The NHC Top 100 Episodes

[Jims]

"I will not be shut out of this countdown."

[The Spruce Moose]

to be fair to Al 3 & 4 will wipe out Scully in terms of total episodes on the list

[Safety Inspector]

39. El Viaje Misterioso de Nustro Jomer
27. Lisa's First Word

Why so low?

[Old painty-can Ned]

And Maggie Makes Three, Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment and The Springfield Files are in the Top 20 and not just missing out right guys?

None of these are top 50 material let alone top 20.

[Brad Lascelle]

I wish EMOTSM hadn't made the list either but the other 3 are definitely great episodes. Altho I do agree that it would have been nice to see 1 of the 3 you mentioned, the 4th tho...not a fan of HOMR. My conspiracy is that the list was fixed to include EMOTSM because they wanted 1 Solo Al Jean episode in there, so he wouldn't be embarrassed due to Scully probably having 3-6.

Not quite.

Scully has one episode (Trilogy of Error).
Jean has one episode (Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind).

There are a couple additional Season 9 episodes in the mix but they're all pre-Scully holdovers:
- The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson (Oakley & Weinstein)
- Lisa's Sax (Jean & Reiss)

If memory serves, Das Bus was close to making the Top 100 which would have given Scully a 2nd episode. But it failed to make the cut.

For me, these results say that the classic era definitively ended when Scully took over and the show has been hit or miss ever since his first episode aired in October 1997.

And Maggie Makes Three, Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment and The Springfield Files are in the Top 20 and not just missing out right guys?

You'll see all three of those episodes in the next update... don't fret.

People are going to start throwing stuff at me when they find out which episodes missed the Top 10 tomorrow.

There is one episode in particular I'm downright SHOCKED didn't make Top 10 given that I would have considered it a mortal lock for Top 5 beforehand.

[MagicalManFromHappyLand]

'Homers triple bi-pass', 'Mother Simpson' and 'Last temptation of Homer' all out suprisingly early, with so many good episodes out already I'm going to be really surprised by the final top 5.

[HMS pinafore]

Homer's TB should have been about 29 spots higher.

But the rest are goodish.

[cloneasaurus]

Sod it I'm just gunna copy my ol' pal Toomanygrandmas and go through them all now.

40. Lisa the Iconoclast
My #1, but in all honesty I'm just happy for it to get a top 50 placing. Obviously I think it should be higher but I'm fine (ish) with its placing here.

39. El Viaje Misterioso de Nustro Jomer
I don't know if it would even make my top 100, so no. Good first half, boring second half.

38. Lisa's Wedding
Should be higher but I can accept its placement here (begrudgingly)

37. Deep Space Homer
Huh? This deserves #90s highest. It's funny but no way is it the 37th best ever. It's lacking something.

36. A Milhouse Divided
Hmmm... Again a bit too high but I'll definitely accept its placement here. I had it in the 40s or something, so I guess it's nice for it to get some recognition.

35. Radio Bart
Pretty apt placing to be honest.

34. Bart of Darkness
.....Pretty apt placing, again.

33. King-Size Homer
Way too high, saw this again recently and was disappointed by it to say the least. But I can accept that people seem to find it hilarious even though I don't so... ok.

32. Secrets of a Successful Marriage
Too low, but once again nice to see some recognition, I didn't think it would be this high. It almost seems to be forgotten about by everyone.

31. Homer's Triple Bypass
Too high by about 20 places. I don't find it that amazing to be honest.

30. Mother Simpson
Now I didn't have this on my list, but upon recent rewatch it definitely should have been there. In fact this is probably a perfect placing, if not a bit low

29. Marge Be Not Proud
Hmmm way too low. I had it #12 or something but I now consider it like #5. Probably the first episode in this bunch where I am disappointed and slightly surprised by its placing (people seemed to love it)

28. The Last Temptation of Homer
Too low but I can sorta accept its placing here, seeing as I used to not think much of it myself. But I had it at like #11 or something. Very good portrayal of Homer with a light hearted sub-plot in the mix.

27. Lisa's First Word
Not really that sweet, not that funny. #70s episode in my opinion, heavily overrated (like most flashbacks).

26. Mr. Plow
It's a gagfest. How on earth it beat LTOH and MBNP is beyond me. This like #50s tops.

25. Summer of 4 Ft. 2
My #2...... ie. way too low. I dunno why people some people shun this episode. It's like almost as close to perfection as The Simpsons can be.

24. Bart on the Road
'Bout right.

23. Sideshow Bob Roberts
Too high. I used to find it utterly hilarious but on rewatch, as the gags get tired, you notice how the plot isn't really the strongest, it's sorta empty. in the #40s about.

22. Homer the Great
Uhhh.... too high, but I can't tell you how much, I haven't seen it in ages. I'm pretty certain it's not top 40 material though.

21. Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily
Pretty much the perfect placing for me.

Well of my top 10, 6 have gone. And of my top 20, 13 have gone. And of those 7 left, one is pretty much certain not to appear (The Day The Violence Died). Think I'm not gunna really agree with the top 20, looking at it that way.

[Mr Black]

El Viaje and Summer of 4ft 2 should be much higher in my opinion. suprised trilogy of error made it on the list, it's quite good first time around but upon rewatch its very repetetive, and not really that interesting. As for Bart of Darkness being 34, that really is a shock. I guess things like that will happen when newer members vote on these things. I guess old timers like LETS, Bart Sells his Soul and Cape Feare will be making the top five as usual.
I hope to see Homer v the eighteenth amendment up there too, seeing as it hasn't been listed as of yet.

[Bleedin' Gums Murphy]

None of these are top 50 material let alone top 20.

Assuming you've seen these episodes in the past 5 years or so...it's absolutely absurd to say they aren't even top 50 material...

[jonnymack]

Well, El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer didn't make the top 10, but I'm still holding out hope for Weekend at Burnsies and D'ohing in the Wind.

[Financial Panther]

I HIGHLY doubt those episodes will make the list.

[Bleedin' Gums Murphy]

I HIGHLY doubt those episodes will make the list.

If they do, I will change my avatar and that is a promise!

[Brad Lascelle]

Well, El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer didn't make the top 10, but I'm still holding out hope for Weekend at Burnsies and D'ohing in the Wind.

Good luck with that.

[HMS pinafore]

I hope Rosebud is near the top, that episode is brilliant.

Also Homer at the bat.

[Old painty-can Ned]

Assuming you've seen these episodes in the past 5 years or so...it's absolutely absurd to say they aren't even top 50 material...

I haven't any of the episodes in a while. But the only one that comes close to my top 50 is 18th Amendment. And Maggie Makes Three is lackluster compared to the other flash back episodes as it's basically a Homer gets a job episode and the emotion is confined solely to the final moments and the sentiment wears down after a first viewing unlike The Way We Was's emotional core which remains with every viewing. It's still great though(#70 range would be more fitting). Springfield Files on the other hand is becoming the most overrated episode on the site. Sure the first act is great but the episode has no staying power past the first viewing of the episode. It's got some weak satire and some reused jokes. It's not terrible or anything but it wouldn't even crack my top 100.

[Toomanygrandmas]

Here comes the longest one of these I've done (I think). I don't know why I bother writing them this long. Oh well. On with the list!

40. Lisa the Iconoclast
A bit too low for my likings. This is a really great episode from Season 7 (in other words, standard for the season). The plot is interesting, there's some nice Homer and Lisa 'daddy-daughter' moments, and the ending is excellent. I know some people don't like the ending, but the ending is probably the episode's strongest point. This episode is pretty funny too (though that isn't the episode's selling point). However, I only would have put this about 15 places higher - which isn't exactly a massive gap compared to some other episodes that are about 60 places too low (*coughBrotherFromAnotherSeriescough*). So not too fussed about where it has ended up.

39. El Viaje Misterioso de Nustro Jomer
This episode is pretty average for the classic era, so I don't agree with it being here. The hallucination has some excellent animation, and there are some great scenes at the chilli cook-off. However, apart from that, there isn't a whole lot too this one. The whole 'soul-mate' conflict feels a bit thin, and the latter half of the episode has a fair share of filler.

38. Lisa's Wedding
This is an episode I've never really understood the love for. It's great...yeah...but I don't get what's so special about it. Maybe I just don't like future episodes - I find Holidays of Future Passed to be overrated, Future Drama to be very average and Bart to the Future to be downright awful. This one is better than all of the other ones mentioned, but I don't think I'll ever love it.

37. Deep Space Homer
Naaaah. This is by all means a great episode, but that puts it about in the middle of Season 5, in terms of quality. I dunno, but this episode has always seemed quite overrated. I think I agree with Speedway Squad, when he said it was lacking something. Not sure what, but hey.

36. A Milhouse Divided
This is a bit lower than I would have liked. However, it is only by a matter of 10 places - which seems like nothing, when compared to episodes 40 or 60 places too low. I'm glad at least, that it is pretty high up (being in the thirties ain't bad). This is a really nice episode, for multiple reasons. The Homer and Marge plot isn't quite as good as the Kirk/Luann plot (which is always the case in episodes about Milhouse's parents - see Little Orphan Millie and Milhouse of Sand and Fog). However, a really great episode all in all, which definitely deserves to be in the top 50.

