I always forget how late in the show it is when Duffman and Crazy Cat Lady show up. My brain always assumes they've been there earlier for some reason.
Yeah there's some characters no that feel like they've always been there, but in reality that's far from it. Gil, Duffman, Crazy Cat Lady, Manjula, Disco Stu, etc.
Look at season nine with seasons 1-8 in the rearview, and it shows its flaws. But look at it with season 10-17 on the horizon, and it shows its strengths.
Season 10 is one of the good ones in my opinion. And are you just tuning out seasons 18 through 32 because you dislike them so much or are they good in your opinion?
@@BirdsElopeWithTheSun09 I agree. Season 1 is not bad, but it's clear that they're trying to figure out how to turn the animated shorts on the Tracey Ullman Show into actual 1/2 hour episodes. And I'll say the first three or so episodes looked rough at best. Thankfully by the middle of the second season they got their shit together and as soon as season 3 started it was on.
So do I, It’s a step down from the quality before (in my opinion) but it’s not bad or anything, I think there are some real jems in there, and I personally consider it part of the classic era, although I get why some people say otherwise
Season 9 I think was when the first cracks started to show, but it's still good on the whole. Season 11 they became more apparent with things like the jockey elves and lazy writing, and by the time we got to Season 16, the writing was on the wall.
@@Jstrides Eh... hold on I'll check. Uhm. Rotch Mike! Hey, has any body here seen Rotch Mike? Ok fellas, I got someone here that wants to get in touch with Rotch Mike! Anyone? (You got the first and last name mixed up. *That's the joke* ).
If it wasn't for RealJims I'd have never watched bothered to watch s11-s31 (outside of The Book Job) over this year so I'd be there for it. There's a surprisingly large number of solid to good and even a few great (like the Book Job) eps to be found in that run.
Its going to be interesting to see what he gets out of the Zombie Simpsons era. While yeah, the show as a whole isnt as good, I still find at least 3-4 great episodes in the latest seasons
Since he's done 9 season retrospectives and it's been almost 2 years and assuming he keeps his uploads consistent, see y'all in about 4.9 years when he gets to season 32. I should note that it'll probably be much easier to review some later seasons, since there isn't much to say about them, other than that they're very mediocre.
@@Lowmanification Is that how the saying goes in English? Or did you translate that directly from another language? In German, it's a blind chicken that finds a seed or something. I don't think there's an exact equivalent for it in English.
Armin Tamzarian aside, I like season 9. And even if I hate the premise, it's still a funny episode. "Now of course, if I knew there was a war going on, I probably would've apologized"
I actually quite like season 9, there's the odd clunker but it still has some golden era standards like Trash of the Titans and Double Indemnity. It's definitely the last season cut from the same cloth as the classic seasons. By season 10 they really began to feel irrelevant but I also like season 10 in its own weird way.
Seasons 10-12 aren't great but they have some charm to them, inconsistent but still filled with lots of good stuff overall. Not golden era like previously, mostly Silver Era where the good and the bad mix
Season 10 is still really funny even though it's a big step down from season 9 which was already a step down from season 8. I feel like it's season 11-12 where the show became what I'd consider bad
I can only agree with the comments here. Season 9 still has some of my all time favorite episodes and is overall pretty good. If we dismiss the few weak episodes in between, this can clearly be considered a golden era season. Some bad trends may have started in season 9, but only really became major issues in later years. I think many videos and articles pointing out how s9 started the decline of the Simpsons are misunderstood in a way that people think that season itself was bad. I definitely don't think that. I also still like seasons 10 to 12, but there the decline becomes more and more apparent.
@@Bierbuxe Marge being a realator and homer having snakes car is honestly in my top 20 Simpson episodes ever. There is a bit of clunk but it’s still great.
I think it just squeezes in to be a golden age series. Apart from the Skinner episode, none of the other ones hit me with the,”Uggh this episode I hate this one.”
@@23kurtzy Well it's retrospective and season 9 was pretty okay, like season 10 was the moment they just started killing as jokes and the show became increasingly les funny, it still has some funny moments like the Japan episode, but even that one is not greatest episode in history tbh
@@23kurtzy And even the Skinner episode has some very funny bits and a good performance by Martin Sheen. It's character assassination and the whole "riding the outsider out on a rail bit" is lame, but there are some definite chuckles. It's a terribly uneven episode. That kind of sums up the ninth season. The parts are greater than the whole. There are some hilarious bits and phrases and even a couple of complete episodes (Joy of Sect might be my favorite for the season), but each episode, it seems, is missing something and they don't quite follow through. Whether it's a weak B-plot or a terrible third act/ending or a really disjointed beginning, many of the shows don't coalesce. Any season that introduces Gil to the world can't be too terrible, but it is a step down.
Since season 9 and 10 are often seen as a turning point for the show it'll be interesting to see you start to talk about the middle seasons more soon. I enjoy hearing your takes on some of the lesser discussed stuff outside of the classic era. (I like the classic videos too but you know what I mean!)
I am an avid classic Simpson fan but I wasn't a huge fan of season 8 and season 9-10 continued what season 8 was. The subsequent few seasons weren't that great but I did start enjoying Simpsons again about season 17-18.
@@Starkardur I feel like Seasons 11-16 were pretty hit and miss. Here we have a time of The Simpsons with many, many episodes that are generally considered bad (Kill the Aligator and Run, New Kids on the Bleech, Simpson Safari, Brawl in the Family, The Regina Monologues, Co-Dependent's Day, Bart-Mangled Banner, On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister, etc), but it also has many many great moments that nowadays, can be considered classics (Behind the Laughter, HOMЯ, The Great Louse Detective, My Mother The Carjacker, Simple Simpson, etc). This trend will continue all the way to the present, where yes, we do have some amazing episodes sprinkled around the seasons, but finding good episode after good episode like the classic years is getting harder and harder. I noticed that a lot during LS Mark's 6 hour long review of all episodes. During earlier seasons, I'd be arguing with myself about what episode should've been in 12th or 13th place. During later seasons, I'd look at the top 5, the bottom 5, and a pile of meh in between and go "yep".
@@blakenbryce While I personally don't agree (3-8 ftw imo), I don't feel like mid-late seasons deserve the hatred they get. There are some true gems and classsic moments in there, even on the latest seasons. And even some episodes that don't really do well with people (*cough* Lisa Goes Gaga *cough* Guess Who Came To Be Dinner *cough*), i give props for the writters for trying something different. I can't wait for this series to get complete so we can discuss them in more detail. And I'd love more reviews of episodes from Seasons 11-18, they exist sort of in a limbo between classic and current Simpsons.
