10 Funniest 'The Simpsons' Episode Endings, Ranked

They say that timing is key to a good joke. The Simpsons certainly knows that, but there is a different element of timing that can be just as important to the structure and execution of a gag: the part of the episode in which this moment takes place. Is it at the beginning, the middle, or the end? Is it in a montage, is it in the background of a normal scene? All these factors make a difference, as the best endings in the series demonstrate. In the season six finale "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)," for instance, ending the episode on a cliffhanger leaves the viewers in suspense until the next season.