The Simpsons (season 25)

The twenty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons began airing on Fox on September 29, 2013, and ended on May 18, 2014.

The Simpsons
Season 25
Digital purchase image featuring Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	Fox
Original release	September 29, 2013 (2013-09-29) – May 18, 2014 (2014-05-18)
Season chronology
← Previous Season 24 Next → Season 26
List of episodes

In this season, Homer sells his Mapple stock to buy a bowling ball; Marge blames herself and Kiss for Bart's rebellious streak ("Four Regrettings and a Funeral"); Lisa becomes a cheerleader for Springfield's football team; and Homer delivers a baby ("Labor Pains"). Guest stars for this season include Judd Apatow, Will Arnett, Anderson Cooper, Harlan Ellison, Zach Galifianakis, Stan Lee, Eva Longoria, Rachel Maddow, Elisabeth Moss, Joe Namath, Daniel Radcliffe, Aaron Sorkin, Max von Sydow, Kristen Wiig, and Kelsey Grammer. This is Al Jean's 13th consecutive season as showrunner and 15th overall. Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Matt Selman, and John Frink serve as executive producers.^[1] Executive producer Al Jean stated that Edna Krabappel was retired from the show following the death of Marcia Wallace on October 25, 2013.^[2]

No episodes aired in February due to Fox airing the Super Bowl XLVIII, the 2014 Winter Olympics, the 2014 Daytona 500 and the 86th Academy Awards.^[3]

This season of The Simpsons won three Primetime Emmy Awards out of four nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Character Voice-Over Performance to Harry Shearer, who was the last member of the main cast to earn the award.^[4]

