Data Shows The Best Simpsons Episodes Have 1 Thing In Common
The Simpsons is one of the most loved series in TV history, and its best episodes all have one thing in common. After a stint on The Tracey Ullman Show, The Simpsons debuted as its own series in 1989 and has remained an ever-present on TV since. There are no signs that the show will be stopping soon either with The Simpsons season 34 set for release in Fall 2022.
Despite its longevity, the quality of The Simpsons has declined over the years, with seasons 9 and 10 often cited as the point that the show started to slip. Data from IMDb supports that view, with almost all of the top 100 rated episodes of The Simpsons airing in the 1980s and 1990s. But the very best episodes of The Simpsons share a much more specific similarity.
Related: The Simpsons Season 33: What Worked & What Didn't
The highest-rated episodes of The Simpsons feature one-off characters in leading roles. The best two episodes according to IMDb are «Homer's Enemy» (season 8, episode 23) and «You Only Move Twice» (season 8, episode 2), whose respective primary antagonists are one-time characters Frank Grimes, Homer's irritable colleague, and the movie villain parody Hank Scorpio, who is the charismatic and evil owner of the Globex Corporation. Also among the top-five highest-rated episodes is «Marge vs. the Monorail» (season 4, episode 12) which stars the con artist Lyle Lanley in his only appearance in The Simpsons.
The Simpsons has dozens of beloved recurring characters so it is surprising that its best episodes focus on characters who, with the exception of title screen gags and brief cameos, are only seen once. Scorpio, Grimes, and Lanley's episodes work so well because the characters are unlike any other Springfield residents: no character is as maniacal
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