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The Simpsons - The Complete Fifth Season Customer Reviews (13 - 15 of 16 Reviews)

"Chowdah! CHOWDAH!" FULL SKULL BABY!

As of this review, the fourth season hasn't even been released on DVD yet. And while the fourth season is when the Simpsons officially became the greatest show on television, it's season five that stands out above all the rest. When it was first announced that the Simpsons were going to be released on DVD, I was eagerly awaiting subsequent seasons to be released. A reason obviously being I want to own my favorite show on DVD, but mostly because as each season comes out (one... by... one), it will bring me even closer to owning my favorite one: the fifth season. This is the cream of the Simpsons' crop. It's the one I'm nail-bitingly waiting for.

My favorite Simpsons episode of all time is where Homer goes into space ("They'll clog the instruments!" "Careful! They're ruffled!"), which is included on this not-yet-released DVD set. Other stand-outs are when Homer falls in love with Mindy (Barney dancing to the I Dream Of Jeannie theme in a bikini: classic) and Grampa going out with Marge's mom ("I can't remember the last time I felt this young... I really can't.") Every episode is pretty much flawless. This was the Simpsons at their absolute peak.

Season one was good. Season two was very good. Season three was great. Everything that came after, up until about season nine, was excellent. These days, the show has a few bright spots, but pales in comparison to what came before. Newbie fans who don't get a chance to watch the re-runs might wonder what all the fuss is about. To those people, I'd tell them to go out and buy season five.

"Mmm...64 slices of American Cheese" Homer's midnight snack FULL SKULL BABY!
The Simpsons DVD sets so far have been jam-packed with extras, commentaries, and creative menu pages, which may be the reason the seasons are fairly slow in coming out. I am getting a bit antsy because the next 7 seasons or so are so great, but good things come to those who wait. Season five has some of my favorite episodes. Some were pretty rare to see in syndication and now almost impossible to see as the current reruns seem to concentrate on the later seasons. Here are my season five highlights:

"Homer's Barbershop Quartet" with an appearance by George Harrison. This parody of the Beatles is very clever, especially Barney's girlfriend, "the Japanese conceptual artist."

"Rosebud" is in my top 10 Simpsons episodes ever. Mr. Burns is obsessed with finding his boyhood teddy bear Bobo. It is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. The best part is when Smithers dresses like Bobo to try to, uh, cheer up Burns.

"Bart's Inner Child": Self-help guru Brad Goodman is impressed by Bart's "do what you feel like" attitude. Springfield puts together a "Do What You Feel Festival," a welcome change from the "Do As We Say Festival" (started by German settlers).

"Boy-Scoutz in the Hood": Another favorite of mine. A sugar high causes Bart to join the junior campers, lead by Ned Flanders. Enduring Homer's constant teasing, Bart dreads telling Homer about the father-son rafting trip (Homers response: "Ha, you don't have a son."). Ernest Borgnine guest stars.

"Homer and Apu": Apu gets busted for selling tainted meat and loses his job at the Kwik-E-Mart. At one point, Apu and Homer travel to India so Apu can seek forgiveness from the Keik-E-Mart CEO who resides in not the most conveniently located convenience stores. James Woods guest stars.

"Lisa Vs. Malibu Stacy": Lisa is on a rampage when her talking Malibu Stacy doll says things like "Don't ask me, I'm just a girl." She meets with the doll's creator Stacy Lovell to design a more politically correct doll. Lovell had been forced out of the company because her ideas were not cost effective (oh, and she was also "funneling profits to the Viet Cong"). It is hilarious. Smithers' start-up page on his computer is a must-see.

"Deep Space Homer": A classic where Homer goes into space. Buzz Aldrin and James Taylor are guests.

"The Boy Who Knew Too Much": Bart plays hooky and witnesses an incident that causes a trial against Mayor Quimby's nephew Freddy. On the jury is Homer "how many s's are in innocent" Simpson.

"Secrets of a Successful Marriage": Homer feels important teaching a class on marriage but Marge is not happy with his "tell all" lesson plan.

