Although the Simpsons plummeted in quality after the sixth season, there have been moments after that when the episode (or even a large part of a season) emits a feeling of being made by the original gang. When I watched the fifth episode of season 13 of the Simpsons I immediately felt it. This episode really used the flashback angle well. The, at least for the Simpsons standard, creepy moment when Homer gets sent back in time in his mind to repressed memory of his childhood. We also learn some new intriguing things from Burns' and Smithers' past. You almost forget you are watching a cartoon the atmosphere being like it's from an 80's thriller.
You want to rate a comedy series based on the quality of it being able to make you laugh, not necessarily the plot or anything else. The only thing wrong with this episode might be just that; it didn't fire on all cylinders, comedy wise. There were still some laughs tough. Newer Simpsons tend to have episodes with nothing funny in them. Maybe the reason I like this episode more compared to rest of the season, is that it does something new and interesting while still feeling like the old school Simpsons.
You want to rate a comedy series based on the quality of it being able to make you laugh, not necessarily the plot or anything else. The only thing wrong with this episode might be just that; it didn't fire on all cylinders, comedy wise. There were still some laughs tough. Newer Simpsons tend to have episodes with nothing funny in them. Maybe the reason I like this episode more compared to rest of the season, is that it does something new and interesting while still feeling like the old school Simpsons.