The-Simpsons

“Being popular is the most important thing in the world.” – Homer

Written by: Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon & Matt Groening.

While the first seven episodes were episodes of television featuring The Simpsons, “The Tell-Tale Head” is really kind of the first episode of The Simpsons. Everybody acts like who they are, and the plot balances equal amount of absurdity, pathos and satire.

It’s ambitious: it starts in medias res, with Bart & Homer fleeing an angry mob.

It has classic Simpsons tropes: Bart addressing the angry mob. Homer finding a parking spot right in front of the church.

It adds new characters: Jimbo, Dolph and Kearny – cool older dudes who Bart tries to impress by stealing the head of Springfield founder Jebadiah Springfield.

It has mythology: some of the origin of Springfield itself!

All that, plus Apu!

“The Simpsons have entered the forest.” – Lisa.

Written by: John Swartzwelder.

Never liked this episode, never will. Really, the only redeeming quality is the whole plot of Maggie ingratiating herself into the family of bears. Which, I think, is the first instance of yet another of my favorite long-running Simpsons tropes: the animals are smarter than the humans.

The rest, though? Oy. Yes, it makes sense for Homer to buy an RV cos Flanders has one. And yes, it makes sense that it’s going to be awful, cos he couldn’t afford a nice one due to his credit.

But the second they hit the forest, the RV plotline falls off a cliff, replaced forever by a series of unfunny camping jokes, climaxing with yet another “Homer is an ape” joke, as he gets covered in mud and mistaken for Bigfoot.  

During all of this – including Bart and Homer nearly freezing to death –it’s neither funny nor tragic, because none of the characters acts as if anything going on really means anything to anybody.  Homer & Bart don’t worry about Maggie; Marge & Lisa don’t worry about Homer & Bart & Maggie, and the entire Bigfoot sequence makes no damn sense whatsoever.

That there is a certain manic escalation to the Bigfoot sequence doesn’t really matter if you didn’t accept the premise, which I didn’t. It was too cartoony.

“Lisa! Get away from that Jazz man!” – Marge.

Written by: Al Jean & Mike Reiss.

I think I finally realized what bugs me about this episode: there is no edge whatsoever to “Bleeding Gums” Murphy. He exists entirely to validate Lisa’s need to express her blues through music. And while he does (gently) call her on her privilege during their jam session, he then turns it into a blues song anyway, which I guess is supposed to show the transformative power of music, or something.

Anyways, while there is some nice character development here for Lisa, it’s all a bit too magical and treacly for me.

I much prefer the B-story, where Bart kicks Homer’s ass in the video boxing so consistently, Homer goes to the arcade to seek help, only to have the plug pulled at his moment of triumph. Bart’s “I’d like to take this moment to announce my retirement from video boxing” was a perfect button to the whole plotline.

And should note that while Bart & Homer’s boxing avatars looking like them was a joke in 1990, I’m sure now it reads as a touch of realism.

“I’d rather they say ‘Death from Above’, but I guess we’re stuck” – Herman.

Written by: John Swartzwelder

Long-time Simpsons fans recognize “Bart The General” as the introductory episode for the beloved character, Herman, the one-armed military antiques dealer, who would go on to have many wacky adventures.

Or not: as Herman has only made a handful of speaking roles over the long years.

Nope: it was the bully, the initially very broadly-drawn Nelson, who would go on to be one of the most beloved characters. And we know what Nelson would say to Herman about that.

But even if neither character never made another appearance, it wouldn’t matter, as the John Swartzwelder-penned “Bart The General” is another early classic. Not only do the Simpsons act the way they’re supposed to – Marge encouraging discussion, Homer recognizing the code of the schoolyard – the story of Bart organizing an army to get Nelson to stop bullying him just keeps escalating both the war film references and plausible absurdity.

The topper, of course, is – as they’re writing up a peace treaty – Marge asking if “you boys are through playing war?” cos she has cupcakes!

“It’s not the money as much as the feeling we earned it.” – Lisa

Written by: Al Jean & Mike Reiss

For me, this is all about the set piece: the Simpson family shocking each other in front of an increasingly freaked-out Dr. Marvin Monroe is not just one of the highlights of the first season, but one of the greatest scenes in Simpsons history. 

And the ending, where we see the Simpsons to be so dysfunctional that they get double their money back – enough to buy a 21" TV. Presumably to watch more of the Itchy and Scratchy Show, which makes its first appearance.

That said,  the reason for the visit to Dr. Monroe – outside of the fact that Homer liked his commercial best – Marge, Lisa & Bart misbehaving during the picnic at stately Burns Manor, is at odds at what we later know about those characters. 

Well, not Brat, of course (or Maggie, who already is a silent comedic genius),  but Marge’s silly drunkeness, Lisa’s rambunctiousness and Homer’s concern are mostly in the service of getting them to the point where they think they need to see Dr. Monroe, as opposed who those characters end up being.

And so what? In 1990, none of that mattered when I was falling down laughing as the shock scene escalated. 

“Simpson, eh”? – Mr. Burns

Written by: Jay Kogen & Wallace Wolodarsky.

Despite the first appearance of one of my all-time favorite Simpsons tropes: one the Simpsons addressing a mob during the climax of the episode, “Homer’s Odyssey” is pretty weak sauce.

Still, fun to watch, of course, for the weird early characterizations: Moe with jet-black hair! Homer with dark stubble! Black Smithers! 

But even Smilin Joe Fission couldn’t save this ep.

“Bart’s behavior is … unruly” – Principal Skinner.

Written by: Jon Vitti.

In a weird way, “Bart The Genius” is the first proper episode of The Simpsons. So many firsts here: theme song, chalkboard gag, couch gag, Mrs. Krabapple, Skinner, etc. Loads of world-building, and a clear emphasis on Bart being positioned as the initial breakout character. Also, Millhouse has black hair!! 

I’d forgotten how many P.O.V. shots of one person getting right into another person’s face there were in these early days. On the other hand, I’m still waiting to play “KWYJIBO” in Words With Friends.

“I can’t believe it, but it looks as though television has betrayed me.” – Bart

Written by: Mimi Pond

People forget that Matt Groening was already a household name (in certain households) and the shorts had been running on the The Tracy Ullman Show for a couple of years, so – to some of us – this very first episode was highly anticipated. However, the night it aired was also the night we moved the Video Zone Store 1 from one location to another, so I taped it and watched it the next day.Thus beginning a regimen of taping and saving every Simpsons episode. It made sense of course: like Police Squad!, there was simply no way that The Simpsons would last more than a few episodes. So I needed to have every episode to watch over and over again forever.

25 years later, of course, this episode seems funnier than it did at the time, but weird: none of the voices are quite right, and the specificity of parodying a Christmas episode – even when they called out other Christmas episodes – meant they couldn’t quite tap into the freewheeling anarchy that eventually became their calling card. That said, how many other Christmas episodes made their happy ending feel like a twist ending?