Worst episode (per season)

[Number 10767]

Simpson Safari is by far, one of the worst vacation episodes ever. It's totally racist to Africa. No, I'm sorry, but most Africans are civilized people, who don't wear grass skirts. The end with the chimp diamond mine is retarded. I hate this episode.

I wonder if all of the earth-shattering civil rights activism of the 20th century has made us hyper-sensitive to racism towards Africans and African-Americans. Maybe so, since I don't think I've ever heard any Americans call "Bart vs. Australia" racist / offensive. I mean, what you are saying is true, but in pretty much every vacation episode, the people of the location are portrayed completely inaccurately. It ranges from stereotypes to just outright lies. Do you really think Australia has a booting punishment? I think if you look at any other vacation episode (or even just the "New Orleans" song in A Streetcar Named Marge), you'll find it no more racist than Simpson Safari, yet that is the episode I always hear called offensive.

I do think that episode is pretty bad, though. However, I do find the first act funny. ("I want everything in one bag." / "Yes, ma'am." / "But I don't want the bag to be heavy." / "I don't think that's possible." / "What are you, the possible police? Just do it")

[Izzy315]

There's a couple of episodes that I didn't like per season but the worst episode that comes to mind is when Sarah Michelle Gellar was the special guest. I forgot the name of that episode but it was boring, uninteresting and I didn't finish watching the whole show! :mexican:

[jwbph]

season 1 - no disgrace like home D
season 2 - Dancin Homer D
season 3 - Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes C-
season 4 - Marge in Chains C
season 5 - THOH IV C-
season 6 - Springfield Connection/Star is Burns C-
season 7 - Sideshow Bobs Last Gleaming C-
season 8 - Burns Baby, Burns D
season 9 - The Two Mrs. Nahasapemapetilans D-

[Dramaturgical Dyad]

1) Homer's Night Out
2) Dancin' Homer
3) The Otto Show
4) Lisa The Beauty Queen
5) Lisa Vs Malibu Stacy
6) The PTA Disbands (not that interesting of a story, cant remember any jokes)
7) Marge Be Not Proud (By now I'd had enough of those Bart's guilt episodes)
8) The Twisted World Of Marge Simpson
9) The Trouble With Trillions (the first shakey Burns episode)

it gets a little trickier here
10) Monty Can't Buy Me Love
11) Last Tap Dance In Springfield
12) Simpsons Safari
13) Lastest Gun In The West (such an odd, slow episode)
14) Pray Anything
15) Margical Mystery Tour
16) Mobile Homer

[bovine_university]

Okay here goes:

Season 1: Homer's Night Out

The episode just feels and flows in a dull manner for me. Marge seems very sensitive in this episode (at least compared to nowadays, but maybe that's being unfair), and by the third act the story seems to move very slowly. The scene with Mr. Burns and Homer just feels awkward and never really becomes very interesting, and the climax occurs more or less exactly how you expect it to. It's not a bottom 10 episode, but it's very lacking compared with other episodes in the first season.

Season 2: Itchy and Scratchy and Marge

I know that this episode is loved by many around here, but I've never been able to enjoy it myself. The conflict is more or less between Marge and Roger Meyers Jr. and it's difficult to feel or side with either one of them and as a result you can't root for anyone. The ending is also a real clunker with the moral being that even though you can make a difference you shouldn't bother trying and artistic beauty should just be forced upon our youth. Sure it was trying to be ironic but that doesn't mean that it's funny or entertaining. Many will disagree, but I just don't like this episode.

Season 3: Separate Vocations

Not a bad episode, but very average overall. It's an interesting experiment to see Bart and Lisa switching roles like this, and it works for a little while, but by the third act it seems like they go overboard with Lisa's characterization and end up making her revert back to her old self much too quickly. A few more scenes could have remedied this, but as it is it seems awkward and the resolution is pretty predictable. This is what happens when you have to pick a least favorite episode from such a consistent season.

