You’ve probably seen an episode of “The Simpsons” by now. If you haven’t, you’ve probably heard a joke from the show or you know someone who is an avid fan. It’s hard to have escaped the show in its more than three decades on air.
I grew up watching the show, buying the DVD sets and I’ve seen so many of the episodes two, three, four or even more times, and a lot of them have never gotten old to me. But it’s been a few years now since I’ve watched a full episode, and, with everything shut down these days, I decided it’s time to go back to the well and try to watch as much of the show as I can. And, as I go along, I’m going to be documenting the changes in the show, and I’ll also be reviewing the seasons, too.
Tonight I finished season one. It’s a short 13 episodes compared to the 20+ episodes a season that every season past it would be, and there’s a lot to unpack here.
Season one of “The Simpsons” is a bit rough around the edges, and the animation isn’t much to be proud of, but a lot of the humor here really holds up (including Bart’s many prank calls to Moe, plus the Krusty heart attack moment in “Krusty Gets Busted”). You can tell that the show is slowly but surely coming together to become what we would know it as. Most of the characters don’t look, sound or even act like we remember (Moe has black hair, Barney has yellow hair, Homer seems more stern than stupid, Flanders’ religion isn’t mentioned or even hinted at, etc., etc.). The first “D’oh!” doesn’t show up until seven episodes in… which is also the first time Bart says “Don’t have a cow, man.” The show isn’t quite “The Simpsons” that we know, but is closer to the “Tracey Ullman Show” sketches from the 80s that featured very primitive versions of the characters.
Even the opening credits of the show is similar, yet very different from what we all remember.
But, like I said, it’s funny.
Some highlights this season include “Krusty Gets Busted,” which introduces everyone to Sideshow Bob in a mystery surrounding a Kwik-E-Mart robbery, Bart going to war against the bully Nelson in “Bart the General,” Maggie befriending a group of bears out in the wilderness in “The Call of the Simpsons,” and my favorite episode of the season: “Moaning Lisa,” which focuses on Lisa feeling depressed and really trying to find something that makes her feel whole… jazz. That episode above all showcases the heart of the show. A lot of people forget how emotional and wholesome the show could be at times, and as we go through the show, we’ll definitely hit on a few more of those touching moments (I’m already crying thinking about the ending of season six’s “And Maggie Makes Three”).
While season one isn’t the best that “The Simpsons” has to offer, it still holds up, and it makes me excited to rewatch the next few seasons.
I hope you’ll all join me on this crazy adventure.
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