edit: 9 and 10 especially, starts to decline by 11-12 but still there, then while still somewhat generic turns into more good hearted family humor for the most part again. ( it's weird how seasons 9-12 feel almost like they are trying to ape family guy's cruelty a little, but then you check the dates and family guy hadn't started yet)
I'd argue there's some good stuff in 9-10 or so, but yeah, the show definitely started to decline during that time. The next five seasons after that are probably the worst it's ever been.
I think the show got genuinely strong (if uneven) again around season 22 or so, with some episodes in the last four seasons or so that can actually stand up in quality to those in the golden age. Not sure how much new writer Megan Amram (from The Good Place) is contributing, but man, some good stuff has come after she joined.
Of course the secret to enjoying modern Simpsons is not to expect it to be like the golden age. It's quality material, but in a somewhat different way.
Flanders kicking his son out of his home seemed really mean spirited, even if it was to try to teach him a lesson.
On the subject of newer Simpson episodes that are good, it's a couple of years old now but The Book Heist is one of the best episodes the series has done. Works really well, and the celebrity cameo actually adds to the story.
Flanders kicking his son out of his home seemed really mean spirited, even if it was to try to teach him a lesson.
Definitely agree that Flanders was uncomfortably harsh for the episode. The basic plot and structure was fine (and bold -- Rod lost his faith in God due to being sad/angry at his mom's death), but Flanders' reaction needed some major tweaking. Or at least confronting how badly he acted toward his son. Liked the take on the various Christian hymns, though.
Ok binging Simpsons starts to bring a weird 'problem' once you get into season 20+
I am constantly pausing to check that I'm still in the season/episode I should be, because the opening few minutes will be a straight up duplication of a previous episodes plot, that then resolves in a new way, but until you spot the divergence you think something messed up and it sent you back episodes.
I think Nelson/Lisa romance plots are currently the frontrunner, Bart meets a new girl, in close second.
Ok binging Simpsons starts to bring a weird 'problem' once you get into season 20+
I am constantly pausing to check that I'm still in the season/episode I should be, because the opening few minutes will be a straight up duplication of a previous episodes plot, that then resolves in a new way, but until you spot the divergence you think something messed up and it sent you back episodes.
I think Nelson/Lisa romance plots are currently the frontrunner, Bart meets a new girl, in close second.
Marge and Homer's ever changing meeting/courtship has gotta be number 1.
Yeah, after 30+ years the continuity is getting about as contradictory and retconned as your average long-running superhero.
Which is a shame because the retcons are generally undermining the best episodes of the series that to this day keep this rotting corpse afloat. Look at what they did to Homer's mom.
Yeah, after 30+ years the continuity is getting about as contradictory and retconned as your average long-running superhero.
Can I find it ironic that Fox nurtured Bart and the Simpsons because they wanted a franchise like Mickey Mouse only for the House of Mouse to gobble them up?
All opinions are my own and in no way reflect that of my employer.
Yeah, after 30+ years the continuity is getting about as contradictory and retconned as your average long-running superhero.
Can I find it ironic that Fox nurtured Bart and the Simpsons because they wanted a franchise like Mickey Mouse only for the House of Mouse to gobble them up?
Yes it seems the cat was caught by the very company trying to absorb them
I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
Yeah, after 30+ years the continuity is getting about as contradictory and retconned as your average long-running superhero.
Which is a shame because the retcons are generally undermining the best episodes of the series that to this day keep this rotting corpse afloat. Look at what they did to Homer's mom.
...or, y'know, those older episodes still exist and you can still enjoy them.
I mean, the new Iron Man movies haven't erased the old Iron Man comics where his origin was tied to Vietnam from existence.
Yeah, after 30+ years the continuity is getting about as contradictory and retconned as your average long-running superhero.
Which is a shame because the retcons are generally undermining the best episodes of the series that to this day keep this rotting corpse afloat. Look at what they did to Homer's mom.
...or, y'know, those older episodes still exist and you can still enjoy them.
I mean, the new Iron Man movies haven't erased the old Iron Man comics where his origin was tied to Vietnam from existence.
