Season-by-Season Episode Ranking Game

[The Governor]

You've got to be kidding me. They're not terrible episodes, but definitely not the top two of the season.

Considering those episode are the only two that made really laugh for the whole season, I think they should be in the first two spots. The rest of the season ranges from so-so to awful.

[Nauru-1]

I always found 16 peculiar as it really lacks any standout episodes, a pool of mediocre outings, and a few rotten ones. It's like a transition between the previous Jean seasons and the ones that came after.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Season 16 is probably my favorite post-classic season as there are only two or three episodes I don't like and around 10 I absolutely love. I know most view it as a meh season at best but the humor/storytelling/just general feel throughout the majority of the episodes just really works for me. I'd have to rewatch Season 9 to know for sure though...

Also, while I haven't seen any of its episodes in a long time, looking at Season 17's episode list I can't find any episodes I really hate. Some are mediocre to be sure, but mostly because of how boring they are. I actually look forward to rewatching that season when I get to it eventually for my blog.

[Nauru-1]

I'm just bring this back up to note I really need several more lists for season 18 to make posting it worthwhile.

[leprechaun_dan]

Sorry for the delay, I've been busy with exams.

Season 17 - Pretty meh, I must say.

I'm extremely happy with the winner. In my Top 5 for the best episodes of the post-classic seasons. The Monkey Suit should be lower, but not too much lower. The Girl Who Slept Too Little deserves too be much higher, as well as We're on the Road to D'ohwhere. Honestly, what is wrong with that episode? Well maybe Marge's story but everything else is hilarious. Bart Has Two Mommies should be lower, as well as Homer's Paternity Coot, The Wettest Stories Ever Told. And, in my opinion, Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play should be at the bottom. Italian Bob is better than that episode which is really saying something, considering that episode was horrible.

[leprechaun_dan]

And by the way, FinancialPanther, I have a question for you. Looking at your sig, how come you rank Lisa the Iconoclast as worst episode of S7?

[HMS pinafore]

And by the way, FinancialPanther, I have a question for you. Looking at your sig, how come you rank Lisa the Iconoclast as worst episode of S7?

I found Lisa the Iconoclast was average for a season 7 episode so my main problem with fPs sig is season 4

also to a lesser extent lisa on ice, It is atleast better then the clip show of the season

[Financial Panther]

All right, I'll explain them. Again. You can ask me a few questions about it, but I really don't want it to escalate into a full-fledged debate because I'm not good at those.

The problems I have with these episodes are the endings. But for Lisa the Iconoclast, I also think it's boring all the way through. I understand why Lisa lied to the townspeople, but I still hate it that she refused to tell them the truth about the town's founder.

Lisa on Ice's ending is even worse. The writers actually broke the rules of hockey to create a sweet, sappy ending. The clock SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING during a penalty shot!! The writers were so lazy and ignorant that they ignored the rules just to make people go "Awww..."

As for LETS, I explained that earlier in this thread, so I'll just copy and paste it in.

I think the main reason that I don't like the episode is that because I'm still pretty young, I don't understand union contracts and dental plans, etc. Plus, reading about the episode, I realized that there are a lot of parts of it that are implied, which is tough for Aspies like me to get. Perhaps if I was older and didn't have Aspergers, I might like the episode more. Who knows?

[The Governor]

All right, I'll explain them. Again. You can ask me a few questions about it, but I really don't want it to escalate into a full-fledged debate because I'm not good at those.

The problems I have with these episodes are the endings. But for Lisa the Iconoclast, I also think it's boring all the way through. I understand why Lisa lied to the townspeople, but I still hate it that she refused to tell them the truth about the town's founder.

No, you don't understand why she lied. In this case, lying produced a better result of the townspeople going about their daily lives and what would the truth have done? It would've irritated everyone and destroyed the town's pride with NO benefit to anyone, except making Lisa look like a know-it-all, party-ruining bitch.

Plus, she would've been assassinated.

[Bartesque]

I think the main reason that I don't like the episode is that because I'm still pretty young, I don't understand union contracts and dental plans, etc. Plus, reading about the episode, I realized that there are a lot of parts of it that are implied, which is tough for Aspies like me to get. Perhaps if I was older and didn't have Aspergers, I might like the episode more. Who knows?

"Dental Plan! Lisa Needs Braces!" should be pretty hilarious to anyone, whether young or not.

