Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Top 10 SImpsons episodes of all time


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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