I waffled back and forth for soooooo long on the #1 pick between the Top 3 episodes, still not 100% positive I am satisfied. It's like a 3-way tie for me 😛

I'm 100% game for "It's better/worse than Home Away from Homer" becoming a running gag.

I feel like part of the issue with Humbleton is that Ned is a very Morality-Focused character and Humbleton doesn't have much to morally affect him. It's irksome but not really touching his real pain points as a character. I think it would have been much more fun if they'd played it more 'We consider ourselves super moral but don't really do anything to help others'. Like if Flanders was being treated badly for doing ACTUAL good things at the cost of making the community look less squeaky clean (Like say, helping a drunk who the 'nice' community would rather see go away entirely).

Home Away from Homer does have one of my favourite all time Simpsons Jokes, that being when Homer and Ned confront the bodybuilder dude and Ned forces him to submit and then Homer hits him from the chair out of nowhere. Homer's satisfied, proud expression of "I saw my chance and I took it. That's what heroes do." Always makes me laugh and it has been a running joke in our RPG game nights for some time now

Another season where I thought, "I stopped watching Simpsons by this point," but then it turns out I've seen every episode.

I'm thinking we need a "On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister" review. Sounds like Jims has some thoughts there. Re: Midnight Rx: It has one of my favorite continuity gags ever, where Homer's arrested in Canada, and the Canadian news refers to them as "American astronaut, Homer Simpson".

It's funny that you like The Father, The Son, and the Holy Guest Star in spite of not really getting the humor, because the reason I like that episode so much is BECAUSE the humor was really relatable for me. I'm Irish, and come from a big ol' Irish Catholic family, so all the Catholic cultural references really landed for me. This is one episode I very vividly remember watching with my parents when it first aired over here and all the 'Catholic vs Protestant' jokes hand us all HOWLING; it's always been a favourite in our house for that exact reason. Catholic Heaven vs Protestant Heaven in particular cracks me up every time. It's just interesting to me, as a lapsed catholic who always loved the episode for its tongue-in-cheek portrayal of catholicism, to see how it comes across to someone who doesn't have that cultural background, and how they can still enjoy it regards.

Agnes hitting the closed door and yelling, "Damn it!" In All's Fair In Oven War is one of my all-time favorite jokes for some reason. It has stuck with me for years!

Season 16 was way more memorable than I thought at first.

I thought Nelson's dad's peanut allergy explanation was hilarious in just how stupid it was, and it's actually the part I remember the most about that episode

Maybe it’s fitting 17 in Italy is considered an unlucky number. And then you realize there’s an episode about Italy in Season 17.

Truly one of the seasons of all time

I love Homer And Ned's Hail Mary Pass. It's so over-the-top ridiculous and a funny satire of both movies and sports entertainment. In a roundabout way, I kind of like the moral as well. Homer and Ned came in with the best of intentions to educate people, and ended up pissing off everyone.

Season 16 was the first new season of The Simpsons that I watched as it aired. I was only about 8 years old when this season was airing. Me and my friend used to meet up every week to watch the new airing. It was the highlight of our week. As such, although this may not be the best season episode-wise (the show was definitely far over the hill by this point), this season has some really great memories and will always be special to me. I get huge amounts of nostalgia when rewatching this season.

Marge saying "BFD" to Lisa (at the end of the bake-off episode) was so funny to me 😸😸

I grew up Irish Catholic, so "The Father, The Son, and the Holy Guest Star" was one of those episodes I could relate to a lot. The jokes involving the rosary, scary nuns, and being taught about communion and confirmation were all things I experienced. My mother always observed the culinary side of the religion, with us having pancakes before Ash Wednesday and having no meat on Good Friday (Though we worked around this by having a fish dish). The only things I didn't get were a more modern priest, since the parish we went to wasn't interested in appealing to the younger generation. A lot of middle-aged and elderly people showed up on Sunday, doing the usual service involving the lord's prayer as Gaeilge (In Irish), listening to a story from the bible to apply to our lives, taking communion, wishing peace with your fellow man, and then taking a copy of the parish newsletter before leaving. Frankly, it was one of those things that never really grabbed me all that much, with society beating it into us. I was more interested in the books on evolution than those Alive-O books (A Christian textbook series) we'd have to read during class. Back then (In the early 2000s), the idea of becoming an atheist wasn't a thing, so it wasn't until I was 14 that I became one. Even other religions or other denominations were treated as an afterthought. Nobody really knew what Muslims believed in, and Protestants were just seen as "other Christians" to us (Though we'd usually get annoyed whenever a news report from the north would come on since it would involve someone from the DUP bitching on about how Catholics are "asking for too much"). Even though I'm not fond of the later Simpsons seasons, "The Father, The Son, and the Holy Guest Star" is an episode that helped show the lighter side of the religion, highlighting that it's okay to laugh at ourselves (Though Father Ted is an infinitely better satire and commentary on Irish Catholicism).

