The 5 Greatest Milhouse Episodes On The Simpsons, Ranked

The voice of Milhouse is leaving after season 35 of “The Simpsons.” Pamela Hayden has been part of the long-running sequence for the reason that first season aired again in 1989 and likewise voices Jimbo Jones, Rod (and generally Todd) Flanders, and Chief Wiggum’s spouse Sarah. Now, nevertheless, followers of Milhouse will certainly be feeling conflicted about one of many present’s finest characters being voiced by one other actor.

Slightly than dwell upon what is really the top of an period for “The Simpsons,” nevertheless, why not rejoice the legacy of Hayden’s Milhouse? The boy whose mother says he is cool; who is aware of far an excessive amount of in regards to the varied sorts of sprinklers; who’s had his image on “America’s Most Wished” and was subsequently hunted by the FBI earlier than leaping from a dam to what would have been sure demise (he solely broke his glasses), has been supplied a number of the finest moments within the present’s lengthy historical past. However he is additionally been on the middle of a few of the perfect ever episodes of “The Simpsons,” constantly proving he is far more than a peripheral character good for just a few gags right here and there.

Naturally, there are a ton of episodes that includes Milhouse that did not make the minimize right here. The unimpeachably excellent “Lemon of Troy” or “Bart on the Highway” are two examples. However that is okay as a result of the Vanhoutens’ son has been the main focus of dozens of basic “Simpsons” installments. So come alongside as we rejoice Bart’s finest buddy in a listing the place legitimately the whole lot’s arising Milhouse.

Milhouse was regularly the butt of no matter joke the writers wanted him for, however again in season 3, he hadn’t fairly change into the working joke of a personality he later would. Episode 23 of that season, “Bart’s Good friend Falls In Love,” is an effective instance. That is the episode the place, a lot to Bart’s dismay, Milhouse really will get a girlfriend within the type of Samantha Stanky (Kimmy Robertson). It is also the episode that options one the best movie references within the present’s historical past, with the opening sequence completely recreating Indiana Jones’ legendary plundering of the Temple of the Chachapoyan Warriors and its “golden idol in “Raiders of the Misplaced Ark”.

“Bart’s Good friend Falls In Love” is not filled with gags at Milhouse’s expense, although we do study that he cries when he does lengthy division and he has a the rest left over. Nevertheless it stays nice as a result of like so many early “Simpsons” episodes, it combines its good humor with stunning emotional depth. The episode is pushed by a narrative that ought to ring true for anybody who remembers having a finest buddy as a child. Bart’s jealousy over his buddy’s newfound love feels so correct to how a 10-year-old would react and really reveals a deep fondness for Milhouse on Bart’s half. By the point the pair reconcile and go away Samantha at her Catholic college to go whip donuts at previous individuals, you understand that “The Simpsons” has as soon as once more managed to make you are feeling just a little one thing between the gags.

In 1995, three years after “Bart’s Greatest Good friend Falls in Love,” we bought yet one more reminder that Milhouse really has emotions like the remainder of us with season 7, episode 2, “Radioactive Man.” A standout episode in its personal proper, this installment sees Milhouse solid because the titular hero’s sidekick, Fallout Boy, with Bart as soon as once more turning into jealous of his buddy after lacking out on the function. It is stuffed with memorable moments, from Luann Vanhouten’s jacuzzi go well with to Rainier Wolfcastle’s immortal “My eyes, the goggles do nothing.” Nevertheless it additionally reminds us that Milhouse is not a one-dimensional character who’s good for fun from time to time. 

His struggles along with his burgeoning stardom really feel just like the one grounding ingredient in what’s an in any other case ridiculous (and hilarious) episode. “Radioactive Man” additionally reminds us that Milhouse’s dad and mom aren’t all the time essentially the most attentive, with the aforementioned jacuzzi go well with stopping Luann from listening to her son’s issues over being solid in a Hollywood manufacturing. Moments like this additionally assist arrange what’s an all-timer of an episode within the following season.

“Radioactive Man” is nice for thus many causes, but it surely’s a high Milhouse episode for displaying us that whereas the character could be a little bit of a dweeb, he is no less than not shallow sufficient to be taken in by stardom and its trappings, even whereas everybody round him is.

