Bolivian musician and writer Petrus Silón sits down with me to discuss one of his favorite episodes... And, really, this shows up on a lot of fan favorite lists. Not just because it's a good source of memes, but because it's a very well-written (and acted) story with a lot of real heart. And, of course, Homer and the swear jar...another one in a long line of classic Simpsons sequences. Petrus and I talk about that, and a couple of other fun things in this breezy chat. Dig in. Check out...

Jason Pollock and I sit down to talk about this missed opportunity of an episode, which should be about Marge getting some much needed away time from her burden of a family, but is instead about Homer farting around the house and stuff while she's away. And so, since the episode itself barely generates enough meat for scintillating conversation, we find ourselves drifting...talking about morning drive time DJs, and Indiana Jones movies, and popular genre TV shows that had surprisingly long...

Chris Prentice and I talk...FOOTBALL!!! Well kind of...and I am referring to American Football, as opposed to what the rest of the world calls "Football," though we do name-drop that one too. We kind of talk about sports in general, and the audience interaction with competitive sports. In a word: gambling. And so on. Because this is the episode where Homer discovers Lisa can always pick the winners. And they bond. Until Homer reveals he's a selfish ass.  In any case, sit back for a talk...

The Pensky File's Clay McCormack joins me this week to discuss a classic episode that pokes fun at media circuses and charity singles - like "We Are the World" and what not. Sting guest stars as himself and gets to headline a catchy tune. We talk about that, and we also talk about bad birthday experiences or crummy gifts from well-meaning adults. We even discuss Live Aid, Queen and the motion picture sensation Bohemian Rhapsody. It's a really fun, breezy talk. Dig in. For more Clay,...

The second in the series of Simpsons flashbacks takes us back to the summer of 1980, as we see the circumstances that led to Bart's conception and the early days of Homer and Marge's marriage. This is exactly the kind of episode Josh Fein and I tend to talk about and so here he is again, and we explore the series' approach to character development, attention to period detail, balance of sentiment and humor, and so on... We also talk at length about the reality of being a young parent... And...

Jim Laczkowski of The Director's Club joins me to talk about this episode, in which Homer Simpsons visits The Land of Chocolate. Well... that's not really the plot of the episode, but it's probably the one thing most people remember about it. Jim and I discuss the ins and outs of this one episode, but we mostly discuss The Simpsons as a whole... Its cultural impact then and now, our relationships with it, etc...  Jim's a good guy and this is a good talk. Dig in. Subscribe to The Erix...

This week I'm joined by Sean Malloy of I Must Break...This Podcast, which is a great show about the career of Dolph Lundgren. But he's not here to talk about Lundgren, no, we're here to discuss a classic season three episode of The Simpsons, which features Aerosmith and an impossibly amazing drink taking the world by storm. And then we go off on a tangent about Rocky IV, because yes - this is what we do. In any case, it's an - as usual - fun talk. Dig in. Subscribe to The Erix Antoine...

Saturdays of Thunder is probably a minor classic, with more than one memorable gag, and a heartwarming story about Homer connecting with Bart. But, for Chris Prentice and I, it's an excuse to go off on several adjacent tangents about Henry Winkler, Joel Silver action films and - of course - Michael Jackson... The thing is, his famous (infamous?) "Black or White" music video (or short film, if you prefer) originally premiered right after this episode. So, of course we can't help ourselves and...

Arianny Pilarte sits down with me this week, and we discuss Homer's very questionable parenting - which involves gross overcompensation after disappointing Lisa (again).  It's a sweet episode that doesn't forget to be very funny as well. We discuss our favorite gags... We talk about neglectful, emotionally distant parenting. We also talk about The Crown, because we both like that show. And we talk about a disgusting NYC coffee shop called Serendipity. And you'll have to listen to see why I...

The Pensky File's Clay McCormack sits down with me to discuss the second Treehouse of Horror special. We both agree that it is superior to the first. But, is it as widely celebrated as some of the more famous ones? It seems that maybe this one has somehow slipped through the cracks. Or maybe it hasn't. In any case, we go into detail as to the episode's best qualities. A good story is a good story, and it's an interesting challenge for the writers to deliver a satisfying horror comedy in...

O Mein Poppa! Chris Prentice and I sit down to talk about Krusty again. Namely, Krusty's tumultuous relationship with his dad - played by Jackie Mason.  And so, we discuss this episode that, while possessing a fair share of laughs, falls more on the sentimental side. It's a good story, and it's well-written and acted. But, more than anything else, it shows The Simpsons really starting to tap into the universe they've established - experimenting with a story that doesn't really focus on the...

It's another very funny episode of The Simpsons! Maybe this is not quite as memorable or "iconic" as some of the more classic segments, but the laughs are definitely there. Josh Fein and I go over our favorite bits and pieces and, as it is the nature of the podcast, we go off on a bit of a tangent far as the hidden banality behind great events throughout history, which somehow leads to us briefly discussing Quantum Leap, among other things. Of course we're nowhere near the "breaking point"...

