An Anal-Retentive Binge Guide to The Simpsons

I think we can all agree the best way to watch The Simpsons is 2-4 hour blocks between 3pm and 7pm for the better part of your childhood and most of your young adult life. Not all of us were that lucky. A friend mentioned in passing that she hadn't seen the show but had always sort of wanted to. Since I'm obsessive, I decided to run with it.

The daunting 28 season run can be intimidating. It took my wife and I months to work through 11 seasons of Frasier. Let's get real, most of those 28 seasons are garbage. Okay, maybe not garbage, but if you're trying to watch the cultural juggernaut and maybe see for yourself why people are obsessed with it, you won't find your answers in season 23.

So here are my suggested methods for binge watching The Simpsons. Before you comment, keep in mind (besides the fact that I kind of don't care what you think) I am tailoring this for a specific person. I may be leaving out your favorite episodes, and I may be including episodes you think are terrible.

METHOD #1 | METHOD #2 | METHOD #3 | METHOD #4 | METHOD #5

METHOD #1: Just Fucking Do It

Start at episode 1, season 1, and watch the first twelve seasons. That's enough to follow the show as it finds its legs then takes off. And it's just far enough to realize why you should probably stop watching. Down side: it will take you months.


METHOD #2: Be Selective

Back in the eighties, TV shows were allowed to do this thing called develop. Even if a show wasn't amazing at first, it was allowed to grow and find itself. Crazy. Here's my method for wading through, getting a taste of the early stuff, getting to the good stuff faster, and catching some good ones on the tail end. Down side: it's a little complicated.

Seasons 1-3, only watch the following episodes:
Season 1
Bart the Genius S1.E2
Moaning Lisa S1.E6
Krusty Gets Busted S1.E12
Season 2
Two Cars in Every Garage... S2.E4
Bart the Daredevil S2.E8
Itchy & Scratchy & Marge S2.E9
The Way We Was S2.E12
Lisa's Substitute S2.E19
Season 3
Stark Raving Dad S3.E1
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington S3.E2
Like Father, Like Clown S3.E6
Flaming Moe's S3.E10
I Married Marge S3.E12
Radio Bart S3.E13
Bart the Lover S3.E16
Homer at the Bat S3.E17
Dog of Death S3.E19
Black Widower S3.E21

Season 4, watch the whole season, but you can skip:
Lisa the Beauty Queen S4.E4
Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie S4.E6
Marge Gets a Job S4.E7
Homer's Triple Bypass S4.E11
Duffless S4.E16
Marge in Chains S4.E21

Seasons 5-7, watch the full seasons. Overall, these three years are the seasons people talk about when they talk about this as a great show. Season 5 is perfect. Seasons 6 & 7 have some less than perfect episodes, but all are worth watching.

Season 8 has some of the best episodes of the series, including three of my favorites. It also has some stinkers. Feel free to skip:
Burns, Baby Burns S8.E4
My Sister, My Sitter S8.E17
The Canine Mutiny S8.E20

After that, the show kind of drifts off into mid-level TV comedy territory. The Simpsons birthed an entire generation of animated comedies that surpassed it. Starting with season 9, I'd only really recommend:
Season 9
The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson S9.E1
Lisa the Skeptic S9.E8
Das Bus S9.E14
The Last Temptation of Krust S9.E15
Dumbbell Indemnity S9.E16
Lisa the Simpson S9.E17
Simpson Tide S9.E19
Trash of the Titans S9.E22 (200th Episode)
King of the Hill S9.E23
Season 10
Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo S10.E23
Season 11
Treehouse of Horror X S11.E4
Behind the Laughter S11.E22

I asked some friends to help with suggestions for this list. From their suggestions, I want to add two more later season episodes.

New Kids on the Blecch S12.E14
Weekend at Burnsie's S13.E16

More from them below.


Method #3: If You Only Watch 75 Episodes...
back to top

If you're looking for a more curated selection, try these, in chronological order.

SEASON 2
Two Cars in Every Garage... S2.E4
Bart the Daredevil S2.E8
The Way We Was S2.E12
Lisa's Substitute S2.E19
SEASON 3
Stark Raving Dad S3.E1
Like Father, Like Clown S3.E6
Flaming Moe's S3.E10
Radio Bart S3.E13
Homer at the Bat S3.E17
Black Widower* S3.E21
SEASON 4
Homer the Heretic S4.E3
Mr. Plow S4.E9
Marge vs. the Monorail S4.E12
I Love Lisa S4.E15
Last Exit to Springfield S4.E17
Whacking Day S4.E20
Krusty Gets Kancelled S4.E22
SEASON 5
Homers Barbershop Quartet S5.E1
Cape Feare S5.E2
Bart's Inner Child S5.E7
$pringfield S5.E10
Bart Gets Famous S5.E12
Homer and Apu S5.E13
Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy S5.E14
Deep Space Homer S5.E15
Homer Loves Flanders S5.E16
SEASON 6
Bart of Darkness S6.E1
Itchy & Scratchy Land S6.E4
Treehouse of Horror V S6.E6
Lisa on Ice S6.E8
Homer the Great S6.E12
And Maggie Makes Three S6.E13
Bart vs. Australia S6.E16
A Star is Burns S6.E18
Lisa's Wedding S6.E19
The PTA Disbands S6.E21
Round Springfield S6.E22
Lemon of Troy S6.E24
Who Shot Mr. Burns? S6.E25, S7.E1
SEASON 7
Radioactive Man S7.E2
Home Sweet Homediddly... S7.E3
Bart Sells His Soul S7.E4
Lisa the Vegetarian S7.E5
Simpsons 138th Episode... S7.E10
Two Bad Neighbors S7.E13
Homer the Smithers S7.E17
A Fish Called Selma S7.E19
22 Short Films About Springfield S7.E21
... The Flying Hellfish S7.E22
Much Apu About Nothing S7.E23
Summer of 4 Ft. 2 S7.E24
Homerpalooza S7.E25
SEASON 8
You Only Move Twice S8.E2
Hurricane Neddy S8.E8
Mysterious Voyage of Homer S8.E9
Springfield Files S8.E10
Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious S8.E13
Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie S8.E14
Homer's Phobia S8.E15
Brother from Another Series S8.E16
The Old Man and the Lisa S8.E21
In Marge We Trust S8.E22
Homer's Enemy S8.E23
SEASON 9
NYC vs. Homer Simpson S9.E1
Lisa the Skeptic S9.E8
Das Bus S9.E14
The Last Temptation of Krust S9.E15
Dumbbell Indemnity S9.E16
Lisa the Simpson S9.E17
Simpson Tide S9.E19
Trash of the Titans S9.E22
King of the Hill S9.E23
SEASON 10
Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo S10.E23
SEASON 11
Treehouse of Horror X S11.E4
Behind the Laughter S11.E22

