The Simpsons Season 3 (Disc 1)

One of the worst parts of the summer is that when you’re stuck inside, there is nothing good on TV. NOTHING. I mean, the other day the best thing on was a weird trivia show where the losers got thrown off of cliffs and other crap. What? To make matters worse, the local FOX affiliate decided to replace shows such as Seinfeld with those stupid celebrity gossip shows. That’s just Not Fair to Flair, so with no reruns to watch on weeknights I decided to bust out my Simpsons DVDs and give them a watch. I actually did this last summer, going through 12 of the 14 Season Sets (I don’t own Season 13 and skipped watching Season 20) and I've been wanting to give it another go, so here we are.

Now I’m not a big fan of Seasons 1-3, but I think there are enough great episodes in Season 3 to go ahead and watch the entire season. I’ll more than likely go back and review Seasons 1 and 2 after I get through the rest of the series, just for completionists sake.

Let’s start things off with Disc 1:

  

“Stark Raving Dad”

Original Airdate: September 19, 1991

Guest Starring John Jay Smith as Michael Jackson

Bart throws his lucky red hat into the wash, resulting in all of Homer’s white work shirts turning pink. When Homer is forced to wear a pink shirt to work, he is put into a mental hospital where he meets Michael Jackson. Of course Michael Jackson is a fat, white, bald man who only SOUNDS like the King of Pop. When Homer is released, word slips out that he’s bringing Michael Jackson home with him. Anarchy ensues, but “MJ” makes everything right when he helps Bart write a heartfelt song for Lisa’s birthday. This is a great episode featuring the guest voice of Michael Jackson, credited as “John Jay Smith.” Lisa’s birthday song is a memorable moment from the series’ early days.

"Lisa, it's your Birthday! Happy Birthday Lisa!"

“Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington”

Original Airdate: September 26, 1991

After receiving a free issue of Reading Digest in the mail, Lisa writes an essay about America for a contest that earns her and her family a trip to Washington D.C. After a tour of the nation’s most prominent landmarks, Lisa witnesses a corrupt congressman taking a bribe so that Springfield Forest can be demolished. This inspires Lisa to write a new paper about corruption in the government. While she doesn’t win the contest, her essay gets the crooked politicians arrested. This is kind of a dull episode although there are some funny moments during the family’s tour of Washington.

“When Flanders Failed”

Original Airdate: October 3, 1991

 Ned Flanders throws a barbeque to celebrate the opening of his new store The Leftorium, a store that sells a wide range of everyday products designed for southpaws. Homer and Ned both make wishes off of a wishbone, with Homer getting the bigger piece. His wish is for Flanders’ business to fail. Homer starts to feel guilty when The Leftorium really DOES fail, causing the Flanders to lose their home. The B-plot involves Bart ditching a karate class to play a video game where he learns the “Touch of Death.” Nothing in this episode really sticks out, but it is a great chapter in the Homer/Ned relationship.

“Bart the Murderer”

Original Airdate: October 10, 1991

Guest Starring Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony

Bart has a bad day involving ripped pants, not getting a prize in his cereal, and to top it off he forgets his permission slip and has to miss the class field trip to the chocolate factory. On his way home from school he stumbles into the Springfield Mob’s headquarters. After making a fantastic Manhattan for one of the mobsters, they hire him as their personal bartender. One day Principal Skinner keeps Bart after school, making Bart late for a very important mob meeting. When Skinner goes missing, Bart takes the blame, and can only be cleared by the missing Skinner himself. This episode is actually a lot better than I remember it being, and it’s also historic for Fat Tony making his first appearance. Also features a hilarious cameo by Neil Patrick Harris at the end.

“Homer Defined”

Original Airdate: October 17, 1991

The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant’s core begins to meltdown, and Homer is responsible for saving the town from complete destruction. Homer is able to save the town by randomly pressing a button on the control console. Springfield citizens treat him as a hero, but Homer feels guilty because he really didn’t do anything. When a meltdown threatens neighboring Shelbyville, Homer is brought in to save the town, and the truth behind the previous crisis is revealed. This leads to a new expression called “Pulling a Homer,” which is defined by the dictionary as performing a heroic act by dumb luck. For example, when Magic Johnson hits a game winning three point shot by slipping on the court, he tells the media he “Pulled a Homer.” Meanwhile Bart is depressed when Milhouse’s mom refuses to let Milhouse associate with Bart. Another great episode in a series of them, with a nice cameo from Magic Johnson as well.

“Like Father, Like Clown”

Original Airdate: October 24, 1991

Guest Starring Jackie Mason as Rabbi Hyman Krustofski

After numerous cancellations, Krusty the Clown finally eats dinner at The Simpsons’ as a repayment for Bart proving his innocence when Sideshow Bob framed him in Season 1. When asked to say grace, it is revealed that Krusty is Jewish. Krusty reveals that his father, Rabbi Hyman Krustofski, wanted Krusty to follow in his footsteps and become a Rabbi, while Krusty wanted to become a comedian. Krusty started performing behind his father’s back, but was exposed when his father attended one of his shows, and the two haven’t spoken since. Krusty becomes depressed when he realizes he hasn’t seen or spoken to his father in 25 years, leading Bart and Lisa on a quest to reunite the estranged father and son. I’m not too fond of this episode, it’s a great emotional story which is something The Simpsons can pull off with ease, but there wasn’t really too much going on.

See you tomorrow for Disc 2!