best and worst of season 23

[Kayla]

season 23 has come to a close, and it's that time of year to recap.

best: still has to be holidays of future passed. i found it to be a fresh take on the future episode formula by not making it a possible what if, and it was a holiday episode, with christmas as the backdrop to the story. it didn't feel as contrived as some elements of other episodes. while it did have fun with the future jokes, they didn't feel too in your face like future drama. the plot was simple, but believable and heartwarming. the humor was silly, smart, character based, satirical, and subtle at times. All the characterizations felt natural and refreshing at the same time. this, along with 24 minutes and yokel chords go on my list of modern era classics.

worst: the episode that followed it, politically inept with homer simpson. homer acts like a jerkass, finds a hidden talent, blah blah blah. this episode sucked. i hate political episodes that poke fun at specific elections, people, etc. ted nuggent wasn't funny, it's largely forgettable, and i didn't find the airplane scenes funny. the only laughs i got were the whole gravy thing and the bicentennial lemon party line. not the worst, but i won't be watching it again anytime soon.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

I think this could just as easily gone in the Season 23 ratings thread honestly, but:

Best: Holidays of Future Passed
Worst: The D'oh-cial Network

Ironically both written by J. Stewart Burns

[HMS pinafore]

I have still only watched about half of the episodes, but of what I have watched:

The Best: Holidays of future past (Runnerup, The book job)

The Worst: There were a lot of bad episodes but I still think the worst was Treehouse of Horror XXII, for being an abomination against storytelling. (Runnerup, Politically Inept Food Wife's Rag goes Gaga)

[shoz999]

I have still only watched about half of the episodes, but of what I have watched:

The Best: Holidays of future past (Runnerup, The book job)

The Worst: There were a lot of bad episodes but I still think the worst was Treehouse of Horror XXII, for being an abomination against storytelling. (Runnerup, Politically Inept Food Wife's Rag goes Gaga)

A lot of bad episodes? Dude, Season 23 was better than Season 20, 21, 22.
Still, These are my Top Five Best and Top Five Worsts

Top Five Bests:
1. Holidays of Future Passed (Obviously)
2. How I Wet Your Mother (Great Seeing A Family Reunion Between Homer, Mona, and Abe)
3. The Book Job (3rd, Great Parody)
4. The Food Wife (4th, Pretty Decent),
5. At Long Last Leave (5th, Saw A Lot of Classic Characters, Classic Couch Gags, and a big 500 Couch Gag as well)

Top Five Worst
1. Moe Goes From Rags to Riches
2. Replaceable You
3. The Man In The Blue Flannel Pants
4. THOH XXII
5. Them, Robot

[HMS pinafore]

A lot of bad episodes? Dude, Season 23 was better than Season 20, 21, 22.

Even if this is true, I stand by my statement.

[shoz999]

Even if this is true, I stand by my statement.

Hmm... Can't argue with that than.

[cymek]

Season 23 was better than Season 20, 21, 22.

Debatable about 20 and 22, but definitely true for 21. That was one horrible season.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

I try to change mine up a little.

Best: The Book Job
Worst: THOH XXII (I largely find this to be the worst episode ever)

[cymek]

Worst: THOH XXII (I largely find this to be the worst episode ever)

How about "The Story D'ohed"?

[The Governor]

Seasons 21-23 are starting to make S20 look watchable.

BEST:
Holidays of Future Passed (2nd Best: The Book Job)

WORST:
A Totally Fun Thing Bart will Never Do Again (2nd Worst: Lisa Goes Gaga)

[Captain Squid]

Season 23 was an interesting one for me, because it had a few episodes that were true high points for the seasons 20 and beyond era and some of the biggest low points.

I loved: The Book Job, Holidays of Future Passed, How I Wet Your Mother, Ned 'N Edna's Blend

I liked: The Food Wife, The Daughter Also Rises, At Long Last Leave, Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart, Beware My Cheating Bart, A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again

I hated: Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson, The D'oh-cial Network, Moe Goes from Rags to Riches <- Made worse by the fact that these were shown one after the other. Worst. Three weeks of Simpsons. Ever.

The rest of the episodes entertained me, and I don't dislike any of them.

[irvine_11]

Best: Holidays of Future Passed
Worst: The D'oh-cial Network

Mine's the same as Raspberry's.

[Financial Panther]

In signature!

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Falcon and the D'ohman

[Prune Tracy]

Falcon and the D'ohman was the best of the three episodes I saw from this season. Then again, that's not saying much.

[Bartesque]

In signature!

Not my exact picks, but they definitely are towards the respective ends of the quality spectrum in this season.

