Top 50 Best Episodes of The Simpsons
These are definitely my favorite episodes in the history of The Simpsons, respectively. I tried to sort it out to my liking.
List activity
4.6K views
• 2 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
50 titles
- DirectorSteven Dean MooreStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightWhen Smithers is forced to take a vacation, he appoints Homer as his temporary replacement.Ah yes. Smithers, my favorite character in the entirety of the series' run... goes on vacation... and selects Homer to temporarily replace him. Things go sour and Homer isn't much of an assistant... he's a joke of an assistant to be precise. Due to the fact that Burns insults Homer repeatedly for his stupidity, Homer lashes out physically on the old man. His blatant attack on Burns leads the old man to fend for himself. Smithers returns from his vacation and is no longer needed as Burns decides to do things for himself. Homer concocts a plan to help Smithers obtain his job back... which also fails and Smithers lashes out against Homer physically. Smithers successfully beats the life out of Homer and accidentally knocks Burns out from the window, leaving him injured... and in much need of care once again. Smithers gets his job back and Homer receives a gift from Smithers for helping him obtain his position. Hands down my favorite episode in the history of the series.
- DirectorJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer's laziness begets the ire of his industrious but arrogant new co-worker Frank Grimes; Bart buys a run-down factory for a dollar.This is definitely one of my most favorite episodes in the series. Frank Grimes (my most favorite supporting guest character in the series) comes to work in the Nuclear Power Plant and is astonished at how everyone at the work place is blind at Homer's level of stupidity and idiocy. Grimes absolutely detests Homer for having a good life, good house, good job, good wife, and being so well off... and still being a moron imbecile. And so, Grimes tries to convince the residents of just how much of a doofus Homer really is. After many failed attempts, Grimes goes haywire and pretends to act moronic like Homer to tease him in front of everyone else. This doesn't go very well as Grimes grabs a bunch of loose wires and dies from being electrocuted. What awesome writing for this episode.
- DirectorMike B. AndersonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter Marge befriends John, a gay store owner, Homer worries that his presence will have a negative effect on Bart's sexuality.This episode is very awesome. Homer fears that Bart may be gay due to his spending time with (and mimicking) John (an awesome homosexual character, definitely one of my favorites from the series). Homer proclaims his utter disgust and dislike for homosexual people and John is targeted by Homer on numerous occasions. Homer notices that Bart is dancing with a wig in girly fashion and duplicating John's actions. Homer attempts to prevent Bart from becoming gay by taking him to stare at a billboard for hours (which shows women with cigarettes)... when he returns to see how Bart's doing... Bart says he craves slims (cigarettes). Very strong sarcastic comedy as Homer takes Bart to numerous locations which turn out to be gay and Bart is surrounded by more homosexuals dancing. In the end, Homer decides to take Bart hunting alongside Moe and Barney. This proves idiotic as the reindeer attack and harm Homer, who is saved by John's robotic Santa Clause, which scares away the animals. Homer apologizes to John for being mean to him and decides to allow Bart to do whatever he wants with his life, gay or not. However, Bart was unaware the entire time that Homer thought he was becoming gay. Awesome episode due to awesome writing.
- DirectorJeffrey LynchStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer is branded as a pervert after his kids' babysitter misconstrues his retrieval of a candy from the seat of her pants as a sexual advance.This is definitely one of my all-time favorite episodes. Homer is shunned and hated after being accused of sexual harrassment by the babysitter after driving her home. She accused him of trying to grab her buttocks... this was of course not what he intended at all. In fact, he tried to grab for a gummy candy that was stuck to her behind after she got up to leave the car. The whole town... and pretty much everyone in it... ends up hating Homer and making accusations against him (as well as spying on his house with news cameras). He is made a mockery of and a documentary is made to show how he acted like a sexual perverted lunatic who craved sex acts. This was insanely wrong but hilarious due to his reaction. The episode also shows how much of the American public will believe just about anything that is shown on television and will automatically assume the worst about anyone. It also shows how news will try to come up with worse things about a guy once they get a hold of him by any chance. For example, in one scene, Homer comes out of the shower and is caught nude by a chopper spying on him as he falls to the ground. Of course, the news portrays him as having sexual perversions in his shower. This is greatly falsified information but people believe it regardless due to the fact that it's on the news. In the end, with a very clever writing twist, Groundskeeper Willie comes to the rescue with a tape recording of how Homer grabbed the gummy (saving him). This damns Willie in the process as he is shown on television as a spy and stalker. However, even after Willie saved Homer's life, Homer still puts him down due to the fact that television stated it. This episode also proved that no matter what happens in real life... people will always be deceived by television... and that Homer is definitely an idiot. This episode is pretty much the depiction of how a perfect episode should be written.
- DirectorJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter attributing a relaxing Sunday to his skipping church, Homer vows to never attend service again, and forms his own religion to justify his behavior.Homer attempts to go against church and pretty much religion by saying it's a waste of time to get up and go to church... and he'd rather just stay at home and do squat instead. He says he can give God all the attention at home and still love him and what not without going to church and wasting an hour or so of his life there. His wife seems to be completely against this notion and wants to force him to go. Homer is adamant to stick to his perspective... so he stays at home... where a fire starts and Flanders attempts to save his life. Homer finds a newfound belief in God... and sees a vision with God where he complains that he'd rather die and be in heaven rather than suffer through life. God tells Homer to wait as he will die soon enough. This is an awesome episode that questions fanatical religious thinking mentality.
- DirectorJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer intentionally gains more weight in order to qualify for disability and work from home, but soon realizes that being morbidly obese comes with its own problems.What an awesome episode... wow. Homer wants to gain weight to go on disability. He purposes gains sixty-something pounds to add to his already near-obese stature just to be considered unfit to work. So Homer is bound to his home and pretty much simplifies his job with basic "yes" and "no" procedures at answering the command prompt on the computer. Homer leaves a tiny drinking bird to answer for him and leaves the house temporarily. When he returns, the bird is tipped over and the plant is in a nuclear meltdown. Due to the imminent problem, Homer has to stop the meltdown manually and rushes to the plant after numerous failed attempts from being so fat. He accidentally saves everyone due to his massively obese size by falling into the release tube and not allowing the toxic gas from escaping. Mr. Burns promises to bring Homer back to shape but after running out of patience, he just says he'll pay for the liposuction. Awesomeness for an episode.
- DirectorWesley ArcherStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter his birthday party goes wrong, Mr. Burns begins to want his childhood toy, a teddy bear named Bobo; Homer finds that Maggie is in possession of the doll.This episode is about Burns' search for his missing teddy bear, Bobo. Burns has numerous dreams about his teddy bear and Smithers suspects that he's missing something. Once he figures it out, a search is conducted for the bear. The bear had gone through many situations and landed in Maggie's hands after all those years. Smithers tries to dress up as a bear to make Burns happy but it proves useless as the old man is too attached to his original little teddy. Even the most cold and ruthless person has a weakness... and Burns' seems to be his attachment to his teddy bear. Burns tries to force Maggie to obtain the bear in numerous situations... one in which Burns and Smithers try to steal the bear... but after all fails, Maggie decides to hand the bear to him out of her own will. Burns is satisfied and Smithers tucks him in bed with his little Bobo. In a small futuristic angle, Burns and Smithers are shown in their future selves as robotic and cyborg mutations... and Burns still has the teddy, his little dream toy. Awesome writing that portrays a man's love for something so minor yet amazing... how something of such small caliber can create such emotion in a person. Very awesome writing.
- DirectorBob AndersonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter a hurricane destroys Ned Flanders' house, he suffers a nervous breakdown and is forced to confront repressed problems from his childhood.Ned Flanders is revealed to have psychotic episodes due to a treatment from his earlier years. Flanders' parents brought him to Dr. Foster, who treated him by a systematic spanking that results in his saying utter gibberish everytime he talks to people. However, this prevented him from cursing or being mean. In the process of eliminating his need to be destructive and cruel, Flanders' actual anger is built up inside until he explodes due to this accumulating anger. After his house is torn to shreds by a hurricane, he is left to contemplate his life and question God's will. Flanders erupts in front of the town after holding back all those years. He drives to the mental institution and checks in for help. Dr. Foster suggests that he tells people whenever he gets mad rather than holding it bottled up inside. This treatment proves more effective after Homer pays him a visit in the mental institute in an attempt to anger him and provoke his emotions per request of Dr. Foster. Afterwards, Ned is released from the institute and promises to express his anger accordingly to avoid a catastrophic outburst. Awesome writing, very moral and a clear delving in the human mind.
- DirectorMark KirklandStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer is a hero after averting a nuclear meltdown that he nearly caused, but he doesn't want to tell anyone that he stopped it completely by accident.Homer accidentally saves the Nuclear Power Plant from a meltdown by frantically pressing the random but proper button. Homer is then looked upon as a hero due to this incident but he himself knows it's a matter of coincidence, not heroism. He is later called to the Shelbyville plant, where the same procedure is required... and Homer does the same thing he did... he leaves the plant's fate to chance and guesses which button to press. By dumb luck, he manages to avoid another meltdown and his name goes down in an encyclopedic entry as the definiton of "to succeed despite idiocy." Very clever writing and the title is well adapted into the plot.
- DirectorDavid SilvermanStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightYears of poor eating habits catch up with Homer when he suffers a massive heart attack, but the family can't afford the triple bypass operation he needs.Homer needs a triple bypass operation due to heart complications... and it's a very costly procedure... so he has to rely on Dr. Nick to save his life for a cheaper price. Dr. Nick seems to be rather incompetent although he also seems to get things done through sheer luck. This is awesomeness as Lisa, who knows some cardiology, helps Dr. Nick out by telling him to cut below the blockage... and the operation is a success as Homer's heart thumps in rapid harmony. It's a great episode because Homer comes very close to meeting his demise, but averts this by a slim chance. Very well written.
- DirectorSteven Dean MooreStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAt his 20th anniversary celebration as school principal, Principal Skinner is discovered to be an imposter of the real Seymour Skinner.Skinner's past is revealed! His real name is Armin Tamzarian (Armenian by descent). He has stolen the real Sergeant Seymour Skinner's identity and has become the principal to try and forget his useless past as a punk boy during Vietnam. However, the real Sergeant Seymour Skinner hadn't died in Vietnam and returns to Springfield to reclaim his life and name. Armin is left on the street where he had started long ago and is depressed as a result of this. Agnes, the mother which grew to love him (and Edna Krabappel), along with numerous others go to convince Armin to return to Springfield. And so, Sergeant Seymour Skinner is banished from Springfield and the Skinner we love (Armin Tamzarian) remains our friendly principal forever. Awesome episode for me.
- DirectorWesley ArcherStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightFormer President George Bush and his wife, Barbara, move into the Simpsons' neighborhood and soon clash with Bart and Homer.This episode showcases the level of stupidity one person can have... in this case pertaining to the idiocy that is the character of President George Bush. Not only does Bush bring himself down to Homer's level to fight and bicker with him, but is bested by Homer and loses against him on numerous occasions. Basically, Bart screws up Bush's memoirs, resulting in the president to get ticked off and slap Bart on the buttock. Bart ends up complaining to his dad... and the scuffle between Homer and Bush starts. Homer stands outside Bush's house and rings his bell... he places two cardboard cut-outs of what are supposed to be idiotic replicas of Jeb Bush and George W. Bush, Bush's equally moronic sons. Bush is so stupid, he easily falls for the prank and opens the door... getting his hair colored rainbow as a paint bucket spilled on top of his head. Bush goes over to Homer's lawn and begins driving around on the lawn, spraying dirt all over and making a mess. Then, he leaves to return home... and notices Homer in a sewer. The two begin to fight and Homer seems to get the better of him, beating the life out of him. Gorbachev comes to visit Bush and sees him brought down to the level of a doofus and laughs as Bush is forced to apologize to Homer. Bush then leaves the town and President Ford moves in... who seems to get along well with Homer. Awesome writing; details just how moronic some people are in life... be it a president or a regular guy.
- 1989– 23mTV-PG8.8 (5.3K)TV EpisodeDirectorWesley ArcherStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter apparently consuming poison blowfish, Homer is told that he only has 24 hours to live.Homer goes to an oriental restaurant and eats a poisoned blowfish. This results in Dr. Hibbert's diagnosis alerting him to the dangerous scenario that he has approximately twenty-four hours to live. Homer tries to make a list of things to do in this timeframe prior to his coming demise. He listens to Lisa playing her sax, talks to Bart, makes a video for Maggie for when she grows older, spends time with his dad (Abe Simpson) and temporarily goes to jail for speeding... and Barney bails him out. He doesn't have time to sit for dinner after spending time in the bar with his pals. So when he gets home, he spends one last night with Marge. He wakes up earlier than usual and begins to listen to Larry King reading the Bible on tape. He falls asleep on the couch (and his hand falls down, making it look as if he's passed on). Marge runs down to see his collapsed body... but his drool is still warm... which means he's alive! Homer promises to live life to the fullest... and is seen sitting on the couch watching television and eating pork rinds. The episode has an emotional breakdown and a return to the delirium that is the accepted norm of life; Very clever twist... and overall well written episode.
- DirectorMark KirklandStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer and Mr. Burns get trapped in a snowed-in cabin during a company retreat.Burns calls all the nuclear power plant employees, pairing them up and orchestrating a race to the cabin at the top of the mountain. The last one there is supposed to be fired! And so, everyone is paired up and starts climbing. Burns is paired with Homer by dumb luck... which means Homer is on his team and won't have to worry about being fired. Of course, Burns cheats using a snowmobile to quickly reach the cabin. After they do reach the cabin, they make a little too much noise... which creates avalanche after avalanche... trapping Burns and Homer together in the cabin... without any help. Soon, they are both driven rather insane from being out of contact with others. They build a few snowmen in the cabin and dress them up in their clothes... and begin staring at the snowmen, communicating to them out of insanity and hallucinations. Out of paranoia, they both viciously attack each other and ignite the propane tank in the cabin, launching them out of the snow and to relative safety. Well written... in the sense that we explore how man can be driven mad when placed in a life-threatening situation.
