The Simpsons Episode Rankings: Season 9

Season 9 of The Simpsons gave us the beginning of the Mike Scully era (although Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein, Al Jean & Mike Reiss, and David Mirkin also produced episodes this season).

One of the more memorable episodes from season 9 is "Lisa the Skeptic." In it, Lisa uncovers a fossilized "angel" that serves as a warning to Springfield that the "end of times" is nigh.  Fittingly, many Simpsons fans, including myself, view season 9 as the beginning of the end for the series (the snobbiest ones will tell you that it occurred much earlier).

Honestly, this is the last season that I consider to be part of the "Golden Years" of the show, although upon re-watching a lot of these episodes again, my overall opinion of the season has become less favorable. There isn't a single person I blame for the decline of the show. After nine years/100+ episodes, it becomes increasingly difficult to come up with fresh storylines and jokes (Seinfeld's great run only lasted eight seasons). No matter what has happened and what will happen, I'm still very thankful for all of the great episodes and moments that the show has given me, and I will include the first seven episodes from my list below in that statement.

Numbers 8-15 on my list features episodes that are mostly good; numbers 16-25 are episodes that I'd really have to force myself to sit down and watch again. Maybe it's too easy to make All Singing, All Dancing my worst episode, considering the fact that it's a clip show. I know most Simpsons fans would probably list The Principal and the Pauper, the series' most infamous episode, at the bottom. While I still don't necessarily accept the ideas that are presented in the episode, I do think people are too hard on it. I would rather watch it any day over Girly Edition or The Last Temptation of Krust.

1. Lisa the Skeptic
2. The Cartridge Family
3. The Joy of Sect
4. Bart Star
5. Treehouse of Horror VIII
6. Miracle on Evergreen Terrace
7. Simpson Tide
8. Lisa the Simpson
9. Realty Bites
10. Lisa's Sax
11. Trash of the Titans
12. Lost Our Lisa
13. Das Bus
14. Bart Carny
15. The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
16. Dumbbell Indemnity
17. The Two Mrs. Nahasapemapetilons
18. The Trouble with Trillions
19. Natural Born Kissers
20. King of the Hill
21. The Principal and the Pauper
22. This Little Wiggy
23. Girly Edition
24. The Last Temptation of Krust
25. All Singing, All Dancing