Season Fifteen Best Episode: Part One (The President Wore Pearls Wins)

[Channel Surfer]

Voted for "'Tis the Fifteenth Season", edging out "Carjacker" and "Pearls". A notably questionable Ned characterization and iffy gags do keep it below the very best Jean episodes. But there's a lot that shines about it, parodying numerous Christmas Specials and satirizing both the prevalence of "A Christmas Carol" in television specials and the plausibility of the "finding the real meaning of Christmas" message spoon-fed in so many shows, including even "The Simpsons" themselves.

[brody]

TPWP

[Xt'Tapalatakettle]

'Tis the Fifteenth Season, followed by Margical History Tour, Marge vs. SSCCaTaG, and My Mother the Carjacker. I am not sure if I ever saw The President Wore Pearls. It is probably one of the eight or so episodes I haven't seen.

[Speedy Boris]

Tis the 15th Season, though Diatribe and parts of Carjacker come close.

[BrideofMoleman]

There's a surprisingly good number of decent episodes in this bunch. I had a tough desicision to make.

My Mother the Carjacker just didn't feel complete enough for my tastes which is why it wasn'tamong my tops. I suppose my top ones were Diatribe of a Mad Housewife, Tis the Fifteenth Season, I-(Annoyed Grunt)-Bot, and The President Wore Pearls.

I-(Annoyed Grunt)-Bot was a good Homer-Bart episode with a nice appearance by Jessica Lovejoy and had really great animation and I personally loved the reference to Principal and the Pauper at the end, but overall as an episode, it was really just decent rather than excellent like the other two.

Looking back now, I shouldn't have voted for Diatribe of a Mad Housewife because even though Marge becoming a novelist was a good idea, the sub-plot was horrendous and the ending with Homer promising to be a better husband just had me go ugg.

PWP was a great musical episode, though kind of a bland plot, whereas 'Tis the Fifteenth Season was funny (I despised the astrolobe), nicely developed, and had my favorite nice Homer. Not to mention Hans Moleman at the end and the Springfielders singing Hark the Herald Angel Sings. Homer perhaps gave the best description of Christmas I heard a while

"The point is...a million years ago a dude named Jesus was born and some believe him and some don't, and that's okay! But we're probably right!"

I mentally change my anwser to 'Tis the Fifteenth Season but it doesn't matter as it will win anyway

[J-Spot]

Finally, a season with enough good episodes to make this a somewhat difficult choice. I absolutely love The President Wore Pearls. It's one of the few Jean episodes that actually feels like it could fit in with the classic-era. The stretch of episodes from 'Tis the Fifteenth Season through Diatribe of a Mad Housewife are all pretty good, as well.

[grissom]

Tis' The Fifteenth Season just beats out Carjacker and Diatribe. Honorable mentions are I D'oh-bot and President Wore Pearls.

[Captain Edwell]

'Tis.

"Today is the birthday of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and singer Barbara Mandrell."

[joe]

Close with 'Tis the 15th Season, but I have to go with Marge v. Everyone.

[lindsay]

I barely remember any of these episodes. The one I remember the most was "The President Who Wore Pearls" and I really enjoyed that one, so I went with that one.

[Sniper Squirrel]

i thought my mother the carjacker was good, even though nowhere near as good as mother simpson, but I loved the music in this episode, I also really liked the president wore pearls

[bovine_university]

It's a very close call between The President Wore Pearls and 'Tis the Fifteenth Season, but I eventually chose Pearls. The previous year had one lousy music effort after another, but here they finally managed to get some memorable and humorous tunes that fit the mood of the story in this episode. This wasn't a perfect affair, since a couple songs were forgettable and the resolution was cheap, but still the songs that do work are either very funny or have a heart. The Springfield Elementary school staff also got some memorable moments of their own (Willie in particular), and the story was interesting as well. It was a very refreshing experience after the efforts from the previous year.

[Ryan_]

geez.. ummm.. ill go with "The President Wore Pearls"

[Adam R]

Although my memory is foggy for all of them, I still don't understand the love for TTFS. Pearls, Carjacker and (maybe) IDB being the other popular episodes are average to me. DOAMH is one of my post-classic favourites and overall a very underrated episode.

[Simpsons Forever!]

'Tis The Fifteenth Season

[Nebuchanezzar]

These haven't been played a lot in Australia, and hence I'm voting from very iffy memories. I do remember Marge v yada yada to be quite a good episode.

[Kiyosuki]

Indeed, this is a pretty tough season to judge.

I eventually voted for President Wore Pearls though, I haven't voted for a good Lisa episode in a while.

While its a parody of Evita essentially, the fact its a parody of Evita used to illustrate the faculty's callous attitude to the kids is what I think is so fun about it. The song numbers and everything was all just silly fun and it all came together pretty well in the end. Can't beat Moe randomly coming out of nowhere with Lisa's picture, crying with pride. lol

This season has some pretty nice episodes all around though. I do'h Bot and Marge...versus the universe are my personal favorites along with my vote. Bot was just a great episode for both Homer and Bart, and it was one of those moments you got to cheer for Homer because of how much he goes through just to make his kid feel good about himself. Thats the Homer I know I love.