[cloneasaurus]

Lisa on Ice's ending is even worse. The writers actually broke the rules of hockey to create a sweet, sappy ending. The clock SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING during a penalty shot!! The writers were so lazy and ignorant that they ignored the rules just to make people go "Awww..."

Lisa on Ice may not be a great episode compared to the rest of season 6 but this is just being unnecessarily nit-picky. Firstly, you can't dismiss the entire episode just because of its ending. Whilst it has more of an impact than other parts of the episode, a great episode with a bad ending is still good. Secondly, the fact the ending worked easily made up for the issues with the rules. Bending the rules made the scene more dramatic and whilst it was on the sappy side it worked in resolving the conflict, whilst exploring the Bart-Lisa relationship. Personally, that's more than enough to make up for the issue with the clock still running.

But for Lisa the Iconoclast, I also think it's boring all the way through. I understand why Lisa lied to the townspeople, but I still hate it that she refused to tell them the truth about the town's founder.

Lisa the Iconoclast in one of my favourite episodes, so I guess I could be biased, but I don't find it boring at all. It's got plenty of jokes, all of them work, but most importantly, I love how plot-driven it is. The story alone without the jokes interests me as it unfurls, with its twists, and the Homer/Lisa relationship in the episode also gives it a human touch. And the ending is certainly not boring - it's an unexpected twist that works, through tying up the story, and also backing a sorta philosophical point that's pretty thought provoking. Maybe it's just me but to call the episode boring is to ignore the dense plot, and all of the successful jokes and likeable characters in the episode.

[Financial Panther]

Lisa on Ice may not be a great episode compared to the rest of season 6 but this is just being unnecessarily nit-picky.

I don't see how. If the clock wasn't running, we would have had an entirely different ending than what we had. Whether Bart had scored or not, I'm sure they would have been able to resolve the conflict without resorting to this sappy garbage.

[Bartesque]

I don't see how. If the clock wasn't running, we would have had an entirely different ending than what we had. Whether Bart had scored or not, I'm sure they would have been able to resolve the conflict without resorting to this sappy garbage.

Given thought, Bart not scoring would have lead to a draw anyway, so the idea that Lisa would have "won" in the eyes of the crowd wasn't done particularly well.

Still, I can't rate it lower than 7.5-8/10, and like the feel good ending (which still has the riot that Lisa The Iconoclast haters would have enjoyed in that).

[Financial Panther]

Is this thing dead, or what?

[The Governor]

What.

[Nauru-1]

I simply am not getting enough lists. If you want I can post what I have and move on the next season, but chances are it's going to be the same problem. So here's season 18 and if people are interested in sending me season 19 lists we can keep doing it.

1. Springfield Up - 81
2. 24 Minutes - 78
3. The Haw-Hawed Couple - 70
4. The Wife Aquatic - 66
4. Marge Gamer - 66
6. Little Big Girl - 65
7. Crook and Ladder - 54
8. You Kent Always Say What You Want - 47
9. Ice Cream of Margie (With the Light Blue Hair) - 45
10. Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Three Times - 44
11. The Mook, The Chef, The Wife And Her Homer - 42
11. Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em - 42
13. Stop or My Dog Will Shoot - 40
13. Jazzy and the Pussycats - 40
15. Homerazzi - 39
16. The Boys of Bummer - 37
17. Yokel Chords - 32
18. Moe'N'a Lisa - 30
19. Treehouse of Horror XVII - 29
19. Rome-old and Juli-eh - 29
21. G.I.(Annoyed Grunt) - 22
22. Kill Gil, Volumes I & II - 14

[Blobulle]

Little Big Girl only 6th.

[cloneasaurus]

Springfield Up's the only episode from season 18 I really enjoyed, so it's nice to see it first. 24 Minutes didn't really appeal to me, it was just slightly better than average, as was the case with the Haw-Hawed Couple, Marge Gamer and Ice Cream Margie. The rest were either meh or terrible. I remember particularly disliking "You Kent" though, so that should be a bit lower - that said I 'particularly disliked' most of the season. Granted I've only seen season 18 once through, so I don't remember many of the episodes.

[leprechaun_dan]

The first three are perfect, however #6 should be right at the bottom of the list. And Ice Cream of Margie should be higher, as should Homerazzi. But other than that, this list is pretty legit.

[Financial Panther]

Come on, guys! Rah, rah, rah! Lists, lists, lists!!!

