← Season 23
THE SIMPSONS · SEASON 23 · EPISODE 17

The Simpsons S23E17 Them, Robot

★ 8.2 · GREAT Mar 18, 2012 30 MIN FOX
Still from The Simpsons S23E17: Them, Robot

The episode in brief

Mr. Burns replaces all of Springfield Power Plant's employees with robots but decides to keep Homer as the sole human worker. With unemployment at an all-time high and mechanical arms operating the workplace, Springfield becomes a dismal and humorless place. But when Homer's machine-programmed peers start to turn on the community and his former real-life employees come to the rescue, they all realize that robots can't replace human friends.

FAN DESK VERDICT A top-shelf entry. Not quite canon, but you’ll be quoting it all week — the fan desk says don’t skip.

Who’s in it

SERIES REGULARS

Where it sits in the season

TAP A BAR TO JUMP

Where to watch S23E17

US · NOVEMBER 2026
AVAILABILITY IS FOR THE SHOW; NOT EVERY SERVICE CARRIES EVERY EPISODE · LINKS MAY EARN US POPCORN MONEY
8.2
THE FAN VERDICT
Keeper. Goes straight in the rewatch rotation.

Posts & guides about The Simpsons

GUIDE Oct 29, 2026
The Best Halloween Episodes of TV's Greatest Families
→

S23E17 FAQ

When did The Simpsons S23E17 air?

The Simpsons S23E17 (“Them, Robot”) first aired on March 18, 2012.

Where can I watch The Simpsons S23E17?

In the US, The Simpsons season 23 — including this episode — is available on FX, Hulu, Disney+, fuboTV, DirecTV On Demand, Spectrum On Demand, YouTube TV, FOX One Amazon Channel, Hulu on Disney+, Amazon, Fandango at Home, and AppleTV.

Is The Simpsons S23E17 a good episode?

Fans rate The Simpsons S23E17 (“Them, Robot”) 8.2/10, which puts it in the great tier for The Simpsons.