The Simpsons: 15 BEST Golden Age Episodes

All the way back in 1991, when the show was still finding its footing and figuring out just what stories it wanted to tell, there were two things that immediately set it apart from everything else on the airwaves. The first was that The Simpsons was a show with real heart; its characters were human, even if their designs weren't. The second was that it was so confident in its writing that it didn't even have to credit its guest stars, and there may not be any better than Dustin Hoffman's, or Sam Etic's according to the credits, portrayal of Mr. Bergstrom.

Perhaps the finest moment for Lisa Simpson in the entire series was when a substitute teacher (Bergstrom), entered her life and almost instantly created the platonic relationship that she was crying out for, and would never be able to find in her own father.

As the days go by and she becomes more endeared to him, she enters the classroom to find that he's no longer present. And in one of the show's most defining, poignant and tear-jerking moments, her male role model hands her a note before departing. If you don't know what it says, then you're only doing yourself an injustice.