"God bless"? That sounded like a prayer. A prayer. A prayer in a public school! God has no place within these walls, just like facts have no place within organized religion!
@@sabremarky15 the episode with Milhouse's crush is called "Bart's Friend Falls in Love", so he refers to him as Bart's Friend instead of Milhouse, and then when he finally namedrops the episode he gets it wrong and calls it "Milhouse Falls in Love"
I thought this would be one of the easier retrospectives to put together, but I was surprised how many little tiny things Season 3 brought to The Simpsons. I feel like Season 4 is going to be a breeze after addressing all the stuff added right here.
Mine is probably: 1. Bart the Murderer 2. Homer at the Bat 3. Stark Raving Dad 4. Flaming Moe's 5. Radio Bart 6. Colonel Homer 7. I Married Marge 8. Black Widower 9. Separate Vocations 10. Homer Defined
@@SadKris Well he called Milhouse Bart's Friend and he called the episode "Bart's Friend Falls in Love" "Milhouse Falls in Love" so he obviously did it on purpose as a joke.
One of my favorite running gags is how Bart and Lisa's daydreams are usually very depressing and/or self-deprecating. "Why would they come to the concert just to boo us?"
I never noticed how uninvolved Marge was this season until you pointed it out. That flashback of her wanting to be an astronaut is still absolutely adorable
notice how it builds for her mainly B plot centric episode homer alone?....they did it on purpose so then when she snaps it feels natural..they planted the seeds early keeping her in the house uninvolved with plots like say lisa's pony when the show was still based on reality and t.v. sitcoms tropes...shes barley doing much in most of the episodes
1991: The Simpsons are a lower-middle class family who are always worried about money woes 2019: JESUS CHRIST THEIR HOUSE HAS TWO STORIES LOOK AT IT IT'S BASICALLY A MANSION
Season 3 is definitely one of my favorite seasons of the show. It has too many memorable moments to count. I definitely see how the more down to earth qualities of the show seem to still be present, but at the same time some of the more silly aspects are beginning to emerge. It's a great example of how the groundwork that was established in the first two seasons was beginning to evolve into the greatness that the show would become in the mid 1990s. Great video as always Jim.
That was it becoming bad though, it might’ve been funny in the mid 90’s but it was not genuinely touching or entertaining, it was mindless trash, like an episode of Family Guy.
for season 3 I think the 10 episodes that best paint the picture are homer at the bat, black widower, radio bart, bart the murderer, stark raving dad, flaming moes, treehouse of horror II, separate vocations, bart's friend falls in love and when flanders failed..shout out to lisa's pony though...very good episode as well...I miss the genuine heart and sitcom nature of the first 2 seasons personally....I think 3 did the bets balance and 4 was the best season of comedy and 1 was the realest season...
@@myfellowsonicfans7131 once the showrunners went from creative genius' james l. brooks and sam simon who brought the heart and switched over to heartless writers in season 3 aka al jean an mike reiss and then moved to david murkin who gave it to bill oakley and josh weinstein and then mike scully, the show became a joke fest where story and heart were replaced by jokes and gags cause writers love that shit and don't care about moving stories their all savage monsters....sadly..the reason the first 2 seasons are so nice and season 3 is very good and even most of 4 is still ok and in reality is because of the standards these guys brought to the table ..after about three fourths the way through season 4 sam and james were pretty much done with the show and by season 5 they had nothing to do with it and thats where the heart was lost and it became less like a sitcom and much more stretchy to fit comedy in rather than tell reality defining jokes which is why I hate season 5 for ruining the show honestly even though it began in season 4...
Season 3 was basically like the Beatles’s Rubber Soul. It was start of when they started to change even though some parts of it were like the early material.
people seem to not remember this, but the U.S was facing a economic recession during this point in history, with risen unemployment and a slow economy throughout the H Bush years and the early Clinton years. Looking back it makes perfect sense that early seasons Simpsons have many plots dealing and involving around money and finance.
I think it's forgotten because 1. we think of the 90s as a booming economic period due to the later clinton years and nostalgia, & 2. the 2008 recession made the early 90s one look okay by comparison. But that's just my theory.
Thank you for encouraging the commentary tracks. Some quotes from the crew have seeped into my mind as classic quotes that I used to think were in the show itself. My favorite might be from Treehouse of Horror VI. "See, you got to use the Godzilla roar there but when we asked to use it for Monsters Inc., TOHO said no. Why is that?" "You asked."
I binge watched your videos while I was quitting smoking a few weeks ago. I was really anxious and feeling mentally shitty but your view helped with that mostly. I stupidly forgot to subscribe and forgot your channel name and luckily I was suggested this video today. Good stuff here keep it up. If you review modern Simpsons as well you’ll never run out of content.
TheRealJims thank you so much for the reply. Did you know the simpsons season 3 dvd is 100 Canadian dollars on Amazon? Season 3 is good but I don’t know about $100 good.
@@sampiruzza4684 Yeah, $100 is way too steep, as much I love this season. Would think they would come down in pricing, it's dumb it's still up there so high. I saw a few random Season 3 commentaries got uploaded to CZcams, although unfortunately they're audio-only.
i really really love the animation in this season. that sounds kinda specific, but there's just something about the shot composition and character movements (especially in more artistic episodes like black widower) that are just so aesthetically pleasing to me. one of the reasons this season is in my top three :0
Season Three had buffed up animation, but still had a bit of that old looseness and tendency to have at least one or two wild takes per episode (helped by them starting to branch out to other studios by this point). One of my favourites is that heart-wrenching shot of Krusty breakdown on air in 'Like Father Like Clown'. The expression with the red eyes and the silent pause before he bursts into tears, just perfectly done. I don't get why they insisted on dialling back on stuff like this, this felt more real than their usual.
While I haven't heard the season 3 commentaries (though I'm now intrigued), glad to hear someone else who appreciates DVD commentaries. I really enjoy the commentaries for seasons 5 and 6, and think David Mirkin is the MVP of those commentaries. So many people I talk to never bother to listen to them, regardless of the show.
I've heard most of the season 3 commentaries, however due to the fact that some episodes have commentators that sound similar or quite a lot of participants, it's hard to know whose speaking at times.