I think season 9 is fine, and it's likely that the show was still solid all throughout Scully's run, my memory of the show beyond season 10 is pretty fuzzy to confirm, but yeah, still I like season 9 a lot.
I would agree. It's not like they went downhill from here. More that Simpsons began to hit a plateau where the show could do whatever the hell it wanted but was still consistently funny.
Season 9 was still entertaining and it still felt, fundamentally, like The Simpsons. Back in 1998 I doubt there were too many fans ringing the alarm bells. But we can see in hindsight, that some of the aggressive and mindless trends associated with Zombie Simpsons, manifested themselves in season 9. But for isolated viewing purposes, it's still great television.
Season 9 is always going to have a special place in my heart because it's the first season I watched regularly. The cracks might be showing, but I think it mostly holds up. My favorite episode is "Lisa's Sax," mostly because it's a holdover from Season 7 (in case you couldn't tell from the Doris Grau voice clip and the fuzzy math. They're telling the story of Bart's first day of kindergarten back in 1990, so this was definitely intended to air back in 1995), but it's also incredibly sweet with some great TV parodies as well. I also have a special love for "Bart Star," "The Joy of Sect," "Das Bus," "The Last Temptation of Krust," "Lisa the Simpson," "Simpson Tide," "Girly Edition," "Trash of the Titans" and "KIng of the Hill." The worst episodes are probably "The Principal and the Pauper," "The Trouble with Trillions" and "Lost Our Lisa." However, I think even the worst Season 9 episodes are highly quotable with at least a handful of big laughs. That's what I think sets it apart from the worst Season 10 episodes.
I honestly really like Lost Our Lisa. It's a solid Lisa story that treats her like a real person, and I like that Homer is able to teach her a genuine and actually really important lesson that really fits well with his character and his experiences. It's easy for smart kids to react so badly to failure that they stop challenging themselves and end up falling behind. While Homer is definitely often too reckless in his life, his message on the importance of taking risks is well calibrated for Lisa's situation. Plus, it brought us the "Don't make me tap the sign" guy!
Is she a brunette in that still? I don't think so but maybe I wasn't paying attention. In season eight, the character is introduced but has a slightly different design. Blonde Lindsay Naegle first appears in season nine.
Season 9 is still mostly great, but definitely where cracks start to form. Season 10 is still able to sneak in a great episodes from time to time. I think season 11 is where the show really hits the point of no return. From then on truly great episodes become rather scarce.
@@Stuie299 Yeah Season 11 really starts to bring in Jerkass Homer, a whole lotta shoehorned guest stars, more cruel overall even more than 9, and unnecessary character changes. Still not boring like S21+ but it really loses it grip at that point imo.
@@GundamDroid current Simpsons for me truly start at Season 12's boy band episode where they had Nsync as guest stars. I watched this episode back in the day both in the original English and in the classic Latin American Spanish dub, and in both just falls flat. And it may not have started the trend of putting celebrities just because celebrities, but it's definitely guilty of reinforcing that trend.
I unironically consider this season to be just as good as 7 and 8. Its a bit messier agreed, but it more than makes up for it in pure hilarity and wildness
This video made me appreciate season 9 a lot more. I never hated it, but I always felt like it had a slightly weirder vibe compared to any season before it. Will definitely rewatch it before your top ten video! So many people focus on the negatives of this season that I have no idea what people generally consider the best of it.
I agree. Genuinely, I believe season 9 was very inconsistent. It has my favourite episode, Homer vs New York, yet it has what is know as the worst episodes in the whole of The Simpsons run, the Principle and the Pauper. I think Season 10 is the most inconsistent with quality and I believe it's season 11 where things truly went downhill.
@@ThunderboltRUclips anyone who says Principal and the Pauper is the worst episode never saw the Lady Gaga episode. I'm sick of bandwagoners just agreeing that "yeah season 9 sucks, yeah pnp sucks"
@@troywright359 anyone who says PNP is one of the worst ever is ignoring so much garbage post like 2010. that Musk episode comes to mind. but sure, PNP is the absolute worst bc an animated comedy doing something stupid and then ignoring it is a sin.
Mmmhhhhh acshually I'd prefer you call him Comic Shop Guy because you see he isn't really a comic book character as your name would imply but the owner of a comic book shop
@@sephikong8323 Hmmm well if you want to get technical his name is Jeff Albertson, comic book guy is a solidified nickname, whether it is accurate is irrelevant as this is his nickname. His name is referring to his love for comic books, not for his love of comic shops, sure, he is a guy who owns a comic shop, but, not really, if anything, he should be called comic book shop guy, yes, it's longer, but as you're getting technical, I'll also get technical, so, everyone is wrong, really, it should go comic book shop guy, or go with his actual confirmed nickname of comic book guy, comic shop guy doesn't quite work.
All I know is that when I see one of your analysis episodes, I just wish I could travel back in time to the mid to late '90's and very early '00's. Seeing these episodes just makes me feel super nostalgic for life back then and going through it as a teenager. I wouldn't say it was carefree exactly, but it was very... relaxed at times. Things were generally more easy going, yet there was a lot going on.
Absolutely stunning, the information you revealed about the show runners. Season 9 is one of my top 5 favorite seasons, now I know why - the storyline diversity is attractive.
As a 24 year old. Season 9 was the first season I fondly remember. (Since in my Country it aired around 2001-2002 despite its original September 21, 1997 airing.) While I do have alot of nostalgia for the episodes, I do personally feel like after all the other seasons. Its still really fun.
"I smell smoke" is a really good way of putting it. Like, smoke, kindling, then around season 15 is where it's an entire house fire. Then ablaze for say, 5 more seasons. Now, it's just ash.
@@dr.badguyreviews6785 I hope you'll eventually remember me if in March of 2045, while watching the newest episode of the Simpsons, the words "That's almost a full-on Phoenix!", at first inexplicably so, pop into your mind.
@@dr.badguyreviews6785 I'll be 60. And since I've been having mild hearing problems for at least a decade by now, possibly much longer, I may only hear you should I be wearing my hearing aid that I just deduced I might be in need of until then.
