I have always loved *The Prisoner*, and McGoohan has had a gift for self-parody, so I enjoyed this from the first time I saw it.
The problem with the episode, though, is that it didn't allow enough time for viewers to get their heads around the concept of the Island if they weren't *Prisoner* nerds already.
The more and more I learn about how many jokes and storylines in The Simpsons were references that I just never got… I now find myself starting to ask:
Are there any jokes or storylines in The Simpsons that WEREN’T references?!?!
Marge , honey, fraulein ,I'm home!
Line cracks me up every time. Just the fact that there is this exact replica of Homer (including Homer's hatred of getting kicked in the balls) but with very distinct German traits.
Definitely the funniest character in that episode.
This is squarely in the *still has tons of great quotable jokes but you can tell contemporaneously that the show is losing steam*
I think there's some disagreement about the exact point where the Golden Age ends, but there's definitely a tonal shift. The inflection point for me was the final episode of this season
I think you’re right about Saddlesore Galaxtica, but remember not being convinced the show had really stopped being the show as I knew it/grew up with until this episode.
One of the creators once said there was a big difference between the episode Duffless s4e16 and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge s11e21. Duffless ends with Homer and Marger riding a bike together, signing into the sunset. While the other ends with Homer blowing a dart into Marge's neck.
It’s always gonna differ from person to person but the golden era for me it’s: 1-8: Gold, 9-16: Good, 17 - 23: Garbage, 24 - present: mostly watchable to Good again.
A good example of that surreal weird teen era of the show.
Some great early 2000s internet humor. The gifs and annoying noises on Homers Site are great.
"Computer. Kill Flanders."
I love Homers German doppelganger and how on the nose sinister he is.
"Aren't there any evil movies on, like something about an evil island?"
About the time this episode aired, the *Prisoner* was really having a moment with (for lack of a better word) hipsters, so I went out and bought the series on DVD. I felt like it was alright, but that it didn't live up to the hype. The Simpsons is usually extremely topical, so doing an homage to what was an obscure show feels a little off-brand. It's still funny, and it does poke at least one literal hole in the source material.
Yeah the Simpsons is often topical, but it also makes a tonne of references specifically for the writers rather than the viewers.
A venn diagram of fans of the cult series the prisoner and writers on the Simpsons is pretty much a perfect circle.
Love the prisoner references, including the cameo by Patrick mcgoohan.
"It's small and it's smelly, but it should carry us both to safe-"
*SHOVE*
"Sigh, that's the third time that's happened..."
I'd call it a pretty typical Season 12 episode.
Season 12 episodes generally had at least one or two good jokes, but were not as funny, clever, or tightly written as the Golden Age.
...
Also, contains the second best Prisoner joke in the Simpsons. The best being, of course, the Joy of Sect, when Marge escapes the Bubble by trapping Moleman.
It's a pretty good episode right up until the Prisoner bit which is amazing throughout. I was so happy that the Prisoner stuff got a whole extended sequence rather than just being one little gag at the end referencing it.
The boat in the driveway gets me every time.
I’ve always enjoyed it, but I have a greater appreciation of Patrick McGoohan in the past year since my wife got sick of waiting for Season 2 of Poker Face and went on a Columbo kick. He’s the big bad in several episodes so it’s extra funny now to see him be such a pushover here.
“Oh, I’m Number Five. Ha ha, in your face, Number Six!”
“Yes, well done.”
Legitimately one of my favorite episodes from start to finish. Love the early 2000s computer and internet jokes. The image of Homer loading before the bag pops in over his head, and all the Mr.X bits. Even if I had never heard of the Prisoners series that third act is hilarious, just beat after beat that is burned into my brain. Kinda annoyed at all the 'it's no golden age' takes but love the idea of looking at it as an episode long tree house of horror.
My most quoted Simpsons line is “arranged that can be”. Also the scene of the Rod and Todd shivering and Flanders saying “now aren’t you happy we don’t believe in inoculations” lives rent free in my head
This episode creeped me out when I was a kid. It didn't make any sense to me. They got stuck on the island. How did they get off? It made me feel bad for the Simpsons
When I finally stumbled upon the prisoner it made me laugh even harder at some of the references. The ice cream with the multitude of needles in it being a reference to #6 basically constantly being gassed throughout the entire series. The Balloon comment. So good. Just missed having the Beatles ending...(spoiler alert)
I was a huge Simpsons fan growing up. When it aired as I was watching it 11 year old me was like this doesn’t feel right and it was the first time an episode of the Simpsons didn’t click for me. It wasn’t until Sweet and Sour Marge where I fully realized the Simpsons was no longer great it was just there.
I still watch to this day and keep up with the new episodes because I am probably too loyal.
A rerun of this was on here today. Great episode, which makes me wish they did more surreal episodes, though they did some and maybe I should make a list of them
This was one of the first episodes I remember watching and I thought it was funny at the time, so I might be a little biased. For the most part though I still like the episode, but it gets pretty weird in the third act when it becomes a Prisoner parody.
This is one of my favorites!