Episodes

See also: List of The Simpsons episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
531	1	"Homerland"	Bob Anderson	Stephanie Gillis	September 29, 2013 (2013-09-29)	RABF20	6.37^[6]
An FBI agent helps Lisa solve the mystery of why Homer's personality has changed after attending a nuclear plant convention. Guest star: Kevin Michael Richardson and Kristen Wiig^[5]
532	2	"Treehouse of Horror XXIV"	Rob Oliver	Jeff Westbrook	October 6, 2013 (2013-10-06)	RABF16	6.42^[7]
The twenty-fourth annual Simpsons Halloween episode features an opening directed by Guillermo del Toro and the following segments: "Oh, the Places You'll D'oh!": In this twisted parody of Dr. Seuss' children's books, Homer abducts Bart, Lisa, and Maggie and rides around Springfield wreaking havoc as "The Fat in the Hat". "Dead and Shoulders": In this parody of The Thing with Two Heads, after Bart is decapitated during a kite accident, his head is attached to Lisa's body and the two must live together as one -- until Bart discovers that he can fully function whenever Lisa is asleep, and sets out to incapacitate her so he can have her body. "Freaks, No Geeks": In this parody to the 1932 horror film, Freaks, Homer and Marge are circus performers (a strong man and a trapeze artist respectively) with Burnsum and Bailey, and Homer has a plan to marry Marge off to a circus freak (Moe) so he can rob him of an emerald ring.
533	3	"Four Regrettings and a Funeral"	Mark Kirkland	Marc Wilmore	November 3, 2013 (2013-11-03)	RABF18	5.43^[9]
At the funeral of a beloved Springfielder, four residents remember events in their lives they would like to do over. Homer regrets selling his stock in Apple to buy a bowling ball. Marge blames her taste in music for Bart's rebelliousness. Mr. Burns remembers his relationship with a Parisienne. Kent Brockman regrets not taking a job as a cable news anchor. Guest star: Rachel Maddow and Joe Namath^[8]
534	4	"YOLO"	Michael Polcino	Michael Nobori	November 10, 2013 (2013-11-10)	RABF22	4.20^[11]
Marge invites an old pen pal to stay with Homer and cross items off his "to-do" list from when he was 10 years old, so that Homer can embrace his "You-Only-Live-Once" spirit. Meanwhile, Lisa starts an honor code for the school to combat cheating. Guest star: Jon Lovitz as Llewellyn Sinclair^[10]
535	5	"Labor Pains"	Matthew Faughnan	Don Payne & Mitchell H. Glazer	November 17, 2013 (2013-11-17)	RABF19	4.08^[13]
After a night of playing poker with Moe, Lenny, and Carl, Homer finds himself in an elevator with a young mother named Gretchen, who is in labor and needs someone to help her keep calm. Meanwhile, Lisa helps the local football cheerleading team unionize and negotiate for better wages and working conditions. Guest star: Elisabeth Moss as Gretchen^[12]
536	6	"The Kid Is All Right"	Mark Kirkland	Tim Long	November 24, 2013 (2013-11-24)	SABF02	6.78^[15]
Lisa makes friends with a new girl in school, who turns out to be a conservative Republican (a George W. Bush one rather than an Abraham Lincoln or Ronald Reagan one) with connections to Springfield's Republican party. Guest star: Anderson Cooper as himself, Maurice LaMarche, and Eva Longoria as Isabel Guiterrez^[14]
537	7	"Yellow Subterfuge"	Bob Anderson	Joel H. Cohen	December 8, 2013 (2013-12-08)	SABF04	6.85^[16]
When Principal Skinner promises that the most well-behaved at Springfield Elementary will get to ride in a submarine, Bart does everything possible to become a model student. Meanwhile, Krusty, on Lisa's advice, sells the foreign rights to his show in order to rake in more money, but the international Krustys soon become more popular than the domestic ones. Guest star: Kevin Michael Richardson
538	8	"White Christmas Blues"	Steven Dean Moore	Don Payne	December 15, 2013 (2013-12-15)	SABF01	8.48^[17]
Springfield becomes a tourist hotspot after an accident involving the nuclear plant and the Springfield tire fire causes snow to fall for the first time in a while -- and when Springfield's stores raise their prices, Marge turns their house into a bed and breakfast for the out-of-towners.
539	9	"Steal This Episode"	Matthew Nastuk	J. Stewart Burns	January 5, 2014 (2014-01-05)	SABF05	12.04^[19]
To combat the poor quality of today's movie theaters, Homer and Bart begin to illegally download movies and exhibit them in a makeshift theater in the backyard, but Homer ends up arrested when Marge sends the FBI a check and an apology note. Guest star: Judd Apatow, Will Arnett, Rob Halford, Leslie Mann, Kevin Michael Richardson, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd and Channing Tatum^[18]
540	10	"Married to the Blob"	Chris Clements	Tim Long	January 12, 2014 (2014-01-12)	SABF03	4.83^[20]
The Comic Book Guy falls for a Japanese manga artist, but Homer's advice and the woman's father may ruin his chances at true love. Guest star: Harlan Ellison, Maurice LaMarche and Stan Lee
541	11	"Specs and the City"	Lance Kramer	Brian Kelley	January 26, 2014 (2014-01-26)	SABF06	3.87^[21]
Mr. Burns gives his workers Google Glass-style computer glasses so he can spy on them, but Homer gives the glasses to Marge, and discovers that Marge has been going to therapy to discuss her life. Meanwhile, Nelson bullies Bart into giving him the best Valentine's Day gift ever. Guest star: Maurice LaMarche and Will Lyman
