Like all cartoons, The Simpsons can get fairly bizarre typically. That is the character of the medium, which actually makes the artwork of storytelling really feel prefer it has no boundaries. The artistic freedom to make zany and absurd decisions can actually make episodes sparkle, like when Homer falls asleep and has that hilarious dream on his drive house in “Lisa’s Pony”—or when he strolls via a wonderland of chocolate throughout a quite vital assembly together with his bosses in “Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk.”
After all, the present does not need to function surreal sequences to upend expectations. There are a number of ways in which an entry of The Simpsons could be unconventional. Take construction, for example: “Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Half One)” ends each the episode and the season on a cliffhanger, “Barthood” takes place earlier than and after the timeframe of the conventional Simpsons world, “22 Quick Movies About Springfield” contains a bunch of quick tales within the span of a normal-length episode, and “24 Minutes” embraces the linear however experimental model of the hit present 24. Then there’s each single “Treehouse of Horror” episode, which is inherently unusual by splitting into three principal tales which might be thought-about non-canon. Combing via 36 seasons to seek out ten which might be quirkier than the remaining is not any simple job—even to the purpose the place it is fairly subjective. Surroundings is one other massive issue, at which level “The Mysterious Voyage of Our Homer” might come to thoughts, however the next ten episodes get bizarre and keep that means. Exhibiting that taking probabilities with tone, setting, model, and extra can yield a wide range of outcomes, these Simpsons tales stand out from the gang in additional methods than one. (That does not make all of them good, although.)
10
“The Springfield Recordsdata”
Season 8, Episode 10 (1997)
The unique Star Trek‘s Leonard Nimoy humorously and ominously introduces “The Springfield Recordsdata,” giving it the texture of a Treehouse of Horror particular. Besides it isn’t; it is an X-Recordsdata parody with sufficient references to different sci-fi and horror media to make your head spin. Unusual occurrences embody an outdated man turning right into a Dr. Seuss-like creature and a famously unlawful alien-crossover the present would most likely have bother repeating in the event that they tried to do it once more.
One among Season 8’s strongest episodes, this contains a spooky rating that helps set the unusually eerie tone all through the whole story. That reference from The Shining playfully takes up a lot house on the display screen, and Nimoy leaving mid-episode is nice. What makes this all of the more odd is that he really exhibits up within the story he himself was simply telling. With this alien plot taking on the entire episode, the feel of “The Springfield Recordsdata” makes it really feel persistently and splendidly eccentric.
9
“Treehouse of Horror VI”
Season 7, Episode 6 (1995)
The sixth “Simpsons Halloween Particular” is the primary one to forgo a proper introduction, selecting as a substitute to briefly present a beheaded Krusty using horseback for some cause. Anyway, “Assault of the 50 ft. Eye Sores” is the primary phase, through which Homer takes a donut and prompts all the enormous ads on the town to return to life. Subsequent, we now have “Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace,” through which Groundskeeper Willie is attacking all of the Springfield kids of their goals.
We actually get a wide range of creepy and unusual settings there, however the third phase is when The Simpsons actually pushes the boundaries. It is known as “Homer³,” the place Mr. Simpson winds up in a mysterious zone that makes him enter the third dimension. He can hear his household, and vice versa, however he cannot get out. The phase sees numerous residents of Springfield making an attempt to get him out whereas he avoids additional hazard, and it is completely bonkers to observe. Particularly the tip.
8
“Moe Goes From Rags to Riches”
Season 23, Episode 12 (2012)
There are a number of TV present parodies within the opening to “Moe Goes from Rags to Riches,” which is an fascinating begin to a perplexing episode. Everybody’s being meaner to Moe than standard, joking that his greatest buddy is his bar rag. This might need viewers anticipating a narrative about Moe making an attempt to make a brand new buddy on the town, however this plot takes a tough left flip. A highlight lands on his rag, and it involves life. Telling the viewers he wasn’t all the time like this, he takes us again to medieval France.
Ideas like “What on Earth is occurring?” and “Uh…okay” needs to be anticipated to cross via your head whereas watching this offbeat entry. The rag narrates via tales set in medieval occasions, Persia (ala A Thousand and One Nights), Spain, and elsewhere. We study that the rag was woven with demon wool, helped Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel, and took half in different main historic occasions. The minor subplot however, this episode is fairly nuts.
7
“Holidays of Future Handed”
Season 23, Episode 9 (2011)
There cannot be a “Bizarre Simpsons Episodes” listing with out one of many tales that takes place in a unique time. Probably one of the best of the longer term episodes, in addition to certainly one of one of the best holiday-themed Simpsons episodes, “Holidays of Future Handed” begins with Thanksgiving, travels via a long time of Christmases, and winds up at a Christmas through which Bart has two youngsters and Lisa has a teenage daughter. “The Itchy and Scratchy Present” will get proven through hologram, Maggie’s a well-known singer, youngsters can hear ideas, and extra.
In actual fact, there are too many particulars about this world to listing greater than a fraction of its distinctive qualities. However this entry can be bizarre on a behind-the-scenes degree: it was initially meant as The Simpsons‘ collection finale, because the crew wasn’t positive that it will be renewed previous the twenty third season. (How incorrect they have been.) With that in thoughts, followers can briefly entertain the choice world the place this surprisingly robust and persistently unusual future episode marked the tip of this animation big.
6
“The Man Who Got here to Be Dinner”
Season 26, Episode 10 (2015)
“The Man Who Got here to be Dinner” begins with one of many extra peculiar sofa gags (involving an artwork gallery), nevertheless it’s the principle plot that basically makes this one stand out. The Star Wars crossover stuff at Dizzneeworld is amusingly meta, however issues get a lot weirder in a short time when the household takes a experience that shoots them into outer house.
