The BEST episodes of The Simpsons season 5

Every episode of The Simpsons season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Simpsons season 5!

Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.

Last Updated: 12/19/2024Network: FOXStatus: Continuing
Cape Feare
star
8.12
2335 votes

#1 - Cape Feare

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/7/1993

When Bart receives death threats from newly paroled Sideshow Bob, the family goes into the Witness Relocation Program and starts a new life on a houseboat on Terror Lake.

Directors: Rich Moore
Writer: Jon Vitti
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
star
8.06
1731 votes

#2 - The Boy Who Knew Too Much

Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/5/1994

Bart witnesses the alleged assault of a waiter by Mayor Quimby's nephew, but coming forward will mean admitting to skipping class and facing the consequences.

Directors: Jeffrey Lynch
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Burns' Heir
star
8.01
1606 votes

#3 - Burns' Heir

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/14/1994

The childless Mr. Burns selects Bart as his heir and begins grooming him for his new role. As a test of loyalty, Mr. Burns orders Bart to fire Homer.

Directors: Mark Kirkland
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Rosebud
star
7.98
1959 votes

#4 - Rosebud

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/21/1993

Mr. Burns pines away for Bobo, his beloved childhood teddy bear and symbol of lost innocence. When the bear turns up in Maggie's possession, the resulting tug of war affects the whole town.

Directors: Wesley Archer
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Deep Space Homer
star
7.96
1838 votes

#5 - Deep Space Homer

Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/24/1994

Dejected by a lack of recognition at work, Homer makes a crank call to NASA and winds up being chosen to ride into space with astronauts.

Directors: Carlos Baeza
Writer: David Mirkin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Secrets of a Successful Marriage
star
7.94
1907 votes

#6 - Secrets of a Successful Marriage

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/19/1994

Homer teaches an adult education class on successful marriage, but his students show little interest until he starts telling them juicy details of his marriage to Marge. Furious, Marge kicks Homer out.

Directors: Carlos Baeza
Writer: Greg Daniels
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Treehouse of Horror IV
star
7.94
2210 votes

#7 - Treehouse of Horror IV

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/28/1993

In "The Devil and Homer Simpson," Homer sells his soul for a doughnut. In "Terror at 5 1/2 Feet," everyone doubts Bart's sanity when he's the only one to see a gremlin sabotaging the school bus. In "Bart Simpson's Dracula," the family turns into vampires, and Lisa sends Homer to the Burns mansion in an attempt to kill the head vampire.

Directors: David Silverman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
star
7.91
1781 votes

#8 - Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/17/1994

Lisa is shocked to find that her new Malibu Stacy doll reinforces negative stereotypes of women. With Smithers' help, Lisa tracks down the original creator of Malibu Stacy and convinces her to market a new doll that's a better role model for girls.

Directors: Jeffrey Lynch
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Homer Goes to College
star
7.90
2460 votes

#9 - Homer Goes to College

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/14/1993

Burns discovers that Homer is grossly unqualified to be a nuclear safety inspector, so Homer enrolls at Springfield University to study nuclear physics. While there, Homer befriends three nerds and instigates a prank that gets them expelled.

Directors: Jim Reardon
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)
star
7.89
2065 votes

#10 - $pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/16/1993

When gambling is legalized in Springfield, Mr. Burns opens an extravagant casino on the waterfront, where Marge becomes addicted to the slot machines.

Directors: Wesley Archer
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Homer Loves Flanders
star
7.89
1931 votes

#11 - Homer Loves Flanders

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/17/1994

Homer and Flanders bond over a football game. As the two friends become inseparable, Flanders struggles with a growing dislike of Homer that finally blows up in front of the entire church congregation.

Directors: Wesley Archer
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song
star
7.88
1983 votes

#12 - Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song

Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/28/1994

When Bart gets Principal Skinner fired, Ned Flanders is brought in to act as principal. Skinner befriends his former nemesis and the pair look for a way to get Skinner reinstated.

Directors: Bob Anderson
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Homer and Apu
star
7.87
1840 votes

#13 - Homer and Apu

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/10/1994

Fired for selling tainted meat to Homer, Apu tries to make amends to the Simpsons, and Homer joins him in a pilgrimage to Kwik-E-Mart headquarters in India.

Directors: Mark Kirkland
Writer: Greg Daniels
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Last Temptation of Homer
star
7.86
1910 votes

#14 - The Last Temptation of Homer

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/9/1993

Homer struggles with his attraction to new coworker Mindy, a beautiful engineer whose love for doughnuts is equal to his own.

Directors: Carlos Baeza
Writer: Frank Mula
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Boy-Scoutz 'N the Hood
star
7.85
2120 votes

#15 - Boy-Scoutz 'N the Hood

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/18/1993

After joining the Junior Campers while on a sugar high, Bart reluctantly invites Homer to accompany him on the annual father-son rafting trip, which goes awry.

Directors: Jeffrey Lynch
Writer: Dan McGrath
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Bart Gets an Elephant
star
7.85
1592 votes

#16 - Bart Gets an Elephant

Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/31/1994

Bart wins a wacky radio contest and forgoes the cash to claim the gag prize instead: an elephant.

Directors: Jim Reardon
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Homer the Vigilante
star
7.81
1962 votes

#17 - Homer the Vigilante

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/6/1994

When a cat burglar prowls Springfield, Homer forms a vigilante group that winds up breaking more laws than they protect.

Directors: Jim Reardon
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Homer's Barbershop Quartet
star
7.79
2085 votes

#18 - Homer's Barbershop Quartet

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/30/1993

Through flashbacks, Homer recalls the dizzying rise and fall of his Beatles-esque barbershop quartet. The Be Sharps reunite for one last concert on the roof of Moe's Tavern.

Directors: Matt Kirkland
Writer: Jeff Martin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Bart Gets Famous
star
7.76
1980 votes

#19 - Bart Gets Famous

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/3/1994

Working as Krusty the Clown's assistant, Bart accidentally steals the limelight by blurting an instant catchphrase: "I didn't do it." But when he tries to capitalize on his fifteen minutes of fame, the fans are fickle.

Directors: Susie Dietter
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Marge on the Lam
star
7.72
1902 votes

#20 - Marge on the Lam

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/4/1993

When Marge has a girls' night out with a new neighbor, they wind up roaring toward a cliff in a Thelma-and-Louise-style car chase.

Directors: Matt Kirkland
Watch Now:Apple TV
Bart's Inner Child
star
7.58
1681 votes

#21 - Bart's Inner Child

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/11/1993

Bart heckles the guru at a self-help seminar, and the man presents him to the audience as a role model for their "inner child." But when the whole town tries to "be like Bart," things start to fall apart.

Directors: Bob Anderson
Writer: George Meyer
Watch Now:Apple TV
Lady Bouvier's Lover
star
7.58
1524 votes

#22 - Lady Bouvier's Lover

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/12/1994

Grampa falls in love with Marge's mother, but must compete with Mr. Burns for her heart.

Directors: Wesley Archer
Watch Now:Apple TV