The Simpsonshas lasted so long that fans like to divide the series into different eras. Some fans like to pick and choose when the show was at its peak funniest, but even the more modern episodes can still have some hidden gems for viewers to enjoy. After all, every season is bound to have episodes that fans still like.
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Often, the show has occasionally made fun of itself, even referencing things fans have been saying about the series over the years, showing the showrunners haven’t forgotten them. These episodes are often experimental, giving viewers something they wouldn’t expect.
Quite often, the series pokes fun at a recent trend and, when done well, it can be fun to watch the show poke fun at it. Even episodes that are clearly written to be more heartfelt, serious, or even scarier than the typical episode. However, this doesn’t mean that these episodes don’t have their own funny or even cathartic moments.StreamThe Simpsonson Disney+.
15"The Sound of Bleeding Gums"
Season 33, Episode 17
“The Sound of Bleeding Gums” has Lisa getting enraged when she sees a Springfield Lottery ad that uses an edited Bleeding Gums Murphy song. Feeling her late idol would never have wanted his work to be used for gambling, she takes her concern to the news, causing her to learn Bleeding Gums Murphy had a son, Monk. Upon learning that Monk isn’t getting compensated any royalties for the song, she wants to find a way to help him.
Over the years, many viewers have taken issue with Lisa’s excessive ideals and the episode pokes fun at these tendencies. Lisa has to learn, while sympathetic, that she cannot save Monk because he doesn’t need to be saved. There’s even some levity in that Lisa somehow didn’t know her idol even had a son.
14"The Last Barfighter"
Season 32, Episode 22
“The Last Barfighter” starts up when Bart and Milhouse end up on a Spanish-language game/talk show, enabling Bart to win a crystal skull full of tequila. An envious Homer steals the skull while dressed like Indiana Jones, allowing him, Barney, Carl Lenny, and even Moe to try the liquor. Unfortunately, it turns out Moe is part of a secret society of bartenders, who expel him and attack his patrons with a serum that makes them sick when they imbibe, all because the tequila caused Moe to reveal a few secrets.
The story is a parody of theJohn Wickseries, particularlyJohn Wick: Chapter 2andJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Ian McShane even appears as a parody ofhisJohn Wickcharacter. The fate of the crystal skull is used for the final punchline. Bart, Lisa, and Maggie find it as broken pieces. However, to their horror, it mysteriously repairs itself.
13"Thanksgiving of Horror"
Season 31, Episode 8
“Thanksgiving of Horror” proves thatThe Simpsonshas a twist on the classicTreehouse of Horrorformat: instead of three ghastly tales for Halloween, audiences are treated tothree spooky Thanksgiving stories. In the first, the Simpsons are reimagined as turkeys trying to survive on the Thanksgiving that started it all. In the second story, Marge gets jealous of an A.I. kitchen helper doppelgänger in a tale straight out ofBlack Mirror. The third segment has the children of Springfield face off against a gelatinous threat in a futuristic Thanksgiving in space.
While the idea of a spooky Thanksgiving trilogy sounds ridiculous on paper, the episode actually holds up in execution. The fact that the segments have genuinely scary moments has caused fans to praise it as scarier and more original than some of the more modern Halloween episodes.
The dark elements also allow for black comedy and cathartic moments, like A.I. Marge triumphing over her human counterpart and ruining the Thanksgiving dinner she tried to take credit for. The turkey segment also proves the Simpsons can be funny even without dialogue.
12"Pixelated and Afraid"
Season 33, Episode 12
“Pixelated and Afraid” starts off with Lisa worried that her parents are in a rut, comparing them to the romantic couples she sees in classic movies. She then prods them to take a romantic getaway. The story takes a turn, however, when the two get stranded in the middle of nowhere with no means of communication, with everyone thinking they’re just at an isolated retreat. The two have to brave the forces of nature together until they can somehow find help.
The episode, while starting as a parody ofNaked and Afraid, admittedly takes its story more seriously than other episodes, ultimately dedicated to the strength of Homer and Marge’s love. The love story still has its share of funny moments, notably actually having both Homer and Marge realize neither of them wants to go to the retreat early on. In one notable scene, Homer and Marge also receive equal censorship when they lose their clothes in the woods.
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11’Write Off This Episode"
Season 34, Episode 19
‘Write Off This Episode" has Marge and Lisa team up to start a charity, the Lisa M. Simpson Foundation, which provides special clothes-cleaning bags to the “unhoused.” However, after an encounter with Bernice Hibbert, Marge starts to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of spreading awareness. In time, Lisa and Marge have a fallout. While the Lisa M. Simpson Foundation grows in power and status, Marge realizes it’s doing more harm and good, allowing mother and daughter to reconcile as the headquarters gets turned into a shelter.
