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The Best Episodes of The Simpsons

Every episode of The Simpsons ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Simpsons!

Binge this in 12d 15h•Peaking at 9.3/10

Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    The Simpsons Season 8 Episode 23 - Homer's Enemy
    9.3/10(7878 votes)

    #1 - Homer's Enemy

    S8:E23

    A hardworking new employee at the power plant is consumed with resentment at Homer's undeserved success.

    Director:Jim Reardon
    Writer:John Swartzwelder

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  2. The Simpsons Season 5 Episode 2 - Cape Feare
    9.2/10(6693 votes)

    #2 - Cape Feare

    S5:E2

    The Simpsons go incognito to avoid the newly paroled Sideshow Bob, who's out to get Bart.

    Director:Rich Moore
    Writer:Jon Vitti

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  3. The Simpsons Season 6 Episode 6 - Treehouse of Horror V
    9.2/10(6094 votes)

    #3 - Treehouse of Horror V

    S6:E6

    Lack of beer and cable TV make Homer a crazed killer; the present is altered by a time-traveling Homer; and Principal Skinner turns detention students into food.

    Director:Jim Reardon
    Writers:Dan McGrath, Bob Kushell, Greg Daniels, David X. Cohen

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  4. The Simpsons Season 6 Episode 25 - Who Shot Mr. Burns? (1)
    9.2/10(5426 votes)

    #4 - Who Shot Mr. Burns? (1)

    S6:E25

    Mr. Burns makes many enemies when he steals the oil discovered beneath Springfield Elementary.

    Directors:Wes Archer, Jeffrey Lynch
    Writers:Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein

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  5. The Simpsons Season 8 Episode 2 - You Only Move Twice
    9.2/10(7286 votes)

    #5 - You Only Move Twice

    S8:E2

    In an idyllic planned community, Homer works for a new boss who has trouble with the government. Meanwhile, the rest of the family has difficulty dealing with the bucolic burg.

    Director:Mike B. Anderson
    Writer:John Swartzwelder

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  6. The Simpsons Season 4 Episode 12 - Marge vs. the Monorail
    9.1/10(6688 votes)

    #6 - Marge vs. the Monorail

    S4:E12

    When Springfield gets a sudden windfall, a charismatic traveling salesman convinces the town to build a monorail.

    Director:Rich Moore
    Writer:Conan O'Brien

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Simpsons

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  7. The Simpsons Season 8 Episode 10 - The Springfield Files
    9.1/10(5480 votes)

    #7 - The Springfield Files

    S8:E10

    Homer witnesses something out of this world in Springfield woods, but no one believes him -- not even FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who come to investigate the incident.

    Director:Steven Dean Moore
    Writer:Reid Harrison

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  8. The Simpsons Season 4 Episode 17 - Last Exit to Springfield
    9.0/10(6047 votes)

    #8 - Last Exit to Springfield

    S4:E17

    Union president Homer fights to keep the dental plan.

    Director:Mark Kirkland
    Writers:Jay Kogen, Wallace Wolodarsky

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  9. The Simpsons Season 6 Episode 9 - Homer Badman
    9.0/10(5465 votes)

    #9 - Homer Badman

    S6:E9

    When Homer gropes for a gummy candy stuck to the babysitter's pants, she mistakes his intentions and turns the town against him.

    Director:Jeffrey Lynch
    Writer:Greg Daniels

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  10. The Simpsons Season 6 Episode 12 - Homer the Great
    9.0/10(5140 votes)

    #10 - Homer the Great

    S6:E12

    Homer joins the secret society of the Stonecutters and is suddenly exalted when the brethren discover his birthmark. The ancient order is shaken to the core by the ineptitude of its new Chosen One.

    Director:Jim Reardon
    Writer:John Swartzwelder

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  11. The Simpsons Season 7 Episode 1 - Who Shot Mr. Burns? (2)
    9.0/10(4941 votes)

    #11 - Who Shot Mr. Burns? (2)

    S7:E1

    With Mr. Burns shot, Chief Wiggum investigates the crime, and nearly everyone in town has a motive. At the end, it all comes down to the Simpson DNA.

    Director:Wes Archer
    Writers:Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein

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  12. The Simpsons Season 7 Episode 7 - King-Size Homer
    9.0/10(5342 votes)

    #12 - King-Size Homer

    S7:E7

    Homer tries to gain sixty pounds so he can stay home on disability. When he nearly causes a catastrophe at the plant, Homer reconsiders his plan.

    Director:Jim Reardon
    Writer:Dan Greaney

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  13. The Simpsons Season 7 Episode 21 - 22 Short Films About Springfield
    9.0/10(4777 votes)

    #13 - 22 Short Films About Springfield

    S7:E21

    Bart and Milhouse wonder if anything interesting happens to the citizens of Springfield, which leads to a series of interconnected vignettes.