can't believe every entry was the scene in Pranksta Rap where Bart raps. very interesting list!

The Toothless Elephant Piano Store is a top tier sign gag. The sad look on the elephants face really sells it

It's a major testament to the quality of this channel that I'm still watching the season retrospectives several seasons after I stopped seeing any value in The Simpsons.

Calling it right now: Season 17 will be our next season that gets an axe swung at it, leaving behind no semifinalists...

Gotta love how you still felt the need to throw shade at that awful restraining order episode

I had the EXACT opposite experience of "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" in that I was a kid from a catholic family who got in trouble at public school and had to go to an evangelical hig school, around the time this episode was new. It was different than the episode but the episode felt and still feels so very personal to me.

I love the spokerebels line in 'the heartbroke kid' such good satire of corporate appropriation of counter culture

Does anyone else re watch the season jim does and make their own top list 😭

Future-dama holds a special place for me, since I always wanted the kids to grow after so many years. I think most of the blunders it has with it's plot resolution exist because it was made to fit with the story from S16x09 (Lisa's Wedding), since it would canonically fit AFTER future-drama.

Oh my god just noticed that Marge’s redone kitchen was based off the kitchen in The Sopranos. Damn the details make this show so good.

Midnight Rx has one of my favourite stupid jokes of the season with the history of flight museum audiovisual material

I like season 16 a lot, I feel like it has so many strong and easygoing episodes. Such a chill and average season.

Season 16 was pretty much the last season I kept up with. But Thank god it's Doomsday had some fun moments. Homer telling god that "He just made a powerful enemy" was such riot. The heartbreak kid I remember liking but I hadn't seen it in ages. Anyhoo, thanks for the reviews and thoughts on the series as always!

"I've smelled it, it has to be eaten" The cheeseburger argument is one of the best bits of s11+

Man, I always feel so bad when they cut over to Jesus on the swing in Thank god its doomsday

Our priest once mentioned father son and holy guest star in a homily when I was 12. I went home and asked my parents if I could watch it. I then watched all through seasons 1-12, so that episode has a special place in my heart as my first simpsons episode

This is the era of Simpsons I grew up with so I'll always have a strong degree of nostalgia for it. The fat Bart episode and Ray mangini always stuck out to me

Blood for cream! Blood for cream! This season has always been nostalgic to me as it played a lot when I first got invested in the show at 10 years old

Wow, I don't think I've ever watched "She used to be my girl" before. Season 16 is where my Simpsons memory seems to get weaker, but that episode looks completely new to me. I can confidently say I've never seen it on TV at least.

Can't wait for Season 17s analysis.

I've got a irrational grudge against She Used to Be My Girl, because I swear back when I was in college, they used to air it in syndication every single week in my market.

Home Away From Homer was the episode teaser that I first remember thinking "Jeez, is this where The Simpsons is going now?" and decided to purposefully not see.

Your dedication to this series astounds me. It's so great that we have awesome content creators like you. Keep up the amazing work!

One thing's for sure, Home Away from Homer is definitely the 372nd best Simpsons episode of all time.

I quite liked what they did with chief wiggum and Kirk van houten in prankster rap

This era is weird for me. I know I've seen all these episodes but remember barely anything about them, apart from Don't Fear the Roofer. Always really enjoyed that one so it stuck with me

I have to commend you for giving you such detailed analysis to what I thought to be such underwhelming seasons.You’ve seriously given a new appreciation for the 2000s era that I never thought I’d see.

