I waffled back and forth for soooooo long on the #1 pick between the Top 3 episodes, still not 100% positive I am satisfied. It's like a 3-way tie for me 😛
With the part about Bart not seeing Ray due to a black hole, it would have been much funnier if he just was pretending not to have seen him. It fits Barts character
@@TheRealJims haha just make sure that you rank it 5th place if you ever do top 10 most mediocre. nothing more mediocre than being the most mediocre of the mediocres!
I feel like part of the issue with Humbleton is that Ned is a very Morality-Focused character and Humbleton doesn't have much to morally affect him. It's irksome but not really touching his real pain points as a character. I think it would have been much more fun if they'd played it more 'We consider ourselves super moral but don't really do anything to help others'. Like if Flanders was being treated badly for doing ACTUAL good things at the cost of making the community look less squeaky clean (Like say, helping a drunk who the 'nice' community would rather see go away entirely).
That's a great take. You're right, the mustache thing is functional to move the plot but doesn't really get at Ned as a character. If they did a "Pleasantville is not so pleasant" setup with Ned, it would've been way better
@@TheRealJims I think it has the bones of a good concept, but maybe it's juggling between Ned in what should be his element and Homer realizing he never had it so good next to Flanders. I do like the whole thing about him being shunned for his mustache. Kinda feels bizarrely like a reference to the story Matt Groening keeps telling about how his hair was too long as a kid that they wouldn't let him in Disneyland. On the other hand, I am glad that the Humbleton residents are only seen as oddly unreasonable as they are basically fairy tale characters. I really don't think it would have been better had they been, to quote Ned from earlier in the episode, imaginary, idealized 50's loving Republicans. Though, if anything, I would have had the episode where they were so incredibly like Ned Flanders that the real Ned would realize he is his own personal hell, and he needs someone like Homer to really test his faith and good will.
Damn this is a really good point, never understood why it didn't really do it for me before, considering it seems like it would work so well but I think you nailed it!
I'm thinking we need a "On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister" review. Sounds like Jims has some thoughts there. Re: Midnight Rx: It has one of my favorite continuity gags ever, where Homer's arrested in Canada, and the Canadian news refers to them as "American astronaut, Homer Simpson".
@@samuel-wankenobi Between seasons 14-20 (and especially 16-19) the episodes look so similar that sometimes its hard to distinguish which is from what season. Mobile Homer is one I always thought belonged to season 17.
People are just saying that to be trendy these days. Its cool to say you stopped watching after season 8. But in secret most of them kept watching and enjoying the show, but they couldnt even admit it to themselves, so their subconscious tries to repress this incongruent reality. In short = most Simpsons haters need therapy
It's funny that you like The Father, The Son, and the Holy Guest Star in spite of not really getting the humor, because the reason I like that episode so much is BECAUSE the humor was really relatable for me. I'm Irish, and come from a big ol' Irish Catholic family, so all the Catholic cultural references really landed for me. This is one episode I very vividly remember watching with my parents when it first aired over here and all the 'Catholic vs Protestant' jokes hand us all HOWLING; it's always been a favourite in our house for that exact reason. Catholic Heaven vs Protestant Heaven in particular cracks me up every time. It's just interesting to me, as a lapsed catholic who always loved the episode for its tongue-in-cheek portrayal of catholicism, to see how it comes across to someone who doesn't have that cultural background, and how they can still enjoy it regards.
The amount of Irish Simpsons fans truly is insane, we're the most hardcore by a mile in my experience. The shared 6pm rte2 slot is burned into our minds.
@@stevedomique9278 I'm from the North but I spent a lot of my childhood down South visiting relatives. Since both Channel 4 and RTE 2 showed The Simpsons at six, to me 6pm will forever be associated with The Simpsons for me.
@@sapphyreblayze haha when I got a bit older our TV aeriel started picking up channel 4 as well as RTE 2. I remember switching between the two trying to choose the best episode between the two and on every ad break. Genuinely some of my best childhood memories as stupid as it sounds.
Home Away from Homer does have one of my favourite all time Simpsons Jokes, that being when Homer and Ned confront the bodybuilder dude and Ned forces him to submit and then Homer hits him from the chair out of nowhere. Homer's satisfied, proud expression of "I saw my chance and I took it. That's what heroes do." Always makes me laugh and it has been a running joke in our RPG game nights for some time now
Agnes hitting the closed door and yelling, "Damn it!" In All's Fair In Oven War is one of my all-time favorite jokes for some reason. It has stuck with me for years!
