The Simpsons Season 2 (1990)
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The Simpsons Season 2 Review
The second season of The Simpsons is a marked improvement upon its predecessor as most of its 22 episodes are great.
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“I’m not perfect…
like Ned Flanders“
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The first one is Bart Gets an “F”. I personally did not care for his installments in the previous season, but this is the first truly great Bart episode that is incredibly moving in its third act. I felt the emotion, and how important it was for him to get a D, and I found the show’s willingness to portray an under-achiever so realistically truly to be congratulated.
Simpson and Delilah has a terrific Homer storyline about his lack of hair, but it’s at its best when dealing with suave, amusing Karl who is the groundbreaking first gay character on the show. I found Treehouse of Horror not all that great to be honest. The first part is weak, The Raven section is way too traditional and straightforward, and the only strong part is the one with the aliens as it’s a good take on that famous Twilight Zone episode. Kang and Kodos are instantly iconic Simpsons creations.
Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish is a very long-titled, political episode concerned with environmentalism, and the results are sophisticated, but not all that fun. Dancin’ Homer is by far the worst episode of this season with a very odd, unappealing storyline, setting and subject matter.
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Dead Putting Society is the first great Ned Flanders episode that creates this hilarious, hugely entertaining conflict between Homer and him, and it is consistently engaging and funny to watch. He is such a great character, such a good man of faith, that obviously he would clash with Homer. The first scene is the best one.
Bart vs. Thanksgiving is worth it for that wonderful roof sequence which is quite sweet, but otherwise it’s not all that memorable of an episode. Bart the Daredevil starts off weakly, but it goes on to become essential in its last hilarious moments with Homer which features the funniest, most-action oriented and cartoony scene of the show so far. And the dynamic between father and son is stellar here.
Itchy & Scratchy & Marge finally deals with this amusing show within a show substantially. It also has a great subject matter well explored from both sides, but again the entertainment factor was thus reduced. Bart Gets Hit by a Car is a solid Mr. Burns episode, but he would get one better story afterwards. One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish is one of the most forgettable Homer episodes that ends well, but is otherwise overly emotional.
The Way We Was takes us to 1974 when Marge and Homer first met, and we follow how their relationship came to be. That was all done through an abundance of immediate, classic details, leading to one heck of a romantic, powerful, important flashback episode. Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment is another message/issue episode that again lacks the entertainment factor.
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Principal Charming is the first great episode concerning Marge’s sisters as well as Principal Skinner who is finally humanized here and given quite a meaty role. But Selma and Patty here are excellent, so well developed for supporting characters and their sibling bond is undeniable. They are old spinster characters rarely shown on television, and that makes them important.
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? is probably my favorite episode so far in the show’s run. It introduces us to Herbert Powell, Homer’s long-lost half-brother so gloriously voiced by the great Danny DeVito. His performance is fantastic, and the character felt very much alive how complex, and beautifully developed he was in just one episode. The entire story is very sweet, fun and also funny at the same time.
Bart’s Dog Gets an “F” is a very endearing Santa’s Little Helper episode about his disobedience and Bart’s evident love for him. Old Money is mediocre. I do love Grampa, but here he got a very soapy, somewhat annoying storyline not worthy of him. Brush with Greatness is the best Mr. Burns episode so far as it gets his character how manipulative, greedy and powerful he is, but also very much a weak, withering old man. Marge’s painting of him is hilarious.
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Lisa’s Substitute is a sweet Lisa episode that got some very moving moments, but per usual her episodes are not the most fun of the bunch. The War of the Simpsons very honestly and darkly portrays the show’s central marriage, and I appreciated how grounded it felt. Three Men and a Comic Book is a subpar boys episode that is far from memorable whereas Blood Feud is another very good Mr. Burns episode with a killer premise well explored.
Ultimately, I appreciated a large number of Burns episodes here as well as a couple of instantly iconic, moving and/or funny stories. Some installments here are evidently weak, but most are stellar, sophisticated and rich in characterization, leading to the show getting its strong footing here.
Worst Episodes: Dancin’ Homer and Old Money.
Best Episodes: The Way We Was, Dead Putting Society, Principal Charming and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