Season 3 is kind of improving on Season 2's successful experiments. A lot of fans say the golden age of the show began somewhere within ponies, microphones, football and murder. 2 was experimental and 4 was more about perfecting the formulas. 3 tried to keep what worked from Season 2 while adding elements that only improved in Season 4. That gave them the opening to start taking more risks after Season 4 strengthened this season's best elements.
hmm I think that 3rd Seasons of any TV Show, tend to be where you can slowly start taking more risks in storytelling or changing up the cast a little, as you already have an established programme and audience.
@@Super_Mario128 I didn't mean they didn't take risks in Season 3, but they were relatively small in comparison to the risks they began taking later on. Season 5's more wacky storytelling paid off in a way that I think they tried to recreate around Season 11 (but it mostly backfired). Season 3 took a few risks, but they kept their storytelling compact and careful. Compare something like Mr Lisa Goes To Washington to Lisa vs Malibu Stacy. Which one seems more compact and small? The former, of course. The latter went far beyond what anyone could do to speak out against a major corporation.
@@Super_Mario128 I've noticed that as well. Season One is often the 'early instalment weirdness' era of most shows, loads of odd experiments and quirks that didn't last, Season Two is where they streamline and refine on what worked in Season One, but usually at the cost of being a bit more formulaic. Season Three is when they start being more ambitious in storytelling and in some cases having a second premise experiment like Season One had. This sometimes leads to Season Four (if the show lasts that long) being a completely different machine from even Season Two, which many claim is true for The Simpsons.
Don't get me wrong. Seasons 1 and 2 are _classic,_ and I mean, *_classic_* television. ...But in my opinion, this is where the Simpsons go from great to *_LEGENDARY._* Stark Raving Dad (technically a holdover, but still), When Flanders Failed, Lisa's Pony, Homer Defined, Like Father, Like Clown, Saturdays of Thunder, and ESPECIALLY my all-time personal favorite: _Homer at the Bat_ remain some of my top episodes of the whole show. LOVE Season 3! Homer of course, is still the star here. Clearly. The Land of Chocolate anyone? Thus, I learned that even if you don't at first succeed, you may just end up "pulling a Homer". Like he did at the softball game, probably my 2nd/3rd favorite episode of all time. We're talkin Homer, Ozzie and the Straw! ...Oh, how I love that song, sorry.
When Flanders Failed is also a holdover. Of the first 3 episodes, the only non-holdover is Mr Lisa Goes To Washington, a rather lukewarm episode IMO. Then again, Season 3 is mostly very good, okay, or dull. What works well is unbelievable, but what doesn't work is more dull than a major screw-up. Then again, you probably hold very different opinions to me as you love Lisa's Pony and Saturdays of Thunder, two of my personal lows of the season. I like the other ones you mentioned, but my personal highlights came one after the other - Colonel Homer, which is just so good in execution of a tired story by this era, and Black Widower, which has intrigue, drama, a mystery that you can solve if you pay attention, and..well, Kelsey Grammer.
Homer Defined sucks ass, it retcons a bunch of Simpson’s canon just to make Homer look like an absolute moron. Here’s foolish like Homer should be and then moronic.
I have the first 12 seasons on dvd I watch them all the time so this list i have is not biased...to me season 1 albeit a short season has 5 iconic episodes aka simpsons roasting on an open fire, moaning lisa, krusty gets busted, life on the fast lane and the tell tale head...when I think of season 1 I think of those 5 episodes, season 2 has more episodes so the 10 that always come to my mind when I think of it are bart gets an F, lisa's substitute, the way we was, treehouse of horror I, blood feud, three men and a comic book, bart the daredevil, bart vs thanksgiving, one fish, two fish, blowfish, blue fish an marge vs itchy and scratchy like to me these 10 eps describe what this season was about perfectly and for season 3 I think the 10 episodes that best paint the picture are homer at the bat, black widower, radio bart, bart the murderer, stark raving dad, flaming moes, treehouse of horror II, separate vocations, bart's friend falls in love and when flanders failed although shout out to a close 11th episode from season 3 that could make the list called lisa's pony..….I think most people would admit these 25 episodes sorta paint the first three seasons of the show and what it could be at its best and most memorable not to say there aren't great moments heart jokes guests acting lines interactions characters in every episode but these 25 from early on stick out to me...the plots are less mediocre and very fun or heart warming or both...its simple storytelling with the simpsons family almost always the main focus in some way and they still let other side characters shine like moe flanders bob burns tony millhouse itchy and scratchy martin edna skinner and some guest stars like mj and brooks....its just the best balance of episodes to watch..if you had to cut out 34 of the first 59 episodes I think these would be the 25 you choose if you had to include 5 from season 1 and 10 from season 2...season 3 has a couple amazing episodes I left off the list cause of the season its in but season 3 has better episodes than season 1 or 2 so I would take most of season 1 and some of season 2 eps off first instead of including them for say some season 3 gems like isa's pony or mr. lisa goes to washington on a list of 25 best from these three seasons ..thats just a fact...
Ullman Shorts=The Permian Era Seasons 1-3=The Triassic Era Seasons 4-6=The Jurassic Era Seasons 7-9=The Cretaceous Era Season 10=when that proverbial asteroid hit and killed the damn Dinosaurs.
Season 3 has always been my personal favorite. To make things better for me, I had a broken "right" button on my old remote, so I could only "play all episodes" without commentary on the season 3 DVD lol
Season 3 has a special place in my heart because I got the original DVD set when I was younger and watched it all the time, including the commentary. As a result, I'm more familiar with this season than any other season of The Simpsons. Not sure if it's my favorite season now, there are definitely a lot of funnier episodes after this season that I really like, but it does manage to be funnier than seasons 1 and 2 while still having a bit of that heart and soul those seasons had. I feel like I appreciate episodes like Bart the Lover and Like Father, Like Clown now than I did back when I originally watched them, whereas Treehouse of Horror II and Homer at the Bat are episodes I still love as much now as I did back then.
"Mattingly! I thought I told you to trim those sideburns! Go home! YOU'RE OFF THE TEAM! FOR GOOD!" "Fine. *walks away* Still like him better than Steinbrenner..."
