My Top 5 Simpsons Episodes

So, let me explain my train of thought on this one, because it's mildly interesting. It all starts with me not currently having a job. This creates loads of free time for me, as you can imagine. Now, things I think of to do only exhausts so much time each day. Thank the gods it's baseball season, or I'd really be in trouble.

In addition to watching all three seasons of Arrested Development again, I realized that for how many times I've seen all the Futurama episodes, and for how many years I've owned the DVDs, I've never listened to the audio commentary, which is practically blasphemy. I've now watched most of Volume 3 with the commentary on, which includes many great episodes including mine and IGN's consensus #1 (A link to IGN's tops 25 Futurama episodes here), "Amazon Women in the Mood." If you know me on Facebook, you can look at what I chose for my top 10. This led me to a much arduous task: picking my top 5 Simpsons episodes. Even if you eliminate the last 10 (forgettable anyway) years of the show's existence, this is still a tall order.

Entertainment Weekly has a pretty solid top 25 Simpsons episodes here. If you do a quick rundown of the list, you see that at least 20, probably more, of those episodes are on the other side of the millennium, and understandably so. If you want me to get to my picks already, you should know that most of the time spent typing this has really been buying me time to actually pick the episodes. It's tough!

A note: I don't know if I can possibly pick a definitive top 5, much less a #1, so these are all subject to change. This is also why I have 5 honorable mentions (which effectively makes this a top 10 list). Remember, this is also MY top 5, not what I think THE top 5 is.

#5. The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson - The premiere season 9 and the most recent of my personal faves, NY v. Homer is probably pushing itself up the list because now it's considered taboo. If you don't know or haven't guessed why, this is because a large portion of this episode involves the Twin Towers, so FOX pulled it from its rerun rotation after 9/11. I won't bore you with plot summaries, so I'll stick with reasons why these episodes make the list.

#4. Homer at the Bat - A late season 3 episode, this one makes it partially because I'm a baseball fan, so little jokes seem funnier to me. Don't mistake that for blind judgement though, this one does have a bit of everything. It also showed the power of this show by getting a full roster of major league superstars at the time to play themselves: Wade Boggs, Jose Canseco, Roger Clemens, Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly, Steve Sax, Mike Scioscia, Ozzie Smith, and Darryl Strawberry.

#3. 22 Short Films About Springfield - If only this one could be made an hour long. It was quite enjoyable to see many of the minor characters of the show get some limelight without devoting a normally tiresome episode to them. Secondary characters get some love, but it is a stretch when third tier characters normally known for one line/joke/stereotype are given serious screen time. They know who they are.

#2. Bart Gets an F - The premiere of Season 2, the first full season of this show. This was back when The Simpsons had more believable, character driven stories, and even jerked a tear or two from me near the end when I watched it most recently. Even in such great seasons as the 6th and 7th, you could feel The Simpsons of old slipping away into what is now mostly zany antics. It seems to me that Groening wanted a do-over and created Futurama, which throughout its existence has consistently produced excellent characters and memorable jokes and gags. Also, holding a show 1000 years in the future gives better excuse for zany antics, as one of their better credit gag lines read "You Can't Prove It Won't Happen." This episode also contains a wonderful quote from Lisa, combining her impeccable intellect and reasoning and her containment in a child's world: "I'm no theologian. I don't know who or what God is exactly. All I know is He's a force more powerful than Mom and Dad put together, and you owe him big."

#1. Bart Sells His Soul - I've mentioned this before as my possible favorite episode, and no matter how many times I make a list like this, this episode will consistently show up on it. It is the struggle I face as a scientific-minded yet intrigued agnostic put on screen for 23 minutes. I've even attempted, on more than one occasion, to buy someone's soul a la Milhouse as a social experiment (too afraid to try and sell mine). Both deals fell through. Nonetheless, a lesson is learned, jokes were made, but never before have the two been so perfect together in my mind.

Honorable Mentions (no particular order)

Homer's Barbershop Quartet - Once again flashing the power of the show, this one featured the voice talent of former Beatle George Harrison. In fact, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and Harrison have all lent their voices to the show at one point.

Separate Vocations - One of the great Bart-and-Lisa-centric episodes, this one has a great reversal of fortunes and personal sacrifice. Something this compelling I think has been missing from the show for awhile.

Marge vs. The Monorail - A consensus top episode, this one holds close to me because of The Music Man undertone. Also present I believe is the first of several Leonard Nimoy appearances on Groening related programming.

Homer Goes To College - Written by now Tonight Show Host Conan O'Brien (yes, that Conan) this one gets up there purely for the Animal House parodies, much like "Mars University" from Futurama.

King-Size Homer - Perhaps if this episode were made 8 years later, Homer may have faced a few more consequences after the "sudden" emergence that we have a serious obesity problem in the country. Regardless, this episode is just too funny to leave off any list.