The Simpsons: 10 Most Heartfelt Episodes
With over 700 episodes, which Simpsons stories tug at our heartstrings?
Since its debut on 17 December 1989, The Simpsons has become the longest-running American animated sitcom, with its satirical depiction of American culture gaining much acclaim.
On the surface, one of the show’s main attractions to audiences across the world is its parody style humour. However, The Simpsons is first and foremost about family and it is the relatable dynamics between the family of five which has stayed with us for so long.
Although it has somewhat declined in popularity in recent years, the show still manages to entice viewers with regular showings of early episodes from the so-called ‘golden age’.
Many of these episodes feature a pitch perfect blend of comedy and heart, exploring real meaningful experiences of the human condition.
Not every episode could make it on to this list, but here we have compiled together the very best Simpsons episodes that will touch your heart and reinforce the great power this show could be when it was at its peak success.
10. Lisa’s Substitute – Season 2, Episode 19
When Lisa’s teacher Miss Hoover takes medical leave,
substitute teacher Mr. Bergstrom takes over the class and inspires Lisa with
his creative teaching methods, causing her to form a strong admiration for a
positive adult role model.
Duston Hoffman guest stars as Mr. Bergstrom and brings a wonderful playfulness and grounded believability to the role, with even a cheeky reference to his big break in The Graduate snuck in.
This episode is great for not only exploring Lisa’s character, but also her complex relationship with her father, Homer. Lisa feels she lacks a strong male role model in her unintellectual father and it is sad to see how Homer begins to realise this throughout the episode.
The best scene takes place on a train station platform, where
the departing Mr. Bergstrom reassures Lisa that whenever she feels alone, all
she needs to know is in the contents of a note: “You are Lisa Simpson”. Homer and
Lisa also finally share an endearing heart to heart after Lisa takes her grief
out on him.