How Does a Perfect SIMPSONS Episode Work?
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Logan Paul also threw a fish in a car in Japan. Funny? I didn’t think so
The Lemon Tree episode is definitely one of the best episodes, my personal favourite is Boy Scoutz N The Hood.
The sheer variety of joke types is mind-boggling. The Simpsons contains my all time favourite clever clever joke:
Principle Skinner addressing the model UN club:
"Do you kids want to be like the real UN, or do you just want to squabble and waste time?"
How to make a perfect Simpson's episode? First you need a time machine to go back to some time before 1997...
written by brent forrester...enough said ...the man is a great writer director and creative mind...
Two things:
1) Mike Reiss pronounces his last name "Reese," not "Rice."
2) In the Roman numeral section, I feel it would've been worth it to mention that the classroom scene ended with Krabappel saying "Whatever, I tried," which is itself paid off later with Bart in the tiger room saying "Roman numerals? They never even tried to teach us that in school!"
Exactly! Always loved that payoff.
Dammit, I just posted a damn essay about the Krabappel line, and here it turns out you already beat me to the punchline (literally).
Did you, like, watch the video? He totally talks about that joke, right around 17:10.
@@jakethet3206 Yeah, but he doesn't specifically mention the "tried" callback.
@@MaraudingJ Where can I read/watch it? :)
The lemon/rock joke is a "screw the audience" joke. The audience is led to believe one thing, but screw the audience we're gonna do something else. The Simpsons do these all the time. Like in And Maggie Makes Three, there's the scene where Patty and Selma are spreading the news about Marge being pregnant, and they open the phonebook and call Aaron A. Aaronson. It then fades to what seems like later, the phone5book is at the end and Patty and Selma look more tired. She hangs up the phone saying goodbye to someone called "Mr Zabrowski". So you think they've just called everybody in the phonebook spreading gossip. Then one of them says "there you go, Aaronson and Zabrowski are the two biggest gossips in Springfield". Why lead the audience to think they called everyone? Because screw the audience, that's why
classic subversive humor
I bet all those years of smoking destroyed all her energy after making two 20-second phone calls.
I don’t think it’s the cynical. Just misdirection. Slight of hand.
Bait and switch.
*TheRealJims does a great job reviewing seasons and episodes and makes it a point to well point these out as they happen.*
Is Milhouses mom the Shelbyville version of his dad?
Wow, I can't believe I never considered that before!
@@Zomdra Would that make him inbred?
Wouldn't that make Shelbyville Millhouse his brother?
@@atuvelman Well, there *was* an episode years later when Bart asked them if they were siblings because of how much they look alike.
Possibly cousins.
There's an aditional element of foreshadowing to the Milhouse set-up, reminder and pay-off. When homer gathers his troops Milhouse's mother tells his father that she's from shellbyville.
And this also ties in to the attractive cousins running gag because clearly Milhouse's parents, who look so much like eachother, likely are distant relatives
Although the real non-in universe explanation would probably just be that the animators wanted both of Milhouse's parents to closely resemble him.
The intelligence and thought in the show is mind blowing. Especially when you look at the longer running themes and commentary. The mix of comedy ad tragedy in a lens of thoughtfulness is inspired.
GRANDPA SIMPSON's story line throughout 30+ seasons is trying to make up for being a bad father by being a a better grandfather, offering the advice and concern to Bart and Lisa (And at some point presumably Maggie) that he never did with Homer. All after realizing his only son (he raised... looking at you, Herb), had no problem putting him in a nursing home that feeds him dog food, overly sedates him, steals from him, randomly changes his medications, and has a shotgun behind at the nurse's station.
All while Homer makes similar and new mistakes with his children... especially Bart. Bart, who is a genuinely intelligent lad, but no one takes an interest in or rarely bothers to motivate.
I think I've figured out what's so "Simpsons-y" about the "lemon-shaped rock" gag. There's a bait-and-switch element to it that I feel like the show uses a lot.