Jason Pollock and I sit down to talk about arguably the first really funny episode of the series! Well, ok... Maybe that's an exaggeration. But it's the first genuinely good, funny episode that Pollock and I have talked about. And it's most definitely the first great episode of Season 3.  Pollock and I talk about that and we also go off on a couple of tangents about how stupid it is in this day and age to rail against "PC culture" and "Cancel Culture," when you consider that an episode like...

And so, the third season just rolls along... And we are still seeing the remnants of season 2's production cycle as the series struggles to find its specific identity amidst the landscape of TV comedy. Some people consider "When Flanders Failed" a classic episode, others hate it... I suppose we fall somewhere in between. Troy Anderson of AndersonVision.com joins me this week to discuss this often funny, sometimes maudlin...ultimately rather bland episode. And we find ourselves trailing off...

The Simpsons get political this week and, yes, so do we. Josh Fein sits down with me to talk about this episode, which finds Lisa coming of age as she wakes up to the reality of corruption in the halls of DC. But the episode also gave us a chance to talk about political commentary in general...how media approached it then vs. how it approaches it now; and the intricacies of navigating discussions of global politics on social media, where not everyone is quite as informed as they claim (or...

And so...  Here we are with Season 3 of The Simpsons, which begins with the legendary episode that THEY don't want you to see! Whoever THEY are, and for whatever reason THEY care. But, in any case, we here at The Simpsons Countdown made a pledge to go back to the beginning and watch ALL of The Simpsons...and "All" cannot properly be considered "All," unless we include this episode... An episode that came to us at a more innocent time - the 90s, when life was simpler. And when it took more...

Well... Here we are at the season's end. And, as it was with season one, so too it is that Mike Drew Flynn is on hand... to discuss "Blood Feud," which although technically the "last" episode of Season 2, actually aired in the middle of the summer hiatus. And so, in essence almost serves as a kind of bridge into the next season...where The Simpsons really took off and began its tenure as the cultural benchmark and premiere source of social satire of the 1990s. Flynn and I discuss this very...

It is my sincere pleasure to welcome The Pensky File's Clay McCormack to the podcast. We sat down for a balmy afternoon to discuss the episode "Three Men and a Comic Book," which was appropriate for us to discuss as longtime comic book aficionados ourselves (me as a reader/collector, him as someone who actually makes them). The episode is very funny, of course, but it also presents an authentic portrayal of comic book fandom and accurately captures a young boy's obsession with procuring an...

Jason Pollock sits down with me to discuss "The War of the Simpsons," in which Homer makes an ass of himself and almost destroys his marriage, until Marge decides to forgive him even though he has done nothing to atone for his selfishness and all around failure as a husband. The episode explores some serious themes, and so Pollock and I have a bit of a serious discussion. And we discover that for all the episode's highlights, good writing and several funny moments, it just isn't that...

Josh Fein is back to discuss "Lisa's Substitute," a heartwarming episode guest starring Dustin Hoffman in the title role.   The chief feature of the episode is that its a touching coming-of-age love story for Lisa, which gives Yeardly Smith the opportunity for emoting on a deeper level than she ever had up to that point in the series.    We discuss the episode's dramedy aspects, which were clearly and heavily influenced by James L. Brooks. But, also, we delve into the episode's chief source...

My good buddy Chris Prentice is back, to discuss "Brush with Greatness," which is a very funny episode about Marge painting Mr. Burns in the nude.  There's more to it than that, of course. Primarily a poignant subplot about Homer wanting to shed a few pounds after getting stuck in a water slide. Ringo Starr was the first Beatle to make an appearance on The Simpsons, as the object of teen Marge's affections, who comes in as a Deus Ex Machina to inspire her at the last minute to paint her...

Arianny chimes in once again from Jersey, and we talk about the episode "Old Money."  We also discuss the differences in how we treat our elderly in the US vs. Latin America... Because, frankly, this episode brings up those thoughts!    In any case, it is a spirited discussion. About The Simpsons. And, well, old people.   Dig in. Subscribe to The Erix Antoine Network on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ2AzQd3F3yfQ_kdoOM9Y_A Follow The Erix Antoine Network on Twitter -...

Jason Pollock is back this week, to discuss "Bart's Dog Gets an F," which originally aired in the US on March 7, 1991. It is yet another slight, inconsequential episode for Pollock and I to discuss...and so we go off on tangents about a bunch of stuff, including the ever present fact that - as Gen Xers, we are able to spot (and scoff) at even the most "obscure" film and pop culture references in the series. We are also in the rather enviable position of living from the dawn of video games...

Troy Anderson is back to discuss one of his favorite episodes - "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou," which originally aired in the US on February 21, 1991. This episode introduced Homer's half brother Herb Powell, unforgettably brought to life by Danny De Vito. It is rightfully a classic, which Troy and I acknowledge, while also talking a little bit about the episode's exploration of character and its deepening of the Simpsons mythology. Meanwhile, we throw out some behind the scenes tidbits about...