- DirectorMark KirklandStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightWashed-up movie star Troy McClure starts dating Selma in an attempt to silence bizarre rumors about his personal life and resuscitate his career.Very awesome episode overall. I loved the storyline here in connection to Troy McClure. I thought to myself... finally: An episode that actually revolves around Mr. McClure. The basis of the episode is about a sham relationship between Troy McClure and Selma. McClure is fine with being in a relationship just for publicity... although Selma is a bit bothered by it. She wishes that he'd love her for who she is, but his emotions are centered around obtaining movie roles and musicals. He's a very solid character in this episode... Phil Hartman did an awesome job by adding emphasis on this character. McClure's role expands when he is required to have a child to obtain a role... but Selma declines this offer. She admits it's one thing to have a sham relationship... but she wouldn't hurt a child in the process. And so, they split up and Troy is single once again. I was rather pleased at the realism in this episode due to the ending being natural and understandable. I very much preferred this episode to numerous others due to the ending... I'd hate for a fictitious lie or happy ending scenario because that would be far from reality. This episode was awesome due to the fact that it stayed true to a real-life scenario and ended the way a situation of this caliber would have ended in real life. On another note... a really memorable scene is the "Planet of the Apes" musical. The melody is probably one of my favorites in the series... the scene where McClure sings to Dr. Zaius using the tune from "Rock Me Amadeus"... is very well orchestrated. I was pleasantly surprised. Very good episode overall.
- DirectorJeffrey LynchStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter joining the Junior Campers while on a sugar high, Bart reluctantly invites Homer to accompany him on the group's annual father-son rafting trip, which soon goes awry.Bart and Milhouse accidentally join the junior campers… who are led by Ned Flanders. Homer doesn’t want to participate in the father-son river-rafting trip, but eventually oblige. This is likely one of the best episodes in season 5. During this father-son rafting trip… Homer botches things up again and Homer, Bart, Flanders, and Flanders’ son are stranded in the middle of the ocean… with barely any food to eat or water to drink. Homer says there’s plenty of water, unaware of the difference between salt water and pure water. Meanwhile, the other team of junior campers is led by Ernest Borgnine… who sees his pocket knife has been taken from him (by Homer) as he encounters one treacherous situation after another. Homer tries to fish while they are lost at sea, but is unsuccessful. Homer ends up using up all their supplies, including their flares, as well as accidentally piercing their raft with a pocket knife. As they are sinking and dying, they stumble upon a Krusty Burger joint in the middle of the ocean… and they are saved from the brink of death by mere dumb luck. In the end, we see Ernest Borgnine telling the rest of the children a tale while they are sitting around a campfire in the middle of the night… and he is attacked by what appears to be a deadly bear from a first person angle. This was an awesome episode with brilliant and exciting twists and turns… as well as a unique plot and life-threatening situations that make it a purely gritty and severe survival episode. Very well written.
- DirectorDavid SilvermanJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightMarge becomes a crusader against cartoon violence after an episode of "Itchy and Scratchy" seemingly inspires Maggie to attack Homer.Very well-written episode that challenges cartoon violence. There's plenty of hilarity and scenes that play tribute to classic moments. The best scene, in my opinion, is when Maggie pulls out a mallet and hits Homer in the head in a classic scene playing tribute to "Psycho". The climax is awesome. The surprise element is awesome. The plot is wonderfully written into the story. Basically, Marge examines the Itchy and Scratchy on television to find that Maggie duplicates actions she sees during the cartoon. And so, Marge makes it her mission to stop cartoon violence by creating conflict with the cartoon company, all the way to Roger Meyers, Jr. And so, the episodes are toned down, allowing Maggie to adapt to a less violent nature... along with hundreds of other children. Eventually, Marge's campaign is crossed as she doesn't find a problem with Michelangelo's "David" coming to town... which means that since she doesn't mind nude art... then she shouldn't mind violent humor. And so, the cartoon company re-establishes its goal of churning out grisly and painful episodes of Itchy and Scratchy, delivering the ever-popular dose of entertainment to children which they constantly crave. I loved this episode... it was very vivid... the violent scenes were very memorable and played a huge role in creating the mood. Overall, it was the perfect balance of satire and dark humor.
- DirectorRich MooreStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer lies on a medical insurance form in order to obtain a miracle hair restoring drug.
