While The Simpsons has often retrodden the same tired storyline of a marital squabble between Homer and Marge being resolved with a quick fix in time for the end credits, the show has taken a deeper dive into the complexities of a different Simpson family relationship: Bart and Lisa’s brother-sister dynamic. Bart and Lisa are fundamentally different, but they bond over a shared affinity of cartoon violence.
They don’t always get along, but their best storylines together hammer home that underneath their sibling rivalry, they ultimately love each other. These are the best Simpsons episodes revolving around Bart and Lisa.
Girly Edition (Season 9, Episode 21)
Lisa’s dreams come true in season 9’s “Girly Edition” when she’s given the opportunity to anchor a kid-oriented news show with real journalistic integrity.
However, a rivalry brews when Bart is brought aboard as her co-host and steals the spotlight without a shred of her integrity.
“Bart Vs. Lisa Vs. The Third Grade” (Season 14, Episode 3)
Bart and Lisa become classmates in the season 14 installment “Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade,” when the former is held back to repeat the previous grade and the latter is bumped up into the next grade.
On a third-grade field trip, Bart and Lisa are reluctantly paired up to be each other’s buddies, then get accidentally left behind and find themselves stranded in the woods.
“‘Round Springfield” (Season 6, Episode 22)
While it isn’t strictly a Bart/Lisa episode, season 6’s “‘Round Springfield” does dovetail its Lisa-centric A-plot with its Bart-centric B-plot in a heartwarming way in the final scene. When Bart is hospitalized by a bad batch of Krusty-O’s, Lisa bumps into Bleeding Gums Murphy and reconnects with him shortly before he passes away. Throughout the episode, as Lisa tries to get the world to remember Bleeding Gums, Bart scores a $500 settlement from Krusty.
He intends to use the money to buy a Steve Allen Pog, but after seeing Lisa’s sadness, Bart spends his entire settlement on a Bleeding Gums album so she can broadcast her idol’s music throughout Springfield.
My Sister, My Sitter (Season 8, Episode 17)
When Lisa becomes the most sought-after babysitter in town in season 8’s “My Sister, My Sitter,” Homer and Marge feel comfortable leaving her in charge while they go out.
Bart is horrified at the prospect of being babysat by his little sister, so he decides to make Lisa’s job a lot harder by giving Maggie caffeine and ordering a bunch of callout services to the house.
Stark Raving Dad (Season 3, Episode 1)
When Homer is mistakenly sent to a psychiatric hospital in the season 3 premiere “Stark Raving Dad,” he brings home a fellow patient with the voice of Michael Jackson who turns out to be a bricklayer named Leon Kompowsky.
In the episode’s B-plot, Lisa reminds Bart that he always forgets about her birthday and he promises to get her a gift. He forgets yet again but makes up for it by collaborating with Jackson on a song called “Happy Birthday Lisa,” which she declares to be the greatest gift ever.
The Secret War Of Lisa Simpson (Season 8, Episode 25)
A prank of monumental proportions gets Bart sent to military school in season 8’s “The Secret War of Lisa Simpson.” While they’re dropping him off, Lisa decides to enroll herself. The episode tests Bart and Lisa’s friendship as Bart is embraced by his new classmates and turns his back on Lisa when they reject her.
Bart redeems himself at the end of the episode when Lisa is struggling to complete the “Eliminator” with all her classmates taunting her and Bart steps in with some heartfelt words of encouragement.
Bart Vs. Thanksgiving (Season 2, Episode 7)
In season 2’s “Bart vs. Thanksgiving,” Bart destroys a Thanksgiving centerpiece that Lisa made and his parents angrily send him to his room without any dinner. So, he decides to run away from home to teach them a lesson.
After seeing some homeless men waiting on a breadline and realizing how easy his life is, Bart returns home and hears Lisa crying because she misses him, so he invites her out to join him on the roof and apologizes.
Separate Vocations (Season 3, Episode 18)
In season 3’s “Separate Vocations,” Bart and Lisa both take aptitude tests to determine the best career path for them. Bart is thrilled that he’s encouraged to become a cop, while Lisa is horrified that she’s predicted to become a homemaker.
Bart becomes a hall monitor as Lisa turns to antisocial behavior. The A-plot and B-plot diverge beautifully when Bart catches Lisa stealing from the school and takes the fall: “You got the brains and the talent to go as far as you want. And when you do, I’ll be right there to borrow money.” In the episode’s touching final scene, Lisa makes Bart’s detention a little more bearable by playing the saxophone outside.
Lisa’s First Word (Season 4, Episode 10)
While the Simpsons try and fail to get Maggie to say her first word, Homer and Marge tell the story of Lisa’s own first word in the aptly titled season 4 episode “Lisa’s First Word.”
A series of flashbacks chronicles the story of Lisa’s birth and two-year-old Bart’s ensuing jealousy and bids for attention. He finally warms to his little sister when her first word is “Bart” and he realizes she loves him.
Lisa On Ice (Season 6, Episode 8)
In season 6’s “Lisa on Ice,” hockey coach Apu discovers Lisa’s talent for blocking things and recruits her to join his team, who happen to be the closest rivals of Bart’s own hockey team. As their teams rise through the league’s ranks, the town of Springfield drives a wedge between the Simpson siblings in order to promote a sports rivalry in the press.
When it comes down to the final game and Bart is preparing to take the shot that will decide the victor of their rivalry, the episode cuts through a heartwarming montage of all the times Bart and Lisa helped each other out. They both lay down their hockey sticks and hug, much to the chagrin of the bloodthirsty crowd.