Also I would say that season 9 through like season 16-18 of the simpsons form a twilight years of the show, we're still far from modern zombie simpsons it's not entirely a bad show yet but you can tell from every season in that era that not only is it not the same show anymore but that it is still mostly getting worse
I really love Season 9, despite its flaws. I think it has a distinct flavour. The reason the elements that would bog down the other Scully-led seasons work for me here is that they are present in episodes that have a similar darkish tone to the previous two seasons. Like you said in the review, it’s hard to pin down the “feel” of Season 9 but it is unique and I think the shift in quality between 9 and 10 is stark. 9 definitely gets included in what I consider the Classic era. (Another great retrospective btw, this channel is amazing 🥰)
And now we begin the Simpsons’ slow but inevitable decline into being known almost exclusively for being the world’s most spectacular fortune teller Pray for Jims
It's funny cause really the only thing they predicted was Trump, if that throw away line in the worst episode of season 11 wasn't there they wouldn't have that reputation at all
To be honest I didn't realize just how many of my favorite episodes were in season 9. When I think of this season I think of "Principal and the Pauper" and not the fact it had my favorite Simpsons Christmas episode. So overall I'd agree this was by and large a golden age season, but the problems that would lead to the show's decline were becoming visible at this point.
This is a great video. Thank you for taking such a fair look into this season, never felt you were too forgiving or nitpicky here. Season 9 is definitely a guilty pleasure season and has so many gems and amazing jokes underneath the flaws that stick out.
Well, here we go with my obligatory essay.... Some interesting thoughts on Season 9, TheRealJims, and I agree - it is 'chaotic'. It's tone is all over the place, feeling like a lot of ideas and elements, including a few leftovers, all vying for attention and arguably never really settling throughout the whole season. As I've commented many times before now, I consider the Golden Era to be Seasons 3-7 (with s1-2 being very high standard Silver Era); the Golden Season was definitely over with Season 8, where there were still some fun moments and good episodes mixed in but the cracks were showing... Season 9 is like Season 8 and more-so! I remember feeling at the time that post-Golden Era season felt the effects of the other adult animated comedies that were starting to come in (I've always pointed to 'South Park, due to the BBC here in the UK running The Simpsons several years behind by which time 'South Park' was already several seasons in here, but US-wise that actually started it's run at the same time of S9) that at times, some might have seen to be making the once-biting Simpsons almost look a little tame (an incorrect in my view) and either consciously or subconsciously, the new show-runners seemed to be upping up the harsher, topical, seedier side of things. Yes things need to move on and progress, and the family satire of S1-2 (which I know you and I both love Jims) had already very much passed. But with S9 having so many 'harsh' topical, sometimes biting episodes, it often felt to have little real heart. Characters, especially supporting ones, seemed to be played more for harsher, shocking laughs, which was fine and had already been done so in many Golden Era episodes, but there was no grounding to them, no brining them back down to earth afterwards. And that goes for the episodes themselves - you mention many of the endings, which was something I picked up on too. Sometimes they just sort of peter out with little or no real 'answer' or conclusion, and often they will again close on a harsh (or wacky) joke. By this time the more outlandish and 'wacky' plots were definitely on the up, but to do that, things generally need to be reigned in again at the end, to effectively reset things back and reflect how things are part of the bigger picture in Springfield. There was little of that in this era, seeming to be more focused on "What wacky thing are they gonna do next week?". I think much of the problem was that there was now no 'mirror' to the viewers - in earlier seasons, we could often relate to the dysfunctional family, the cynical side of life, the caricatures of which we could relate to people we knew of... by this phase with the either further-fetched or 'colder' style of humour, there was increasingly less of that. We could less easily laugh at the "dysfunctional family who are almost as bad as us!!" and the unexpected, amusing, well-constructed situations they would find themselves in each week (and resolved by the end of the episode with a "begging-middle-and-end of tale" context), now things were far more "...Okay, well there's some funny stuff happening to the characters we watch each week. And less with that subversive warmth and more with the harsher, less-relatable tone of writing. Episodes that would once have had some warmth or charm laced into them were now handled quite differently; example: 'Miracle on Evergreen Terrace'. Where once this disastrous, cynical, 'harsh' Christmas would have had things for us to warm to, now much of it was such 'cold' humour that at times you might be at risk of catching frost bite. Complete with the "Okay, that's a little bit wacky, maybe a little bit depressing" ending. This felt really to be the point where writers/producers fully became self-aware; to the point of the serious trying to double-guess itself. The sorts of things it would once subvert in it's humour, now it would be trying to outwit it's own expectations and subvert what itself did. Which maybe in principal is fine, but which contributes to that whole chaotic, unfocused feel. Add to that "Hey, I know, let's move the entire town at the end of an episode" and the now INFAMOUS Principal Skinner/Armin Tamzarian fiasco, and it's like "Hey, what are the strengths of the previous seasons that we can now undermine and undo to get a quick semi-funny gag out of?". The rules of the Simpsons universe were being shifted and expanded, which maybe for a long-running show is both inevitable and necessary... but were back to that 'chaos', there was no focus or deciding on direction. And as such, damage was sadly done. ...And with that self-recognition of success, they also started trading off of that more. Key example: "The world loves Homer. Okay, so lets up the Homer, lets have him doing more and more far-fetched and amusing things and push his characteristics further" (...at the cost of his lovable characteristics), which would be the seeds of infamous Jerk-Ass Homer who would be ruling by the following season. And the secondary-characters... there was a real increase of loving to used second or third tier Springfield semi-regulars because of reasons. Which is fine, where there actually is a good or amusing reason, though at times it was the start of "Hey you know what will be hilarious? Lets suddenly have Disco Stu* here, because he lives in Springfield and people remember him from living in Springfield and it makes it seem more like Springfield" (* - substitute Disco Stu with any such level character as deemed fit). In my memory, this certainly was the year (or a year) for Lisa, with her often being the moral focal point of plots, and I remember feeling at the time that maybe she had become a little TOO moral. I miss both that "female Bart" of the very early shorts, and the confused, cynical, sometimes lost Lisa of much of S2 and on into the Golden Era. And as you rightly point out, this was the start of the era of Moe, and then some. During the Golden Era I quite liked Moe - gruff, seedy, often untrustworthy... but here where they started playing with him more, they began upping his harsher, seedier, less likeable elements. Which actually probably seems well at home with the tone of the series that would start to settle in from this season onwards. ...For all I'm saying that may sound negative, I don't outright HATE s9 (I'm actually more just trying to constructively pull apart where those big cracks in the series appeared from). I think it's more that feeling of disappointment that's stuck with me over it all those years. The cracks were getting bigger. There were no nice, well-plotted character episodes in amongst the many 'bigger' "What wacky thing this week" plots, often with both character traits, and the Simpsons-universe logic being more and more discarded. It was watchable, there were still some fair episodes and moments, but coming after the Golden Era, where even a lesser episode would nearly always be of a high standard, now things were entering an era of "...I hope it's a better episode next week", sometimes staying with the series more out of loyalty than to actually eagerly awaiting the next episode. Sadly, things would nosedive to the bottom with Season 10 (though in fairness, my memory does suggest that things did pick up a little in the couple of seasons following that). There are episodes from the season that stick in my mind as really enjoying: Not in the same league as the "How Bart/Lisa/Maggie were born" episodes, 'Lisa's Sax' is one that grew and grew on me. Although it splits the vote and isn't regarded that highly I enjoyed 'Lisa the Skeptic', maybe because it's a return to the more thoughtful character-driven earlier stories (albeit with a semi-satisfying ending). As despite my thoughts on s9+ era Moe, I actually really enjoyed 'Dumbbell Identity', maybe again as it featured more character-driven humour. Oh, and although it's not a common vote, I do consider 'Treehouse of Horror VIII' one of the ToH classics (I adore 'The HΩmega Man' and 'Fly vs. Fly', maybe only 'Easy Bake Coven' letting things down slightly). But the hit-rate was noticeably lower this season; I'll be hard pressed to think of a Top 10 episodes to compare up against yours. ...Essay over.
