Is It Possible 'The Simpsons' Just Jumped the Shark?

Got my DVD preview copy today of the latest "Simpsons" Halloween trilogy, "Treehouse of Horror XVII," which airs Nov. 5 after all of the postseason baseball on Fox. Not only is it the most disappointing "Treehouse" ever by what felt like a wide margin, it scarcely even seemed like the same show I've known and adored for nearly 400 episodes.

Let me preface this by noting that even lousy "Simpsons" is better than the overwhelming majority of comedy ever to grace television. I've also been one of the show's prime defenders the past few years, reasoning that the show is still great despite its advancing years, that it still hits some impressive peaks this late in its life (an unfathomable 18th season). And it has to be exceedingly difficult for the show to continue coming up with truly original ideas without repeating itself. Lastly, I authored the official "Simpsons" episodic chronicle of its first eight seasons, "The Simpsons: A Complete Gude To Our Favorite Family," which now covers less than half the show's output. So I'm more qualified than many to assess the show's merits and quality trajectory.

The trilogy I just watched pained me, something that disturbs me even to write. Its mirth is tepid and forced, the plotlines labored, the dialogue strained. In the first tale, Homer eats some goo and turns into a gargantuan version of The Blob who eats everything in sight. In the second, Bart uses a legendary monster from Jewish folklore named Golem to do his bidding in and out of school. The final installment is a spoof of the "War of the Worlds" radio hoax of 1938 that more or less wanders off into oblivion, ultimately turning into a bizarre -- and uncharacteristic -- indictment of the Iraq War.

I chuckled a couple of times, but barely. Guest voices Dr. Phil McGraw, Richard Lewis and Fran Drescher are more or less wasted. The dreaded possible "Jump the Shark" moment came in the second installment as Krusty the Klown is rehearsing a stand-up comedy sketch spoofing "Desperate Housewives" (called "Desperate Houseflies"). Krusty, donning a fly mask, realizes the idea is going nowhere and wails, "Ohhh...I'm gonna need a shoebox full of blow to get through this dreck!"

Hearing it somehow feels particularly jarring. While it's hardly out of character for Krusty to whine about the need to self-medicate, hard-boiled clown that he is, it nonetheless comes across as oddly gratuitous to suddenly insinuate a slangy reference to cocaine abuse as part of the guy's patter.

I'm as excited to see "The Simpsons Movie" next July as anyone, and I'll still tune in the show because it's so much a part of my life that I don't know how to not watch it. But after seeing this, I'm fearful of the show's imminent plunge. I honestly can't even handle the idea that "The Simpsons" ever could be reduced to traveling on fumes. But with the new Halloween production, I'm greatly troubled by the (hopefully fleeting) glimpse at a sputtering engine.

Comments

[Roger]

The simpsons went downhill after Conan stopped writing for them. When celebrity voices stopped being unique extra characters and started being themselves. The episode with Ron Howard, Basinger, and Baldwin was a big sign of jumping the shark. It wandered into "Family Guy"-style schtick and stopped being "Simpsons" funny long ago. Too many episodes now require the big reset button and break any sense of continuity the show used to have.

Whatever you've been watching for the last few years has been way past the shark already, you just didn't see what many of us have already known.

It may still have its moments, but it's way past its prime.

[Dave]

I agree the show has gone downhill. But, what show hasn't after 18 seasons? It ain't the mid 90s anymore, and so we don't get a Classic Simpsons every week like we used to, but they still deliver one about every third or fourth show. Good enough for me.

And the ones in between are still better than 90% of everything else on TV.

I think we have to go back to this 1997 exchange between Bart and Comic Book Store guy:

"Last night's 'Itchy & Scratchy' was, without a doubt, the worst episode ever. Rest assured that I was on the Internet within minutes, registering my disgust throughout the world. As a loyal viewer, I feel they owe me."

"What? They've given you thousands of hours of entertainment for free! What could they possibly owe you? If anything, you owe them!"

