that it's honestly very difficult to relate to. I can understand that it's hard to create a palpable representation of the soul, since it's an entirely abstract concept, but simply objectifying it using a piece of paper isn't enough to convince me that the back luck that Bart subsequently encounters is anything but a mere means to advance the story.

Homer the Heretic dealt explored the topic of spirituality far superiorly. Homer doesn't just suddenly encounter a continuous streak of misfortune just because he decides never to go to church again. The issues that begin to befall him are predominantly due to the town's reaction to his social isolation. He comes into contact with the Man himself during dream sequences, but these scenes are employed as an active discussion rather than a one-sided scolding. We can personally understand why Homer doesn't grasp the purpose of church and why he feels he doesn't need it to be a respectable individual. Even the satirical version of God buys into his logic. Ultimately, we do see Homer undergo a character arc in pretty much the same way Bart does in BSHS, but through a setup that's much less contrived and more conducive to thought. When he finds the house burning down to the ground, he's put on edge for the first time, and ultimately finds his faith once his peers, coming from all different religions, rescue him from the disaster. He comes to realize the meaning of life because of real, practical situations, not because he just magically begins to feel unhappy. It's not some predictable plot device that we're just supposed to believe like in Bart Sells His Soul, and that makes it both much more relatable and far more suspenseful.

On the plus side, this episode does have the hysterical In the Garden of Eden prank during the opening scene, as well as a hilarious subplot involving Moe. But when Moe turning his bar into a family restaurant holds my attention far more than the story with an actual message, you can see why I don't even place this episode in my upper half of Season 7. It's still very good overall, and to be fair, the main story is handled excellently for what the writers had to work with, but to me, it's not an absolute classic as almost everyone else here seems to believe.

[Simpsons_Sweden]

Eassily top 50.

9/10

[bomberswarm2]

Top 3 for me, easily fits in and could be number 1.