Season 4: Marge in Chains

This episode had a pretty good second act (thanks mostly to Lionel Hutz) but that's pretty much all that this episode has going for it. The first act is nothing but a typical throw-away plot and the characterizations of the citizens being suspicious (particularly Apu) are never funny, and the third act goes overboard with the circumstances of Marge not being there.

Season 5: Homer Loves Flanders

I've never liked it when The Simpsons tries their luck with dark humor, and this episode is one of the reasons why. Seeing the stuff that happens to Ned as a result of being Homer's friend just never connected well with me, especially the dream he has. You can also more or less see the plot progression and the ending coming from a mile away.

Season 6: Bart's Comet

Nobody is counting clip shows, so I guess I won't either. Another tough call, since this episode has a terrific first half, but after the townhall meeting, things kind of fall apart. The irony in the third act (so I don't like irony, shoot me) just doesn't seem funny and the ending feels unsatisfying. The scene with the family on the roof just seems to go on and on. The town goes from total overconfidence to complete hysteria, and neither seems all that funny or developed. The first half is great, but the second half just feels rushed and thin.

Season 7: Much Apu About Nothing

Sometimes when the show satirizes something, it does too good a job and it feels too close to the truth. This episode feels that way, and the result is not funny. It's nice to see the writers giving Apu a backstory, but the tone of the episode just feels flat and slow, the backstory for Grandpa immigrating to America seems awkward and doesn't really go anywhere, and there are one too many dramatic speech moments. The townsfolk acting so cruel towards foreigners (Uter's scene comes to mind) is too mean-spirited to be humorous. Another episode that gets me in alot of hot water with other posters, but I don't like this episode.

Season 8: Hurricane Neddy

It seemed like this episode was the result of the writers digging themselves into a hole and not knowing what to do besides go off into complete tangents. The three acts are all pretty disjointed, but by the third act there end up being so many plot exchanges without satisfying resolutions that the whole episode seems like a lost cause. The misfortune of Ned ending with Ned exploding with rage is too dark for me, and nothing besides Ned's rage problem (which isn't even introduced until the third act) gets resolved.

Season 9: Trash of the Titans

There may be no other episode that featured Homer being louder, ruder, or more obnoxious than this one. He never comes off as likable or reasonable and you are never able to side with him or care about him. Steve Martin also feels dry and unnecessary since he is reduced to a straight man supporting performance, and U2's appearance is too thin as well. The plot is very run-of-the-mill and the ending is completely unsatisfying. The 200th episode milestone deserved so much better than this.

Season 10: Viva Ned Flanders

Okay, maybe I am overcriticizing Flanders episodes, but that's just how I feel. Homer is characterized quite badly again, being uncaring and obnoxious, the casino being demolished at the beginning is a completely gratuitous meta-humor joke, and the plot goes nowhere until the third act where it proceeds to completely collapse on itself and leave the episode feeling unfinished.

Season 11: Alone Again, Natura-Diddly

This is personally my least favorite episode of all time. In what could have been a touching episode about the death of Maude we end up getting a completely insincere story filled with raunchy humor and an uninteresting plot. At the very least Flanders should not have been dating in the same episode, but even after that's over the idea of Flanders losing his faith is completely underdeveloped and thin. A shameful episode.

Season 12: Day of the Jackanapes

Hands down the worst Sideshow Bob episode of all time for me. This episode is filled with jokes that go on for too long (Maggie shot Mr. Burns again), have been repeated gratuitously before (Gary Coleman and the karate), or are just downright peculiar (Mr. Teeny stripping). But even without the humor problems, the biggest problem with this episode could (oddly enough) be Bob himself. The heart of SSB episodes are not merely Bob alone, but Bob and his conflict with Bart and Lisa. In this episode though, there is no conflict, so the plot never becomes interesting or engaging. Instead we just get way too much of watching Bob be full of himself, and a plot that eventually just collapses on itself. He's a great character, but SSB can't carry an entire episode alone.

