If there is one show I will always hold near and dear to my heart, it’s "The Simpsons." Sure, the show has fallen off the bandwagon now, with their 28th season coming in September, but back in the show's prime the Simpsons was a force to be reckoned with. I mean it created an entire city of instantly recognizable characters, and showed that cartoons can be hilarious for both kids and adults. Not only that, but after 597 episodes it seems like the Simpsons have practically done everything there is to do with a prime time television show.
Cutting down to only the ten best "Simpsons" episodes was no easy task. There are literally countless episodes I left out but are still amazing and hilarious. I apologize if your favorite episode is not listed, but like I said there are just so many great episodes to choose from.
With that let’s get started.
Honorable Mentions:
"TreeHouse of Horror IV"
"Deep Space Homer"
"Lisa The Vegetarian"
"Maximum Homerdrive"
"Flaming Moe's"
"Marge on the Lam"
"The Joy of Sect"
So many more...
10. "Homer at the Bat" S3 E17
"The Simpsons" is known for hosting a slew of celebrity guest stars, and this episode is a prime example of that. Half of baseball's all stars show up to play for the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team. We got Roger Clemens, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Sax and we even got to see Bart and Lisa make Darryl Strawberry shed a tear.
9. "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" S9 E1
I've never been to New York City, and hope to go at some point in the future. I just pray my trip is nothing like Homer's trip there. While Bart, Lisa, and Marge remind the audience why we love the big city havng a great time watching Broadway plays and exploring different districts, Homer reminds us of everything we also hate about the big city, by waiting for countless hours by his ticket infested car. May favorite part has to be the outdoor vendor selling Khlav Kalash. "Only Khlav Kalash."
8. "Homer's Enemy" S8 E23
Homer's definitely an odd character. He does some really stupid and terrible things sometimes, but for he's just so lovable you'd practically forgive him for anything. That's why when they make an episode about a character who actually points out all of Homer's flaws and asks how he's gotten so far in life what ensues is both hilarious and unexpected. Only the people of Springfield would be ok with having a nuclear safety inspector who is ok with telling his coworkers "I don't even know what nuclear power is."
7. "Homer's Phobia" S8 E15
Perhaps the biggest reason Homer can be such an idiot sometimes is because he's the perfect catalyst to show just how ridiculous our prejudice can be. After Homer finds out his new good friend John is gay, his homophobia turns into foolish paranoia leading to ridiculous lines like "He didn't give you gay, did he?" The real absurdity comes when Homer begins thinking John will convert Bart and they end up at the most flamboyantly gay steel mill in the world.
6. "RoseBud" S5 E4
Mr. Burns is an interesting character in the Simpsons. He's this ridiculously evil character that every now and then gets his chance in the spotlight to show that he's not such a terrible guy. The rich, old billionaire seems like the ultimate Citizen Kane spoof, so if you're going to make an episode about Mr. Burns it should be the ultimate Citizen Kane spoof as well. Mr. Burns relentless quest to get his childhood teddy bear from the Simpson baby Maggie is both hilarious and heartfelt. The hilarious attempts Mr. Burns and Smithers have to break into the Simpsons household remind us why they'll always be mainstays in the show.
5. "Treehouse of Horror V" S6 E6
I think the hardest part of this list was choosing which "Treehouse of Horror" was going to be on it, let's be honest we all knew it had to happen. I went with "Treehouse of Horror V" mostly for the hilarious spoof of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, my all time favorite horror movie, called "The Shinning." "Time and Punishment" has Homer going back in time and accidentally altering the future to hilarious outcomes. My personal favorite future has to be the one where Ned Flanders is the supreme ruler of the world.
4. "You Only Move Twice" S8 E2
Only the writers of "The Simpsons" can take a simple premise, like the Simpson's decision to move, and turn it into complete ridiculousness. Every member of the Simpson clan gets into their own shenanigans here but the best part has to be Homer's new boss Hank Scorpio who's as nice as can be but is also a ruthless super villain right out of a Bond movie. This episode is just laugh out loud fun.
3. "Last Exit to Springfield" S4 E17
This is one of those episodes that reminds us all the things we love about the Simpsons. The satire is relentless and hilarious, there are millions of quotable moments (Lisa needs braces/DENTAL PLAN), and it can be heartfelt and relevant to many working class Americans. When Homer becomes the head of the power plants union he vows to save the union dental plan so that Lisa can get braces. I think my favorite part when Homer decides to punch Lenny in the back of the head.
2. "Marge vs. the Monorail" S4 E12
There are so many memorable jokes and parodies in this episode it's just ridiculous. The episode opens with a Flintstone parody, has Leonard Nimoy as a guest star, and has one of the most catchy singalong songs in the entire show. After hearing that song I kinda wish my town had a monorail. This is a classic episode of the Simpsons any good fan remembers off the top of their head. With all of Springfield being tricked into buying a monorail from Lyle Lanley, this episode showed us not just how ridiculous the Simpson family is but also how ridiculous all the occupants of Springfield are. Honestly, what do you expect from a town that thought an escalator to nowhere was a good idea?
1. "Cape Feare" S5 E2
This is one of those very rare episodes that is just non-stop laughs. They waste no time giving the premise, Sideshow Bob gets out of prison and vows to kill Bart Simpson, but the simple premise leads to just too many hilarious jokes to put here. It's also a great spoof of Martin Scorsese's film of the same name. We get Homer's hilarious attempt to work with witness protection, a parole board that releases Sideshow Bob from prison under the premise "no one who speaks German can be evil," and too many rake gags to count (yes rake gags). The most I can say about this episode is even if you haven't seen the Simpsons and never planned on watching it, you still owe it to yourself to watch this episode.
Feel free to comment on this list. Let me know if I missed any of your personal favorites.
