The Best Episodes of The Simpsons Season 5

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

Director: Rich Moore

Writer: Jon Vitti

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

Director: Carlos Baeza

Writer: David Mirkin

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

Director: Wes Archer

Writer: John Swartzwelder

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

Director: David Silverman

Writer: Bill Oakley, Conan O'Brien, Dan McGrath, Greg Daniels, Josh Weinstein, Bill Canterbury

Homer takes Nuclear Physics 101 at the local college, where he gets a trio of nerdy tutors expelled for extracurricular activities.

Director: Jim Reardon

Writer: Conan O'Brien

After a reckless Squishee bender with Milhouse, Bart wakes to the shocking realization that he joined the Junior Campers. Lured by pocketknives and knot-tying lessons, Bart assimilates into the group but then must face the father-son rafting trip.

Director: Jeffrey Lynch

Writer: Dan McGrath

Legalized gambling comes to Springfield, and Marge becomes addicted; Robert Goulet entertains at Bart's casino for kids.

Director: Wes Archer

Writer: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein

Flanders' extra ticket to the big game makes him Homer's new best friend, a role that sorely tests Flanders' patience.

Director: Wes Archer

Writer: David Richardson

Homer recalls when he, Apu, Barney and Principal Skinner became recording icons.

Director: Mark Kirkland

Writer: Jeff Martin

Homer struggles with his attraction to new coworker Mindy, a beautiful engineer whose love for doughnuts is equal to his own.

Director: Carlos Baeza

Writer: Frank Mula

Bart is picked to be Burns' heir and moves into the Burns mansion, prompting Homer and Marge to hire a deprogrammer to get him back.

Director: Mark Kirkland

Writer: Jace Richdale

Bart takes his dog to school, which gets Skinner fired, which in turn leaves Bart missing his archnemesis.

Director: Bob Anderson

Writer: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein

Bart can clear Mayor Quimby's nephew of a charge of battery, but only by implicating himself as a hooky player.

Director: Jeffrey Lynch

Writer: John Swartzwelder

Homer leads a vigilante group to catch the Springfield Cat Burglar, who then robs the museum.

Director: Jim Reardon

Writer: John Swartzwelder

Homer accompanies Apu to the Kwik-E-Mart home office--in India--after Apu is fired.

Director: Mark Kirkland

Writer: Greg Daniels

When an on-air remark catapults Bart to instant stardom, he finds that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Director: Susie Dietter

Writer: John Swartzwelder

Lisa's outrage over the gender stereotypes reinforced by a new talking doll prompts her to confront the dollmaker.

Director: Jeffrey Lynch

Writer: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein

Marge's wild night out with neighbor Ruth includes running from the police in Ruth's car, stolen from her ex.

Director: Mark Kirkland

Writer: Bill Canterbury

Homer teaches a class on marriage, but sharing secrets about his own union gets him kicked out of the house.

Director: Carlos Baeza

Writer: Greg Daniels

Bart wins an elephant, but Homer won't let him keep it.

Director: Jim Reardon

Writer: John Swartzwelder

Springfield emulates Bart after he's praised by a self-help guru.

Director: Bob Anderson

Writer: George Meyer

Grandpa Simpson falls for Marge's mother, but loses out to a competitor; Bart gets ripped off shopping at home with Homer's credit card.

Director: Wes Archer

Writer: Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein