What's a Simpsons episode that makes you feel seen or heard?

ThatCraptacularUser

ThatCraptacularUser

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I'm not sure if a thread like this already exists, but since I did a thread about what episode provokes an emotionally negative reaction, I thought it would fit to do the opposite.


Some picks that come to mind are

  1. Bart Gets an F
  2. I Love Lisa
  3. Summer of 4 Ft. 2
  4. King of the Hill
  5. Bartless




Most of these resonate with me because of my experience being on the autism spectrum, whether it's dealing with a rigid school system (Bart Gets an F), having a hard time making genuine friends (Summer of 4 Ft. 2), Not always picking up on social cues (I Love Lisa), or feeling like a defect whenever faced with an unpleasant situation and questioning your value to the world (Bartless). Heck, King of the Hill showcases the lengths he'll go just to see his family grow up by exercising. The story itself is simple but it doesn't stop the episode from being effective emotionally.

 
Honestly, I can't think of any atm. There are probably individual scenes, but as for an whole episode, I'm not sure, there might be one, as I might of talked about one in a previous thread or elsewhere on the internet.
 
As someone who's only recently even been aware of and gotten a diagnosis for their ADHD, Bart gets an F had always been a mood. They don't spell it out that Bart has it until later but I can't think of anything else I've seen that's portrayed the experience so well... At the very least I've not seen much that really get how it is to randomly tune out of a conversation or really gets that inability to concentrate even when I'm trying my hardest to. It's rough.
 
Still gotta say Bart Gets an F. The theory that hard work and studying will lead to success isn't always true when you have a learning disability like mine, so even though I doubt Bart has an undeveloped hippocampus like I did, just seeing someone struggle with such a relatable problem makes me feel like I'm not alone.
 
I love this question! Thanks for the insightful thread...

Honestly, this is pretty ridiculous, but Skinner's PTSD flashbacks actually make me feel really seen. So - any episode with that in it!

I know they're meant to be funny (and they are!), but as someone whose family lived through a variety of war-related crises and refugee-ing, it feels like a hilarious parody of the grim dissociation that happens to me.

I like how Skinner's horrifying memories are sometimes totally innocuous (like stealing cupcakes) because that's accurate to me, too. Although I stress about war so much, I haven't directly experienced conflict myself, so my own PTSD-memories are really lame, hahhaa. I, uh, kinda saw missiles being intercepted once...oOoOhh real scary /sarcasm.

I also love the fact that the principal is allowed to have PTSD but also be a total dork, mama's boy, serious antagonist, functional adult, barbershop quartet singer, and well-rounded character...like, it doesn't completely define him. It's comforting.
Not to mention his many autistic traits too LOL to which I obviously relate.

Gee that must be among the most honest things I've posted to NHC! Thanks for inspiring this discussion. Please no one roast me.
 
MaggotMagnet said:
I love this question! Thanks for the insightful thread...

Honestly, this is pretty ridiculous, but Skinner's PTSD flashbacks actually make me feel really seen. So - any episode with that in it!

I know they're meant to be funny (and they are!), but as someone whose family lived through a variety of war-related crises and refugee-ing, it feels like a hilarious parody of the grim dissociation that happens to me.

I like how Skinner's horrifying memories are sometimes totally innocuous (like stealing cupcakes) because that's accurate to me, too. Although I stress about war so much, I haven't directly experienced conflict myself, so my own PTSD-memories are really lame, hahhaa. I, uh, kinda saw missiles being intercepted once...oOoOhh real scary /sarcasm.

I also love the fact that the principal is allowed to have PTSD but also be a total dork, mama's boy, serious antagonist, functional adult, barbershop quartet singer, and well-rounded character...like, it doesn't completely define him. It's comforting.
Not to mention his many autistic traits too LOL to which I obviously relate.

Gee that must be among the most honest things I've posted to NHC! Thanks for inspiring this discussion. Please no one roast me.
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Thank you so much. I'm glad this thread has resonated with you on a deeper level :aww:

As for your pick, it's not ridiculous. It doesn't have to be some grand, depressing event that occurred in your life. Principal Skinner was a well rounded character that had a bit of backbone, and not like the pathetic, useless wimp he is nowadays.






I just completed a rewatch of The Hateful Eight Year Olds and that episode hit me hard and made me reflect on my unpleasant social life. I think that's why I've been vitriolic towards this one in the past.
 
Didn't really have one until Girl's In The Band. I am the less talented sibling whose problems were always downplayed or pushed aside in favor of my smart, strong, successful brother. Bart leading a rebellion of the lesser than kids was something I wished I'd had the bravery to pull off. The closest I came to that liberating f--k it attitude was the school spelling bee. Mom had won it, Joe had won it, I was after years of seeming invisible to Mom being drilled into with English spelling rules and exception. I did not feel like I could match them even if I tried so I deliberately misspelled the very first word I was given: neighborhood. I was yelled at and denied dinner and TV privileges but I didn't care. I was free to underachieve because it was clear to me then I was either brilliant like Joe or nobody at all. And being a nobody was easier. To this day I have very little self-worth and am pretty much not thought of by family aside of maybe a Christmas card at the end of the year. The last time I spoke to them on the phone Joe said "You're so quiet sometimes I forget I have a sister."
 
