The Simpsons honestly brought my family together. It was the only show everyone in my family loved.
I can see why you picked that for your number 1 but I’ve got to say you threw me off with your chose of music during the intro and through out the number 1.
I thought you would of picked Mother Simpson. That was the first ep I actually cried at.

GREAT episode! Thanks for the reassurance that The Simpsons was once the best written show on television. All they ever show in reruns is the terrible episodes. NONE of the classics on this list. My personal favorite is Bart Gets Famous, but Bart Gets an F gets no objections from me. It serves it for Otto's "Now I DRIVE the school bus!" line.

They stated that the reason they don't air season 18th and below anymore because of of the nuclear disaster jokes that happen constanly(Due to the tsunamis from Japan last year). Notice that the recent episodes have no nuclear disaster jokes anymore.

I don't know if there's something deeply wrong with me, but those kinds of jokes don't stop being funny even after such events in my opinion. There's an obvious separation between fantasy and reality and I can accept an absurd joke for what it is without connecting it to a dark event that may have happened in real life.

If anything, I feel being able to joke about the darker things that happen to us makes us stronger. Heck, America survived the Great Depression primarily on the basis of laughing famine and death in the face. It's a powerful ability that seems to be lost in the modern day. I can only wonder how much better we'd be if we could laugh at current tragedies rather than mourning them all the time.

There's nothing wrong with you, humour helps us cope with the shitty events in life...helps us process things and hopefully move on.
There is, of course, a time and a place for it but I see no reason to hold back episodes that were made LONG before a tragedy. I remember watching the Homer vs New York episode a few years after 9/11 and they entirely removed the sequence where two loud and aggressive New York stereotypes were shouting at each other from each of the towers. That, to me, was entirely the wrong thing to do.

Back on topic, there's nothing wrong with using humour to help cope with darker times.

Couldn't agree more. To borrow an old cliche, laughter really is the best medicine (Except if you're watching Patch Adams), and watching an episode of the Simpsons always cheers me up even if I've watched the episode dozens of times.

Funnily enough, "Homer vs New York" is one of my favourite episodes, especially the Betty Ford Musical song and Flushing Meadows.

Politically correct... what the hell, what a way to destroy comedy, culture and all that is good. Did you know a british bookshops chain (sorry, I don't remember the name) put "The adventures of Tin Tin in Congo" in the adult section because of its racist undertone? Or that some international organization suggested that the Divine Comedy from Dante is a racist book and as such should be censored (I know, you might not care, but I'm Italian, and here saying something like that is rather outrageous)? What next, "The Merchant of Venice" will disappear from Shakespeare anthologies because Shylock is a Jew? Now, I know that you can't just give a kid something to read and expect him to understand whether what it says it's right or wrong, but there's an entire education system, which starts from the family itself, that should teach them that all the cultures are the same, that a nuclear disaster is a really bad thing and so on. I know it's not easy but come on, censoring jokes from a show that dates back to the 80s, a comic that was made in the early twentieth century or a book that was written during the Middle Ages is just hypocrisy. Do they think all kids are a bunch of idiots and can't think with their own head?

About Dante, they suggested that teachers must avoid reading the Cantos that bring up religious issues because they consider them racial insults, but my point still stands.

A million times yes to everything you just said.

LUCKY!!!! Because for me its either only my dad approves and my mom hates or my Nana doesn't approve. But I had to fight for my right to watch it!!!

It hits home with alot of people, including me, losing your mom is a sad thing to think about

I actually agree 100% with his #1 slot. Though it's an early episode, it's much more solid than the others around it and feels complete. Bart's frustration is genuine in the episode and it was the first time we saw that the characters, in a sense, are real. Bart's not that bad a kid. He's just a little boy with normal little boy problems.

Sure, he does outrageous things as well, but that's because he's a cartoon little boy. Matt Groening has said many times that people misunderstood the exaggeration of the characters' bad habits as trying undermine American culture or some crap like that, but it was just simply the idea that "if they're cartoon characters, the dumb things they do should be REALLY dumb!"

