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The Best Episodes of The Simpsons Season 21

Every episode of The Simpsons Season 21 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Simpsons Season 21!

Binge this in 8h 36m•Peaking at 7.3/10

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
    The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 1 - Homer the Whopper
    7.1/10(1856 votes)

    #1 - Homer the Whopper

    S21:E1

    Homer gets the lead in a movie about a superhero who can take on the powers of every superhero in any comic book he touches. To whip Homer into superhero shape, the studio hires a celebrity fitness trainer.

    Director:Lance Kramer
    Writers:Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen

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  2. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 2 - Bart Gets a 'Z'
    6.6/10(1687 votes)

    #2 - Bart Gets a 'Z'

    S21:E2

    The fourth grade students of Springfield Elementary School decide to spike Ms. Krabappel's coffee in order to teach her a lesson after she takes away their cell phones. She is fired by Principal Skinner, who hires a new teacher named Zachary Vaughn. Although Vaughn is a hip young teacher who impresses the students, Bart is plagued by guilt and tries to get Ms. Krabappel hired back.

    Director:Mark Kirkland
    Writer:Matt Selman

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  3. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 3 - The Great Wife Hope
    6.3/10(1520 votes)

    #3 - The Great Wife Hope

    S21:E3

    The men and boys in Springfield become obsessed with Ultimate Punch Kick and Choke Championships, a violent sport where fighters inflict severe pain on each other. When Marge and her friends stage a protest against the sport, the show's promoter embraces the controversy and challenges Marge to a match, promising to shut down the competition if she wins. She begins to train with rhythmic gymnastics, but her family step in and get her professional martial arts help to give her a real chance at winning.

    Director:Mark Kirkland
    Writers:Carolyn Omine, Matt Selman

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  4. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 4 - Treehouse of Horror XX
    7.3/10(2001 votes)

    #4 - Treehouse of Horror XX

    S21:E4

    Dial "M" for Murder or Press "#" to Return to Main Menu- Lisa is forced into a Hitchcockian murder scheme by Bart. Don't Have a Cow, Mankind- Springfield is once again overrun by zombies, thanks to Krusty Burger's latest sandwich. There's No Business Like Moe Business- In a Sweeney Todd spoof, Moe bleeds Homer dry to create the perfect microbrewed great beer.

    Director:Mike B. Anderson
    Writer:Daniel Chun

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  5. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 5 - The Devil Wears Nada
    6.6/10(1577 votes)

    #5 - The Devil Wears Nada

    S21:E5

    Marge and a group called the "Charity Chicks" pose for a calendar in hopes of raising money for charity, but Marge becomes the talk of the town thanks to her racy poses. Meanwhile, Carl is chosen as the newest supervisor at the nuclear power plant, and hires Homer to be his personal assistant.

    Director:Nancy Kruse
    Writer:Tim Long

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  6. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 6 - Pranks and Greens
    6.6/10(1547 votes)

    #6 - Pranks and Greens

    S21:E6

    Principal Skinner is getting fed up with Bart's pranks, so he informs Bart that he is not the best prankster after all. A former student named Andy Hamilton is hailed as the best prankster, and Bart sets out on a mission to track Andy down. However, when Bart finds out that Andy is a 19-year-old still in his pranking days, they become fast friends.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Jeff Westbrook

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  7. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 7 - Rednecks and Broomsticks
    6.7/10(1521 votes)

    #7 - Rednecks and Broomsticks

    S21:E7

    Lisa befriends three teenaged Wiccans after getting lost in the woods during a game of hide-and-seek, and must clear her new friends' names when they are accused of cursing the townspeople with their supposed witchcraft. Meanwhile, Homer befriends Cletus after learning that he and his friends make their own moonshine.

    Directors:Rob Oliver, Bob Anderson
    Writer:Kevin Curran

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  8. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 8 - Oh Brother, Where Bart Thou?
    7.1/10(1584 votes)

    #8 - Oh Brother, Where Bart Thou?

    S21:E8

    One snowy day in Springfield, Lisa informs Bart that she and Maggie share a bond that Bart will never understand because he doesn't have a brother, so Bart asks Homer for a baby brother. When Homer denies Bart's request, Bart makes his way to the Springfield Orphanage to find what he thinks he's missing.

    Director:Steven Dean Moore
    Writer:Matt Selman

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  9. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 9 - Thursdays with Abie
    6.6/10(1449 votes)

    #9 - Thursdays with Abie

    S21:E9

    Grampa is sitting on a bench waiting for his family when a thoughtful-looking man named Marshall Goldman approaches him and asks to hear about his life. Grampa tells Goldman about the time he was on a World War II battleship, which was hit by an enemy torpedo, and Goldman, a human-interest columnist, publishes it in The Springfield Shopper. Later, Grampa meets Mitch Albom and shares another story with Goldman for a follow-up article. Homer becomes jealous of Grampa's newfound fame and seeks a surrogate father. But when Homer discovers a draft of Goldman's third story, he must race to find Grampa before it is published and his life is changed forever.