*Black Widower (S3.E21) continues the story from a Season 1 episode, but it has flashbacks, so you should be good.

I also suggest watching all the Treehouse of Horror episodes. Well, they start getting good with Treehouse of Horror III, season 4.

And here are my friends' recommendations, not listed above:

New Kid on the Block S4.E8
Burns' Heir S5.E18
Lisa's Rival S6.E2
Homer Badman S6.E9
Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield S7.E14
Treehouse of Horror VII S8.E1
A Milhouse Divided S8.E6

Thank you to Tom Brennan, Bryana Edwards, Diva Kapoor, Dan Litzinger, Liz Greene, Matt Sherer, Eric Levy, Kevin Taber, Racheal Caswell, Chelsea Steiner, Blake Schiffman, and Ben Buchwald.


Method #4: How About 50 Episodes?
back to top

Fans of stuff suck the joy out of everything, don't we? If I haven't totally turned you off the idea of watching this show, you're maybe questioning the amount of time this endeavor would take. Try only 50 episodes.

SEASON 2
The Way We Was S2.E12
Lisa's Substitute S2.E19
SEASON 3
Stark Raving Dad S3.E1
Like Father, Like Clown S3.E6
Flaming Moe's S3.E10
Radio Bart S3.E13
Homer at the Bat S3.E17
Black Widower* S3.E21
SEASON 4
Homer the Heretic S4.E3
Marge vs. the Monorail S4.E12
I Love Lisa S4.E15
Last Exit to Springfield S4.E17
Krusty Gets Kancelled S4.E22
SEASON 5
Homers Barbershop Quartet S5.E1
Cape Feare S5.E2
Bart Gets Famous S5.E12
Homer and Apu S5.E13
Homer Loves Flanders S5.E16
SEASON 6
Bart of Darkness S6.E1
Itchy & Scratchy Land S6.E4
Treehouse of Horror V S6.E6
Lisa on Ice S6.E8
Homer the Great S6.E12
And Maggie Makes Three S6.E13
Bart vs. Australia S6.E16
A Star is Burns S6.E18
Round Springfield S6.E22
Lemon of Troy S6.E24
Who Shot Mr. Burns? S6.E25, S7.E1
SEASON 7
Radioactive Man S7.E2
Home Sweet Homediddly... S7.E3
Bart Sells His Soul S7.E4
Lisa the Vegetarian S7.E5
Two Bad Neighbors S7.E13
Homer the Smithers S7.E17
A Fish Called Selma S7.E19
Much Apu About Nothing S7.E23
Summer of 4 Ft. 2 S7.E24
SEASON 8
You Only Move Twice S8.E2
Hurricane Neddy S8.E8
Springfield Files S8.E10
Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie S8.E14
Brother from Another Series S8.E16
The Old Man and the Lisa S8.E21
In Marge We Trust S8.E22
Homer's Enemy S8.E23
SEASON 9
NYC vs. Homer Simpson S9.E1
Das Bus S9.E14
Lisa the Simpson S9.E17
Trash of the Titans S9.E22


Method #5: Be Lazy
back to top

Making a top 25 was sooooooo hard. I love basically the entire top 75, so saying it's okay not to watch 50 of them was deeply upsetting. I tried to keep my friend in mind for these, no not just make it my top 25, but also the 25 I think she will appreciate the most. For real, don't do this. Watch more than just these.

Lisa's Substitute S2.E19
Stark Raving Dad S3.E1
Homer at the Bat S3.E17
Black Widower* S3.E21
Homer the Heretic S4.E3
Marge vs. the Monorail S4.E12
Last Exit to Springfield S4.E17
Cape Feare S5.E2
Homer and Apu S5.E13
Homer Loves Flanders S5.E16
Itchy & Scratchy Land S6.E4
Treehouse of Horror V S6.E6
And Maggie Makes Three S6.E13
A Star is Burns S6.E18
Round Springfield S6.E22
Who Shot Mr. Burns? S6.E25, S7.E1
Home Sweet Homediddly... S7.E3
Bart Sells His Soul S7.E4
A Fish Called Selma S7.E19
Summer of 4 Ft. 2 S7.E24
You Only Move Twice S8.E2
Hurricane Neddy S8.E8
The Old Man and the Lisa S8.E21
Homer's Enemy S8.E23
NYC vs. Homer Simpson S9.E1

Method #6: Maybe Just Don't

If this isn't enough for you, just watch Family Guy instead. A dude fights a chicken.