I thought Nelson's dad's peanut allergy explanation was hilarious in just how stupid it was, and it's actually the part I remember the most about that episode
I think "Pranksta Rap" is pretty good, it's a shame it gets a bad reputation for the whole rap thing, the episode is more than that. The same goes for "To Surveil With Love" which often receives hate because of its couch gag.
It's a major testament to the quality of this channel that I'm still watching the season retrospectives several seasons after I stopped seeing any value in The Simpsons.
Dude just admit it you are secretly obsessed with The Simpsons, or why else would you watch a channel religiously, solely dedicated to the show, it doesnt make sense
Season 16 was the first new season of The Simpsons that I watched as it aired. I was only about 8 years old when this season was airing. Me and my friend used to meet up every week to watch the new airing. It was the highlight of our week. As such, although this may not be the best season episode-wise (the show was definitely far over the hill by this point), this season has some really great memories and will always be special to me. I get huge amounts of nostalgia when rewatching this season.
While I loved watching the early episodes as a kid, I’m kind of jealous that you can watch later seasons with Nostalgic Glasses. I was born in ‘93 so I can’t really watch this season without a judge mental lens, but I wish I could.
@@brianburkhardt3692 This season would've come out when you were about eleven or so no? I'm the same birth year as you and I have nostalgia from this season for the same reason, but S15 was the first season I was watching as new episodes aired.
@@foodwich2132 yeah that’s a good point. I guess nostalgia ended sooner for me haha. I remember watching the RV episode live and feeling like it wasn’t as good as it used to be. And that’s not even this season. I would have guessed I was like 13 or so but I guess I lost faith pretty young. But I owned all the DVD’s of the first 10 seasons (and even beyond) so I watched early episodes a *lot* and mainly watched these episodes when they aired. Edit: wait, the RV episode IS this season. My brain is broken in multiple ways apparently.
I love Homer And Ned's Hail Mary Pass. It's so over-the-top ridiculous and a funny satire of both movies and sports entertainment. In a roundabout way, I kind of like the moral as well. Homer and Ned came in with the best of intentions to educate people, and ended up pissing off everyone.
I grew up Irish Catholic, so "The Father, The Son, and the Holy Guest Star" was one of those episodes I could relate to a lot. The jokes involving the rosary, scary nuns, and being taught about communion and confirmation were all things I experienced. My mother always observed the culinary side of the religion, with us having pancakes before Ash Wednesday and having no meat on Good Friday (Though we worked around this by having a fish dish). The only things I didn't get were a more modern priest, since the parish we went to wasn't interested in appealing to the younger generation. A lot of middle-aged and elderly people showed up on Sunday, doing the usual service involving the lord's prayer as Gaeilge (In Irish), listening to a story from the bible to apply to our lives, taking communion, wishing peace with your fellow man, and then taking a copy of the parish newsletter before leaving. Frankly, it was one of those things that never really grabbed me all that much, with society beating it into us. I was more interested in the books on evolution than those Alive-O books (A Christian textbook series) we'd have to read during class. Back then (In the early 2000s), the idea of becoming an atheist wasn't a thing, so it wasn't until I was 14 that I became one. Even other religions or other denominations were treated as an afterthought. Nobody really knew what Muslims believed in, and Protestants were just seen as "other Christians" to us (Though we'd usually get annoyed whenever a news report from the north would come on since it would involve someone from the DUP bitching on about how Catholics are "asking for too much"). Even though I'm not fond of the later Simpsons seasons, "The Father, The Son, and the Holy Guest Star" is an episode that helped show the lighter side of the religion, highlighting that it's okay to laugh at ourselves (Though Father Ted is an infinitely better satire and commentary on Irish Catholicism).
Season 16 was pretty much the last season I kept up with. But Thank god it's Doomsday had some fun moments. Homer telling god that "He just made a powerful enemy" was such riot. The heartbreak kid I remember liking but I hadn't seen it in ages. Anyhoo, thanks for the reviews and thoughts on the series as always!
I had the EXACT opposite experience of "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" in that I was a kid from a catholic family who got in trouble at public school and had to go to an evangelical hig school, around the time this episode was new. It was different than the episode but the episode felt and still feels so very personal to me.
Future-dama holds a special place for me, since I always wanted the kids to grow after so many years. I think most of the blunders it has with it's plot resolution exist because it was made to fit with the story from S16x09 (Lisa's Wedding), since it would canonically fit AFTER future-drama.
Super glad to have finally caught up with your retrospective series! This was a wonderful year of Simpsons adventures! Thank god it’s Doomsday and Sleeping with the enemy are big favorites of mine! I love all your deep season reviews. Looking forward to your review on season 17!
