The Simpsons Season 18 (2006-2007) (1 Viewer)

[Michael Harris]

I'm the same way but last night was, and I thought that these words would never slip out, a bad episode. Not just bad for "The Simpsons" but just bad. Heck, the rerun at 8:30 was better. And yet I'll still watch because there are usually some good nuggets in most episodes. If the movie tanks this summer, that should be the sign to put the franchise to bed.

 

[TravisR]

I think there's a 'generation' of viewers who watch the newer episodes and think that that's The Simpsons. The Simpsons has had that weird unreality and ridiculous or stupid storylines since about S11 or S12. They'd watch the older reruns and wonder why there was actual realistic stories where the family cared about each other and they believable problems.

I usually fight the urge to become the Comic Book Guy and whine about why The Simpsons sucks now. They owe me nothing (if anything I owe them for the great years of comedy that they've given me) and I can always turn off the TV if I hated it that much but it's definitely a different show than the one that I used to watch.

That's my feeling too. Nearly every episode still has a legitimately funny gag... and the other 21 and a half minutes.

 

[Sam Favate]

I'm someone who caught the first episode back in December of '89 and have been watching ever since. I still enjoy it, some nights more than others, and look forward to new episodes. I hope the feature this summer gives it a shot in the arm and the show goes another 5 years.

 

[JediFonger]

that's why many fans (including me) pine for simpsons to end and matt to started churning out futurama eps!!!!!! =)

 

[Ocean Phoenix]

Yeah, I think it would have been much better and more natural if "The Simpsons" had ended, "Family Guy" had stay cancelled, and the creators of those shows moved on to focus all of their efforts on "Futurama" and "American Dad", which unlike their predecessors are still fresh, and still show potential for many years of consistent quality episodes.

 

[TravisR]

I doubt Matt Groening has that much day to day involvement with The Simpsons anymore. Even if he does, the split in his focus certainly didn't hurt Futurama.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

I thought the episode had its moments. They're improving at a snails pace I think.

 

[Darcy Hunter]

I actually thought Sunday's episode wa pretty good. It had a few LOL moments, which is more than I can say for the majority of comedies on TV right now (excluding The Office and 30 Rock).
The problem I've had with The Simpsons over the past 5 or 6 seasons is that the show went from lampooning pop culture, American life, and family dynamics, to simply referencing The Simpsons. Instead of actual jokes, most episodes contain throwbacks to earlier episodes and minor characters that are just not funny. That and the fact that the current crop of writers seem to have a need to continually make certain characters act in increasingly stupider/homicidal/suicidal ways season after season. Homer, for instance, went from bumbling, to bumbling/stupid, to stupid/neglectful, and finally to stupid/neglectful/homicidal. I felt the tide turn in the episode (I forget what season) where Homer ran for Garbage Commissioner. He shows up for the town hall debate wearing a belt-bomb (that he and Bart actually tested on a "test corpse"). Not only was the whole town in attendance, but that also included Marge, Lisa, Bart, and Maggie. I know I'm probably over-analyzing this (I start to sound like the Comic Book Guy), but stuff like this is neither funny or shocking, just depressing. Mo is another character that just seems to get worse and worse over the years. He started out as a cranky old bartender, then violent and cranky, and now he's just a creepy, sad charter with suicidal tendencies.
The Simpsons doesn't need to compete with Family Guy, or Cartoon Network's Adult Swim to be funny. It just has to have well written characters, and cut down on the current pop-culture references. I loved the classic, season 3 - season 7 episodes that actually contained funny and bizarre references that were older than the last 12 months (like Troy McLure's film tiles :"P is for Psycho" and "The President's Neck Is Missing!", and stuff like "Speedway Squad! - In Color!") that seemed to come out of nowhere, but still serve the story and characters.

 

[MarkHastings]

While I'm not disagreeing with you, I also think that it has to be really hard for the writing staff. They're just trying to keep it consistent, which is a double edge sword.

I really don't think Mo has gotten worse:

On one hand, I think that when you combine 18 years of grumpiness, you get an even more pathetic character. You now view him as worse because, every week, you see him being constantly grumpy.

On the other hand, the only real way to solve this is to have him act nicer. But I don't like (and other fans will agree) when they radically change characters.

It's definitely a tough situtation to be in. Do you change the character, thus change the show...or do you keep the character acting the same way, thus creating an even more pathetic character than originally intended?

The same goes for Homer and his thoughtfulness/stupidity.

 

[MatthewA]

Somethingawful.com had a hilarious article some time ago with a fake "leaked Simpsons movie script" that sums up everything that's wrong with 21st century Simpsons, and why I quit watching:

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news...sons-movie.php

 

[MarkHastings]

LOL - Where IS side show Mel??

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

I was relieved that Jack Bauer didn't actually say "I'm Jack Bauer. Who the heck are you?" as he did in the commercial for this episode.

 

[Scott-S]

I didn't get this episode. I assume it was a parody of a show. Since I havn't seen the show, I probably missed a lot of the jokes.

Is it assumed that if you watch the Simpsons, you also watch the Jack Bauer one?

 

[TravisR]

It was a parody of 24. It was a real awkward Simpsons episode and probably just plain weird if you have zero clue of what 24 is (but if you've seen one episode, you'll get the joke) but it was a good parody.

Yes, South Park did a 24 parody but this episode was made nearly two years ago.

 

[MarkHastings]

This made history for me! I have watched EVERY Simpsons episode from day one and this (i.e. the 24 spoof) was the first episode I ever turned off. It was so stupid! I know it was a parody and while I don't watch 24, I hate when good shows try to act 'cool' by lowering their standards to that crap. The Simpsons doesn't need to glom off the popularity of a show like 24! They are better than that :frowning:

 

[Scott_J]

While I can understand people not familiar with 24 not enjoying the episode, I thought it was the best episode of the season (of course, I've seen every episode of 24 so I got all the references). It wasn't a great episode, based on the plot, but with the 24 stuff mixed in, I enjoyed it.

The second episode was also pretty good.
"Apu sang a song. What are you going to do?"

Overall, those could be the two best episodes of the season.

 

[Anthony Hom]

The 400th episode made a good point - why does FOX have such a conservative news channel and at the same time, churn out so much stuff on the network channel that will get them in trouble. I think they are referring to all the "Viewer discretion advised" postings in front of almost every FOX show, except for the Simpsons and possibly American Idol.

 

[Todd H]

I really liked the second episode. It actually made me LOL, something I haven't done in a long time with the Simpsons.

 

[TravisR]

My favorite part of 24 Minutes was near the end when the helicopter crashed through the wall. I'm not a fan of the wackier jokes that The Simpsons use today but that one made me laugh. That and when the nuclear bomb destroyed Shelbyville.

 

[Sam Favate]

I thought the Kent Brockman episode was very funny -- topical, biting satire that the Simpsons has always done so well. You have to admire a show that so brazenly bites the hand that feeds it.