The episode pokes fun at people and organizations for excessively spreading awareness, often at the expense of the good it could actually do. One of the highlights of the episode is Bernice Hibbert’s lavish song-and-dance number, “Peak Awareness,” promoting the virtues of celebrities, gala events, and promotions that eventually drive everyone “sick” of supposed causes.Futuramafans may also enjoy hearing Dawnn Lewis, the voice of LaBarbara, get a chance to sing.
10"The Way of the Dog"
Season 31, Episode 22
“The Way of the Dog” is an episode set around Christmas revealing the origins of the family’s dog, Santa’s Little Helper, who, as his name suggests, became part of the family as a Christmas present. In fact, the episode takes a deeper look at his backstory, with Santa’s Little Helper hoping to reunite with his long-lost mother.
The episode is especially perfect for dog lovers. In one particular scene, Santa’s Little Helper’s original cruel owner gets slapped by all the characters. Homer even holds up Maggie so she can get a slap in. He even offers a character a chance to throw a drink in his face, and she takes him up on his offer.
As the premise suggests, there are also a few heartwarming moments throughout the story, from Bart sleeping outside to keep Santa’s Little Helper to the happy ending, where mother and son are ultimately reunited.
9"Carl Carlson Rides Again"
Season 34, Episode 14
“Carl Carlson Rides Again” is an episode that explores the history of Homer’s co-worker, Carl Carlson. An old belt buckle and a new love interest, Naima, get Carl looking into his heritage. He learns that he comes from a family of cowboys, with his father being a prize-winning bullfighter. Towards the end, Carl even takes up bull riding in honor of his family.
“The Saga of Carl” had previously looked at Carl’s adoptive family, the Carlsons of Iceland, but other parts of Carl’s origins were still shrouded in mystery. The story blends romance with hard-truth comedy: when Carl takes up bull riding for the first time, he ends up injured, but Naima shows she cares about donating some of her blood to him. She also gets a memorable line, when Carl claims bull riding is in his blood, she quickly retorts that’s not how blood works.
Season 31, Episode 14
“Bart The Bad Guy” is an episode meant for fans of superhero movies and the genre at large. When an actor from a superhero movie visits Milhouse in the hospital, Bart, who gets mistaken for his injured friend, gets access to his laptop, allowing him to see an upcoming superhero movie before its official release. Bart then gains control of the town with his new power of spoiling the next big thing coming to theaters. It might just take a virtual reality simulation where his beloved characters are real to convince Bart to let the fans be.
The story pokes fun atthe Marvel Cinematic Universe, with some notable Marvel figures appearing in the episode, like Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige as a Thanos parody. The episode pokes fun at both Marvel andThe Simpsons’ new owners, Disney, complete with a menacing rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Of course, with all the focus on trendy movies and spoilers, the story saves the best joke for last: the movie gets spoiled anyway immediately after the first screening.
7"Bartless"
Season 34, Episode 15
“Bartless” opens up with Bart cheering up a timid little girl by making up a silly story for her. When his teacher commends Homer and Marge for Bart’s good deed, after scolding him when they assumed the worst, they begin to wonder if they’ve been too hard on him over the years. This causes them to imagine a world of what their lives would be like if Bart was never born.
The story itself is about how we all need a little chaos, and maybe a good sense of humor, in our lives. Homer, Marge, Lisa, and Maggie seem to be much more well-off without him, but they still have problems in their lives. When an amnesiac Bart comes into their lives and causes destruction, they realize how they do need him in spite of it.
That said, it’s also funny seeing how different the characters would be without Bart, from Principal Skinner dating beauty queens to Bart’s famous catchphrase now being, “I’m Bart… um, something. Who the hell are you?” Even the happy ending leads into the final joke. Homer tells Bart he finally realizes he likes him, causing the insulted kid to point out he just figured that out.
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Season 34, Episode 5
“Not It” is another twist on the series' famous Halloween specials. For once, an entire episode is dedicated to a single parody, instead of it being divided into three parts, coming out right before the more traditional “Treehouse of Horror XXXIII.” Krusty the Clown takes center stage as the evil Krusto in a parody ofIt. Homer, Carl, Marge, Moe, and Comic Book Guy form the Losers Club in the hopes of hunting the evil clown down.
Years later, as adults, the gang doesn’t quite resemble the characters fans know and love. For starters, Marge ended up marrying Comic Book Guy instead of Homer, after the former took credit for one of the latter’s love poems.
With a story revolving around an evil clown, Krusto’s evil powers make use of his humor, like him harnessing the power of forced laughter. Of course, this hasn’t stopped him from still scaring viewers, either. Even fan art of Krusto submitted for the episode, that played over the credits, has been known to spook viewers. Some jokes poke fun at the alternate versions of the characters, with Lisa and Bart, now Marge and Comic Book Guy’s children Bert and Lizzie, switching personalities.