But I digress. The honesty of the episode is incredibly touching for me from the childish sincerity of Bart's prayer to his emotional breakdown when he's failed yet again and Mrs. Krabapple's response to it. My father, being one of those people who doesn't understand cartoons in the least, hates this episode and many like it because he feels it's too irreverent by having Bart awkwardly mumble his way through his prayer without knowing how to phrase it and then cruel by having him fail despite all his hard work, but I don't know how much more real you can get than that.

I was blown away by it when it first aired in the early 90's and I'm still affected by it whenever I watch it now.

Where Homer is sitting on the hood of his car watching the stars during the credits? Yes!!! The soft variation of the theme song played there was always one of my favorite moments in the entire series.

P.S. Mono--...D'OH! My friends and I have quoted that moment since the episode aired until present day.

The old Simpsons Rules!!!! the new... err... ._.u

This would be a good episode to do a sequel to, since there's so many Simpsons episodes out there and I'd like to see your thoughts on some of the runners-up. "Who Shot Mr. Burns" is one of my all-time favorites, and "Blood Feud" ends with one of my favorite Simpsons quotes. "There is no moral! It's all just a bunch of stuff that happened."

I loved the Treehouse of Horror episodes. Sure some of them are hit and miss, but they could be really good when they want to, and I have had some memoriable Halloweens watching some of these episodes.


Everytime I see anything by James Taylor or that song "Fire and Rain" I will always remember that quote: "Listen John, I am not as laid back as people say, now you are going to sit there and you are gonna like it!" That just cracks me up everytime. XD

And I can see why "Bart Gets A F" would be kinda memorable for some people. Heck, I am sure alot of kids related to Bart in that episode and hit a emotional cord with them(I know it did for me when I looked back on the bad grades I got in Math) but to me, my most favorite would be "Homer the Smithers" its one of my favorite episodes because it gave us a chance to see what Mr. Burns would be like without Smithers, and the way Smithers tries to go on without being Mr. Burns lackey is funny to watch. Also when I was younger the fight scene in Mr. Burn's office was both funny and exciting.

I am alittle disappointed he didn't add that one in the list. But oh well. Still a good vid.

My personal favourite for me was always the treehouse of horror with "the shinning" in it. I forget which number it was but I find myself always watching that one every year. And you're right, who doesn't love Kang and Kodos? (kinda weird that Kodos is a girl though...that was a creepy revalation)

Homers enemy is a close second, that final image is disturbing when you realise what show it's coming from. I heard they followed up the story in a later series but sadly I haven't seen it (which is annoying because apparently it's a sideshow Bob episode and I love those)

Anything sideshow Bob is fun, even if it is being done a lot now cape fear is the best one. I love that they brought the rakes back as Bob's other arch enemy in later episodes XD I NEVER TRUSTED THEM RAKES

You're right about Bart gets an F though, that episode did a really good job relating to kids who went through that at school. Not my number one but it's up there.

Good list critic, good variety of episodes too, I like that you included some of the darker ones :D

the Simpsons did leave such an impact on us. Sure the show has to die soon but it's left it's mark on us all now, and that ain't a bad thing at all.

The Shinning is number 5

"The Shinning" is definitely my favorite of the Halloween segments too. And I think that may be the same year as Homer's time machine? Perfection.

("Urge to kill fading... fading... RISING... fading...")

Ha ha yeah that was in it too, and nightmare cafeteria with that fog that turned people inside out

"No TV and no beer make Homer...something something"
"go crazy?"
"DON'T MIND IF I DO! BLABABABABABABABARRRRRG! "

Me and my family used to fight over what show to watch, but then the Simpsons came along..
By the way, Simspon?
Needs to be on next top 11 Nostalgia Critic fuckups :D

No it doesn't - He's already pointed out that he's a terrible speller.