I actually rank Pranksta Rap pretty high, like yeah it's got the Bart rap and the non-ending but it's just BRIMMING with hilarious sight gags that I love like Bart's tombstone or Kirk as a scarecrow

I was holding my breath to see where Heartbroke Kid would rank and I was not disappointed. My favorite of S16 by far.

Super glad to have finally caught up with your retrospective series! This was a wonderful year of Simpsons adventures! Thank god it’s Doomsday and Sleeping with the enemy are big favorites of mine! I love all your deep season reviews. Looking forward to your review on season 17!

The Heart broke kid is my favourite post classic episode. Gets me every time.

This was the first season I really watched as a kid and I'm pleasantly surprised to be reminded of so many solid episodes

The day I fear the most, it finally happen... you will start reviewing seasons I never saw. I have seen "future" Simpsons episodes based on your recommendations (thank you for that) but season 16 was the last one I saw from premiere to season finale. I will be here as a loyal subscriber watching, liking, commenting, and sharing but still...

Whoa, this is the earliest I've ever come upon a RealJims video!

Hey Jim’s, I’ve been watching the Simpsons from the start for this first time since I was a kid, I just got to season 17 and I’ve been watching along with you since season one. I love your videos and can’t wait to see more !!

For whatever reason the Marge cooking episode is very memorable to me. I was a kid who watched some dessert dogs!

16:22 I cant believe I never noticed before that this scene is a reference to da Vinci's The Last Supper

Ahh, just in time for my lunch break, as always. Thank you!

The bizarre combination of Simpsons nostalgia and video game nostalgia brought about by the soundtracks used for background music - well, it’s a double barreled blast from the past. “It’s super effective!”

I'm shocked "Treehouse of Horror XV" made the shortlist, since two of the segments made your "Worst Treehouse Segments" list last year.

I'm glad you put She Used To Be My Girl on the list. I too enjoy it, wish it got more recognition.

This is the first season of the show I ever watched.

You're videos are great! 👍

Season 16 is about the time that I stopped watching The Simpsons on a regular basis - so the reviews and lists are all new territory for me going forward. Looking forward to it.

Ray: Say, Homer, do you like...nachos?

To quote Wiggum, “not a looker in the bunch.”

3:23 that joke is burned into my brain. It was used *heavily* for the promos for this episode when it first aired.

I'd ranked '"A Home Away From Homer" a bit higher. Yeah it's an average Simpsons episode, but I really like the premise of how Homer pushes Ned too far causing him to move and essentially getting a adult version of Nelson as his new neighbor, leading him to understands what it feels like to be builled and wanting Flanders back.

Tbh, I like the blackhole joke precisely because of how absurd it is, though I do get that it's subjective so it's not gonna land with everyone.

These past few seasons and continuing in with the show get to a level where it just isn't fu to watch anymore. I guess I'll still watch your videos of them, but yeah it really is just a completely different show

Hah, what a great list. I made my own list in anticipation of yours and we have virtually the same episodes but in oddly the almost opposite order. I put Home Away From Homer at number one because I actually found it quaint. It was fun to see Flanders finally having had enough, standing up for himself, and then deciding that actually he does miss Springfield. Also the ending was fun where it turns out Coach's check bounced, and his muscles were no match for our favorite saint of Springfield. Also, isn't the heaven scene in Thank God It's Doomsday canon since Moe's bar goes back from being a sushi place? I guess you could argue Moe just bought it back, maybe there were too many sushi restaurants in Springfield and it couldn't stay in business, but I always read it as God actually undoing the apocalypse, just because Homer asked, which is pretty sweet of him.

Shiner be gone is a joke my dad always randomly thinks about and laughs

At this point I was two or three seasons past being sure to watch every single week. In retrospect it did hold some enjoyable episodes and memories connected to them but at this point I was two years out of high school and suddenly was more concerned with my long lasting depressive episode. But I still would catch the show in reruns and at least a live airing once or twice a month and it was like hanging out with an old friend you had spent too much time with, enjoyable but not quite like you expected.

Hey, love all your content! Just wondering are you going to be doing top 10’s & retrospectives of season 17 onwards?

