The Simpsons: 10 Episodes That Would Have Made Perfect Endings
8. The Old Man And The "C" Student
Those first two examples are of The Simpsons as it was teetering on the precipice, about to tip over into absolute trash but still managing a few good zingers and inventive bits of meta-storytelling that would work as finales. But wouldn't it be nice if the show had gone out on a high, reminding you of everything good about The Simpsons? One huge thing that's really lacking from the modern series is a moral centre, which has mostly been replaced with the sort of bitter cynicism that fuels the hateful likes of Family Guy. At its best, The Simpsons was about a group of people trying to do the right thing even if they found that out by accident, or whilst trying to do the wrong thing. The Old Man And The C Student is the episode where Homer tries to sell a load of springs he bought after his idea of Olympic mascot Springy doesn't pay off, yes. But it's also the one where community service at the Retirement Castle leads to Bart and the show finally treating Springfield's elders with respect and dignity. A bit of a tear-jerker.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