These are my favorites of this DVD set. Other episodes include: Cape Feare (starring Springfield's criminal mastermind Sideshow Bob), Homer Goes to College, Treehouse of Horror IV (where Homer sells his soul for a donut), Marge on the Lam (a Thelma and Louise parody), The Last Temptation of Homer, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling, Homer the Vigilante, Bart Gets Famous (Bart as the "I didn't do it" boy), Homer Loves Flanders, Bart Gets an Elephant, Burn's Heir, Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song, and Lady Bouvier's Lover (with a parody of The Graduate).

Excellent episodes FULL SKULL BABY!
INTRODUCTION:
The Simpsons is the ultimate animated sitcom - no questions asked. For many years the series has never failed to please its fans. The fifth season is a classic, and no true fan of the series will deny that. Like all seasons, the fifth will get a DVD release - but only God knows when. Read on for my review.

EPISODE SUMMARIES:
Season five consists of the following episodes.
-Homer's Barbershop Quartet: Homer flashes back to when he sang in a barbershop quartet.
-Cape Feare: The Simpsons are relocated by the witness relocation program when Sideshow Bob sends threatening letters.
-Homer Goes to College: Homer must complete a nuclear physics college class to keep his job.
-Rosebud: Mr. Burns yearns to get back his long lost teddy bear.
-Tree House of Horror IV: Homer sells his soul for a donut, a gremlin attacks a school bus, and Mr. Burns is revealed to be a vampire in this year's halloween special.
-Marge on the Lam: Marge's evening out with new neighbor Ruth Powers turns into a run from the law.
-Bart's Inner Child: A self-help guru praises Bart for his "I do what I want" attitude.
-Boy Scoutz N the Hood: While hallucinating, Bart unintentionally joins the Junior Campers - a Boy Scout-like organization.
-The Last Temptation of Homer: At the power plant, Homer is continually distracted by a good-looking female co-worker.
-$pringfield: Mr. Burns opens a casino, and Marge develops a gambling problem there.
-Homer the Vigilante: When the Springfiend Cat Burgler steals Lisa's saxophone, Homer sets up a neighborhood watch.
-Bart Gets Famous: An accident on stage during the Krusty the Clown show makes Bart instantly famous.
-Homer and Apu: Apu is fired from the Kwik-E-Mart, and comes to live with the Simpsons.
-Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy: Disgusted by the new Malibu Stacy doll, Lisa confronts the doll's creator.
-Deep Space Homer: In a desperate attempt to gain ratings, NASA agrees to send an average American into space. Guess who they choose.
-Homer Loves Flanders: Flanders takes Homer to a football game, and two end up becoming good friends!
-Bart Gets an Elephant: Bart wins an elephant in a radio contest.
-Burns' Heir: After a display of rage, Bart becomes the heir to the fortune held by Mr. Burns.
-Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song: When Santa's Little Helper is discovered in a vent at Springfield Elementary School, Superintendent Chalmers fires Principal Skinner.
-The Boy Who Knew Too Much: Bart ditches school, and becomes the lone witness to a potential crime.
-Lady Bouvier's Lover: Grampa falls in love with Marge's mother, only to have Mr. Burns take her away from him.
-Secrets of a Successful Marriage: Homer teaches an adult education course on marriage success, and releases secrets kept between him and Marge.

SERIES OPINIONS:
There are some great episodes of the Simpsons out there, but the fifth season contains some of the finest ones of all. To put it simply, when this set is released (probably sometime in 2005), I recommend the purchase.

DVD:
Obviously, the DVD hasn't been released yet, but I think we can expect what we've come to expect from these releases. Bonus features will probably include commentary and interviews with cast and crew. I'm hoping the packaging will be changed to something similar to the King of the Hill and Family Guy sets, rather than the "slipcase and fold out" style that the other sets have used. But, of course, that probably won't happen.

OVERALL:
What more is there for me to say? The Simpsons is a comedy masterpiece, and this season is a masterpiece among masterpieces! When it comes out, BUY IT. I know I'm going to.

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