Season 3 is my personal favourite season of the simpsons one of my favourite (arguably underrated) aspects is how cute some of the characters like look at Bart in the speech of Otto show just look at him
I am so glad you mentioned The Otto Show commentary, I agree with you 100%. I love the team's reaction to Bart's fantasy, especially the camera spin after he throws the bottle at Milhouse :D
I am so glad to hear another fan speak about the commentaries. I too have season 3, as well as 7 other seasons and can attest to the superiority of the Simpsons Commentaries. Season 3 is really good, my favorite is another season but 3 is very good. They really did their dvd's right.
I forgot Beverly D'Angelo voiced Lurleen Lumpkin! That is so weird to me because they had her voice Mindy Simmons for "The Last Temptation of Homer" and brought her back as Lurleen for the "sequel" episode for "Colonel Homer".
Rewatching all the seasons and then watching these incredibly in-depth review/analysis. I can’t believe how much work and afford went into these retrospectives. The Real Jims, you’re the best. You’re channel is the reason why I went back to the start to watch in order. I was a kid in the early 2000s and these are the ones I remember the most. They would play them every evening at six. I looked forward to them after finishing my homework. I personally think this is my favourite season but I’ll continue watching the retrospectives and get back to ya! 😉
Watching those retrospectives is so depressing, this show used to be so good... at least I got to watch the early seasons when they were new and fresh, probably sucks for the folks who are starting now to watch it. I mean... season 3 had a really positive Bill Cosby (and Michael Jackson) appearances, that is a testament on how old all of this stuff is.
This is when the true golden era began….3-9. Was amazing. Every Thursday night at 8pm I was glued to the tv in the 90s. Until they moved it to Sundays that is…
Oh, one more thing that might interest you - Ralph and Chief Wiggum were not necessarily related this season. They were only established as father and son in Season 4's "I Love Lisa", when Ralph asks his dad how to get a girl to like him, and the answer given is "Persistence".
I like that FXX airs multiple episodes most days of the week. Watching Jims's channel has gotten me back into watching the show again (not that I didn't before). The theme lineups/marathons are kinda cool, too
I am do unspeakably happy to have this video in my subscription box. Just the absolute best Chanel on CZcams in terms of insightful content analysis and fantastic and iconic production.
I just found this series and loved it so far, but I somehow thought that these videos were rather old and that you just sort of stopped at season 3 many years ago...until I checked the upload date and discovered that this video was uploaded merely 3 days ago. A pleasant surprise. Can't wait for Season 4.
In rewatching this (since i just went back to watch season three) i really related to your talk about the commentary, this was the only tv show we had on DVD growing up and i ended up watching it more with the commentary than without, i loved hearing the behind the scenes aspects and hearing the people who worked on it, honestly that commentary for season three of the Simpsons help me discover my love for movies and tv and lead me to where i am today, going to school for video production. it is just really nice to know someone had a really similar story with that season of that show.
10:07. To those who are curious, the the Neapolitan ice cream joke is from Radio Bart and the five fingered hand joke is from Bart's Friend Falls in Love.
I'm a 2000s kid who grew up on the Simpsons (thanks to my parents, who showed me select episodes from an early age), and for the past year or so, we've been watching the entire show from the beginning through season 12. Since I'm currently back at college and away from home, we're currently on hiatus, but it's fun to watch these videos and see how the show has changed over time. I like looking at each season to see which one has the highest number of my favorite episodes; they seem to occur the most in 4-6, though there's a surprisingly high number of ones I enjoy in season 8. It's funny that the Simpsons, specifically the Simpsons of the 90s, was so formative to me, someone born in the decade after.
For me, Season 3 is where the Simpsons really started coming together. I wouldn't say I don't like Seasons 1 and 2, but if I'm in the mood to binge watch the show, Season 3 is usually where I start. I feel like Season 4 is where the Golden Age of the show started, but the foundations were laid in Season 3, where character dynamics started to take shape, the writers got into their groove, and the tone the show would take over the next few years would start to solidify.
Season 3 is easily my 2nd favourite Season, a lot of great episodes and personally, I feel like the animation is a step up from the previous two Seasons.
As for your final comment about Season 3 being a mix of Seasons 2 and 4, I feel like what likely happened is that Season 3 was the writers dipping their toes into the more outlandish / absurd, and then when they realized it worked so well, they just ran with it in Season 4. Rather than 3 being a "mix" of 2 and 4, I see it more as a transitional period.
I was a latecomer to season 3 fandom, as I usually started at season 5 (and ended at season 8). I obviously watched the first 4 seasons quite a few times, but not nearly as much as the following ones (and I used to have The Simpsons running on second monitor while playing games several hours a day for years). Season 3 used to feel a bit too unrefined for me and couldn't quite match the iconic episodes of what I used to considered the golden years. But as I've grown older, I've learnt to appreciate appreciate season 3 a lot more. Looking back at it now, after not having rewatched much the past decade, I think season 3 is the season I have the fondest memories from. It manages to do the very rare thing of embracing the power of absurdity while still maintaining a ridiculous amount of charm. Mr. Burns is especially wonderful in this season, perhaps most prominently showcased in two of my favourite ever episodes Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk and Homer at the bat. Thanks for reawakening my love for this era. :)
If it wasn't for you doing these fantastic CZcams videos (where you have mentioned about the DVD commentaries) I would never have thought of buying the older box sets (I've got S1 to 15 already) on DVD to watch and listen through them myself. Thank you and keep up the great videos!
The Simpsons and Futurama commentaries are he only commentaries that I remember enjoying. Most other commentaries fall short so I stopped bothering. I love the story about how the inspiration for Jimbo's character was a kid that threw a shopping cart into the La Brea tarpits. I was thinking the other day that I should marathon them again.
For a long time when I rewatched the Simpsons I would tend to skip season 3. But when I actually have it a chance again I realised it has some of my favourite episodes. It does have its nice heartwarming messages and great jokes in the show. Great video btw.
dude, i just love your videos. they're one of the only ones i actually sit down to pay full attention to. one day, i hope you do a piece on the evolution of the sign gags through the series..