    Director:Jim Reardon
    Writers:Steve Tompkins, Jonathan Collier, Rachel Pulido, Greg Daniels, Brent Forrester, Bill Oakley, David X. Cohen, Richard Appel, Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Jennifer Crittenden

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  14. The Simpsons Season 9 Episode 1 - The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
    9.0/10(5713 votes)

    #14 - The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson

    S9:E1

    Designated driver Barney absconds to Manhattan in Homer's car and leaves it there. But when the family journeys to the Big Apple to retrieve their property, Homer discovers his car has been booted.

    Director:Jim Reardon
    Writer:Ian Maxtone-Graham

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  15. The Simpsons Season 4 Episode 3 - Homer the Heretic
    8.9/10(5931 votes)

    #15 - Homer the Heretic

    S4:E3

    After skipping church one Sunday morning, Homer decides to quit church altogether and spend Sundays worshiping in his own way -- with cigars and beer.

    Director:Jim Reardon
    Writer:George Meyer

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  16. The Simpsons Season 6 Episode 13 - And Maggie Makes Three
    8.9/10(4692 votes)

    #16 - And Maggie Makes Three

    S6:E13

    The story of Maggie's birth is told in flashbacks: after Homer quits the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to pursue his dream of working at a bowling alley, Marge reveals that she is pregnant.

    Director:Swinton O. Scott III
    Writer:Jennifer Crittenden

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  17. The Simpsons Season 8 Episode 18 - Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment
    8.9/10(4168 votes)

    #17 - Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment

    S8:E18

    When Prohibition is revived in Springfield, Homer and Bart supply the town with alcohol.

    Director:Bob Anderson
    Writer:John Swartzwelder

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  18. The Simpsons Season 2 Episode 11 - One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish
    8.8/10(6133 votes)

    #18 - One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish

    S2:E11

    After eating poisonous blowfish at a sushi restaurant, Homer decides to live life to the fullest in the 24 hours he has left to live.

    Director:Wes Archer
    Writer:Nell Scovell

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  19. The Simpsons Season 3 Episode 10 - Flaming Moe's
    8.8/10(5437 votes)

    #19 - Flaming Moe's

    S3:E10

    Moe steals the drink recipe Homer invented, and the rechristened “Flaming Moe” turns his tavern into a hotspot. When a national franchise wants to buy the recipe, Homer wants revenge.

    Directors:Rich Moore, Alan Smart
    Writer:Robert Cohen

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  20. The Simpsons Season 4 Episode 9 - Mr. Plow
    8.8/10(5264 votes)

    #20 - Mr. Plow

    S4:E9

    Homer and Barney become competitors in the snow-plowing business.

    Director:Jim Reardon
    Writer:Jon Vitti

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  21. The Simpsons Season 5 Episode 4 - Rosebud
    8.8/10(5055 votes)

    #21 - Rosebud

    S5:E4

    Burns longs for a childhood toy that winds up in the grip of Maggie.

    Director:Wes Archer
    Writer:John Swartzwelder

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  22. The Simpsons Season 5 Episode 5 - Treehouse of Horror IV
    8.8/10(5024 votes)

    #22 - Treehouse of Horror IV

    S5:E5

    Homer sells his soul; Vampire Burns invites the Simpsons for dinner; Bart sees a gremlin damaging his school bus.

    Director:David Silverman
    Writers:Dan McGrath, Greg Daniels, Bill Oakley, Conan O'Brien, Bill Canterbury, Josh Weinstein

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  23. The Simpsons Season 5 Episode 15 - Deep Space Homer
    8.8/10(5001 votes)

    #23 - Deep Space Homer

    S5:E15

    Homer and Barney compete to be the first "average" American in space.

    Director:Carlos Baeza
    Writer:David Mirkin

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  24. The Simpsons Season 7 Episode 4 - Bart Sells His Soul
    8.8/10(4805 votes)

    #24 - Bart Sells His Soul

    S7:E4

    Bart sells his soul to Milhouse for five dollars, but soon regrets his decision. Meanwhile, Moe turns the Tavern into a family-friendly restaurant.

    Director:Wes Archer
    Writer:Greg Daniels

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  25. The Simpsons Season 7 Episode 17 - Homer the Smithers
    8.8/10(4613 votes)

    #25 - Homer the Smithers

    S7:E17

    Forced to take a vacation, Smithers needs to find a temporary replacement who won't outshine him. Homer seems the perfect choice until a sudden outburst forces Mr. Burns to assert his independence.

    Director:Steven Dean Moore
    Writer:John Swartzwelder

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Best Episodes Summary

"Homer's Enemy" is the best rated episode of "The Simpsons". It scored 9.3/10 based on 7878 votes. Directed by Jim Reardon and written by John Swartzwelder, it aired on 5/4/1997. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Cape Feare".