With more than 600 episodes to choose from, it can be difficult – or nearly impossible – to narrow down the 31-season history of The Simpsons to a list of the series’ top 10 episodes. Fortunately, IMDb has a convenient ratings system that means that we don’t have to.
Since every Simpsons episode grows out of long-winded discussions among some of the most talented comedy writers in the world, coming up with reams of material and then narrowing it down to the best stuff, there are always a few memorable scenes in each one. So, here are the best scenes from IMDb’s 10 top-rated Simpsons episodes.
Homer The Great (9.0) – The Stonecutters’ “We Do” Musical Number
Homer joins a cult – and then becomes its leader – in “Homer the Great.” There are a ton of memorable moments in the episode, but the greatest is the musical number in which the Stonecutters explain every part of the world that they secretly run.
Among other things, the Stonecutters made Steve Guttenberg a star, they keep evidence of Martian life from getting out, and they rig the Academy Awards.
The Springfield Files (9.1) – Homer Meets Mulder And Scully
Crossover episodes rarely work out well. Cramming two TV shows with wildly different styles together in a ratings grab is almost never a good idea. But one of the few exceptions to the rule is The Simpsons episode “The Springfield Files.”
Mulder and Scully came to Springfield to investigate a supposed alien sighting by Homer. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson did a great job of sending themselves up, particularly in their first scene in the episode.
The City Of New York Vs. Homer Simpson (9.1) – A Broadway Musical About The Betty Ford Clinic
The season 9 premiere was taken out of syndication following the 9/11 attacks, because a lot of the episode takes place at the World Trade Center. In the episode, Barney is made the designated driver and goes so crazy from sobriety that he drives Homer’s car to New York and abandons it there.
While in the city, Marge and the kids watch a Broadway musical about the Betty Ford Clinic. The “You’re Checkin’ In” musical number was so great that it won two awards.
Marge Vs. The Monorail (9.1) – The Monorail Song
This is the third musical number on the list, but that’s only because The Simpsons does musical numbers so well that they tend to dominate the episodes they’re in.
“Marge vs. the Monorail” is no different, as snake oil salesman Lyle Lanley comes to town and pitches a monorail system, then gets everyone onside with a catchy song.
Last Exit To Springfield (9.1) – “Dental Plan!” “Lisa Needs Braces.”
In “Last Exit to Springfield,” Homer becomes the head of his labor union after Mr. Burns threatens his dental plan, because Lisa needs braces and he needs the dental plan to cover it.
But when Lenny first mentions that the dental plan is in jeopardy, it takes Homer’s brain a very long time to put those two things together.
Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part One (9.2) – Mr. Burns Gets Shot
In its entire 31-season history, The Simpsons has only ever done one two-part episode. That episode was “Who Shot Mr. Burns?,” spoofing the media hype surrounding the “Who shot J.R.?” cliffhanger on Dallas that kept fans hanging in suspense for eight months.
The first part was the season 6 finale, and Simpsons fans didn’t see the conclusion until season 7 premiered. “Part One” ends with a genuinely creepy sequence in which an unseen assailant (later revealed to be Maggie) shoots Mr. Burns in the chest.
Treehouse Of Horror V (9.2) – “DAVID LETTERMAN!!!”
The first of the standard three segments in season 6’s Halloween special “Treehouse of Horror V” hilariously lampoons Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1980 film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining in “The Shinning.”
In a parody of the “Heeere’s Johnny!” scene from The Shining, Homer axes down the wrong door. So, he tries a few more doors, quoting different late-night TV shows as he does.
Cape Feare (9.2) – “You Wanna See My New Chainsaw And Hockey Mask?”
The episode “Cape Feare” pretty closely follows the structure of Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear remake, as Sideshow Bob is released from prison and targets Bart. The Simpson family are relocated to a houseboat, but Bob follows them.
One night on the houseboat, when Bart is lying in bed, terrified, Homer bursts into his room wearing a hockey mask and wielding a chainsaw. He yells, “Bart, you wanna see my new chainsaw and hockey mask!?” and Bart screams with terror.
Homer’s Enemy (9.3) – Grimey Visits The Simpson House
“Homer’s Enemy” is undeniably one of The Simpsons’ best episodes, but its also one of the show’s darkest installments. A new employee at the power plant, Frank Grimes, is driven insane by the fact that Homer Simpson is well-liked, despite being an incompetent buffoon.
When Grimes comes over to the Simpson house for dinner, he’s shocked to see that Homer lives in a lovely home with a beautiful wife and three great kids. And he’s even more shocked to see that Homer has won a Grammy and been to space.
You Only Move Twice (9.3) – Homer Unwittingly Gets James Bont Killed
In “You Only Move Twice,” Homer takes a job working for a supervillain named Hank Scorpio, although he seems completely oblivious to Scorpio’s evil geopolitical deeds. In one scene, Scorpio has a laser beam pointed at the crotch of a gentleman spy named James Bont.
Bont escapes, just as James Bond did in a similar situation in Goldfinger, but Homer tackles him on his way out of Scorpio’s lair and unwittingly gets him killed by a firing squad.