At this point, The Simpsons has pretty much been on forever. The show is currently in its 26th season, and there’s no end in sight. The quality has gone up and down over the years, but after three nearly decades, there’s no shortage of classic episodes, and the hardest part of naming the best episodes is simply narrowing it down to a succinct list. But we’ve done the hard work and come up with 5 of the very best Simpsons episodes: The funniest, most clever, and most emotional outings of everyone’s favorite yellow family.
5. Holidays of Future Passed
5. Holidays of Future Passed
There’s a common perception that The Simpsons’ best days are long behind it, but while the show may be a bit more hit and miss than it once was, episodes like Holidays of Future Passed show that the series is still capable of greatness.
Originally intended to be the series finale before the show was renewed, this episode shows us Christmas-time in a far-flung future, complete with District 9 aliens and hordes of suicidally incompetent Ralph clones.
Most holiday episodes are overstuffed with schmaltzy cliches, but Holidays of Future Passed manages to be heartwarming without going over the top, showing a Simpsons family that has matured and done their best to overcome their myriad of flaws
4. Homer the Heretic
Originally intended to be the series finale before the show was renewed, this episode shows us Christmas-time in a far-flung future, complete with District 9 aliens and hordes of suicidally incompetent Ralph clones.
Most holiday episodes are overstuffed with schmaltzy cliches, but Holidays of Future Passed manages to be heartwarming without going over the top, showing a Simpsons family that has matured and done their best to overcome their myriad of flaws
4. Homer the Heretic
Homer doesn’t much like going to church. In Homer the Heretic, he decides to give it up altogether and found his own religion, to the horror of Marge and Flanders.
The funny thing is that this episode actually makes an excellent point about how the ceremonial trappings of religion are far less important than following the spirit of its teachings. Homer rightly points out that living his life well is far more important than listening to a sermon.
Another interesting thing to note is that some Simpsons fans have started celebrating the Feast of Maximum Occupancy, a holiday Homer made up to get out of work.
3. Last Exit to Springfield
The funny thing is that this episode actually makes an excellent point about how the ceremonial trappings of religion are far less important than following the spirit of its teachings. Homer rightly points out that living his life well is far more important than listening to a sermon.
Another interesting thing to note is that some Simpsons fans have started celebrating the Feast of Maximum Occupancy, a holiday Homer made up to get out of work.
3. Last Exit to Springfield
“Who is it?”
“Goons.”
“Who?”
“Hired goons.”
“…Hired goons?”
It’s an epic showdown between Mr. Burns and union leader Homer Simpson as the nuclear plant workers fight for their dental plan (“Lisa needs braces!”). This episode stands as a shining example of The Simpsons at its best, with a classic gag nearly every few seconds. Who can forget the Big Book of British Smiles?
2. Deep Space Homer
“Goons.”
“Who?”
“Hired goons.”
“…Hired goons?”
It’s an epic showdown between Mr. Burns and union leader Homer Simpson as the nuclear plant workers fight for their dental plan (“Lisa needs braces!”). This episode stands as a shining example of The Simpsons at its best, with a classic gag nearly every few seconds. Who can forget the Big Book of British Smiles?
2. Deep Space Homer
Homer has had a lot of jobs over the years. His greatest achievement, though, was becoming an astronaut for NASA via the two sweetest words in the English language: de-fault.
Of course, sending Homer into space was never going to end well, and it’s not long before the mission is a surreal horror of space ants and zero-G potato chips.
Homer manages to save things from disaster and make it back to Earth… only to have the glory stolen by his greatest enemy: an inanimate carbon rod.
This is another example of The Simpsons at its very best, with nary a dull moment to be found in the entire whacky misadventure.
1. Homer the Great
Of course, sending Homer into space was never going to end well, and it’s not long before the mission is a surreal horror of space ants and zero-G potato chips.
Homer manages to save things from disaster and make it back to Earth… only to have the glory stolen by his greatest enemy: an inanimate carbon rod.
This is another example of The Simpsons at its very best, with nary a dull moment to be found in the entire whacky misadventure.
1. Homer the Great
“Who controls the British Crown? Who keeps the metric system down? We do! We do!”
The Simpsons reached its comedic height with this brilliantly ridiculous spoof of conspiracy theories surrounding groups like the Freemasons and the Illuminati. Homer stumbles upon the ancient mystic society known as the Stonecutters and manages to con his way into membership, only to become their Chosen One and all but destroy them in the process.
This episode also features an excellent guest spot by Patrick Stewart as the regal Stonecutter leader Number One.
Now let’s all get drunk and play ping pong!
The Simpsons reached its comedic height with this brilliantly ridiculous spoof of conspiracy theories surrounding groups like the Freemasons and the Illuminati. Homer stumbles upon the ancient mystic society known as the Stonecutters and manages to con his way into membership, only to become their Chosen One and all but destroy them in the process.
This episode also features an excellent guest spot by Patrick Stewart as the regal Stonecutter leader Number One.
Now let’s all get drunk and play ping pong!