Thanks! I wonder what the evolution of sign gags would look like? It's funny, I've never actually thought about how they have changed before... I think I've been taking them for granted
Every line of this analysis is so expertly crafted and insightful. Season 3 is one of my favorites! Also, I love the Revenge Of The Meta Knight cover at the end of each in these series!
I still remember being 11 years old and watching season 3 of the Simpsons on a dvd box set. I binged it all night and was INSTANTLY hooked on the series. I had never seen it until then and luckily this was around 2010, and there was plenty for me to catch up on. Over 10 years later, I’m still such a huge fan
This season is my second favorite and I think it is unique in a way. It still maintains that down to earth feel of the first few seasons but also starts to bring in a few more wacky concepts that will serve the show so well in the future.
season 3 is easily my favorite season not for just the great episodes in a roundabout pacing but it also contains my favorite episode you can guess which one.
Awesome! How do I always wander on to fresh Jims? This season is a trip for me. I was Bart's age when this came out. It was so relatable to my own scampy childhood in a semi rural suburban neighborhood.
i had an incomplete (2 dvds) season 3 dvd box set when i was younger and once i watched the episodes to death i turned on the commentary and now my favourite way of watching an episode is with commentaries on.
My first Simpsons box set was season 5, my dad found it at a yard sale for a buck, he bought it for me.... 5 reunited my love for the show, lol & right after he bought it I bought 1-8 on dvd, and now I have 1-18, & 20, plus the movie & even the Ullman shorts
It's funny. The way Jim so vividly remembers watching Separate Vocations, I remember watching another S3 episode: Flaming Moes. I was 2 at the time, but for some reason I can still remember to this day watching that as it aired. It may be my earliest memory.
Wonderful! I was really hoping you’d make another one of these season analysis videos. Season 3 is my favorite season of the show, so it’s great to hear your opinions on it!
I think the problem for Marge was that Season Three was fleshing out more of the non-family universe, having more outside characters that weren't antagonists, but at the same time it didn't have a lot of recurring plot devices like the town hall meetings to intergrate the whole town into what was going on yet so too often Marge felt isolated from big plots. I could argue Season Three did at least sow the seeds for Marge's more comical traits like her killjoy tendencies and thrills for mundane things like housework, they definitely liked undermining her a bit more by now giving her more humour mileage like the rest of the family, just later seasons tend to strike a better balance of that and her hidden empowered and adventurous side.
there's a little crippled boy in hospital wanting you to do season 4. I know because i crippled him myself to inspire you.
@the hevy perhaps it came from season 4? i honestly dont know, but i hope
@the hevy its from Homer at the Bat if I remember correctly
"I hope MR. Burns doesnt come back again"
I hope he does season 4, or else @James Finegan said he’s coming back.
One of my favorite jokes of the season 🤣
“I think Homer gets stupider every year.”
“That’s not a question.”
That surprisngly stopped after a certain season.
stupider is not a word either..
@@grilledcheese9297 could you be any stupider? Yes it is
CAMSLAYER13 ..d’oh
@@grilledcheese9297 lmao
God bless whomever gave you that Season 3 box set, and set you on the path through CZcams to me.
"God bless"? That sounded like a prayer. A prayer. A prayer in a public school! God has no place within these walls, just like facts have no place within organized religion!
Ethan Sloan 😂😂😂😂
@@ethansloan he's right
That "Bart's Friend" bit was amazing. Great work as always.
I may be missing something. Why did he call him "Bart's Friend?"
@@sabremarky15 the episode with Milhouse's crush is called "Bart's Friend Falls in Love", so he refers to him as Bart's Friend instead of Milhouse, and then when he finally namedrops the episode he gets it wrong and calls it "Milhouse Falls in Love"
"Nobody loves Milhouse!"
@@sabremarky15 I wanted to ask the same thing??
Is it true that Bart's friend was first named in a Butterfinger commercial?
The dvd box sets of The Simpsons are some of the best ever made. They are packed with so much charm and content.
Bart's friend
Why?
Milhouse falls in love
I like the way he still calls knows to call Lisa's friend 'Jamie'
I really like 'bart's friend'. Who's this Milhouse guy though?
this is the channel equivalent of Mr. Burns and Homer
I thought this would be one of the easier retrospectives to put together, but I was surprised how many little tiny things Season 3 brought to The Simpsons. I feel like Season 4 is going to be a breeze after addressing all the stuff added right here.
When is Top 10 Season 3 episodes?
Mine is probably:
1. Bart the Murderer
2. Homer at the Bat
3. Stark Raving Dad
4. Flaming Moe's
5. Radio Bart
6. Colonel Homer
7. I Married Marge
8. Black Widower
9. Separate Vocations
10. Homer Defined
Why did you keep calling Milhouse Bart's friend at the start
@@SadKris Well he called Milhouse Bart's Friend and he called the episode "Bart's Friend Falls in Love" "Milhouse Falls in Love" so he obviously did it on purpose as a joke.
I love you for these videos Jims, you're very talented at breaking down episodes and your cadence is very pleasant to listen to!
One of my favorite running gags is how Bart and Lisa's daydreams are usually very depressing and/or self-deprecating. "Why would they come to the concert just to boo us?"
Oh gosh, that Ralph line in "Lisa's Pony" is so uncanny. Deffo a work in progress, as you said.
My friend and I like to refer to that as Badass Ralph
What man can tame him?
He inhaled tar fumes in that episode and was never the same again
I never noticed how uninvolved Marge was this season until you pointed it out.
That flashback of her wanting to be an astronaut is still absolutely adorable
notice how it builds for her mainly B plot centric episode homer alone?....they did it on purpose so then when she snaps it feels natural..they planted the seeds early keeping her in the house uninvolved with plots like say lisa's pony when the show was still based on reality and t.v. sitcoms tropes...shes barley doing much in most of the episodes
Colonel Homer is a great episode that highlights Marge's relationship with Homer, granted it's more of a Homer episode but Marge is a cornerstone.
Wow a two videos in a short span, could it get any better.
"Coming up next a new episode of Mamas Family"
Yes!
