The Top 10 Simpsons "Feel Good" Endings

There’s a reason The Simpsons is commonly referred to as one of the greatest TV shows of all time. In the 90s, being a member of the show’s writing staff was considered the ‘holy grail’ of television, and for good reason. The quality they produced set the benchmark for TV comedy. However despite the jokes, an aspect the show did so well was end things on a positive note, and with that, here are my Top 10 ‘feel good’ endings:

10. Duffless

Homer is forced to give up beer for a month after a DUI mishap. Once he has served his sentence he quickly rushes back to Moe’s to make up for lost time, despite Marge’s plea to stay home. It’s at the bar when he realises life is too short to be spent hanging with the bar flies, and decides he’d much rather spend time with his wife. You just can’t help but smile and sing along as Marge and Homer sing Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head as they ride Lisa’s bicycle into the sunset.

9. ‘Round Springfield

After the death of Bleeding Gums Murphy, Lisa pays tribute to him by getting his LP Sax On The Beach played on the local community radio station. With a little divine intervention, lightning strikes the station and broadcasts the song all over Springfield. Now obviously this ending requires viewers to suspend their disbelief, but hey, it’s a cartoon. When Lisa and the ghost of Bleeding Gums, (well, the cloud of Bleeding Gums), jam out one last time to the song Jazz Man, one can’t help but get swept up with all kinds of feels. If only this were possible in the real world.

8. Marge Be Not Proud

Disappointing your Mum is something no child wants to do, which is what makes it so easy to relate to Bart in this episode. Although he blatantly broke the law by stealing the copy of Bonestorm, you genuinely feel sorry for him as Marge seemingly shows him no affection thereafter, that is until she receives her Christmas present. The seed for this classic scene was planted early on, when it’s acknowledged that Bart always ruins the family Christmas photos. Thinking Bart is hiding another stolen video game under his jacket, Marge orders him to hand it over, only to discover that he’d actually gone out and organised a proper Christmas photo taken of himself as a gift for her. As her eyes fill with tears of happiness, so do the viewers’, for we all know he’s won back his mother’s love. She then goes on to give him his Christmas present early, which she completely stuffs up (although I’d much prefer Lee Carvallo’s Putting Challenge), however Bart isn’t bothered. He has his Mum back. A great Christmas story.

7. Lisa’s Wedding

It’s not uncommon to see Homer trying to understand and accept the beliefs of Lisa, however in Lisa’s Wedding, it’s Lisa’s turn to see things from his perspective. For the first time we see Lisa start to appreciate Homer for who he is, her father, and he is the only one she’s got. He may be a moron at times, he may say or do things that she doesn’t agree with, but at the end of the day he’ll always love her. The closing shot of Lisa happily engaging and walking off hand-in-hand with Homer as he boasts about eating seven pounds of fudge and riding the teacups (which she would normally roll her eyes at), is a defining moment for their relationship. “But then… I rode ‘em again!”

6. Simpson And Delilah

A role reversal from Bart Gets Hit By A Car (more on this later), Homer is worried that Marge will no longer love him now that he is bald again. It encapsulates what every partner will likely experience at least once in their life, the fear that they aren’t good enough for their spouse. Marge’s response proves why she is the ultimate wife and is in fact Homer’s soul mate. Her rendition of Joe Cocker’s You Are So Beautiful calms his nerves as he realises just how lucky they are to have each other. That was the song my wife Nicola and I performed our ‘first dance’ to, which probably gave this scene an unfair advantage over those that didn’t make the list. Regardless, an absolute tear jerker.

5. Lisa’s First Word

It’s an ironic title since the episode is known for having Maggie speak for the first time. The closing shot of Homer putting Maggie to bed, only to have her utter the word “Daddy” as he leaves, is another ending that stays with you forever. What makes it even greater is that throughout the episode, it’s established that when they were younger, both Bart and Lisa would constantly refer to their father as “Homer” as opposed to “Dad”, much to his dismay. It’s scenes like this that separate The Simpsons from the rest of the cartoon world.

4. The Way We Was

“I’ve got a problem. Once you stop this car, I’m gonna hug you, and kiss you, and then I’ll never be able to let you go.” Enough said.

3. Bart Gets Hit By A Car

The Simpson family look set to gain a million dollar payout from Mr. Burns after suing him for hitting Bart with his car. Only problem is, they’re faking Bart’s injuries, and Marge knows it. After Marge costs the family the victory by telling the truth in court, Homer is left pondering whether he still loves her. The brutal realism of Homer telling Marge his thoughts is enough to tug at the heartstrings, then when she asks for a decision on their future, the look of anguish on her face as she looks into the eyes of the man she loves is incredible. This face is enough to bring Homer to his senses, the two then make up and everyone watching is left a blubbering mess. Even Moe gets caught up in the moment by announcing, “for the next fifteen minutes, one third off of every pitcher!”

2. And Maggie Makes Three

This is about as touching of a Simpsons ending as you will find, despite it not being in the top position. When it’s revealed that Homer has strategically placed pictures of Maggie over the sign in his workspace reading “Don’t Forget. You’re Here Forever”, leaving it to say “Do It For Her”, you can’t help but let out a giant “Awwwwwwwwwwww”. Being that she can’t speak, Maggie’s relationship with Homer had never been truly explored up to that point (besides the classic “Daddy” moment mentioned earlier.) It also showed a softer side of Homer that we weren’t commonly exposed to. A great representation of a father’s love for his baby girl.

1. Life On The Fast Lane

This scene deserves to top this list, for not only is it incredibly heartwarming, but it’s hilarious at the same time. Homer fears Marge is cheating on him, and for good reason since she actually comes very close to leaving him for French bowling instructor, Jacques. Thankfully she chooses Homer in the end, and decides to pay him a visit at work. An amazing parody of the ending to An Officer And A Gentleman, with Homer delighted by Marge’s surprise visit as he sweeps her into his arms and proudly exclaims “I’m going to the back seat of my car, with the woman I love, and I won’t be back for ten minutes!” With the music score, the support of Homer’s work colleagues and the tongue-in-cheek humour that only The Simpsons could pull off at the time, this is still my favourite Simpsons ending of all time. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. It’s perfect.

What are some of your favourite Simpsons “feel good” endings? Comment below and let us know your thoughts. Don’t forget to also check out our Simpsons podcast, reviewing every episode of all time!

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