The Simpsons has wrapped up a new season helping to mark the 35th anniversary of the long running series, so now it’s time to see which of the new episodes were actually the best of the best for Season 36. The Simpsons is one of the longest running television shows of all time, and is gearing up to continue even further as Fox has chosen to renew the animated series for four more seasons in the future . As we wait on what’s coming for everyone next, it’s the best time to go back and look at what’s come before in the last wave of episodes.

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The Simpsons Season 36 was a pretty eventful year for the animated series. Continuing with the experimental spirit that has been present for the last few years, The Simpsons has aired episodes exploring new sides of its core characters while also showcasing much of its extended side cast in a whole new kind of way. There were some episodes that made some big swings , and either did or didn’t pull it off in the process. But either way, read on for our rankings of every Season 36 episode.

#18 – Desperately Seeking Lisa (Episode 3)

One thing that needs to be clarified about this list is that just because this episode is on the bottom, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily “bad” by any means. In fact, this is a rather solid episode that sees Lisa going on a new adventure. But what makes it stick out in a bad way from the rest of the season is how it feels too much like previous seasons’ episodes. It comes right after two experimental episodes that kicked off the season, so it’s almost too much of a return to standard that it ends up on the bottom of this list. It’s just kind of there.

#17 – The Yellow Lotus (Episode 2)

The Simpsons is far from the only animated series to offer a parody on The White Lotus lately, and is not even the only one to kill off a long time character in the process . That’s why it’s ended up so low on this list because it’s not entirely an original parody of the HBO series. Although it has Chloe Fineman doing a Jennifer Coolidge impression, it sort of wastes having Sideshow Bob returning for a new story. It’s ultimately revealed that he wasn’t scheming anything overall, but it’s a decidedly less punchy version of the character that fans have come to love. It’s ultimately just sort of there.

#16 – The Last Man Expanding (Episode 13)

The Simpsons does often take on current pop culture topics, so this was the inevitable Ozempic episode. When Springfield gets hooked on a new weight loss drug known as “Othinquic,” it turns out Homer is the last person in town who refuses to take the drug. It naturally turns out that he’s right in the matter as the drug comes with such severe side effects that the rest of the town tries to steal Homer’s body fat. It’s a fun Springfield episode as the town is great when they go full mob in situations like this, but it hits its ceiling pretty quickly.

#15 – The Man Who Flew Too Much (Episode 10)

This is one of the more experimental episodes this season that didn’t quite work out so well. It starts out promising with the return of the Pin Pals with a new line up, and even brings Fausto back to kill him later in the episode (to only reveal he was just fine during the end credits). The episode sees Homer and the others trapped on a mountain, and even nearly resigns all of them to a bleak fate before Homer saves them all when he’s woken back to life by the smell of Marge’s cooking. But it also makes some odd choices like bringing back Mona Simpson through a hallucination. It’s a solid story for the episode, but not all of it ultimately connects as well as other episodes this season.

#14 – Homer and Her Sisters (Episode 9)

This season in particular had some pretty fun character pairings that have either been rarely seen in the past, or still have room to explore. This episode brought Homer, Patty and Selma together in a fun way as they saw things eye to eye for one of the actually few times they have agreed on things. It leads to some cute moments where we can see what their dynamic is like when the three of them get along, and even ends with Marge realizing that she likes everything broken the way it is. It’s a cute episode, but also just largely not memorable when compared to some of the heavier hits of the season.

#13 – Bottle Episode (Episode 11)

Speaking of rare character pairings, The Simpsons delivers a unique Marge and Smithers team up with this episode. When Marge uses Mr. Burns’ very expensive wine for some stew, she works with Professor Frink and Smithers to craft a new wine that tastes just like. Then Marge and Smithers start to sell the fake wine to reach people to give their profits back to the poor. It’s a pretty fun way to team up the two characters without needing much involvement from Homer, and really opens the floor for the two of them maybe teaming up more in the future. There’s clearly a good vein of material here.

#12 – Treehouse of Horror XXXV (Episode 5)

The milestone 35th Treehouse of Horror special unfortunately wasn’t one of the best out there. While the three shorts themselves are fine (with the Thanksgiving inspired Mr. Burns special standing out in particular), it wasn’t the best Treehouse of Horror special we got this season. It has some cool animation with its blend of Homer together with stop-motion jeans from Robot Chicken’ s Stoopid Buddy studio, a dash of Pacific Rim between Bart and Lisa, and even an opening from the legendary Jorge R. Gutierrez, but this season hits so much harder with Treehouse of Horror later.

#11 – Shoddy Heat (Episode 4)

This episode was one of the first real changes to The Simpsons ‘ canonical past fans got this season . This revealed that Grampa Simpson was a detective for a short while following Mona leaving him and Homer behind, and that’s a completely new kind of angle than fans have ever gotten on the father and son duo. It might conflict with a few things shown in past seasons, but it ultimately is for a great result as it adds new wrinkles to Abe’s past overall. Not only revealing he’s got a close history with Agnes Skinner, but Abe was also a lot more competent than fans knew. It’s a pretty fun episode.

#10 – Abe League of Their Moe (Episode 15)

Grampa got his fair share of focus episodes this season, and this one was the better of the two that looked into his past. Not only did we get to see that Abe spent a lot of time with his own grandfather as a kid, but all Abe wants to do is watch a baseball game together with his own grandson. That desire to do so eventually leads to a fun connection with Moe, and the two rather lonely adults make great friends. It’s such a great idea that it’s a surprise it’s taken so long for it to happen, but the episode itself then detours to a focus on an international player Moe and Abe get to Springfield. It really doesn’t end as well as it starts, but still very enjoyable.