The beloved Kang and Kodos seem on a display screen, at which level Homer complains that it isn’t even Halloween (one other humorous meta second). There is a potato chip sequence paying homage to Season 5’s “Deep House Homer,” and Homer by accident grows an additional hand out of Marge’s hair. After we arrive on the aliens’ planet, we would as effectively be in an episode of Futurama. For sure, it is continuous strangeness for the remainder of the story—which can be funnier than anticipated for Season 26.
5
“Simpsorama”
Season 26, Episode 6 (2014)
Whereas “The Man Who Got here to Be Dinner” looks like a Futurama episode, “Simpsorama” actually is a crossover between Matt Groening‘s two beloved exhibits. The opening to this one sums up what we’re about to see: “A Present Out of Concepts Groups Up With a Present Out of Episodes.” Homer referring to himself within the third particular person is odd, however not almost as a lot as what occurs proper after.
Bender (voiced by John DiMaggio) exhibits up within the Simpsons’ basement. Lisa and Bart commenting on the similarities between him and Homer is enjoyable, and it will get extra fascinating when Futurama‘s different principal characters seem. There’s some wild stuff occurring sooner or later, and it is all Bart’s fault. Maggie and Bender wind up alone in present-day Springfield whereas the others get sucked into the longer term. This will likely solely be comparatively humorous, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly one of many weirdest entries of each exhibits.
4
“The Serfsons”
Season 29, Episode 1 (2017)
Using a Sport of Thrones-esque theme for the sofa gag, “The Serfsons” begins off Season 29 in a fantasy setting. Maggie sucks on a beak, Homer kisses a horse’s foot, and the native nursing house is only a bunch of individuals hung up in webs. It is also fairly bizarre to have Marge’s mom present up in an episode, not to mention function as a reasonably vital character. She bought bitten by an ice-walker, and Marge is set to avoid wasting her.
This story contains a humorous spin on the traditional recurring little bit of Bart calling Moe’s sentient goo, a pair of wings on Mr. Burns, a speaking missionary-lion, a large nostril, and far more. Lisa can carry out magic, which is not authorized for serfs and ends in her seize. Homer leads a crowd of offended peasants (and severely underused bushes) to get her again, and it is no shock we now have a lot of references to well-known fantasy media. General, this is without doubt one of the most unorthodox entries by a mile.
3
“Brick Like Me”
Season 25, Episode 20 (2014)
For The Simpsons‘ 550th episode, the crew boldly animated the present in a LEGO-style. This entry forgoes the everyday introduction for a chilly open: Homer wakes up from a dream about co-branding. As he opens his eyes, we see Marge in LEGO type. It is jarring, and it seems like issues are going to remain this fashion, too. Truly, although, it does not take very lengthy for the episode to make use of a flashback as an excuse for his or her typical animation model.
Then LEGO-Homer begins seeing reflections of himself as the conventional Homer, establishing the central battle: an existential disaster about residing in a fantasy world through which he can really relate to his daughter. This episode additionally clearly is similar with The Lego Film—one thing the story alludes to in the long run. With Homer making an attempt to flee his excellent LEGO actuality to return to his actual one, “Brick Like Me” goes down as one of the persistently odd entries but.
2
“Treehouse of Horror XXXIII”
Season 34, Episode 6 (2022)
This well-known “Treehouse of Horror” is on the market even for “Treehouse” requirements. It goes to point out that 33 seasons in, The Simpsons can nonetheless shock us. As an alternative of the everyday journey to a graveyard, a hardcover e-book merely opens as much as the primary phase: “The Pookadook,” a mediocre parody of The Babadook. Issues get a lot weirder with the second phase, because it’s all within the model of anime. Lisa kills a jailbird with the e-book she discovered on the road. She then goes on a “justice-spree” that features many humorous deaths.
The ultimate phase is stranger nonetheless. It begins with a twist on Season 4’s well-known “Monorail”-episode (certainly one of Season 4’s greatest entries). In the midst of a scene, two intoxicated followers come alongside to say Homer’s line a few possum. Quickly, an announcer says that this episode is malfunctioning, and Homer discovers that he is not a person; he is mental property. Probably the most meta episodes of any present ever, it ends with an ominous shot of different areas designated by their very own well-known cartoons (and a short but uncommon look by Kang and Kodos).
1
“The Simpsons’ 138th Episode Spectacular”
Season 7, Episode 10 (1995)
Selecting a random quantity to have a very particular Simpsons entry, somebody thought it will be enjoyable to do “The Simpsons’ 138th Episode Spectacular.” What precisely ought to one count on from a title like that? The quick reply: so much. This isn’t your typical Simpsons clip present: it has unseen footage, outtakes, materials you may’t view in syndication, and it even shows the origins of the beloved cartoon household. Cannot get extra meta than that.
Hosted by Troy McClure, this wildly structured entry additionally consists of fan letters and trivia questions with amusingly false solutions—together with how a lot Maggie prices within the opening sequence. Deleted footage is sourced from episodes together with “Krusty Will get Kancelled,” “Mom Simpson,” and “Treehouse of Horror IV.” Together with all of the nudity within the credit whereas KC and the Sunshine Band‘s “Shake Your Booty” performs, this episode takes the phrase “unconventional” and takes it to the following degree. Hardcore Simpsons followers ought to take pleasure in this extraordinary oddity.