"Good news Marge, I learned to walk naked on stilts" Is one of my favorite random Homer lines right next to "Guess how many boobs I say today Marge.. fifteen!"

I guess There's Something About Marrying doesn't meet the similar quality threshold to have a showdown with Homer's Phobia. It's funny to see Marge, who was the voice of reason in Homer's Phobia, to be uncomfortable when it came to her sister getting married.

Couldn't they have Bart carry some of the roof supplies and not care rather using that black hole?

still love "On A Clear Day, I Can't See My Sister", even if it's strictly for Gary Busey's cameo... but i guess you couldn't handle it, because he's just too real

I was picking up some cottage cheese for one of my clients, and the Cotta-Hey Cheese line instantly popped into my head 😂😂😂

I think one thing that could have improved the Heartbroke Kid would be if Bart's weight loss coach was a pre-movie Russ Cargill who went onto coach President Schwartzenegger

For me, Season 16 is the one season of the show I remember the most, mostly due to have tapping and rewatching a lot of its episodes. Personally, my favorite episode is Midnight RX for its satire bent and how much it still makes me laugh. Goo Goo Pain is my second favorite for the humor, Selma characterization, and a lot of the cultural gags ("Why doesn't Pearl Jam ever play here?!" Or "Hey dragon, you fly like a jerk."). Then comes Thank God, It's Doomsday because of the humor straight up. So love it

Great top 10!

As always thanks for making jiber jabber for us to watch! Well just me I shouldn't speak for others.

I hope in the 20 years you end this there’s a ranking of every single #1 episode, that would be sooo cool

I enjoyed the 2000's Simpsons a lot. Who else?

Cannot believe the pranksta rap isn’t on this list 😂😂😂

Another season officially ranked. I actually like your top three this time, though my list is still very different. As usual I'd like to reveal my own tier list for the season, though I will only explain certain placements. 1. "Mommie Beerest" - My top two is mostly for my bias for my love for marital episodes, but I genuinely enjoy watching these two episodes a lot. This episode gets first though because the story is a bit more creative than "Mobile Homer" and it's also a really funny episode. I love the opening with the Simpsons finally getting caught up on mortgages, and its ending is pretty hilarious too. 2. "Mobile Homer" - Despite being #2, I see myself rewatching this one more, and I really enjoy this episode. The fight was great, the way Bart and Lisa try to get rid of the rv led to a very fun scene, and is a great way to somehow get Homer and Marge back together. 3. "Thank God It's Doomsday" - This episode is obviously a great episode. I really love the fantasy scene, and how the whole town got involved in this episode. Another fun episode. The beginning wasn't particularly funny imo, but it related with the rest of the story well. 4. "She Used to Be My Girl" - A great Marge episode and a rare moment with her and Lisa's relationship in the spotlight. 5. "The Heartbroke Kid" - Bart is my #1 favorite character in this show, but sadly it's hard to find a good Bart episode in the mid seasons. I personally really enjoy this one. It's unique for The Simpsons, (mostly since "King-Size Homer" did the "make a character more fat" idea first, but it has a different take on the premise) it has some funny moments (especially the intervention and the German scene for me), and I like how they show Bart caving to junk food (to me the part where he hides the food makes me laugh tbh). 6. "Sleeping with the Enemy" - An episode that is enjoyable, funny and where every character I feel is in the right. Bart is starting to be more independent, Lisa feels insecure, Nelson is looking for a good parental figure, and most of all Marge trying to find somebody to bond with since her kids don't enjoy her company. If it was more funny in the second half I'd rank it higher. 7. "All's Fair in Oven War" - I could live without the Bart b plot, has no relevance to the main story. 8. "Don't Fear the Roofer" - Not a funny episode at all, but honestly an ok story. 9. "Fat Man and Little Boy" 10. "Treehouse of Horror XV" 11. "Pranksta Rap" 12. "Goo Goo Gai Pan" 13. "Midnight Rx" 14. "Home Away from Homer" 15. "There's Something About Marrying" - I can't say this aged that well honestly. Marge is out of character and kinda ruined the episode for me, and I usually consider Marge to be one of my favorite characters (though I like Bart more and possibly ties Mr. Burns and Nelson). 16. "A Star is Torn" 17. "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" - One of the few Marge appearances I don't enjoy. At least in "She of Little Faith" the ending worked out well for all the Simpsons (and "She of Little Faith" is a lot FUNNIER than this episode) but she really wants Bart and Homer to be in the same religion and that's a flaw in her character I don't really like. 18. "The Seven-Beer Snitch" 19. "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" - The unfunny celebrity focused episode and it's very forgettable. Hooray! 20. "Future-Drama" - Not a fan of the future episodes so this one is really low for me. 21. "On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister" - A lot to say about this one. Easily last because of Lisa. This episode contains one of my least favorite Lisa appearances in the entire show. She literally puts a restraining order on Bart because she got pranked and was that offended by it. I think this episode is VERY unfair to Bart and it doesn't help that even Marge doesn't do much to stop the restraining order, nor does any of the other family members care for Bart when he's forced out to live outside. Lisa only gets rid of it because Bart made a statue of her (though I think he should've gone through with destroying it as he intended to, she deserved to see it for what she did). I really hate that dancing scene in the middle of the episode when Bart is out of the house, one of the worst moments in the entire show. It also has a very forgettable b plot that had NOTHING to do with the main story. Somehow there are worse episodes than this one for me, however.

