The early seasons of The Simpsons are the popular TV show's golden era, but several recent episodes stand up to the classics. The Simpsons' first 9 seasons are widely accepted as the show's best, with stories focused on the titular family and the other Springfield residents consistently making audiences laugh. But from season 10 onwards there was a noticeable dip in quality because of questionable retcons, including Principal Skinner's backstory, unwelcome character developments, like Homer becoming more impulsive and inconsiderate, and unoriginal storylines.

Although The Simpsons' golden years are over, the animated show has reached an impressive 34 seasons and continues to attract millions of loyal viewers. While The Simpsons is not as consistently great as it used to be, there are some modern episodes that prove the show can still produce stories that are as clever and funny as its greatest hits. Here are 10 modern episodes of The Simpsons that stand up compared to the golden era.

Related: The Simpsons Season 34 Episode 13 Release Date (And Hiatus Explained)

10 Gone Boy (S29, E9)

The Simpsons Gone Boy

When Bart goes missing, Milhouse keeps his location a secret to get closer to a grieving Lisa, until Sideshow Bob threatens the bespectacled ten-year-old. Bart and Sideshow Bob's rivalry has always been must-watch TV with "Cape Feare" often listed as The Simpsons’ greatest episode. "Gone Boy" continues their feud, but instead of Sideshow Bob plotting to kill Bart, he leads the search for his nemesis after realizing that like the Joker needs Batman, he needs Bart. The episode ends with Bart and Bob hugging - which would have been a fitting way to end their legendary conflict had Bob not tried to strangle Bart in season 31.

9 Bart the Bad Guy (S31, E14)

The Simpsons Bart The Bad Guy

Bart watches The Simpsons' equivalent of Avengers: Endgame before anyone else, and uses the threat of spoilers to blackmail everyone in Springfield. There are hundreds of Bart episodes and "Bart the Bad Guy" is among the better ones as it showcases both the mischievous and sweet-natured dimensions of his personality. The Simpsons' Marvel satire pulls off its social commentary by finding the right balance between topical themes and classic Simpsons shenanigans, and given spoiler culture and superhero movies are not going away any time soon, it should age better than some of The Simpsons' other episodes commenting on modern culture.

8 The Way of the Dog (S31, E22)

The Simpsons The Way of the Dog

"The Way of the Dog" centers on Santa's Little Helper as memories of his traumatic life before moving in with the Simpsons resurface. Since starring in The Simpsons' first-ever episode, Santa's Little Helper has been the purest Simpsons family member, and "The Way of the Dog" adds greater depth to his personality by revealing more about his past. The episode’s success in doing so proves that the show's writers can still effectively develop characters that viewers are familiar with, even well into The Simpsons season 31. The final moments may be overly sentimental for some, but anything less than a happy ending for Santa's Little Helper would be wrong.

7 The Dad-Feelings Limited (S32, E11)

The Simpsons The Dad Feelings Limited

When Kumiko bonds with Maggie Simpsons, she tries to convince her emotionally distant partner, Comic Book Guy, to have children. To stay fresh, The Simpsons has had to explore more and more of its secondary characters as the show has gone on, and "The Dad-Feelings Limited" demonstrates that's not a bad thing. The Android's Dungeon owner was largely relegated to his catchphrase during the golden era, but this episode, which earned The Simpsons another Emmy nomination, does an excellent job of humanizing the eccentric Comic Book Guy and turning what he is best known for - his obsession with comic books - into his most heartbreaking trait.

Related: The Simpsons: The Comic Book Guy’s Bizarre Lois Lane Connection

6 The Last Barfighter (S32, E22)

The Simpsons The Last Barfighter

A John Wick parody, "The Last Barfighter" centers on Moe after he broke the most sacred rule of the secret bartender society he belongs to, and as punishment, they make his regular patrons sober. Secret societies have featured before in The Simpsons, most memorably with the Stonecutters in "Homer the Great" (S6, E12), and they are used comically in the season 32 finale as a villainous group, despite dramatically improving the lives of Homer and his drinking buddies. Although The Simpsons parody episodes are not for everyone, “The Last Barfighter” is proof that Moe Szyslak is one of Springfield's most complicated and compelling residents.

5 A Serious Flanders (S33, E6 & E7)

The Simpsons A Serious Flanders

"A Serious Flanders" is a rare two-part episode inspired by Fargo. The detailed drama sees Homer and Ned Flanders get caught up in the criminal underworld after stumbling across a small fortune with a dark history. "A Serious Flanders" was a huge creative risk for The Simpsons as it is set outside the show's usual continuity, but it’s a hugely rewarding event because its characters are put in predicaments they usually wouldn't encounter, most intriguingly making Flanders question his beliefs. The two-parter has high stakes and a feeling of scale that regular episodes do not have, which could have made it a worthy sequel to The Simpsons Movie.

4 A Made Maggie (S33, E10)

The Simpsons A Made Maggie

Before Maggie Simpson gets baptized, Homer is tasked with finding a suitable godfather and winds up choosing the former-mafia boss Fat Tony. "A Made Maggie" has one of The Simpsons' sharpest scripts in the last decade, with a continuous stream of gags that continue Elisabeth Kiernan Averick's fine track record as a writer for the show. Long-term fans may take issue with Fat Tony guest starring in the episode, given he died in season 22, but the scene-stealing inclusion of The Simpsons' most famous gangster more than justifies bringing him back to life.

3 Pixelated and Afraid (S33, E12)

The Simpsons Pixelated and Afraid, Homer and Marge

After falling into a rut, Homer and Marge head to a couple's retreat, but crash on the way, ending up in the wilderness where their relationship is tested by icy conditions and an angry wolverine. Homer is often reduced to an unintelligent oaf, but he shines in "Pixelated and Afraid" because he’s more than just the overused stereotypes that modern episodes regularly fall back on. The wholesome episode calls back to Homer and Marge’s nude escapades in “Natural Born Kissers” (S9, E25) but doesn’t rely solely on physical humor as the pair regain their romantic spark - earning The Simpsons another Emmy nomination while doing so.

Related: The Simpsons Season 33 Answered A Major Family Mystery

2 Not IT (S34, E5)

The Simpsons Not It

A change from The Simpsons' usual Treehouse of Horror format, "Not IT" devotes the entire Halloween special to parody both parts of Stephen King's It. Naturally, Krusty portrays Pennywise the Clown, known as Krusto, and in many ways, The Simpsons’ adaptation is superior to Warner Bros' recent two-part take on the horror story - most importantly fixing Pennywise's underwhelming death in It: Chapter 2. "Not IT" also pays homage to "Treehouse of Horror III" (S4, E5) as Krusto takes on a creepy doll form in reference to the Killer Krusty Doll that tormented the Simpson family.

1 Treehouse of Horror XXXIII (S34, E6)

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXXIII

Season 34 still delivered a conventional Treehouse of Horror episode featuring three separate storylines, respectively parodying The Babadook, Death Note, and Westworld. While "The Pookadook" is fairly forgettable, the episode finds its feet with the surreal "Death Tome" which distinguishes itself from other Simpsons Halloween tales with its distinctive for its anime-style. The episode's highlight is the self-aware "SimpsonsWorld", which features robot clones of the Simpson family reenacting memorable scenes of the golden age on a loop to the joy of the public, but the horror of the family themselves who are sick of being stuck in the so-called glory days of The Simpsons.

Next: Treehouse of Horror Embraced A Major Modern Simpsons Problem