The 20 Best Episodes of The Simpsons

"Marge vs. the Monorail Released 1993"

"I've sold monorails to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, and by gum it put them on the map!"

It's not as dramatically rich as something like "Rosebud," but "Marge vs. the Monorail" might just be the most consistently funny and entertaining Simpsons episode ever. Marge was able to take point in this episode (something that didn't happen all that often in the early seasons), as she questioned the town's decisions to spend $3 million on a monorail system. Homer got to add another entry to his ever-growing resume when he became monorail conductor. And everyone in town got to join in on a monorail-themed musical number that still ranks among the show's best.

"Marge vs. the Monorail" also boasted a pair of terrific celebrity guest stars. Phil Hartman played his most memorable character not named Troy McClure or Lionel Hutz when he appeared as the monorail-shilling con artist Lyle Lanley. And Leonard Nimoy offered plenty of laughs when he appeared as himself.

From Homer's opening song spoofing The Flintstones to the climactic runaway monorail chase, this episode delivered the goods.

"Rosebud Released 1993"

"Look at all the wonderful things you have, Mr. Burns. King Arthur's Excalibur, the only existing nude photo of Mark Twain, and that rare first draft of the Constitution with the word 'suckers' in it."

If The Real Ghostbusters could get away with spoofing Citizen Kane for an entire episode, why not The Simpsons? This episode certainly made good use of the premise, as Mr. Burns launched into a quest to recover the lost innocence of his childhood in the form of a forgotten teddy bear named Bobo. Unfortunately for him, Bobo had already fallen into the hands of one Maggie Simpson.

"Rosebud" succeeded in humanizing the show's most evil and despicable character. You couldn't help but feel bad for the poor guy who had everything money could buy except the one thing he actually wanted. And the episode created a great conflict for Homer, who was torn between his desire to appease his boss (and score a hefty financial reward) and ensure his daughter's happiness. "Rosebud" was an unusually heartwarming episode that fleshed out several key relationships on the show.

"Cape Feare Released 1993"

It's become tradition for Kelsey Grammer to return to The Simpsons every few years to reprise his role as Sideshow Bob and continue Bob's fruitless quest to murder Bart. "Cape Feare" marks the second time Bob escaped justice and resumed his quest. And it set the gold standard as far as Sideshow Bob episodes go.

"Cape Feare" spoofed the classic revenge film Cape Fear and its 1991 remake, as well as slasher films in general. With Bob on the loose and sending Bart death threats, the Simpsons had no choice but to enter witness protection and become "The Thompsons." But even that wasn't enough to halt Bob's warpath. Garden rakes, on the other hand...

Here is another episode where the quality of the writing elevated everything. From Bart seeing potential killers around every corner to Bob being tricked into performing the entirety of The H.M.S. Pinafore, the laughs never let up. And it showcased Bob at his most deliciously evil. Later Bob episodes have given him a family and complicated his relationship with the Simpson family. There's something to be said for his single-minded obsession in this episode.

"Treehouse of Horror V Released 1994"

"What do you think, Marge? All I need is a title. I was thinking along the lines of "No TV and no beer make Homer something something..."

"Go crazy?"

"DON"T MIND IF I DO!!!"

We always enjoy the annual Treehouse of Horror Specials, even if the writers have pretty well run out of horror tropes and franchises to spoof by now. But while many of these specials are amusing, none can match the wit and brilliance of the fifth installment.

Treehouse V kicked off with an inspired spoof of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, as Homer slowly went insane serving as winter caretaker of Mr. Burns' TV-less, beer-less summer cottage. That was followed by a segment where Homer repeatedly went back in time and created various comical, alternate futures. And finally, the episode wrapped up with a tale of Springfield Elementary's staff trying to eat their students.

Not only was each of the three segments hilarious on its on, they all tied together in ways you don't usually see from these episodes. Treehouse V offered just the right blend of satire, black humor, and gore.

"Lisa the Vegetarian Released 1995"

No episode has so successfully explored Lisa's struggle to reconcile her views and beliefs with the world around her as "Lisa the Vegetarian." Here, a visit to a petting zoo convinced Lisa that eating meat was wrong. And one tragically sabotaged barbecue later, she managed to turn half of Springfield against her and her vegetarian crusade. She learned the hard way that you don't make friends with salad.

The conflict culminated in one of the most memorable celebrity guest appearances in the show's history. Apu teamed up with his friends Paul and Lina McCartney to teach Lisa about the joys of vegetarianism and an important lesson about tolerating other peoples' viewpoints, even when they annoy you. Not only is this one of the show's more quotable episodes, it also offers a good life lesson for people of all beliefs and backgrounds.

"22 Short Films About Springfield Released 1996"

The Simpsons may revolve around the exploits of Homer and his family, but by Season 7 Matt Groening and company had built up a pretty sizable and eclectic supporting cast. This Season 7 premiere allowed the many minor players of Springfield to step into the spotlight for brief adventures of their own.

As the title suggests, "22 Short Films" offered up a number of short vignettes that explored various Springfield residents as they went about their daily lives. The episode focused on everything from Kirk's quest to find Milhouse a bathroom to Chief Wiggum's Pulp Fiction-style mishaps to Principal Skinner cooking "steamed hams" for Superintendent Chalmers to Nelson finally bullying the wrong guy. All of it was amusing, and it all fit together into a larger tapestry of absurdity.

There have been rumors in the past of Fox commissioning a Simpsons spinoff that focuses solely on the non-Simpsons characters. This episode proves that there's plenty of potential in such a concept

"Last Exit to Springfield Released 1993"

"Dental plan!"

"Lisa needs braces."

"Dental plan!"

"Lisa needs braces."

"Dental plan!"

"Lisa needs braces."

One need only utter the phrase "dental plan" to a Simpsons fanatic to bring up memories of this classic episode. "Last Exit to Springfield" fired on all cylinders as it foisted Homer into the role of union president for the power plant workers. Despite his gross incompetence, Homer actually did a pretty good job of sticking up for his co-workers' rights and ensuring that Lisa would get the braces she needed so as not to wind up looking like a cave troll by age 18.

All the gags were memorable in this installment, from the spot-on spoof of Joker's debut in Batman '89 to Homer's appearance on Smartline to Mr. Burns' typing monkey room. And compared to most episodes of the day, it was unusually story-driven and surreal.

"Mr. Plow Released 1992"

"Mr. Plow, that's my name! That name again is Mr. Plow!"

Speaking of Homer's impressive resume, at one point he ran a successful snow plow business and became a minor town celebrity in the process. That is, until Barney decided to hone in on Mr. Plow's turf by becoming The Plow King. Much like "Flaming Moe's," this episode succeeded in fleshing out one of Homer's drinking buddies and developed a rivalry between the two. Between the jacket and the catchy jingle, this still remains one of Homer's most memorable side jobs.

"Deep Space Homer Released 1994"

"One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords."

Many, many Simpsons episodes have revolved around Homer getting a new job, usually of the very implausible and temporary variety. The formula is a little played out now, but it certainly wasn't in Season 5 when Homer was chosen by NASA to blast off into orbit with Buzz Aldrin and Race Banyon.

This premise resulted in one of the most iconic Simpsons scenes of all time, as Homer devoured a bag of chips in zero gravity to the tune of Strauss' "Blue Danube," accidentally crashed into the shuttle's ant farm, and led Springfielders to believe they were being invaded by an army of giant space ants.

In the end, Homer got to realize a personal dream. But in true Simpsons fashion, he didn't get any fame or credit for saving the shuttle. That honor went to an inanimate carbon rod.

"Round Springfield Released 1995"

"What I'm saying is, all we have to do is go down to the pound and get a new jazzman."

Bleeding Gums Murphy was a fun but largely forgettable character introduced early on in the show's first season. But he returned in a big way in Season 6. This episode saw Bart wind up in the hospital thanks to a bad box of Krusty-O's, but it was Lisa who truly suffered when she learned that Bleeding Gums was dying.

This episode offered an effective mix of humor and tragedy (often at the same time, as with the Lion King cloud parody). And it dealt with the pain of death and losing loved ones in a way the show only rarely has before or since. And it allowed Bart to offer a rare gesture of generosity to his sister. Sadly, we never found out if his plan to take advantage of Krusty-O's with flesh-eating bacteria ever panned out.

