Last Exit to Springfield

The writers of these episodes are so wise to current events and popular norms that one needs to be alert every minute. As a matter of fact, if I were teaching a college course, I would ask my students to dissect some of these shows to pull out the auditory and visual references. Here we have Homer inadvertently becoming a union boss and going head to head with Mr. Burns. Watch and listen to the masters.

This is the much hyped and Entertainment Weekly labeled "best Simpsons Episode Ever". Though I would not pick one Simpsons episode as "the best", this is deserves it's reputation. From the opening jokes about the union president (referencing Jimmy Hoffa) to Homer's epiphany ("Lisa needs braces"..."dental plan!"...etc.) to the large bird that looks like and laughs (?) like Mr. Burns, to Lisa playing "Classical Gas" at Lennie's request, this episode is brilliantly hilarious. Of course, nothing can top the insane dentist who accuses everyone of lying, shows Ralph the "Big Book of British Smiles" and shows Lisa the "poker" the "scraper" and "the gouger" so she won't be scared. And then...my personal favorite Simpsons line..."hold still while I gas you". The dentist was supposed to be voiced by Anthony Perkins, who unfortunately died shortly before they could get him.

Homer is elected union president.

This is a classic episode full of memorable moments.

The story of Homer's tenure as president has a decent arc with Mr Burns (naturally) a great antagonist, but the structure is too surreal to be taken seriously. In this aspect comes the comedy, which is both prolific and brilliant.

There are too many great jokes to pick favourites, but a few standout moments for me include (from a verbal perspective) the wordplay when Homer thinks Mr Burns is coming on to him and similarly the dialogue from Burns when Homer needs the bathroom. The visual gags I love are everything involving Lisa's braces and Lenny getting a punch to the back of the head.

All the references to literature and pop culture are superb and Lisa's protest song is fantastic.

As a Simpsons junkie who has seen almost every episode of the show, I can safely say that this is one of the most memorable episodes of the series. It follows the adventures of Homer as a Jimmy Hoffa-like union leader against Mr. Burns, trying to keep the company dental plan. All this because Lisa needs braces. The animation is superb, especially the great Beatles parody when Lisa is gassed-out. The story is excellent, evolving on many levels with a few great spoofs and a lot of little thing that show you that it's far more then the sum of it's parts. In the end, I don't find it surprising at all that it's featured on many polls and is often regarded as the best Simpsons episode ever.

One of my very favorite Simpsons episodes; smart, witty and very much in the show's wheelhouse. Homer becomes the unlikely union president in a struggle to keep the company dental plan, and it's a great showcase for both his buffoonery and Mr. Burns' cackling villainy.

Really, this thing's just a one-liner factory (and oddly enough, most of them go to Dan Castellaneta rather than Hank Azaria), culminating in one of the best:

"Smithers, I'm beginning to think that Homer Simpson was not the brilliant tactician I thought he was."

And more than just outright laughs, it's also sweetly affecting. It's fantastic.

10/10