It was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to ten, and there are probably another 30 episodes just as deserving. I would love to have included “Lisa on Ice”, “Kamp Krusty”, “Bart on the Road”, or “Who Shot Mr. Burns”, just to name a few. Anyway, on to the list.
10. 22 Short Films About Springfield
Originally Aired: April 14, 1996
Written by Richard Appel, David X. Cohen, Jonathan Collier, Jennifer Crittenden, Greg Daniels, Brent Forrester, Rachel Pulido, Steve Tompkins, Josh Weinstein, Bill Oakley, and Matt Groening
Homer: Not with that attitude! An incident with a gummy Venus de Milo turns the whole world against Homer. In the mid 90s, round the clock news coverage of every minor scandal was a relatively new thing, but TV’s obsession with the minute details of our lives would only get worse from here. This episode features a great appearance from Groundskeeper Willy and the classic poorly edited video of Homer on “Rock Bottom.” What makes "Homer Badman" stand out is the way it insists on Homer’s inherent goodness: he loves candy and TV with such an innocent, childlike passion that something as serious as sexual harassment is simply beyond his capabilities. I miss that Homer. There’s a lot to love here—seeing Bart grow up as a child of the 80s, Krusty’s catastrophic Olympic Sweepstakes, Bart’s terrifying clown bed, and Homer’s first meeting with Flanders. What really sells this episode, though, are the emotions: Bart’s jealousy of newborn Lisa, Lisa’s admiration for her big brother, and the start of Homer’s special relationship with Maggie. Written by John Swartzwelder “My eyes! The goggles do nothing!” I loved this episode growing up, but it did not become one of my favorites until I moved to Los Angeles. The portrayal of the film industry is spot on, from Krusty’s complaints to the producer about the quality of the coffee on set to the utter destruction of the Simpson’s house by a careless film crew. Then of course there’s Bart and Milhouse’s star struck reaction to the arrival of Mickey Rooney, “modern editing techniques” used to “fix” the Radioactive Man movie after the departure of Milhouse, and Rainier Wolfcastle’s dismal failure to deliver Radioactive Man’s signature line. A classic from start to finish. 6. Lemon of Troy Written by Brent Forrester “So this is what it feels like…when doves cry.” I’m a sucker for Milhouse. Perhaps he reminds me a bit too much of myself as a child. I may have even fantasized about using a camouflaged outfit to hide from my enemies. This is a rare episode that focuses almost entirely on the kids, and in a way that is (somewhat) realistic. I remember going on adventures like this as a kid, and while they never quite reached this level of ridiculousness, there’s something oddly real about two groups of kids fighting over a lemon tree. Numbers 5 through 1 are on the way!
“Professor Frink, Professor Frink, he’ll make you laugh, he’ll make you think…”
This episode came out towards the end of the show’s golden age, a time when the expansive cast of ancillary characters was just starting to come into their own. One of the great touches was that many of the sketches came with their own theme song. Yes, I suppose you could go through life without knowing all the words to the “Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel” theme song. But who would want to?
9. Homer Badman
Originally Aired: Novermber 27, 1994
Written by Greg Daniels
Marge: Homer, that’s your solution to everything, to move under the sea. It’s not gonna happen!!
8. Lisa's First Word
Originally Aired: December 3, 1992
Written by Jeff Martin 
"Can't sleep...clown'll eat me...."
And let’s not forget the way the whole family shares a joyous laugh when they recall shipping Grandpa away to the old folk’s home. Laughing at the sad fate of the elderly will never go out of style.
7. Radioactive Man
Originally Aired: September 24, 1995
Originally Aired: May 13, 1995
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