Top 10 Mr. Burns Episodes

Some of the best moments in the entire series involve Mr. Burns and Homer Simpson. So it’s no wonder we kick off our list with an episode about their complicated relationship. After a fire drill reveals the lack of teamwork among employees of Burns’ nuclear power plant, he decides to send everyone on a mountain retreat. Burns and Homer end up teaming up, and while their mutual appreciation for cheating draws them together, their relationship slowly deteriorates as the pair become more and more suspicious of each other. This episode features several memorable moments and some hilarious gags, particularly while Burns and Homer are trapped inside the cabin and begin to succumb to cabin fever.

Trusty, dependable, and a kiss ass – these are just some of the words that describe Waylon Smithers, Mr. Burns’ personal assistant. When Smithers begins to fail at his duties, Burns sends him on an immediate vacation. Naturally, Homer is given the job to replace Smithers, and does a terrible job. What’s fabulous about this episode, however, is that it shows how capable Burns actually is when he chooses to be. After some initial hiccups, including getting punched in the face by Homer, he begins to take care of himself. Of course, when he’s pushed out of the window during a fight between Smithers and Homer, he becomes dependent on his PA all over again.

This Season 2 episode begins with a bang as Bart catches a three-eyed fish in a river near the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. The discovery triggers an inspection of the plant, which finds 342 violations. Attempting to help calm down his distraught boss, Homer suggests to Burns that he run for governor to avoid having to shut down the plant. Burns immediately does so, and runs an effective smear campaign against his more qualified opponent… sound familiar? Burns nearly wins, but during a televised dinner at the Simpsons household, he’s served the three-eyed fish by Marge. Burns tries his best, but is unable to keep the fish down, and loses the election.

We all know Mr. Burns loves money, but you could argue that he loves winning almost as much. In this episode, upon discovering that he has a fantastic company softball team, Burns decides to make a bet with the owner of the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant. With one million dollars on the line, Burns tries to secure his victory by bringing in nine professional ringers from the big leagues. Burns steals every scene in this episode as the team’s manager, including when he gives Homer signs from third base. Of course, this episode may be best known for Burns’ interactions with Don Mattingly – has Mr. Burns ever found out what sideburns actually are?

Despite featuring in the title of this episode, Mr. Burns is somewhat relegated to the ‘B’ story of this animated crossover. Jay Sherman, the main character of the short-lived series “The Critic” comes to Springfield to judge a film festival. Of course, Burns enters a film that includes a scene with Judah Ben-Hur, beautifully directed by Steven Spielberg’s non-union, Mexican equivalent, Senor Spielbergo. Although the film is reviewed poorly, except by those who were in fact saying, “boo-urns,” Burns nearly wins the competition by bribing two of the judges. Although some critics disliked the crossover elements of this episode, it certainly features some of the best Mr. Burns moments in the entire series.

Once again, Mr. Burns is featured in the ‘B’ story of this episode, but steals every scene he’s in. With Springfield’s economy in decline, Burns builds a casino to help promote legalized gambling, turning down several ridiculous proposals in the process. As Burns grows richer, he slowly turns into a hermit, similar to Howard Hughes. He wears tissue boxes instead of shoes and urinates in jars. Burns eventually decides to return to his neglected power plant, which helps him snap out of his funk, but not before threatening to shoot Smithers unless he gets inside his “Spruce Moose.” Mr. Burns’ descent into insanity is quick, but actually quite believable considering what we know about him.

Similar to Hannibal Lecter, Mr. Burns only has a few moments of screen time in this episode, but is certainly the most memorable part. After Homer has a close encounter, the entire town gathers at the forest where the alien resurfaces. Although he promises to bring peace and love, the townspeople begin to charge him, only to discover the alien is in fact Mr. Burns. In order to cheat death, Burns receives a significant amount of treatment each week, which, combined with his exposure to nuclear matter, gives him this extra-terrestrial appearance. Returning back to his normal self, Burns renounces his promise of peace and love and instead promises to bring fear, famine, and pestilence.

Mr. Burns is at his best when he’s scheming, and this episode features arguably his greatest scheme in the entire series. After stealing 25 puppies, Burns reveals his master plan of making them into a tuxedo in a hilarious parody of “Be Our Guest.” Lisa and Bart are able to foil Burns’ plan, but things work out okay for him in the end, as he winds up turning the puppies into world champion racing dogs, earning millions of dollars. This episode does a fantastic job revealing some of the more disturbing elements of Burns’ character, but at the same time still making him oddly likeable.

While many episodes reduce Mr. Burns to a one-note villain, we get to see a more human side to the character in this one. In a direct parody of “Citizen Kane,” we learn that Burns once cherished a teddy bear named Bobo, and he spends the entire episode trying to get him back. Of course, the bear ends up in the hands of Maggie Simpson, and despite Burns’ threats, Homer refuses to give the bear back to him. Many critics consider this episode to be one of the best of the entire series, as it features all of the things the show does well – satire, comedy, and strong character development.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

“Burns, Baby Burns”

“The Old Man and the Lisa”

“Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in ‘The Curse of the Flying Hellfish’”

We’re slightly cheating here by including both part one and part two as our top pick, but this is certainly the most memorable Mr. Burns episode of the entire series. Burns quickly gets on everyone’s bad side by stealing the oil discovered beneath Springfield Elementary, and even creates a device fit for a Bond villain, as it blocks out the sun. Mr. Burns is at his all-time worst in this episode, and sets the scene for a fantastic cliffhanger as we’re left wondering which character shot him. The follow-up episode revolves around finding the shooter’s identity, although we still get several great Mr. Burns moments, especially his attempt to prosecute a baby.