[Bartesque]

I doubt I'll be voting on Season 19, as there are next to no episodes I remember from that year. I found it hard enough to vote on Season 18, but did so because I remember liking 24 Minutes and Springfield Up (by far the best two of the season), and hating THOH 17 (three poor, humorless segments), Rome Old and Juli-eh (Abe and Selma? Eurgh!) and Kill Gil (obnoxious bitch Marge). There were a few more that I found OK, like Little Big Girl, Marge Gamer, Revenge, Kent and Aquatic. The rest were probably really poor.

[Old painty-can Ned]

Yeah I really gave up doing this in season 11 did a list for season 14/15 but that's it. I'm glad the Haw Hawed Couple is 2nd as it is in my top 3 for post classic era episodes.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

I really need to rewatch the vast majority of Season 18 as it has been far too long but 24 minutes is another one of those episodes I never really got the love for. I was hooked on 24 during the first 2 or 3 seasons so I get how it is a great parody of that, but still the praise it gets is too much, at least to me. I also think Kill Gil isn't as absolutely terrible as most people here claim it to be, though I definitely need to see that one again to be sure. Just reading from that list I'd have to guess my favorite episode of Season 18 is actually either Ice Cream of Margie or The Haw-Hawed Couple, but again at this point it is only a guess.

If we actually make it to Season 20 for this thread I'll definitely pm you my list for that season Nauru.

[Nauru-1]

Just an update on this in case anyone was wondering. I've only received a couple of lists for season 19 so it's really not worthwhile to post. I'll accept more lists and post the results if people want to send them, but probably won't continue if they don't. Thanks.

[Nauru-1]

I probably wouldn't bring this back up otherwise, but if I could get one more season 19 list from anyone I could probably post the list. People seem to know/remember the most recent seasons better so we'll if we can finish this up at all.

[Nauru-1]

Okay, thanks to everyone for your votes. Here's season 19...

1. Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind - 96
2. The Debarted - 81
3. Dial 'N' For Nerder - 80
4. Funeral For a Fiend - 76
5. Mona Leaves-a - 69
6. I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - 68
7. Little Orphan Millie - 64
8. Apocalypse Cow - 58
9. Any Given Sundance - 55
10. Smoke on the Daughter - 54
11. E Pluribus Wiggum - 53
12. All About Lisa - 51
13. Midnight Towboy - 44
14. He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs - 38
14. Husbands and Knives - 38
16. Papa Don't Leech - 37
17. Treehouse of Horror XVIII - 34
18. Homer of Seville - 19
19. That 90's Show - 18
20. Love, Springfieldian Style - 17

I'll be accepting season 20 lists any time now.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

How in God's name is Mona Leaves-a anywhere above the bottom 5? Anyway my list would look vastly different to this one, at least from what I remember of these episodes. Just a few differences: Love, Springfieldian Style, an episode I actually enjoy, being below That 90s Show seems like a travesty. Like 24 Minutes I feel The Debarted is extremely overrated. Apocalypse Cow and Midnight Towboy would be in my top 5 as well. Overall this list genuinely surprised me. Really the only thing I agree with completely is number 1, but regardless I'll pm you my Season 20 list soon Nauru.

[Jesse Pinkman]

not really that surprised overall. Eternal is really overrated (one of the most overrated of the post-classic era imo), and i never realized Love, Springfieldian Style was so hated (which is good. it sucks).

major complaint is Mona Leaves-A. definitely a bottom 5 episode of the season, not top 5 i don't get why people say it's emotional. not only is it not that emotional (imo), it's still pretty much completely void of laughs and the last act sucks, except for the ending (pretty much the only moment i would consider emotional. that and the scene where homer finds her body. so a whole 20 seconds or so).

but for the rest, i mostly agree

[leprechaun_dan]

The Debarted isn't overrated, it's an amazing episode. It deserves the 2nd spot. So does Eternal Moonshine.

Everything's pretty legit, as well as Mona Leaves-a. I enjoyed that episode. It seems most people don't think that way :/

I have nothing much wrong with this list. I agree with most of them.

[Leader!]

I pretty much agree with everything on the list. Except for I Don't Wanna Know Why The Caged Bird Sings...I'm surprised it's that high.

Although Eternal Moonshine is definitely one of the top episodes of the season, I do think it's a bit overrated. It's good but I think there are other episodes that are just as good without being format-benders.