1991: The Simpsons are a lower-middle class family who are always worried about money woes
2019: JESUS CHRIST THEIR HOUSE HAS TWO STORIES LOOK AT IT IT'S BASICALLY A MANSION
Frank Grimes may have been right
Upper lower middle class, thank you very much
Abe did help Homer and Marge pay for their house, before they shipped him off to the Retirement Castle though.
waterfieldV For less than one year’s tuition at a State university today........that’s my point
@@LordSluggo hmm your right though, maybe Burns actually pays quite well despite being quite miserly and evil at times?
Season 3 is definitely one of my favorite seasons of the show. It has too many memorable moments to count. I definitely see how the more down to earth qualities of the show seem to still be present, but at the same time some of the more silly aspects are beginning to emerge. It's a great example of how the groundwork that was established in the first two seasons was beginning to evolve into the greatness that the show would become in the mid 1990s. Great video as always Jim.
That was it becoming bad though, it might’ve been funny in the mid 90’s but it was not genuinely touching or entertaining, it was mindless trash, like an episode of Family Guy.
for season 3 I think the 10 episodes that best paint the picture are homer at the bat, black widower, radio bart, bart the murderer, stark raving dad, flaming moes, treehouse of horror II, separate vocations, bart's friend falls in love and when flanders failed..shout out to lisa's pony though...very good episode as well...I miss the genuine heart and sitcom nature of the first 2 seasons personally....I think 3 did the bets balance and 4 was the best season of comedy and 1 was the realest season...
@@myfellowsonicfans7131 once the showrunners went from creative genius' james l. brooks and sam simon who brought the heart and switched over to heartless writers in season 3 aka al jean an mike reiss and then moved to david murkin who gave it to bill oakley and josh weinstein and then mike scully, the show became a joke fest where story and heart were replaced by jokes and gags cause writers love that shit and don't care about moving stories their all savage monsters....sadly..the reason the first 2 seasons are so nice and season 3 is very good and even most of 4 is still ok and in reality is because of the standards these guys brought to the table ..after about three fourths the way through season 4 sam and james were pretty much done with the show and by season 5 they had nothing to do with it and thats where the heart was lost and it became less like a sitcom and much more stretchy to fit comedy in rather than tell reality defining jokes which is why I hate season 5 for ruining the show honestly even though it began in season 4...
Season 3 was basically like the Beatles’s Rubber Soul. It was start of when they started to change even though some parts of it were like the early material.
people seem to not remember this, but the U.S was facing a economic recession during this point in history, with risen unemployment and a slow economy throughout the H Bush years and the early Clinton years. Looking back it makes perfect sense that early seasons Simpsons have many plots dealing and involving around money and finance.
I think it's forgotten because 1. we think of the 90s as a booming economic period due to the later clinton years and nostalgia, & 2. the 2008 recession made the early 90s one look okay by comparison.
But that's just my theory.
"We're just like the Waltons. We're praying for the end of the Depression too."
Greatest economic system amirite, it just crashes every 4 to 7 years.
“HMMM...the land of chocolate.”
...
“Ah, yes, where were we? We were discussing chocolate...”
“THAT WAS 20 MINUTES AGO.”
Bart: "Aunt Selma has 1 hour to live!"
Homer: "Hey, down in front!"
Classic
and when he shows him the plan clues and his theory about what bob's ideas were and homer doesnt get it lol...
Marshomon
“I’m afraid the only victims here are the good people at Best Western Hotels”
She’ll be blown to kingdom come!
Come again!
I heard "3 is just a mix of 2 and 4" out of context and you blew my mind maaaan
"Will you turn down that rockin' rock music?"
"Don't have a Stegosaurus , man!"
ironically where I was living in Australia at the time, either Full House, Family Matters or Dinosaurs was the lead in program to The Simpsons.
Thank you for encouraging the commentary tracks. Some quotes from the crew have seeped into my mind as classic quotes that I used to think were in the show itself. My favorite might be from Treehouse of Horror VI.
"See, you got to use the Godzilla roar there but when we asked to use it for Monsters Inc., TOHO said no. Why is that?"
"You asked."
“Barts friend is not a meme” is a meme. Change my mind.
I binge watched your videos while I was quitting smoking a few weeks ago. I was really anxious and feeling mentally shitty but your view helped with that mostly. I stupidly forgot to subscribe and forgot your channel name and luckily I was suggested this video today. Good stuff here keep it up. If you review modern Simpsons as well you’ll never run out of content.
Thanks! Hope everything goes well for you with quitting smoking! :)
TheRealJims thank you so much for the reply. Did you know the simpsons season 3 dvd is 100 Canadian dollars on Amazon? Season 3 is good but I don’t know about $100 good.
@@sampiruzza4684 Yeah, $100 is way too steep, as much I love this season. Would think they would come down in pricing, it's dumb it's still up there so high. I saw a few random Season 3 commentaries got uploaded to CZcams, although unfortunately they're audio-only.
Theory: Lisa never got over the ghost of George Washington considering Janie for President in Lisa the Iconoclast. That is why they drifted apart.
As soon as the season 2 retrospective finish iv been waiting for season 3s great vid can’t wait for the 4th
i really really love the animation in this season. that sounds kinda specific, but there's just something about the shot composition and character movements (especially in more artistic episodes like black widower) that are just so aesthetically pleasing to me. one of the reasons this season is in my top three :0
Season Three had buffed up animation, but still had a bit of that old looseness and tendency to have at least one or two wild takes per episode (helped by them starting to branch out to other studios by this point). One of my favourites is that heart-wrenching shot of Krusty breakdown on air in 'Like Father Like Clown'. The expression with the red eyes and the silent pause before he bursts into tears, just perfectly done. I don't get why they insisted on dialling back on stuff like this, this felt more real than their usual.
While I haven't heard the season 3 commentaries (though I'm now intrigued), glad to hear someone else who appreciates DVD commentaries. I really enjoy the commentaries for seasons 5 and 6, and think David Mirkin is the MVP of those commentaries. So many people I talk to never bother to listen to them, regardless of the show.
I've heard most of the season 3 commentaries, however due to the fact that some episodes have commentators that sound similar or quite a lot of participants, it's hard to know whose speaking at times.