Marge vs etc etc is another fun one. It was the first time in years I was totally behind Marge this time, going against a pretty stupid and unfair law. It was a pretty neat satire over adults' callous treatment of kids' needs and very presence in the modern world, there's a lot of things you could connect to the premise. But all and all it was just a fun episode and a great for Marge.

Regina Monologues is one of my favorite of the foreign trip episodes, and while nowhere even close to as emotional and unforgettable as Mother Simpson was My Mother the Carjacker was a pretty decent entry I think.

[Ben Allman]

The President Wore Pearls is a modern day classic! For me, everything is right and the humour is spot on. It's worthy of being a season 4-6 episode.

- "Zombie eat brains but zombie cannot swallow this injustice."
- Willie impersonating Milhouse for the genuine enjoyment of the teachers.
- "I wish I married a business man. Then I'd have nice things."
- All the songs - "I've fallen in the pool!".
- Willie's rant about coal mine collapse in Glasgow.

and so so much more. I cannot get over how much this episode contrasts with most post-season 8 episodes.

[George Cauldron]

It's not going to win this, but it is going to get my vote: Today, I Am A Clown. Perhaps the majority of the jokes appealed to me on account of being Jewish myself, but I thought these jokes were better than the ones that appeared in its predecessor, Like Father Like Clown, though I have to make it clear that Today, I Am A Clown as a whole is nowhere near as good as its precedessor. Despite, the woeful lack of Rabbi Krustofski and a plot that does get a little silly at times, it's a very good episode for Season Fifteen standards, and Mr T makes a good (and funny!) cameo appearance.

Now for the rest of the episodes. Treehouse of Horror XIV has some fine moments, but equally has some poor moments. Frinkenstein is a dismissible segment, Stop the World, I Want To Goof Off has a dismal ending and Reaper Madness ended a little too abruptly for my liking. Also, and I don't know if anyone else shares my opinions on this, but don't the titles for each segment appear and disappear far too quickly, and look far too gimmicky? It's really hard to read the Stop the World I Want To Goof Off title, for instance.
My Mother the Carjacker, like Today I Am A Clown is a good episode for its season, but pales in comparison to its predecessor.
The President Wore Pearls is not to my taste, but I can see why people like it and have voted for it, and I respect their choices.
The Regina Monologues, I feel somewhat obliged to like it, being British, but part of me really dislikes how the episode turned out, given its potential. Some of the guest appearances are awful - J.K. Rowling's in particular. Tony Blair was quite good, but it did feel very scripted, and Ian McKellan's one made me laugh, I'll admit. And the Grampa/Edwina backstory was conveniently forgotten about after the first act, only to return in a rather poor ending. Overall, disappointing.
The Fat and The Furriest has never been popular, but I like it. On paper, the storyline seems silly and childish, but surprisingly enough, it actually works. Homer's bear hallucinations were funny, and I liked the use of music montages, though the episode as a whole feels too short, and that bit where Homer's ear is electrocuted is cringeworthy stuff and brings the episode down. And if that wasn't bad enough, they did the bloody joke twice!
'Tis the Fifteenth Season would have been my second choice episode, but, oh I don't know, Christmas episodes are all too common, almost as common as the marriage crisis plots and I was kind of bored of them by this point.
I never saw the appeal Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays and have always viewed it as a failed satire that doesn't really know what it's doing or where it's going. I just don't really get whatever point they were trying to put across.
I, (Annoyed Grunt)Bot, actually, this would have been my second choice. The direction is nothing short of amazing and is what makes this episode what it is. Like The Fat and the Furriest, on paper some of it sounds silly, but translated into an episode, it works well. Homer's injuries did not bother me, perhaps because it was expected that Homer would get hurt, rather than having him in pain for the sake of it.
Diatribe of a Mad Housewife...hmm...now I remember enjoying this the first time I saw it, but now I have almost completely forgotten about it. Shame.
Margical History Tour, really really disappointed me. Generally I liked the trilogy episodes up to this point, and this one had so much potential, I was hoping for something of comparable quality to Tales from the Public Domain, but Margical History Tour was so bland, there were barely any jokes and the animation felt so stiff and lifeless. And on another note, the historical inaccuracies of the Henry VIII segment annoyed me a little.

[Nameless]

My Mother the Carjacker or TPWP.

Since PWP is apparently getting more votes though I'm voting for Carjacker.

[Snack Related Mishap]

Whoops, this is the second time I have done this on one of the best episode polls, I voted for the wrong one. What is wrong with me! I voted for TPWP when I meant to vote for The Fat and the Furriest. Yes, that is not a typo. I presume some of you are looking at the screen right now, mouth agape, but I really do think The Fat and The Furriest is the best of Season 15, and as many have heard me rant on before, the most underrated episode of the Simpsons. I've rambled on about it countless times so I will keep this brief, but first of all, it is a wonderful gag episode simply because Joel H. Cohen is a wonderful gag writer. It is incredibly enjoyable because it is incredibly funny. But also, I hear a lot of people trashing this episode because of the plot, but I thought it was a wonderful, amusing plot. I really don't see why people hate this one so much. However, I will admit it is very fake, because as Stephen Colbert has tought us bears must be feared, and we must not coexist . . . BEARS! Seriously though, a great, underrated episode. 9/10

P.S. Could a mod please change my vote from "Pearls" to "Furriest" please. I know it's not like it's gonna make a difference, but I would like to show appreciation for it. Thanks.