Iron Man comics and Iron Man movies exist in completely different mediums. Yes you can rewatch the old episodes and enjoy them, it doesn't make it any less sad that the new episodes exist by trading on that nostalgia and simultaneously adding to that lore in a negative way instead of coming up with original themes to tackle. It's easy to watch Homer's mom in a vacuum and enjoy it for the quality episode it is, but it's still bad that later episodes turned her into a bit of a deadbeat mum who handwaves her actions with wrap up sad monologues in letter form.
Yeah, after 30+ years the continuity is getting about as contradictory and retconned as your average long-running superhero.
Which is a shame because the retcons are generally undermining the best episodes of the series that to this day keep this rotting corpse afloat. Look at what they did to Homer's mom.
...or, y'know, those older episodes still exist and you can still enjoy them.
I mean, the new Iron Man movies haven't erased the old Iron Man comics where his origin was tied to Vietnam from existence.
Iron Man comics and Iron Man movies exist in completely different mediums. Yes you can rewatch the old episodes and enjoy them, it doesn't make it any less sad that the new episodes exist by trading on that nostalgia and simultaneously adding to that lore in a negative way instead of coming up with original themes to tackle. It's easy to watch Homer's mom in a vacuum and enjoy it for the quality episode it is, but it's still bad that later episodes turned her into a bit of a deadbeat mum who handwaves her actions with wrap up sad monologues in letter form.
Which, again, doesn't prevent you from cheerfully ignoring the new stuff and sticking with the old stuff, if the new stuff bugs you that much. No one's forcing you to watch it.
And when it comes to the new episodes, the only ones "trading in on nostalgia" are the people who constantly compare them to episodes from 20+ years ago.
It is kind of weird that we have been complaining about the Simpsons for over 20 years.
I am not the only one that thinks that right? Like I registered in 2007 and the thread(in its previous incarnations) was talking about the exact same thing back then.
Its the one constant about these threads.
The sky was full of stars, every star an exploding ship. One of ours.
It is kind of weird that we have been complaining about the Simpsons for over 20 years.
I am not the only one that thinks that right? Like I registered in 2007 and the thread(in its previous incarnations) was talking about the exact same thing back then.
Its the one constant about these threads.
It's sucked for a very long time. It's a difficult one because those good seasons were SO good and the cultural saturation was everywhere (I remember picking up a pirated Bart Simpson T-Shirt in spain, and you had music albums and everything), people are so fond of those episodes that they still want it to be good, but it's controlled by lazy people. I don't think people enjoy it being shit just for the sake of being able to criticize, they just want that quality to come back.
Like the recent Thanksgiving horror episode was actually the best "halloween" episode in...20 years? There was a point where they stopped being horror and started just doing lazy Wayans-style parodies instead while offering nothing new. The Thanksgiving one wasn't BETTER than those older ones ("Dad, you shot zombie Flanders!", "He was a zombie?"), but it was original and actually good. I think you just need to look at the most recent episode with Flanders being a dick to his son to see that the heart of the series died a long time ago.
It is kind of weird that we have been complaining about the Simpsons for over 20 years.
I am not the only one that thinks that right? Like I registered in 2007 and the thread(in its previous incarnations) was talking about the exact same thing back then.
Its the one constant about these threads.
It's sucked for a very long time. It's a difficult one because those good seasons were SO good and the cultural saturation was everywhere (I remember picking up a pirated Bart Simpson T-Shirt in spain, and you had music albums and everything), people are so fond of those episodes that they still want it to be good, but it's controlled by lazy people. I don't think people enjoy it being shit just for the sake of being able to criticize, they just want that quality to come back.
Like the recent Thanksgiving horror episode was actually the best "halloween" episode in...20 years? There was a point where they stopped being horror and started just doing lazy Wayans-style parodies instead while offering nothing new. The Thanksgiving one wasn't BETTER than those older ones ("Dad, you shot zombie Flanders!", "He was a zombie?"), but it was original and actually good. I think you just need to look at the most recent episode with Flanders being a dick to his son to see that the heart of the series died a long time ago.
...or that was a random bad episode, which happens to the best of series. (The rightly-hated "fake Skinner" episode was bizarrely bad compared to the rest of the season, which was pretty decent.)
Like I said, the best way to enjoy modern Simpsons is to stop constantly comparing it to the golden age and judge individual episodes on their own merits.