Season 3 is kind of improving on Season 2's successful experiments. A lot of fans say the golden age of the show began somewhere within ponies, microphones, football and murder. 2 was experimental and 4 was more about perfecting the formulas. 3 tried to keep what worked from Season 2 while adding elements that only improved in Season 4. That gave them the opening to start taking more risks after Season 4 strengthened this season's best elements.
hmm I think that 3rd Seasons of any TV Show, tend to be where you can slowly start taking more risks in storytelling or changing up the cast a little, as you already have an established programme and audience.
@@Super_Mario128 I didn't mean they didn't take risks in Season 3, but they were relatively small in comparison to the risks they began taking later on. Season 5's more wacky storytelling paid off in a way that I think they tried to recreate around Season 11 (but it mostly backfired). Season 3 took a few risks, but they kept their storytelling compact and careful. Compare something like Mr Lisa Goes To Washington to Lisa vs Malibu Stacy. Which one seems more compact and small? The former, of course. The latter went far beyond what anyone could do to speak out against a major corporation.
@@Super_Mario128 I've noticed that as well. Season One is often the 'early instalment weirdness' era of most shows, loads of odd experiments and quirks that didn't last, Season Two is where they streamline and refine on what worked in Season One, but usually at the cost of being a bit more formulaic. Season Three is when they start being more ambitious in storytelling and in some cases having a second premise experiment like Season One had. This sometimes leads to Season Four (if the show lasts that long) being a completely different machine from even Season Two, which many claim is true for The Simpsons.
Don't get me wrong. Seasons 1 and 2 are _classic,_ and I mean, *_classic_* television.
...But in my opinion, this is where the Simpsons go from great to *_LEGENDARY._* Stark Raving Dad (technically a holdover, but still), When Flanders Failed, Lisa's Pony, Homer Defined, Like Father, Like Clown, Saturdays of Thunder, and ESPECIALLY my all-time personal favorite: _Homer at the Bat_ remain some of my top episodes of the whole show. LOVE Season 3!
Homer of course, is still the star here. Clearly. The Land of Chocolate anyone? Thus, I learned that even if you don't at first succeed, you may just end up "pulling a Homer". Like he did at the softball game, probably my 2nd/3rd favorite episode of all time. We're talkin Homer, Ozzie and the Straw!
...Oh, how I love that song, sorry.
When Flanders Failed is also a holdover. Of the first 3 episodes, the only non-holdover is Mr Lisa Goes To Washington, a rather lukewarm episode IMO. Then again, Season 3 is mostly very good, okay, or dull. What works well is unbelievable, but what doesn't work is more dull than a major screw-up. Then again, you probably hold very different opinions to me as you love Lisa's Pony and Saturdays of Thunder, two of my personal lows of the season. I like the other ones you mentioned, but my personal highlights came one after the other - Colonel Homer, which is just so good in execution of a tired story by this era, and Black Widower, which has intrigue, drama, a mystery that you can solve if you pay attention, and..well, Kelsey Grammer.
Homer Defined sucks ass, it retcons a bunch of Simpson’s canon just to make Homer look like an absolute moron.
Here’s foolish like Homer should be and then moronic.
I have the first 12 seasons on dvd I watch them all the time so this list i have is not biased...to me season 1 albeit a short season has 5 iconic episodes aka simpsons roasting on an open fire, moaning lisa, krusty gets busted, life on the fast lane and the tell tale head...when I think of season 1 I think of those 5 episodes, season 2 has more episodes so the 10 that always come to my mind when I think of it are bart gets an F, lisa's substitute, the way we was, treehouse of horror I, blood feud, three men and a comic book, bart the daredevil, bart vs thanksgiving, one fish, two fish, blowfish, blue fish an marge vs itchy and scratchy like to me these 10 eps describe what this season was about perfectly and for season 3 I think the 10 episodes that best paint the picture are homer at the bat, black widower, radio bart, bart the murderer, stark raving dad, flaming moes, treehouse of horror II, separate vocations, bart's friend falls in love and when flanders failed although shout out to a close 11th episode from season 3 that could make the list called lisa's pony..….I think most people would admit these 25 episodes sorta paint the first three seasons of the show and what it could be at its best and most memorable not to say there aren't great moments heart jokes guests acting lines interactions characters in every episode but these 25 from early on stick out to me...the plots are less mediocre and very fun or heart warming or both...its simple storytelling with the simpsons family almost always the main focus in some way and they still let other side characters shine like moe flanders bob burns tony millhouse itchy and scratchy martin edna skinner and some guest stars like mj and brooks....its just the best balance of episodes to watch..if you had to cut out 34 of the first 59 episodes I think these would be the 25 you choose if you had to include 5 from season 1 and 10 from season 2...season 3 has a couple amazing episodes I left off the list cause of the season its in but season 3 has better episodes than season 1 or 2 so I would take most of season 1 and some of season 2 eps off first instead of including them for say some season 3 gems like isa's pony or mr. lisa goes to washington on a list of 25 best from these three seasons ..thats just a fact...
Season 3 is lowkey one of my favorite seasons, (behind 7 and 4)
Ullman Shorts=The Permian Era
Seasons 1-3=The Triassic Era
Seasons 4-6=The Jurassic Era
Seasons 7-9=The Cretaceous Era
Season 10=when that proverbial asteroid hit and killed the damn Dinosaurs.
6 is better than 7 so is 3...3 6 and 4 are the best seasons...
@@Super_Mario128 I think 3 deserves to be in the jurassic.
"Season 3 kinda needs to get laid"-TheRealJims 2019
TheRealJims is funny when he wants to try to be!!
who's "Janie"? are you perhaps referring to Lisa's Friend?
dang
I would have also accepted Guy Incognito.
@@Yoseqlo1 Nah, he might trouble us for a drink...
Lisa has no real friends.
Are you implying Jenny is her friend?
Season 3 has always been my personal favorite. To make things better for me, I had a broken "right" button on my old remote, so I could only "play all episodes" without commentary on the season 3 DVD lol
Season 3 has a special place in my heart because I got the original DVD set when I was younger and watched it all the time, including the commentary. As a result, I'm more familiar with this season than any other season of The Simpsons. Not sure if it's my favorite season now, there are definitely a lot of funnier episodes after this season that I really like, but it does manage to be funnier than seasons 1 and 2 while still having a bit of that heart and soul those seasons had. I feel like I appreciate episodes like Bart the Lover and Like Father, Like Clown now than I did back when I originally watched them, whereas Treehouse of Horror II and Homer at the Bat are episodes I still love as much now as I did back then.