    Director:Michael Polcino
    Writers:Don Payne, Mitchell H. Glazer

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  10. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 10 - Once Upon a Time in Springfield
    6.5/10(1546 votes)

    #10 - Once Upon a Time in Springfield

    S21:E10

    Krusty grudgingly adds a pretty, singing cohost named Princess Penelope to his show in order to attract more female viewers. Girls love her, and ratings improve, but Bart and Milhouse want to get the show back to the way it was. The situation gets more complicated when Krusty and Penelope fall in love and decide to get married. Meanwhile, Homer, Lenny, and Carl consider working at a competing nuclear plant when Mr. Burns cuts off their daily doughnut service.

    Directors:Matthew Nastuk, Steven Dean Moore
    Writers:Stephanie Gillis, Matt Selman

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  11. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 11 - Million Dollar Maybe
    7.1/10(1508 votes)

    #11 - Million Dollar Maybe

    S21:E11

    Homer blows off Marge to buy a lottery ticket and winds up winning the million-dollar jackpot. Fearing how Marge will react if she finds out the reason Homer missed their date, Homer keeps his newly inherited fortune a secret and spoils his family with “anonymous” gifts. When Bart finds out, he and Homer spend the money like it’s going out of style, including buying front-row to tickets to see Coldplay in concert.

    Directors:Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements
    Writer:Bill Odenkirk

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  12. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 12 - Boy Meets Curl
    6.8/10(1560 votes)

    #12 - Boy Meets Curl

    S21:E12

    Homer takes Marge out for a romantic evening of ice skating and hand-holding, but upon entering the rink, they encounter a curling team practising. Marge and Homer take to the ice and discover their love for the sport, and soon after, join the curling team and compete with them in the Olympic trials. Team Springfield claims the win and moves on to the 2010 Vancouver Games where Bob Costas covers the action. Meanwhile, sleazy vendors introduce Lisa to the world of collecting Olympic pins, and before long, Lisa is hopelessly addicted.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Rob LaZebnik

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  13. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 13 - The Color Yellow
    6.5/10(1573 votes)

    #13 - The Color Yellow

    S21:E13

    When Miss Hoover asks her students to research their family history, Lisa is horrified to discover that most of her ancestors were bad people – a motley crew of horse thieves and deadbeats. But while rummaging through the attic, Lisa happens upon a diary kept by her ancestor, Eliza Simpson. As Eliza’s story unfolds, Lisa learns that her family was part of the Underground Railroad, a group that helped slaves escape to freedom. Eliza recounts liberating a slave named Virgil, but when Lisa presents her findings at school, some of her classmates refute it, leaving Lisa determined to exonerate her family’s name.

    Director:Raymond S. Persi
    Writers:Billy Kimball, Ian Maxtone-Graham

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  14. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 14 - Postcards from the Wedge
    6.9/10(1438 votes)

    #14 - Postcards from the Wedge

    S21:E14

    When Bart fails to turn in his homework, Mrs. Krabappel sends a letter home about Bart's behaviour. Despite Bart's best efforts to intercept it, Homer reads the letter, and he and Marge visit Principal Skinner for a parent-teacher conference. Furious, Homer punishes him, but Marge takes a more sympathetic approach. When Bart realizes he can pit Homer and Marge against each other to his benefit, his scheming reaches new heights.

    Director:Mark Kirkland
    Writer:Brian Kelley

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  15. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 15 - Stealing First Base
    7.0/10(1619 votes)

    #15 - Stealing First Base

    S21:E15

    Principal Skinner announces that Mrs. Krabappel was called out of town and budget cuts dictate that, until she returns, the school's two fourth grade classes will merge. Bart reluctantly shares a desk with Nikki and develops a flirtatious rapport. Bart talks to Grampa about his new crush, and at Grampa's suggestion, gives Nikki a kiss. But when Nikki starts sending Bart mixed signals, he swears off women forever. Meanwhile, Lisa's classmates ostracize her for being an overachiever, and First Lady Michelle Obama, a self-professed nerd, comes to Lisa's defence.

    Director:Steven Dean Moore
    Writer:John Frink

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  16. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 16 - The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed
    5.6/10(1851 votes)

    #16 - The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed

    S21:E16

    The Simpsons family vacation in Israel with Ned Flanders, but Homer does not appreciate any of the culture—until an Israeli tour guide named Jakob shows him around and, in a severe state of dehydration, Homer believes he is the Messiah.

