WhoBob's Top 10 Best The Simpsons Episodes

[WhoBibbles]

As requested by our overlord @dmandagiraffe, I'm gonna be talking about my favorite Simpsons episodes of all-time. I already made a top 10 (or top 20 actually) before for Slug's Best Simpsons Episodes List Countdown but this top 10 is gonna be slightly different. I haven't seen these episodes in a long time, so I can't give a more in depth anaylsis on these episodes (maybe some other time!) but these are the ones that resonated with me most. So here we go!

 

WhoBob's Top 10 Best The Simpsons Episodes

 

10. Summer of 4 Ft. 2: This will always be the best Lisa centric episode to date. Lisa throughout the show doesn't have a lot of friends, so giving her a cast of her own really works here. I like that they love Lisa just the way she is rather than her creating a persona for these kids to like. It's a nice episode of acceptance and belonging to people. No other season finale of this show has ever topped this masterpiece (not even the glorious Who Shot Mr. Burns Part 1)

9. Treehouse of Horror V: Classic Simpsons era has given us such amazing THOH episodes but this one always takes the cake. The first two segments never stop being funny. First segment is a hilarious The Shining parody with jokes like "no beer and no TV makes Homer something something...". Homer is so great as a character driven insane here. Second segment is a bombastic time travel segment (If you know me, you know how much I love time travel) with Flanders dystopia or Homer's actual utopia wiith well behaved kids, being rich and dead sisters in law (and raining donuts Homer just missed). It's fun. And third segment is the creepiest and the most disturbing segment THOH will ever do with cannibalistic teachers. I love that each segment has a running gag with Groundskeeper Willie dying with an axe, it's a nice way to connect these segment with a hilarious punchline. And ofc the finale musical number with Bart being eaten by Santa's Little Helper. All-timer stuff.

8. The Springfield Files: Maybe I should check out X-Files cuz this episode was built for me. It was such a compelling mystery of the alien surrounding Springfield with Scully and Mulder making a crossover appearance and being a charismatic duo as usual. Not too much to say other than I love the vibes this episode has. And ofc the final twist at the end which was well done.

7. Mother Simpson: This will always be the best episode about Homer's mother. It was a really sad episode delving into Homer's mother and why she was absent from Homer's life all this time. It's a deeply touching story and a cool one being about how much of a badass Homer's mother can be. The final scene is just tearjerking. It gives you so much feels. That's what s7 is great at. So yeah, it's such a strong episode.

6. Cape Feare: This is honestly what I call it Chocolate With Nuts, The Simpsons edition. There is a reason why this episode is considered to be the funniest episode of all-time. Bunch of great gags after gags like "Die Bart Die" or "Hello, Mr. Thompson" or the iconic rake scene or Homer jumpscares with knife and chainsaw. But what really makes this episode an all-timer is that it's Bart and Sideshow Bob's rivalry at its finest. They never get better than Bart tricking Sideshow Bob to sing for him until cops catch him. It's a kickass and gripping cat and mouse chase game with hilarious jokes. What else can you ask for?

5. 22 Short Films About Springfield: This episode is one of the most ambitious and creative episodes of TV. Focusing entirely on side characters of this show and there is a reason why Simpsons' extended cast is rich and lively. This is their episode and they shine so much here. And how they each connect is so well done. And you can't talk about this episode without bringing up Steamed Hams segment. It's one of the most hilarious memes of the show that never overstay it's welcome. Dare I say this episode is an unforgettable luncheon.

4. And Maggie Makes Three: You know I had to include this episode on this list. This episode is one of the most tearjerking episodes of the show. It's a really sad story about how capitalism affects Homer's life and why there being a third child on the way concerns him. But this episode reminds us that despite all the issues, Homer's a great father and the minute he sees Maggie, he loves her to the fullest and him being stuck in this shitty joke is cuz he's doing it all for Maggie, so she can have a bright future. He's willing to endure cruelity for his kids, that's why he's one of the most beloved fathers of TV, no matter how many times he can be a mess.

3. Bart Sells His Soul: This episode is extremely powerful. It's a compelling narrative on whether a person has a soul or not. And Bart selling his soul to Millhouse, even if it's just a word on a piece of paper, crushes himself. It's a depressing narrative on how Bart no longer feels anything after this act and it's so fucked up. It's a great story about belief and spirituality. The dream sequence is so eerie and nightmarish that you can tell Bart isn't happy with the decision he made. And by the end, Bart coming to realize that he fucked up and begs Millhouse to give the paper back and then eventually eating it was such a great arc for Bart overall. This isn't even my favorite Bart centric episode but it's perhaps the most personal Bart story to date.

2. Marge Be Not Proud: I remember that I wasn't the most fan of this episode cuz I thought Marge was being cruel to Bart. I still loved it ofc but it was never one of my favorites. But over the years, I have been thinking and there is something about this episode that always makes you feel gut punched. The idea of crossing a line and disappointing your parents. I think every child one way or another feels that they let down their parents when they do something bad. In this case, Bart stealing a video game which makes Marge be so disappointed in him which causes a drift between them and makes Bart feel alienated. Even If you can argue Marge alienating Bart isn't right, I think you can see where she is coming from here. Her own son actually doing something really bad that It might actually affect his whole future. But in classical Simpsons fashion, Bart makes up for the damage he has done and Marge forgives him which ends the episode on a sweet note. It never stops to make me cry. Episodes like this is why Bart is my favorite character cuz despite all his mischives, he cares about people and when he fucks something up, he's willing to fix his mess. And why s7 is my favorite season because it's the most emotional and character focused season of all-time for me.

And without waiting no further, here's my number one!

1. Lisa's First Word: Bart is my favorite character, so no shock this episode takes the cake for me but it's deeper than that. I'm such a sucker for sibling episodes. My favorite Futurama episode is The Luck of The Fryish which is all about Fry's relationship with his brother. I have a twin and I love him so much, no matter how many times we fight or argue. So this episode was made for me. It is a great example of why Bart loves Lisa so much. The first time he sees her is him feeling jealous of her cuz he feels all the attention goes to her for being the new baby. All the way Bart tries to get rid of her is so funny but you also feel sad for Bart cuz he feels like people no longer love him as much as they love Lisa. And then it all ends with Lisa actually saying her first word which is "Bart". No matter what Bart does to Lisa throughout this episode, Lisa loves him very much. And them bonding over calling Homer by his own name instead of dad is both funny and sweet. And even though this episode ends with them fighting, it doesn't matter cuz siblings fight and what matters is that they care for each other and love each other. And this episode ending with Maggie saying her first word "dad" makes me wanna cry even harder.

And there we go. I hope you guys enjoyed this top 10. No matter how The Simpsons gets more and more stale, these classic episodes will be a reminder why I fell in love with it in the first place.

[dmandagiraffe]

The one thing I miss the most about old Simpsons is the heart; you really don't see any endings like that of And Maggie Makes Three or Mother Simpson anymore. A good portion of the episodes you've chosen reflect that point even further. Fantastic list!