Principal and the Pauper is genius level commentary on the nature of the show. The whole point was it will never matter again like dozens of other plots the show's had . The status quo is restored and thats all that matters
I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
It is kind of weird that we have been complaining about the Simpsons for over 20 years.
I am not the only one that thinks that right? Like I registered in 2007 and the thread(in its previous incarnations) was talking about the exact same thing back then.
Its the one constant about these threads.
I thought I felt old when I realized that there were people of voting age who had never known a world without The Simpsons.
And now I realize there are people of voting age who have never known a world with complaints that The Simpsons aren't as good as they used to be...
If you'll excuse me, I'll be over here slowly turning into dust and blowing away on a slight breeze.
Principal and the Pauper is genius level commentary on the nature of the show. The whole point was it will never matter again like dozens of other plots the show's had . The status quo is restored and thats all that matters
...you realize that, by your logic, the vast majority of plots in the golden age also don't matter, right? The events in them never come up again.
Though I'll give you a small amount of credit for not shoehorning an Al Jean slam in there.
Principal and the Pauper is genius level commentary on the nature of the show. The whole point was it will never matter again like dozens of other plots the show's had . The status quo is restored and thats all that matters
...you realize that, by your logic, the vast majority of plots in the golden age also don't matter, right? The events in them never come up again.
Though I'll give you a small amount of credit for not shoehorning an Al Jean slam in there.
I've never argued otherwise. Saying garbage like the Kamp Krusty sequel lessens Kamp Krusty has nothing to do with if the characters acknowledge those events
Also please stop with the Al Jean snipes. Its veering real close to personal attacks and I dont appreciate it
I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
Principal and the Pauper is genius level commentary on the nature of the show. The whole point was it will never matter again like dozens of other plots the show's had . The status quo is restored and thats all that matters
...you realize that, by your logic, the vast majority of plots in the golden age also don't matter, right? The events in them never come up again.
Though I'll give you a small amount of credit for not shoehorning an Al Jean slam in there.
I've never argued otherwise. Saying garbage like the Kamp Krusty sequel lessens Kamp Krusty has nothing to do with if the characters acknowledge those events
Also please stop with the Al Jean snipes. Its veering real close to personal attacks and I dont appreciate it
Wait... I thought your complaint was that it’s bad when episodes just return to the status quo? I have no idea what we’re arguing about anymore.
But yes, I’m glad we both agree that we should stop with sniping at Al Jean, since random personal attacks on him aren’t productive. (When Al Jean actually does something, he’s fair game of course.)
Principal and the pauper is great because even though the plot is outlandish as hell, the characters themselves still react to it as we would expect them to. I never understood the hate it got...
It's weird when you get to 22 short films about Springfield, and you see an uneditted Steamed Hams. Your brain won't accept that some sort of edit isn't about to happen
It's weird when you get to 22 short films about Springfield, and you see an uneditted Steamed Hams. Your brain won't accept that some sort of edit isn't about to happen
Posts
edit: 9 and 10 especially, starts to decline by 11-12 but still there, then while still somewhat generic turns into more good hearted family humor for the most part again. ( it's weird how seasons 9-12 feel almost like they are trying to ape family guy's cruelty a little, but then you check the dates and family guy hadn't started yet)
I think the show got genuinely strong (if uneven) again around season 22 or so, with some episodes in the last four seasons or so that can actually stand up in quality to those in the golden age. Not sure how much new writer Megan Amram (from The Good Place) is contributing, but man, some good stuff has come after she joined.
Of course the secret to enjoying modern Simpsons is not to expect it to be like the golden age. It's quality material, but in a somewhat different way.
Flanders kicking his son out of his home seemed really mean spirited, even if it was to try to teach him a lesson.
On the subject of newer Simpson episodes that are good, it's a couple of years old now but The Book Heist is one of the best episodes the series has done. Works really well, and the celebrity cameo actually adds to the story.
Definitely agree that Flanders was uncomfortably harsh for the episode. The basic plot and structure was fine (and bold -- Rod lost his faith in God due to being sad/angry at his mom's death), but Flanders' reaction needed some major tweaking. Or at least confronting how badly he acted toward his son. Liked the take on the various Christian hymns, though.
I am constantly pausing to check that I'm still in the season/episode I should be, because the opening few minutes will be a straight up duplication of a previous episodes plot, that then resolves in a new way, but until you spot the divergence you think something messed up and it sent you back episodes.