This is the era of Simpsons I grew up with so I'll always have a strong degree of nostalgia for it. The fat Bart episode and Ray mangini always stuck out to me
I have to commend you for giving you such detailed analysis to what I thought to be such underwhelming seasons.You’ve seriously given a new appreciation for the 2000s era that I never thought I’d see.
Yeah he’s doing better than LS Mark, where 95 percent of every episode after season 8 was “forgettable” run of the mill”, as if every episode after season 8 is bad. Yes, the Simpsons did drop in quality, but that doesn’t mean every episode is bad.
Wow, I don't think I've ever watched "She used to be my girl" before. Season 16 is where my Simpsons memory seems to get weaker, but that episode looks completely new to me. I can confidently say I've never seen it on TV at least.
Our priest once mentioned father son and holy guest star in a homily when I was 12. I went home and asked my parents if I could watch it. I then watched all through seasons 1-12, so that episode has a special place in my heart as my first simpsons episode
I'm glad I'm not the only one who looks at the episodes and starts to worry when my favorite(s) haven't made it between 10-6. But, it always feels great if they make 5-1 and to hear Jim sprinkle all his compliments about the episodes.
This era is weird for me. I know I've seen all these episodes but remember barely anything about them, apart from Don't Fear the Roofer. Always really enjoyed that one so it stuck with me
The day I fear the most, it finally happen... you will start reviewing seasons I never saw. I have seen "future" Simpsons episodes based on your recommendations (thank you for that) but season 16 was the last one I saw from premiere to season finale. I will be here as a loyal subscriber watching, liking, commenting, and sharing but still...
I've got a irrational grudge against She Used to Be My Girl, because I swear back when I was in college, they used to air it in syndication every single week in my market.
5:08 Plenty, never having lived in America. I’ll probably have more to comment on in Season 17, or that Worst Classic list you teased on Twitter. (I don’t use it anymore, but still sometimes browse your profile for updates)
Home Away From Homer was the episode teaser that I first remember thinking "Jeez, is this where The Simpsons is going now?" and decided to purposefully not see.
I actually rank Pranksta Rap pretty high, like yeah it's got the Bart rap and the non-ending but it's just BRIMMING with hilarious sight gags that I love like Bart's tombstone or Kirk as a scarecrow
These past few seasons and continuing in with the show get to a level where it just isn't fu to watch anymore. I guess I'll still watch your videos of them, but yeah it really is just a completely different show
Season 16 is about the time that I stopped watching The Simpsons on a regular basis - so the reviews and lists are all new territory for me going forward. Looking forward to it.
Hey Jim’s, I’ve been watching the Simpsons from the start for this first time since I was a kid, I just got to season 17 and I’ve been watching along with you since season one. I love your videos and can’t wait to see more !!
Hah, what a great list. I made my own list in anticipation of yours and we have virtually the same episodes but in oddly the almost opposite order. I put Home Away From Homer at number one because I actually found it quaint. It was fun to see Flanders finally having had enough, standing up for himself, and then deciding that actually he does miss Springfield. Also the ending was fun where it turns out Coach's check bounced, and his muscles were no match for our favorite saint of Springfield. Also, isn't the heaven scene in Thank God It's Doomsday canon since Moe's bar goes back from being a sushi place? I guess you could argue Moe just bought it back, maybe there were too many sushi restaurants in Springfield and it couldn't stay in business, but I always read it as God actually undoing the apocalypse, just because Homer asked, which is pretty sweet of him.
The weird thing is, earlier in the scene he is carrying a large stack of shingles that obstructs his view. But then he puts them down. I guess they didn't want to repeat plot elements and wanted to be silly
The bizarre combination of Simpsons nostalgia and video game nostalgia brought about by the soundtracks used for background music - well, it’s a double barreled blast from the past. “It’s super effective!”
(For season 17). I HATE the wife swap episode if only because Ricky Gervese's character is insufferable and not in a funny way. The only thing that gets me through that episode is Marge and Homer being oblivious to the drama THEY'RE supposed to be dishing out. Also, is it a hot take that I like that Sideshow Bob started a family? I've even come up with a plot where Bob and Marge need to rescue their family from a hostage situation, a situation where the villain is trying to get Homer and Bob's wife to cheat on each other with Bob's wife not caving out of loyalty and Homer not caving out of being unable to take a hint.
still love "On A Clear Day, I Can't See My Sister", even if it's strictly for Gary Busey's cameo... but i guess you couldn't handle it, because he's just too real
"I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Joe is me. And Mary is a composite of 12 different women and a small independent film company, all of whom couldn't deal with me because I'm too real."
