Entertainment Weekly has picked their 25 favorite Simpsons episodes. The link is here at Top 25 Simpsons.
I thought the list was well put to together. My favorite episode “Marge versus the Monorail” was at number 4. They give fairly accurate descriptions of what’s good about the episodes.
The biggest condemnation against the Simpsons is that most of the favorites were early ninties. There was only one from 2000 on.
They left out “Bart the General” from the first season.
One of the best Simpsons episodes ever, IMHO.
“Last Exit to Springfield” and “Marge v. the Monorail” are pretty good, but “Cape Feare” and “Homer’s Phobia” in the top five? Definately third-rate episodes, at best.
Did you notice that a lot of the screencaps looked like they were taken off bad videotape copies? Pretty sad for a national magazine.
Cape Feare doesn’t belong there, nor does the Spinoff Showcase–great idea, so-so execution.
I was always fond of the the one with Marge in the musical version of A Streetcar Named Desire–“A stranger’s just a friend you’ve never met!”
And, just to show I don’t hate all the more recent episodes: the Behind the Laughter episode should be on that list.
Well, I give their list a big thumbs down because it doesn’t even contain what I consider the: funniest-episode-ever: Homer’s Enemy (the first Frank Grimes episode). Unceasing, overbearing, unstoppable, abusive sarcasm from start to finish!
I’m shcked that the casino episode didn’t even make the list. That episode is one of my all time favorites. The Treehouse of Horror with the killer krusty doll also deserved to be on there
I liked the first two, but that one was too good - I was utterly repulsed. I can’t even watch that segment anymore.
Any top 25 list of mine would include In Marge We Trust in the top five. IMO, Mr. Sparkle is the funniest sub plot of any Simpsons episode.
My only comment on this list is how could they have included “I Love Lisa” but not made any mention of the “Mediocre Presidents” song? That is still my favorite Simpsons song.
Not a bad list. I would definitely have excluded the Spin-Off Showcase and included “El Viaje Myseterioso de Nuestro Jomer”.
I’ve always thought that “Lisa the Vegetarian” was one of their best efforts.
Exactly. How could have I forgot the epic performance from Johnny Cash?
No “Lemon Of Troy”? Heresy.
Major props for including “Flaming Moe’s,” but “Lisa’s Substitute” shoulda been on there too.
Anyone for…
[color=blue]KRUSTY GETS CANCELLED?!?!?!?!?![/color=blue]
(…that oughta hold the little s.o.b.'s…)
The Mr. X episode was my favorite
You Only Move Twice was not included. I cannot, therefore, take this list seriously.
I thought Cape Feare was a pretty good episode. I think it placed unnaturally high, but I’d put it on the list somewhere.
But Homer’s Phobia? Dear God no! That’s just wrong in so many ways.
Overall I think the list is really quite good, better than a lot of Simpsons lists I’ve seen. I do have issue with How I Spent My Strummer Vacation, though. Average at best. I think that and Homer’s Phobia should have been replaced with Lisa’s Substitute and A Streetcar Named Marge.
I’ve always been partial to Lord of the Flies and the Stonecutters (actually called Homer the Great), and was disappointed to see that neither of them made the list.
Needs more Deep Space Homer, needs more Homer’s Enemy, needs more Call of the Simpsons, needs more Trilogy of Error.
And maybe most of all, needs a lot more Bart’s Friend Falls in Love.
“Last Exit to Springfield” is my favorite episode, and it made their list at #1. 
“Behind the Laughter” was a glaring exclusion.