The Simpsons: 10 Most Important Episodes Ever Made

3. Behind The Laughter (22.11)

Behind The Laughter is arguably the greatest meta-episode that The Simpsons ever produced; a tour-de-force of inside jokes, references to the show's legacy, and whatever else the writers felt they needed to get off of their chests at the time of writing. Unlike some of the episodes produced in the "non-canon" vein, Behind The Laughter feels earned. As an comment on the show itself, Behind The Laughter (in itself a parody of MTV's "Behind The Music") whacks it out of the park with every candid joke, the best of which references the ill-judged and very controversial episode in which Principal Skinner turns out to be a fraud with its nod to the show's use of "gimmicky premises and nonsensical plots." Then there's the clever way it mocks its reoccurring tropes, like Homer strangling Bart. So why is Behind The Laughter such an important episode of the show? Because it essentially served as the ultimate deconstruction of the show itself (and all of its flaws), something that was very rare for any TV series to attempt at the time. Behind the Laughter calls out The Simpsons on its own mistakes, making it a highly vital, important episode.