I think this is an underrated season that doesn't deserve so much hate. Including THAT episode, that is a pretty good episode over the top plot and more cartoonish but full of amazing gags and character development.
I stopped after season 16.. But I rewatched the whole show on Disney + this year... The later seasons are not classics, but not nearly as bad as the internet makes it out to be
@@mullaoslo Interesting. I figured watching the entirety of the series sequentially would make the later season episodes seem even worse due to content fatigue.
@@tatehildyard5332 😂🤣 definetly binge them at your own pace, fatigue is possible.. But no is say most of the later seasons is in the meh category, like I said not classics, but the really bad ones are just as far and few between as the really good ones.. And avarage simpsons is still allot better than allot of other shows..
@@mullaoslo Thanks. would you mind giving me a list of some of the better recent season episodes? I don't like or want to discount the entire back half of this show, but every time I try, I'm just left cold and unamused. In particular, I don't like how Bart and Lisa are written anymore. They don't act or talk like actual kids anymore unless to get a plot point going. That's one of the things I love about Bob's Burgers. The kids are weird and precocious, but they still act and feel like kids.
My favourite thing about your videos is how you highlight aspects of the simpsons that I completely miss. I realise it may sound a little dumb, but I never realised how much crime features in this season
I think Season 9 is still generally part of the golden era, at least for me. I think it's hit and miss, but more hit than miss. It really noticeably tails off in Season 10 though. That season conspicuously marks the end of the show I fell in love with
wow, duffman only premiered in s9!? that's crazy, he feels like such a mainstay and i stopped watching after s10. i would have guessed he came in s3 or 4
Season 9 is what really lead to Moe being one of my favorite characters on the show. It also made me miss Apu since he's pretty much gone in the Mondern era. Take out the reveal in Principle and the Pauper and Jerkass Homer, then the Season as a whole wouldn't have been so negatively received.
Season 9 is when I stopped liking seasons as a whole and more like individual episodes here and there. Season 10 was when I stopped liking episodes as a whole and started differentiating between liking A plots or B plots of given episodes. By season 12 I started just picking out individual jokes out of episodes, which I suppose is a step up from hating everything about season 11.
@@BirdsElopeWithTheSun09 I honestly dont get what people like about the Tomacco episode, it's not offensively bad like most of the season but I remember zero good jokes from it. Behind the Laughter is the stand out episode from that season to me, by far
I like the theory of each season is a different timeline. That theory helps to explain why they celebrate multiple Christmases, why Armin Tamzarian is never mentioned again, and the strong character developments between seasons.
I think Season 9 is a good season, some of its episodes are great, "Lost our Lisa," "This Little Wiggy," "Bart Carny," "The Joy of Sect," "Lisa the Simpson," just to name a few. However, I can see why some people might not like it.
I'm glad you mentioned the underappreciated social commentary, because season 9 doesn't get enough credit for it's satire-oriented episodes. I'm amazed by how many big, polarizing political themes they covered with hilariously over-the-top and still pretty biting episodes. This season boldly tackles subjects like gun control (The Cartridge Family), political populism and seeking easy solutions to pollution problems (Trash of Titans), religion vs. science (Lisa The Skeptic), new religions as financial scams (The Joy of Sect), libertarian views on taxation (The Trouble With Trillions) and ethics of TV journalism (Girly Edition) with full episodes dedicated to them. All of these may not be the absolute best episodes of their kind (I'd likely take Homer Badman at least slightly over Girly Edition as a media satire and Much Apu About Nothing over Trash of Titans as commentary on populism for being funnier), but as a whole, season 9 offers a more impressive selection of satirical episodes than probably any other individual season of this show. As far as the satire-focused episodes are concerned, I'd say the previous golden era seasons may have most of the aces but season 9 has a royal flush.
Really good comment (hence my like)! I (re)watched Trash of the Titans (I probably would have seen it a few times as a kid, but now I am much more 'restrained' when it comes to watching Simpsons episodes, particularly golden era ones) recently (which for me, means I have watched it in the past 8 months), and I feel somewhat conflicted about it. It is a really good episode, with 5-star levels of comedy, but having trash suddenly rocketing from beneath, and *then* having the whole town moved to somewhere nearby, is so ridiculously ungrounded (see what I did there) that it makes watching the episode quite grating. I personally found it very entertaining and hilarious, but it leaves me mostly pleased, somewhat displeased. I suppose what I'm trying to get at, is the idea that having such extreme happenings in the plot (with the town being moved, especially, especially egregious (whether you see that as good or bad)) might be reasonably seen as a stain on the quality of such episodes (which's an idea I'm not particularly for or against, though I do favour for). I'm aware of the over-the-top lashback from some of the fans of the show, & I wouldn't want the show to restrain itself from going for wacky plots, at least not when they can make something genuinely funny or otherwise good out of it, but I feel like there should be a bit of consideration for the fans who want a certain level of continuity.
