The Best Episodes of The Simpsons Season 5

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

Director: Mark Kirkland

Writer: Jeff Martin

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

Director: Rich Moore

Writer: Jon Vitti

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

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

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

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

Director: Bob Anderson

Writer: George Meyer

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

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

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

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

Director: Jim Reardon

Writer: John Swartzwelder

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

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

Director: Mark Kirkland

Writer: Greg Daniels

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

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

Director: Carlos Baeza

Writer: David Mirkin

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

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

Director: Jim Reardon

Writer: John Swartzwelder

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

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

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