23 Great Post-Golden Era Simpsons Episodes That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity

(On the eve of the "Every Simpsons Ever" marathon starting on August 21 on FXX, we take a break from our regularly-scheduled extremely-infrequent music blogging to take a look at some of Our Favorite Family's overlooked episodes.)

Yes, yes, I can hear the blogerati rumbling now: The Simpsons has been terrible since around the time the American public started roasting the new guy.  In the immortal words of Troy McClure, "You've got some attitude, mister!" The Simpsons' Golden Era (roughly seasons 3-10) will go down in history as the greatest sustained run of brilliance that TV has ever, or will ever, see; you don't need me to tell you that. Instead, this below list cobbles together the best of the post-Golden Era episodes, along with (hint hint) their airdates during the Every Simpsons Ever marathon. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Set your DVRs and prove me wrong, kids. Prove me wrong. And hey, 23 episodes? That's a full season! (Episode synopses courtesy simpsons.wikia.com, and are for novelty purposes only. Episodes listed by original airdate.)

"The Mansion Family" (S11/E12) / Tuesday, August 26 @ 8:30a: After receiving an award for oldest citizen of Springfield, Mr. Burns checks into the Mayo Clinic, leaving The Simpsons in charge of his luxurious mansion.

"A Tale of Two Springfields" (S12/E2) / Tuesday, August 26 @ 2:30p: While calling Animal Control over a badger taking residence in Santa's Little Helper's doghouse, Homer discovers that Springfield has two different area codes—and ends up leading a revolt that splits the town in two.

I'm kinda like Jesus, but not in a sacreligious way.

"Hungry, Hungry Homer" (S12/E15) / Tuesday, August 26 @ 9:00p: After Homer discovers that the Springfield Isotopes are being moved to Albuquerque, he stages a hunger strike outside the stadium.

"I Am Furious (Yellow)" (S13/E18) / Wednesday, August 27 @ 9:00a: Bart is inspired by one of the school's motivational speakers to become a cartoonist, in which he creates a popular comic and later internet series titled "Angry Dad", which is based on Homer's anger problems. Homer becomes the town's laughing stock, and decides to give up anger completely.

Winter's coming!

"How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" (S14/E2) / Wednesday, August 27 @ 12:00p: When Homer is secretly videotaped complaining about his family during an episode if Taxicab Conversations, they send him off to a rock and roll fantasy camp so he can regroup and try to live his dream.

"Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade" (S14/E3) / Wednesday, August 27 @ 12:30p: After taking an aptitude test, Bart is held back a grade, and Lisa is skipped ahead, landing them both in third grade at the same time, and in the same class. Tension develops between them, but they are forced to work together when they become lost on a school field trip.

"The President Wore Pearls" (S15/S3) / Wednesday, August 27 @ 11:30p: In order the reduce the school budget, Seymour Skinner decides to put forth "Operation S.L.A.A.M.:So Long Athletics Art and Music". (a.k.a. the Evita parody episode)

Ppassccatag is also a disease of the brain stem. That's how I'll remember it!

"Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens and Gays" (S15/E8) / Thursday, August 28 @ 2:00a: After Lindsey Naegle forms an anti-children group, Marge fights back with a group led with Mr. Burns' power.

"Margical History Tour" (S15/E11) / Thursday, August 28 @ 3:30a: Marge, the kids and Milhouse go to the library where they find there are no longer any books on the shelves. With no books for reference, the kids are in danger of not being able to write their reports. Marge tells the children about Henry VIII, Lewis and Clark and Mozart.

These wings are "V"-licious! I’ll put this recipe in the Gravity’s Rainbow Cookbook right next to “The Frying of Latke 49.”

"All's Fair In Oven War" (S16/E2) / Thursday, August 28 @ 10:00a: A two-year remodeling of the kitchen leads Marge to make a dessert for a church event which is so popular that Ned suggests she enter the Ovenfresh Bake-off, but when the other contestants sabotage her entry, she returns the favor by adding an extra ingredient to the other entries - Maggie's ear drops, not knowing that Lisa saw her do it.

"There's Something About Marrying" (S16/E10) / Thursday, August 28 @ 2:00p: Gay and lesbian couples are allowed to get married in Springfield and Patty Bouvier comes out of the closet.

"Mobile Homer" (S16/E13) / Thursday, August 28 @ 3:30p: Homer is considered uninsurable. so Marge starts saving money by cutting corners, which doesn't work very well when Homer wastes it faster than Marge saves it. Marge insists that she takes charge of the family finances, resulting in Homer using the savings on the down-payment for an RV. Marge has finally had enough, and stops talking to him, so Homer seeks out some new friends - fellow RV owners, whom he invites to pull into his backyard. However, their problems disappear the next morning; the problem is, so do Bart and Lisa, who decide to drive the RV back to the sales lot.

"Hast du etwas Zeit für mich
Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich
Von 99 Luftballons"

 "The Heartbroke Kid" (S16/E17) / Thursday, August 28 @ 5:00p:  Vending machines appear at Springfield Elementary School, and Bart quickly gets hooked on the junk food they dispense. The family is trying their very best to help him lose weight, but the junk food is still in play. Can Bart stop this addiction to sugary junk food?

"24 Minutes" (S18/E21) / Friday, August 29 @ 5:00p: In a parody of 24, Bart and Lisa join forces to prevent the school bullies from setting off a stink bomb at the school bake sale.

"You Kent Always Say What You Want" (S18/E22) / Friday, August 29 @ 5:30p: When Homer buys the 1,000,000th ice-cream cone at a local shop, he ends up on Kent Brockman's news program, but when Brockman swears on live TV after coffee is spilled in his lap, he ends up fired after Ned Flanders complains and the FCC fines Channel 6 heavily.

The rat symbolizes obviousness!

"The Debarted" (S19/E13) / Saturday, August 30 @ 2:00a: A new troublesome student named Donny arrives at Springfield Elementary School, prompting a gleeful Bart to befriend him as his partner in pranks. (aka The Departed parody episode)

"Apocalypse Cow" (S19/E17) / Saturday, August 30 @ 4:00a: Bart wins a contest with a cow, but realizes it is going to be slaughtered, he saves it, and gives it to one of Cletus's kids, but Cletus believes it's a token of marriage.

"Waverly Hills 9-0-2-1-D'oh" (S20/E19) / Saturday, August 30 @ 3:00p: When Marge discovers the poor teaching conditions at Springfield Elementary, she gets Homer to rent an apartment in the Waverly Hills area so Bart and Lisa can attend school there.

"Coming To Homerica" (S20/E21) / Saturday, August 30 @ 4:00p: Ogdenville's economy takes a tumble after tainted barley is discovered in Krusty's veggie burgers and the unemployed of Ogdenville flock to Springfield.

“People are loving our list of Springfield’s top 99 Afghani restaurants!”
“I feel bad for all those places that didn’t make the cut.”

"The Food Wife" (S23/E5) / Sunday, August 31 @ 5:00p: Marge wants to be as fun as Homer so she, Bart and Lisa taste foreign food. They became foodies. They got an invitation to the famous restaurant in town but Marge didn't want to invite Homer and told him the wrong address.

"The Book Job" (S23/E6) / Sunday, August 31 @ 5:30p: Homer wants to prove Lisa wrong, by saying how he could write a better children's fantasy book than her. Therefore, he makes a team consisting of himself Bart, Patty, Moe, Principal Skinner, Professor Frink and Neil Gaiman. Meanwhile, Lisa has plans for a single made novel, but she just can't think of an idea and Homer ends up making her the fake author of the teams' book.

David Foster Wallace sighting!

"A Totally Fun Thing Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again" (S23/E19) / Monday, September 1 @ 12:00a: Bart, stuck in a rut, wants the family to go on a cruise. When they get aboard, they have a lot of fun, but Bart wants the fun to last longer.

"The Day The Earth Stood Cool" (S24/E7) / Monday, September 1 @ 5:00a: A "cool family from Portland" moves in next door to The Simpsons. Homer is desperate to befriend them, while Marge is skeptical, thinking that being cool is not all it's cracked up to be.

~

Of course, sometimes the haters are right; here's three to avoid. Turn off the TV. Go outside. Walk the dog. Read a book. Tell your family you love them. 

"The Lastest Gun In The West" (S13/E12) / Wednesday, August 27 @ 6:00a: Bart and Lisa meet a washed-up movie star of westerns from the 1950s and attempt to revive his career by getting him to appear on the The Krusty the Clown Show. But years of alcohol abuse gets in the way.

"The Homer of Seville" (S19/E2) / Friday, August 29 @ 8:30p: After an injury, at the hospital, Homer finds out he can sing very well when he's laid down, so he joins the opera.

Hmpf.

 "Diggs" (S25/E12) / Monday, September 1 @ 6:30p: Bart eats a frog, befriends a weird kid who's into falconry.