Any show can be forgiven for a few sub-par episodes, especially when they've run over 700 of them, but fans of The Simpsons, America's longest running animated series have debated for some time whether the show has overstayed its welcome.
With an ever rotating roster of new writers and animators, the last ten years have shown us the very worst the show has had to offer, however, in between these come glimpses of genuine quality that make a strong argument for the continued life of The Simpsons' continued existence.
Halloween of Horrors (2015)
After feverishly re-decorating their home into "Everscream Terrors", Homer takes the children to "Halloween Horror Night" where an already timid Lisa becomes separated and eventually overwhelmed by the over-the-top scary set-ups. Lisa becomes so petrified of anything Halloween that the Simpson family revert their home to its original state, to the ire of Bart, setting up an evening wherein Homer must comfort Lisa (in the face of some exceedingly real and terrifying circumstances) whilst Marge attempts to keep the Halloween spirit alive for Bart.
The first canonical Simpsons Halloween outing offers us a classic pairing, wherein Homer and Marge must parent the child they have the least in common with, creating an incredibly wholesome pair of parallel family moments.
Not It (2022)
Certainly not the last of The Simpsons’ Halloween themed episodes on this list, "Not It" is a parody of Stephen King’s It. Set in the town of "Kingfield", the episode opens on an often used set-up, wherein the older members of Springfield are cast as children.
When the episode, as happens in the source material, jumps to the characters in present day, there are some major deviations to the established canon, with some hilarious results. These Halloween themed episodes seem to deliver in part because it alleviates the writers’ pressures of having to somewhat maintain the Simpsons’ long-running, and often shaky, canon.
Flanders' Ladder (2018)
"Flanders’ Ladder" opens with one of the most unexpected joke-references the show has perhaps ever put out, Bart using the atmosphere of a dark and stormy night to frighten Lisa with the classic Scary Maze Game.
After Bart is hurt whilst climbing a ladder in order to steal the Flanders’ router, he falls into a coma, wherein he has visions of ghosts, including that of Maude Flanders, and uses this ability to mediate reality and the spirit world in order to complete the ghost’s last earthly biddings, so that they may enter the afterlife.
Steal this Episode (2014)
When Bart shows Homer how to pirate movies (after Homer has a particularly bad night at the cinema, featuring texting, smartphones, chatting and crying babies - who can relate?) Marge sends an apology letter and an accompanying check to Hollywood in order to repay her husband’s stolen viewership, an act of goodwill which lands Homer in hot water with the FBI.
Some of the big criticisms often levied at the modern Simpsons episodes are its wayward stances on public issues, and its poorly cast and written celebrity guests. "Steal this Episode" came as somewhat a surprise then, an episode taking jabs at all sides of the piracy debate, featuring celebrity guest appearances from the likes of Seth Rogen, Judd Appatow, Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd, whilst the episode's main antagonist, an anti-piracy FBI commando, is voiced expertly by Will Arnett.
Pixelated and Afraid (2022)
When Bart and Lisa share concerns that their parents’ marriage might be stagnating, they suggest Marge and Homer cash in their voucher to the Saffron Togetherness Centre atop Honeymoon Mountain. On the way there, Homer and Marge decide to turn around, however the car skids on some ice, leaving the pair to survive the icy wilderness with nothing but each other's wits and abilities.
"Pixelated and Afraid" is a welcome look at the tender side of Marge and Homer’s marriage, which, when previously explored, has offered some of the show’s most cherished moments. Mature and even dark at times, the episode shows great restraint in narrowly focusing on its story and outcomes.
Brick Like Me (2014)
Coinciding with the release of the Lego Movie, and The Simpsons' inaugural Lego play-set, "Brick Like Me" features Springfield and its inhabitants re-imagined as an entirely Lego constructed society. When Homer begins having hallucinations of an alternate meat monster reality (the original Simpsons style), he begins to question whether the world really is as simple as plastic bricks that all perfectly fit together.
With a style as iconic as the show’s name itself, it’s a treat to see the Simpsons’ world re-imagined from its iconic yellow animated characters to the equally iconic yellow Lego mini-figures, featuring plenty of gags to go along with it. "Brick Like Me" features another wholesome Homer and Lisa plot line, wherein the pair find a shared interest in building Lego sets together.
Simpsorama (2014)
Confusions abound when the Simpsons family find Bender the robot, the star of Matt Groening’s other superb creation, Futurama, in their basement, it seems he is as confused as they are as to the reason for his being sent back through time. Bender and Homer immediately hit it off, and so complications arise when Professor Frink uncovers, through some clever rewiring of Bender’s mission protocol (i.e. he turns it off and on again), that Bender has been sent back in time to kill Homer.
It is hard to imagine a world where this crossover was not inevitable. Homer and Bender are an amiable pair together on screen, and even more so are Bender and Maggie, who take a trip to the races (Bender having a perfect recall of all horse-racing results) when the others are flung a thousand years into the future.
A Serious Flanders Parts 1 & 2 (2021)
Simpsons fans are no stranger to parodies, especially in the modern seasons, which have often sought to parody their contemporaries in a lazy attempt to pass for commentary. However, "A Serious Flanders" is The Simpsons take on the modern wave of prestige television, by way of a Coen-Brothers style narrative.
A Serious Flanders sees Ned at his most debaucherous, after becoming embroiled in a criminal’s affairs when he donates a bag of cash he finds to an orphanage, an odyssey which ties back to his father, and the truth about Ned’s lineage, which collides existentially with his strict code of morality.
Treehouse of Horror XXXIII (2022)
The Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" episodes have always been standout moments, even amidst the show’s poorer runs of form. Their delineation from the canon allows the show’s artists a level of creative freedom that even ordinary nonlinear episodes might not always allow, a sentiment helped by the raised maturity rating.
Across three separate parodies (the first of the Babadook, the second of Death Note, and the third Westworld), "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII" is a testament to the life that still exists within the creative ensemble of The Simpsons, that just needs the right platform on which to stand out.
Barthood (2015)
Bart is perhaps only second to Homer as The Simpsons’ most iconic character, a rebellious young punk whose confidence and swagger are always enough to get him into, and (almost) always out of trouble. "Barthood", however, attempts to re-evaluate the reason for Bart’s troubles.
"Barthood" (a parody of the Richard Linklater film Boyhood) follows Bart from ages 6 - 20, wherein we find that Bart’s mischief is a symptom of his insecurities, lashing out at a world where he is always second best. Modern Simpsons is often plagued by lazy writing, the creeping feeling that the show itself might have passed the peak of its social relevance over a decade ago. However, episodes like "Barthood" speak to how ingrained these characters have become in our culture, their ability to slip seamlessly into the latest trends in art and culture, and the great love audiences have for these characters can be used to tell complicated and tender stories that understand the weight behind these now rich characters.