I'd ranked '"A Home Away From Homer" a bit higher. Yeah it's an average Simpsons episode, but I really like the premise of how Homer pushes Ned too far causing him to move and essentially getting a adult version of Nelson as his new neighbor, leading him to understands what it feels like to be builled and wanting Flanders back.
Another season officially ranked. I actually like your top three this time, though my list is still very different. As usual I'd like to reveal my own tier list for the season, though I will only explain certain placements. 1. "Mommie Beerest" - My top two is mostly for my bias for my love for marital episodes, but I genuinely enjoy watching these two episodes a lot. This episode gets first though because the story is a bit more creative than "Mobile Homer" and it's also a really funny episode. I love the opening with the Simpsons finally getting caught up on mortgages, and its ending is pretty hilarious too. 2. "Mobile Homer" - Despite being #2, I see myself rewatching this one more, and I really enjoy this episode. The fight was great, the way Bart and Lisa try to get rid of the rv led to a very fun scene, and is a great way to somehow get Homer and Marge back together. 3. "Thank God It's Doomsday" - This episode is obviously a great episode. I really love the fantasy scene, and how the whole town got involved in this episode. Another fun episode. The beginning wasn't particularly funny imo, but it related with the rest of the story well. 4. "She Used to Be My Girl" - A great Marge episode and a rare moment with her and Lisa's relationship in the spotlight. 5. "The Heartbroke Kid" - Bart is my #1 favorite character in this show, but sadly it's hard to find a good Bart episode in the mid seasons. I personally really enjoy this one. It's unique for The Simpsons, (mostly since "King-Size Homer" did the "make a character more fat" idea first, but it has a different take on the premise) it has some funny moments (especially the intervention and the German scene for me), and I like how they show Bart caving to junk food (to me the part where he hides the food makes me laugh tbh). 6. "Sleeping with the Enemy" - An episode that is enjoyable, funny and where every character I feel is in the right. Bart is starting to be more independent, Lisa feels insecure, Nelson is looking for a good parental figure, and most of all Marge trying to find somebody to bond with since her kids don't enjoy her company. If it was more funny in the second half I'd rank it higher. 7. "All's Fair in Oven War" - I could live without the Bart b plot, has no relevance to the main story. 8. "Don't Fear the Roofer" - Not a funny episode at all, but honestly an ok story. 9. "Fat Man and Little Boy" 10. "Treehouse of Horror XV" 11. "Pranksta Rap" 12. "Goo Goo Gai Pan" 13. "Midnight Rx" 14. "Home Away from Homer" 15. "There's Something About Marrying" - I can't say this aged that well honestly. Marge is out of character and kinda ruined the episode for me, and I usually consider Marge to be one of my favorite characters (though I like Bart more and possibly ties Mr. Burns and Nelson). 16. "A Star is Torn" 17. "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" - One of the few Marge appearances I don't enjoy. At least in "She of Little Faith" the ending worked out well for all the Simpsons (and "She of Little Faith" is a lot FUNNIER than this episode) but she really wants Bart and Homer to be in the same religion and that's a flaw in her character I don't really like. 18. "The Seven-Beer Snitch" 19. "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" - The unfunny celebrity focused episode and it's very forgettable. Hooray! 20. "Future-Drama" - Not a fan of the future episodes so this one is really low for me. 21. "On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister" - A lot to say about this one. Easily last because of Lisa. This episode contains one of my least favorite Lisa appearances in the entire show. She literally puts a restraining order on Bart because she got pranked and was that offended by it. I think this episode is VERY unfair to Bart and it doesn't help that even Marge doesn't do much to stop the restraining order, nor does any of the other family members care for Bart when he's forced out to live outside. Lisa only gets rid of it because Bart made a statue of her (though I think he should've gone through with destroying it as he intended to, she deserved to see it for what she did). I really hate that dancing scene in the middle of the episode when Bart is out of the house, one of the worst moments in the entire show. It also has a very forgettable b plot that had NOTHING to do with the main story. Somehow there are worse episodes than this one for me, however.
I'm surprised you haven't put There's Something About Marrying and Goo Goo Gai Pan in the top 10. The former I liked how Patty had a proper story and how Homer was so in character, marrying gays just for the money. I know some people don't like Marge here but to be honestseeing her being forced to deal with a sudden change much closer to home when we know she's usually so accepting was great. Some families are like that, needing time to digest the change. At least she came around in the end. The only thing I didn't like is how Veronica was a man and a pathological liar. The latter was very story driven and Homer was great acting as Selma's husband. Yes, I know there's some wacky scenes but some of them were funny. The ending when Selma had a talk to Madame Wu to keep Ling was great and I am overall glad that this change was permanent. I would put at number 8 or 9 for the Top 10 and the former, number 3 after The Heartbroke Kid and Thank God It's Doomsday.
