Summary
The Simpsonsis a beloved staple of modern pop culture. The longest-running scripted American primetime series has attracted no shortage of awards and high-profile collaborations across its multiple-decade run, and it is currently set to be renewed up to at least the 40th season mark.
Many purists parrot the theory that the show hasn’t been relevant or entertaining since season 9, often citingThe Principal and the Pauper,in particular,as the exact point at which the series jumped the shark. But that period now accounts for just over a quarter of the series' total run. There have been many great examples since as to whythe show remains on the air, including a few often-quoted classics that fans may not realize were later than they think.
10Apocalypse Cow
Animal Welfare
These rankings will be primarily based on the overall legacy of the episode from the fan’s perspective, accounting more for the memorable moments and the quality of the jokes rather than a broader critical perspective. Like howHomer Loves Flandersgave the world the infamous Homer Bushes GIF.
Apocalypse Cowis one of the more anonymous episodes on the list, but it’s a sweet story about Bart caring for a cow he raised, and it marks the introduction of Zooey Deschanel’s Mary Spuckler, who would become a significant recurring character in future Bart-centric episodes. Plus, it proved Skinner right; the children were wrong for not hanging out at the 4-H club.
9The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace
Inventive Exploits
The Wizard of Evergreen Terracechronicles Homer’s ambition to become an inventor after discovering a newfound admiration for Thomas Edison. After several ill-fated attempts, he resorts to taking posthumous vengeance on Edison for filling his head with dreams he is unequipped to fulfill.
Homer’s memeworthy make-up gunlives long in infamy, and one of his other inventions presents one of the series' longest-standing mysteries, with many fans still left perplexed to this day as to why exactly Homer refers to himself as ‘sitting in the right chair.’
8The President Wore Pearls
Vote Lisa
With the almost impossible task of maintaining consistency over such a long run, The Simpsons has occasionally shaken up the formula by doing a direct parody of a popular property. Some of these have been amongst the most critically acclaimed episodes of later seasons, such asEternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mindand24 Minutes.
As far as this list is concerned, it’s the novel show-tune-laced adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’sEvitathat takes the cake.The President Wore Pearlsfeatures Skinner manipulating Lisa, the recently elected student body president, to push through an unpopular agenda.Complete with catchy songsand timeless jokes.
7Blame it on Lisa
Simpsons Carnival
Blame it on Lisais most notable for the real-world impact it had upon release, with the Brazilian government threatening to sue the producers for the negative representation of the country, which they felt could have a detrimental impact on tourism.
That was in reference to the numerous crimes depicted in the episode, most notably Homer’s kidnapping. Centering episodes around visiting one particular country has become another way of shaking up the Simpsons' formula. The episode, which features Lisa taking the family to Brazil in search of her missing pen pal, is one of the pioneers of that format.
Cross Country Bonding
The Simpsonsdoesn’t always muster the poignancy or heart of some of its more recent adult animation contemporaries, likeBob’s BurgersandBojack Horseman,but the show is stillcapable of delivering a moving narrative. To be overly analytical at the center of the show is the paradigm between Homer and Bart. The negligent father, learning from his own turbulent upbringing and the disrespectful son who forced him to settle down much sooner than he expected.
The show does touch on this theme across numerous episodes, andWe’re on the Road to D’ohwhereranks among the most raw. In the episode, Bart is expelled, and the family decide to enlist him in a behavior modification facility that requires Homer to drive him across the country. On the way, the pair attempts to unpack their relationship and gain a new understanding of each other’s perspectives.
5Homer to the Max
And That’s The End Of That Chapter
From one extreme to the other,Homer to the Maxis not especially innovative or moving; it’s classic goofy Simpsons at its quotable best. When a show airs starring a suave detective named Homer Simpson,Homer attempts to take creditfor the influence. A comparison that becomes significantly less flattering after some creative changes turn the character into a bumbling sidekick.
To escape ridicule, Homer reinvents himself as Max Power and gets involved with some influential trendsetters around Springfield. The episode features some great jokes and another popular meme template of ‘Get ready, everybody, he’s about to do something stupid’.
4Skinner’s Sense of Snow
Cabin Fever
Towards the top end of this list are the most underappreciated comedy gems of this era of the show, delivering first and foremost with the laughs.Skinner’s Sense of Snowsees the children facing the prospect of being trapped in the school for Christmas, after Skinner refused to close despite a severe weather warning.
Some of the episode’s most memorable highlights include the extended parody of Skinner’s favorite Christmas movie titled, The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t But Then Was, and Homer teaming up with Ned Flanders for an ill-fated rescue attempt with the odd couple antics one might expect.
3Trilogy of Error
Linguo Is Dead
An easy inclusion,Trilogy of Errorremains the most critically acclaimed of any episode past season 10. As previously alluded to, the show has seen a somewhat unfair decline in audience and critical reception, due as much to fatigue rather to an outright dip in quality, which meant reviews were a secondary consideration.Trilogy of Errorsstill deserves its acclaim, though.
Adapting the traditional three-story formatestablished inTreehouse of Horrors, this episode takes a new approach, telling the same story from three different perspectives, adding new information with each cycle. Alongside22 Short Films About Springfield, this is arguably the series' peak for fleshing out the larger world of Springfield and making it feel lived in. Making use of its large cast of characters has been pivotal to differentiating the Simpsons against the many similar popular series it inspired.
2Dial ‘N’ for Nerder
Martin Prince is Dead
Humor is subjective after all, but for anyone who’s already come this far, there’s a good chance there’s a laugh or two to be found in this lesser-known episode.Dial ‘N’ for Nerderadopts a Zucker-Abrahams-style approach of packing one-liners into a brief story where Bart and Lisa think they have killed Martin in a prank gone wrong.
A memorial held at school where Skinner proclaims Martin to be known by many names, including Farting Prince and Martin the Brownnose Reindeer pretty much sums up the calibre of humor. It’s not highbrow, but it’s fast and plentiful in this quirky episode.
1The Heartbroke Kid
Childhood Obesity
Another excellent guest-starring performance from Albert Brooks, perhapsbest known as Hank Scorpio, cementsThe Heartbroke Kidas the top recommendation on this list. Brooks plays Tab Spangler, the lead counselor at a weight-loss camp Bart is sent to after becoming addicted to a new sugary snack.
Practically everything Spangler says is hilarious, with the easily incensed counselor often fumbling over his sentences and being confronted with inconsistent signage. Similar to the previous entry, it’s the relentless pacing of the throw-away one-liners that makes the episode a laugh riot.