Season 13: Blame It on Lisa

Perhaps you can say this about all vacation episodes, but somehow the humor in this episode seemed alot more mean-spirited than usual. Between the kid's show, the soccer in the hotel, the rats in the streets, and the currency, the jabs at Brazil seemed less playful than other episodes. The story also progresses at a snail's pace before reaching the third act where Homer gets kidnapped (even though earlier that season he had already been held hostage by Snake), and the main plot feels and resolves itself like an afterthought without trying hard enough to tie in with the hostage situation. Cruel humor and poor plotting make for a poor viewing experience.

Season 14: Dude, Where's My Ranch?

After a throw-away first act with Homer's too-mean-to-be-funny song about Flanders and a disturbing joke about Moe (it wasn't a good year for Moe), we get to the main plot about Lisa acting strangely rash and destructive for the sake of a crush, which doesn't feel believable. The subplot is also completely forgettable and unnecessary and the cameos by Andy Serkis and David Byrne seem forced. A poor episode even by vacation episode standards.

Season 15: The Bart-Mangled Banner

What can be said about this episode that hasn't been said already? It starts off with an overly cartoonish characterization of Hibbert, proceeds with political humor that is so over-the-top and blatant that the writers were trying to smack us over the head with punch-lines, and concludes with a needlessly wacky adventure on Alcatraz Island before having a empty resolution in France. The humor falls flat in every respect, the plot is everywhere and never stays still, and the political satire is executed extremely poorly. This is my personal pick for the second worst episode of all time.

Season 16: Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass

With this and Sunday, Cruddy Sunday, maybe the writers should lay off the Superbowl episodes. I think that more than half of the entire first act is devoted to watching Homer dance around like an idiot, and it gets old very quickly. The writers decision to turn Flanders into a right-wing Christian fundamentalist was a bad idea to begin with, but here it takes on a whole new level of poor characterization. He's completely unlikable and his videos are so bloody it's completely unbelievable that he would make them. In fact, there is way too much blood and gore overall in the entire episode, and the cameos by the sports stars are needless. The plots come together for the sake of a half-time show that is underwhelming and an unsatisfying conclusion.

[Darunia]

Season 1 - Homer's Odyssey
Season 2 - Bart's Dog Gets An F
Season 3 - Dog of Death
Season 4 - Marge Gets a Job
Season 5 - Lady Bouvier's Lover
Season 6 - Bart's Girlfriend
Season 7 - Curse of the Flying Hellfish
Season 8 - Treehouse of Horror VII
Season 9 - Trash of the Titans
Season 10 - Maximum Homerdrive
Season 11 - Saddlesore Galactica
Season 12 - Tennis the Menace
Season 13 - The Lastest Gun in the West
Season 14 - Helter Shelter
Season 15 - Bart-Mangled Banner
Season 16 - All's Fair in Oven War

[Reverend Lovejoy]

Awe, Lovejoy.......love Behind the Laughter

Sorry. I haven't seen season 11 for a while, and I just put the first episode I remember. Now that I think about it, I'd say the worst is Kill the alligator and run.

Season 6- Bart's Girlfriend

WTF? I love this episode. :-O

[Greased Scotsman]

Season 16: Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass

With this and Sunday, Cruddy Sunday, maybe the writers should lay off the Superbowl episodes.

I agree. It's like the future episodes and Lisa's Wedding - it should have been Lisa The Greek and that's it.

[Drunk Barney]

1: Homer's Odyssey C Dull and saw a horrible Homer/suicide moment
2: The War of the Simpsons B
3. The Otto Show B A bit dull
4. Krusty Gets Kancelled B- dull and the plot didn't work well
5. Homer Goes to College B jerkass Homer
6. Fear of Flying B- (bar clip show)
7. Homerpalooza B-/C+ Dull
8. The Simpsons Spin-off Showcase C 1st- boring 2nd- Q good 3- silly
9.Trash of the Titans B-/C+ jerky Homer and horrible ending
10. Won't comment as I havn't seen a load of them in ages
11. Behind the Laughter D- WORST. EPISODE. EVER
12. Simpson Safari C whacky, though even so, underrated
13. Homer the Moe C disjointed boring plot, horrible Homer pain gag
14. Helter Shelter D+ the first act was OK, other from that horrible.
15. Margical History Tour C Boring
16. Goo Goo Gai Pan C+/B- Whacky, pain gags, not sure on ending.

[Garp]

1- Homer's Odisey D
2- Dancin' Homer C+
3- Mr.Lisa Goes To Washington B/B-
4- Marge in Chains (Not sure) B
5- Lisa Vs Stacey Malibu C+
6- Another Simpson Clipshow C+
7- Homerpalooza C-
8-The Secret War Of Lisa Simpson C+
9- Royalty Bites C/C+
10- Sunday, Cruddy Sunday D/D-
11- The mansion Famil F
12- Homer VS Dignity F
13- Gup Roast D
14- Pray Anything C/C-
15- Co-Dependent's Day C/C+

[IAMHOMER]

Season 9: Trash of the Titans

There may be no other episode that featured Homer being louder, ruder, or more obnoxious than this one. He never comes off as likable or reasonable and you are never able to side with him or care about him. Steve Martin also feels dry and unnecessary since he is reduced to a straight man supporting performance, and U2's appearance is too thin as well. The plot is very run-of-the-mill and the ending is completely unsatisfying. The 200th episode milestone deserved so much better than this.

I agree completely with you. I have Trash of the Titans on video and wondered whether many people would vote for that (although the only other S9 episode I have seen is Das Bus). Basically the whole story is built on the premise of Homer running for sanitation commissioner all because he was too lazy to put the garbage out in time. As this is the Simpsons, people may say that's supposed to be part of the comedy, but with Homer's characterization being as it is, it just comes across as plain irritating. And even up to the end, with the whole town being towed away, Homer doesn't seem to feel any remorse for what's he done - throughout the episode he remains the usual dumb, selfish and boorish Homer, but not the one we know and love from the earlier classic episodes.

I like the moments however when Homer gets his comeuppance, like when he gets beaten to a pulp by the U2 guards on the big screen and everyone in the town hall except Homer votes in favour of horsewhipping him. Pity Homer doesn't learn a bit of humility in return, though...

[Charlie]

S1 -- The Tellale Head
S2 -- Bart Gets Hit By A Car
S3 -- Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk
S4 -- Krusty Gets Kancelled -- last ep of S4
S5 -- Bart's Inner Child
S6 -- Sideshow Bob Roberts
S7 -- A Fish Called Selma
S8 -- The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase
S9 -- The Trouble With Trillions
S10 -- Sunday, Cruddy Sunday
S11 -- Saddlesore Galactica
S12 -- A Tale of Two Springfields
S13 -- Homer The Moe
S14 -- Helter Shelter
S15 -- My Big Fat Geek Wedding
S16 -- Don't Fear The Roofer
S17 -- so far Bonfire Of The Manatees (probably going to be Bart Has Two Mommies)

[Nebuchanezzar]

I can't believe that two people (I think it was two) listed Krusty gets Kancelled & Dog of Death as their least favourite episodes. True, they're from excellent seasons, but they're my top 2. It shows the true scope and contrast between Simpsons fans on the internet. I find each episode is hilarious, solid, resolved & nicely paced, albeit Krusty gets Kancelled does slow a bit in the last act. Oh well, it's probably not my favourite episode anymore. After watching these over the past few days, Moaning Lisa, Cape Feare & Rosebud will probably shoot into my top ten, or further into the top three in the case of Cape Feare. Alas, this isn't about favourite episodes, this is about worst episodes. These are probably out of synch with my choices on IAMHOMER's little tournament, and that's because my opionions frequently change, this should give a reasonable insight into my views though. An interesting note is that I don't give an episode unfair mental points because it features a touching story, I grade them equally based on all fields damnit! That's why Summer of 4"2' isn't in my toip 50 list...

