The Simpsons has been entertaining for 33 seasons and counting. The animated series features a loving if hilariously dysfunctional two-parent, three-kid family who mysteriously own a home and a couple of cars despite surviving on a single working-class salary. Their adventures often coincide with the various misfits and weirdos that live alongside them in Springfield, State Unknown.
Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie’s circumstances may be a relic from their 1989 debut, but the show’s satire has managed to stay current and relevant to this day. However, any show with more than 700 shows under its belt must sometimes fluctuate in quality, as evidenced by viewers’ votes on IMDB. Most would agree that every season has its merits, but some of them hold a special place in fans’ hearts.
Season 10: “Hi Lisa! Hi Super Nintendo Chalmers! I’m learnding!”
The tenth season introduced Homer’s electric hammer, Max Power, possessed hair plugs, rat milk, Superbowl jail, and a Japanese game show. Homer briefly became Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger’s personal assistant before being slapped with a restraining order. He accidentally boiled his pet lobster to death and took Ned Flanders to Vegas where they married a couple of barmaids.
Fans noted plots revolving around Homer’s zany antics rather than the character-driven, family-centric plots they’d come to love. Writers relied more on gags that still pulled in reliable laughter but lacked the show’s emotional core. Shows were often built around guest stars such as Mark Hamill, Dolly Parton, Elton John, and Stephen Hawking, which took time away from established and beloved characters. While not every episode was a masterpiece, season ten of The Simpsons still contains some great quotes and memorable gags.
Season 1: “Hi. I’m Bart Simpson, who the hell are you?”
Viewers first met the Simpson family at Christmastime; Marge had just spent her Christmas fund removing Bart’s tattoo, and Homer failed to make the money back at the dog track. He did, however, return home a hero, bearing Santa’s Little Helper, who became the family’s beloved pet. During the first season, Bart is established as a non-genius, Homer’s suicide attempt lands him a raise at the nuclear power plant, the family endures shock therapy, Lisa meets jazz hero Bleeding Gums Murphy, Marge is tempted by a French bowling instructor, and Bart makes a series-long enemy out of Sideshow Bob.
The show garnered its first five Emmy nominations (out of a total of 78 so far) and its first win of 34. The series was immediately controversial for Bart’s unapologetic bad behavior, banned by parents and schools alike. It was even criticized by the likes of Bill Cosby and George H.W. Bush. Fans, however, were quickly addicted.
Season 9: “Oh, they have the internet on computers now!”
During the show’s ninth season, Homer buys a gun, Apu has an arranged marriage to Manjula, Marge joins Red Blazer Realty, and the Simpsons take on some shady carnies. Homer joins a cult, the kids go Lord of the Flies, Moe gets a girlfriend but sends Homer to jail by overspending on her, and poor Jasper turns into a human popsicle. Homer climbs the Murderhorn thanks to Powersauce bars, and then spices up his marriage with public sex with Marge.
This season marked the show’s 200th episode, wherein Homer went to war with trash and lost, forcing the entire town of Springfield to physically relocate five miles away. The season saw some major controversy when it was revealed that principal Skinner was an imposter; though the show reinstated the original before its end, fans still pretend the episode never happened. Guest stars included Martin Sheen, James Earl Jones, U2, and Steve Martin.
Season 2: “Is Seymour there? Last name Butts.”
In the second season of The Simpsons, Homer cheats on insurance forms to regrow some hair, Bart catches a three-eyed fish, and Dancin’ Homer becomes the Springfield Isotopes’ new mascot. Homer stops Bart’s attempt to jump the gorge by jumping it himself, Marge learns a lesson in censorship, and Homer has 22 hours to live after eating Fugu but learns nothing. Homer meets and bankrupts his half-brother, and Marge paints Burns in the nude.
While viewers of the second season found Bart’s stunts and his eccentric family to be quite endearing, it also introduced fans to the likes of Mayor Quimby, Dr. Hibbert, Comic Book Guy, Groundskeeper Willie, and Troy McClure for the first time. Most episodes were well received, though the sad ending between Homer and his half-brother Herb didn’t sit well with fans, and the writers eventually responded to criticism with a happier conclusion at the end of the third season.
Season 8: “I hope I didn’t brain my damage.”
Season eight sees Bart discover an evil twin, and Homer find a talent for taking a beating. Mr. Burns meets his long-lost son, Homer saves a burlesque saloon with a song, Milhouse’s parents get divorced, and his mom dates an American Gladiator named Pyro. Homer eats chili that makes him hallucinate a mystical coyote, FBI agents Mulder and Scully investigate a glowing creature, Marge starts a mafia war with a pretzel franchise, and Homer flirts with homophobia and bootlegs liquor. Lisa unintentionally helps Burns kill dolphins, Homer is startled by Japanese logo Mr. Sparkle, and Frank Grimes dies an untimely death.
