# EW's Top 25 Simpsons **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570 "2003-02-03T19:50:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![desdinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@desdinova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desdinova)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/41 "2003-02-04T20:07:30Z")
Although I share many of the complaints listed here, they got it right on the money with _Last Exit to Springfield_ in the #1 slot. It’s simply the pinnacle of the Simpsons writing craft… 1.) Timeless satire. This stuff will be relevant for decades to come. Well, we might have to explain the reference to the first Batman movie, but that’s about it. 2.) It takes pot-shots at EVERYTHING. Organized labor, greedy fat-cats, malevolent dentists, you name it, it’s all fair game. 3.) All the memorable one-liners you could ever hope for, one after another after another. Including one of the best uses to date of the word “Yoink!”, as well as “Sorry Mr. Burns, I don’t go in for these back-door shenanigans.” 4.) Greatest use of a day-dream sequence EVAR! It’s worth the price of admission just to hear Homer say “molto benne.” 5.) Non-sequiturs out the wazoo. Why in the hell would Lenny get a diamond put on his tooth? 6.) Who couldn’t possibly love Mr. Burns’ tour of his mansion? “It was the best of times, it was the BLURST of times!?! YOU STUPID MONKEY!” 7.) It’s basically cheap sentimentality free. 8.) Burns Sr’s turn of the century atom smashing factory was simply pure gold. In short, this is the single best episode to represent the entire series, hands down. ---
**Author:** ![MrThompson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MrThompson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrThompson)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/42 "2003-02-04T21:03:28Z")
My favourite’s always been “Cape Feare”, so I’m glad to see it so high. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/43 "2003-02-04T21:14:24Z")
“Hrgh! Now when I say, ‘Hello, Mr. Thompson’ and step on your foot, you smile and nod.” ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/44 "2003-02-04T21:30:13Z")
I have a soft spot for “Homer Goes to College” “Excuse me, Professor Egghead . . .” ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/45 "2003-02-06T00:39:15Z")
Ditto on _Lisa’s Substitute, Homer and Apu_ and _El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer_ as the most glaring exclusions (though I also miss _Deep Space Homer_). The terrible Spin-off episode definitely does not belong there, nor does the completely unfunny Poochy episode. And I don’t see what everyone likes about the thorously horrid Frank Grimes episode.😕 ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/46 "2003-02-06T01:22:07Z")
And I don’t see why everyone hates the Mel Gibson episode. Come on, he does the Curly Shuffle with a machine gun!!! Pure comedic gold. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/47 "2003-02-06T01:35:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alias \* > \*\*And I don’t see why everyone hates the Mel Gibson episode. Come on, he does the Curly Shuffle with a machine gun!!! > > Pure comedic gold. \*\* “All in favor, say DIE!!” “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.” And _I_ don’t see why everyone hates **Bart to the Future**. “Oh, what a bleak and horrible future we live in!” “You mean present, right dad?” “Right, right. Present.” “Dad - isn’t Soylent Green people?” “Oh, here we go…” “No, that’s Crazy Talk, my brother-in-law.” “You pay now!” “What happened to you, China? You used to be cool.” “Hey - China still cool! You pay Later!!” ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/48 "2003-02-06T02:00:43Z")
Has it really been 300 episodes? Holy smokes. I feel kind of bad, having stopped regularly watching after episode 150 or so (watched no more than 2-3 episodes per season the last 5 years.) The list was decent, but I strongly object to #5, “Homer’s Phobia.” That’s not even a top 50 episode. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by watsonwil \* > **But how on Earth could they leave off my #1 choice- Mountain of Madness? The funniest episode ever. This is the one where the Plant has a team building retreat in the snowy mountains.** **watsonwil** , those bastards! Oh, the Mountain of Madness! (Swoons.) God I _love_ that episode! Definitely a top 5. Homer: “We could build snowmen.” Burns: “No. I have a better idea. We could build _real_ men, out of snow.” … Burns (thinking): I’m trapped with a madman. Look at him, staring into me, filling my mind with paranoid thoughts. Homer: Look at this eyes. He’s trying to hypnotize me, but not in the good Las Vegas way. Burns: I know what he’s up to. He’s thinking of killing me, and riding my carcass down the mountain to safety. _He’s truly gone mad, if he’s thinking that._ ---
