My Top 10 Simpsons Episodes
For no good reason:
10. “Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in ‘Curse of the Flying Hellfish,’” S7, episode 22.
9. “Homer Vs. The 18th Amendment,” S8, episode 18.
8.
7. “Lisa The Beauty Queen,” S4, episode 3.
6. “Whacking Day,” S4, Episode 20.
5. “Cape Feare,” S5, episode 2.
4. “Homer at the Bat,” S3, episode 17.
3. “Marge vs. The Monorail,” S4, episode 12.
2. “Sweet Seymour Skinner’s Baadasssss Song,” S5, episode 19.
1. “Last Exit To Springfield,” S4, episode 17.
Honorable mentions: “Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie,” “Homie The Clown,” “Krusty Gets Kancelled,” “Summer of 4 Ft. 2,” “22 Short Films About Springfield,” ”The Secret War of Lisa Simpson,” and “Lisa on Ice.”
I’m writing this list because it occurred to me the other day that I’ve stopped watching “The Simpsons.” This is probably not a big deal for most people, but I used to get twitchy unless I could see at least three of the four reruns that Fox aired on a daily basis. Now I’ve realized I’ve missed an entire season — including the Neil Gaiman guest appearance (!) — and I haven’t suffered the slightest withdrawal pains.
It’s a sad commentary on my life, I know.
But now that I’ve got a little distance on what was once an obsession, I decided to write a post about all the eps of “The Simpsons” that inspired my once-compulsive watching. And this is it. This is my desert island list. (If I were to be stranded with a custom-burned DVD, DVD player, HDTV, and sufficient provisions and electricity, of course.) Longtime Simpsons fans will not be surprised that most of the episodes are from what I lovingly refer to the magic seasons, three through five. “Last Exit to Springfield” makes almost every Simpsons fanatic’s top ten list, so no big shock there, either. (“Dental plan!” “Lisa needs braces!” “Dental plan!” “Lisa needs braces!”)
But I divert from the purists by including two from seasons seven and eight, even if they are ranked lower than the others. And my second-favorite episode isn’t even written by John Swartzwelder, who is perhaps the quintessential Simpsons writer. Looking at the actual top 10, in fact, Swartzwelder gets credit for only three of the episodes. Don’t get me wrong. I love Swartzwelder’s ability to seamlessly insert the completely absurd into an episode — like the concept of a whole town that celebrates the slaughter of reptiles in “Whacking Day.” That slight touch of the surreal made the show as great as it was in the magic seasons. But it turns out I’m more of a sucker for the sentimental, sappy endings, like the hug between Skinner and Bart at the end of “Baadasssss Song” or the moment when Lisa forgives Homer at the end of “Beauty Queen.”