Seasons 6, 7, and eight of “The Simpsons” not solely included a historic run of Milhouse episodes, however they’re additionally notable for simply how a lot abuse the character suffers all through. Season 7 sees him poking on the controls of a fighter jet in “Sideshow Bob’s Final Gleaming,” raging towards his dad and mom’ choice to place him in remedy and saying “Take that Dr. Sally Waxler” earlier than unwittingly ejecting himself into the troposphere. Season 8 noticed him overwhelmed into unconsciousness by Nelson, who’d misinterpreted a romantic notice from Lisa, resulting in that basic, “He cannot hear you now, we needed to pack his ears with gauze,” second. 

However there is not any episode that has fairly as a lot enjoyable completely roasting Milhouse as “Summer season of 4ft 2.” Although that is actually a Lisa episode, the season 7 installment can also be filled with basic jokes at Milhouse’s expense, starting along with his, “Which sort of sprinkler do you want?” run that prompts Bart to implore his buddy to “attempt to have some dignity.” However such a factor eludes Milhouse for the remainder of the episode, because the writers merely refused to let up on the poor man.

After the household holidays in Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport (America’s scrod basket), Bart fails to wow Lisa’s new pals, main Milhouse to ask, “Are we down with ’em?” just for Bart to curtly reply with, “No, they have to’ve seen you!” Later, when the household performs a board sport and Bart pulls the “dud” card, Homer does not maintain again in mocking Milhouse for trying precisely just like the poor sap on the cardboard: “Hey, he appears to be like identical to you, Poindexter!” The child is so missed, that he is even proven hiding behind a cereal field in the course of breakfast, solely revealing himself when he hears information of a carnival — at which he is coated in spit from each Bart and Lisa as they attempt to commerce loogies on the carousel. It may not be a Milhouse episode in the obvious sense, however “Summer season of 4 ft. 2” is among the character’s most hilariously tragic moments.

An all-time nice “Simpsons” episode, “Bart Sells His Soul” can also be notable for giving Milhouse the higher hand for as soon as. Whereas season 7 would finish with all-out Milhouse ridicule in “Summer season of 4ft. 2,” it really began off with the character getting one up on his finest buddy, demonstrating a contact of nous that beforehand hadn’t been all that evident.

For one, Milhouse convinces Bart to promote his soul (a bit of paper with “Bart Simpson’s Soul” written on it) for 5 bucks, solely to then demand 50 bucks when his buddy desires it again. The maniacal snigger Milhouse lets out in that exact second is really unhinged and an instance of Pamela Hayden’s distinctive capacity to shock in her efficiency, even with a personality she had, at this level, performed for seven years.

Although the episode is undeniably Bart-focused, Milhouse’s scenes are a number of the finest and provides us a glimpse of the character’s crafty — a trait that would simply have appeared unsuitable for a personality that’s regularly the butt of the joke, however which someway appears to work as a propellant for a sort of “Milhouse will get his personal again” story.

“A Milhouse Divided” combines a number of the sequence’ finest jokes with a grounded storyline that’s each hilarious and stuffed with coronary heart. It additionally occurs to be the perfect Milhouse episode.

Marge and Homer’s elegant cocktail social gathering is rapidly ruined by the palpable rigidity between Kirk and Luann VanHouten, who find yourself separating on account of their barely hid resentment towards each other. This bickering between husband and spouse (which comes throughout as just a little too real looking) is contrasted towards charming scenes of Milhouse simply being a child as he performs with the opposite youngsters upstairs, fully unaware that his household is fracturing. Slightly than being the butt of the joke, this time round you really really feel unhealthy for Milhouse, who has clearly been the unwitting sufferer of his dad and mom’ squabbling for a while. As such, for all its good gags, the episode begins out on fairly a tragic notice, which resonates all through the rest of the runtime.

Because the episode goes on, we get such legendary traces as “I sleep in a giant mattress with my spouse,” “That is Jerry, he is a serious participant down on the stitching retailer,” and “I do not recall saying ‘Good luck’.” Then, after all, there’s Kirk’s basic “Can I Borrow a Feeling” cassette tape that Homer relentlessly mocks. However in between all of it is Milhouse, who this time round escapes such relentless mockery and is given an opportunity to simply be a susceptible child who struggles along with his dad and mom’ divorce. It is that basic mixture of humor and coronary heart as soon as once more, reminding us that, as Kirk sings, “Hurtin’ hearts want some healin’,” and making us all wish to take Milhouse’s hand with our “glove of affection.”