- DirectorJeffrey LynchStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAngered by the vacuous phrases her Malibu Stacy doll utters, Lisa works with Malibu Stacy's original designer to create a doll with admirable traits.This is a very good episode... it revolves around the deception of collectible items and various toys having a degrading influence on children and collectors in general. A Malibu Stacy doll falls under Lisa's grasp and she begins to despise its purpose and message to children. It generally provokes females to be looked upon as a degraded sexual object with wildly funny comments. Of course, this is fine with most girls as they enjoy duplicating this image... but it's not fine with Lisa... who proceeds to try and track down the creator of the Malibu Stacy line of figurines. First, she visits Waylon Smithers, the number one collector of Malibu Stacy dolls. He has a tremendously huge collection of the dolls... and a very nice sexual background of Mr. Burns on his home computer (but that's just some awesome trivia)... anyway... Smithers tells Lisa about the company's real Malibu Stacy... Stacy Lovelle... whom Lisa goes to meet. She eventually convinces Lovelle to fund a new figurine called the Lisa Lionheart doll which happens to reveal a more intellectual message to children rather than simply being a sex object. However, the doll primarily fails due to popular demand of the ever-popular Malibu Stacy line of figures... for which Smithers (along with lots of young girls) run to acquire upon their release. The episode is awesomeness. My all-time favorite character Smithers plays a huge role here... and the overall story is well-written. It portrays how companies easily deceive the general public... and will always continue to do so. Very solid plot.
- 1989– 30mTV-148.3 (3.6K)TV EpisodeDirectorBob AndersonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightBart accidentally gets Principal Skinner fired on inspection day, with Ned Flanders taking over as his replacement.
- DirectorWesley ArcherStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightBart casually sells his soul to Milhouse for $5 but soon regrets it; Moe converts his dank bar into a family restaurant.Wow. This episode is quite frankly... well made. Right off the bat, Bart sets a unique mood by switching the church performance to the ever-awesome "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly. The people attending church... along with Reverend Lovejoy realize this, but only after singing to the tune. The woman playing the piano at church gets extremely tired and sickly from the track due to its rapid speed. The song is awesome, the scene is awesome, the episode automatically starts off awesome. Then, Milhouse and Bart are seen chatting about Bart's prank... one thing leads to another... and Bart sells his soul to Milhouse for a cheap price... by writing it on a piece of paper and handing it to him. Milhouse is rather overjoyed. Well... Bart begins to go about his business... and rather interesting, yet scary things begin to happen to him. For example... people don't notice him anymore... and he seems to bang into automatic doors a lot (which no longer open for him)... his presence seems to go unnoticed. Whether this is due to some supernatural element or Bart's own conscience is a mystery... but it makes the episode ever-stronger. Bart ends up seeing dreams of children rowing boats beside their own souls... but Milhouse is carrying his soul... leaving Bart without one. Later, Bart asks Milhouse for the paper which supposedly contains his soul... and Milhouse admits to selling it. Bart tries to track down the paper... but to no avail. Bart gives up hope... until Lisa reveals that she bought him his soul back... gracefully handing it back to him in order to satisfy his desire. Bart quickly gobbles the paper up... and he sees a dream where he is once again reunited with his soul... and is seen rowing the boat with joy. Very vivid and imaginative episode. There's lots of morality, as well as awesome moments and unique scenery. This episode is definitely a great one.
- DirectorWesley ArcherStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter Flanders invites Homer to a football game, the pair become friends, but Homer's possessiveness and loutish behaviour slowly turns Ned against him.
- 1989– 30mTV-PG9.0 (5.1K)TV EpisodeDirectorJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer must travel to New York to get his car back, which is illegally parked at World Trade Center Plaza.Wow. This episode was awesomeness. And it was a season opener. It's one of the best episodes in the series hands down. It was amazing how Homer expressed his hatred of New York... I concur with him on many of the reasons (I'm sure we've all experiences these death traps of city life... Homer puts a great deal of expression on his utter disgust of New York City). The overall purpose of the episode is to showcase one man's anger towards city life. Barney goes haywire after not being able to participate in a beer-fest due to being the designated driver... and takes Homer's car for the rest of the night... with a maniacal glare in his eyes. He parks it in the middle of the city after this chaotic night... and Homer is told to come pick up his car from the city. He takes public transportation down to the city with his family (who go about to enjoy the many sights and sounds of the city, along with various shows and entertainment measures). Homer on the other hand finds his car parked in between the world trade center buildings... and has to stay beside the vehicle until the officer returns to help remove the boot from the tire. Soon, Homer drinks some crab juice from a street vendor and has to urinate. He runs from one world trade center tower to another looking for an available bathroom. After an exhausting climb and relieving himself... Homer sees the parking officer giving his vehicle yet another ticket from the top of the building. Homer runs down the building but doesn't make it on time as the officer leaves prior. Homer gets so annoyed after waiting all this time that he just begins to drive away with the tire boot grilling into the ground and rummaging into the car itself as it rotates. While trapped in traffic, Homer gets out, asks a construction worker for his jackhammer... and uses it to break off the boot from the tire... as well as punch holes in his car! After pretty much messing up the car, Homer rapidly picks up his family from a park and zooms out of the city. Grinding his teeth as garbage piles onto his face from a moving garbage truck... Homer twitches and shakes, holding back his ferocious rage as he drives back to Springfield. This is an amazing episode overall... and without a doubt one of the best of the ninth season.