S1: Some Enchanted Evening - It's not that it's a bad episode. It's solid, it's kinda funny but it doesn't measure up to everything else in this excellent season.

S2: Dancin' Homer - The lame attempt at writing a story about a little guy getting to the big time doesn't work here folks. It's lame, it's got a crappy story, it ain't funny and it's embarrasing. If I went somewhere where they hadn't seen The Simpsons before, this would be my choice of the No1. episode NOT to show a new viewer. Utterly terrible. One of my few F episodes.

S3: Flaming Moe's - Once again, it's not a terrible episode, it's simply not all the great. It has it's moments, with a nice little scene where Homer imagines everything as Moe. The Otto Show & Stark Raving Dad come close

S4: Kamp Krusty - If New Kid mon the Block didn't have the sub-plot, it would have gotten this title but Kamp Krusty is the least best episode out of this superb season. It was quite difficult to choose, and I actually do like this episode, but much like seasons 1 & 3, this episode just isn't as good as the rest of the season.

S5: $pringfield (or how I learned to stop worrying and love lagalized gambling - Despite the nice homage in the name, this episode doesn't cut it. There are a few memorable moments like Homer's "photographic memory" and the Rain Man scene & the boogeyman scene but it's the worst from seasons 5, definately. The ending is horrible as well, I would have expected better from the great Oakley & Weinstein. I have a feeling that others were responsible for the aforementioned scenes though, due to the fact that there are countless moments like those in seasons 6 & 7, but then hardly ever again since then.

S6:A Star is Burns - If I wanted to watch the Critic I would have watched the damn TV show. I guess if this episode had been funny then it would have been good, unfortunately it sucks.

S7: This was quite hard to choose actually, but Bart the Fink - Most of Swartzwelder's stuff is great, but this episode is way too mediocre. Waaay to mediocre. No hilarious gags, a bad ending & some sort of dry feeling throughout the episode gets this one a worst tag.

S8: El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer - Weird for the sake of being weird? Isolated for the sake of being isolated? Annoying and frustrating for...I dunno why. I've seen it, I've understood it (which wasn't hard) and I can't bring myself to enjoy it. I have no idea what they were thinking.

S9: Das Bus - It's ok, it's good in the first act with the UN send up, but after then it's annoying, mundane, slow and aggrivating. I'm getting sick of justifying my opinions here so let's settle with the fact that it sucks.

S10: Viva Ned Flanders - Oh god this is terrible. It's not funny, it's horrible in it's protrayal of both Flanders and Homer, and the resolution is terrible. Ugh, I can't bring myself to enjoying it at all anymore.

S11: Tie It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Marge and Beyond Blunderdome. The Marge episode is terrible in it's portrayal of Marge and the betrayal by her family, plus it ain't funny, the Mel Gibson one is a prostitution of the name Simpson. It's a freaking marketing campaign for that Australian actor. Ugh

S12: Homer v Dignity - It's fairly obvious why one could hate it.
S13: Nil
S14: Nil
S15: Nil
S16: Nil
S17: Bonfire of the Manatees - It's the worst so far

[Wonderlicious]

I'll just do the seasons that I can think of due to having knowledge of the episodes.

