Simpsons - decent episodes from season 10 to 23?

Napper Hawkins

Phil Hartman dying (Troy McClure) didn't do the show any favours either I reckon.

homerun_homer

For me the Simpsons finally jumped the shark when Bart shot the bird with Nelson's BB gun. I had been thinking it was losing it's way for a while beforehand and with that episode I gave up. I absolutely loved the Simpsons and it didn't even hurt in the tiniest bit to give it up, that's how hard they fell from grace.

I've seen episodes intermittently since, reluctantly or in the background or other peoples houses. God they suck and there is no redeeming them. I'm familiar with many of the latter episodes mentioned here and I have to say THEY ARE ALL SH!T!!

I battled friends for years who still tried to say the Simpsons were still excellent. Eventually people came round to my way of thinking with that show.

The new writers are to blame and then the animation looks lame, too bright. The voices started to suffer (Homer especially) and the stories too contrived to set up what would have been a simple storyline beforehand in the hands of talented writers. The new staff wanted to emulate Family Guy it seemed and the jokes became more and more American and more and more about what's current in pop culture. Pop culture dates and those jokes don't last (take note Shrek.

Old Simpsons comedy will last for generations.

foxyboxer

Mayored to the Mob from Season 10 was a highlight.

For me there are two eras of the Simpsons.

Pre-Armin Tamzarian.
Post-Armin Tamzarian.

Omackeral

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

Bart sitting in the courtroom for Quimbey's nephews trial.

Bart looks over at Skinner sitting in the jury box staring back at him..

Skinner (what Bart imagines he's thinking): "I know you can read my thoughts, Bart. Just a little reminder......... If I found out you cut class, your ass is mine. Yes, you heard me. I think words I would never say."

Bart looks over at Homer who is also in the jury box and imagines what he's thinking..

Homer: "I know you can read myyy thoughts, Boy... Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow."


Class.

I've always found it this weird..... The part in bold means that Homer can read Skinners' thoughts also!!

Nervous Wreck

Priori wrote: »

As many of you might agree, the quality of The Simpsons began to decline from about Season 8 onwards, possibly earlier. I don't go near anything from season 10 onwards. I saw a bit of the movie and couldn't fathom how anyone could find it funny.

Just so we're clear, season 8 was amazing. Season 9 had some classic episodes but also some really awful ones. I didn't watch anything after that.

Wattle

foxyboxer wrote: »

Mayored to the Mob from Season 10 was a highlight.

For me there are two eras of the Simpsons.

Pre-Armin Tamzarian.
Post-Armin Tamzarian.

'Armin Tamzarian's reign of terror is over'

Napper Hawkins

Personally, I first started to get the sense that they were losing their way with the Oz episode, despite the episode itself being quality.

Couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but however long after (couple years maybe) I found myself watching an episode where they went to Brazil for some reason. That was the end for me.

Also, too many Lisa episodes. Christ I can't stand Lisa. The moral highground taking, condescending little veggie twit.

Too many timewasting, unfunny original cast recordings that seemed to eventually pop up in every goddamn episode just like Seth Mac Farlanes irritating insistence on having poxy showband tunes in pretty much every episode of Family Guy. Twats.

Riddle101

I liked the one where they do a story told by Bart, Lisa and Homer's perspective. I thought it was pretty smartly done as they all wind together perfectly. Homer loses a thumb, Lisa creates a robot for the science fair and Bart becomes an informant in it.

phasers

foxyboxer called it, Armin Tamzarian was the beginning of the end of the Simpsons. It was a ridiculous story to begin with, and the deux ex machina at the end was obviously supposed to be funny but it was just embarrassing to watch.

Sindri

Two words.


American Dad.


One more word.


Roger.

Iluvjazzmasters

I loved this episode and part. Agreed after Bart shot the bird the series went downhill. Wish i could find the other part where homer swears and has to put money in the swear jar. Simple but genius writing

Logical Fallacy

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

Couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but however long after (couple years maybe) I found myself watching an episode where they went to Brazil for some reason. That was the end for me.