- DirectorMark KirklandStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter a close brush with death, Mr. Burns decides to find an heir to his empire, and chooses Bart because of his truly devious nature.
- DirectorRich MooreStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter having a horrible day, Bart gets a job tending bar for a group of gangsters and becomes the prime suspect when Principal Skinner mysteriously disappears.This one's fairly good since it's from the earlier seasons... Bart skips out from a school trip and starts working for the Springfield Mafia, including Fat Tony. In classic "A Bronx Tale" style, the organized criminal syndicate decides to recruit Bart as their personal bartender. Eventually, due to another day at detention, Bart complains about Skinner to Fat Tony and his crew. Soon, Skinner disappears and the town believes that the Mafia is responsible for killing him. They are brought to court... and Fat Tony, along with the rest of his crew, blame Bart for what may have happened to Skinner. Bart is treated as the head of their organization, and all their crimes are pinned on Bart. Just as Bart was to be held responsible for Skinner's disappearance, Skinner walks into the courtroom and tells everyone that he was trapped under a pile of newspapers in his garage for the entire week. As a result, Bart is set free... but he loses trust in his mafia friends... refusing to continue working for them. In one extremely memorable and noteworthy scene... there is a documentary rendition of events that never actually took place... where actors portray Bart and the mafia crew (who fearfully follows his commands) into killing his principal. Bart is portrayed as a murderous maniacal knife-wielding criminal. Although this isn't what actually took place, the rendition is very hilarious in the sense that people actually believed that a little boy could run the Springfield Mafia organized crime syndicate. Very well written.
- DirectorJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightNed deals with his grief after Maude's untimely death.This is without a doubt the best episode of the entire eleventh season of the series. It revolves around Flanders (my second most favorite character in the entire series). Basically, Homer and his family are at a race car competition... and Flanders is there also, with his dear wife, Maude. What happens here is a huge deal for hardcore Simpsons fans. Maude Flanders is accidentally killed! Homer goofs off when he asks for rolled up T-Shirt's to be flung in his direction... and he kneels down... causing an unsuspecting Maude (who was standing up) to be knocked off the stadium... and to her painful yet quick demise. This of course leaves Ned Flanders devastated for the rest of the episode. It's an emotional ride as Flanders struggles with his inner torment to withstand this great loss. Flanders is tremendously depressed at the funeral proceedings. He goes home to a lonely bed and holds air where his wife used to be. Homer is rather sweet to Flanders although he tries to make a video of him in order to find him another woman. Flanders doesn't want to betray Maude's memory as he's so loyal to her essence and being... and finds himself struggling to hold God close to his heart. The episode greatly portrays the challenge of staying true to religious beliefs regardless of conflicted emotions. Flanders questions God and why he's the one who's being punished... he can't accept this as he's the most loving and caring man and yet he is the one who suffers most of all... (with the pain of loss, the pain of his childhood, and the pain of withstanding numerous forms of anguish and torment. Flanders turns the image of God from the table beside his bed... and promises not to go to church... although he finds himself rushing to church and asking for forgiveness in the morning. As Flanders reaches the church, he sees a woman named Rachel Jordan, who sings a song at the church... and proceeds to move along with her band after the church proceeding ends. Flanders notices she needs help with her baggage and equipment and helps her load her traveling truck... and he ends up telling her that he'll be at church in Springfield if she ever decides to come back and visit. This adds a great deal of hope for Flanders and gives him a purpose for survival. God works in mysterious ways, and this episode portrays this to a powerful end... even under the worst circumstances, Flanders doesn't lose hope... and this makes this episode a rising and plummeting powerhouse of emotion, which solidifies it as a morally challenging and complex collision of struggle and healing... and in turn makes it the best episode of the season.
- DirectorJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer becomes a member of a mysterious organization called the Stonecutters and is heralded as "the chosen one".After seeing Carl and Lenny being secretive and enjoying numerous unexplainable privileges... Homer wants to join their secret society... known as the Stonecutters. After some painful initiations... Homer takes pleasure in the privileges. However, after a dinner with the rest of the members, Homer uses the sacred parchment as a napkin, destroying it. He is stripped from his robes and punished. Due to getting naked... it is revealed he has a birthmark in the shape of the stonecutter emblem. As a result, he is identified as the "chosen one"... who was supposed to lead the stonecutters to greatness. Homer is crowned... temporarily... but his reign is short-lived as the rest of the stonecutters grow tired of him... and form a new society: "The Ancient Mystic Society of No Homers." Clever writing. I like this episode.
- DirectorSteven Dean MooreStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightMarge's relationship with Bart is strained when he is caught shoplifting before Christmas.
- DirectorSteven Dean MooreStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightWhile Bart is hospitalized, Lisa runs into her old mentor Bleeding Gums Murphy, who is also a patient, and becomes devastated when he dies soon after.
- DirectorSusie DietterStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightBart discovers Principal Skinner and Mrs. Krabappel kissing, and it's not long before the whole town knows of their secret affair.
- DirectorSwinton O. Scott IIIStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightBart makes a fake driver's license and takes Milhouse, Martin, and Nelson on a huge road trip; Lisa spends time with Homer at the power plant.
- DirectorJim ReardonSteven Dean MooreStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter humiliating Bart at a church picnic, Homer resolves to get in shape. Soon, he is contacted by an energy bar company that wants him to climb a mountain as a promotion.
- DirectorMark KirklandStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightA trip to a local petting zoo convinces Lisa to give up meat, despite excessive pressure to convince her not to do so.
- DirectorJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightBart is outraged when Lisa becomes his babysitter.Lisa begins to babysit systematically for numerous people, including Flanders and Dr. Hibbert. She gradually wins respect from the town for her responsibility at her age. As a result, Marge and Homer leave Bart under her babysitting care. They leave the house for the night and Bart is annoyed to be under her command. And so, Bart pulls off numerous moronic acts to annoy the life out of Lisa for no reason. For one, Bart calls over many people... and orders lots of things under their address. All these deliveries and guests arrive on time... pretty much at the same time... and Lisa gets pissed off at Bart. Bart runs around like an imbecile and falls down the stairs... breaking his arm in the process... he's proud of this because he can blame it on Lisa's babysitting. He then proceeds to lock himself in his room and bang his head on the door to hurt himself worse. Soon, he is knocked out as a result of his own stupidity of self-pain infliction. Lisa finds a way into his room and drags him out onto a wheelbarrow. Lisa tries to get him to a hospital... but they slip and fall down a muddy hill... where many onlookers blame Lisa for Bart's condition. Later, Bart gets treated for injuries... and Lisa still gets calls from people to babysit for them... because they don't seem to care about what happened. Very vivid and well-written episode. Lovely how it all concludes... with the truth behind how badly some people need babysitting.
- DirectorJim ReardonMark KirklandStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer's midlife crisis leads to a disastrous attempt at being an inventor.This is an amazing episode for being in the later seasons. Homer wants to be an inventor and tries to copy Thomas Edison in every way possible. He rants to everyone about how Edison was so wonderful. He annoys everyone constantly with facts about Edison's career. Eventually, Marge tells Homer to stop the ranting because Edison did so much because he didn't go around ranting about it to others. And so, Homer decides to follow in Edison's footsteps. He pretty much tries to make new inventions... such as a toilet in a couch... or an automatic hammer... and he later stumbles upon another creation, hinges that don't allow his chair to tip over when he lays backward in the chair. He later sees an image of Edison to see that he likely invented that, too. So... Homer decides to go to the Edison Museum to destroy the chair and any evidence of Edison's creation. He almost succeeds when he is about to destroy the chair using his automatic electric hammer... when Homer notices that Edison had idolized Leonardo da Vinci. Homer finds newfound respect for Edison because he was also a man who idolized another. And so, Homer leaves the museum and goes home... Only to watch the news and find that he had left the automatic electric hammer at the museum... and it is portrayed as another of Edison's creations along with the extra chair legs... This completely enrages Homer to no end as he sits in his toilet couch in complete annoyance. This is likely one of my favorite episodes of the tenth season as most others just weren't as good. The connective plot and the overall revelation make the episode unique and memorable.
