Now that we've wrapped up our extended Halloween exploration, we can get back to our season-by-season ranking of the show! I think that Season 6 is one of the best seasons of The Simpsons in terms of entertainment and overall hilarity. What I noticed the most while I was watching this season was how much Season 6 focuses on random and non sequitur jokes, a style of humor that works particularly well on me. There are moments like when Homer is defending his pile of sugar and lets his guard down for just a minute and then finds a British man camping out in the sugar pile.
Or the show will play inspiring music as the family builds their pool together, only for them to discover that they've made a barn instead. What sells this moment particularly well is the Amish man who comments on the fine barn they've constructed.
These two examples may make it seem like there are a lot of jokes surrounding people of different nationalities inexplicably showing up in the Simpson family's backyard, but there are other moments of random twists where the writers really play around with the viewers' expectations. I love when the border guard asks the family if they have any fruits or vegetables and Homer speeds away because the car is suddenly filled with produce.
The show also knows when to show something and when it is funnier not to. I love imagining what the Simpsons discover on their "shortcut" to Itchy and Scratchy Land because their car is certainly the worse for wear.
In addition to being a heartfelt season, Season 6 also made you care about the family connection. Although Season 4 is another one of my favorite seasons and probably is the more consistently heartfelt season of these two, Season 6 can be meaningful and emotional when it wants to be as well. Episodes like "Lisa on Ice" and "When Maggie Makes Three," have moments that make me cry because they really highlight how much family members care about each other. In addition to the season's nice mixture of heart and humor, I also noticed that this season had an interesting habit of making Simpson family members go crazy. First, we see Bart get a little crazy after he breaks his arm in "Bart of Darkness" as the isolation drives him to act odd and manic around Lisa. We also get to hear a few lines from the Cockney play he decided to write at this time.
Homer's dedication to protecting the sugar borders on madness in "Lisa's Rival" as he starts quoting random movies to defend his actions to Marge.
"Treehouse of Horror V" features a great segment about Homer going insane in "The Shinning," a parody of The Shining where Homer is Jack Torrence.
Then we see Marge go a bit crazy in "Fear of Flying," as her anxieties keep her up all hours of the night doing random tasks. She is so tense that she can sit without even needing a chair!
Finally, we see Lisa go a bit crazy during the teacher's strike in "The PTA Disbands" because she doesn't have anyone to grade her.
While it seems like the whole family needs some psychological counseling at the end of this season, it makes for a very fun season overall! This season has so much to offer, and even the episodes that didn't make my list have some hilarious and memorable moments! There are so many great episodes that the memorable "Who Shot Mr. Burns Part 1" didn't even make my final list! This is partly to do with the fact that the first episode is mostly set up for a strong Part 2, but I think it also shows how solid this season truly is. The season is so great, that even my worst list is primarily just episodes that I find less good than the others. Now that we know a bit about the season, let's get into the ranking!
Top 7 Best Episodes
7. "Homer the Great"
This is an episode that had to make the list because it is such a fun premise! There are times when I am going through my life, and I see certain things work out a lot easier for the people around me than they did for me. I know that they have their struggles as well, but when I see things work out for them so effortlessly, it can be easy to wonder if they are privy to some secret that I have missed out on that would make things work out in my favor too. In Homer's case, he soon learns that the majority of the town is part of a secret society that actually does make life easier for those who are a part of it. The episode does a good job setting up the many minor annoyances that come up in our daily lives, so once Homer is part of the group, it is fun to see that he has a shortcut to work and a comfier chair. I also like that he is forced to drag this large stone of shame when he is cast out of the group and then has to drag an even heavier stone once the Stonecutters find out that he is the chosen one. I also love the part when Marge talks about how kids can be so cruel to each other, and Bart takes this as permission for him to pick on Lisa. One of the most meaningful themes of this episode is Homer's hurt over being rejected and left out, a pain that goes back to his childhood when classmates started a No Homers Club. Homer can be very insecure, in this episode and so many others. As the show establishes, both of Homer's parents have rejected him at different points in his childhood, so it makes sense that being excluded would be one of the hardest things for Homer to endure. I think the episode loses a bit of steam once Homer finds out that he is the chosen one and the other members of the group keep letting him win at everything. I wish there had been a better reason for the group to reject Homer, but I like the ending when Marge reminds Homer that she loves him and that he is part of a very exclusive group: The Simpson family.