"You Only Move Twice Released 1996"

"I can't buy that. Only management guys with big salaries like me can afford that Guys like me! I'm a guy like me!"

A few years ago, we voted Albert Brooks as The Simpsons' greatest celebrity guest star. He's played a number of memorable roles over the years, but none better than Hank Scorpio. Scorpio managed to simultaneously be the world's nicest, most peppy boss this side of Chris Traeger and a secret, megalomaniacal supervillain with dreams of world domination. At one point we even saw him in the process of murdering James Bond with an elaborate death trap.

Scorpio may have been the highlight of this episode, but the Simpsons themselves didn't disappoint either. It turned out that only Homer was happy with the family's move from Springfield to the clean, idyllic Cypress Creek. Marge had no house chores to keep her busy, Bart was dumped into the remedial class, and Lisa discovered she was horribly allergic to the local flora. In one of his more fatherly moments, Homer wound up sacrificing his personal happiness in favor of his family. But hey, at least he got an NFL team out of the deal.

"Homer at the Bat Released 1992"

"No, Smithers, I've decided to bring in a few ringers. Professional baseballers. We'll give them token jobs at the plant and have them play on our softball team. Honus Wagner, Cap Anson, Mordecai '3-Finger' Brown..."

Celebrity guest appearances are incredibly commonplace on The Simpsons nowadays, with most episodes featuring at least one Hollywood icon stopping by. But they were used a little more sparingly back in the good old days, and rarely were the celebrity guest stars as integral to an episode's plot as they were in "Homer at the Bat." In this episode, Homer found the opportunity for a little athletic glory as the star of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team. That is, until Mr. Burns decided to cheat and hire a who's who lineup of MLB players to work at his plant and guarantee total victory on the diamond.

What followed was a hilarious series of increasingly implausible developments as each player was knocked off the board for one reason or another. Ken Griffey, Jr. suffered crippling gigantism. Roger Clemens was hypnotized into believing he was a chicken. Ozzie Smith became trapped in "The Springfield Mystery Spot." In the end, Homer had his chance for glory. And it all wrapped up with Terry Cashman singing a clever parody of his song "Talkin' Baseball."

"A Fish Called Selma Released 1996"

"I hate every chimp I see, from Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z! Oh, you'll never make a monkey out of me!!!"

"A Fish Called Selma" was a great opportunity for two of the show's lesser characters to step into the spotlight and grow a little. This episode allowed Selma to do something more than serve as one half of Homer's evil spinster step-sisters. And it gave Troy McClure the role he was born to play when he starred in Planet of the Apes: The Musical.

The musical is easily the highlight of this episode thanks to its clever song lyrics and winning send-up of the classic sci-fi franchise. But it also featured great character work as McClure struggled to revive an ailing career and Selma wrestled with the question of whether a sham marriage was better than being alone.

"Kamp Krusty Released 1992"

"Dear Mom and Dad, I no longer fear hell, because I've been to Kamp Krusty."

You'd think at some point Bart would stop idolizing Krusty the Klown. But even after all the razor-sharp Krusty-Os and the former Krusty sidekicks trying to murder him, Bart still looks to Krusty as his personal hero. The closest he ever came to losing faith was in "Kamp Krusty," where he and Lisa spent a summer wallowing in misery in "The Krustiest Place on Earth."

The scenes of kids toiling and suffering while the camp counselors basked in luxury and relished their tyrannical power hit all too close to home for many Simpsons fans. These scenes of camp-induced misery allowed the writers to parody everything from Ben Hur to The French Lieutenant's Woman. But the highlight came when the children revolted and created a Lord of the Flies-style cult calling out for Krusty's blood. It was hilarious to watch as one glimpse of Bart on TV was enough to rob Homer of all the health and happiness he had gained in his week's with no children.

"Bart of Darkness Released 1994"

"I'M A MUR-DIDDLY-ER-DLER!!!"

"If that's not Flanders, he's done his homework."