"Needs to be on next top 11 Nostalgia Critic fuckups :D"

You do know that there won't be any more of those, right?

you spelled simpsons wrong -_-.... why so silly NC?

They fixed it now. =D

Not in the URL they didn't. XD

Simspons i think that was a joke

I hadn't seen the #1 episode in a while, and I don't know most of them by name anyway.

However, after having failed a midterm this year after going crazy studying for it, man does that moment with Bart hit home- after being told that I was a failure as many times as I have been, actually finding out that I WAS a failure was pretty horrible.

That was me in middle school math. For some reason, I just didn't get algebra or geometry (I was placed ahead) in middle school. I tried, but it just didn't work. Of course, all I've concluded is that everything about middle school for everyone just sucked and it's best forgotten. No matter where you, who you are and who you know, middle school is the worst time of the average person's life.

Bart's plight was exactly the sensation I had when I got my first Algebra I test back in 7th grade and I got a C- on it. Prior to this, I had never gotten less than a B in any aspect of school (though my teachers criticized my poor penmanship). Just like him, I tried real hard for the next test... and I got a D+.

Fuck middle school.

I am almost 30 years old. Middle School has so far been the absolute worst time in my life.

Lost it at "the greater good"

THE GREATER GOOD!!!!

SHUT IT!

Ah, yes. Why wouldn’t you devote a Nostalgia Critic video about The Simpsons (with the exception of the Bart’s Nightmare Let’s Play a year ago)? Like Saturday Night Live, I still watch The Simpsons on Sunday nights, because it’s another tradition of mine.

11. Homer becoming an astronaut an going into space? Ha, that’s preposterous. Next, you’re gonna tell me they can send WOMEN up into space. …What’s that? …They ARE? …Man, I really need to stop seeing the movie Doomsday Machine. But seriously, this is a really fun episode.
10. Good thing my mom wasn’t like Marge in this episode when Power Rangers were in their Mighty Morphin years.
9. Now HERE’S a classic Simpsons episode. I just love who Grimes (or Grimy as Homer loves to call him) slowly goes to insanity knowing that Homer still works at the nuclear power plant. I also love the dark/funny ending.
8. This is by far my favorite Sideshow Bob episode. This is where he officially becomes Bart’s mortal enemy, and we get to hear that powerful Sideshow Bob theme, which is almost as powerful as the Darth Sideous theme from Star Wars. …Oh, and it’s funny as hell.
7. Out of all the sports related episode, this is by far the most memorable and funniest.
6. I also enjoy watching this episode whenever it comes on, because I haven’t seen an episode of a show like this before, with the exception of shows like Tiny Toons and Animaniacs. Also, I agree that the transition to that Geico commercial doesn’t fit well with this episode.
5. Another great episode, because the jokes keep popping up all over the place, even when you least expect them. I even love Leonard Nimoy’s guest appearance.
4. I love the times when Homer gets into one of the strangest of situations, even when it’s joining a secret society.
3. The only future-based episodes I find the most memorable is this one and the one where Lisa becomes the first straight female President of the United States.
2. I also love watching any to all of the Treehouse of Horror episodes. The possibilities of how much of Halloween and pop culture at the time the Simpsons team can make for these specials are just endless.
1. Why does anyone to everyone hate this episode? I actually find it pretty good an different from all the other LOL kind of episodes. I can acknowledge a plot about someone getting bad grades and need to try as hard as possible to get good grades, and MAN, I so agree that Bart’s cry was heartbreaking as frack. So yeah, I’m also a fan of this episode.

Great list, Doug, and I still forgive you for that Let’s Play.

The Bart to the Future Episode? Has funny moments but Lisa's Wedding is better. Love the recent Future episode, Holidays of Future Passed, where both Bart and Lisa are having a hard time connecting to their kids during Christmas, it's a very touching episode.

I liked that episode, too.

What do you think are your personal Top 11 Worst Simpsons Episodes, Doug?

