Another day, another box of stolen pens.— Homer
Another day, another box of stolen pens.— Homer
Bart enlists Martin's help after he fails yet another test and may have to repeat the fourth grade. In return, Bart teaches Martin how to be more popular.
Homer tries a new hair-growing formula, charging it to the plant's health insurance.
Bart and Lisa exchange three horror stories: Bad Dream House: The Simpsons move into a haunted house that turns the family against each other. Hungry Are The Damned: Aliens kidnap the Simpsons. The Raven: James Earl Jones narrates Edgar Allen Poe's classic tale starring the Simpsons.
After a three-eyed fish is found in the river near the power plant, Mr. Burns runs for governor to avoid it being shut down.
Homer becomes the team mascot for the Springfield Isotopes and the family move to Capitol City.
Bart and Todd Flanders enter a miniature golf tournament, however, rivalry between Homer and Flanders causes them to make a ridiculous bet.
Bart runs away from home after he 'accidentally' burns Lisa's Thanksgiving centerpiece and refuses to apologize about it.
After seeing Lance Murdoch perform dangerous stunts at a Monster Truck Rally, Bart decides to become a daredevil skateboarder, and tries to jump Springfield Gorge.
After watching an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon, Maggie hits Homer on the head with a mallet, which prompts Marge to campaign to eliminate violence in cartoons.
Homer sues Mr. Burns for one million dollars after he runs Bart over in a car accident.
Believing that he has eaten poison from a deadly blowfish, Homer tries to cram as much as he can into his remaining hours.
After the TV goes out, Homer and Marge tell the kids how they first met and fell in love.
Homer gets an illegal cable hook-up which Lisa refuses to watch, for fear of losing her soul.
Homer sets up a date between Principal Skinner and Selma Bouvier. However, Skinner sees Patty first and it is her he falls in love with.
Homer discovers he has a half-brother - a wealthy businessman called Herbert Powell.
After chewing up Homer's new sneakers and the Bouvier family quilt, Santa's Little Helper is sent to obedience school.
Grampa falls in love with a woman from his retirement home. After he misses her birthday because of Homer, she passes away, and Grampa will not forgive his son.
Marge decides to take up painting, and is commissioned to do a portrait of Mr. Burns.
While Lisa falls in love with her new substitute teacher, Bart runs against Martin for Class President.
After Homer gets drunk and embarrasses Marge at a party, she signs them up for a marriage retreat at Catfish Lake.
Bart clubs together with Milhouse and Martin to buy the very first Radioactive Man comic book, but arguments soon break out.
Homer wants a reward after saving Mr. Burns' life with Bart's rare double-O negative blood.
The second series (1990-1991) brought with it improved animation, funnier stories and a host of big-name guest stars, including Danny DeVito, Dustin Hoffman and James Earl Jones.
All the classics are here: the first of the annual Treehouse of Horror specials; the discovery of Blinky, the mutant three-eyed fish; Homer almost making it over Springfield Gorge on Bart's skateboard; Homer believing he's going to die; the story of how Homer and Marge met; and of course, the introduction of Herb, Homer's half brother.
Welcome to Season Two of The Simpsons on DVD - twenty-two jam-packed episodes of malicious cartoon frivolity that helped make 1990 and 1991 such entertaining and annoying years. This is when full-blown Simpsons Mania hit America, and millions of thoughtful young people across the land were either wearing or selling bootleg Bart Simpson T-shirts.
The wild success of the TV show, along with every product that had Bart's leering face slapped on it, would have been daunting had we been able to look up from our drawing tables. But everyone who worked on The Simpsons was so consumed with the making of the weekly cartoon that we were able to maintain the exhaustion and worry and carefully nursed bitterness that lies behind all successful Hollywood extravaganzas. If the first season was a series of wild experiments that succeeded beyond our dreams, the second season was a nonstop workathon that was redeemed by the knowledge we were amusing and irritating so many people.
Many of the shows from this season remain among my all-time favourites. I'm particularly fond of Bart's pride in getting a grade of D-minus at the end of "Bart Gets an F"; the debut of the ever-slobbering Kang and Kodos in the first of our annual Treehouse of Horror episodes; Homer almost making it across Springfield Gorge on Bart's skateboard; Mr. Burns taking a reluctant bite of Blinky, the three-eyed fish; Maggie bonking Homer with a mallet after watching an Itchy & Scratchy cartoon; Bart going to Hell in "Bart Gets Hit by a Car"' and the flashback scene in "The way We Was", when Homer catches his first glimpse of Marge in high school (she was hot).
So put on a ratty old Simpsons T-shirt, grab a bowlful of heavily-salted snack treats, and sink into the couch for a marathon of Simpsons classics. If you look carefully, you can see actual drops of blood, sweat, and tears on many of the animation cels. Enjoy!
Your chum,
Matt Groening