It's containing episode might not have made the list and is ultimately very forgettable, but "Thursday the 20th" is one of my favorite jokes from the series.

I'd put that bottom ranked episode much higher because its great to see Homer finally get put in his place.

16:55 it's pronounced "a Snrub."

I've said it before, you know a video is gonna be good when you hear Chrono Trigger music

5:08 Plenty, never having lived in America. I’ll probably have more to comment on in Season 17, or that Worst Classic list you teased on Twitter. (I don’t use it anymore, but still sometimes browse your profile for updates)

Midnight Rx gotta be my favourite episode from this season. It has good jokes and Mr. Burns eventually saving Smithers warms my heart 😚❤

A good list I loved the bart and catholic church episode and the prescription smuggling wring with Abe simpson .

The Heartbroke Kid is my #1 episode of this season, just for the intro sequence with fat Bart alone. I laughed so hard when this episode first aired because of that scene, particularly when Bart lands on Homer's car, and Homer gets launched out of it. The episode as a whole just has so many funny moments.

for my family we always watch the drug episode as we are from winnipeg and the canadian flanders is the best

Ngl, I remember this season fondly. I cant be the only one who sort of grew up at this season point to. I started getting the more older age group gags. An important season for me

The Father, The Son, and the Holy Guest Star was the episode that made my dad stop watching the simpsons... because he was one of *those* protestants who insists that Catholics are not actually Christian and that they are not going to Heaven. He literally got spitting mad at the idea of "catholic heaven" even existing, let alone being more fun.

6:48 wait did they knock through the wall into the rumpus room? much to consider.

(For season 17). I HATE the wife swap episode if only because Ricky Gervese's character is insufferable and not in a funny way. The only thing that gets me through that episode is Marge and Homer being oblivious to the drama THEY'RE supposed to be dishing out. Also, is it a hot take that I like that Sideshow Bob started a family? I've even come up with a plot where Bob and Marge need to rescue their family from a hostage situation, a situation where the villain is trying to get Homer and Bob's wife to cheat on each other with Bob's wife not caving out of loyalty and Homer not caving out of being unable to take a hint.

Ever since the announcement of Oppenheimer I haven't been able to get the poster for Oppenheimer's Elevator out of my mind. Which is pretty impressive for a background joke in a mediocre episode that I've only seen a handful of times. Also the joke about grad students. They really killed it in that opening segment.

I spent a week like a year or two ago at a friend's helping him catsit for his dad. FXX was showing a bunch of season 16 and 17 that week but then jumped to like really early in the show's lifespan. It was really off-putting for me but not bad per-se. I really liked quite a few of the season 16 eps, excited to see where you place that one episode with the celebrity animals gags.

Wow you are only halfway through the series. By my estimation thats nuts

I feel what Marge did in Oven War is what Tophe would call " out cheated a cheater "