@@nathanpollard1223 It's a matter of taste, but I like how Trash of the Titans ends with the town getting moved. Firstly, I see Springfield's trash problem as a metaphor for (global) human-caused environmental problems, so the town eventually becoming uninhabitable feels like a dark prophecy or warning about the potential future of civilization. The fact that Springfieldians will rather move their town than try solve the root of the problem also works as a part of the episode's satire. Secondly, the location and geography of Springfield had already been really inconsistent to begin with (sometimes it's an inland town, sometimes it's on the coast; sometimes surrounded by a desert, sometimes by redwood forests, sometimes by mountains etc.), so in the context of the show's lore the idea that the town can be moved might actually answer more questions than it creates. Thirdly, it's not even that unrealistic because there are real-life examples of moved towns (for example the town of Kiruna in Sweden is gradually being moved a few kilometres because of an expanding mine). What I personally dislike in the ending is that pointless mid-credit scene where the U2 members discuss about a spoon and Mr. Burns calls them "wankers". It's lame and it undermines the poignancy of the proper ending (the sight of a huge trash pile where Springfield used to be located). There are also a few other not-that-funny gags in the episode, such as Homer kicking and insulting the bald woman ("Take a hike, Kojak!") which I find perhaps a bit too vulgar. I don't really have any complaints about Trash of the Titans' plot but Much Apu About Nothing is more consistently great with it's jokes.
Personally, I really like season 9 (also one of my favorite season ever) and i think it's a shame that this season gets so much hate almost because of the Skinner episode. I can understand why so many don't like this episode, but that doesn't mean the rest of this season is also bad.
Season 9''s reputation is very debatable from what I've seen. However, I think people are starting to lighten up a little on The Principal and the Pauper. However, it'll never get the Homer's Enemy treatment because the former episode was just an experiment that went horribly wrong. The latter has more context and it makes people think about their current situation. I also don't think this season is hated at all. Many people say Season 9 is the last good season
I never liked #11 - "All Singing, All Dancing". One one of the weakest episodes imo, it annoys the heck out of me somehow. Clipshows can be clever and funny, but not this one.
Honestly, we only way I can describe this and the next few seasons is that inconsistency is what fuels this era. Either way, It's going to be interesting to hear what you have to say about them, not many people really like to analyse the transitional seasons. I kinda hate when some people pretend that we went from Season 8 to Season 13 immediately.
Man I watch your vids for such a long time now and totally forgot to subscribe. Guess so many yters yelling for it these Days that I became totally blind for it. Great Content!
Hot take: it was actually season 30. As a modern Simpsons fan that season just felt odd, even for MS standarts. It just felt like the writters were having less fun and were writting character studies because they ran out of ideas and they felt forced. This was also the season where they made grandpa bi. Although the idea was interesting, it just proves how they were trying hard to make the audience feel something. After this season, I dont know, the hummour felt odd. There were good jokes, the family guy attraction presented in a cutaway was a good one, but it felt like something wasnt there. As if the writters lost their child-like view of the show(not that thats an insult), wich made it MS so insane and now they were just... there.
I always considered season 9 to be "the last good one", sometimes season 10 or 11 if I'm in a generous mood. Not that everything after it is bad... but they're all, at best, "mediocre at best with just a handful of good bits"
As a fan who's main early exposure to the show was the CW reruns and season 9 for some reason being their favorite season to air episodes. I'll always consider this to be an extra golden year. Also i can't wait for the post-movie seasons until about 2013-2014. I consider those episodes to be really underrated. Not classic simpsons level but good enough.
I watched the Principal and the Pauper when it premiered on September 28th, 1997, and I didn't think it was that bad. To put it in a better context, I had just had started watching the Simpsons in syndication the previous year and cut my teeth on reruns of the Jean & Reiss, Mirkin, and Oakley & Weinstein episodes. So, Season 9 to me was just more new episodes of the Simpsons. At that time, I had no idea the depths that Mike Scully was going to sink to literally ushering the advent of Jerkass Homer.
I've always enjoyed season 9. "The joy of sect" was always one of my favorites. Not to say season 9 is the best season in the series, but it's definitely not without it's charms.
I really like season 9, yeah it's less good than sesson 8 but this is my favorite season haha. Some of my favorites episodes are in that season too : - Homer vs New York -The Cartridge Familly -Bart Star -Simpson Tide -The trouble with Trillions - Trash of the Titans An Homer's season overall, but a strong one.
Season 9 IS the start of a new era for me, though it has classic elements, to me some of the new ideas Mike Scully brought to the table don’t really work for me. I’m probably a little more negative on it than most, but I still like it a little
I like season nine for the most part. I don’t think it’s as good as what came before this season (season 6 is my personal favorite) and it does feel a bit messy sometimes, but I truly think there are some real jems of episodes in there. I personally consider it part of the Simpson’s ‘Golden Era’ (for me it’s season 1-9), even if Homer does kinda fall into his ‘jerky’ territory here, although I do understand why people don’t consider it in the classic era. I accept season nine, but I do draw the line for the golden era at Season 10. I don’t think season ten is terrible or anything, but I do consider it a larger step down than season nine’s step down in quality
The quality of the show as still there it was just spread a lot thinner. If Seasons 1-8 are considered the "Golden Age", then that makes seasons 9-12 the "Silver Age".
Season 9 might be the last good season of 'The Simpsons'. And I like how you pointed out that most of the vehicles in 'Hit and Run' are from this season. Maybe you should do a walk through on 'Hit and Run'. Also, I'm still waiting for an extra seconds on 'The Principal and The Pauper'.
I believe that season 9 and 10 was the middle ground between classic and "zombie" Simpsons. In season 9, you have episodes like Homer Vs New York (my all-time favourite episode) yet you also have Principle and the Pauper that is known by many as one of the worst episodes ever. I think it was season 11 where things truly went downhill...
I think you hit the nail on the head with "smelling smoke." It's not on fire yet, it's still perfectly watchable, but it is definitely the beginning of the end.
This season has a sweet, heavenly voice, like Urkel. And he appears every friday night, like Urkel.
I like the way Snrub thinks.
Homer says Alf instead of Urkel in the Mexican/Latin dub
Well your story is very compelling Mr. Jackass; I mean, Simpson.
Let me just type it up on my invisible typewriter...
That’s from season 8
That little snot, boy I’d like to smack that kid!
"A group of funny comedians and Jay Leno will do a show there"
Ha, that was a good one Jims
"i gave you a bath!"
roasted
That's an optimistic, American dream message. You too can be unfunny and amass a collection of 200 cars!
A man of culture
@@SnabbKassa True! Leno has a helluva collection, whatever we might think about his comedy.
