Simpsons in syndication

Ah, there is one benefit to the fact that FOX affiliate channel 11 in L.A. shows The Simpsons repeats in blocks of the same years - so they will show blocks from the early season for weeks and then move on to the later seasons for weeks, and then circle back. This makes it easy for me to tune in 3 times per evening for the former and tune out for a while because of the latter.

It surprises me still how much the older classic episodes can warm my heart even though I've seen a show numerous times. Just last night, the 8pm showing was, "Three Men and a Comic Book" (2.20) Bart is being forced to work to earn $100 so he can by the first edition of the comic "Radioactive Man" to which he endures the pain of working for a kooky old lady with a fetish for iodine, slyly sells beer to two of Springfield's finest police officers, and scrounges around for any bit of loose change he can find. The BEST line is when he takes the plaque of foreign coins gifted to him by Patty & Selma and heads to the bank.
"Bart: Ching-ching-ching! [smashes a souvenir coin collection he received from Patty and Selma and takes it to the bank] Americanize this, my good man.
Clerk: Okay.
Bart: All those coins were only worth three lousy cents?
Clerk: Let the good times roll!"
Sound pedestrian in words, but the voice of the clerk is FANTASTIC. I crack up EVERY time.

Then 11 o'clock brought the great "Dead Putting Society"(2.6) in which Homer's jealousy of Flanders fuels him to pit Bart against Todd Flanders in a mini-golf putt off. Bart feels the pressure and doesn't believe he can win, but with the help of his ever zen sister, Lisa (whose best line in reference to Homer's overbearing ways is, "It's times like this I'm thankful Dad has little to no interest in almost everything I do").

And when Flanders calls Reverend Lovejoy in the middle of the night to get advice and quotes the Bible better than the Reverend (naturally); awesome.

And the homage to the Karate Kid as Bart poses in the "crane style."
(crappy shot, I know, but I couldn't find a better one - if you do, let me know where!)

Makes a girl want to tear up a little. *sniff*

Overall, it makes me truly appreciate the genius behind the early seasons and infuriates me that the current episodes are so crappy. Sure, there is an occasionally funny gaff but as a whole, nothing compares to The Simpsons of old.