[Ernie]

Holidays of Future passed would be the season's best, followed up by The Book Job, then The D'ohcial Network.
Worst: "Politically inept with Homer Simpson", tied with THOH XXIII and "A Totally Fun thing Bart will Never do again"

Politically Inept with Homer Simpson is the ONLY episode in Simpson History that has NOT made me chuckle or anything. THOH XXIII the worst THOH episode ever, full of boring humor trying to pick out the 'easy laughs'. "A Totally fun thing Bart will never do again"- what Bart did in this episode is nothing compared to what he did in earlier seasons. In this episode, the writers altered his personality as well as his 'prankability' into a terrible humorless, empty yellow figure.

Holidays of The Future Passed is in my opinion is the best of this season because it held my attention and pulled off some jokes in which I think is quite smart. How the episode portrays The Simpson kids' future is great. The Book Job is a good follow up because it had a definite plot that made sense without adding in pointless jokes that ruin an act, while giving me some good laughs. The D'ohcial Network (No, I'm not smoking anything) is considered a decent episode IMO from it's ways of poking fun at cellphone users- though exagerrated, you can easily relate to the current issues in real life, I enjoyed this episode quite a bit (WITH the exception of the ending)

[zartok-35]

I'm gonna be the odd one out and say "Daughter also rises" is my favorite. "Book job" and "Holidays" were also great, probably better, but I'm going for one-out oddness.
"Politically inept" is the worst; nonsensicle, disorganized, retarded, written by John Frink, and way way worse than "D-ocial network".

[Financial Panther]

Falcon and the D'ohman

I don't see what others don't see with this. Homer is in possibly his best characterization in years, not being a jerk at all; just a lovable, fun guy. From what I remember, nearly all the jokes hit, and it had an outstanding, three-dimensional one-time character.

[zartok-35]

I don't see what others don't see with this. From what I remember, nearly all the jokes hit, and it had an outstanding, three-dimensional one-time character.

The Nastuk direction was really flat and one-dimensional.

[Financial Panther]

What do you mean by that?

[Cartoonnetwork]

Season 23 was an interesting one for me, because it had a few episodes that were true high points for the seasons 20 and beyond era and some of the biggest low points.

I loved: The Book Job, Holidays of Future Passed, How I Wet Your Mother, Ned 'N Edna's Blend

I liked: The Food Wife, The Daughter Also Rises, At Long Last Leave, Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart, Beware My Cheating Bart, A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again

I hated: Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson, The D'oh-cial Network, Moe Goes from Rags to Riches <- Made worse by the fact that these were shown one after the other. Worst. Three weeks of Simpsons. Ever.

The rest of the episodes entertained me, and I don't dislike any of them.

Mostly agree with this, except that I quite liked almost loved The Food Wife and I don't hate The D'oh-cial Network.

I also don't like The Book Job and Holidays as much as everybody else, but I guess the second one was best of the season anyways.

In fact I didn't love any episode this season, at least at first watching. The only one I kinda loved was The Food Wife. I like a lot of things of How I Wet Your Mother...but the fact that is not a THOH kinda bothers me for some reason.

Also I completely loved the first two acts of A Totally Fun Thing...but I was disappointed by the rest.

[zartok-35]

What do you mean by that?

The animation was awful!

[Financial Panther]

Ah. Well, I don't pay attention to that...

[Prune Tracy]

I wasn't thrilled by Falcon and the D'ohman, but it was mildly enjoyable. I don't think every joke hit, but there were some hits.

[Malaise Forever]

Best thing to happen this season:
Holidays of Future Passed was the first episode in a while that had charm. Plus, The Food Wife and The Book Job are both really funny, solid episodes that made me laugh for once.

Worst thing to happen:
Unfunny tired episodes like The D'oh-cial Network and Moe Goes From Rag to Riches, plus the whole premise of Lisa Goes Gaga.

For the rest...this season really is the definition of "mediocre".

Rango:

Seasons 21-23 are starting to make S20 look watchable.

I agree except I'd put seasons 22-23 together. 21 was a bit better than 20.

[Lionheart]

I liked seasons 20-21 alright but this was better than season 22. Not MUCH better, but still.

Best: Holidays of Future Passed
Worst: THOH XXII (Sidenote: I had a party on that night, and we basically watched 6 THOH episodes from my dvd's - II-VI. We watched this too because it was on and we were there, and I'd say that it really brought the morale down).

[Dandu386]

Best: Them Robot (Hands down), A Totally Fun Thing..., Politically Inept and Holidays of Future Passed.

Worst: Replaceable You (So boring), Treehouse Of Horror (Horrible), Lisa Goes Gaga (EVEN WORSE)

[zach]

(as of now)

Favourite: At Long Last Leave

Least Favourite: The Food Wife

[Captain Squid]

Rewatched "The Falcon and the D'ohman" last night and it's true: Homer DOES have great characterization throughout. He's really lovable. Gonna add that to my likes list. I guess I didn't initially like a few of the unbelievable gags (the spy dude having a magical robotic arm, homer being frozen under ice)