At this point I was two or three seasons past being sure to watch every single week. In retrospect it did hold some enjoyable episodes and memories connected to them but at this point I was two years out of high school and suddenly was more concerned with my long lasting depressive episode. But I still would catch the show in reruns and at least a live airing once or twice a month and it was like hanging out with an old friend you had spent too much time with, enjoyable but not quite like you expected.
I guess There's Something About Marrying doesn't meet the similar quality threshold to have a showdown with Homer's Phobia. It's funny to see Marge, who was the voice of reason in Homer's Phobia, to be uncomfortable when it came to her sister getting married.
For me, Season 16 is the one season of the show I remember the most, mostly due to have tapping and rewatching a lot of its episodes. Personally, my favorite episode is Midnight RX for its satire bent and how much it still makes me laugh. Goo Goo Pain is my second favorite for the humor, Selma characterization, and a lot of the cultural gags ("Why doesn't Pearl Jam ever play here?!" Or "Hey dragon, you fly like a jerk."). Then comes Thank God, It's Doomsday because of the humor straight up. So love it
It's containing episode might not have made the list and is ultimately very forgettable, but "Thursday the 20th" is one of my favorite jokes from the series.
I'm genuinely shocked Treehouse of Horror XV didn't make the top 10. Every segment is unique to some fashion, with the first and last being extremely memeorable in my eyes. And The Ned Zone's ending is easily one of the most iconic segments of the post-classic simpsons episodes. Maybe it's just been too long, hang on I'm gonna go watch it. Okay, the intro has no huge laughs but man is it such a perfect minute long bit. First segment is the usual later treehouse hyper fast pace, but man this is some great absurd humour. Also the "There's only one god, well sometimes there's three" is such a weird little joke to add about the father, son, holy spirit thing. I bet most people miss that. Still, top tier segment, actually feels like something you'd see out of modern internet comedy. Oh this 2nd segment has powerful "we just wanted to do british accents for all the characters" energy... Okay yeah that was the whole bit. Plus a few of those trendy opium jokes. Third segment is fun, with a suitably creepy ending and again with the slightly absurd humour that treehouses tend to excel at. All in all, a very better than Home Away From Homer episode. Even if that's mostly being carried by the first segment. So I will continue to die on this hill. What's that, nobody cares about the rank 10 spot of a season 16 top 10 list? Well alright then.
Pov: you didn't watch the his favorite and least THOH segments lists. (he put the ned zone in his favorite lists but the other two in his least favorite)
@@Faris_V5 yes its the dirty little secret that these seasons are as good as "classic era" they just would never admit it because its not the cool opinion
I think one thing that could have improved the Heartbroke Kid would be if Bart's weight loss coach was a pre-movie Russ Cargill who went onto coach President Schwartzenegger
"Good news Marge, I learned to walk naked on stilts" Is one of my favorite random Homer lines right next to "Guess how many boobs I say today Marge.. fifteen!"
Hey TheRealJims Great Retro on Season 16 Video and on This if there is a Annoying Thing i think as a Simpsons fan is that Season 16 there is Multiple episodes about episodes Homer and Marge Relationship like We get it we understand sometimes Couples but they Take it up to a new level but with Season 33 Episode about marge and homer surival in the Woods Reminds me and reminds others why they work as a couple Anyway sorry but the long rant what is your Option on Marge and Homer's Relationship is it Better than the ever or is it worst i would like to hear your and everyone else option on this because i say bad things about the simpsons but not out of Hate but Read out criticism and i wish to open up about changes and ideas for Future episodes to get the simpsons to 1000 Episodes like One Piece ❤
The Father, The Son, and the Holy Guest Star was the episode that made my dad stop watching the simpsons... because he was one of *those* protestants who insists that Catholics are not actually Christian and that they are not going to Heaven. He literally got spitting mad at the idea of "catholic heaven" even existing, let alone being more fun.
I think it would be great if he did all the seasons (although i understand if he doesn't) but i really like how he explains why he dislikes something or why he likes it in the post golden age seasons instead of like others who just talk about how the show is unfunny, dead and unoriginal
Ngl, I remember this season fondly. I cant be the only one who sort of grew up at this season point to. I started getting the more older age group gags. An important season for me