Dude i definitely agree with your pick for number 1. i was not expecting it to appear on the list, but it is in fact the most "human" episode of the simpsons. great list Doug!

monorriel monorriel hey in spanish its called icually monorriel=monorriel or i'm a dummy

I have no idea what you just said.

I'm going to go with "B"

I don't care what anyone says, I still love The Simpsons. Have watch it since it's first episode aired back when I was 4 years old and still watch it to this day.

As for favorite episode: Lisa's First Word(Season 4 Episode 10), such a funny and touching episode. The ending itself is one of the sweetest endings on the show.

Worst Episode: Gump Roast(Season 13 Episode 17). A clip show showcasing Homer's funny moments as a roast, only it makes the moments unfunny.

finally a simpsons review!!! wee haa... 1234.. piu piu... 1234 piu piu...

Please stop posting forever.

I wouldn't ever dare try to rank the episodes of The Simpsons. There's just way too damn many to choose from. Still, a good list and I feel compelled to chime in a few more of my favourites unmentioned.

"Round Springfield"
This episode is probably most notable because it's the episode where Bleeding Gums Murphy dies, but looking back on it, I realized how funny it was. I love the bits with Krusty, I love how they manage to, despite the heavyness of the material, add in some good relief, and I also really like the way Bart ends up empathizing with Lisa. Plus, it had a good sax solo at the end.

"Lemon of Troy"
This is kind of hard to describe why I like it. I guess I just the whole "boys on a mission" motif it had going, and it had some great gags at the parrellelness between Springfield and Shelbyville, and it was nice to see childish behaviour wasn't strictly for kids.

"Simpsoncalifragilisticex piala(Annoyed Grunt)cious" [Yes, I just copy-pasted that]
This one's fun because it's a very well executed parody of Mary Poppins, and then goes the Simpsons route by clashing fairy tale whimsy with bitter reality, yet taking it in stride in the end.

"Brother From Another Series"
This one may just be pure self-indulgence, but what can I say? I love Sideshow Bob, I love Frasier, and this is the episode where those two collide. The Chemistry between Bob and Cecil carries over perfectly, and I like how Bob actually attempts to be a model citizen, and Bart's the one who can't let his prejudice go for most of the episode. Plus, all the nods to Frasier, subtle or not are pretty sweet too.

"HOMR" [Imagine that R was backwards]
I always found this one funny ["It's a pipe bomb Jobriath. For to blow up Planned Parenthood"], but watching it again, I enjoyed the way it tackled the more human element of the premise. Homer, via having a crayon removed from his nose becomes super smart, and is able to bond with Lisa, but he finds out that his friends begin to resent him for being intelligent. It's an interesting dilemma, and though they do revert the status quo, the final letter smart Homer writes to Lisa makes it all worthwhile.

"Trilogy of Error"
Picking my favourite episode's a bit futile because it could fluctuate at any time. However, if I had to pick the episode that I thought was the best written, I'd probably pick this one. It seems simple: Homer, Lisa and Bart go through the same day, and we follow each of their perspectives in segments. What sets it apart is just the way they go about it. They make things very convuluted in terms of story, and jokes, with the payoffs occuring in a completely scrambled order, yet it all comes together in the end in a way that's kind of fascinating.

"Eternal Moonshine of the Spotless Mind"
This may be the lea...

Homer's Enemy is my favourite. Glad that is on the list. You can't go wrong with any of the named episodes. Here are some more:

Bart on the road
-the moving camera shot of the car.

Fear of flying
- weak ending.. but 'Guy Incognito', and the distraction afterwards... hilarious.

Homer goes to college
- ...I'm going to hold a comprehensive review session after every class.
- Do we have to
- No
Funny remark, plays with a squirel.

Homer's barbershop Quartet
- Spongebob or Powerpuffgirls. Make a beatles reference episode and you can't go wrong.

Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
- Great episode in itself. Marks for me the end of the good simpsons episodes, together with homer vs. the city of new york.

