Comment by roySimpson | Hacker News Reader

Comment by roySimpson | Hacker News Reader

I often have a hard time placing the exact episode, in which The Simpsons jumped the shark, but for me, the "22 Short Films Abount Springfield" episode [0] in season 7 was the first one I distinctly remember having mixed feelings about, while watching it.

By the eighth season for sure, there was even in-show acknowledgement, that the characters were becoming over-developed and being painted into unimaginative corners by established and beloved continuity, while simultaneously being victimized by groupthink, in the Poochie episode [1]. That was probably the last "good" episode, in my humble opinion.

Also, in season 8, with the airing of the Guatemalan Insanity Pepper episode [2], I found that more episodes were frequently disappointing and unfunny, including that episode, and I tuned out.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22_Short_Films_About_Springfie...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Itchy_%26_Scratchy_%26_Poo...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Viaje_Misterioso_de_Nuestro...

I would say that you are in the minority of Simpsons fans if you dislike "22 Short Films About Springfield" and especially "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer" which is frequently on top 10 episodes lists.

If you often find yourself in conversations about "best simpsons vs downfall" you owe it to yourself to check out The Dead Homer's Society manifesto[0]. One of the author's greatest articles is on what he calls "zombie simpsons"[1].

Ultimately the discussion comes down to taste but Dead Homer's produces a very convincing argument behind his opinion.

[0] http://deadhomersociety.com/manifesto/

[1] http://deadhomersociety.com/zombiesimpsons/

It's interesting how different people draw the line in different places.

I think Behind the Laugher is the last truly good episode. That's a deeply unusual format, of course. I'd count Homer Simpson vs. the City of New York as the last truly good normal episode. I mark the decline as the beginning of season 9. I think season 8 holds up as well as any. I think I've seen others draw the line as late as season 13ish, and as early as around season 4.

Season 8 was fine. The last good episode was definitely the NY one and even then that was very iffy. The Armin Tamzarian episode was what did it. Everyone at school was talking about how it made no sense and I agreed. Although, I saw the episode recently and it's still much better than anything since.. And not as bad as I remember it.

It's funny, I also draw the line at season 9, but think of the decline as starting with the New York episode. I remember watching the premier (the New York episode) and feeling very disappointed, and asking people afterwards if they felt the writing had changed. Of course, season 9 is still better than a lot of the stuff that came later.

There was an episode where the Simpsons held a wedding in their back yard, and an elephant was involved. That was the day they died.

I still watch every episode multiple times, but Im just chasing the dragon.

For me it started to decline in season 9ish, but I did enjoy lots of episodes from seasons 9-12, some of the 13 might be good. But after that I started to actually count with the fingers of one hand the episodes I liked from the current season.

By season 15 I was pretty much no longer a fan. I only got to see a few from 16 and pretty much stopped there.

I actually still see once in a while the old episodes and it's fascinating to see how many layers of pop culture, puns and obscure references to the arts and other refined subjects were able to put in a episode, all while keeping the stupid-funny-haha kind of jokes (like Homer's stupidity).

Also, I found incredible how they could have such funny and "offensive" (By the standards of the time) episodes and also such moving ones, like when Homer meets his mom again... the ending on that one is just pure feelings.

I really am sorry how the simpsons kept going just for the sake of it. They lost the show's soul at least a decade or more ago. They should have euthanized the show a long time ago.. :(

First, that 22 films episode is considered one of the best of the series. Second, just last Sunday they had a "good" episode, depending on your intended meaning of the word "good". I mean just ordinary "good".

Also, the turning point in the series is often thought to be when Homer was raped by a Panda bear. For years it was pure rubbish after that.

I've read that the show took a hit in quality when Groening took some of the shows better writers over to Futurama.

It probably wasn't the first bad episode, but I remember really disliking the one that starts off with Bart getting chased by a dog ("The Lastest Gun in the West").

Interesting theory. The timing certainly fits.

Well they progressively stopped being provocative and became politically correct. The kind of show you dont mind your kids watching. On top of unfunny episodes this is where it went down.

In 1990, a cartoon character who says "eat my shorts" was provocative. In 2010, after Ren & Stimpy and South Park and the rest, a cartoon character who says "eat my shorts" was humdrum.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com