If you've ever been trapped in a boring summer vacation without end, you'll understand what Bart went through in this episode. While Bart was stuck indoors with a broken leg and little but bad TV to keep him entertained ("Ugh... Klassic Krusty..."), Lisa was able to bask in her newfound popularity as the girl with a swimming pool. Seeing Bart descend into madness was funny, but the episode really hit its stride when it launched into a parody of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, as Bart and Lisa investigated the possibility that Flanders murdered his wife. As with everything on this show, the truth was more bizarre and entertaining.

"Flaming Moe's Released 1991"

"Moe, I haven't seen the place this crowded since the government cracked down on you for accepting food stamps."

With as much alcohol as Homer consumes, it wasn't too surprising to learn in "Flaming Moe's" that he can mix a mean drink or two. Homer's bizarre creation, The Flaming Homer, brought a new level of success and prestige to Moe's Tavern. But leave it to Moe to hog all the credit and leave his friend and most loyal customer out in the cold.

"Flaming Moe's" is just an all-around great episode, with a steady stream of gags and one-liners and some nice character growth for Moe, who up till that point had mostly just been the surly bartender who always fell victim to prank calling. And the episode featured a guest appearance by Aerosmith, which was pretty cool.

"Bart the Lover Released 1992"

"Truly, yours is a butt that won't quit."

Edna Krabappel's romantic misadventures have often been a focus on the series, as have her clashes with Bart, every teacher's worst nightmare. This episode combined both conflicts as it explored Edna's sad, lonely existence and the emergence of a bond between teacher and student. Bart pranked Mrs. K with a series of love letters inspired by his parents' own letters, only to feel a pang of regret when he realized the emotional damage he had caused. Luckily, it all worked out okay in the end.

This episode also benefited from an musing subplot involving Homer struggling to build a doghouse and accidentally teaching Todd Flanders how to swear. It had to happen sometime.

"Itchy & Scratchy Land Released 1994"

"We need more Bort license plates in the Gift Shop. Repeat, we are sold out of Bort license plates."

How can you not love an episode that simultaneously parodies Jurassic Park and the Walt Disney empire? This episode sees the Simpsons travel to the new Itchy & Scratchy theme park for their summer trip. And naturally, it's only a matter of time before Homer and Bart's promise not to embarrass Marge completely falls apart. Luckily, a little Chaos Theory causes an uprising of animatronic Itchy and Scratchy robots, providing for some much-needed family bonding. Anyone who has experienced the overwhelming assault of capitalism and corporate mascots that is Disney World can appreciate this episode.

"Radioactive Man Released 1995"

"My eyes! Ze goggles do nothing!"

With "Radioactive Man," various characters learned that the glamorous allure of Hollywood doesn't always live up to the reality. The episode saw a Hollywood studio choose Springfield as the location to shoot their big-budget Radioactive Man movie (starring Ranier Wolfcastle, of course). Bart's dreams of playing Fallout Boy were dashed when the role went to Milhouse. For his part, Milhouse wanted no part of the fame, fortune, and constant hassle that come with child stardom. Meanwhile, production ground to halt as Mayor Quimby and the rest of Springfield bled the studio dry with bogus taxes and fees. In the end, nobody won, especially not Wolfcastle as he was swept away by a river of toxic waste.

This episode was a great spoof of both Hollywood and superhero films, aiming its barbs at the Batman franchise in particular.

"Who Shot Mr. Burns? - Parts 1 & 2 Released 1995"

"Ever since the beginning of time, man has yearned to destroy the sun. I shall do the next best thing: block it out."

We're cheating a bit on this one by technically including two episodes, its true. To date, "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" remains the only two-part storyline the show has ever tackled. And it was a gleeful parody of the infamous "Who Shot J.R.?" storyline on the 1980's soap opera Dallas.

The first episode closed out Season 6, as Mr. Burns managed to piss off just about every resident of Springfield by stealing oil, blocking out the sun, firing Smithers, and still forgetting Homer's name. The episode ended on a cliffhanger, with Burns shot and dozens of Springfielders as potential culprits. Season 7 continued the drama as Chief Wiggum investigated the crime and Lisa raced to clear her father's name before he actually killed his boss.

Both episodes were funny, certainly, but we also appreciate their darker edge and the mystery that kept Simpsons fanatics speculating and debating all through the summer of 1995.