Season 3 is when the Simpsons really came together and was when the Simpsons became the classic series it became in the 90s and very early 00s
@đøPpƏłĞāŅģƏŔ ānøņ sweetie feeder squad rise up
As a lifelong Simpsons fan, I love your videos! Especially these retrospectives :)
I would love a Skinner, Vietnam episode. Oh well at least there's always the fan fiction.
I love how he refers to Milhouse as just “Bart’s friend”
Yeah I think Season 3 is a mix of Season 2s groundedness with wacky components mixed in (which Season 4 would eventually expand)
You explained it perfectly ;)
A channel that talks about and explains the Simpsons seasons
Someone just earned a new subscription
Everything’s coming up Bart’s friend!
bart the lover was the first story on catfishing.
season 1-8 are the best CALLED IT!
Been watching these videos for 4 years now, keep up the good work! also bring back simpson mysteries
"Mattingly! I thought I told you to trim those sideburns! Go home! YOU'RE OFF THE TEAM! FOR GOOD!"
"Fine. *walks away* Still like him better than Steinbrenner..."
Season 3 is my personal favourite season of the simpsons one of my favourite (arguably underrated) aspects is how cute some of the characters like look at Bart in the speech of Otto show just look at him
I remember seeing this season as a kid, it always felt a lot more vivid than the early seasons
I am so glad you mentioned The Otto Show commentary, I agree with you 100%. I love the team's reaction to Bart's fantasy, especially the camera spin after he throws the bottle at Milhouse :D
"If you're into Lenny, I guess this is alright."
Like, who _isn't_ into Lenny?
I am so glad to hear another fan speak about the commentaries. I too have season 3, as well as 7 other seasons and can attest to the superiority of the Simpsons Commentaries. Season 3 is really good, my favorite is another season but 3 is very good. They really did their dvd's right.
I'm so glad your channel is taking off in a big way. Your videos are brilliant and this video is no exception. Keep up the hard work!
I forgot Beverly D'Angelo voiced Lurleen Lumpkin! That is so weird to me because they had her voice Mindy Simmons for "The Last Temptation of Homer" and brought her back as Lurleen for the "sequel" episode for "Colonel Homer".
Michelle Pfeiffer voiced Mindy.
Rewatching all the seasons and then watching these incredibly in-depth review/analysis. I can’t believe how much work and afford went into these retrospectives. The Real Jims, you’re the best. You’re channel is the reason why I went back to the start to watch in order. I was a kid in the early 2000s and these are the ones I remember the most. They would play them every evening at six. I looked forward to them after finishing my homework.
I personally think this is my favourite season but I’ll continue watching the retrospectives and get back to ya! 😉
Watching those retrospectives is so depressing, this show used to be so good... at least I got to watch the early seasons when they were new and fresh, probably sucks for the folks who are starting now to watch it. I mean... season 3 had a really positive Bill Cosby (and Michael Jackson) appearances, that is a testament on how old all of this stuff is.
Has to be one of my favourite seasons glad ur back with an other vid dude
Watching these retrospective videos really make me want to re watch the series for the millionth time.
That "Land of Chocolate" scene is why my 8 year old self bit into a wall...
Actually the mark is still there my parents love it lmao.
Bart i told you before, stop gnawing on the drywall
Who could forget dear Ray Boy?
The "Milhouse falls in love" line made me laugh for waaay longer than it probably ought to have
This is when the true golden era began….3-9. Was amazing. Every Thursday night at 8pm I was glued to the tv in the 90s. Until they moved it to Sundays that is…
The Season that made the show what it is today.
Oh, one more thing that might interest you - Ralph and Chief Wiggum were not necessarily related this season. They were only established as father and son in Season 4's "I Love Lisa", when Ralph asks his dad how to get a girl to like him, and the answer given is "Persistence".
Nice one! Season 3 was also my first DVD boxset!
How convenient that season 3 is starting to re-air once again on FXX (minus the first episode).
I like that FXX airs multiple episodes most days of the week. Watching Jims's channel has gotten me back into watching the show again (not that I didn't before). The theme lineups/marathons are kinda cool, too
First season I ever purchased. My fav season next to 4/7.
Am saddened that they downplayed that over time...
Separate Vocations is such an underrated episode
RealJims: "Barts friend. Barts friend"
Me: "oh its all coming up Millhouse"
I am do unspeakably happy to have this video in my subscription box. Just the absolute best Chanel on CZcams in terms of insightful content analysis and fantastic and iconic production.
??
I just found this series and loved it so far, but I somehow thought that these videos were rather old and that you just sort of stopped at season 3 many years ago...until I checked the upload date and discovered that this video was uploaded merely 3 days ago. A pleasant surprise. Can't wait for Season 4.
In rewatching this (since i just went back to watch season three) i really related to your talk about the commentary, this was the only tv show we had on DVD growing up and i ended up watching it more with the commentary than without, i loved hearing the behind the scenes aspects and hearing the people who worked on it, honestly that commentary for season three of the Simpsons help me discover my love for movies and tv and lead me to where i am today, going to school for video production. it is just really nice to know someone had a really similar story with that season of that show.
10:07. To those who are curious, the the Neapolitan ice cream joke is from Radio Bart and the five fingered hand joke is from Bart's Friend Falls in Love.
I'm a 2000s kid who grew up on the Simpsons (thanks to my parents, who showed me select episodes from an early age), and for the past year or so, we've been watching the entire show from the beginning through season 12. Since I'm currently back at college and away from home, we're currently on hiatus, but it's fun to watch these videos and see how the show has changed over time. I like looking at each season to see which one has the highest number of my favorite episodes; they seem to occur the most in 4-6, though there's a surprisingly high number of ones I enjoy in season 8. It's funny that the Simpsons, specifically the Simpsons of the 90s, was so formative to me, someone born in the decade after.
