Lee, I want you to know that I thought very long and hard about this question all evening. I've chosen to highlight my top 5 most fondly-remembered episodes, not what I consider the best of the series, but these definitely are my favourites (in no particular order). TO WIT:
Mr. Plow: Absolutely classic episode with loads of great lines and character interactions. This is what I think of when I think "Simpsons episode I like".
Marge Vs. The Monorail: Another really great one, with my favourite song of the series and the only celebrity cameo I don't dislike on principle. Excellent writing, too.
The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochy Show: As a young kid interested in TV writing, I was addicted to this episode's plot and structure, and I still think it's effing hilarious (especially the ending).
Homer's Enemy: I consider this the best episode of the show by some margin, and the struggle between both lead characters is very well-done. I
HATE the sequel episode it got later on, though.
Treehouse of Horror VI: It was so hard to choose just one of these, because I love the golden age ToHs, but this is the most nostalgic for me. The last segment is a show-defining moment.
& that's that! I wanted to include a Zombie era episode just for fairness, but I really couldn't find the motivation to. Gun to my head,
The Bart Wants What It Wants is what I'd say is the highlight from after season 9, which is when I think the show stopped being good. That episode was played constantly on TV here because it's about Canada, and I guess it lodged into my brain like a crayon, because I think of it as being quite cozy and cute.
What made up invention would most improve your life right now?
A device that could flawlessly print units of currency, for any nationality, without a single trace that they weren't legitimate (including ID codes, digital footprints, etc.). Failing that, a handheld teleportation device would be very handy and free up a lot of my time.
I think it was because I never called Spike's mother back after our night at the love hotel. In my defence, the old girl gave me the clap.
any advice for Gorsing on a budget?
Avoid extraneous costs by re-using your orange juice bottles as impromptu watering cans. (My mom actually does this.)
What is your favorite story from Gorse mythology?
It's a deep cut, but
this is my favourite thing I've ever written on RGT – it's certainly what I had the most fun writing. I also still agree with everything I said about indie games in the Hot Takes thread, and felt very confident about my standpoint coming out of that discussion.
Very simply: reading books, watching old TV shows, creative writing, listening to music, listening to comedy podcasts, watching old movies, cartoons, comic books, and cooking. I also love to draw (not anime characters), but I haven't had much time to do so as of late – I'll try to get back into the game whenever I can.
What are some highlights through your gaming experience that defined your tastes?
- My first experience with the arcade versions of Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, and Ladybug, as detailed here. (That was my first post!)
- Playing through every Super Mario Advance game, plus the included version of Mario Bros, throughout summers in my youth. I can still remember where I was sitting on my bed on late Sunday evenings or in the sunny living room, my fateful GBA SP in hand. (God, I loved that thing.) Those games are what I'd consider the "best" video games I'd ever played.
- Playing Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga in the back of my parent's car on the drive home from somewhere late at night, and hearing them both lose their fucking minds laughing when the characters began speaking faux-Italian.
- Popping Sonic Adventure DX into my Gamecube in the dead of night after coming home from a trip in Florida. The second I saw Perfect Chaos in the game's intro cinematic and heard the opening riff to Open Your Heart, I knew that I really liked this whole "video games" thing.
- Opening up my long-neglected 3DS during the pandemic, deciding to play a map of Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya on a whim, and instantly getting hooked. That's what got me back into gaming in my adulthood.
There are probably more minor ones, but those are the big life-definers. Good times!
What if you woke up in the world of Undertale ;)
Assuming I followed the player character's journey exactly: I wouldn't kill anyone unnecessarily, but I wouldn't try to make friends with anyone, either. I'd just make my way to the castle, avoiding everyone and running away from all battles (I was very surprised how neglected this strategy was in the game's writing). If I absolutely had to kill
at the end, I suppose I'd have to try doing it out of self-preservation, but I wouldn't be too torn up about doing so – I don't see how that character would really work when faced with an adult.
Oh, and if I came across any small white dogs, I'd feed them into the nearest available wood chipper.
I've been busy with PERSONAL STUFF and BEING SICK and GENERAL NONSENSE, which is why I haven't been around as much as I'd like, but all in all I suppose I can't complain. BUT I WILL ANYWAYS
