Poor Simpson episodes

[Guest jm29195]

I've recently been buying the season dvds of the Simpsons and reckon all of the older ones so far have been pretty much spot on quality-wise, I was wondering when do people generally think the Simpsons started to go downhill and specifically which episodes are good examples of this....

[the max 0]

Season 9 was the season that the show started losing it for me. Some pretty subpar episodes mixed with funny ones that had me finding other things to do on Sunday nights.

 

Seasons 3-8 are my favorites.

[Boner Kawanger 0]

Most episodes the past few years have really been lacking in quality, but I just wanted to chime in and say that the other two future episodes (one from two or three weeks ago) have been so horrible and demoralizing that I really don't see how they made it to the air.

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

I think seasons 3-8 are considered the period of godlike near-flawlessness, yeah.

[cbacon 0]

Seasons 3-8 were the best seasons of any TV show, ever.

 

Season 9 is when it started to go downhill. Episodes like The Principal and the Pauper were just awful and it was the beginning of the non-sensical plots, cop-out ending, and the overexposure of Homer's stupidity which has him running around screaming in pain every episode now.

 

The rest of the Season 9 is hit or miss but it didn't get really bad till Season 10 and progessively worse in 11, 12, 13, etc like the New Kids on the Blecch episode where Bart forms a boy band. The Halloween episodes remained consistently good for a while despite the crappy later seasons, but even those began to suck a few seasons ago.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Season 8 is where it started to slide for me and it hasn't stopped since. I haven't watched a new episode of that show in ages.

[Vern Gagne 0]

3-5 imo are the true peak years of the show. Seasons 6 and 7 are funny, but there's just something different about the show.

[Damaramu 0]

I like the Simpson still. I like old simpsons and I like new simpsons. It's all good.

[{''({o..o})''} 0]

Season 9 is usually the considered the dropoff point.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

It started to slide in season 8 but they held it together with some good episodes until season 10. After season 10 it's a horrible mess and the best you're going to get from most episodes is one funny moment.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I just saw that the local affiliate was allowing people to vote for either their favorite episode and they'll air the Viewers Choice Top 10 in a few weeks.

[Guest LooneyTune]

From Season 10 through the present, most episodes don't even have a plot until the half-way mark. The first 6-7 minutes is usually funny since there's nothing going on, but then it just dies when they do something with it.

[Gary Floyd 0]

The slide started for me around season 10. Season 9 wasn't that bad IMO, but by the time season 10 rolled aroud, it lost all of it's appeal for me due to the poor writing and poor comedy.

[Guest jm29195]

What do you think the worst episode is- I think the one where they get put in prison for anerica-bashing is right up there.... also the one with Jay Leno- being from Britain I really didn't see what all the fuss is with all he US tv personalities making guest appearances....

[AboveAverage484 0]

That was what the problem was when the show started going downhill. Guest appearances every show, Homer being a complete stupid jerk moron, and totally "out-there" plots where the Simpsons would globe trot and become involved in these totally stupid and unrealistic adventures.

 

I mean I know it's a cartoon, but weren't all the earlier episodes great because it was shit that happened to us in everyday life, where we could relate with it, but they could stretch it by using the cartoon element. Now they've totally strayed away from that formula, I can't really fault them too much though, you can only use so many ideas.

 

The worst episode is probably the one with the old western guy, Buck McCoy or something, that episode was horrible.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I don't know, I think the Bart becomes "gangsta" episode this season was pretty fucking bad. Actually anytime it's a Bart episode it usually sucks.

[Placebo Effect 0]

The worst episode is probably the one with the old western guy, Buck McCoy or something, that episode was horrible.

*Buck lassos a soda and chips.*

Milhouse: Can you lasso me a banana?

Buck: Now the hell would I do that?

 

I absolutely loved that line.

 

The 50 Cent episode was pretty brutal. I still absolutely love The Simpsons, including the new episodes, but that had a lot of jokes that just bombed.

[Taker666 0]

I've been a huge fan of the simpsons sence I was little and I still Am. even alot of the newer episodes have been hillarious. like the Gay Marriage, or the one where Bart fakes his kidnaping to go to a rap concert. Even thought there have been some episodes I didn't like. its still one of the best TV shows out there.

[the max 0]

Since these threads inevitabley turn into "My top 10 favorite episodes", I'll just start it now:

 

No particular order:

 

Separate Vocations

Flaming Moe's

A Streetcar Named Marge

Marge v. The Monorail

Rosebud

The PTA Disbands

Lemon of Troy

22 Short Films About Springfield

Homer vs. the 18th Amendment

Dead Putting Society

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Frank Grimes - This is the episode where the writers decided "hey, let's make Homer evil". Before, Homer was just lovably dumb. This made him annoyingly stupid. There was no reason for it other than to have him be a jackass (or jerkass).

 

The John Waters Eps. - The effeminization of Bart isn't something that is commonly discussed, but it's a huge part of the shows fall. Here Bart becomes a toy for Homer, rather than his son. Bart used to be the manipulator, now he is the manipulated. Back when the Simpsons was more "bart" oriented, the episodes were good and the Homer episodes were great. Now they're all Homer episodes (or, even worse, Lisa episodes). Bart lost most, if not all, of his charm in this episode, and has been a pussy ever since.

 

Hullapalooza - The Simpsons used to be more of a retro show. They were the nuclear family, very 50ish inspired. They never really tried to capitalize on current trends, until this episode. Now that's all they do (and poorly). Homers quest for public approval is another thing.

 

Lisa makes new friends - I don't know the name of this episode, but it's when the family goes on vacation and no one signs Lisa yearbook... I just really hate this episode.

[Placebo Effect 0]

Ohhh jeez. No show can last for fifteen years without changing up their character's emotions, motivations, etc. Homer's Phobia, Frank Grimes, etc. episodes are classic Simpsons material; I don't care what firm characterizations their actions led to.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I never thought I would hate a Sideshow Bob episode until the one where Frank Grimes JUNIOR tried to kill Homer. "He happend to like hookers"... sounds like a certain wrestling booker created this episode.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

The character changes were _bad_ for the show, and have been repeated constantly ever since. They changed Homers character _for the better_ in Season 2 and 3, infact they improved all the characters in those seasons (cept for Lisa, who never has improved). Now it's just horrible, and they are busy changing secondary and tertiary characters and don't even try to refine their core characters.

 

I'd be interested in seeing how South Park effected The Simpsons; to see if South Parks popularity changed the shows quality. Ditto Family Guy.

[Guest PlatinumBoy]

Ohhh jeez. No show can last for fifteen years without changing up their character's emotions, motivations, etc. Homer's Phobia, Frank Grimes, etc. episodes are classic Simpsons material; I don't care what firm characterizations their actions led to.

Frasier was a character for that long who remained essentially the same--if anything they made him even smarter/more pompous in his solo series.

[Damaramu 0]

I just saw that the local affiliate was allowing people to vote for either their favorite episode and they'll air the Viewers Choice Top 10 in a few weeks.

KAMP KRUSTY or RADIOACTIVE MAN MOVIE!!!!

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

As a series progresses, characters tend to end up being exagerrations of themselves. Seinfeld is a classic example of that. In their last 2 seasons, George, Eliane, Kramer and Jerry became parodies of their earlier selves, and all their tiny quirks became blown up (Jerry's OCD, Kramers zaniness, Georges neurosis). Seinfeld ended before that got totally out of hand, whereas the simpsons continued for 8 or 9 more years.

[Guest Fook]

Since most people (me included) consider the 9th or 10th season to be the drop off point, here are the ones I really liked from season 10 onwards:

 

Lisa Gets an A - Lisa cheats on her test and the school is awarded grant money because of it.

 

Homer to the Max - Homer changes his name to Max Power.

 

They Saved Lisa's Brain - Lisa joins Mensa.

 

Days of Wine and D'oh'ses - Barney quits drinking and takes helicopter lessons.

 

Behind the Laughter - Parody of Behind the Music.

 

Hungry, Hungry Homer - Homer stages a hunger strike to prevent the Isotopes from moving.

 

Bart vs. Lisa vs. Third Grade - Bart and Lisa are put in the third grade together.

 

That's about it. Pretty horrible considering that's seven shows in six seasons that I really liked.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I hated when Barney became sober. I haven't watched much lately, but is he back to being a lush?

[Placebo Effect 0]

Homer to the Max - Homer changes his name to Max Power.

I love that episode.

 

"Sir, monograms typically only have the initials."

"Max Power doesn't abbreviate! Each letter is as important as the one that precedit it. Or is it more important? No, as important."

 

"Kids, there are three ways to do things. The right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power way!"

"Isn't that just the wrong way?"

"Yeah, but faster."

[AboveAverage484 0]

I "like" the one where they are trapped in the school during a snowstorm and Ned and Homer try to save them.

 

I use the term "like" loosely because that ep is not even in my top 50 favs, which shows how the quality gap between pre 9/10 and post 9/10.