038. You Only Move Twice (The Simpsons)

"On your way out, if you want to kill somebody, it would help me out a lot"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 3rd November 1996
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 8, Episode 2
WRITTEN BY: John Swartzwelder

You Only Move Twice is a wacky, far-fetched but totally brilliant episode. The majority of it takes place outside of Springfield, but Cypress Creek manages to be a fresh new setting. Besides, the Simpsons are funny enough that it doesn't matter where you put them.

Hank Scorpio is an amazing character. His eccentricity evolves into insanity as the episode goes on. Albert Brooks aways delivers, but this is easily his best character. I loved the secret agent theme, especially all the Bond references.

We see a re-enactment of the classic Goldfinger laser cutter scene, a diplomat suggesting that maybe the bridge Scorpio blew up "collapsed on its own", and a frantic shootout at the end. But the best part is that Homer doesn't even seem to notice he's working for a supervillian, or is completely indifferent to it.

Bart's special class produces a lot of laughs. From a whole class on the letter A to a game of musical chairs everyone wins, it's a nightmare and insult to his intelligence. His fellow classmates all produce a laugh too. Meanwhile, Lisa discovers she has hayfever and is betrayed by a chipmunk.

Overall, You Only Move Twice manages to be outlandish but still grounded. And that makes it one of the best episodes of the series.

025. Treehouse Of Horror VI (The Simpsons)

"There's no mystery about Willie. Why, he just simply disappeared. Now let's have no more curiousity about this bizarre cover-up"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 29th October 1995
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 7, Episode 6
WRITTEN BY: John Swartzwelder, Steve Tompkins & David S. Cohen

The Simpsons' annual Halloween episode is as famous as the show itself. The three stories format allows the show to be as experimental and creative as they like, allowing for fast-paced stories. The first story is a fun romp full of rampaging monsters, as billboards start coming to life. The satire is still as sharp as ever, as the way the advertisements die are when people stop looking at them.

The second segment is a great parody of Nightmare On Elm Street, which again plays with horror conventions and humour (the introduction of the 13th month, Smarch, is a classic joke). But it's also pretty creepy in places and Groundskeeper Willie makes a great bad guy.

"Homer 3" takes the show to a whole different medium when Homer discovers a dimension where he is 3D behind his bookcase, resulting in some very meta in-jokes and allowing the show to try new things that it's never done before or since. There's something slightly unsettling about seeing Homer in the real world at the end, and the whole episode maintains those same vibes.

Treehouse Of Horror VI is a strong contender, not just for best Halloween episode ever, but for best episode of The Simpsons ever.

012. Cape Feare (The Simpsons)

"No-one who speaks German could be an evil man"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 7th October 1993
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 5, Episode 2
WRITTEN BY: Jon Vitti

With so many shows still unused, why am I repeating a show already? Because it's The Simpsons, duh. Expect it to feature a lot.

The Sideshow Bob episodes are often a highlight of the series. Kelsey Grammar has helped create a villain that's charming, intelligent, diabolical and, most importantly, hilarious. The plot for this one is pretty simple. There's no grand scheme, it's just about Bob getting out of prison and trying to kill Bart. Sideshow Bob's parole hearing is a brilliant scene, where Bob explains his "Die Bart Die" tattoo is German.

Everything to do with Chief Wiggum (whose idea of "persuasive" does not match up with expectations) and the witness protection program is also great. Homer's classic obliviousness is used to great effect when he fails to comprehend even the simplest task set to him by the FBI.

Sideshow Bob proves to be a fine source of physical comedy as well as wit. It's fun watching him be subjected to a cactus patch, and elephant stampede, and a barrage of rakes (the first thing any Simpsons fan thinks of when they think of Sideshow Bob). It's surprising to hear that they struggled to find enough material for this episode, as they packed in so many laughs.

The episode also parodies the psychological horror genre really well, from the series of fake-outs at the start of the episode involving Bart's anonymous death threats, to Homer accidentally scaring Bart to death with his chainsaw and hockey mask. It's not afraid to get silly, with Bob's inconvenient penchant for writing everything in blood played for laughs too.

It would take ages to list all the memorable moments, so let's just say pretty much everything. The Simpsons' high gag rate has never been higher.

001. The Last Temptation Of Homer (The Simpsons)

"I won't bore you with the details of our miraculous escape, but we desperately need a REAL emergency exit."

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 9th December 1993
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 5, Episode 9
WRITTEN BY: Frank Mula

It's the first entry on the list, so I might as well address a few things. First of all, this list is not in order. I'm not claiming this is the best episode ever. That would be silly. Shame on you for even thinking there's an answer to that. This isn't necessarily my favorite episode, nor do I think it's the most deserving of making the list. I chose this to be the first one featured mainly due to nostalgia. This was one of the first episodes of real television I ever watched. Therefore, I feel it is as good a place as any to start.

The Last Temptation Of Homer is an episode with a lot of heart, and one of the first stories to test the strength of Homer and Marge's marriage (I'm aware that Colonel Homer came first, but this one is better). Michelle Pfeiffer is a great guest star. Mindy is a worthy object of desire, basically the female version of Homer. It becomes a dilemma for Homer - Mindy seems pretty perfect, plus his family is starting to look unattractive. Being a good guy at heart, Homer tries to do the right thing and distance himself from Mindy, but in true sitcom style, circumstances keep forcing them closer and closer together.

But it's not short on laughs either, oh no. The Simpsons has such a high gag rate, I will only go through the highlights - Burns employing a duck, Joey Jo-Jo, the giant hand guy, the Wizard Of Oz monkeys, the fortune cookies. The subplot of Bart becoming a nerd is also surprising funny too.

Tying it all together is the sweet ending where Homer makes his choice and sticks with his wife. A classic episode from one of the show's golden years.