10 Worst Simpsons Episodes From The Best Seasons

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s how drastically The Simpsons has changed and gone downhill over the years. What started as an unmissable, classic family show has now become a cold, pop-culture heavy, celebrity cameo filled series which very rarely gives you a laugh. BUT we still continue to watch it and for a show to have that type of loyal fanbase really proves how popular the cartoon sitcom was in the beginning.

And The Simpsons gained a large following for a reason. The titular family were multi-dimensional characters who felt realistic and relatable, the humour was genuinely smart, the storylines could be enjoyable wacky but still believable and the episodes usually came with a sweet ending and nice lesson or moral to go with it. The early years were truly sensational and near perfect, but every rose has its thorn. Amidst a near perfect animated series, some episodes didn’t quite land and often left us underwhelmed.

But before we start, we must define the golden years of the show. Season 1 was still finding its voice whilst Season 9 is often considered a transitional era which showed early signs of a decline (The Principal and the Pauper, anyone?) so the best years will be defined as the episodes between Season 2 to Season 8.

Here are the 10 worst Simpsons episodes from its golden era.

Slightly controversial. Bart of Darkness is the debut episode of season six and is considered one of the best for its brilliant humour, excellent set-up and great characterisations. So where did it go wrong?

The problem is the storyline. The whole episode starts off with the Simpsons getting a pool in the back garden and their household growing ever popular because of it. In particular, Lisa believes she has more friends than ever, even though they’re using her for the pool, while Bart is isolated from the crowds because of his leg injury. Two thirds into the episode and we’re given this entirely new plot of Bart spying on Ned Flanders and suspecting he has murdered his wife Maude.

It’s frustrating how there are essentially two storylines in one which could have easily been split to make two separate episodes. The section where Bart studies the mystery of Ned’s murder is genuinely gripping and also makes for a comical parody of Hitchcock’s rear window. But it’s also a tad rushed and feels shoehorned on the end of the episode. Imagine the potential of this storyline if it had been fleshed out into a full episode in order for more intensity and comedy.

Meanwhile, Lisa’s storyline of growing popular and forgetting her booksmart nature felt like it was building up a moment of character development and an important lesson to be had when she lets the attention go to her head. Instead, it’s just shrugged off to the side with no afterthought as she helps Bart with the Flanders case.