6. "Fear of Flying"
The reason why this episode makes the list is because I love seeing Marge's unhinged madness after the flight triggers her fear of flying. The fact that she is doing roof repairs, cooking, and muttering bizarre things is so entertaining and hilarious. I also like Homer's unsuccessful efforts to fix her fear by showing her plane-based disaster movies. Although this middle part is my favorite part of the episode, I also enjoy seeing Homer's attempts to find a new bar early in the episode as well. Marge's time with the psychologist offers some nice depth into her thinking process and fears, and I love seeing Homer's paranoia that the psychologist will encourage Marge to get a divorce. It offers a brief glimpse of Marge's father, but I think the most valuable part is just having the space to hear more about how Marge thinks. Her weird behavior comes out of the way that she repressed all of her trauma until their attempted flight reawakened it. Marge often chooses to repress her feelings, and while we have primarily seen it in the way she suppresses her anger and resentment, it makes so much sense that she would repress her anxieties as well. I also think it is funny seeing Homer casually explain every step of the plane's takeoff and crash at the end of the episode. Unlike Marge's gambling addiction, her fear of flying does not seem to be a problem in the episodes that follow, so she must have found a way to overcome this fear. This episode has a lot of great laughs, and it is nice to see it offer a bit more focus on Marge as well.
5. "Lisa on Ice"
Many of my high entries on this list are there because of their consistently funny writing, but this one is mostly here for its heartfelt ending. I think they get some good laughs early on as Lisa consistently fails at sports in unexpected and funny ways. Her skill as a hockey goalie comes a bit out of nowhere and could have benefitted from a brief explanation. For instance, maybe she is skilled at blocking because people are always trying to pelt her with food during school food fights or something like that. The episode does a good job of escalating the tension between Bart and Lisa, especially when Homer flips from giving Bart special treatment to doing that to Lisa. Bart and Lisa make a great team in so many episodes, but this episode shows that they work against each other in entertaining ways. I love when they approach each other with Bart punching and Lisa kicking, and it turns into a fight. The fact that Marge breaks up the fight by reminding the kids that they are not in competition with each other, only for Homer to announce that their teams are playing each other in the final game is such an entertaining moment. It is also funny to see the whole town caught up in this Bart vs Lisa showdown, with Moe sneaking into their house to see which kid he should bet on. Though they don't really explain why Lisa is so good at being a goalie, I like that this position and a penalty shot from Bart's team ends the game with a one-on-one confrontation between the two. The way both siblings remember the kind things they have done for each other is so sweet. I always tear up at the part when little Lisa drops her ice cream, and Bart gives her the top part of his. It is such a sweet ending to see them reunite, even if the game doesn't have a resolution. Overall, it's one of the best episodes at exploring what Bart and Lisa mean to each other. It also continues the trend of sports episodes that I actually enjoy watching! In this case, it helps that I like hockey much more than baseball, but I think it was smart for the episode to focus on the character relationships through the sport. That way, even if you don't enjoy sports, you have something that you can resonate with in this episode.
4. "Homie the Clown"
I honestly wasn't expecting to rank this episode as high as I did because I am generally not the biggest fan of Krusty the Clown. While Krusty's Jewish identity gives him some interesting direction as a character, his larger characterization as a depressed, drug-addicted alcoholic is often where his character starts and ends. The show rarely investigates why he is so unfunny or why he so often sabotages himself. But I think this episode wins me over because it is much more about Homer's journey. It is so clever how this episode takes advantage of the physical similarity between Homer and Krusty to make him pursue a career as a lookalike Krusty. The reason why the two characters look as similar as they do is because the show had initially planned to reveal that Homer was secretly playing Bart's favorite clown.