- DirectorJim ReardonLance KramerStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightA freak blizzard traps the students of Springfield Elementary inside their school. Their lives at stake, they are at the mercy of the rescue efforts of a woozy Homer and Ned.This is one of the best episodes of the twelfth season. Most of this season was rather poor so having an actually good episode was rather surprising. Basically, there's a snowstorm of a strong caliber and the kids get trapped inside the school with Principal Skinner. They want to escape from the school, but Skinner doesn't allow them... explaining that it's too dangerous, with the excuse that the snow would cover and kill the kids in their attempt to escape. Skinner tries to guard the kids by creating a lucrative military schedule for them (and putting on his uniform)... In the process of his attempt to keep the kids in line, Bart takes over the situation by sealing Skinner in a bag with his head sticking out. This results in the kids running wild and Skinner being assaulted by their furious anger of being trapped in the school. Skinner becomes the central point of all the children's havoc and holds a cold stare the entire time. Eventually, Skinner sends a rodent through a ball with a message to save his life, and the ball successfully frees a trapped Homer and Flanders from their frozen vehicle outside... which in turn results in their coming across the avalanche that has sealed the school in... and saving Skinner from the hell that has been created around him. Very well-written and a surprisingly good episode in this season.
- DirectorChuck SheetzJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightWith Homer's help, Flanders tries to establish a Christian theme park based on drawings in Maude's sketch book.
- DirectorMark KirklandStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightWhen Mr. Burns revokes the plant's dental plan, forcing Lisa to be fitted with cheap, ugly braces, Homer leads its union into going on strike.
- DirectorRich MooreStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer accidentally lands in a mental hospital and ends up sharing a room with a white man who thinks he is Michael Jackson.
- DirectorCarlos BaezaStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter Mrs. Krabappel gives Bart a month of detention, he gets his revenge by responding to her newspaper singles ad; Homer uses a swear jar to cut down on his cursing.Bart creates a lucrative lie where he pretends to write to his teacher Edna Krabappel as a fictitious person named Woodrow in order to play a joke on her... and she's hurt. His family helps him write a poem in an attempt to alleviate her pain and break up the fictional relationship. Very nice episode in terms of emotional writing.
- DirectorKent ButterworthDavid SilvermanStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer and Marge enjoy a night on the town, leaving the kids with a diabolical babysitter, with a surprising secret.This is most likely my favorite episode of the first season. A babysitter named Ms. Lucille Botzcowski comes to babysit the Simpson kids as Homer and Marge go for a night out... Everyone is unaware that Ms. Botz is a bandit and has made a career out of robbing houses. Botz has Bart and Lisa watch the cartoon called the "Happy Little Elves Meet the Curious Bear Cub." Afterwards, Bart and Lisa watch TV to see that Ms. Botz truly is the babysitter bandit... but they are unable to fight back as she comes in and ties them up. Maggie gets out of her crib and crawls towards the already bound Lisa and Bart... who proceed to tell Maggie that they'll put on the Happy Elves video again if she helps untie them. Maggie complies... and the children hatch a plan to take down Ms. Botz. Eventually, Bart hides in a dark closet and sucks on Maggie's pacifier, wielding a baseball bat... and luring Ms. Botz in. He knocks her out cold... and they go to call the authorities. Homer and Marge get home to find Ms. Botz tied and gagged... so Homer unties her and pays her three times the normal pay. The authorities arrive to find that Homer has allowed the notorious babysitter bandit to escape. Of course, Homer pretends to have gone through a struggle... but he knows the truth... he botched everything up again. Very awesome episode. Ms. Botzcowski's character is very vivid and lively. The manner in which the character's movements and actions are depicted are extremely colorful and memorable. She's likely one of my favorite female characters in the series due to her actually maniacal yet calculated mannerisms and movements. This is definitely my favorite episode of the entire first season of this awesome series.
- DirectorJim ReardonSteven Dean MooreStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightA hypnotist uncovers a traumatic experience from Homer's childhood.
- DirectorJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer becomes the sanitation commissioner for Springfield. His ineptitude pollutes the town and leads to a drastic solution.
- DirectorMilton GrayStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer causes an international incident after he joins the Naval reserves.
- DirectorPete MichelsJim ReardonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer becomes chief of police after a scandal forces Wiggum out.
- DirectorJim ReardonLauren MacMullanStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightAfter saving Maggie's life, Moe develops a special bond with her, much to Homer's dismay.
- DirectorJim ReardonSwinton O. Scott IIIStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer deals with corruption when he becomes Mayor Quimby's bodyguard.
- DirectorJim ReardonLauren MacMullanStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightMarge's high school sweetheart Artie Ziff returns and offers Homer a million dollars to spend a weekend with Marge.
- DirectorJim ReardonBob AndersonStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightMarge befriends a convict with an artistic streak. Meanwhile, Homer battles the chiropractic industry after he creates a miracle back pain cure.
- DirectorJim ReardonSwinton O. Scott IIIStarsDan CastellanetaJulie KavnerNancy CartwrightHomer is forced to spy for the IRS after an audit. But when he is asked to retrieve a trillion dollar bill from Mr. Burns, he switches sides and the two flee to Cuba for refuge.