542	12	"Diggs"	Michael Polcino	Dan Greaney & Allen Glazier	March 9, 2014 (2014-03-09)	SABF08	2.69^[22]
Bart makes friends with a transfer student named Diggs, an expert in falconry who saves Bart from the wrath of the Springfield Elementary bullies – and who intends to take to the sky himself, which makes Bart worry about Diggs' sanity. Guest star: Daniel Radcliffe
543	13	"The Man Who Grew Too Much"	Matthew Schofield	Jeff Westbrook	March 9, 2014 (2014-03-09)	SABF07	3.75^[22]
Lisa discovers that Sideshow Bob has become the chief scientist of a massive chemical engineering company, but the two of them bond over their appreciation for high-culture. Meanwhile, Marge ends up a church volunteer to help horny teenagers become abstinent. Guest star: Kelsey Grammer
544	14	"The Winter of His Content"	Chuck Sheetz	Kevin Curran	March 16, 2014 (2014-03-16)	SABF09	4.02^[23]
When the Retirement Castle is closed for health violations, Marge invites Grampa and two other old people to live at the Simpsons' house, only to get frustrated with Homer embracing the "old person lifestyle". Meanwhile, Bart defends Nelson's decision to wear his mother's underwear, and ends up part of a bully gathering a la The Warriors. Guest star: Kevin Michael Richardson
545	15	"The War of Art"	Steven Dean Moore	Rob LaZebnik	March 23, 2014 (2014-03-23)	SABF10	3.98^[24]
Marge buys a painting at a yard sale. She decides to auction it off when it appears to be valuable. Guest star: Max von Sydow
546	16	"You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee"	Mark Kirkland	Michael Price	March 30, 2014 (2014-03-30)	SABF11	3.91^[25]
At the school assembly, Principal Skinner presents a skit about living history. The kids begin heckling them and the assembly devolves into a disaster. Chalmers suggests holding a speech contest on the students' heroes. After Martin beats her to the punch using her first idea, Marie Curie, Lisa changes her speech to one on Homer. Lisa wins over the crowd and both kids' speeches are posted online. Lisa's goes viral, so much so that Homer is called to referee games in the World Cup in Brazil. Guest star: Andrés Cantor
547	17	"Luca$"	Chris Clements	Carolyn Omine	April 6, 2014 (2014-04-06)	SABF12	4.30^[26]
Back at school, Lisa sees a boy choking on pizza. She performs the Heimlich maneuver on him, reveals his name is Lucas Bortner and he's a competitive eater. She doesn't think that competitive eating is for him, and suddenly gets a crush on him. She then thinks about changing him. Meanwhile, Snake, grateful for Bart's actions, steals a PlayStadium 4 and leaves it in Bart's room. Guest star: Zach Galifianakis
548	18	"Days of Future Future"	Bob Anderson	J. Stewart Burns	April 13, 2014 (2014-04-13)	SABF13	3.64^[27]
A sequel to "Future-Drama" and a continuation of "Holidays of Future Passed," set 30 years from now. In this futuristic installment, Bart goes to a clinic to rid himself of his feelings for his ex-wife Jenda (who is now dating a xenomorph-esque alien named Jerry), Lisa must choose whether or not to cure her zombie husband Milhouse after he gets bitten by a homeless zombie. While Marge, after putting up with years of Homer dying and being cloned back to life by Professor Frink, loads Homer onto a flatscreen monitor and throws him out of the house. Guest star: Amy Poehler
549	19	"What to Expect When Bart's Expecting"	Matthew Nastuk	John Frink	April 27, 2014 (2014-04-27)	SABF14	3.45^[28]
Bart makes a voodoo doll of his hippie art teacher when he gets sick of art class and cast a spell to make her sick, but when he inadvertently gets her pregnant, he becomes a savior to Springfield couples trying to conceive - and is subsequently kidnapped to help conceive a thoroughbred race horse. Guest star: Tavi Gevinson and Joe Mantegna
550	20	"Brick Like Me"	Matthew Nastuk	Brian Kelley	May 4, 2014 (2014-05-04)	RABF21	4.39^[29]
Homer wakes up to a world made out of LEGO bricks and grows to like this new world, where everything fits in and no one gets hurt — until he begins seeing flashes of a previous life and, with help from The Comic Book Guy, discovers how he ended up in the LEGO world.
551	21	"Pay Pal"	Michael Polcino	David H. Steinberg	May 11, 2014 (2014-05-11)	SABF15	3.66^[30]
When Homer accidentally reveals the answer to a game that was set up to be a mystery, his neighbors kick him out, which gets Marge to swear off befriending any more couples. Lisa declares she doesn't need friends, so Marge pays a girl to be her friend. When Lisa finds out thanks to Bart's spying, she gets really angry with Marge, to the point of not forgiving her with a cake. Guest star: Carl Kasell, John Oliver and Peter Sagal
552	22	"The Yellow Badge of Cowardge"	Timothy Bailey	Billy Kimball & Ian Maxtone-Graham	May 18, 2014 (2014-05-18)	SABF18	3.28^[31]
Bart is plagued with guilt when he wins the annual "last day of school" race around Springfield Elementary, with an assist from Nelson, who beats up frontrunner Milhouse. Meanwhile, Homer tries to bring back the annual 4th of July fireworks display after it is canceled for budget reasons. Guest star: Glenn Close and Edwin Moses

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Bibliography

• Turner, Chris (2005). Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation. Foreword by Douglas Coupland. (1st ed.). Toronto: Random House Canada. ISBN 978-0-679-31318-2. OCLC 55682258.