Thanks for this. There are young people out there that only know the "new" Simpsons. People need to be reminded about how awesome this show was.

"Thanks for this. There are young people out there that only know the "new" Simpsons. "

It seriously sucks to be them.

"Zombie" Simpsons is probably the most accurate description for the double digit seasons. There's a site called the Dead Homer Society that pretty much perfectly explains why the show used to be so good, and what exactly caused it to all fall apart at around the end of the 90s.

Personally, I think the episodes dealing with Bart, rather than Homer, are the most memorable episodes. (I mean, the "Bart failing his test episode"/"Bart gets an F" has stayed with me through the years since I have also had many experiences like that were I would study and study, yet fail. That feeling of utter incompetence is the most gut-wrenching feeling in the world.)

I will say that Frank Grimes episode (second being the monorail episode), in my opinion, is the best episode!
I felt bad for Frank, yet I do believe he deserved that ending. He was a jerk who was greedy of someone else's success in life. I would never call Homer "bad" since his actions are akin to a dog's actions. He's like the human version of Lassie. He's a good dog! I can't hate him! I think Grimes should have realized this when Homer was so obviously trying to make Grimes like him, yet he got so entangled in his stubborn belief of Homer's idiocy that he never even gave him a chance for friendship.

I was actually expecting 'and maggie makes three' to appear somewhere on the list.

The ending alone makes it one of the better episodes in the entire series

Hmm... Got cut off. I guess it was too damn long
"Eternal Moonshine of the Spotless Mind"
This may be the least funny on my list, and it is a later period episode, but this one stands out as also having a very interested story structure. Homer wakes up not remembering that past few hours of his life, and is trying to piece it together. The actual story elements are what really make it work, and I appreciate that they can do serious character moments when they want to. I especially like the last line, it's what helps me remember that Homer is more then just a fat doofus.

I found Doug's humor to be a little bit meh the past few reviews, but this is hilarious!

Oh. An advertisement. Bye. Maybe I'll watch this when you learn nobody likes that garbage.

There's something called AdBlock, pal. It's free. Download it and shut the fuck up.

You're no better than him; neither of you seem to realize that nobody likes to STARVE, either, including the NC.

Yes, these ads are their main source of income. If you can't bring yourselves to care, kindly remove yourselves from the site or maybe the human race.

I know, right? Sure, ads are annoying, but I can't believe so many people are just so idiotic that they don't watch just because there's an ad anywhere CLOSE to the video play time. Honestly, if Blip and Springboard would run more than 2 or 3 different ads per week (rather than playing the same ones OVER AND OVER again), I wouldn't have any problem with them at all. And people with ad blocking? Entirely selfish. Channel Awesome gets more of their money from ad revenue, and if the ads are blocked, then they don't count, and they get nothing out of them. If you want Channel Awesome to keep going, then don't use ad blockers.
This arguement has been made on probably dozens of video pages, and yet nobody listens. The ads run 15 to (very rarely) 45 seconds, so just live with them.
Personally, I browse through a few of the top comments while the ads play to pass the time.

Okay, I gotta speak up about this. I was fine with ads on the actual site. I was fine with ads before the video. I was even okay with ads after the video. But now they're in the middle too? No. That's when my ad block goes up. Because my computer is old and laggy to begin with, being a Dell 2003 desktop, so throwing shit like that in a video that ALREADY has lag problems....no. When it (hopefully when) stops happening, then I'll let the ads back up. But until then? No.

And don't tell me to get a new computer. Please pay for it if you plan on getting on that particular horse. I'd like a laptop, actually!

AdBlock cuts into Channel Awesome's revenue. Channel Awesome is free. YOU shut the fuck up, please.

Piss off you entitled asshole.

That must be why television is doing so terribly.

Wow, butthurts galore!

You realize it isn't Doug's fault, right? He KNOWS nobody likes ads, that's why he makes a gag about them immediately before and after they play.