ThatCraptacularUser said:
Thank you so much. I'm glad this thread has resonated with you on a deeper level :aww:

As for your pick, it's not ridiculous.
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Thanks for being so nice about it! :D

ThatCraptacularUser said:
I just completed a rewatch of The Hateful Eight Year Olds and that episode hit me hard and made me reflect on my unpleasant social life. I think that's why I've been vitriolic towards this one in the past.
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Oh I vaguely remember that one. It was a tough watch for sure, and deeply relatable to me too. Sleepovers were always so stresssful hahaa. I loved when Bart came through as a great older bro though!

GlitterCat said:
Didn't really have one until Girl's In The Band. I am the less talented sibling whose problems were always downplayed or pushed aside in favor of my smart, strong, successful brother. Bart leading a rebellion of the lesser than kids was something I wished I'd had the bravery to pull off. The closest I came to that liberating f--k it attitude was the school spelling bee. Mom had won it, Joe had won it, I was after years of seeming invisible to Mom being drilled into with English spelling rules and exception. I did not feel like I could match them even if I tried so I deliberately misspelled the very first word I was given: neighborhood. I was yelled at and denied dinner and TV privileges but I didn't care. I was free to underachieve because it was clear to me then I was either brilliant like Joe or nobody at all. And being a nobody was easier. To this day I have very little self-worth and am pretty much not thought of by family aside of maybe a Christmas card at the end of the year. The last time I spoke to them on the phone Joe said "You're so quiet sometimes I forget I have a sister."
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Thank you for sharing your personal experiences and perspective.
I don't remember that episode, which means I will have to give it a watch.

I really like how this thread is inspiring us to share episodes we deeply connect with!
 
Not an episode but a specific moment in Homer’s Odyssey, when Homer is about to make a suicide attempt. As someone who suffers from depression, that really hits home.
 
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Some which actually talk about relationships between two characters other than wedding's crisis. For example, 2.19 Martin class president episode was especially touching, during Homer's speechs.
@B-Boy : Almost did not recognize you because of your Avatar's change ^^
 
MaggotMagnet said:
I like how Skinner's horrifying memories are sometimes totally innocuous (like stealing cupcakes) because that's accurate to me, too. Although I stress about war so much, I haven't directly experienced conflict myself, so my own PTSD-memories are really lame, hahhaa. I, uh, kinda saw missiles being intercepted once...oOoOhh real scary /sarcasm.
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Honestly as someone who's spent their whole life in a quiet corner of England I think seeing actual missiles in the air sounds genuinely terrifying so that's not lame at all. I really wouldn't undersell that as a PTSD trigger. :eek:

To answer the thread's question myself, it's a specific scene rather than a whole episode, but this is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about something that makes me feel seen:
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I really should point out here how truly loving my entire family is (sincerely the best anyone could ever hope for and I feel truly blessed for that :aww: ) and nothing close to as bad a birthday being forgotten ever happened to me, but as a middle child out of six and all it's only inevitable that you end up just... overlooked from time to time simply because of the amount of activity going on around you. It's exaggerated of course with a whole birthday being essentially ignored, but this little bit of Stark Raving Dad perfectly captures that sad loneliness of feeling unnoticed in the middle of other happenings (which I'm sure we can all relate to sometimes) in a beautifully heart wrenching way. As the kind of person who does somewhat fly under the radar in real life as well it really gets me every time I see it.
 
So,

1.02 Bart Genius Episode
2.02 Homer's recent hair episode
3.03 Leftorium episode
4.16 No more beer for Homer episode
5.09 Homer's faithful test episode
5.16 Homer and Flanders's new friendship episode
5.19 Get Out Skinner episode
7.17 Homer's new job as Smithers's substitute episode
8.02 Welcome to Cypress Creek episode
9.02 Skinner's again episode (especially because Homer pretends to be shocked)
12.07 IQ episode (for a few scenes)
15.07 Homer's new generous side episode
18.03 Marge's carpentry episode (save the end)
18.17 Sports gamer episodes
18.18 Mattress episode (B plot only)
19.11 90 years episode
20.10 Vance Connor episode
Essentially, the season 21 (but mainly episodes 5,6,8,9,11,12,18,21,22,23)
22.11 Calliope one
22.20 Taffy one
25.21 John Wellington Booth one
26.11 Sven Golly's one
28.03 Boston one
34.15 What if No Bart's one


Maybe some were directed or written by the same person, but i really loved them.
 
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