Editing Last Exit to Springfield (section)

==Reception==
In its original broadcast, "Last Exit to Springfield" finished 19th in ratings for the week of March 8–14, 1993, with a [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]] of 13.7, equivalent to approximately 12.8 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.<ref>{{cite news |title='Home Improvement' nails down top spot |work=Sun-Sentinel |author=Elber, Lynn |page=3E |date=March 18, 1993}}</ref>

The episode is generally ranked as being one of the best television episodes of all time;<ref name="Jean"/> the [[BBC]] stated it is "frequently cited as the show's best-ever episode".<ref>{{cite news |title=The Simpsons: 10 classic episodes |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8449416.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=2010-01-14 |access-date=2022-01-15}}</ref> An ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' article from January 2003 looking back at the top 25 episodes of the series named the episode as the show's greatest, calling it "virtually flawless, the product of a series at the height of its creative powers -- when the satire was savage and relevant" with "the stuff of syndication legend: Burns facing down 'brilliant' labor kingpin Homer Simpson; Homer Simpson facing down his own brain (''DENTAL PLAN!/Lisa needs braces!''); [[Grampa Simpson|Grampa]] rattling on about wearing onions on his belt. ''Last Exit'' is a glorious symphony of the high and the low, of satirical shots at unions and sweet ruminations on the humiliations of adolescence (as evidenced by Lisa, who copes with a medieval mouth contraption)."<ref name="EW"/> In 2020, [[Al Jean]] acknowledged "Last Exit to Springfield" as an episode many consider a favorite.<ref name="AV">{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/al-jean-knows-which-simpsons-episodes-you-think-are-the-1842850866|title=Interview: Al Jean knows which Simpsons episodes you think are the best—and worst|work=[[The A.V. Club]] |access-date=January 15, 2022 |first=Danette|last=Chavez|date=April 15, 2020}}</ref>

In his book ''[[Planet Simpson]]'' Chris Turner names it the best episode of the series, saying "Episode 9F15 of ''The Simpsons'' should be taught in schools, in history, economics, social studies, literature ''and'' art class. It's flawless".{{sfn|Turner|2004}} He also called it "the funniest half-hour in TV history", and provided a full analysis of the episode, only criticizing the chalkboard and couch gags.{{sfn|Turner|2004}} He maintains that he chose the episode as best ever before ''Entertainment Weekly''{{'}}s list was published.{{sfn|Turner|2004}}

In 2003, to celebrate the show's 300th episode, ''[[USA Today]]'' published a top 10 chosen by the webmaster of [[The Simpsons Archive]], which had this episode in first place.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2003-02-06-fan-favorites_x.htm |title=10 fan favorites |access-date=2022-01-15 |author=Paakkinen, Jouni |date=2003-02-06 |publisher=USA Today}}</ref> The BBC website says, "This fine episode contains several of our favourite sequences&nbsp;... A classic, and the series' most marked expedition into the [[wikt:surreal|surreal]] - up to this point."<ref name="bbc"/> ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'', who listed the episode as their favorite, stated, "This is the episode that every self-respecting ''Simpsons'' geek must be able to recite verbatim."<ref>{{cite news |first=Patrick |last=Enwright |title=D'Oh! The top 10 'Simpsons' episodes ever |publisher=[[Today.com]] |date=2007-07-31 |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/doh-top-10-simpsons-episodes-ever-1C9430188 |access-date=2022-01-15}}</ref>

Michael Moran of ''[[The Times]]'' ranked the episode as the sixth-best in the show's history.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/advice/the-10-best-simpsons-episodes-ever-bwhpbrv8sbn |title=The 10 best Simpsons episodes ever |last=Moran |first=Michael |date=January 14, 2010 |work=[[The Times]] |access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> [[Screen Rant]] called it the best episode of the fourth season and the second greatest episode of ''The Simpsons'' (behind "[[Homer's Enemy]]").<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-best-episodes-ranked/|title=The Simpsons: The Best Episode In Every Season, Ranked|last=Sim|first=Bernardo|date=2019-09-22|website=Screen Rant|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-22}}</ref>

Director [[Mark Kirkland]] considers the episode to be one of the most surreal episodes that he has worked on because it has a lot of story crammed into it, many parodies and several fantasy sequences, such as Homer's ''[[Godfather Part II]]''-inspired meditation on organized crime.<ref name="Kirkland">{{cite video |people=Kirkland, Mark |date=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Last Exit to Springfield" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Al Jean has also called it one of the "craziest" episodes.<ref name="Jean"/> Homer's line "Uh...''yeah''." (with the animation and line delivery implying Homer is lying) after being asked if he found the bathroom is one of [[Jay Kogen]]'s favorite ''Simpsons'' jokes.<ref name="Kogen"/>

In ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', [[Nathan Rabin]] writes that "'Last Exit To Springfield' is a popular candidate for the single greatest episode of ''The Simpsons'', the greatest television show of all time... What makes this episode so special? What makes it the very best of the best? The answer, I think, comes down to joy. For an episode centering on emotionally charged, high-stakes labor negotiations and the horror of cut-rate dental care, 'Last Exit To Springfield' positively radiates an unlikely but pervasive sense of joy...Much of this joy is musical in nature. 'Last Exit To Springfield' is filled with both music and sequences blessed with a real sense of musicality", citing  Lisa's [[Yellow Submarine (film)|''Yellow Submarine'']]-esque hallucination and Burns's dream of running the plant without workers. He also notes the episode's social commentary: "Underneath the richly merited jabs at labor’s propensity for corruption lies a real respect for labor’s capacity for good. In its own exquisitely cynical way, 'Last Exit To Springfield' offers a surprisingly nuanced depiction of the strengths and weaknesses of organized labor."<ref>{{cite news| last=Rabin| first=Nathan| title=The Simpsons (Classic): Last Exit to Springfield| work=[[The A.V. Club]]| url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-last-exit-to-springfield-1798173982}}</ref>

In 2024, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked "Last Exit to Springfield" as the second greatest episode of television of all time.<ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/best-tv-episodes-of-all-time-1235090945/homicide-life-on-the-street-three-men-and-adena-season-1-episode-6-1235091372/</ref>