35. Radio Bart
I think I'm okay with where this episode is. It is lower than I placed it in my list. However, when I submitted the list I wasn't really sure if it deserved to be there. I had good memories of it, but to be honest, the main reason it was around my top 20 in the first place was - 'gee whiz, I sure need some Season 3 representation in here'. Unlike other Season 3 episodes, I never got round to rewatching it in time, and just let it sit there. I remember liking this episode, so I may actually be fine with it being here, upon rewatch. Maybe it should be here. Or higher.

34. Bart of Darkness
Another episode I've never really got the love for. By no means is it bad, I just find it somewhat average for the classic era. Nothing about this episode do I really like enough for it to be all the way up here. I don't think it should be in the top 50, and not in the top 100 either, to be honest. I guess a lot of people feel differently, and I'm fine with that, but will disagree.

33. King-Size Homer
I'm fine with this episode being in the top 100, but not so fine with it being all the way up here. I will give it to this episode - it is very funny. However, I see it as an A- episode (in other words, probably somewhere round the seventies would be right). I think I'm being a hypocrite again, as I love Homie the Clown, and that is a gagfest too. Oh well.

32. Secrets of a Successful Marriage
Like many other episodes, this is too low. However, as we approach the top of the top 100, underrated episodes are less and less...well, underrated. This isn't massively lower than I would have put it - though I think this does deserve a top 20 spot. A really nice look at Homer and Marge's marriage, with plenty of funny moments as a bonus (look no further than 'Funk dancing for self defence'). What is also great about this episode, is that the seriousness of the marriage crisis is actually evident. In so many of the other unecessary lattter-day marriage-crisis plots, you never feel that the marriage is actually in trouble. In those ones, some bullshit happens then the two are back together again. In this one, you actually feel that the marriage is in serious trouble (though you ultimately know that it isn't). I'm rambling though. In short, a bit too low.

31. Homer's Triple Bypass
Once again, too low. However, I believe this is only about 6 or 7 places too low. Out of the 'Homer could be dead' plots (this, So It's Come to This, One Fish Two Fish), this is by far my favourite - and a great episode in general, too. It has just the right balance of emotion and humour (though sometimes it can clash a bit).

30. Mother Simpson
I'm really torn about this one. I didn't include it in my top 50, because I felt that this episode is missing something. It has a really sweet story and a lovely ending, but I feel that the plot is somehow lacking. I'm not sure how, but I just feel that it is. I don't think that it is humour, because an episode can be not particularly funny but can still be superb (Lisa's Substitute is an example of this).Maybe this needs a rewatch.

29. Marge Be Not Proud
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOO....... This episode...it's just...just...too low. Far too low. It should be #2, no less. Marge Be Not Proud, really is the perfect combination of...everything. A simple but effective story, excellent characterisations, and many powerful emotional moments (that 'tuck in express' moment - or lack of it - may be one of the best scenes in the entire show, seriously). Oh, and like many a good Simpsons episode, this is very funny. I suppose I should be happy. I mean, #29 is a pretty good position. Not for this episode though. Not. For. This. Episode....

28. The Last Temptation of Homer
Then there's this episode.....which is too low. I used to be fairly neutral towards this episode, but I liked it more and more upon rewatching it, until I loved it. It is the lowest episode to get an A+ in my view, and should be around 10/11 on this list. This episode has my favourite portrayal of Homer in the entire series. The main plot of this one is so good, though the subplot is nothing special in comparrison. This is the second best episode of Season 5, though won't be on this top 100, as Rosebud and Cape Feare have still yet to come.

27. Lisa's First Word
Following a couple of 'this is too low' episodes, this one is too high. Only by... 10 places or so. I can't say much about this episode, so won't say much. It is a great episode, from a great season. Not my favourite flashback episode - for that would be And Maggie Makes Three, which has yet to appear. Still a fine outing though.

26. Mr. Plow
I'm basically okay with this being here. I really like this episode - nothing suprising for the season it's in. However, I have to admit that this was one of those episodes that I put in my top 50, but never rewatched it in time for the final list. Since I put it at a possibly quite generous #19, maybe it is alright for me that it isn't as high. Maybe I overrated it. What I can say though, is that it is overrated in the sense that it is higher than quite a few better episodes - not exactly in its position alone, though.

25. Summer of 4 Ft. 2
For a previous episode on this list (I can't remember which one), I said something along the lines of it being as close to where I would put it as possible. I take that back, as this is even closer. I would only put this a measly #3 places lower, so the positioning of this episode doesn't bug me (though MBNP and Last Temptation should be higher than this yadda yadda blah blah blah). This is really an excellent episode, though. The only thing that bothers me, is that I find Bart excessively spiteful in parts - but fine episode in general.

24. Bart on the Road
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.... 10 places too low. Though I guess, in the grand scheme of things, that isn't that low. This episode is another testament to why Season 7 is such a good season. There are many things that this episode does right, but I think the thing I like very best about it, is how the two plots collide. I also like how the main plot, and the sweet subplot contrast. An excellent episode, this is.