This was funny especially since I was never a hard core fan of the show. The only episode you talked about that I remember seeing, not counting the Halloween shows, was the one about Lisa's wedding and you are right about that. It was a great story and a very good episode. This show was really good in its day, but by god I wish it would go away already! Hard to believe when this show first came on I wasn't even out of high school yet. Heck, I was bare in high school! I may never have watched it regularly but I usually enjoyed it when I did watch it. Anyway, great list except what the heck was up with the depressing music in parts of it? And to the comment above, funny how "nobody" like that and yet everyone is still watching his videos. If you can't tolerate a 30 second ad that costs you nothing I don't think anyone will miss you. Sorry about that, can't wait for next week!

My personal favorite is the episode called "And Maggie Makes Three." Contains probably the single most heartwarming moment in the entire series to me.

Homer leaves the power plant with an exit even more magnificent than Doug's "I QUIT" video, and he goes to pursue his lifelong dream job, and he's fucking amazing at it. The pay's pretty bad, but it's enough...until Marge gets pregnant with Maggie, and suddenly, Homer has to *literally* crawl on his hands and knees back to Mr. Burns and beg for his old job back. Just to rub it in, Burns makes him hang a plaque in his office that says, "Don't forget: You're here forever." And Homer just covers it with pictures of Maggie until it just says, "Do it for her."

Ah, Simpsons, how I miss you. But alas, you stopped being funny, and my mother finally put her foot down after all these years, so you're not allowed in the house anymore. Though to be honest, months before Mom pulled the plug, I stopped watching because of repeats, and your new episodes weren't funny. You should've ended when you had the chance.

I forgot a few of the episodes mentioned until after the clips were shown, and then memories came back, and even then I can still remember a good chunk of them. I can see why I liked it as a kid, and why I enjoyed it more when I was around middle school/high school before the DVDs were given away. I'm sure that if I was to watch these episodes again, I would enjoy them a lot more. Some of the episodes were... iffy at most, but for the most part, they do have messages that they somehow stopped giving as time went on. I think that's the main reason why I stopped watching the show if the lack of good comedy had little to do with it. Of course, it's no Family Guy (if it was from the beginning, we would've never watched the show), but episodes sure have come close at times.

Thus, I totally agree with the list. While chances are high I may not ever get the DVDs again when I move out since I have no need to watch the show anymore, I do cherish the memories of what made The Simpsons great.

I'd say my favorite Simpsons episode is "Hurricane Neddy" just because if it's anyone that I would want to meet if they were real, it would be Ned Flanders and this episode shows us a side to Flanders that we've never seen before. We're use to him being the positive Christian neighbor that annoys Homer, but no one expected that kind of past from Ned. Although I suppose the episode may have been influenced from the book of Job.

I actually agree with the number 1 episode pick. At first when he said it I thought, "Why?", not angry or disappointed just why? Then as he explained it I saw where the Nostalgia Critic was coming from and realized how close the number 1 episode hit home for me as well. In many situations I tried my best at school, as well as other things and it just never seemed enough, I would try and try but to no avail. Number 1 is probably one of my top favorites.

In my opinion Bart may have ADD, no hurtful intent implied its just that I have it too and I feel like I see some similarities between Bart and myself when I was young. The reason they may not have actually stated ADD in the episode is that it didn't become well known until the later 90s I think.

In a later episode after the show's golden run, Bart actually is diagnosed with ADD and the ritalin causes crazy side effects. Not a great episode, but good enough.

anyone else get the ad about Possums right before the simpsons possum joke was shown?

Great list, Doug, but I'm a little surprised that there's no mention of Last Exit to Springfield. In my opinion the single finest half hour of television EVER.

Homer's story arc is great; he's put into one of those ridiculous jobs that only he can make hilarious. Lisa's storyline is touching and funny. The protest music and subsequent Grinch parody is phenomenal from Mr. Burns and you've got an all around perfect episode.