[Bryn]

"Better than 90% of everything else on TV"? Maybe in its prime. If you honestly believe this show in its current incarnation is better than 90% of what's on TV then you're fooling yourself. Badly. This show is a shadow of its former self - a show that I once counted as amongst my favourites. Every season I tune into one or two shows hoping they've fired the writing staff and hired some people with actual talent. The writing now, as Ray said, is forced. HORRIBLY so. The level of satire, which once defined the show, is practically nil. And whatever "moments" it may still have are not enough that I want to continue watching and pining for the good ol' days.

It's time to put it to pasture. Please.

[Chris]

We have one person to blame for the demise of the Simpsons - Dana Gould. You can track the show's decline from when his name started popping up in the credits as writer/producer.

[The Meat Man]

While I completely agree with your comments, is it really necessary to include "Jump the Shark"? Isn't there a more creative way to state your opinion other than by re-hashing a lame phrase from five years ago?

[brandolin]

I agree with everyone. I really wish they'd hang it up and at least go out with a little dignity! I say they invite back the "best-of-the-best" writers to craft one, solid, amazing finale that will honor the millions of fans who actually have a brain in their head! If they do this now, and resist the temptation to keep beating it into the ground (a la "Saturday Night Live"), I think their memory will live in infamy.

[Walt]

It's funny how our fun that we take enjoying segments of pop culture has required faster and faster turnaround times. If we want to see our pop culture skewered, we're more liable to see it skewered on YouTube or "The Colbert Report" than we are on "The Simpsons"... or a segment on "The Colbert Report" skewering a parody seen on YouTube that mocks... Oh, wait, here we are talking about trashing a segment that hasn't even aired on TV...

What's the phrase I'm looking for?

"Worst episode yet to air, ever!"

[austinspace]

I agree, Bryn--have you ever seen Gould's standup? Awful, forced and unfunny. He was even unamusing in the old "Gex" videogames! I think you're spot on; the timing is too perfect to ignore.

[Me]

I feel the new episodes are fine, and no one is forcing you to watch this show. And how is it that you see one bad episode and all of a sudden the show has jumped the shark. And another thing, don't ever say that it "pains you to watch it", that is such an exageration. People in third world countries are in pain, not people watching TV shows.

[Thom Kiernan]

In the early to mid 90's, people would stop what they were doing wherever they were to tune into the Simpsons. It was a phenomenon!
It was intelligently, satirical with lovable well developed charactors.
I can't watch new Simpsons at all. The writing is dumbed down. Even the repeats of newer Simpsons in syndication I find annoyingly unfunny. It’s not the animation, it's not the voices. IT"S THE WRITING STUPID!
Hollow , predicable , and INANE.
I blame FOX , they do the hiring don't they?

[Simpsons fan since '89]

I honestly think the episode "Little Big Girl" was the absolute WORST EPISODE ever in the history of the Simpsons! Not even Natalie Portman as a special guest voice for Darcy could save it. "Little Big Girl" might be the episode that the Simpsons have now jumped the shark! The storyline deals with Bart getting a driver's license just for saving the town. Bart is supposed to be a 10-year-old boy and yet since he has never aged over the years the writers think they have him grow up a little by pretending to be a be a teenager. The central issue with Bart wanting to drive to Utah with Darcy to marry her also shows us that sadly the writers have now changed the youthful image of Bart over the years. Sorry but when you try to change a favorite, main character with something differnt by giving him a driver's license you basically have just ruined the image of the character and the whole show!

[M@rk]

I totally agree, the "Little Big Girl" was the worst thing I have ever seen the Simpsons put out - a 10 Y/O boy getting a girl pregnant then driving to Utah to marry her... It had about 100 plot holes, was boring, out of character & seemed like someone got into the Simpsons studio when they were out & just knocked this together...

I think that the Simpsons still comes out with some genius comedy even if it has changed it style, it is still the greatest cartoon comedy out there...