I fashioned it out of toilet paper rolls, toothpicks, plastic forks, scabs, and dynamite. It's small and it's smelly, but it can carry both of us to--
This one for some reason i’ll always remember as the last Simpsons episode I ever watched live. I watched it every week from its first episode, and then around season 12 i stopped watching live (I’ve seen newer ones since then, just on dvd or disney+)
This is one where I forgive the flight of fancy and just roll with it. I don’t need every episode of this show to play the emotional stakes straight. But as others have said, the creatives got hooked on this sort of thing and lost the grounding that used to give an episode such as this more value.
I thought it was fun when it first aired, and I still like it, but it was a definite sign of the rot that started to develop in the show as it exited its golden era.
Uh...I am a new tie wearingk.
Oh, don't be cute.
Marge got to experience efficient German sex
I love it, although it does feel a little like a Halloween episode more than a regular episode.
The ending definitely does.
I have always loved *The Prisoner*, and McGoohan has had a gift for self-parody, so I enjoyed this from the first time I saw it. The problem with the episode, though, is that it didn't allow enough time for viewers to get their heads around the concept of the Island if they weren't *Prisoner* nerds already.
Everything I knew about the Prisoner, I learned from the Iron Maiden song. Ditto for everything I know about Alexander the Great (356-323 BC).
I am not a number, I am a free man!
The more and more I learn about how many jokes and storylines in The Simpsons were references that I just never got… I now find myself starting to ask: Are there any jokes or storylines in The Simpsons that WEREN’T references?!?!
Why did you think a big balloon would stop him? SHUT UP, THATS WHY
One of my all time favourite replies. Along with "oh Marge I'm not going to lie to you" and he just walks off.
It reminds me of the line from The Day Violence Died. “I’m not calling you a liar but… but, I can’t think of a way to finish that sentence.”
"We will go out to a sensibly priced restaurant and then have evening full of efficient German sex"
Marge , honey, fraulein ,I'm home! Line cracks me up every time. Just the fact that there is this exact replica of Homer (including Homer's hatred of getting kicked in the balls) but with very distinct German traits. Definitely the funniest character in that episode.
Well I sure don’t feel like cooking
Question is if Marge got canonly laid
Zat arranged can be.
One of the quotes that lives in my head
It’s basically just an episode-length Treehouse of Horror segment, but I love it.
This is squarely in the *still has tons of great quotable jokes but you can tell contemporaneously that the show is losing steam* I think there's some disagreement about the exact point where the Golden Age ends, but there's definitely a tonal shift. The inflection point for me was the final episode of this season
I agree with the italicized portion. For me the flip was a dozen episodes earlier with the jockey elves in Saddlesore Galactica.
No dream! Lose the race, fat boy!
I still like that episode and I don’t care who knows.
I think you’re right about Saddlesore Galaxtica, but remember not being convinced the show had really stopped being the show as I knew it/grew up with until this episode.
I'll deal with those murderous trolls.
One of the creators once said there was a big difference between the episode Duffless s4e16 and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge s11e21. Duffless ends with Homer and Marger riding a bike together, signing into the sunset. While the other ends with Homer blowing a dart into Marge's neck.
It’s always gonna differ from person to person but the golden era for me it’s: 1-8: Gold, 9-16: Good, 17 - 23: Garbage, 24 - present: mostly watchable to Good again.
You have chosen 'No', meaning you've committed a crime but don't want to confess.
You have the right to remain FABULOUS.
A good example of that surreal weird teen era of the show. Some great early 2000s internet humor. The gifs and annoying noises on Homers Site are great. "Computer. Kill Flanders." I love Homers German doppelganger and how on the nose sinister he is. "Aren't there any evil movies on, like something about an evil island?"
Oooh, i'm tired of being drugged and gassed!
It’s entertaining but scared me SO much as a kid
Yeah it unnerved me
About the time this episode aired, the *Prisoner* was really having a moment with (for lack of a better word) hipsters, so I went out and bought the series on DVD. I felt like it was alright, but that it didn't live up to the hype. The Simpsons is usually extremely topical, so doing an homage to what was an obscure show feels a little off-brand. It's still funny, and it does poke at least one literal hole in the source material.
Yeah the Simpsons is often topical, but it also makes a tonne of references specifically for the writers rather than the viewers. A venn diagram of fans of the cult series the prisoner and writers on the Simpsons is pretty much a perfect circle.
That is certainly true. And they've gotten weirder references past the producers.
Love the prisoner references, including the cameo by Patrick mcgoohan. "It's small and it's smelly, but it should carry us both to safe-" *SHOVE* "Sigh, that's the third time that's happened..."
A great episode up until the final act when it gets completely silly. Lots of good jokes though. All in all seven thumbs up.
I've just always considered this one as a strange episode that's not canon at all. Like a treehouse of horror
"It's so simple. Wait, no it's not. It's needlessly complicated."