23. Sideshow Bob Roberts
Well whaddya know. Like Lisa's First Word, this is ten places.... too high. Maybe more though, as I believe I might be overrating it. This episode is a great one. It isn't the best Bob episode - both Cape Feare, and Brother From Another Series are superior. Brother From Another Series has been put criminally (badum-tish) low on this list. Cape Feare, thankfully (but unsurprisingly) has yet to appear.

22. Homer the Great
I....don't....know. I never got round to rewatching this for the top 50, but did rewatch it just the other day. I can safely say that I enjoyed it. It is a very funny episode, and a memorable one, too. However, I think that this is probably too high. I'm not sure where I would put this on my top 100, but it is more likely than not that it would be somewhere around the sixties, rather than the twenties.

21. Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily
Oh. There must be a mistake here. For you see, this episode should not be here - it should not be here at all. Oh no, for you see it should be 20 places higher. For it is the best episode. Ever....... Okay, on a more serious note, this is too low (cos it's the best episode of all time, o' course). I guess I should be content that it is all the way up here, at number 21. Like Marge Be Not Proud though, that just ain't good enough. I guess I could tolerate it being here more, if the top 20 was composed of episodes that mostly deserved to be in the top 20. Unfortunately it won't though, as episodes like The Springfield Files are going to make it (but this beauty isn't). Oh yes, everybody loooooooooves The Springfield Files (because it really deserved to beat Homer Badman in the Alphabetical Elimination Tournament, didn't it ). However, I don't think that it should be anywhere near the top 20. Didn't realise until recently how overrated it was. Yet up there it will be, where so many better episodes are not. It just.... isn't.... f-f-fair...

Above: Me, crying my eyes out, upon seeing the top 20

[The Spruce Moose]

I hope Rosebud is near the top, that episode is brilliant.

Also Homer at the bat.

I can't imagine those two missing out

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

Well, my two least favorite episodes of all time have now made it. Wonderful.

Will you ever learn, Financial Panther? *laughs uncontrollably for hours*

[Jims]

#20-11 have been posted. This set is probably the most bittersweet of the bunch because we're talking about some real genuine classic episodes missing out on the Top 10, right here. But at the same time the Top 20 is nothing to scoff at.

Really weird to see Homer the Heretic in this bunch. I'm not necessarily complaining myself because I find it just a bit overrated (had it 40th myself), but it finished in the Top 5 the last two times we did this (#2 in 2004 and #4 in '09).

[Lionel Hutz]

Lemon Of Troy is too high.
Homer At The Bat is about where I like it, as is Flaming Moes.
Seeing Rosebud at #11 is depressing. So close yet so far away.

[Bleedin' Gums Murphy]

I don't have any complaints, I am really delighted with the top 20 we have. I disagree that Lemon of Troy is too high and if anything, Homer the Heretic is so brilliant that it should be in the top 10, still it really is a brilliant list and no other tv show can compare when you look at the collective quality of these episodes.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

So I strongly assume 18th Amendment and Homer Badman made the top 10? Good, I had them both in my top 10.

[Bleedin' Gums Murphy]

Yeah they did and I concur. I had Homer vs 18th Amendment as my #1 since it is my all time favourite Simpsons episode.

[Safety Inspector]

THE SPRINGFIELD FILES AREN'T IN TOP10???
WHAT THE...?

[Bleedin' Gums Murphy]

Safety Inspector - 16th is still a very good placing. Just be thankful that some Russian guy didn't get his wish come true when he wanted 10-15 Post Season 9 episodes in the list, am I right comrade?

[Safety Inspector]

Safety Inspector - 16th is still a very good placing. Just be thankful that some Russian guy didn't get his wish come true when he wanted 10-15 Post Season 9 episodes in the list, am I right comrade?

You have caught me

[Safety Inspector]

And my forecast for Top10:

10. 22 Short Films About Springfield
9. Homer Bad Man
8. Lisa's Wedding
7. A Streetcar Named Marge
6. Marge vs the Monorail
5. The Way We Was
4. Bart Sell His Soul
3. Lisa's Substite
2. Cape Feare
1. Last Exit to Springfield

[Bleedin' Gums Murphy]

'8 Lisa's Wedding'

That has already appeared on the list...30 places lower down in fact

'7 A Streetcar Named Marge'

That has already appeared on the list...59 places lower down in fact

You are otherwise correct, except Homer vs 18th Amendment and Who Shot Mr Burns? Part 1 will be the 2 other top 10 episodes.

[The Governor]

Well, El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer didn't make the top 10, but I'm still holding out hope for Weekend at Burnsies and D'ohing in the Wind.

And the Jean era is a cure for cancer, too.