The eighth season of The Simpsons won Emmy Awards for the episode ‘Homer’s Phobia’ and the song ‘We Put The Spring In Springfield.’ GLAAD also recognized ‘Homer’s Phobia’ for outstanding TV, cementing The Simpsons as an important testing ground for shifting cultural morals and values.
Season 3: “Marge, with today’s gasoline prices we can’t afford not to buy a pony.”
In the third season, Homer ends up in a mental health facility with Michael Jackson and becomes the harbinger of Ned’s Left-handed Emporium. Bart is nearly convicted of murdering Skinner, Krusty reunites with his father, Rabbi Krustofski, cough syrup is the secret ingredient in the Flaming Moe, and Bart uses his birthday present to fake a well-based emergency. Burns hires a bunch of ringers for the employee softball team, Homer is tempted by Lurleen, Sideshow Bob marries then nearly murders Selma, and Herb returns so Homer can make amends.
The pivotal third season is where The Simpsons really hits its stride. The show consistently churns out high-quality episodes, many of which remain fan favorites nearly 30 years later. This season introduced mainstays Fat Tony, Lunchlady Doris, and the Van Houtens. Emmys for voice work went to: Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), and Marcia Wallace (Edna Krabappel).
Season 5: “Marge, this may be hard to believe, but I’m trapped inside two vending machines.”
In season five, Homer reveals he was once in a Grammy-winning barbershop quartet, the Simpsons go into the witness protection program, and Burns longs for Bobo. Homer goes back to college and then to space, Bart gets famous with the catchphrase “I didn’t do it,” gets an elephant named Stampy, then gets Skinner fired in the series’ 100th episode.
"Cape Feare," "Homer Goes to College," and "Rosebud" all prove to be among the show’s most acclaimed episodes, though "Deep Space Homer" was particularly disliked by the writing staff for being too large a concept, leaving little room going forward. Fans remember the season for great songs, fun guest cameos by George Harrison, James Brown, and The Ramones, and the first appearance of beloved characters Cletus and the Rich Texan.
Season 4: “Mr. Simpson, this is the most blatant case of fraudulent advertising since my suit against the film The Never-Ending Story.”
Bart and Lisa have a disappointing time at Kamp Krusty, Homer takes exception with The Frying Dutchman’s not-quite-all-you-can-eat buffet, then competes with Barney in a snowplow side hustle. Springfield gets a monorail, Ralph gets the wrong idea when Lisa ‘choo-choo-chooses him,’ Springfield gets serious about whacking snakes, Marge goes to jail, and Krusty gets canceled.
The Mr. Plow jingle no doubt lives rent-free in many fans’ minds, not to mention nearly the entirety of Marge vs. The Monorail. Not all songs this season, however, were equally well-received. A song about New Orleans in "A Streetcar Named Marge" proved controversial due to unflattering lyrics about the city, and that wasn’t the worst of it. The estate of Tennessee Williams would not let the show use excerpts from the actual play, and network censors objected to a mysterious “lump” in Mr. Burns’ bed which turned out to only be Smithers’ knee.
Season 7: “You don’t win friends with salad!”
This season begins by wrapping up last season’s cliff-hanger, "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" Milhouse gets cast as Fallout Boy in the new Radioactive Man movie, Ned fosters the Simpson kids when Marge and Homer are deemed unfit, Moe converts the tavern to Uncle Moe’s Family Feed Bag, and Lisa becomes a vegetarian. Homer prevents nuclear meltdown. He learns his mother is still alive before losing her again, and consoles himself with bowling. Bart gets spanked by former president Bush, Marge attracts new friends in discount Chanel, Grampa almost gets murdered over war plunder, and Homer lives it up as a sideshow freak taking cannonballs to the belly.
The Simpsons became the first animated show to win a Peabody, awarded for its exceptional animation and stinging social satire. Executive producers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein take the series back to its roots, focusing on the family and their relationships with each other. Writers step up with perhaps the show’s most quotable season ever.
Season 6: “Shut up, brain! I’ve got friends now. I don’t need you anymore.”
This season, Bart and Lisa go Rear Window when the family gets a pool, the Simpsons fight the robot apocalypse at Itchy & Scratchy Land, and Homer goes full Shining. Homer gets accused of sexual harassment, he and Grampa sell their own version of Viagra, and then he joins the Stonecutters’ secret society. Ned’s bunker sees some action when a comet threatens Earth, Bart moons Australia, and a fortune-teller predicts Lisa’s first failed marriage. Mr. Burns channels Cruella before building a machine to block out the sun and mysteriously getting shot.
Season six has more fan favorite episodes than any other, and the "See My Vest" musical number is voted among the best. "A Star Is Burns" was perhaps the season’s low point, controversial among staff and especially Matt Groening who disapproved of the crossover with The Critic. Highlights of the season include "King Size Homer," "And Maggie Makes Three," and "Homer The Great."