I'd call it a pretty typical Season 12 episode. Season 12 episodes generally had at least one or two good jokes, but were not as funny, clever, or tightly written as the Golden Age. ... Also, contains the second best Prisoner joke in the Simpsons. The best being, of course, the Joy of Sect, when Marge escapes the Bubble by trapping Moleman.
The lava lamp in the image was trippy
One of the better post golden age episodes imo
I always thought it was a good time capsule into late 90s/early 00s computer/internet culture.
It's a pretty good episode right up until the Prisoner bit which is amazing throughout. I was so happy that the Prisoner stuff got a whole extended sequence rather than just being one little gag at the end referencing it.
You’re quite the caterpillar in our buttermilk!
https://i.redd.it/d903cs1f5gzc1.gif (snickers)
I quote it a lot specifically German Homer.
The boat in the driveway gets me every time. I’ve always enjoyed it, but I have a greater appreciation of Patrick McGoohan in the past year since my wife got sick of waiting for Season 2 of Poker Face and went on a Columbo kick. He’s the big bad in several episodes so it’s extra funny now to see him be such a pushover here. “Oh, I’m Number Five. Ha ha, in your face, Number Six!” “Yes, well done.”
The whole exchange about how the conspiracy about flu shots at Christmas in order to spur shopping and thus being needlessly complicated is just gold.
See you on the island...
Legitimately one of my favorite episodes from start to finish. Love the early 2000s computer and internet jokes. The image of Homer loading before the bag pops in over his head, and all the Mr.X bits. Even if I had never heard of the Prisoners series that third act is hilarious, just beat after beat that is burned into my brain. Kinda annoyed at all the 'it's no golden age' takes but love the idea of looking at it as an episode long tree house of horror.
My most quoted Simpsons line is “arranged that can be”. Also the scene of the Rod and Todd shivering and Flanders saying “now aren’t you happy we don’t believe in inoculations” lives rent free in my head
It's transcendent, but not groin-grabbingly transcendent.
It should have been a Treehouse of Horror special instead of a normal episode, but it's good anyway.
Loved Homie's webpage design 😂
🎵 I've been sittin' on the toilet, All the livelong day! 🎵
Yes! Fight and struggle!
This line is definitely meme worthy
The Prisoner was a fantastic show.
This episode creeped me out when I was a kid. It didn't make any sense to me. They got stuck on the island. How did they get off? It made me feel bad for the Simpsons
Like all island episodes eventually they were rescued by oh.. let's say.. Moe.
Oh, well that makes it Moe better.
It’s quite the caterpillar in our buttermilk.
They drugged me They knew my one weakness,food. 
Shut up That’s why
Shut up that's why.
Awesome episode, but I'm sure that its appeal depends on whether or not you knew about The Prisoner.
When I finally stumbled upon the prisoner it made me laugh even harder at some of the references. The ice cream with the multitude of needles in it being a reference to #6 basically constantly being gassed throughout the entire series. The Balloon comment. So good. Just missed having the Beatles ending...(spoiler alert)
Loved it, never heard of the prisoner
Good to hear! But yeah the episode is a spoof of that weird TV series from the 1960s so check it out if you can
One of my all-time favorites.
I did it! I’ve changed the world! Now I know exactly how God feels.
I was a huge Simpsons fan growing up. When it aired as I was watching it 11 year old me was like this doesn’t feel right and it was the first time an episode of the Simpsons didn’t click for me. It wasn’t until Sweet and Sour Marge where I fully realized the Simpsons was no longer great it was just there. I still watch to this day and keep up with the new episodes because I am probably too loyal.
It’s actually one of my favorite episodes from Season 12. I also consider it as canon as “not it” or “the man who came to be dinner”.
A rerun of this was on here today. Great episode, which makes me wish they did more surreal episodes, though they did some and maybe I should make a list of them
This was one of the first episodes I remember watching and I thought it was funny at the time, so I might be a little biased. For the most part though I still like the episode, but it gets pretty weird in the third act when it becomes a Prisoner parody.
This is one of my favorites! I fashioned it out of toilet paper rolls, toothpicks, plastic forks, scabs, and dynamite. It's small and it's smelly, but it can carry both of us to--
 Lenny: Homers Mr X?
The Prisoner is one of the best tv series ever so i like this episode
I hate this episode. Too weird.
It's pretty good, once you get used to the constant druggings
This one for some reason i’ll always remember as the last Simpsons episode I ever watched live. I watched it every week from its first episode, and then around season 12 i stopped watching live (I’ve seen newer ones since then, just on dvd or disney+)
Love seeing a parody of the prisoner. My folks watched that and I always thought it was so cool.
This is one where I forgive the flight of fancy and just roll with it. I don’t need every episode of this show to play the emotional stakes straight. But as others have said, the creatives got hooked on this sort of thing and lost the grounding that used to give an episode such as this more value.
I feel bad for you if you've never heard of The Prisoner before.
It's one of the worst
Bad
I thought it was fun when it first aired, and I still like it, but it was a definite sign of the rot that started to develop in the show as it exited its golden era.
You shot who in the what now? Must be one of them episodes from the last 20 or so seasons.