The Simpsons: 10 Most Overrated Episodes

9. Who Shot Mr Burns? (Season 6, Episode 25 And Season 7, Episode 1)

The first part of the episode was selected by the Telegraph as one of the ten best episodes ever, and was additionally put in TIME€™s top 25, and at number 59 by Rolling Stone. It also has a rating of 8/10 from IMDB fans, indicating that viewers consistently vote this episode an A. And to be fair, this classic two parter is not without its typical good Simpsons moments. Like every episode on the list there are some absolute gem sight gags and quotes. Mr Burns trying to €˜steal candy from a baby€™ is particularly great, as is Homer€™s mental breakdown around the fact that Burns can not remember his name, no matter how influential the Simpsons are on Mr Burns€™ daily life. But don€™t be completely taken in by the nostalgia that surrounds this episode €“ this is one of the most cynical marketing ploys in the history of television. In an attempt to boost ratings, the Simpsons writers decided to come up with a bit of a cliff-hanger to spur discussion, and build interest around the premiere of the show€™s seventh season. And despite the fact that clues are littered through the episode as to who shot Mr Burns, the bait and switch of it being Maggie is kind of anticlimactic and sucks the energy out of the room when it is revealed. This episode is a classic instance of an idea that probably sounded wonderful, struggling in its overall execution. The idea of Maggie as being the culprit is kind of funny when you first hear it, but to execute that vision was always going to be difficult. Again €“ the episode isn€™t bad. But the fond memories and discussions that come from this episode were cynically built and manipulated, and most of the discussions about the episode seem to come from the exact talking points that the studio chiefs at Fox wanted viewers to repeat. 'Who Shot Mr Burns' is a case study in hype and early viral marketing. And as fun as it was to get caught up in the fever at the time, the actual quality of the episode doesn't quite stand up to be considered as influential as it is today.