"The Simpsons is still better than most"- Valid?

They were pretty much what I expected, without the added disappointment of being "the latest".

EDIT: "Top of page" note -- this post refers to Everybody Loves Raymond, not The Simpsons.
 
Still better then most shows on TV? I can't agree with that. It is the weakest of the four Fox Sunday animated shows though sometimes it is better then newer Family Guy.

I mainly still watch the Simpsons because some of the episodes are still pretty good. Episodes like "Debarted" and "Enternial Moonshine" dispite their horrible punny titles were pretty good and remind me of why I still watch the Simpsons. No where near as good as it once was but still pretty good.

Oh Homer Vs. Dignity is the worst Simpson's episode in my opinion, far worse then those and in my opinion That 90's show is one of the worst Simpson's episode of all time.
 
I really don't get how people thinks that The Simpsons is still better than something. I saw "Rome-old and Juli-eh" some months ago, and it was completly awful, below average not only compared with the Simpsons, but with all current shows. I can't think anything good about it. All the jokes were terrible and I was constantly making a facepalm during each one. The A.S.S. one is just lame. Many people says that the highlight of it was the Bart and Lisa side plot but I think it was boring at best, since it don't even works as a parody of something. They're just homaging a movie and for somebody that hasn't see it, is just pointless.

I can't believe how many people can say that the episode was even funny, but if somebody think it was, I can understand why they think that The Simpsons is watchable, but in that case, everything else should be too. I really haven't seen much of the current seasons, but if that episode was "better than average" I believe I couldn't stand the rest.
 
"Rome-Old and Juli-Eh" is one of those episodes that's the reverse of what I described before: I sort of enjoyed it when it first aired, but have liked it less and less every time I watch it. Now, the only joke I still like is Grampa causing a fire in the kitchen by being so senile that he doesn't know how to run the appliances. Maybe a couple other chuckles here and there, but nothing truly noteworthy or memorable.

In retrospect too, the plot is one of the worst the series has ever done. The very notion of Grampa and Selma is the very definition of "crazy weddings" heard in "They'll Never Stop The Simpsons", and was pretty forced in the way it was set up (Grampa convinces her that because they're old and like each other, they should just go for it? Huh?).

And Homer's switch from being against the hook-up to smiling after the wedding is truly head-scratching. Why was he all of a sudden OK with the marriage? What happened between the mall scene and the weddings scene to change his mind? And you know Grampa and Selma will split up at the end (since it was highly doubtful this sort of radical plot would've started an arc), so it only makes the entire episode pointless in a way.

And all the LOTR stuff... beh, I never liked that subplot to begin with. If they would've cut that out entirely, maybe the main plot would've been stronger and more developed than what we got.
 
Of course, one of the really big problems that a lot of folks had with this episode is that the premise is basically a retread of "Lady Bouvier's Lover", except this time, Grampa falls in love with Marge's sister instead of Marge's mother. When I read about this episode (I haven't seen it yet, but it's in my collection), I remember thinking to myself "Did they forget that they've already done this or what?" I have no doubt that the episode has enough in it to set it apart from its predecessor, but still, the writers should have known that fans would make the comparison.

This seems to be a common thread in recent episodes - take ideas from older episodes and just change them a bit. For instance, the first time Homer went to India in "Homer and Apu", it was to get Apu his job back at the Kwik-E-Mart. The second time Homer went to India in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bangalore", it was because his job at the power plant got outsourced. Doesn't change the fact that he's already been to India, though.
 
I think the problem is The Simpsons writers can't tell the difference between an idea and a good idea. They seem to think "Well it's an idea for a story, use it" vs "Is it a good idea? Is this story worth the time to make and watch?". A solid Simpsons episode needs a good plot to frame everything. I'd say in the olden days, the family were reactionary characters. Something happened and we'd see how it affected them. Now, the family are more often the catalyst, which leads into the other problem of celebrities playing themselves and wanting to hang around with this random family. A good example- the episode where Homer humiliates Bart and starts teaching star athletes outrageous dance moves to celebrate their wins. It's a plot which doesn't feel right for the established characters and has the celebs in a "Golly gosh, I'm gonna get to do a voice on The Simpsons?" role.
 
Hey, I'm one of the few that actually loves the horse racing episode, because the wackiness is the whole point. I love wacky comedy, but it was terrible in those two episodes and I actually enjoy the first act of 'Simpson Safari'.

Again, no.

From the rock bottom season 11/12 era.

Every time I watch season 14-16 episodes in reruns, I'm still surprised at the hate they get. Those seasons are all very solid with no real weak points. Sure they're not as strong as the classic era, but they're not anywhere near as bad as people let on.

The current season has been pretty enjoyable except for a blemish or two. I just think there are too many people who feel that if something isn't perfect, then it's garbage. That's how The Simpsons apparently went from the best show on TV to the worst. All in a single season and apparently there has been not a single bright spot in over ten years.
 
Meh... I've grown up with the show all my life (I'm now 18)... And while I realize that the show lost it's sparkle, I still find some enjoyment out of it.


I dont tune in for the comedy anymore...

And at this stage I know that sometimes the stories just wont be great at all...

It's the characters that keep me coming back and they never fail to get the odd chuckle out of me. The shows has done everything now... even a freakin' movie.



And i'm afraid that The Simpsons have but only one or two events that will get the public truly interested in them again... the 500th episode or... it's cancellation.
 
Considering it's first and foremost a comedy show that's a pretty damning piece of evidence regarding the show's lack of quality. :p



Odd, because if anything the characters never fail to make me cringe nowadays. Everyone is just a pathetic shadow of their former selves and many well thought out characters (such as Flanders and Apu) have been disgraced countless times in recent years by hack writers who have no idea how to use them. Apu used to be such a great character. Now he's a heartless tool who has cheated on his wife and would give anything to get away from his 8 children, even give them away. And Flanders is just sad.
 
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