It gives a character a ridiculous assumption about the world that at first sounds like it's a character joke - ha, Bart is looking for a lemon, sees something yellow and lemon shaped, but thinks it's a rock! - and then rather than puncture it with the obvious punchline (wait a minute... that's no rock!), *confirms* that the world really is that bizarre for a second, absurdist punchline. Not only *is* there a bright yellow and perfectly lemon-shaped rock on the ground, but it's right next to the actual lemon Bart's looking for.
That's why it's hard to identify what kind of joke it is; it's two jokes!
There's a real art to deciding when "putting a hat on a hat" improves or detracts from the joke.
It’s the same misdirection set up and punchline as the wanted poster gag from the movie and the gag where you think Homer fell asleep and wrecked the car with the family in it but they’re actually at the motel. It’s ultimately a send up of old TV tropes.
I'm inclined to think that it's not necessarily likely that the Simpsons actually invented this kind of concept, but given what a place the show had in my formative years, whenever I see a gag like this in something I'm watching I literally just refer to it as "a Simpsons joke"
These were known by then-showrunner David Mirkin as "Screw the Audience Jokes".
The writing is so dense in early Simpsons that I don't think we'll get anything like it again, with barely any shows using a full team of writers or spending much time refining scripts.
30 Rock?
“Eat my shorts!”
“Yes! Eat all of our shirts!”
14:00 - The "lemon-shaped rock" joke might be a reference to a Gettier-style case constructed by Chisholm. There have been many versions of this case; but roughly the idea is this: You look into a field and see something you think is a sheep. In reality, though, it's not a sheep - it's a sheep shaped rock (or a dog in a sheep costume, etc.); but unbeknownst to you, there IS a sheep in the field, hidden behind the rock. Thus, as with all Gettier-style cases, you have a justified true belief:
1. You believe "There is a sheep in the field."
2. There is a sheep in the field.
3. Your belief is justified (by you seeing something that looks like a sheep in the field).
Yet, we're disinclined to think we KNOW there is a sheep in the field here (as our justification is unrelated to the sheep being in the field); thus this case appears to be a counter-example to the standard 3-part definition of knowledge; we satisfy all 3 criteria but don't believe we have knowledge.
Here, Bart sees a lemon-shaped rock, and identifies it as a fake... but then the real thing is hidden behind it.
Comedy based on epistemology. Nice.
Reminding me of my intro to philosophy class. Beautiful.
a slow-burn miniseries about a film critic gone mad.
I watched this video 3 times to help me remember it.
The first two watches were serious. And the third watch was a joke. Rule of three.
Wow, that _does_ work!
Thanks for this breakdown, Lemon of Troy really is one of their most tightly-written episodes. Season 6 is one of their better seasons about paying off specific plot elements.
Have you done a 60 second review?
@@motor4X4kombat No, not yet, but it'll be featured in the Season 6 videos in the next couple of weeks
The king has spoken
"TV, The Book" is a pretty great name actually.
"First thing tomorrow morning I'm gonna punch Lenny in the back of the head."
Last Exit to Springfield is THE perfect episode
Different styles, I'd say. Last Exit to Springfield is packed with references and has SO MANY good jokes, but not always directly tied to the plot. Kind of the thing Family Guy was based on (but did much, much worse of course). It's one of my favourites though.
@@TheMattmatic yeah its hard to break that one down...its just funny...its the best episode but not the best structured episode per say..its just references constantly
Lord yes, that lemon/rock joke is a very Simpsons gag. They use it often and it always gets me. I call it the Double Fakeout. They set up a moment or gag to resolve one way but then immediately reverse it in an even more absurd fashion.
So from what I understood from you thesis on what makes a perfect simpson's episode, it takes:
A. All pieces of the story being interconnected from act to act, playing off each other till it cascades to the end
B. A multifaceted and versatile humor style(references,slapstick, observational, etc.) that combine with the setting and story in a way that's seamless and yet so direct, that it's what makes The Simpsons the show it is
C. A Basic Premise, but one that could be more complex when looked at more critically, especially when you realize meaning of the title and what it represents for the Episode as a whole.
Did I get close? I am just simplifying facts I have found from episode, probably more but those main three seem the most important. .3.