This was going to poke fun at the fact that Bart disrespects Homer but truly admires his TV persona. I'm guessing that they decided not to do this twist pretty early on because it is clear Homer and Krusty are separate people during Krusty's arrest in Season 1. The show then had several Krusty-focused episodes in the following seasons that clearly established the differences between the two men. Since they had abandoned that early plot direction, it makes so much sense to use those design similarities in an episode. I always laugh at the beginning of the episode when Homer sees that billboard for Clown College and then can think of nothing else for the rest of the day. It happens to me so often that I start thinking about something and begin to think that even completely unrelated conversations are tied to it. I love when Homer tells his family that they have stood in his way long enough and he is going to Clown College. When Bart says "I don't think any of us were expecting that" it gets me every time! I also find it funny seeing all the ways that Homer botches his Krusty appearances. If Krusty started this whole lookalike thing to make life easier on himself, Homer's disastrous appearances may have harmed his reputation a bit. The mob stuff at the end isn't as funny as what came earlier, but I think they do a good job making the situation truly feel threatening. This era of the show is also really good about setting something up and having that thing pay off in the end. In this case, the fact that the two men can successfully perform the bicycle trick is even more impressive because it is the one aspect of Clown College that Homer truly struggled to do successfully. The funny moments are just so much funnier than the lower entries in this list, and I always have such a great time watching this episode.
3. "The PTA Disbands!"
A lot of the episodes on my best list are there because they truly master the humor of the concept. This episode doesn't have much in the way of structure but makes up for that by being absolutely hilarious all the way through. I love seeing the school's attempted field trip where they cannot afford a safe bus or even to see the attraction they have visited. And the people are so angry at the Springfield students for "trying to learn for free" that they beat up Üter and he is gone for several episodes. Bart has always been a fan of pranks, but it is funny to see how effective his attempts to sabotage the peace between teachers and administrators are, even when they aren't his idea, like the "purple monkey dishwasher" comment. Once the strike happens, the show is able to get some great humor out of Bart and Lisa's different reactions to the situation. Lisa is desperate for validation and asks her mom for a grade. She also makes a perpetual motion machine that defies the laws of physics. Lisa's overall behavior and sounds are so entertaining at this point in the episode. Bart's unhinged pranks and his bizarre actions like flying a kite at night are also very funny as the show gives reasons for why both Bart and Lisa need the school. In the last few minutes, we see a bunch of funny scenes with the substitute teachers as they each fall short in amusing ways. If the episode had given a little more time to the relationship between Bart and Marge, it would have gotten some points for sweetness as well, but this episode is so funny that it is already great as it is!
2. "Bart of Darkness"
This episode offers such a strong start with the family getting a pool that suddenly makes both Simpson kids more popular. Bart's descent into insanity after he breaks his arm is also hilarious and gives a certain amount of doubt as to whether or not Bart is actually seeing what he thinks he is seeing with his new telescope. The Simpsons' take on Rear Window is so funny as Bart continues to suspect that Flanders killed his wife. While most other people would find this hard to believe, Bart hears things in just the wrong way that it seems plausible. It is so funny to see Lisa sneak into the Flanders house as the two of them continue to encounter false alarms like the head of lettuce. The phone line Bart calls in order to try and save Lisa is also so funny because it is one of those automated messages with numbers for redirects and yet it has a whole line devoted to reporting attempted regicide. This is just a fun episode all around with a good balance of pool stuff, Bart's insanity, and the potential Flanders murder plot.
1. "And Maggie Makes Three"
This is one of the sweetest episodes in the show, and it does a beautiful job bringing together the humor and the sweet moments. At this point, we have seen flashbacks to the births of Bart and Lisa, so it only makes sense to explore how Maggie came to be. I enjoy seeing Homer happy and following his dream, so it is fun to see him leave the power plant and start a job at a bowling alley where he enjoys every day of work. Given Homer's passion for music, it's a bit strange that his dream job is not related to music at all, but the story makes it work because he is set up as a very good bowler who loves hanging out at the bowling alley. It is so funny when Patty and Selma seem to call everyone in the phonebook, only for the viewer to learn that they called two people at the beginning and end of the phonebook instead. The scene that follows, where the town congratulates Homer for the baby, and Homer assumes it is kudos for the new job is so funny as he tries to make the meaning fit with his understanding. Also, while the episode shows how disheartening it is for Homer to give up his dreams in order to provide for Maggie, it is wonderful to see that Homer loved Maggie from the start. Homer changing the plaque from "Don't Forget, You're Here Forever" to "Do it For Her" is one of the sweetest moments in the whole show and one of the moments that still can make me cry. Overall, this is the ultimate episode for both great laughs and great heart!