I always forget how late in the show it is when Duffman and Crazy Cat Lady show up. My brain always assumes they've been there earlier for some reason.
DUFFMAN does not exist in the golden age of this series, oh yeah!
@@spazerdazer8421 DUFFMAN! A silver age hero for the silver age of The Simpsons, oh yeah!
Same
Yeah there's some characters no that feel like they've always been there, but in reality that's far from it. Gil, Duffman, Crazy Cat Lady, Manjula, Disco Stu, etc.
@@k-leb4671 who's disco stu?
Look at season nine with seasons 1-8 in the rearview, and it shows its flaws. But look at it with season 10-17 on the horizon, and it shows its strengths.
Season 10 is one of the good ones in my opinion. And are you just tuning out seasons 18 through 32 because you dislike them so much or are they good in your opinion?
You are wise, commenter man.
So the figurative turning point of the Simpsons
@Elijah Neil Season 1 is really meh, Season 9 is better.
@@BirdsElopeWithTheSun09 I agree. Season 1 is not bad, but it's clear that they're trying to figure out how to turn the animated shorts on the Tracey Ullman Show into actual 1/2 hour episodes. And I'll say the first three or so episodes looked rough at best. Thankfully by the middle of the second season they got their shit together and as soon as season 3 started it was on.
I know season 9 is divisive amongst fans but I really enjoy season 9 for the most part.
So do I, It’s a step down from the quality before (in my opinion) but it’s not bad or anything, I think there are some real jems in there, and I personally consider it part of the classic era, although I get why some people say otherwise
Season 9 I think was when the first cracks started to show, but it's still good on the whole. Season 11 they became more apparent with things like the jockey elves and lazy writing, and by the time we got to Season 16, the writing was on the wall.
Season 9 is a mixed bag. You've got some funny clever episodes and you have some dumpster fire ones too.
Season 9 is pretty much where the downfall starts.
@@DeltaAssaultGaming Honestly I’m a fan of The Simpsons up to season 15 or so. After that it’s a real mixed bag for me.
I gotta tell ya, this season's pretty terrific.
best username ever.
Hi there. I'm looking for a comment from a Butz, first name Seymour?
@@tbirddddd Sorry, I'm Hugh Jazz.
Hey have you seen my friend?
Last name Mike first name rotch
@@Jstrides
Eh... hold on I'll check.
Uhm. Rotch Mike! Hey, has any body here seen Rotch Mike? Ok fellas, I got someone here that wants to get in touch with Rotch Mike!
Anyone?
(You got the first and last name mixed up. *That's the joke* ).
The joy of sect has to be one of the funniest episodes in the shows history
That's gotta be one of my favourite episodes
Nanananana nanananana
Totally one of my favorite episodes.
whats the plot of that episode again? or what number is it?
@@GundamDroid the episode with the leader
Imagine when "Season 32 retrospective" is uploaded
If it wasn't for RealJims I'd have never watched bothered to watch s11-s31 (outside of The Book Job) over this year so I'd be there for it. There's a surprisingly large number of solid to good and even a few great (like the Book Job) eps to be found in that run.
Its going to be interesting to see what he gets out of the Zombie Simpsons era. While yeah, the show as a whole isnt as good, I still find at least 3-4 great episodes in the latest seasons
Since he's done 9 season retrospectives and it's been almost 2 years and assuming he keeps his uploads consistent, see y'all in about 4.9 years when he gets to season 32. I should note that it'll probably be much easier to review some later seasons, since there isn't much to say about them, other than that they're very mediocre.
@@stryke-jn3kv Well sure, but even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.
@@Lowmanification Is that how the saying goes in English? Or did you translate that directly from another language? In German, it's a blind chicken that finds a seed or something. I don't think there's an exact equivalent for it in English.
Armin Tamzarian aside, I like season 9. And even if I hate the premise, it's still a funny episode.
"Now of course, if I knew there was a war going on, I probably would've apologized"
Apu: "Just sign it with an X and then you can call yourself whatever the hell you want".
@@BirdsElopeWithTheSun09 "Principal Skinner?"
"Up yours, children!"
I don't care what anybody says. "Up yours children!" is one of the greatest lines delivered by this series.
I love the premise, but hate the ending
Armin's frozen peas!
I actually quite like season 9, there's the odd clunker but it still has some golden era standards like Trash of the Titans and Double Indemnity. It's definitely the last season cut from the same cloth as the classic seasons. By season 10 they really began to feel irrelevant but I also like season 10 in its own weird way.
Seasons 10-12 aren't great but they have some charm to them, inconsistent but still filled with lots of good stuff overall. Not golden era like previously, mostly Silver Era where the good and the bad mix
It has the,”I gotta watch this season before the network retools it”feeling.
Season 10 is still really funny even though it's a big step down from season 9 which was already a step down from season 8. I feel like it's season 11-12 where the show became what I'd consider bad
I can only agree with the comments here. Season 9 still has some of my all time favorite episodes and is overall pretty good. If we dismiss the few weak episodes in between, this can clearly be considered a golden era season.
Some bad trends may have started in season 9, but only really became major issues in later years. I think many videos and articles pointing out how s9 started the decline of the Simpsons are misunderstood in a way that people think that season itself was bad. I definitely don't think that.
I also still like seasons 10 to 12, but there the decline becomes more and more apparent.
@@Bierbuxe Marge being a realator and homer having snakes car is honestly in my top 20 Simpson episodes ever. There is a bit of clunk but it’s still great.
You are never too nitpicky
I think it just squeezes in to be a golden age series. Apart from the Skinner episode, none of the other ones hit me with the,”Uggh this episode I hate this one.”
I want to print this RUclips comment out and show it to my mom
@@23kurtzy Well it's retrospective and season 9 was pretty okay, like season 10 was the moment they just started killing as jokes and the show became increasingly les funny, it still has some funny moments like the Japan episode, but even that one is not greatest episode in history tbh
@@23kurtzy And even the Skinner episode has some very funny bits and a good performance by Martin Sheen. It's character assassination and the whole "riding the outsider out on a rail bit" is lame, but there are some definite chuckles. It's a terribly uneven episode.
That kind of sums up the ninth season. The parts are greater than the whole. There are some hilarious bits and phrases and even a couple of complete episodes (Joy of Sect might be my favorite for the season), but each episode, it seems, is missing something and they don't quite follow through. Whether it's a weak B-plot or a terrible third act/ending or a really disjointed beginning, many of the shows don't coalesce. Any season that introduces Gil to the world can't be too terrible, but it is a step down.