1. Call of the Simpsons (it's a shame that I don't really like this episode anymore, as it was the first I watched )
2. Dancin' Homer (I guess it doesn't seem to entertain that much since baseball isn't really part of my culture)
3. Dog of Death (okay, but it runs out of steam eventually)
4. A Streetcar Named Marge (very very good, but perhaps coz I've only seen it in its entirety two times before whilst the others in the season I've seen much more, it doesn't seem as special)
5. Bart's Inner Child (okay, but a bit bland)
6. Another Simpsons Clip Show (really bland)
7. The 138th Episode Spectacular (still good, but compared to the episodes that make this season my favourite after the forth, not as good)
11. Brother's Little Helper (no drugs, please)
12. Tale of Two Springfields (okay at beginning, yet became tedious)
16. Future Drama (depressing)
17. Homer's Paternity Coot (not bad, but unmemorable)

[729]

Not including clipshows

1. Life On The Fast Lane
2. Bart Gets An F
3. Saturdays Of Thunder
4. A Streetcar Named Marge
5. Lady Bouvier's Lover
6. Two Dozen & One Greyhounds
7. Bart The Fink
8. Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase
9. Lisa The Skeptic
10. When You Dish Upon A Star
11. Little Big Mom
12. Pokey Mom
13. Homer The Moe
14. Helter Shelter
15. The Regina Monologues
16. A Star Is Torn
17. Treehouse Of Horror XVI

[John Jay Smith]

Just before I start, I want to say something. I think some of you are being a little harsh with season 1. I do not like the season much, but I still think it was the very beginning, and not all of the characters were fleshed out as well as they are now, so I can see why some of the episodes look a little bad now. But here goes!

Season 1: Although it is one of the most popular episodes ever (especially due to Sotuh Park) I really do not like the Telltale Head that much. I can understand Bart's emotions in trying to please the bullies, I just do not think the episode is funny. Pretty good for a "worst episode" though.

Season 2: Three Men and a Comic Book: Samea as season 1, an incredibly good episode for a "worst episode." The main reason I do not like it is because I do not think it has anything special. There are no famous jokes or quotations from this episode, and nothing about it is particularly funny.

Season 3: Stark Raving Dad Before I start, I KNOW I got my username from this episode, but that is just because everything else was taken. I really do not like this epiosde. The emotion is way too forced, especially between Lisa and Bart, and the guest star is gimmicky. Something that would happen a lot in seasons 15 and 16.

Season 4: Pretty much the perfect season, reading through the episode list, I could not think of one episode I would skip if I were watching the DVD set. I even think the clip show is funny.

Season 5: Same as season 4.

Seson 6: Another Simpsons Clip Show. On the audio commentary for season 7, the crew even comments on how they purposly made this as shitty as possible.

Season 7: Homerpalooza. extremely gimmicky with many guest stars that just make people go "huh" today.

I'll continue later, I am too lazy to finish now...

[Rjones]

You guys have a different list to what I'd have, don't have much time to post now but new kid on the block is my favourite episode ever, and whats with it being the worst of the season?
The storyline is supported by good jokes with the captain and the court case.

[Rest your giant head]

SEASON 1
"Some enchanted evening" 2/5

SEASON 2
"Dancing Homer" 3/5

SEASON 3
"Colonel Homer" 3/5

SEASON 4
"Kamp Krusty" 4/5

SEASON 5
"Marge on the lam" 4/5

SEASON 6
"Fear of flying" 2/5

SEASON 7
"Scenes from the class struggle in Springfield" 4/5

SEASON 8
"My sister,my sitter" 1/5

SEASON 9
"Bart star" 2/5

SEASON 10
"30 minutes over Tokyo 1/5

SEASON 11
"Hello gutter,hello fadder" 1/5

SEASON 12
"I'm going to Praiseland" 1/5

SEASON 13
"The frying game" 1/5

SEASON 14
"Strong arms of the ma" 1/5

Haven't seen the most of seasons 15,16,17.

[Charlie]

S1 - some enchanted evening
S2 - itchy and scratchy and marge
S3 - like father like clown
S4 - krusty gets kancelled
S5 - marge on the lam
S6 - 'round springfield
S7 - homerpalooza
S8 - simpsons pin off showcase
S9 - the trouble with trillions
S10 - sunday cruddy sunday
S11 - kill the alligator and run
S12 - simpson safari
S13 - the blunder years
S14 - helter shelter
S15 - today i am a clown
S16 - sleeping with the enemy
S17 N/A