Top 7 Worst Episodes
7. "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds"
In this episode, it is fun to see Santa's Little Helper have a huge litter of puppies and I love the difficulties that these cute dogs bring into the family's lives. My family has a lot of dogs, so the part when the puppies devour Bart's socks, and he opens his drawer to find them eating the rest of his socks is very funny and relatable. I also think it's funny when Bart uses the technically correct term for a female dog as an excuse to use a bad word. The police officers are also pretty funny in their incompetent efforts to search for the puppies. The issue is, once the family decides to sell the puppies and Mr. Burns steals them, I have trouble enjoying The Simpson's version of One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Mr. Burns has a catchy song, but the final confrontation doesn't have the kind of energy and stakes that the episode needed in order for it to work. I enjoy Mr. Burns' affection for anything and anyone that stands up like Rory Calhoun, whether it's puppies or children. However, their efforts to make Burns both Cruella and the puppies' new owner make it difficult for Burns to fully fit either role in the end. Overall, this episode follows a similar story to the old Disney movie, but I don't think it adds anything all that new or interesting.
6. "'Round Springfield"
This episode is good at establishing sad vibes as Lisa's mentor dies suddenly before she can tell him how much he changed her life. It is poignant, and it shows an interesting backstory for Bleeding Gums Murphy as well. Although the episode shows things through Lisa's eyes and thus never explained the exact cause of Murphy's death, I think a little more explanation would have helped. I also think the episode was a bit unkind to Murphy as it suggested that he never really amounted to much in his life beyond being a historical footnote and a mentor to Lisa. Reverend Lovejoy's clueless eulogy is pretty funny, and I understand that the episode wanted to highlight how Lisa could carry on Murphy's legacy, but I think a little more detail about how much Lisa meant to him would have brought the episode together. Maybe Lisa could discover a letter that Murphy wrote to her before he died, that would have really added to the impact. They do this a little by having Murphy give Lisa his saxophone, but a letter or some final word from Murphy other than the force ghost thing would have been nice. Also, since Murphy only really appeared in Season 1 and a brief mention in Season 2, I think the episode could have explained more about what he meant to Lisa before he died. I love how Bart sacrifices the money from his settlement to help Lisa share Murphy's music with the world. I also think "Jazz Man" is a pretty catchy song. Overall, this episode offers some interesting thoughts on death and legacy but could have explained more about who Murphy was and what mattered to him beyond his failed career and addictions.
5. "Homer vs. Patty and Selma"
I have often seen this episode at the bottom of people's Season 6 rankings, and I agree that the main plot is quite irritating, but I think the subplot brings the episode up a few points. I love seeing Bart find his love for ballet and his difficulties reconciling his new pursuit with fears of being bullied or having people question his masculinity. Bart imagining the instructor as she tells him to "use the ballet" is so funny, especially since he does not quite make the leap. Going back to the main plot, it is nice to see the family struggle with their finances again. It makes Homer's deal with Patty and Selma all the more impactful. While it is perfectly in character for Patty and Selma to blackmail Homer, the things they make him do so that they won't tell Marge are deeply unpleasant. It isn't really clear why Homer doesn't just tell Marge about his financial missteps. It is nice to see him stick up for them at the end when he claims that the cigarettes at the DMV are his, but it doesn't fix the many unpleasant scenes between Homer and Marge's sisters. This episode also had a chance to explore why Patty and Selma detest Homer so much, but the only thing this episode suggests is that the sisters think Homer is a loser. I don't often enjoy blackmail plots, and this episode certainly doesn't make them any more appealing.
4. "Bart's Comet"
This one has a pretty fun start with Bart's prank and with him seeing the comet, but I don't really enjoy the time he spends with the Superfriends, especially since he clearly has no interest in being part of a nerd group. Once they determine that the comet will hit the city, I find it amusing that part of the comet destroys the only bridge out of town, so that the people are trapped. What bothers me is the last few minutes of the episode when they are in the bomb shelter. Ned Flanders generously prepares a space for the Simpsons in his bomb shelter, even though Homer just shows up demanding that they come in. After that, the entire town comes into the shelter, preventing them from closing the door. As they try to figure out who to send out of the shelter, it turns into a troubling game of who has value to society and who does not. Homer's ultimate decision that Ned Flanders is the most expendable man in Springfield is so sad and makes Homer seem like a jerk. Especially since the town is arguing over Flanders' own bomb shelter. I'm glad that Homer and the others ultimately choose to die with Flanders and I love the twist that the comet fractures into a tiny piece that only destroys the bomb shelter. That said, this fun twist does not fix the frustrating way that people treat Flanders in this episode. I think it would have worked better if Flanders had decided to sacrifice himself instead of being nominated to do so. It is certainly watchable, I just find the last few minutes a bit unfair to Flanders.
