The 30 Best ‘Simpsons’ Episodes, Ranked

(Season 32, Episode 4)
The animated series has churned out more than 30 Halloween episodes, paying homage to notable pop culture titles and the spooky. The 2020 episode is the strongest in recent years, as it mixed the more recent (a homage to “Into the Spiderverse” and a short about the election), with the more evergreen (a time loop story and a tribute to “Toy Story”).

(Season 18, Episode 8)
After Bart encourages his classmates to boycott school bully Nelson’s birthday party, he is forced to attend — and accidentally becomes the young man’s best friend. The episode allows us to see a softer side to Nelson, who gets a little too clingy for Bart’s liking.

(Season 11, Episode 22)
In the homage to “Behind the Music,” the mockumentary episode claims to tell the “real” story of the Simpson family, who were a normal family that became overnight superstars with the success of the series. The episode simultaneously skewers the entertainment industry, while poking (loving) fun at the series itself.

(Season 27, Episode 9)
Though Bart is forever 10 years old, this rare episode allows the young man to grow up. Inspired by “Boyhood,” the episode looks at Bart through the years, allowing the show to show new sides to the young man.

(Season 8, Episode 8)
A hurricane takes out Flanders’ house, prompting his friends and neighbors to rebuild the home. Unfortunately for Ned, the attempt is so shoddy, and his faith is so shattered, it drives him straight to the mental institution, and viewers get the surprising backstory on his childhood: Flanders is actually a repeat patient, and last go-round he was taught to suppress his anger, which led to him being the pushover he is now.

(Season 8, Episode 19)
It’s hard for new romances to last on “The Simpsons,” and the employees at Springfield Elementary seem more doomed than most, but Skinner and Edna managed to start a relationship that actually lasted beyond the episode. Sure, they were caught making out by students and almost lost their jobs thanks to a NSFW rumor, but it was a surprisingly sweet start to the relationship.

(Season 8, Episode 5)
Bart’s troublemaking ways catch up to him when he has to do chores at a local house owned by Belle to make up for damaging a statue. Bart quickly realizes La Maison Derrière is actually a burlesque house, but when he’s discovered there, it becomes a huge scandal. Though many in the town want La Maison Derrière gone, Bart and Belle’s ridiculously catchy song, “We Put the Spring in Springfield,” makes them change their mind. And, really, who doesn’t love a song that has the power to defuse an angry mob? (Marge, however, misses it all and starts to demolish the house on her own. Her punishment? Working at the burlesque as a ventriloquist.)

(Season 12, Episode 8)
The episode seamlessly balances two extremes: Skinner and the students trapped inside Springfield Elementary with Homer and Ned battling the blizzard to get to the school. There’s fun in seeing the power dynamics flip between Skinner and his students as they rebel against his strict rules for survival, while also watching the frenemies/neighbors drive each other batty in an attempt to get to their kids.

(Season 7, Episode 19)
After appearing in video clips over the years on the show, has-been actor Troy McClure got his time to shine in this Season 7 episode, as his agent suggested a new romance could kick-start his career. His conquest? Marge’s sister, Selma. Troy didn’t tell her the romance was for PR — rookie mistake — but he was forced to confess after they tied the knot. She reluctantly agreed — until he wanted to bring a baby into the situation. While the marriage didn’t last, Troy’s temporary career resurgence allowed viewers to get a glimpse at the delightfully ridiculous “Planet of the Apes” musical.

(Season 2, Episode 15)
Reuniting with long-lost family can be hit or miss, but for Homer … well, he ruined his half-brother, Herb’s life. (At least temporarily.) When Herb decided to allow his newfound sibling to design a car for the everyman, Homer delivered an iconic masterpiece that was, well, ambitious and a “monstrosity” — which also cost over eighty grand. (It was so memorable, a real version of the car was built.)

(Season 5, Episode 15)
Yes, Homer Simpson went to space. He also caused a temporary panic down on Earth when he broke the shuttle’s ant farm (leading to the memorable Kent Brockman meme, “I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords”) and an inanimate rod got a lot of credit for saving the day.

(Season 7, Episode 4)
This is a sweet, yet deep episode, as Bart impulsively sells his soul to get some quick cash — only to realize the concept of a soul may not be as hokey as he initially believed.

(Season 11, Episode 14)
On paper, the episode sounds ridiculous: Maude Flanders is killed at a race by a t-shirt gun — which knocks her backwards, out of the stadium. Though death rarely sticks on the show, this one did, and the Flanders family —  arguably the most religious on the series — has to grapple with the untimely death and how to move on after an unfathomable loss.

(Season 6, Episode 12)
Homer joins the Stonecutters, an ancient secret society. But after an accident, they intend to banish him — only to discover he’s the “Chosen One.” Unfortunately for Homer, his fellow Stonecutters tire of him and create their own, new, society, which he’s banned from. At least we’ll always have their song, “We Do,” which boasts of rigging the Oscars, keeping the aliens a secret and making Steve Guttenberg a star.

(Season 2, Episode 4)
Though Blinky, the three-eyed fish is memorable, it’s Marge’s maneuvering that steals the show. After she’s forced to host a political dinner for Mr. Burns, Marge serves the gubernatorial candidate the disfigured fish — whose existence is thanks to Burns’ power plant — in front of the press. Burns is unable to choke the food down, causing his political career to crash and burn.