#9 – Stew Lies (Episode 16)

“Stew Lies” is one of the more complicated episodes to rank as it has one of the best cold opens in recent memory, but the rest of the episode doesn’t reach those heights. That being said, it’s not like the episode is lackluster. The episode opens with Bart and Lisa connecting in a whole new kind of wa y, but soon detours to then focus on Fat Tony’s origin story for the first real time in the series. It’s here we get to see the mafioso as a child, and he teams up with Homer when a Guy Fieri rip off steals a thought to be stolen recipe. It all comes to a heartwarming end, and is a great episode overall. It’s just that it starts so hot but ends so mildly that it can’t get higher on this list.

#8 – Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes (Episode 7)

The second of the Treehouse of Horror episodes for the season was miles better than the first. Continuing through with the Treehouse of Horror Presents tradition of offering a new Horror story outside of the traditional format, this episode offers three stories inspired by the works of Ray Bradbury. One sees Bart hearing a woman screaming from under the ground, one sees Superintendent Chalmers replacing himself with a robotic clone, and the third sees Homer secretly watching dumb TV shows in a world dominated by high brow entertainment. They’re just better crafted than the other shorts seen in Treehouse of Horror XXV and uses the characters better.

#7 – Full Heart, Empty Pool (Episode 17)

But the best Grampa focused episode of the season brought him closer together with Homer. The two don’t really see eye to eye often, but when they do it usually ends up with some hilarious shenanigans revealing just how close to one another they actually are. This episode sees the father and son duo creating a brand new game that seniors can actually play (because it doesn’t take much motion), and it becoming such a big deal that Homer eventually sells out to become an officially recognized sport. It’s not the episode with the highest stakes or big changes to the canon as earlier entries in this list, but it’s just a nice dash of fun.

#6 – Convenience Airways (Episode 8)

There are a few episodes this season that don’t make big changes to the characters, nor do they shift the status quo in any big ways, but “Convenience Airways” is a very strong example of what can be done with a self-contained episodic story. When the family has to fly with the titular airline (because Homer has been banned from every other service), they soon realize that they are stuck on a plane with the worst kind of flyers. Every single bad habit you can think of is at play, and soon they find the plane is actually an experimental flying prison that everyone needs to break out of. It’s a fun reveal making for one of the most fun stories of the season.

#5 – The Flandshees of Innersimpson (Episode 12)

The Simpsons Season 36 was really focused on telling emotional stories with its characters, and finding new ways to explore these long running relationships. One of the most effective examples of this came in this episode as Homer and Ned’s long running rivalry/friendship was broken down once more. These episodes are often great as Ned’s patience is tested to unbelievable lengths, but the climax of it also reveals that Ned and Homer actually need each other to be happy. It’s a complex relationship where neither side is actually served, but without one another they really fall apart. It’s an unique and effective way of looking at the duo even after all these years.

#4 – Women in Shorts (Episode 6)

This one might not be as emotional as the others, but it’s definitely one of the most experimental episodes of the season and one of the most experimental episodes The Simpsons has released in a long time. Mirroring a format once seen in Season 7’s “22 Short Films About Springfield,” this episode highlights the women across Springfield for the first real time for many of the characters. Each of them gets a short moment that results in a funny or wild kind of sketch, and it’s certainly such a unique experience. Especially for fans of these characters who rarely get the spotlight.

#3 – P.S. I Hate You (Episode 14)

Speaking of characters who don’t always get the spotlight, Marge has a really great standout episode of her own this season. This not only pairs her against Shauna Chalmers, but also reveals that Marge is definitely more complex than she had been seen on the surface in the last few years. It’s a retcon to her character that doesn’t really shake up the series for the worst as it continues Marge’s trend of burying her emotions, but reveals those emotions in a unique way. It’s such an fun episode that it goes out on a high when Marge tells Helen Lovejoy to kiss her ass, and it’s completely earned emotionally. It just hits all the beats you’d want in an effective Marge episode.

#2 – Bart’s Birthday (Episode 1)

The Simpsons made headlines with its Season 36 premiere as fans who tuned in unknowingly were surprised to see that it was billed as the actual series finale. Recruiting massive guest stars tied to its past like Conan O’Brien and Tom Hanks for the occasion, The Simpsons pokes fun at A.I. as Bart is trapped in what a “final episode” for the show would look like. Surprise guest stars like John Cena, Danny Devito returning as Homer’s brother Herb for a sudden reunion, and Bart celebrating his 11th birthday, it was an episode where The Simpsons openly challenged the fact that its end seemed to be coming year after year.

But at the same time, it was made clear that the show was not slowing down any time soon. You couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season for long time fans.

#1 – Estranger Things (Episode 18)

The Simpsons kicked off Season 36 with a hilarious take on what a series finale for the show could look like, and followed it up with a season finale that actually served as a perfect finale for it overall. “Estranger Things” is one of the best episodes the show has released in a long time. Not only putting an emotional new context on Bart and Lisa’s love of The Itchy & Scratchy Show, but also added a layer from Marge as she loved seeing her two children bond. Then when the two drift apart, a time skip leaping ahead 35 years into the future showcases a new take on what their future looks like.

Offering a much more grounded future for The Simpsons than seen in the past, Bart and Lisa once again bond over the fact that they shared a tough childhood together. Realizing that the two of them really only have each other in the future, they decide to support one another and return to the good relationship they once had as kids. It’s such a good finale for the season that it would almost serve as a great finale for the show. But as of now, The Simpsons is running through at least Season 40.