The Best ‘Simpsons’ Episodes for the Summertime, According to Fans

Now that the weather is warmer and sunshine is plentiful, there’s no better time to remain indoors and mindlessly stare at your TV. 

Yes, summertime is here, which means it’s time to watch summery content with the lights off and the shades drawn. So over on Reddit, Simpsons fans have been sharing their picks for the best episodes that contain a “summer vibe.”

Even though the show usually premieres in the fall and wraps up in the spring, there are a number of episodes that take place in the summer, such as “Bart of Darkness.” The Season Six premiere begins with a heat wave that plays havoc with the wax museum and Texas chili truck industries. 

It features a number of moments that perfectly encapsulate the feeling of summertime, including Homer’s failed plan to cool off by connecting a tent to the refrigerator.

The episode also includes the moment in which Bart bemoans that he’ll miss the whole summer due to his broken leg, and Homer attempts to cheer him up by pointing out, “When you get a job like me, you’ll miss every summer.”

And, of course, it ends with Frank Sinatra crooning “Summer Wind” with the help of a distraught, recently-pantsed Martin Prince.

The other big summer episode, fans noted, is Season Seven’s “Summer of 4 Ft. 2.” That’s the one where the Simpsons visit Flanders’ beach house, Lisa befriends a group of cool kids and Milhouse pens perhaps the greatest yearbook inscription in history.

Less obviously, some fans singled out “Itchy & Scratchy Land,” which is certainly nostalgic for anyone who’s ever spent their summer vacation on a family trip that goes completely off the rails.

“Kamp Krusty” from Season Four, is another great example of a great summertime Simpsons episode, even though it aired in late September. 

In addition to the camp storyline, there’s perhaps no better on-screen representation of the youthful excitement over the last day of school than the scene where Bart fantasizes about destroying Springfield Elementary (all set to the sounds of Alice Cooper, naturally).

A number of fans also singled out “Lemon of Troy,” which, even though it doesn’t actually take place during the summer, “has mad summer vibes.”

Oddly, no one mentioned Homer’s quest to buy an air conditioner, which he ultimately abandons in order to nurture his daughter’s talent, in “Lisa’s Sax” from Season Nine.

So if you’re heading out to a beach this summer, instead of a trashy paperback, why not bring along tablet full of Simpsons episodes?