Yeah, the only good thing to come from the Brazil episode was the fact that so many Brazilians complained and got upset about it's portrayal of Brazil.

Brazilians seem like a very delicate people when it comes to nationalism tbh.

super_furry

Homer to the Max - Season 10:

"Max Power! He's the man with the name you'd love to touch. But you mustn't touch!"

The Joy of Sect - Season 9:

"Leader, na na na, na leader"

It says something that they're to only two I could think of.

phasers

Sindri wrote: »

Two words.


American Dad.


One more word.


Roger.

I think we need a few more words tbh

IrishKev

Seeing the Homer Gets Fat episode the other day really showed the difference in class compared to the newer ones.

'Homer Simpson: Shame on all of you. Give me my dignity! I just came here to see Honk If You're Horny in peace.
Manager: Sir, if you'd just quiet down, I'd be happy to treat you to a garbage bag full of popcorn.'

elWizard

What's the one where Grandpa Simpson's kidney exploded?
(just checked - it was season 10).
That's where it lost me forever. Up to then, Homer was regularly an a**-hole, but an amiable one at least, and a generally fantastic character.
Then, in an incredibly mean-spirited about turn by the writers, an old man's kidneys explode because his son is too much of a dick to stop the car so his Dad can have a wee. Hil-arious.
Compare and contrast with one of the greatest plots I've ever seen: Homer, after eating suspect sushi, believes he has just 24 hours to live, and makes a list of things to do. ("The Good Book...on tape!")

The New Yorker did an amazing profile of the show's secret-weapon, George Meyer, back in 2000. Tis well worth reading:
http://www.snpp.com/other/interviews/meyer00.html

strawdog

Seomra Mushie wrote: »

I think you're missing the brilliance of classic-era Marge. She had many neat, subtle lines in the classic years.

No I liked classic era Marge, I agree she had a subtle role and as I said I think she tied things together. After the dip tho I can usually tell if its a new episode within seconds because Marge comes in and tells us exactly whats happening in case we're not paying attention.

The one thing I will say tho is that the original writers often made predictions about what would happen

Temptamperu

You know th simpsons didnt get worse, you just got older

Brendog

I think the Episode where Homer smokes weed, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weekend_at_Burnsie's is really good.

Favourite Part: When Homer takes his first toke in his bedroom. The second everyone notices smoke billowing down the stairs, Homer starts screaming the guitar riff to "Smoke on the Water"

Sindri

phasers wrote: »

I think we need a few more words tbh

And this is a pretty ****ty compilation of him!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6u-qV6GC1Y

cat_dog

Nonsense! The new Simpsons episodes are great. I've been watching them on 1channel.ch

Brendog

Definitley the last great episode.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'oh-in_in_the_Wind

"uh Homer, those were our PERSONAL vegetables!"

Conall Cernach

Moe (other characters do it too but it's mainly Moe) going "Whaa?" really drives me nuts. How is that meant to be funny?

amacachi

Conall Cernach wrote: »

Moe (other characters do it too but it's mainly Moe) going "Whaa?" really drives me nuts. How is that meant to be funny?

The fiddling with collars due to nervousness got old a bloody long time ago too.

Conall Cernach

amacachi wrote: »

The fiddling with collars due to nervousness got old a bloody long time ago too.

Usually together with the perpetrator saying "oyo" or some such noise.

Scanlas The 2nd

Temptamperu wrote: »

You know th simpsons didnt get worse, you just got older

If you are being serious, my reply is that the old Simpsons are still just as hilarious to watch now.

If you are joking my reply is that you are about as funny as the new Simpsons.

phasers

everybody defending new Simpsons needs to be permabanned.

Jordan 199

krudler wrote: »

Its not even the same show anymore tbh, it started as a lighthearted but cynical look at American family life that dealt with actual family stuff,now its just "zany" adventures. Sure the older episodes had crazy stuff in them too but the writing was so good you didnt care, Homer going to space is one of the best episodes ever, its ridiculous but its so well written that it seems plausible in the context of the show.