3. "Another Simpsons Clip Show"
Clip shows were a common staple of many shows from this era, particularly when the showrunners wanted to save money and when it could give fans a nice recap before the onset of DVD box sets. They are always the lowest-effort episodes of the shows they are in, and in our current streaming world, they don't make very much sense. After all, if I wanted to rewatch classic moments in the show, I could just go back and rewatch those episodes where I could experience the full impact of these scenes in their original context. Friends also did clip show episodes, and so did Stargate SG1, even Star Trek: Next Generation tried their hand at one, and every time it felt like a wasted episode. I'm glad that The Simpsons eventually abandoned all clip show episodes after Season 13, otherwise, it would have left even more weak episodes. In this case though, I think the longer stories narrated by members of the Simpson family and the thematic focus on romance makes it a bit better overall. I like seeing Homer and Marge's different reactions to each other's almost-affairs. Homer wants Marge to stop seeing Jacques but is fine if she lets him down gently while Marge is pretty happy that Mindy is no longer working at the plant and encountered misfortune in her life. I also like that they ended with the flashback to Homer and Marge in order to show that true love is possible. Not a great episode, but they still found a way to make the old clips say something new, which is a lot better than other clip shows I have seen.
2. "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy"
This episode has an interesting subplot where the kids notice their parents' increased alone time and assume that it is an alien conspiracy of some sort. They do a good job building up to this with Bart's growing interest in aliens early in the episode. The main plot, where Abe and Homer sell a love tonic is interesting, particularly Homer's discovery about how effective the tonic is, but I never really bought the connection between Homer and Abe in this episode, and that is a problem. I like the early plot between Homer and Marge as they try to bring a romantic spark back to their marriage, but once it becomes a Homer and Grandpa episode, it gets a lot less interesting. The two of them don't have that many good times before things start to get difficult between the two of them. While other episodes like "Old Money" and "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish" do a good job showing how desperate Abe is for even a little of Homer's love, this episode shows that during Homer's childhood, Abe was dismissive to Homer and shot down his dreams. This makes it a lot harder to sympathize with Abe, especially when he makes the pretty unforgivable claim that Homer was an accident. It is sweet to see them reunite at the end and the fact that they both take responsibility for burning down Homer's childhood home is a bit of a metaphor for them both taking accountability for the ruptures in their relationship. Abe was a cold and distant father, something which was particularly difficult for Homer after his mother left. But in the present day, Homer ignores his father and treats him like a burden. I didn't enjoy the way they handled the father/son relationship in this episode, but it was nice that Homer and Abe got to spend a little more time together.
1. "Bart's Girlfriend"
This episode has its funny moments, and I love the times when Bart truly connects to Jessica, but the episode ends on a bit of a sour note that takes things too far. It's interesting to have a female counterpart to Bart who takes bigger risks than he does and even makes him nervous with some of her ideas. It's a bit of a stereotype, but I like how Jessica is Reverend Lovejoy's daughter. I have seen far too many cases where legalistic parents try to control their children only to wind up with kids who live their lives to rebel. These kids grow into adults who want so hard not to be like their parents that they will spend their whole lives running and striving to be the opposite of who their parents want them to be. This kind of motivation would make a lot of sense for Jessica, but I find it more than a little irritating that her parents continue to insist that she is a well-behaved angel and that any misdeeds are due to Bart's influence. The desire to blame a child's misbehavior on outside influences is very common in legalistic circles, but the Lovejoys have plenty of evidence that Jessica has had behavioral issues long before Bart came into the picture, so their constant excuses for Jessica are pretty irritating. I think the episode goes downhill once Jessica steals from the collection plate and frames Bart for it. It is a rebellious act, but it goes too far, and it isn't clear how Jessica would have found a way out of the situation if Bart had not been there to be a patsy. I like Lisa's efforts to expose Jessica, but Jessica's final conclusion that she has the power to manipulate men is a sad and troubling end to the episode. I would have been interested to see what happened to Jessica next, but it was sad to see that she had learned absolutely nothing from her experiences in this episode. I think the ending and the Lovejoys' refusal to acknowledge their daughters' faults are the reasons why I often leave this episode feeling a bit irritated.