(Season 4, Episode 15)
Young love is never easy, and unrequited young love is a thousand times worse. Unfortunately for Ralph Wiggum, he mistakes Lisa’s kindness — via a pity Valentine’s Day card — as genuine affection and he goes out of his way to woo her. She goes along with it for a bit, before rejecting him on live TV, which is probably not the kindest move. (OK, most of this episode is a lesson of what not to do in love.)

(Season 7, Episode 21)
This is an impressive, ambitious episode that does exactly what the title says: deliver 22 stories in a single episode, with some connected and others entirely on their own. (This is also the origin of the Skinner’s “steamed ham” — a.k.a. hamburger — meal.)

(Season 7, Episode 6)
The 1995 Halloween episode featured advertising come to life, a parody of “Nightmare on Elm Street” and an homage to “The Twilight Zone” that featured both 3-D animation and utilizing the real, human world. The installments managed to be both creepy and visually impressive.

(Season 2, Episode 12)
The first flashback of Marge and Homer’s love story, as the duo connect — only to fall apart when she realizes he lied to her about needing tutoring. But Homer doesn’t give up, and eventually they reunite. Though it’s clear Marge and Homer love each other in the present, seeing where they started was important, especially given how different they can appear as adults.

(Season 6, Episode 20)
Burns kidnaps a bunch of puppies to make a tuxedo out of them, but, thankfully, the Simpson kids save the day. While the episode is an homage to “101 Dalmatians,” it’s the original song “See My Vest” that makes the installment memorable.

(Season 5, Episode 2)
Though Sideshow Bob has tried to kill Bart many, many times, nothing has quite topped the Season 5 episode in which Bart and the family are placed in witness protection to protect them from Bob’s threats. (Spoiler alert: Witness protection is not enough.) As always, Bart manages to outsmart his foe, this time using Bob’s love of music against him, as he requests a performance of the H.M.S. Pinafore as a last wish — which buys him enough time for Bob to be caught.

(Season 2, Episode 19)
Lisa often struggles with school, being too smart and driven for her classes and hampered by teachers who frequently don’t put in the effort. But she finally gets a chance to blossom when a substitute, Mr. Bergstrom, comes in and recognizes her gifts. It makes things bittersweet that it’s so short-term, but he leaves her with an encouraging note before his departure: “You are Lisa Simpson.”

(Season 3, Episode 10)
The three main lessons of the episode are that happiness is just a Flaming Moe’s away, cough syrup is an excellent secret drink ingredient, and you should never reveal said secret ingredient in a room full of people — because you could sabotage a planned $1 million deal for the Flaming Moe drink recipe.

(Season 8, Episode 10)
When Homer spots an alien, “The X-Files’s” Mulder and Scully come to investigate. While they’re skeptical of Homer, they do some digging and ultimately find nothing. Homer won’t give up, though, and discovers the “alien” was actually a highly medicated Burns, whose glow came from years of working at the power plant. It’s arguably the most effective crossover the show has done, both staying true to “The Simpsons,” while having fun with “The X-Files’s” popularity. (It also had the added bonus of including Leonard Nimoy, as the host of a show within the show.)

(Season 6, Episode 13)
This is another flashback episode, as Homer explains why the family doesn’t have baby photos of Maggie at home. The family of four was happy, and in a financial place where Homer could quit the power plant and work at a dream job, but he had to go back once Marge revealed she was pregnant. Burns, never gracious in victory, gives Homer a plaque for his work station saying, “Don’t forget: you’re here forever.” To make it bearable, Homer put photos of Maggie in his office, transforming the sign to now say, “Do it for her.” It’s one of the purest showcases of love on the series thus far.

(Season 5, Episode 5)
The best “Treehouse” episode is also emblematic of the best of “The Simpsons” in general: It showcases heart (Homer sold his soul to the devil for a donut but got it back by proving he vowed his soul to Marge on their wedding day), pop culture savvy (the homage to “The Twilight Zone”) and just a little weird (Burns as Dracula).

(Season 6, Episode 25)
For a series that generally does not do cliffhangers, “The Simpsons” went all-in when it turned to one of the most iconic twists in TV history (“Dallas’s” “Who shot J.R.?” storyline) for its Season 6 closer. With Burns alienating everyone, it truly was a whodunnit.

(Season 4, Episode 9)
Homer has had many, many, many jobs throughout the years, but none had a jingle like Mr. Plow. And it was actually a job he was good at! Unfortunately for him, Barney decided he wanted in on the action and, well, it got warm and the snow melted, so it was short-lived.

(Season 4, Episode 12)
Charismatic scammer Lyle Lanley comes to town, selling the residents on the appeal of the monorail — despite it not actually being needed. Nearly all of the residents, outside of Marge and Lisa, get swept up in monorail-mania. Phil Hartman delivered an incredible performance as Lyle, who needed the right amount of arrogance and gravitas to pull off the scam. And the “Monorail” song remains one of the show’s very best.

(Season 3, Episode 17)
After placing a large bet on the outcome of a game, Burns decides to bring in ringers to the plant’s baseball team — MLB players Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey, Jr., Steve Sax, Ozzie Smith, José Canseco, Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry and Mike Scioscia. One by one they fall off the roster, until Homer is the only regular player left on the bench. Despite that, he manages to still save the day: He gets brought in as a pinch-hitter and gets hit by the pitch, bringing in the winning run. The episode is perfectly ridiculous, while still allowing Homer to get the victory — even if it was at the expense of his dignity. It was one of the most effective uses of guest voices in the show’s three-decade run and its legacy includes the hour-long mockumentary “Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson,” which aired in honor of the episode’s 25th anniversary.