The B plot should tie in to the A plot.
@@wmichaelbooth almost forgot that caviat, thanks for reminding me.
Oh my goodness, Lemon of Troy is SOOOO underrated. Thank You for pointing this masterpiece out! Also Springfield Confidential-great book!
seasons 4-6 are so unfair...the amount of work they put into most eps these 3 seasons shocks me
It's weird because I watched very few Simpsons episodes. My parents didn't approve of the show so I wasn't allowed.
But as soon as this video got going I was like "Oh yeah! I remember that one!"
Not sure if that's because it was that good an episode that I remember it to this day, because it was so well appreciated that it was commonly rerun on television, just random chance, or a combination of all three...
@@ProfDCoy why didn't your parents approve ?
@@AnuAnoop07 I don't think they ever gave a solid reason. I think they thought it was a little too adult/dirty for me. Personally, I think they were being overprotective, but I'm really just speculating about their reasoning.
“My name is Millhouse”
“WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME!!!??”
The most perfect Simpsons episode is the one with Hank Scorpio and everyone knows this.
CAPE FEARE YOU COWARDS
You ever see a man say goodbye to his shoes?
Yes, once
Where can I get some business hammocks?
One of my favorates of all time is King SIzed Homer.
Frank Grimes
This has me thinking about one of my favorite episodes and what it was really about "Raging Abe Simpsons, and his Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish'"
It is about neglect and dismissal of the elderly, how the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation are taken for granted, loneliness, the importance of family, breaking the glorification of war, the danger of not letting old rivalries go, and a Jason and the Argonauts type tale about not being stuck in ones old glories... only Grandpa learns the lesson Jason didn't. That is only off the top of my head.
one of the most underrated episodes
@@alfa01spotivon You have excellent taste.
Cool video, but was anyone else distracted by the shadow of the erased "A" in the "Act 2" section?
It's like the dusty window in _Kill Bill vol. 1_
@@ExcludedLayman Best. Reply. Ever.
@@ExcludedLayman I love that scene.
Yeah, I noticed that bullcrap.
Shiny A!
Conclusion: Marge is a criminally underrated character, and it enrages me every day
Marge is greaty I lobve he she is bvery kind hearted and she is the perfect straight man Homer wouldn't be funny if he didn't have someone to bounce off of.
In the newest seasons there have been some decent Marge episodes. Give it a chance. The show is having a renaissance after its long dark age.
@@diggitydoo5836 Really?renaissance right now the show is worse than ever. The last 3 seasons have been abysmal. Good Simpsons season 1-season 27.
Personal highlights for this episode:
-Marge's use of the words "violence gang"
-"Shake harder, boy!"
14:08 I believe the official name for the kind of joke you're describing is a "screw the audience" joke.
Yeah, showrunner David Mirkin supposedly coined it. Or at least popularized it
@@TheRealJims You know, now that you mention it, I might have picked up that knowledge by watching your channel. Nice to have the expert here!
@@TheRealJims Yeah, I remember him talking about that in the audio commentaries, although I recall it was also mentioned that in private they usually used a stronger word than "screw".
@@TheRealJims Jims my man! Shame Patrick didn't call you as an expert to consult you
Simpsons didn't invent misdirection
This is the best video you've ever made. And you have a long greatest hits.
I would pay to see you break down another Simpson's episode in even more detail. I'm not being hyperbolic.
That lemon rock joke has to be like top 5 best Simpsons joke ever
Exactly when I scroll through the comments and see your comment is when the lemon rock joke comes up in the video
As someone who's never watched The Simpsons, this was fascinating.
Watch it. Start from Season 3 (and go back to 1 and 2 later. 1 is good but of it's time, 2 is great but maybe it's better you get to 3 first) and you should regret not watching it sooner.
Would you agree with Stephen Weir that season 9 is a good stopping point? Given what everyone says about the show now, I have no interest in watching the entire series.
@@NILLOC17 Yeah pretty much stop there, and if you wanna continue please dont go after S. 15
@@NILLOC17 absolutely. As the comment above me states, you can still watch til s 15 but the quality starts dropping sometimes during s9 or s10. After that it's still decent but not as brilliant. By s15, it just gets stale
@@occono3543 Are you talking about Simpsons or JoJo?
I definitely started clapping when you said "Lemon of Troy" as your favorite Simpsons episode.
There aren't necessarily any other videos I know of where someone breaks down a perfect Simpson's episode, but Super EyePatch Wolf did break down the construction of the perfect Simpson's gag, in a video he did back in 2017 titled, The Fall of the Simpsons: How It Happened.
“Toot on, son! Toot on!”
Funniest joke ever. Done.
I can't remember what video it was in, but I remember hearing that a technique the Simpsons uses a lot in their comedy is "nesting" jokes, basically putting jokes inside jokes so every individual gag has multiple punchlines.
One of my favourites is the one with the street sweeper from "Bart Sells his Soul."
I think SuperEyepatchWolf discusses this sequence in one of his Simpsons videos.
11:37 "I thought you said you could read lips" "I assumed I could!* 😂 😂
The Simpsons
u gonna do a collab with patrick willems someday ?
Do you plan to have Spanish subs? You can't begin to imagine how popular the Simpsons are in Latin America. I have a handful of friends I wish could watch this.
It's true. / Es verdad.
you can make the subtitles yourself
For the original commenter: por desgracia la mayoría de los youtubers no doblan su contenido en varios idiomas. Una excepción es HISHE, pero un latino tuvo la iniciativa y eventualmente se convirtió en el doblador oficial.
For the person who suggested subtitles: in almost every language, most people find the act of reading subtitles tiring and distracting. It's just not the same.
@@Alejandroigarabide sure, most people find reading subtitles tiring. BUT: I find it more tiring to watch a video with no subtitles that I can barely understand because I don't know the language well enough or I am too hard of hearing to make out all of the words than actually understanding most of it because I can read the subtitles.
Obviously Patrick has automated english subs activated, so that solves a lot for everyone who knows english. I think it's more than ok to ask for spanish subtitles or the option let someone willing from the community write them, though. Even if “most“ people wouldn't use that option and even if that request remains fruitless.
@@marschruschrybul6247 You have a point. Having subtitles is better than no help/translation at all, but isn't dub much more appealing?
ngl, I'm f***ing loving the videos lately. I mean, I've been subbed for years, so obviously I liked them before that, but lately my enjoyment has grown measurably. Whatever you're doing, mate, keep it up.
Lisa and Marge episodes are underrated as hell
that is all
I feel this exact way about an episode of The IT Crowd called “The Work Outing,” it is brilliantly done. incredible set up and pay off in that one. As well as the entirety of snuff box, that was 6 episodes of the wildest comedy I’ve ever seen lol
Got to meet Mike Rice when he stopped at my school for his book tour! He gave a great presentation about his time on the Simpsons and was super nice when I went up and got Springfield Confidential signed afterward!
For sure one of the most iconic and loved episode ever. Great job, Patrick! Sending hugs from Italy
14:22 that is a “Screw the Audience” joke
and of course this episode is in season 6 and one of the many eps that season that was made under showrunner david mirkin who loved those kinds of jokes in every episode sometimes every act or twice in an act...he was known to promote that to the staff of writers...he loved a good screw the audience joke where you think its going one way only to say middle finger to your expectations
I had a bad day at college and in my Way home I falled from my bike. And the fact that you upload a vídeo about The Simpsons today makes my day much better
Definitely more Simpsons analyses please.
I found your channel yesterday and only watched one video but, thank you for the amount on content I know I'm going to be watching during lockdown 2
i just now came here from an 8 year old video you did going through tthe GHOSTBUSTERs filming spots, and wow im amazed to see that youve gotten to this point. this is good stuff, im definitly subscribing. also gotta show my love to other GB fans haha
There is a ton of good writing advice in this video. Thanks Patrick!
I thought the answer was just "See Marge vs. the Monorail or Homer's Enemy" for how it works.
Homer's Enemy. My single favourite episode, by far.
Let’s not forget You Only Move Twice
Last Exit to Springfield!
