The Simpsons: 10 Best Homer & Marge Episodes

While The Simpsons is primarily a show about a family, a big part of that family dynamic is the relationship between the parents. Homer and Marge don’t have a perfect marriage, but the show has made it clear over the past three decades that they truly love each other.

In later seasons, all the Homer and Marge-centric episodes follow the same tired formula as Homer does something to put his marriage with Marge in jeopardy and then manages to fix it by the time the end credits roll. But in the show’s earlier seasons, it delivered some terrific episodes about Homer and Marge’s relationship.

10 Duffless (Season 4, Episode 16)

Homer is forced to stop drinking for a month when he fails a breathalyzer test on the way home from the Duff brewery in season 4’s “Duffless.”

Marge couldn’t be happier, because Homer is spending a lot more time at home and he’s a lot healthier. At the end of the month, he races down to Moe’s and orders a beer. However, he decides to go home and be with Marge instead.

9 The Last Temptation Of Homer (Season 5, Episode 9)

Michelle Pfeiffer guest-starred in the season 5 episode “The Last Temptation of Homer” as a new employee at the power plant. She loves TV, donuts, and beer, and, for all intents and purposes, she’s the perfect woman for Homer.

When they’re sent on a conference together, Homer is tempted to cheat on Marge. But he ultimately can’t bring himself to do it and instead invites Marge out to his hotel room.

8 Secrets Of A Successful Marriage (Season 5, Episode 22)

When Homer’s friends call him “a little slow” in season 5’s “Secrets of a Successful Marriage,” he decides to take a night-time class at the community center to broaden his horizons.

However, he ends up teaching a class on how to stay married for as long as he and Marge have. Ironically, Homer’s willingness to share the most intimate details of his marriage with his students threatens to end their union.

7 El Viaje Misterioso De Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage Of Homer) (Season 8, Episode 9)

Season 8’s “El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)” is one of The Simpsons’ most surreal episodes. To stop Homer from drunkenly making a scene, Marge tries to hide all the newspaper ads mentioning the local chili cookoff.

However, he eventually finds out about the cookoff and eats a chili pepper that’s so powerful, he runs off into the desert and hallucinates a spiritual journey that forces him to question whether or not Marge is really his soulmate.

6 A Streetcar Named Marge (Season 4, Episode 2)

Marge escapes from the mundanity of her daily life by trying out for a local production of A Streetcar Named Desire in the season 4 episode “A Streetcar Named Marge.”

When she taps into her frustrations with Homer in her performance, Marge lands the role of Blanche DuBois. On opening night, Homer is moved by Marge’s portrayal of an insecure Southern belle.

5 $pringfield (Season 5, Episode 10)

After Marge protested the opening of a casino in season 5’s “$pringfield,” she becomes addicted to gambling. Homer has to take care of the kids as Marge spends all her time at Mr. Burns’ slot machines.

When Lisa is horrified by Homer’s attempts to make her a Florida costume, he tells her, “The only monster here is the gambling monster that has enslaved your mother! I call him Gamblor.”

4 I Married Marge (Season 3, Episode 12)

When Marge has a pregnancy scare in season 3’s “I Married Marge,” Homer recounts the story of the early days of their marriage and the birth of Bart.

The emotional crux of the episode is Homer grappling with his impending responsibilities and his inability to hold down a job.

3 A Milhouse Divided (Season 8, Episode 6)

Homer begins to question his own marriage when Milhouse’s parents break up at a Simpson family dinner party in the season 8 episode “A Milhouse Divided.”

In order to make up for years of being an inattentive husband, Homer files for divorce so he can re-marry Marge and, effectively, re-commit to her.

2 Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily (Season 7, Episode 3)

A series of unfortunate events leads to Homer and Marge being labeled negligent parents in season 7’s “Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily.” Bart, Lisa, and Maggie are taken away by social services and given to a foster home: the Flanders’ next door.

While Bart and Lisa struggle to cut it in a household that bans fun, Homer and Marge go to state-controlled parenting school to win their kids back.

1 The Way We Was (Season 2, Episode 12)

Although it was bizarrely retconned by a way-too-late Nirvana spoof in the dreadful season 19 episode “That ‘90s Show,” the season 2 flashback episode “The Way We Was” is still the definitive Homer and Marge storyline.

The episode recounts the story of how Homer met Marge and instantly fell in love with her. He didn’t win her heart immediately, but the episode sets up their relationship beautifully.

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Ben Sherlock
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Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, independent filmmaker, and Burt Reynolds enthusiast. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Rant. He’s currently in pre-production on his first feature (and has been for a while, because filmmaking is expensive). You can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the UK that will give him stage time. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop.

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