**Author:** ![quixotic78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3ab097/32.png) [@quixotic78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quixotic78)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/49 "2003-02-06T06:56:18Z")
The list was pretty good, but I’m amazed at the number of people who like “Cape Feare”! I’m always a little embarrassed to admit that that’s my favorite, because of the rake scene… but it is! “Dear Lisa, today I am very sad because our government has been taken over by **the benevolent General Krull. All hail Krull and his glorious new regime! Sincerely, Little Girl.** ” CLASSIC. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/50 "2003-02-06T13:28:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JohnT \* > \*\*" ‘Homer vs. the City of New York.’ Granted, the second one doesn’t get aired much since 9/11…" > > #13, **Annie**. Though the other one isn’t on the list. \*\* Whoosh and Whoops! I was thinking in terms of the top 10. The longest I have ever laughed at a Simpsons gag was the ending of the 138th Showcase Special. “But for that ending to work, you’d have to ignore all the Simpson DNA evidence. And that would be downright nutty.” While the recent episode where Homer stood trail for murder was really, really lame, I did notice in the rerun the newspaper headline “HO. J. SIMPSON TRAIL BEGINS.” Keep those gags coming, Simpsons people. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/51 "2003-02-06T17:52:19Z")
I’ll throw in my vote for the Prohibition episode - not sure of the episode’s title, but it ROCKED! Homer rolling on the lawn, on fire: it almost killed me (started choking I was laughing so hard - actually passed out for a second or two) ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/52 "2003-02-06T22:06:18Z")
Alright. I’ll step up to the plate and offer my top 25 in the place of this one. You’ll notice a glaring absence of VERY old episodes or very recent ones. 1 Mountain of Madness BEST MOMENT: “Sir, I am in your debt.” 2 Itchy and Scrathcy Land BEST MOMENT: TIE-(1)“No one ruins my vaction but me…or maybe the boy!” (2) When you get to Hell, tell 'em Itchy sent ya!" 3 Homer’s Barbershop Quartet BEST MOMENT: “Baby on Board…something something…Burt Ward” 4 You Only Move Twice BEST MOMENT: Homer tackles James Bond 5 Mr. Plow BEST MOMENT: “Jimmy Carter is passed out on the couch.” 6 Homer Badman BEST MOMENT: Homer’s Pop rocks/Buzz Cola hand grenade. 7 I Love Lisa BEST MOMENT: The school play. (specifically, “Take THAT, Chester A. Arthur!” 8 Team Homer BEST MOMENT: The Stereotypes (“They BEGGED me to join!”) 9 Trouble With Trillons BEST MOMENT: The OTHER item in Mr. Burns’ wallet. 10 Bart vs. Australia BEST MOMENT: “Oh Beautiful…” 11 A Fish Called Selma BEST MOMENT: The Mobsters and “I told you her _sleeps with the fishes_” (which has been cut from the syndicated versions! 12 Lemon of Troy BEST MOMENT: “So this is what it feels like when the Doves cry!” 13 Lisa Gets an A BEST MOMENT: Mr. Pinchy’s final fate. 14 Lisa the Iconoclast BEST MOMENT: “Chester A. Arthritis” (I must be a sucker for Chester A. Arthur jokes!) 15 Homer the Great BEST MOMENT: “We’re havin’ ribs!” 16 Homer vs. the 18th Amendment BEST MOMENT: “If we don’t come back, avenge our deaths.” 17 Homer at the Bat BEST MOMENT: “That’s right, Strawberry!” 18 Behind the Laughter BEST MOMENT: “I was SO gay!” 19 Two Bad Neighbors BEST MOMENT: Disco Stu 20 Rosebud BEST MOMENT: “Damn, Papparazzi!” 21 Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington BEST MOMENT: Nelson’s speech 22 Who Shot Mr. Burns? BEST MOMENT: Doctor Hibbert pointing to the audience asking “Can You?” and then we realize he’s pointing at Cheif Wiggum. 23 Homer’s Enemy BEST MOMENT: “He had three beers at lunch!” 24 Milhouse Divided BEST MOMENT: Mr. Van Houton’s firing. 25 The Mansion Family BEST MOMENT: “Implied ORAL Consent!” ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570/53 "2003-02-07T17:17:52Z")
I never really saw the spark in **Homer’s Enemy** , although I’ve enjoyed it more on subsequent viewings. I agree that **Behind the Laughter** is a glaring omission. But what’s all this venom towards “Homer’s Phobia”? Although suffering from a somewhat weak ending and being something of a Peggy Sue, I thought this episode is one of the best hands down. How can anyone forget: Well boy? How do you feel? I kinda want a cigarette. Great! What’s your brand, son? Anything slim! D’oh! –Cliffy P.S. Wil, you got the best moment wrong on **Trouble With Trillions** , which should be “If it’s a crime to love one’s country, then I’m guilty. And if it’s a crime to steal a trillion dollars, then I’m guilty of that too. And if it’s a crime to bribe a jury, then I’ll soon be guilty of that too!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ews-top-25-simpsons/152570.md?page=2)