I get so cheerful when I see you uploaded something new
12:20 that took me a good couple seconds to get, but my god, that's just such a good joke
Most epsiodes are really good I love the characters I love how the humor is quick paced and has variety. Sometimes you get slapstick and visual gags, you get witty dialoug, you get refrences, you get satire. and you get a hint of darkness.
Yes Simpsons is good but some times not but mostly yes very good.
@@leonlawson2196 Its one of my favorate cartoons of all time.
Sneed
Keep up with the videos about films. But also, many more about the Simpsons as well. Please and thank you.
Hey Patrick, Your analysis of all things 'Star Wars' peaked my interest... But now I'm hooked!
The lemon of Troy was always my favorite since the first time I saw it, I don't know why but every time makes me laugh.
Great analysis btw
When I saw “perfect Simpsons episode” Lemon of Troy was the first episode that came to mind and then he starts talking about it
Patrick your videos keep getting more entertaining and interesting, video by video .
I have a whole new appreciation for this episode!
Holy moly, the scripts were so tight in the show's heyday. It's incredible what humans are capable of.
I think my favorite joke in the episode is when Bart and Milhouse are traveling from the lemonade stand to the lemon tree, and each shot between those depicts Milhouse tripping/getting hurt by something. What should have otherwise been a forgettable traveling sequence become infinitely more funny and memorable. Milhouse makes the perfect foil for pain gags.
Lisa flying the kite is one of my favourite visual gags in the entire series.
Brilliant! Thank you so much for this video! I grew up watching The Simpsons and seeing a Patrick (H) Willems video essay dissecting this great episode was the perfect surprise on an otherwise uneventful Saturday evening. I will check out the Nebula platform y'all are starting!
Patrick, this was amazing. I've always enjoyed The Simpsons, it was a part of my childhood growing up. But I haven't seen it in years. This video helped me re-appreciate how good and clever The Simpsons really is.
I loved this analysis, and I especially loved that you highlighted the Roman numerals punchline payoff, but you didn't focus on the cleverest part of that joke! In Act 1, as Nelson convinces the rest of the kids to storm out of the class ("There's no time to explain!"), Mrs. Krabappel halfheartedly tries to stop them, mutters "Roman numerals, etcetera" as they disappear out the door, shrugs, says to herself, "Whatever, I tried," and lights up a cigarette. Then, when Bart finds himself trapped in the tiger enclosure in Act 3, he exclaims, "Roman numerals? They never even *tried* to teach us that in school!"
This would've been a great joke regardless, but it's lifted into sublime territory through literal repetition to expose an obvious irony. Not only do we know his teacher taught Roman numerals that very day, but we specifically know she tried because she *said* she tried. The writers could've picked dozens of ways for Bart to highlight this, but they chose the phrase "They never even tried to teach us that in school" because that was the absolute perfect punchline, and the entire team went to great lengths to ensure those 2-3 seconds showing Edna smoking and commenting to herself that she did, in fact, try, did not get cut from the episode in order to set it all up. To Nancy Cartwright's credit, she picked up on this and heavily emphasized the word "tried" in her delivery of Bart's frustration, although I suspect this was the result of the direction she got from Jim Reardon, who would've been closely involved with the writing team in the process of storyboarding the episode.
This is one of my favorite subtle inter-act payoffs of any classic Simpsons era joke, so I couldn't help chiming in. It's a great demonstration of the entire crew's insane attention to detail during this era, perfectly set up by the writers, perfectly storyboarded, and perfectly acted by both Marcia Wallace and Nancy Cartwright. But like I said, loved the analysis, regardless. And now, if you don't mind, I have to go wash my "Genius At Work" t-shirt.
Good to pick an episode from the middle of the show. Because we all know Simpsons ended after season 12. Can you imagine how drained it would became if they kept milking it? Thank god the best show ever kept it real.
Honestly the overarching narrative is becoming my favorite thing about the video essays. Great work!
Patrick: We have until about June because that's when the movie comes out.
Me in July: Oh, you sweet winter child.