I think Nelson/Lisa romance plots are currently the frontrunner, Bart meets a new girl, in close second.
Marge and Homer's ever changing meeting/courtship has gotta be number 1.
Law and Order ≠ Justice
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Which is a shame because the retcons are generally undermining the best episodes of the series that to this day keep this rotting corpse afloat. Look at what they did to Homer's mom.
Ya if you grew up with Simpson's (I think I was 7-8 for s1), it's weird to realize your pov character used to be the kids and now it's the adults
Bart is technically a year older than me and its off putting
Can I find it ironic that Fox nurtured Bart and the Simpsons because they wanted a franchise like Mickey Mouse only for the House of Mouse to gobble them up?
Yes it seems the cat was caught by the very company trying to absorb them
...or, y'know, those older episodes still exist and you can still enjoy them.
I mean, the new Iron Man movies haven't erased the old Iron Man comics where his origin was tied to Vietnam from existence.
Iron Man comics and Iron Man movies exist in completely different mediums. Yes you can rewatch the old episodes and enjoy them, it doesn't make it any less sad that the new episodes exist by trading on that nostalgia and simultaneously adding to that lore in a negative way instead of coming up with original themes to tackle. It's easy to watch Homer's mom in a vacuum and enjoy it for the quality episode it is, but it's still bad that later episodes turned her into a bit of a deadbeat mum who handwaves her actions with wrap up sad monologues in letter form.
Which, again, doesn't prevent you from cheerfully ignoring the new stuff and sticking with the old stuff, if the new stuff bugs you that much. No one's forcing you to watch it.
And when it comes to the new episodes, the only ones "trading in on nostalgia" are the people who constantly compare them to episodes from 20+ years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKgxFFufeRA
I am not the only one that thinks that right? Like I registered in 2007 and the thread(in its previous incarnations) was talking about the exact same thing back then.
Its the one constant about these threads.
Brooks won’t do it, I think.
It's sucked for a very long time. It's a difficult one because those good seasons were SO good and the cultural saturation was everywhere (I remember picking up a pirated Bart Simpson T-Shirt in spain, and you had music albums and everything), people are so fond of those episodes that they still want it to be good, but it's controlled by lazy people. I don't think people enjoy it being shit just for the sake of being able to criticize, they just want that quality to come back.
Like the recent Thanksgiving horror episode was actually the best "halloween" episode in...20 years? There was a point where they stopped being horror and started just doing lazy Wayans-style parodies instead while offering nothing new. The Thanksgiving one wasn't BETTER than those older ones ("Dad, you shot zombie Flanders!", "He was a zombie?"), but it was original and actually good. I think you just need to look at the most recent episode with Flanders being a dick to his son to see that the heart of the series died a long time ago.
...or that was a random bad episode, which happens to the best of series. (The rightly-hated "fake Skinner" episode was bizarrely bad compared to the rest of the season, which was pretty decent.)
Like I said, the best way to enjoy modern Simpsons is to stop constantly comparing it to the golden age and judge individual episodes on their own merits.
I thought I felt old when I realized that there were people of voting age who had never known a world without The Simpsons.
And now I realize there are people of voting age who have never known a world with complaints that The Simpsons aren't as good as they used to be...
If you'll excuse me, I'll be over here slowly turning into dust and blowing away on a slight breeze.
...you realize that, by your logic, the vast majority of plots in the golden age also don't matter, right? The events in them never come up again.
Though I'll give you a small amount of credit for not shoehorning an Al Jean slam in there.
I've never argued otherwise. Saying garbage like the Kamp Krusty sequel lessens Kamp Krusty has nothing to do with if the characters acknowledge those events
Also please stop with the Al Jean snipes. Its veering real close to personal attacks and I dont appreciate it
Wait... I thought your complaint was that it’s bad when episodes just return to the status quo? I have no idea what we’re arguing about anymore.
But yes, I’m glad we both agree that we should stop with sniping at Al Jean, since random personal attacks on him aren’t productive. (When Al Jean actually does something, he’s fair game of course.)
https://youtu.be/WTNu4nO2dZM
Also the replacement Martin voice... people match voices all the time, why couldn't they get someone who sounded the same?
Also Luvitz has like 6 characters bring back the director or the Greek power plant owner from Shelbyville