My top 20 Simpsons episodes

Hello Enthusiasts,

Anyone who knows me knows that I love The Simpsons. I've been watching the show for years and, even though the more recent seasons don't seem to capture the magic that the earlier years had, I still try to catch every episode. It's a show that has defined a generation's sense of humor and story-telling. But what episodes stand out as the best? That opinion certainly differs from person to person, as not every joke hits everyone the same. With that being said though, I have listed out my top twenty episodes below. Because of the number of episodes I'm listing, I'm going to limit how much I write for each of these to a sentence or two.

20. "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala[Annoyed Grunt]cious"(S8, ep13)

This episode is a parody of the hit Disney classic "Mary Poppins", music and all. Most of the humor outside of the songs is good, but the songs are really what puts this one on the list. 

19. "Bart the General" (S1, ep5)

This episode shows Bart fighting back against the biggest bully at Springfield elementary, Nelson. This episode is a great parody of military films and coming-of-age movies, plus it introduces the character of Herman, the one-armed military surplus store owner. 

18. "Homer the Great"(S6, ep12)

This is an episode that likely wrote itself after coming up with the premise of Homer being the prophesied leader of a secret society. The jokes are awesome here, as is the song Stonecutters' song, "We Do". 

17. "The Way We Was" (S2, ep12)

The first origin story put out there about how Homer and Marge ended up getting together. Their meeting and eventually getting together is as funny as it ends up being sweet, with Homer being the pinnacle of a lovable idiot. 

16. "A Fish Called Selma"(S7, ep19)

 This is a Troy McClure based episode that is mostly on here for the Planet of the Apes play that is invented for the episode. The musical, titled, "Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off!", is a stroke of brilliance, even for this show. The episode is great from start to finish, but that musical really kicks it up to another level.

15. "Beyond Blunderdome" (S11, ep1)

 Mel Gibson releases a remake of Mr. Smith goes to Washington, Homer hates it, and they try to change it to be more appealing to the everyman. It's a great episode with a lot of Hollywood references (Mel Gibson, John Travolta, Adam West, Burt Ward, and Robert Downey Jr. to name just a few). 

14. "Deep Space Homer"(S5, ep15)

 "Homer in space" is enough of a selling card, but it only goes further when you have Buzz Aldrin as a guest star for the episode. Add in a timeless joke of Kent Brockman hailing our new ant overlords and you have an instant classic. 

13. "Homer The Moe" (S13, ep13)

 While it is a late episode, it's an enjoyable story where Moe tries to rediscover himself and Homer takes over the bar. Solid pacing and jokes, though it does drop off just a bit once Moe takes the bar back. 

12. "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"(S2, ep15)

 If I was to quote all of the great lines from this episode it would be a whole post in itself. This is classic Simpsons with some if their best work, and it guest starred Danny DeVito as Homer's half-brother Herb!

11. "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish" (S2, ep11)

 This episode doesn't focus so much on the laughs, instead deciding to be heavy on the sentimentality. Most of the episode involves Homer thinking that he is dying and he tries to get as much done in his final day as he can. Every once in a while, the Simpsons will take a more serious turn like this and it often works very well. 

10. "Marge vs. the Monorail" (S4, ep12)

 The town gets conned into building a monorail after a big song and dance number. It's full of laughs, a cameo by Leonard Nimoy, and is said by many to be one of the best episodes ever. 

9. "The Mansion Family" (S11, ep12)

Mr. Burns has to go to the Mayo Clinic and leaves the Simpson family to watch his house. It's another episode that basically writes itself, and so many of the jokes land so perfectly that it has become a must-watch. 

8. "Homer's Enemy"(S8, ep23)

We find ourselves at another serious episode, but this one focuses on a new character: Frank Grimes. The episode is a statement about how some people can skate through life and do well while others have to work hard just to get by. 

7. "Kamp Krusty" (S4, ep1)

A parody of "Lord of the Flies", this episode sees Bart and Lisa go to a summer camp that is "run by" Krusty the Clown. It's funny on several levels and is one of the earliest episodes that really showcases how greedy and careless Krusty can be. 

6. "And Maggie Makes Three" (S6, ep13)

This is an episode that will tug at your heartstrings the first time you watch it, and maybe after that too. It's a story of sacrificing for your children and the last shot of the episode is a real kick in the stomach. 

5."Bart Gets an 'F'" (S2, ep1)

 It's an episode that we can all likely relate to, because we've all tried our best at something and still failed. It's an episode that does have some laughs as well as some emotions, and is still the most viewed episode on its premier night to-date. 

4.  "You Only Move Twice" (S8, ep2)

 Homer gets an offer for a job in a new city, and his new boss is a man named Hank Scorpio. It's one of the funniest episodes out there, and I wish Hank Scorpio was at least a rarely recurring character. 

3. "Lisa the Vegetarian" (S7, ep5)

This episode features a cameo by Paul McCartney, who refused be in the episode unless Lisa remained a vegetarian for the rest of the series. It's a funny episode, with a side-splitting educational video by Troy McClure. 

2. "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" (S2, ep9)

 This episode is not only funny, but has some solid commentary about censorship in cartoons. The show doesn't really take a side either way, but it's a excellent entry regardless. 

1. "Itchy and Scratchy Land" (S6, ep4)

Alright, I know this isn't everyone's favorite and might not even crack most top 10's, but I love this episode. It's a parody of "West World" and a reflection of theme parks overall. I might have a bias as someone who had worked in theme parks for several years, but I still laugh at these jokes and this is a solid #1 for me. 

So those are my top 20 episodes. I didn't include any of the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes, because that would have eliminated a lot of the episodes that got on this list. I may end up doing a post about those episodes specifically in the future.

Anyway, did your favorite end up on the list? Do you disagree with any of these? Let me know!

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast