Picking a top 10 episodes of a show that is currently in its 26 season and has 550+ episodes seems like a daunting task. And for what is worth I saw pretty much all of the episodes. And when I think about episode after season 10 for the most part pale in comparison to previous ones. Even when I compare some of the best episodes from season 10 through 26 there is actually only one that made it on my list. However even picking some of the best episodes out of those initial 10 seasons was pretty hard as well. And there were definitely some hard cuts.
10. The Springfield Files - season 8 episode 10
This is for me one of the best
cross-over episodes I’ve seen. You guessed it; this is a cross-over with X
files. That being said this episode includes a lot of the references to that
show. Also David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson guest star, and also Leonard
Nimoy shows up.
After Homer gets drunk at Moe’s,
instead of driving home he must walk. On his way home he encounters a glowing
alien. So agents Mulder and Scully show up in order to figure out what is
really going on here. This is a very clever episode that has some of the best
visual gags of any The Simpsons episode.
Favorite quote
Scully - "Now we're gonna
run a few tests. This is a simple lie detector. I'll ask you a few yes or no
questions and you just answer truthfully. Do you understand?"
Homer - "Yes."
[lie detector explodes]
9. 22 Short Films About Springfield – season 7
episode 21
This episode is basically
consisted of bunch of skits, with each one being about 1 minute long. And within
of that 1 minute we get to see a little slice of life from a bunch of different
Simpsons characters. Just seeing a small part of the day of several characters
from the Simpsons was just pure fun. They managed to make each story kind of
connected in certain way. I also felt that each skit really worked and was
rather funny.
Favorite quote
Waylon Smithers - "I'm
allergic to bee stings, they cause me to... uh... die."
8. Bart's Comet - Season
6, Episode 14
In this episode Bart discovers a comet that is on a
collision course with Springfield.
After few ideas that got shut down on how to deal with the comet, Homer suggests
that they should stay in the bomb shelter that Ned Flanders built. And this is
where the shenanigans ensue. Since shelter is too big for everyone to fit in
they had to decide who will face the doom. Ned Flanders volunteers. Homer feels
guilty and leaves as feel, and other townspeople decide to follow him as well.
And in the good old Simpsons fashion the comet enters atmosphere, becomes
really small and destroys only Ned’s shelter.
Favorite quote
Kent Brockman - "I've said
it before, and I'll say it again: democracy simply doesn't work."
Bart - "What's really
amazing is this is exactly what Dad said would happen!"
Lisa - "Yeah, Dad was
right!"
Homer - "I know, kids, I'm
scared too!"
7. Trilogy of Error - season 12 episode 18
This is one of those post 10th
season episode that is actually really great. This is essentially a parody of
movies like Go and Run Lola Run with a touch of Pulp Fiction. This episodes is
made up of three shorts that showcase the day of 3 Simpsons characters – Bart, Homer
and Lisa. These stories are connected and overlap in certain ways, kind of like
in mentioned movies. In Homer’s day he has to deal with his finger getting cut
off by Marge. Lisa’s day shows us her way on to the school science fair. Bart’s
day deals with him and Millhouse finding some fireworks. Amazing episode.
Favorite quotes
Homer (drunk) - "Have you
ever seen that Blue Man Group? Total ripoff of the Smurfs. And the Smurfs,
well, they SUCK."
Marge - "I'm sorry!"
Homer - "Sorry doesn't put
thumbs on the hand, Marge!"
6. Homer the Great – season 6
episode 16
In this episode Homer discovers
that Lenny and Karl are members of ancient secret society called Stonecutters. Basically
the members of this society enjoy lots of privileges. This is for me the ultimate Homer episode. In
this episode we get to see Homer in his stupid glory. They managed to poke fun
of Freemasonry in a great way. And that song We Do is probably my favorite Simpsons
song.
Favorite quote
Homer - "I swear, that if I
ever reveal the secrets of the Stonecutters, that my stomach shall become
bloated, and my head plucked of all but three hairs..."
Moe Szyslak - "Um, I think
he should have to take a different oath."
Number One - "Everybody
takes the same oath!"
