GONZO GREEN: Hold up, just getting settled. Bourbon? Check. Licking toads? Check. Okay, I’m good to go.

CHEF RICH: Mic check. One..Two..We’re good. Let’s ride!

Hey Richie, I bet some people are really hoping to see their favorite Treehouse of Horror in this list. Will they?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! No crossovers or holiday specials will be seen on this list. Only the crème de la crème of Simpsons episodes are allowed on this list. Not to say that we won’t see a Treehouse list sometime down the road..::winky face::

Don’t get us wrong, folks, we LOVE these episodes, and some of them are definitely among the best and funniest, but we wanted to limit this particular ranking to the episodes that flow with the general continuity of the show. When the plots are given free reign to kill off whomever and have crazy story lines without repercussions, it’s almost unfair. That being said, the Shining (or “Shinning”) episode is one of the best ever. Shall we begin the list?

Sure thing! But first, here’s the first installment of the Simpsons 25: Episodes 25-21..

Ok Gonzo, lets take a crack at Number 20, and one of your personal favorites!

20. Home Sweet Home-diddly Dum-doodley (Season 7, Episode 3)

GONZO GREEN: This is the first episode I really had to kick-and-scream to get on the list. Which I did, and we were in public at the time. I covered my ears and stomped my feet like I was the redhead in Wedding Crashers – which would be awesome, because then Christopher Walken would be my dad. Anyway, I fought for this one, because it is – in my humble opinion – one of the funniest episodes of the series.

Maybe it’s my odd penchant for Ned Flanders and the Flanders Flock as a whole. (“GONE BAPTIZIN!”) Maybe it’s my general disdain for religion. (Rev. Lovejoy: “Ned, have you thought about one of the other major religions? They’re all pretty much the same.”) Or maybe it’s my love for how this episode is so brilliantly set up, with it having to appear as if both Marge and Homer were deadbeat parents. (“Stupid babies need the most attention.”) Whatever the case, this episode happened to tickle me in just the right place. Which is my funny bone, to be clear. Although I suppose “funny bone” could still mean at least three different things, so it’s still not very clear. By now you’re probably asking “Is this story going somewhere?” – or maybe that’s just another funny line from this episode.

CHEF RICH: Gonzo Green is peeling off quotes like bananas! Preach Gonzo, Preach! I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical to put this on my top 25. It is an incredibly funny episode, but every time we talked about it I thought about all the episodes we had to cut. Some may have been less sentimental, some a bit funnier, but none of the episodes that fell by the wayside could stand up to one scene in this episode. And that scene is Homer taking the baptismal instead of the kids.

“Oh Bartholomew, I feel like St. Augustine of Hippo after his conversion by Ambrose of Milan.” Exactly, this is one of those episodes – like most of the other funniest ones, in my opinion – where every single scene is funny. Although it’s endlessly quotable, you could literally just name every scene in order with a brief description and still laugh just as hard. Plus, it does have that nice family theme.

We are all about the family here at Bubbleblabber…and now on to what I consider my favorite episode in the entire Simpsons series.

19. One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Bluefish (Season 2, Episode 11)

CHEF RICH: This is honestly the first Simpsons episode I memorized. I can vaguely remember sneaking downstairs and catching glimpses of this episode as my dad watched. My mom was the type that thought The Simpsons might “warp my fragile little mind.” But I turned out ok! Right, Gonzo?

GONZO GREEN: Jury is still out on that one.

Maybe it was “Fugu me!” or “My delicate hands are busy!”  or maybe even when Homer is in jail and the prisoner says he’s in for “Atmosphere” but this episode had the right type of humor to make me a fan for life. Couple that with an amazing story about a man trying to live out his final day the way he’d like and you’ve got damn near perfection in my eyes.

Yeah, this was definitely all you. I think I used this one as a bartering chip to get another one of mine on the list, without having to watch it. I initially rejected it for it’s seriousness. I definitely respect that The Simpsons can be a versatile and serious show if it wants, but this just wasn’t on my list. But then we watched it again, and I realized I forgot how funny the episode was. I especially love the part where Homer yells, “HELLO!” and frightens the sushi chefs. Nevertheless, it was still a bit gloomy at times, and is probably the closest a cartoon has ever come to making me cry. And by that, I mean I bawl like John Boehner every time. However, the comedic chops – coupled with that serious story line – are definitely enough to carry episode into the #20 slot.

18. Kamp Krusty (Season 4, Episode 1)

GONZO GREEN: Any episode that starts with an Alice Cooper song is okay in my book. Agreed?

CHEF RICH: I may not have heard a truer statement in all my twenty nine years on this planet. From it’s epic countdown to summer beginning to the sweatshop story line to Bart leading the revolution at the end, this episode is a tour de force and a perfect example of the grand scale that the Simpsons writers can reach. This episode could very well have been stretched out and been The Simpsons Movie years before we were finally graced with a full length feature.

Absolutely. This was an episode that really showcased Bart and Lisa’s love/hate relationship with each other, and was successful based on the appearances of them and all their classmates. Plus, the stories about how bad Kamp Krusty is, were hilarious. Apparently it was built on top of an ancient Indian burial ground, on the site of an abandoned mule tannery, by the shores of Big Snake Lake, and below Mt. Avalanche. In addition to the storyline, some of the quotes were absolute gems. Like when Bart was airing his grievances about Krusty and the Kamp. Question: how can Bart get a D- in every subject, yet still refer to Krusty’s autobiography as “self-serving, with many glaring omissions.”?

There’s only one answer to that: The magic of The Simpsons….that and expensive Hollywood writers.

I gotta mention one of my favorite exchanges in the episode:

Lisa: I feel like I’m gonna die, Bart.

