The Simpsons: 10 Funniest Episodes Ever Made
5. Cape Feare (Episode 2, Season Five)
It would be blasphemous not to include the episode of the Simpsons which contains what is arguably the show's best ever joke: Sideshow Bob stepping on that rake. And then another. And then another. And then... well, you get the idea. Amazing to think the sight gag was only included because the episode was running short on time, huh?
Aside from that intricate moment of masterful physical comedy, however, Cape Feare - which parodies the classic film of the same name - is 22-minutes of bonafide laughs. The plot sees Sideshow Bob escaping prison in an attempt to track down and kill Bart, which pretty much sets the stage for a conveyor belt of memorable gags and classic moments.
There are musical numbers as Bart tricks Bob into performing the entirety of the H.M.S. Pinafore, and brilliant references to films like Edward Scissorhands, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Psycho. "Who'd want to hurt me? Im this centurys Dennis the Menace," says Bart at one point in a great little meta-gag. It's all padding, of course, because the plot here is super thin - and yet it doesn't matter one iota, because you're too busy laughing.