Ahh! Saturday evening! I just took a shower and now i see a new video. Time to chill and watch
14:20 It's a very obscure type of gag, known by experts as a 'bait and switch'.
In case you couldn't tell, I am being sarcastic
Anyone else not American and always blown away by the idea of a 22 minute episode of television having TWO commercial breaks?
Lemon of Troy is a standout episode in a standout season. Soooo good.
I always loved how the Shelbyville founder was literally named Shelbyville and not Shelby.
The Patrick H. Willems Youtubatic Universe is my favourite universe.
I always loved the distinctive grass between Shelbyville and Springfield, both very green, but very different shades, making 'the grass is/isn't always greener' statement, but true for either side.
I really dig this outro music! Am a fan, been watching since the Batman: mask of the phantasm episode you did! Great for my morning treadmill run! Keep up the great work.
Nice video! My favorite episode of the Simpsons is Marge vs the monorail
"Wait a minute... there's a lemon behind that rock!"
- my most quoted line over my entire life from any movie or tv show
I've always called this episode my favorite too. How delightful.
this just makes me think that every other patrick h willems video has hints or chekhov’s guns for this video
You cracked me when you used the rule of three in the Nebula set up at the end... "real estate, crime, muffins" LOL :)
Peak Simpsons was a joy to watch! They condensed a whole movie plot in less than 21 minutes here and packed it with so much content it is mind boggling!
Nice bounce back episode. Great analysis too!
I was not ready for the lemon behind the lemon-shaped rock
I love this video!
MORE! I demand more!
And virtually all episodes during the Goden age of the Simposns were this intricate.
My favourite joke from this episode is "Shake harder, boy!"
Great video!
Beautiful, original, and true. "There's a lot going on here.". Thank you for this upload.
I have always wondered what made a perfect The Simpsons episode too. I am halfway through watching all 672 episodes of 3 decades just so I can measure the 10 best and 10 worst of each decade. March 7, 2020, 1:16pm
Brillian video. Lemon of Troy is up there as one of the best episodes ever. Mr. Plow is as well.
The perfect episode of The Simpsons doesn’t exist yet but is titled The Haunting of Milhouse. It follows a 50something year old Milhouse Van Houten as he recalls his time adjacent to The Simpson household and his recollection of the events leading up to their bizarre, grizzly deaths. The episode could be an autopsy of the show itself and the things that went wrong with the writing staff eventually falling into patterns, ultimately stringing up approximations of the characters we used to love like marionettes. It ends with Milhouse standing at the door of The Simpsons’ old home, dousing the place with gasoline and setting it ablaze, only to also be taken by the flames himself. The fire spins out of control and eventually engulfs all of Springfield, turning it all to ash.
Love it!
That’s a downer ending
@@procrastinator547 and still somehow less sad than what the show has become in the past 20 years
And then the Simpsons aren't dead and they prepare for Christmas
Accurate.
Dude I've been looking for a video explaining that forever, if anyone had to do one it had to be Pat
Lemon of Troy is my all time fave episode! Beyond stoked!
Patrick's parents + a FF movie = perfection
The show that was The Simpsons went off the air twenty years ago.
Great lighting on this one.
I actually really like this format, and I think it's probably one of the best ways to review a non-serialised drama where it's just showcasing the best of what the series has to offer and how it's structured - and I think if I were to rip off this format, I would probably use it to examine episodes like Mac Bangs Dennis' Mom from It's Always Sunny or Casa Bonita from South Park, and it's absolutely perfect for usage with sitcoms.
Also I think what makes the Roman numerals joke especially funny is how the recollection of where Bart has seen them before is actually somewhat abstractly related to the classroom scene in the beginning - with how Krabappel mentions them in the contexts of movies and Bart recollects his knowledge through the context of movies, only in a completely different way.
Only channel where I actually enjoy the ad reads. Like... legit. I got a year sub to MUBI because of you. Hope you got a nice piece of change from it!
Damn... that lemon joke got me really good. Did NOT expect it lol
One of my favorite episodes, I should do a list someday
GLEAMING THE CUBE REFERENCE! *marks another notch into wall*