The Simpsons 5 Flashback Episodes That We Love (& 5 That We Dont)

The Simpsons: 5 Flashback Episodes That We Love (& 5 That We Don’t)

The Simpsons have explored tons of flashback-centric episodes over the years, and, while some have been great, others have majorly faltered.

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Astonishing as it is, almost 700 episodes of The Simpsons have been created over 31 seasons. It’s the longest-running sitcom in U.S. history, which is an incredible achievement for the dysfunctional family. Needless to say, the show’s long history has brought us a wealth of brilliant episodes and inspired an absurd amount of memes.

One element of the show that always tends to divide fans, however, is the flashback episodes. While it’s great to get a little backstory and learn more about the pasts of our favorite Springfield residents, retconning major events and cheap clip shows are major no-nos. To illustrate this point, here are some picks for the best and worst of the show’s flashback episodes.

10 We Love: And Maggie Makes Three

When it comes to sitcom fathers, there’s no denying that Homer Simpson is among the zaniest, most hilarious, and downright incompetent in history. His laziness and irresponsibility would be hard to swallow if it wasn’t tempered by some genuinely touching moments where he proves just how much he does love his children.

In Season six’s “And Maggie Makes Three,” Bart and Lisa ask him why there aren’t any baby photos of Maggie along with their own. To explain, Homer launches into the tale of the youngest Simpson being born. It’s a sad story at first, with Homer remembering how he had to quit his dream job at the bowling alley to provide for his growing family and dreading having another mouth to feed. All of this is forgotten when the newborn grabs her father’s finger for the first time. In perhaps the most heart-warming scene in the show’s history, we learn that Homer has Maggie’s baby pictures at work, covering Mr. Burns’ de-motivational “Don’t Forget, You’re Here Forever” plaque, installed after Homer ‘came crawling back’) so that it reads “Do It For Her.”

9 We Don’t: All Singing, All Dancing

Of course, with a run as long as this under its belt, The Simpsons can’t be expected to serve up perfect episodes each and every time. As any fan will tell you, the show’s certainly struggled with consistency at times. Season nine’s “All Singing, All Dancing” is a perfect example.

As the name suggests, this is a mini-musical, another of the notorious Simpsons clip shows. In this one, the family presents musical moments from the show’s past after Homer declares that he doesn’t like singing. Buffy the Vampire Slayer may have knocked it out of the park with “Once More With Feeling,” but this episode was very uninspired.

8 We Love: Lisa’s Sax

With Lisa being the underappreciated genius of the family, she doesn’t take the leading role very often. Overshadowed by her father and brother’s antics, she just doesn’t get to be the “star” of enough episodes. One great example would be “Lisa’s Sax” from season nine.

In a scuffle over Lisa’s saxophone, the instrument flies out of Bart’s hands and is destroyed on the road. Homer, again the storyteller, reminisces about buying it while struggling to find a way to encourage his intellectually gifted daughter. For the second time, he gives up the money he had saved to buy an air conditioner in order to get her a saxophone, instead. This touching episode speaks volumes about Homer and Lisa’s fraught-yet-loving relationship.

7 We Don’t: So It’s Come To This: A Simpsons Clip Show

The Simpsons made it to a point late in season four before succumbing to the temptation of a clip show. The self-deprecating title “So It’s Come To This: A Simpsons Clip Show” probably says it all here, but, as the first, this one was probably the best.

After an April Fool’s prank involving a super-shaken can of beer, Homer finds himself on one of his many trips to the hospital. While there, the family discusses silly, difficult, and hilarious moments that they’ve made it through before. It’s a reasonable premise and quite an entertaining watch, but it set a precedent for lackluster clip shows.

6 We Love: The Way We Was

If there’s one thing Simpsons fans and Springfield residents alike had wondered, it’s exactly how the oafish Homer managed to win Marge’s heart. In season two, we got to see for ourselves with “The Way We Was.”

From tutoring ruses to disastrous dates with Artie Ziff, this flashback shows exactly how the two came together. It’s just a story the couple recounted to their children after the family’s TV broke, but it’s a real fan-favorite when it comes to flashback episodes.

5 We Don’t: Grandpa Vs. Sexual Inadequacy

Many fans are very fond of Season six’s “Grandpa vs. Sexual Inadequacy,” and it’s certainly a solid watch. It’s just an installment that, in the grand scheme of the series, is a little forgettable and perhaps uncomfortable.

The likes of Grandpa’s revitalizing tonic and the reverse vampire theory are weak threads to base a whole episode on, while the strained relationship between Homer and Abe, and Homer’s desperate attempts to compensate with his own children, is maybe emphasized a little too harshly. Some may not like what they see in this episode’s glimpse into the past.

4 We Love: Lisa’s First Word

Another Lisa-focused episode, season four’s “Lisa’s First Word” revolves around Maggie in the beginning. In the present, her siblings and parents are each trying to encourage her to speak, hoping to hear her speak. Failing that, Marge takes us back in time by telling the story of the first word Lisa spoke instead.

A young Bart is resentful towards his new sister, as she takes all the attention away from him. As it turns out, though, Lisa’s first word is “Bart,” demonstrating that she adores her brother. At this, the pair become much closer. Sibling squabbles between Bart and Lisa are commonplace on the show, but this emotional episode highlights the love they share. Incidentally, it also features Maggie’s first canon spoken word: “Daddy.”

3 We Don’t: That 90s Show

Long-time fans of a series never appreciate retconning where retconning doesn’t belong. “That 90s Show” from season 19 did exactly this and suffered as a result.

In this episode, the children come across Marge’s Springfield University diploma. These events cast doubt on the timing of Homer and Marge’s relationship, and they launch into a story of their life in the 90s revolving around Homer’s band and Marge’s aspirations that throws everything we know about the couple’s history for a loop. This one is very unpopular among fans.

2 We Love: Homer’s Barbershop Quartet

Everybody knows that Homer has had a lot of jobs in his time, but the revelation that he was a part of a very successful barbershop quartet in the 80s is the kind of thing that flashback episodes were created for.

The brief appearance from George Harrison was inspired—as was the gag with Homer being more amazed by the brownie the Beatles legend was holding than to actually meet him—and the parodies were clever and subtle, something the show often struggles with now. While the idea of happening upon the records in the present day and Homer reminiscing about his musical past is a little hackneyed, this classic season five episode is a favorite.

1 We Don’t: Forgive And Regret

It’s tough to produce a long run of any show without delivering a number of “filler” episodes. These are the ones that don’t really shake things up or make any major missteps but don’t make much of an impact on the overarching plot of the series either. Season 29’s “Forgive And Regret” is a perfect example.

This episode was significant in that it marked The Simpsons overtaking Gunsmoke to hit the record for most episodes released by a U.S. scripted series, but not for its content. Homer and Abe’s relationship is the focus again, as Grandpa Simpson reveals that he discarded a box of Mona Simpson’s recipe cards over a cliff. The pair patch up their differences after the recipes are discovered in the possession of a restaurant owner, but this is ground we’ve covered with the pair many times before. Still, viewers get to see the root of Homer’s love of food, so that’s something.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/simpsons-best-worst-flashback-episodes/

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