"Saddlesore Galactica" remains one of the most maligned episodes of The Simpsons even over two decades after it initially aired, but there’s a reason that this particular outing of the show is so derided. The Simpsons has produced over seven hundred episodes across the show’s 33 seasons, so it’s more than fair that some are considered duds. However, "Saddlesore Galactica" (season 11, episode 13) stands out as a Simpsons outing hated by both fans and critics, and there is a specific reason behind this.
Usually, when a Simpsons episode angers fans and critics alike, the reason behind the upset is easy to discern. Sometimes, as was the case with the infamous Armin Tamzarian episode, The Simpsons is messing with well-established characters and their backstories and fans are not interested in these changes. In other cases (particularly in more recent seasons of The Simpsons), the show annoys viewers by retconning the titular family’s past, such as the much-disliked outings that depict Homer and Marge Simpson as teenagers during the ‘90s.
However, on occasion, The Simpsons produces an episode that fans and critics hate even though it commits neither of these cardinal sins. There are plenty of critically maligned Simpsons episodes that don’t revise the history of either The Simpsons or the show’s ing stars but a lot of them, like Lady Gaga and Elon Musk’s episodes, rely on fawning cameos from celebrities playing themselves. What is rare is a Simpsons episode with no major celebrity cameo, no canon revision, and no new backstory for a ing cast member that still manages to earn the lasting ire of fans and critics. Despite this, the Simpsons episode "Saddlesore Galactica" is often cited as the moment the show jumped the shark and singled out its single worst outing ever. So, what promoted all of this hate from fans and critics alike, and is it deserved?
"Saddlesore Galactica" Explained
Released in 2000, "Saddlesore Galactica" is a zanier-than-average Simpsons episode wherein Bart buys a horse, Duncan, that soon becomes a champion racehorse. This earns the ire of some subterranean jockeys, who are depicted not as average (if diminutive) athletes, but as a secret race of elf-like magical creatures. If that sounds more like a Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" segment than an average episode of the show, that is because the episode’s plot is much sillier than the stories The Simpsons explored in earlier seasons. However, in the context of season 11, "Saddlesore Galactica" is not an exceptionally bizarre episode. It is a surreal outing for certain, capped off with an unexpected cameo from Bill Clinton. However, this specific Simpsons episode angered fans so much less because its plot was atypically silly, and more because of where the inspiration for its story seemed to come from.
"Saddlesore Galactica" Self Referential Simpsons Joke
An early gag in "Saddlesore Galactica" sees recurring Simpsons character Comic Book Guy note that the Simpson family already bought a horse back in “Lisa’s Pony” (season 3, episode 8), only for Homer to publicly ridicule him for caring about this inconsistency. Some critics and fans took exception to the joke, seeing it as an insult to veteran fans. Indeed, it is a pretty tough joke to defend, with Homer being presented as publicly level-headed and reasonable (never a good thing for a sitcom dad) and Comic Book Guy being presented as an obsessive loser for noting that the episode’s entire premise is derivative. However, the weak gag is only a momentary scene and is not responsible for most of the negative reception heaped on the episode, particularly when The Simpsons had spoofed obsessive fans much more thoroughly (and more comedically effectively) in the earlier “The Canine Mutiny” (season 8, episode 14).
Was "Saddlesore Galactica" Really That Bad?
Like many early episodes blamed for ending The Simpsons’ ‘Golden Age’, "Saddlesore Galactica" is stronger than anticipated upon a rewatch. The bizarre story has its moments and is certainly strange enough to negate any comparisons with the moving "Lisa’s Pony", although it is a weaker outing than that poignant episode. The goofy evil jockeys are an inspired creation even if they barely fit in the universe of The Simpsons, and the plot moves at enough of a clip to excuse out-of-character gags like Homer’s smug ridicule of Comic Book Guy. However, the inspiration for the episode’s inventive, surreal silliness is also more obvious on a rewatch, and therein lies the real issue with "Saddlesore Galactica".
The Real Problem With ‘Saddlesore Galactica’
With its spoofs of real-life celebrities like then-sitting The Simpsons influenced South Park’s ability to push the boundaries of animated TV comedy, but the goofy free-for-all plots of South Park's cartoon-ier early seasons are an obvious influence on "Saddlesore Galactica"—much to the chagrin of some Simpsons fans.
It could be "Saddlesore Galactica" borrowing from the more off-the-wall South Park’s style that rubbed fans and critics the wrong way as much as the actual jokes of the Simpsons episode. Although the outing is not unfunny, its utterly bizarre and cartoony plot is a lot more akin to an early South Park episode than a Golden Age Simpsons outing, wherein the jokes were always wild but the plots (save for a few exceptions like The Simpsons' Cape Fear spoof) were not as over-the-top as Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s cult hit. Thus, it might be that "Saddlesore Galactica" betrayed South Park's influence on the writing style of The Simpsons and angered fans in the process, which would explain the outsized hate received by the otherwise-middling episode.