Bart: We’re all gonna die, Lis.

Lisa: I meant soon.

Bart: …So did I.

I felt the same way while narrowing down this list. Y’know for a nancy boy, you’re pretty intimidating. Are you a boxer or something?

Yeah, but I usually just take punches and wait for my opponent to get tired. I have Homer Simpson syndrome. But that’s a story for another episode… that may or may not be on the list. But something that episode and this have in common, are great end credit sequences. I also love the closing line of the episode when Krusty is making it up to the campers: “Get ready for two weeks at the happiest place on Earth… Tijuana!”

He’s not kidding!

True story: that ceramic Bart statue in my apartment? Bought it on the street in Tijuana.

 

17. Bart After Dark (Season 8, Episode 5)

GONZO GREEN: This is the first time I’ve pulled this card thus far: this episode had one of the best couch gags in the history of The Simpsons. Maybe it’s because I’m partial to the Beatles, but the Sgt. Pepper opening has to be one of my all time favorites.

CHEF RICH: Especially with it being the open to a show based on burlesque and vaudeville, perfect match for this episode! There’s grandeur and a bit of trippy mysticism from jump, and that totally carries through the entire episode. You’re right: Best Couch Gag Award.

This episode also teaches us a lot of valuable lessons, such as: rinsing your mouth with soda is just as good as brushing your teeth, paper grocery bags can double as pants, breaking a gargoyle is NOT the same as running over a mailbox, and ya gotta have drugs.

Drugs…gotta have drugs… And I wouldn’t even say that that’s my favorite quote of this episode. Rev. Lovejoy saying “Thanks Marge, that was our only burlesque house.” is side-splittingly delivered. We definitely rewatched that punchline more than 5 times.

And you do an impression of Rev. Lovejoy delivering that line that’s dead-on, after a beer or six. Which brings us to the real kicker of this episode: it involves the whole town. From Grandpa Simpson and Jasper (“Are they talking about the bordello?”) to all the locals that are shown frequenting the house (Chief Wiggum: “Hey, no fair, you showed me twice!”) to – of course – the “We Put the ‘Spring’ in ‘Springfield” song, this episode features almost every regular character on the show at one point or another.

I think this song might have been one of our longer discussions while we were watching all of these episodes/eating all that BBQ. I contest that this might just be the best Simpsons song of all time! Better than “See My Vest.” Better than “Kamp Krusty” Hell, even better than “We do! (The Stonecutter’s Theme)!’

I don’t know, Rich. There’s a song further down this list that I think could beat it. (*hint*) Regardless, the abundance of characters, the quotable lines, and Homer’s endless parenting wisdom easily pushes “Bart After Dark” into spot #17.

16. Bart Carny (Season 9, Episode 12)

CHEF RICH: This episode is a shining example of the high caliber star power that The Simpsons can bring in whenever they please. Ladies and gents…The Man…The Myth…The Ernest himself…Jim Varney!!! Having him play a quick-thinking carny was a bit of typecasting, but it works to perfection here. And with the addition of Varney’s son this leads to a great “team-up” episode, pitting Bart and Homer versus the carny’s.

GONZO GREEN: RIP Jim! Although the guest voice was brilliant casting, the lines he is given really make the episode. I won’t lie (because I’ve been lying to you up until now) I wanted this episode on the list simply because it’s one of the best collections of non-stop laughs in the entire series. That, and every scene is memorable. From The Tooth-Chipper, to Bart wrecking Hitler’s car (“Out of my way, I’m Hitler!”), to Spud and Cooder failing to teach Homer the trick behind the ring toss game (“We’ll see about that. Gimme ten rings!”), to the non-bribe of Chief Wiggum, this one has it all. And let us not forget about the best scene: Bart, Lisa, and Homer all separately suggesting they set fire to the house to get the carnies out. Homer several times. “NO FIRES!”

Wanna know how many times I got my ass beat for throwing a hula hoop on the roof trying to play ring toss after watching this episode? 4 times. Why don’t I learn?!?

Wanna know how many times I say “ding-ding-ding-ding-ding” when I want someone to give me something? Enough to end several friendships and relationships. Totally worth it though.

And that only proves one thing. Well, two actually: 1) We are clearly both degenerates. 2) The Simpsons has the ability to impact, and stay locked within, all of their fans for all eternity. For years if someone asked me my home or email address, I would reply, without skipping a beat: “Jesus, care of The Pentagon.” It takes all my might to not reply that way sometimes, but it totally proves that this show has somehow altered me genetically and become a solid part of my everyday being.

 

I never realized when I used the term “yoink” (when taking or stealing something) that it was a Simpsons-ism, and not a real term. That really shattered my views of reality.

Anyway, I feel like this is a very underrated episode. When listing Simpsons episodes, this isn’t one that people generally bring up. But if you don’t believe me, just go watch it. Seriously, go watch it right now. If you still disagree that’s it’s absolutely hilarious, then I will fight you. And that’s no lie.

Well this concludes this week’s installment of Simpsons 25. Feel free to go back and check out Numbers 25-21 here and get excited for Numbers 15-11, dropping next Friday! And while you’re at it, take a look around the COMPLETELY REDESIGNED Bubbleblabber.com! We’ve got news, reviews, and interviews from all your favorite shows/shows clearly inferior to The Simpsons but we love them anyway!

(@chefrichBB) don’t ask for much. But this could define a lifetime.

(@Gonzo_Green) has got it: ….FIRE!

Click here for Numbers 15-11 of the top 25 episodes of The Simpsons the last 25 years

The Simpsons return with all new episodes on Sept 29th @ 8pm EST only on FOX, check your local listings!