For me, Season 3 is where the Simpsons really started coming together. I wouldn't say I don't like Seasons 1 and 2, but if I'm in the mood to binge watch the show, Season 3 is usually where I start. I feel like Season 4 is where the Golden Age of the show started, but the foundations were laid in Season 3, where character dynamics started to take shape, the writers got into their groove, and the tone the show would take over the next few years would start to solidify.
Season 3 is easily my 2nd favourite Season, a lot of great episodes and personally, I feel like the animation is a step up from the previous two Seasons.
*Season 3/4 and Season 7 have become my favorite seasons, and I'm currently in 9, which is a jarring format change.*
*Alright, I didn't get Season 3 on DVD set, but someone uploaded all The best episodes of it on CZcams and I binged, loving it's heart*
As for your final comment about Season 3 being a mix of Seasons 2 and 4, I feel like what likely happened is that Season 3 was the writers dipping their toes into the more outlandish / absurd, and then when they realized it worked so well, they just ran with it in Season 4. Rather than 3 being a "mix" of 2 and 4, I see it more as a transitional period.
I was a latecomer to season 3 fandom, as I usually started at season 5 (and ended at season 8). I obviously watched the first 4 seasons quite a few times, but not nearly as much as the following ones (and I used to have The Simpsons running on second monitor while playing games several hours a day for years).
Season 3 used to feel a bit too unrefined for me and couldn't quite match the iconic episodes of what I used to considered the golden years. But as I've grown older, I've learnt to appreciate appreciate season 3 a lot more. Looking back at it now, after not having rewatched much the past decade, I think season 3 is the season I have the fondest memories from. It manages to do the very rare thing of embracing the power of absurdity while still maintaining a ridiculous amount of charm.
Mr. Burns is especially wonderful in this season, perhaps most prominently showcased in two of my favourite ever episodes Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk and Homer at the bat. Thanks for reawakening my love for this era. :)
15:00 - I just noticed that Bart's billboard says Get A Mammogram, "MAN".
Nice job man, season 3 is one of my favorites
If it wasn't for you doing these fantastic CZcams videos (where you have mentioned about the DVD commentaries) I would never have thought of buying the older box sets (I've got S1 to 15 already) on DVD to watch and listen through them myself. Thank you and keep up the great videos!
The Simpsons and Futurama commentaries are he only commentaries that I remember enjoying. Most other commentaries fall short so I stopped bothering. I love the story about how the inspiration for Jimbo's character was a kid that threw a shopping cart into the La Brea tarpits.
I was thinking the other day that I should marathon them again.
For a long time when I rewatched the Simpsons I would tend to skip season 3. But when I actually have it a chance again I realised it has some of my favourite episodes. It does have its nice heartwarming messages and great jokes in the show. Great video btw.
dude, i just love your videos. they're one of the only ones i actually sit down to pay full attention to.
one day, i hope you do a piece on the evolution of the sign gags through the series..
Thanks! I wonder what the evolution of sign gags would look like? It's funny, I've never actually thought about how they have changed before... I think I've been taking them for granted
@@TheRealJims maybe it's worth looking into. Maybe they don't evolve much. Who knows...
Every line of this analysis is so expertly crafted and insightful. Season 3 is one of my favorites!
Also, I love the Revenge Of The Meta Knight cover at the end of each in these series!
The audio commentarys were brilliant. It got the point where i would by the latest season to come out on box set just to listen to them.
I love your commentaries. I often have no idea what you are talking about but I like the conviction with which you say it!
Thanks to these videos, I've been rewatching the Simpsons and it's so good
Please keep making these! Looking forward to season 4 :)
Wow, you really went into this season deep! Nice work!
I still remember being 11 years old and watching season 3 of the Simpsons on a dvd box set. I binged it all night and was INSTANTLY hooked on the series. I had never seen it until then and luckily this was around 2010, and there was plenty for me to catch up on. Over 10 years later, I’m still such a huge fan
Bart's friend...you got me there XD! Your content is hypnotizing
This season is my second favorite and I think it is unique in a way. It still maintains that down to earth feel of the first few seasons but also starts to bring in a few more wacky concepts that will serve the show so well in the future.
season 3 is easily my favorite season not for just the great episodes in a roundabout pacing but it also contains my favorite episode you can guess which one.
Awesome! How do I always wander on to fresh Jims? This season is a trip for me. I was Bart's age when this came out. It was so relatable to my own scampy childhood in a semi rural suburban neighborhood.
i had an incomplete (2 dvds) season 3 dvd box set when i was younger and once i watched the episodes to death i turned on the commentary and now my favourite way of watching an episode is with commentaries on.
My first Simpsons box set was season 5, my dad found it at a yard sale for a buck, he bought it for me.... 5 reunited my love for the show, lol & right after he bought it I bought 1-8 on dvd, and now I have 1-18, & 20, plus the movie & even the Ullman shorts
Just got to the credits of "Brother, Can You Spare Two Cents?" which means I have, officially, unlocked this video.
lenny sex appeal bit cracked me up
"Bart's friend"
Don't you mean Milhouse?
".........Bart's friend."
It's funny. The way Jim so vividly remembers watching Separate Vocations, I remember watching another S3 episode: Flaming Moes. I was 2 at the time, but for some reason I can still remember to this day watching that as it aired. It may be my earliest memory.
17:28 Thank you! I have been trying to figure out where this song came from for years.
Wonderful! I was really hoping you’d make another one of these season analysis videos. Season 3 is my favorite season of the show, so it’s great to hear your opinions on it!
Who's NOT into Lenny? We're all gay for Lenny.
Why must you hurt Moleman?
I think the problem for Marge was that Season Three was fleshing out more of the non-family universe, having more outside characters that weren't antagonists, but at the same time it didn't have a lot of recurring plot devices like the town hall meetings to intergrate the whole town into what was going on yet so too often Marge felt isolated from big plots. I could argue Season Three did at least sow the seeds for Marge's more comical traits like her killjoy tendencies and thrills for mundane things like housework, they definitely liked undermining her a bit more by now giving her more humour mileage like the rest of the family, just later seasons tend to strike a better balance of that and her hidden empowered and adventurous side.