The Simpsons

[matrixschmatrix]

They aren't, really- they offered to accept a 30% paycut in exchange for a piece of the backend, which surely would come to be more valuable in no time.

Honestly, while I'm broadly on the actors' side, it's hard to feel too bad for them- the show has been paying them tens of millions for years now for a job they're sometimes literally phoning in. It's like the situation with Sam Simon, where yeah it kind of sucks that he's not getting the credit he deserves for shaping the show, but the man's not hurting for money from it.

[knives]

This is mostly making me sad because it reminds me of Phil Hartman for no real reason.

[Brian C]

This is mostly making me sad because it reminds me of Phil Hartman for no real reason.

Weirdly true. I was also thinking the same thing when I saw the new Blu-ray of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure at B+N yesterday.

[flyonthewall2983]

It's a shame he never got to do the live-action Troy McClure movie the writers talked about on some of the commentary tracks for his episodes.

[knives]

To be honest I think they should have canceled The Simpsons when he died. True he wasn't the biggest part of the show, but he was essential enough of an element that they had to change things a lot when he left and that's really when the slide started.

[flyonthewall2983]

Last night's episode was brilliant.

[dx23]

Last night's episode was brilliant.

Completely agree. It certainly was the best episode from the past 5 years and easily one of my favorites ever. Loved the Royal Tenembaums part.

[mfunk9786]

If I watch this thing and it's awful I'm coming after you guys

[flyonthewall2983]

We're deadly serious.

[flyonthewall2983]

If I watch this thing and it's awful I'm coming after you guys

Have you seen it yet?

[domino harvey]

I just watched it and thought it was horrible. Sorry.

[flyonthewall2983]

Why

[domino harvey]

The same reason all of the future-set Simpsons episodes are unfunny-- recycled jokes exploiting futuristic conveniences melding with unpleasant and one-note summary exploitations of the most obvious qualities of every character depicted

[knives]

At least one of the future set episodes was really good and did more than that.

[flyonthewall2983]

Which one?

[mfunk9786]

This one, but it was still uncharacteristically weak

Anyway - I'll watch it within the next day or two, but - and I don't mean this as an insult, but merely an observation - the fact that you're even watching new episodes of The Simpsons at this point suggests to me that you have a very different standard for watchable television than I do. Not saying that my standard is better or worse, it's just apples and oranges - and that's the problem for me, considering how great The Simpsons was for what now comprises a sad minority of its run.

[flyonthewall2983]

I'm not insulted, but I haven't watched the show religiously since '02 or '03. I just checked it out because the synopsis looked interesting. My habits are mostly scattershot with not a lot of appointment TV. There's usually a couple of shows that defy this though, the exceptions now being Homeland and Boss. I'll admit I do have my guilty pleasures (current ones are American Horror Story and this season of Dexter which in hindsight is becoming pretty bad, but I get sucked in anyway).

[mfunk9786]

unpleasant and one-note summary exploitations of the most obvious qualities of every character depicted

Woof, you weren't kidding. Maggie with a pacifier, Apu's kids having octuplets, crummy Google and Facebook humor (really, Simpsons?), dull teleportation jokes... oof. This was like watching a 'worst moments of the low points of Futurama' clip reel. Sorry, I can't really get behind episodes of anything that abandon any sense of worthwhile plot in exchange for what essentially amounts to a "let's draw people looking older!" cram-a-thon.

I could complain more, but. I just don't really think it's worth it. This show has fallen so far that people are willing to compliment it when it avoids a huge slapsticky gag or cringe-worthy Cookie Kwan cameo for a whole episode (oh wait, this one had both)

[knives]

I am happy to not know who Cookie Kwan is.

[mfunk9786]

Remember that character who was really shrill and annoying in the one episode she was in but they kept her around for frequent cameos? No, not that focus group/TV executive woman, the other one

[knives]

I must have given up before than. I think the last new episode I saw was the Treehouse of Horror that 'parodies' Dr. Moreau.

[swo17]

She was apparently introduced in Season 9, in the episode where Marge becomes a real estate agent.

[knives]

Oh, get it now. I guess they just wanted an Asian character?

[matrixschmatrix]

I've learned never to bite when people tell me a latter day episode of the Simpsons is great, because there's almost literally no way to make an episode of the show I think of the Simpsons as being with what they've got right now. It could be a hilarious show, for all I know, but it's not the show that I loved, and I have yet to like a single later episode- which may well be blind prejudice on my part, but if so it's based on at least four seasons and probably a further season's worth of scattered episodes.

[Lemmy Caution]

I've recently watched about a third of Season 22 and a couple 23's.
Most of the episodes are pretty bad -- especially The Real Housewives of Fat Tony, The Blue and the Grey, Flaming Moe -- but I did like 500 Keys (S22, E21) and S22 Treehouse of Horror is good, as most of those are.
Any episodes people would recommend from Seasons 22 or 23?