The Simpsons (TV Series) Das Bus (1998) User Reviews

One of the Most Unique Episodes of the Ninth Season,

[lesleyharris30 · 9/10 · 24 February 2015]

Das Bus is a terrific Simpsons episode with a very well written storyline and loads of very funny scenes. It is easily one of my favourite episodes of the ninth season, it is very different and there is still today no other episode of the series quite like it. Seeing all the main kids of the Simpsons struggling to cope with a new life as they are stranded on an island was a lot of fun, we get to see all the very different personalities clash, and it even shows a very human side to characters whose lines are usually just comic relief. I also enjoyed the side story, it was funny and takes us away from the rather serious events in the main plot, I liked seeing Homer trying to make money off the internet, back in a time when this was still a new and strange thing. A great episode and certainly one of the finest of the ninth season, Das Bus is a very enjoyable Simpsons episode.

After a big innocent on a drive to a school tour, the kids become stranded on an island, and struggle to cope with their new life together.

Lord of The Simpsons

[Gerardrobertson61 · 7/10 · 25 June 2018]

A good episode that sends up the Lord of the Flies novel with the Springfield kids stranded on an island and trying to survive. Lots of reference to the novel and generally one of the better episodes of Season 9

Civilization be Dqrned

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 17 August 2022]

Homer tries to go face to face on the internet against Bill Gates who turns out to be a monster. Meanwhile, Otto's bus goes out of control because of Bart, and all the kids end up on a Lord of the Flies like island. Of course, the big kid takes over and Bart becomes a judge against Milhouse. Pretty ordinary stuff.

Survivor Meets The Simpsons

[MadDogAbbey · 10/10 · 11 January 2008]

I love episodes of The Simpsons that involve them going on a great adventure and getting lost or at a Mystery Location, it's hard to describe but all I can say is this episode is a great one.

After Otto crashes the School bus into the ocean the Kids of Springfield Elementary must survive on an island, with traitors, Tribal war, a hunt, a Trial, it makes u think of Survivor Simpsons Style.

Off the Island Homer gets inspired to make money off of the internet and gets a visit from Bill Gates!

Filled with great scenes and moments that will stick with you through anything you see with an Island or even a School bus!

A fun, hilarious Episode to watch over and over....

Meh, as The Simpsons would describe it.

[zacpetch · 3/10 · 6 January 2015]

This episode decides to take a very different approach to the rest of the series and dump the kids alone on a deserted island after their bus crashes off a bridge. I must question how that works: Driving off a bridge and not sinking to the sea floor but floating off out to sea and running aground on an empty uninhabited island.

The well-known kids of Springfield Elementary end up there unsupervised and it's not long before their food supply is exhausted and they have a court session to punish the one who ate the last morsels... Milhouse! With Bart as the judge and Lisa as the defence lawyer the mock court is somewhat out of character for these kids -- especially Nelson -- and it soon falls apart as the Simpson kids and Milhouse end up running for their lives, complete with a nice Indiana Jones reference.

The ending is a complete cop-out, clearly someone realised the story ended with the kids still missing on the island and we're told by James Earl Jones that Moe, of all people, rescued them... What is this?!

There's also a subplot because neither Simpson parent has anything to do so we get an uninteresting story about Homer starting an internet company and getting a visit from Bill Gates who comes across as an idiot. This may be because he didn't agree to star in the episode? If so it might be because he read the script and wasn't impressed.

This episode is one that is not bad exactly but is completely forgettable due to an extremely poor/weird story that doesn't really go anywhere or make any sense. It's a very poor retelling of Lord Of The Flies but without the classic novel's timeless quality. It doesn't offer much new to things or put a Simpsons twist on it or do ANYTHING clever with the source material AT ALL and the end result is an episode that can just be skipped over without anybody noticing. You'll get that as standard in future seasons but this is the first time it happens in the show's run which is a very sad thing indeed.

The episode can be described using a word that the Oxford English Dictionary describes as being popularised by The Simpsons: Meh. Nothing too bad here but it just lacks that unique Simpsons charm.