I prefer when the plots were simple. Bart is jealous that Milhouse gets a girlfriend, Homer stays home from church and nearly burns down the house. Lisa has a crush on a teacher. The older episodes usually had two plots running but they gelled together, now the first few minutes has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the episode. Its actually sad to think there are now more crappy episodes of The Simpsons than great ones, its definitely a tarnished legacy of what was once the smartest and funniest show on television. I have the dvd box sets of the first 8 seasons and season 4 genuinely doesnt have a poor episode, it may be the best season of a tv show ever, every single episode is a classic and it was at the height of when the Simpsons was amazing.

Season 4 is excellent. "Duffless" out of it is a classic. I think the wheels came off the wagon after season 9 and I don't really care for anything after season 9. I think it was around season 9/10 that was the last time Troy McCLure and Lionel Hutz appeared in the Simpsons after the death of Phil Hartman.

All you have to do is take a look at the Dental Plan topic you started. Pretty much every quote in that thread is from classic Simpsons and it just goes to show how popular those ones are.

Moses G. Washington

Creature wrote: »

The one where Homer starts smoking medicinal marijuana is excellent.

Ain't there a line in that about blowin' smoke in the president's "stupid monkey face"?

Ole MGW got pretty ired up 'bout that till he realised Homer was talkin' 'bout GWB.

take everything

krudler wrote: »

Its not even the same show anymore tbh, it started as a lighthearted but cynical look at American family life that dealt with actual family stuff,now its just "zany" adventures. Sure the older episodes had crazy stuff in them too but the writing was so good you didnt care, Homer going to space is one of the best episodes ever, its ridiculous but its so well written that it seems plausible in the context of the show.

I prefer when the plots were simple. Bart is jealous that Milhouse gets a girlfriend, Homer stays home from church and nearly burns down the house. Lisa has a crush on a teacher. The older episodes usually had two plots running but they gelled together, now the first few minutes has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the episode. Its actually sad to think there are now more crappy episodes of The Simpsons than great ones, its definitely a tarnished legacy of what was once the smartest and funniest show on television. I have the dvd box sets of the first 8 seasons and season 4 genuinely doesnt have a poor episode, it may be the best season of a tv show ever, every single episode is a classic and it was at the height of when the Simpsons was amazing.

Yeah the writing was just so good before. As you say, the plots were seamless and you never got the feeling they were forced.
It was like a kind of magical formula that may never be recovered.

Hank Scorpio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqXBuR5FRA8

krudler

Just to show how golden season 4 was, as its my favourite one, behold the episode list:

Kamp Krusty
A Streetcar Named Marge (marge gets a part in a play)
Homer the Heretic (Homer stays home from church and burns down the house)
Lisa the Beauty Queen
Treehouse of Horror III
Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie
Marge Gets a Job (Marge starts working at the power plant and Mr Burns becomes infatuated)
New Kid on the Block (Bart falls for the new girl next door)
Mr. Plow
Lisa's First Word
Homer's Triple Bypass
Marge vs. the Monorail
Selma's Choice (Duff...Gardens...hurrraaaahh!)
Brother from the Same Planet (Danny DeVito returns as Homers bother Herb and makes a machine that gets him rich again)
I Love Lisa (Ralph falls for Lisa and she rejects him)
Duffless (Homer has to give up drinking after visiting the duff brewery)
Last Exit to Springfield (Dental Plan episode...theres a thread about it :pac: )
So Its Come To This: A Simpsons Clip Show (Bart shakes a can of beer up and puts Homer in the hospital when it explodes)
The Front (Bart and Lisa start writing Itchy and Scratch cartoons and use Grandpas name)
Whacking Day
Marge in Chains
Krusty Gets Kancelled

I've said i already, but thats probably the greatest season of a tv show ever.

And I absolutely hate what the writers did to Homer over the years, at the beginning Bart was the main focus, then once the writers realised the comedy potential of Homer he blossomed into one of the best tv characters ever, and then they went and ruined him by turning him into an unlikeable psychopath with no regard for anyone buy himself, instead of the loveable but idiotic boob in the first few seasons. This is just an amazing moment from the show, theres more emotion in this few seconds than the last 10 seasons:

(its backwards thanks to fox being assbags when it comes to simpsons clips on youtube)

UsernameInUse

The Simpsons died years ago. Family Guy demolished them...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH1CZrNwAVY

krudler

Family Guy had its time but even at its best cant even hold a candle to the great Simpsons episodes, right now name the actual plot of a Family Guy episode without thinking too long about it, bet you cant, because most of the episodes are just "this is worse than the time when.." random jokes and old tv references,with no story.

UsernameInUse

krudler wrote: »

Family Guy had its time but even at its best cant even hold a candle to the great Simpsons episodes, right now name the actual plot of a Family Guy episode without thinking too long about it, bet you cant, because most of the episodes are just "this is worse than the time when.." random jokes and old tv references,with no story.

of course theres a story - remember when Jesus came to visit?

tp25

love simpsons

Maximus Alexander

My favourite episode was the Hank Scorpio one (You Only Move Twice), but that was season 8 so I don't know if it counts.

RichieC

Temptamperu wrote: »

You know th simpsons didnt get worse, you just got older

not the case as seasons 2 to er..8 I think are still up there with the best comedies ever made. Seaon one was a bit primitive but had its moments.

krudler

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

My favourite episode was the Hank Scorpio one (You Only Move Twice), but that was season 8 so I don't know if it counts.

Its one of the best episodes ever, damn right it counts. seasons 8 and 9 had their great episodes too, I think the Sherry Bobbins episode is when it started it descent into the debacle it is today

RichieC

Thanks, Doctor.

Oh I'm not a Doctor...

Viral Vector

The Irish episode: In the Name of the Grandfather

Season 20

It was so funny, Mickrosoft and Leprechauns on mobile phones!!!

Jordan 199

RichieC wrote: »

not the case as seasons 2 to er..8 I think are still up there with the best comedies ever made. Seaon one was a bit primitive but had its moments.

The one where the family got shock treatment in season one was excellent.

krudler wrote: »

Its one of the best episodes ever, damn right it counts. seasons 8 and 9 had their great episodes too, I think the Sherry Bobbins episode is when it started it descent into the debacle it is today

Homer V the city of New York from season 9 is class aswell.

Potatoeman

The older something gets the more you take it for granted. It aired before the internet so most people had a common sense of mainstream media and jokes didn't spread as fast. It also depends on your age when it initially aired. Do you watch any other show that was around this long?

Rothko

Viral Vector wrote: »

The Irish episode: In the Name of the Grandfather

Season 20

It was so funny, Mickrosoft and Leprechauns on mobile phones!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggXmKPMaHMo

Viral Vector

Suas11 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggXmKPMaHMo

Oh a sarcasm detector...that's a real useful invention!

phasers

Potatoeman wrote: »

The older something gets the more you take it for granted. It aired before the internet so most people had a common sense of mainstream media and jokes didn't spread as fast. It also depends on your age when it initially aired. Do you watch any other show that was around this long?

New Simpsons sucks! It just sucks, and no justification will make it not suck so stop it!

LH Pathe

If the simpsons were painted blue instead would you guys watch it

strawdog

Suas11 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggXmKPMaHMo

Even that clips a rip off from their better days!

Kamjana

krudler wrote: »

This is just an amazing moment from the show, theres more emotion in this few seconds than the last 10 seasons:

(its backwards thanks to fox being assbags when it comes to simpsons clips on youtube)

That episode has just started on Channel 4 now

Priori

This clip, for me, epitomises the greatness of golden-age Homer. What they have done to this timeless character in the later episodes is nothing short of Greek Tragedy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh5knx1Bt64