    Director:Michael Polcino
    Writer:Kevin Curran

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  17. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 17 - American History X-cellent
    6.5/10(1465 votes)

    #17 - American History X-cellent

    S21:E17

    When the police are called to diffuse a rowdy crowd at Mr. Burns' estate, one of the officers recognizes priceless stolen paintings on the walls, and the maniacal billionaire is taken downtown for questioning. With Mr. Burns gone, Smithers takes charge of the power plant. But when employees take advantage of his good nature, he exacts revenge by forcing the employees to work night and day. These unfair working conditions prompt Homer and his crew to devise a plan to bust out Mr. Burns.

    Director:Bob Anderson
    Writer:Michael Price

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  18. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 18 - Chief of Hearts
    6.8/10(1453 votes)

    #18 - Chief of Hearts

    S21:E18

    Homer is completing his court-ordered community service when he befriends his supervisor, Chief Wiggum, by offering him one of his sandwiches. Touched by the act of kindness, Wiggum assigns the other convicts unpleasant tasks, but allows Homer to join him at the picnic table. They continue to grow close, but when the Chief gets injured during a botched bank robbery, Homer doesn't come through when Wiggum needs him the most. Meanwhile, Bart becomes addicted to Battle Ball, a Japanese game made up of plastic balls and magnetic cards, and his family and teachers try to help him kick the habit.

    Director:Chris Clements
    Writer:Carolyn Omine

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  19. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 19 - The Squirt and the Whale
    6.8/10(1495 votes)

    #19 - The Squirt and the Whale

    S21:E19

    The Simpsons decide to embrace a cheaper, alternate source of energy by erecting a wind turbine in their backyard. But when Homer realizes some of the power is being directed to the local electric company, he decides to remove his home from the grid and becomes completely dependent upon an unreliable source of power. Meanwhile, a storm erupts, trapping a magnificent 150-foot-long blue whale ashore, and Lisa and Homer attempt to help the poor creature.

    Director:Mark Kirkland
    Writer:Matt Warburton

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  20. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 20 - To Surveil with Love
    7.1/10(1543 votes)

    #20 - To Surveil with Love

    S21:E20

    A bomb squad mistakenly blows up Homer's unattended gym bag, releasing radiation into the city and authorities react by suspending civil liberties. Wiggum and his men install surveillance cameras around Springfield and round up suspected terrorists, including groundskeeper Willie, but when monitoring the nonstop flow of video imagery proves to be too much, Wiggum enlists concerned citizens to help keep the city safe. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes fed up with being blonde, so she dyes her hair a dark color.

    Director:Lance Kramer
    Writer:Michael Nobori

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  21. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 21 - Moe Letter Blues
    6.9/10(1501 votes)

    #21 - Moe Letter Blues

    S21:E21

    As Mother's Day approaches, Moe narrates an episode in which he writes a letter to Homer, Apu and Reverend Lovejoy, who are vacationing with their children, and threatens to run away with one of their wives. While the trio tries to determine whose wife Moe is referring to, Homer, Lovejoy and Apu flashback to the intimate moments they initially ignored between Moe and Marge, Manjula and Helen Lovejoy. But when the boys return from their trip, they're in for the surprise of their lives.

    Director:Matthew Nastuk
    Writer:Stephanie Gillis

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  22. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 22 - The Bob Next Door
    7.3/10(1654 votes)

    #22 - The Bob Next Door

    S21:E22

    Bart becomes convinced that his new neighbor, Walt, is his archenemy, Sideshow Bob, disguised and back for revenge. But when Marge tries to convince Bart otherwise by taking him to visit the state penitentiary, a disturbing truth is revealed.

    Director:Nancy Kruse
    Writer:John Frink

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  23. The Simpsons Season 21 Episode 23 - Judge Me Tender
    6.4/10(1517 votes)

    #23 - Judge Me Tender

    S21:E23

    When Moe discovers a hidden talent for judging contests, he is approached by a television agent to join the AMERICAN IDOL judges' panel. Moe flies to Los Angeles where he tours the Fox lot and receives some sage career advice. Meanwhile, Homer drives Marge crazy when he begins hanging around the house.

    Director:Steven Dean Moore
    Writers:Dan Greaney, Allen Glazier

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Season 21 Ratings Summary

"Homer the Whopper" is the best rated episode of "The Simpsons" season 21. It scored 7.1/10 based on 1856 votes. Directed by Lance Kramer and written by Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, it aired on 9/27/2009. This episode is rated 0.5 points higher than the second-best, "Bart Gets a 'Z'".