While there are there are still some small refinements made in subsequent seasons, the third season shows the writers have solidified the characters and environment and give them freedom to develop secondary characters and play with the established conventions. The secondary characters and the town itself is fleshed out now that the family is set. Ned, Edna and Milhouse are featured and developed in ways that were previously reserved for the core family. Other secondary character and features of Springfield are featured, such as Otto or the Springfield Mafia and the nuclear power plant that allow the setting to be as dynamic a character as the Simpson family. Guest stars become more prominent, but do not feel as disruptive. Michael Jackson is the most prominent, but the players featured in "Homer at the Bat" are the best integrated into the environment of Springfield. The importance of physical media is emphasized, as Michael Jackson's deviance has lead to :Stark Raving Dad: being excluded from Disney+. The featured Halloween, flashback and the first reappearance of Sideshow Bob build off the strength from the previous seasons. While the cartoonish aspects are prominent in several of the more comedy-centered episodes, the emotional depth is present and elevates the series beyond an ephemeral laugh. ( )

The day-to-day life of a working class family.

1.5/4 (Meh)

I'm giving up 6 episodes from the end of this season, possibly without a single laugh. It's bizarre how completely unentertaining trying to rewatch The Simpsons is.

(Dec. 2021) ( )