I use to LOVE the Simpsons growing up! I'd watch reruns every week-night and the New episodes on Sundays! But as of recently they just aren't funny anymore! They like Family Guy now just do nothing but political jokes and make the main characters just so unlikable that any outcome that isn't them being punished for whatever crime against humanity they commit is a punch in the face to the audience!
11.) I remember this episode from my childhood and loved the fact it made references to other shows I liked at that time like Married... with Children and Home Improvement! That scene with him and the chips was great and it still makes me crave Ruffles every-time I see it! XD
10.) I recall this one too! And I remember my mom hating the fact I loved this show and it just reminded me of how she was like Marg in this episode! And I do agree I wish the Simpsons of today were like they were when this episode was made and they didn't take sides they equally make fun of both sides of an argument! XD
9.) Oh maaan, this episode! I remember it as well! I do agree with it's sad and kind of depressing ending! As a kid I thought it was funny as hell but I guess if I were to watch it today it'd depress me as I would agree with the one dude and HATE Homer for his ability to stumble threw life unscathed or at least in this episode!
8.) OH CTHULHU! I LOVE THIS ONE! The bit with the rakes is a classic! And I remember drawing those joke tattoos that Sideshow Bob had over and over and over! I loved the one of Bart's severed head on his skateboard!
7.) I remember this one too! I loved how Mr. Burn's weird drug mutated that one player and I do believe it was the beginning of a running joke I loved to hear them quote, "It's like there's a party in my mouth and everyone's invited!"
6.) I recall this one too mostly because I recall the whole long bits with Lesa with gum in her hair and Marg along with everybody giving advice on how to get it out and making it worse! Love it! And Homer getting Maggie stuck in the New paper machine!
5.) MONORAIL!! I loved this one too! And I'm surprised no mention of the Music Man or The Super Cider Squeezy 6000! Or a quick shot at CR! I loved the Anchor scene the most and it cutting those tins apart! XD
4.) I loved this Stone Cutter episode! And the whole bit where Homer is just destroying the ancient parchment and he doesn't get why everyone is sooo pissed at him! And the removal of the stone of Shame to the Stone of Joy or some BS like that! Are you talking about the alien in the group on that one part!?
3.) I love the future possibility episodes! and this was one of my faves where Homer is just too much for Lisa's British boyfriend! Also all the future jokes are great! They did another one recently that wasn't nearly as good as this!
2.) If I made this list all of my choices probably would've been nothing but Tree House of Horror episodes as th...

2.) If I made this list all of my choices probably would've been nothing but Tree House of Horror episodes as those were one of the major things I looked forward to each year at Halloween! There isn't a single one of the originals i don't like! Even if I never saw the original movie they were parodying in that episode at the time I loved the jokes! One of my faves has gotta be the Shinning one with Homer and that whole, "Urge to kill fading, fading, fading, RISING, fading, fading, gone!" Yeah I do agree I did see a recent Halloween episode and I did miss the connecting story of each episode!
1.) I barely remember this episode mostly because yeah I hated this episodes as a kid because they did connect to me and made me feel feelings I don't like having! This episode and the one Christmas episode where Bart tries to steal a video game(an obvious parody of Mortal Kombat) are 2 of the episodes I hate to see the most! But I don't have no ill feeling to you for liking them to each their own!

I totally agree with your #1 pick, Critic (well, maybe I wouldn't have put it at #1, but it would have been on my list). That scene at the end is absolutely heartbreaking. I teared up a little just watching the clip. It's something that The Simpsons would never even consider doing nowadays, but man it works. Most of your other picks would have been on my list too. The only different choice I probably would have made is that I'd have included Homer the Heretic. It was just a hilarious satire on organized religion that still makes me laugh out loud. Oh, probably would have included Last Exit to Springfield too (if for no other reason than the "onion on my belt" bit)

By the way, maybe the Halloween episodes could make up their own list, eh? eh? Well, food for thought.

I've never watched the Simpsons ever...but I will still watch this video because I think Doug's funny even when I have no clue what he's talking about.