5. Homer at the Bat - season 3 episode 17
This episode follows the
Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team, led by Homer, having a winning
season and making the championship game. So in order to win the championship Mr
Burns bring out some of the famous players from the big league. However before the game 8 of 9 players suffer
some misfortunes that prevent them from playing. Each of these misfortunes is
presented in a very hilarious way. Darryl Strawberry is the only one that can
play. There is actually one scene where Bart heckles him that is pretty
hilarious. Mr. Burns asking Don Mattingly to trim his sideburns was my favorite
side gag from his episode.
Favorite quote
Mr. Burns - "All right, you
ragtag bunch of misfits! You hate me, and I hate you even more. But without my
beloved ringers, you're all I've got. So I want you to remember some inspiring words
that someone else might have told you over the course of your lives, and go out
there and win!"
4. Treehouse of Horror V – season 6, episode
6
Like many people I'm a big fan of
Simpsons Halloween episodes. And this one is for me their best ever. It is
consisted of 3 segments "The Shinning", "Time and
Punishment", "Nightmare Cafeteria." The Shinning which is parody
of Kubrick's movie The Shining is for me the best segment of any Halloween
episode. It has so many great and classic lines. Time and punishment is amazing
time-travel segment. I really enjoyed watching in which way Homer altered the
future with things he did in the past. The last one is probably my least
favorite of the three, but it still a great segment
Favorite quotes
Groundskeeper Willy - “Boy... you
read my thoughts! You've got the Shinning.
Bart Simpson - “You mean
"Shining".
Groundskeeper Willy - “Shh! You
want to get sued”
Seymour Skinner - "Relax, kids, I've got a GUT feeling
Üter is around here. After all, isn't there a little Üter in all of us? In
fact, you might even say we just ATE Üter and he's in our stomachs right now!
Wait…scratch that one."
3. Lemon of Troy
- Season 6, Episode 24
In Lemon of Troy Shelbyville kids
steal Springfield's
sacred lemon tree, so Bart and his friends venture there to return the tree. Back
in Springfield
parent are worried about their kids missing, so Homer using Ned Flanders' RV,
leads fathers in search of the boys. This is a great episode that shows in a
great rivalry between two towns. The funniest thing about this episode is
seeing Shelbyville versions of Springfield
characters.
Favorite quote
Homer - "That tree's been in
Springfield
since the time of our forefathers. Give it back or we'll bust in there and take
it!"
Shelby's Dad - "Bust in here and take
it? You must be stupider than you look."
Homer - "Stupider like a
fox!"
2. Marge vs. the Monorail – season 4
episode 12
This is one of those legendary
episodes that pretty much shows up on every top 10 list of best Simpsons
episodes, and hey it is on mine as well. This episode was also famous for being
one of the episodes that Conan O'Brien wrote. This episode starts rather strong.
After Mr. Burns gets fined (with 3 million $) for dumping nuclear waste in city
park, the town meeting is held in order to figure out how to spend that money
from that fine. I always enjoy watching these town meetings because of sheer
randomness and hilarity that ensues. And the meeting ends with a great monorail
song. So they decide to build a monorail, which is basically a disaster waiting
to happen. Leonard Nimoy guest stars as himself, and Phil Hartman does an amazing
job as a Lyle Lanley a salesman that well sell them the idea of building
monorail.
Favorite quote
Marge - "Homer, there's a
man here who thinks he can help you."
Homer - "Batman?"
Marge - "No, he's a
scientist."
Homer - "Batman's a
scientist."
Marge - "It's NOT
Batman."
1. Last exit to Springfield – season 4 episode 17
This is my absolute favorite
episode from the Simpsons. The plot of this episode revolves around Homer
becoming union leader of Springfield’s
Nuclear Power Plant and leading the workers of power plant in a strike in order
to get their dental plan back. This episode has just about everything that made
those early episodes great – great humor, some heart, and it has a real point
to make (this time about Health Care). Also this episode had some of the best
references of any Simpsons episode. One sequence that is a take on The
Godfather 2 where Homer imagines that he is a Don is just amazing.
Favorite quotes
Mr. Burns - "This is a
thousand monkeys working at a thousand typewriters. Soon, they'll have finished
the greatest novel known to man."
Mr. Burns - "All right,
let's see... "It was the best of times, it was the BLURST of times?"
You stupid monkey."
Homer - "So what does this
job pay?"
Lenny - "Nothing."
Homer - "D'oh!"
Lenny - "Unless you're
crooked."
Homer - "WOOHOO!"
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