Or can you? 🤔
Since season 9 and 10 are often seen as a turning point for the show it'll be interesting to see you start to talk about the middle seasons more soon. I enjoy hearing your takes on some of the lesser discussed stuff outside of the classic era. (I like the classic videos too but you know what I mean!)
I am an avid classic Simpson fan but I wasn't a huge fan of season 8 and season 9-10 continued what season 8 was. The subsequent few seasons weren't that great but I did start enjoying Simpsons again about season 17-18.
@@Starkardur I feel like Seasons 11-16 were pretty hit and miss. Here we have a time of The Simpsons with many, many episodes that are generally considered bad (Kill the Aligator and Run, New Kids on the Bleech, Simpson Safari, Brawl in the Family, The Regina Monologues, Co-Dependent's Day, Bart-Mangled Banner, On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister, etc), but it also has many many great moments that nowadays, can be considered classics (Behind the Laughter, HOMЯ, The Great Louse Detective, My Mother The Carjacker, Simple Simpson, etc). This trend will continue all the way to the present, where yes, we do have some amazing episodes sprinkled around the seasons, but finding good episode after good episode like the classic years is getting harder and harder.
I noticed that a lot during LS Mark's 6 hour long review of all episodes. During earlier seasons, I'd be arguing with myself about what episode should've been in 12th or 13th place. During later seasons, I'd look at the top 5, the bottom 5, and a pile of meh in between and go "yep".
@@blakenbryce While I personally don't agree (3-8 ftw imo), I don't feel like mid-late seasons deserve the hatred they get. There are some true gems and classsic moments in there, even on the latest seasons. And even some episodes that don't really do well with people (*cough* Lisa Goes Gaga *cough* Guess Who Came To Be Dinner *cough*), i give props for the writters for trying something different.
I can't wait for this series to get complete so we can discuss them in more detail. And I'd love more reviews of episodes from Seasons 11-18, they exist sort of in a limbo between classic and current Simpsons.
I really like season 9 and 10 they aren’t my favorite but they aren’t bad
@@blakenbryce sorry bug really those seasons were mainly thoroughly mediocre
"A group of funny comedians and Jay Leno" Shade.
The only good thing about Jay Leno is his garage.
@@RobiticDuck You mean his car hole?
I think season 9 is fine, and it's likely that the show was still solid all throughout Scully's run, my memory of the show beyond season 10 is pretty fuzzy to confirm, but yeah, still I like season 9 a lot.
I would agree. It's not like they went downhill from here. More that Simpsons began to hit a plateau where the show could do whatever the hell it wanted but was still consistently funny.
Season 10 is where the Simpsons died
Season 9 wasn't even a full Scully Season, that was Season 10-12.
i consider season 9 golden era, watching this made me realize all the great moments in the season !!!!
Season 9 was still entertaining and it still felt, fundamentally, like The Simpsons. Back in 1998 I doubt there were too many fans ringing the alarm bells. But we can see in hindsight, that some of the aggressive and mindless trends associated with Zombie Simpsons, manifested themselves in season 9. But for isolated viewing purposes, it's still great television.
Yeah, that's why I love this series, because he really goes back with a fine tooth comb, and we can use hindsight to really judge these seasons.
the usenet fans were ringing the bells since s5
@@MarsofAritia I wonder where the usenet fans are now...
Season 9 is always going to have a special place in my heart because it's the first season I watched regularly. The cracks might be showing, but I think it mostly holds up.
My favorite episode is "Lisa's Sax," mostly because it's a holdover from Season 7 (in case you couldn't tell from the Doris Grau voice clip and the fuzzy math. They're telling the story of Bart's first day of kindergarten back in 1990, so this was definitely intended to air back in 1995), but it's also incredibly sweet with some great TV parodies as well.
I also have a special love for "Bart Star," "The Joy of Sect," "Das Bus," "The Last Temptation of Krust," "Lisa the Simpson," "Simpson Tide," "Girly Edition," "Trash of the Titans" and "KIng of the Hill."
The worst episodes are probably "The Principal and the Pauper," "The Trouble with Trillions" and "Lost Our Lisa." However, I think even the worst Season 9 episodes are highly quotable with at least a handful of big laughs. That's what I think sets it apart from the worst Season 10 episodes.
I honestly really like Lost Our Lisa. It's a solid Lisa story that treats her like a real person, and I like that Homer is able to teach her a genuine and actually really important lesson that really fits well with his character and his experiences. It's easy for smart kids to react so badly to failure that they stop challenging themselves and end up falling behind. While Homer is definitely often too reckless in his life, his message on the importance of taking risks is well calibrated for Lisa's situation.
Plus, it brought us the "Don't make me tap the sign" guy!
I had Season 9 on DVD as a kid, so I have fond memories of these episodes.
Me but with season 10
@@AxeIRad Takes me back to the 2007 days
Still some absolute bangers this season.
“Season eight didn’t bother adding anyone”
*shows still from episode that introduced Lindsey Naegle*
Is she a brunette in that still? I don't think so but maybe I wasn't paying attention. In season eight, the character is introduced but has a slightly different design. Blonde Lindsay Naegle first appears in season nine.
Tbh Lindsey isnt much of a character, shes more of a caricature like the blue haired lawyer
I actually really appreciate this video. I never really thought about it but season 9 legitimately has a lot of my all-time favorite episodes in it!
I feel seasons 9 to about 12 are still part of classic simpsons, but they are also the seasons that transformed the show into what it became
Season 9 is still mostly great, but definitely where cracks start to form. Season 10 is still able to sneak in a great episodes from time to time. I think season 11 is where the show really hits the point of no return. From then on truly great episodes become rather scarce.
@@Stuie299 Yeah Season 11 really starts to bring in Jerkass Homer, a whole lotta shoehorned guest stars, more cruel overall even more than 9, and unnecessary character changes. Still not boring like S21+ but it really loses it grip at that point imo.
@@Stuie299 I agree, season 11 is where the classics end. Season 12 is where the "current" simpsons starts.
Classic Simpsons, but not Golden Years Simpsons
@@GundamDroid current Simpsons for me truly start at Season 12's boy band episode where they had Nsync as guest stars. I watched this episode back in the day both in the original English and in the classic Latin American Spanish dub, and in both just falls flat. And it may not have started the trend of putting celebrities just because celebrities, but it's definitely guilty of reinforcing that trend.
Honestly I like this season. Almost the same if not more than a couple of the past ones. Even has one of my absolute favorite Treehouse specials.
I prefer Season 9 over Season 1-3
I unironically consider this season to be just as good as 7 and 8.
Its a bit messier agreed, but it more than makes up for it in pure hilarity and wildness
I agree
I wouldn't say it's as good as Season 7, but I think it's about the same as Season 8 quality wise, just a wilder extension of it.
This video made me appreciate season 9 a lot more. I never hated it, but I always felt like it had a slightly weirder vibe compared to any season before it. Will definitely rewatch it before your top ten video! So many people focus on the negatives of this season that I have no idea what people generally consider the best of it.
I agree. Genuinely, I believe season 9 was very inconsistent. It has my favourite episode, Homer vs New York, yet it has what is know as the worst episodes in the whole of The Simpsons run, the Principle and the Pauper. I think Season 10 is the most inconsistent with quality and I believe it's season 11 where things truly went downhill.
@@ThunderboltRUclips anyone who says Principal and the Pauper is the worst episode never saw the Lady Gaga episode.
I'm sick of bandwagoners just agreeing that "yeah season 9 sucks, yeah pnp sucks"
@@troywright359 anyone who says PNP is one of the worst ever is ignoring so much garbage post like 2010. that Musk episode comes to mind. but sure, PNP is the absolute worst bc an animated comedy doing something stupid and then ignoring it is a sin.
@@thebasedgodmax1163 yes, the ending of the whole episode is what i really dislike. I thought they might have a clever or interesting escape. Nooo.
@@troywright359 the ending is the weakest part I agree. but I don't feel like that ending ruins the episode, let alone ruins the show as some say.
"Now the car's gonna have to represent you, and, uh this little toy man will represent the car."
Just discovered your channel recently, and have basically binged everything
Well done
Me too, this is a rather good segment.
Glad you have enjoyed the videos!
Literally same
Samee
Be prepared for all the Comic Book Guy-levels of arguing in these comments
Worst. Comment section. Ever.
Mmmhhhhh acshually I'd prefer you call him Comic Shop Guy because you see he isn't really a comic book character as your name would imply but the owner of a comic book shop
@@sephikong8323 Hmmm well if you want to get technical his name is Jeff Albertson, comic book guy is a solidified nickname, whether it is accurate is irrelevant as this is his nickname. His name is referring to his love for comic books, not for his love of comic shops, sure, he is a guy who owns a comic shop, but, not really, if anything, he should be called comic book shop guy, yes, it's longer, but as you're getting technical, I'll also get technical, so, everyone is wrong, really, it should go comic book shop guy, or go with his actual confirmed nickname of comic book guy, comic shop guy doesn't quite work.
Ackshually, I beg to differ...
@Rusty Shackleford Well, I don't know about the others, but mine was intended to be read that way at least so good on you for that
All I know is that when I see one of your analysis episodes, I just wish I could travel back in time to the mid to late '90's and very early '00's. Seeing these episodes just makes me feel super nostalgic for life back then and going through it as a teenager. I wouldn't say it was carefree exactly, but it was very... relaxed at times. Things were generally more easy going, yet there was a lot going on.
Absolutely stunning, the information you revealed about the show runners. Season 9 is one of my top 5 favorite seasons, now I know why - the storyline diversity is attractive.
As a 24 year old. Season 9 was the first season I fondly remember. (Since in my Country it aired around 2001-2002 despite its original September 21, 1997 airing.) While I do have alot of nostalgia for the episodes, I do personally feel like after all the other seasons. Its still really fun.
You're 26 now, what's your favorite season?
"I'm not normally a praying man, but if you're up there, save me, Superman!"
"I smell smoke" is a really good way of putting it.
Like, smoke, kindling, then around season 15 is where it's an entire house fire.
Then ablaze for say, 5 more seasons.
Now, it's just ash.
Are you still watching it, hoping for a non-fiery phoenix to raise from the ashes? Because I am.
@@camelopardalis84 I can at least hope the ashes turn into fertile soil for fruit. Full on Phoenix, I'm not sure.
@@dr.badguyreviews6785 I hope you'll eventually remember me if in March of 2045, while watching the newest episode of the Simpsons, the words "That's almost a full-on Phoenix!", at first inexplicably so, pop into your mind.
@@camelopardalis84 Mark the date! Il be 50 odd, and I'll jump up and yell "Phoenix!" and they'll go "Sir, please take your meds."
@@dr.badguyreviews6785 I'll be 60. And since I've been having mild hearing problems for at least a decade by now, possibly much longer, I may only hear you should I be wearing my hearing aid that I just deduced I might be in need of until then.
And we've finally left the golden age. It'll be interesting to hear your thoughts on the lesser known seasons
Also I would say that season 9 through like season 16-18 of the simpsons form a twilight years of the show, we're still far from modern zombie simpsons it's not entirely a bad show yet but you can tell from every season in that era that not only is it not the same show anymore but that it is still mostly getting worse
I really love Season 9, despite its flaws. I think it has a distinct flavour. The reason the elements that would bog down the other Scully-led seasons work for me here is that they are present in episodes that have a similar darkish tone to the previous two seasons. Like you said in the review, it’s hard to pin down the “feel” of Season 9 but it is unique and I think the shift in quality between 9 and 10 is stark. 9 definitely gets included in what I consider the Classic era. (Another great retrospective btw, this channel is amazing 🥰)
And now we begin the Simpsons’ slow but inevitable decline into being known almost exclusively for being the world’s most spectacular fortune teller
Pray for Jims
It's funny cause really the only thing they predicted was Trump, if that throw away line in the worst episode of season 11 wasn't there they wouldn't have that reputation at all
To be honest I didn't realize just how many of my favorite episodes were in season 9. When I think of this season I think of "Principal and the Pauper" and not the fact it had my favorite Simpsons Christmas episode. So overall I'd agree this was by and large a golden age season, but the problems that would lead to the show's decline were becoming visible at this point.
This is a great video. Thank you for taking such a fair look into this season, never felt you were too forgiving or nitpicky here. Season 9 is definitely a guilty pleasure season and has so many gems and amazing jokes underneath the flaws that stick out.
Well, here we go with my obligatory essay.... Some interesting thoughts on Season 9, TheRealJims, and I agree - it is 'chaotic'. It's tone is all over the place, feeling like a lot of ideas and elements, including a few leftovers, all vying for attention and arguably never really settling throughout the whole season. As I've commented many times before now, I consider the Golden Era to be Seasons 3-7 (with s1-2 being very high standard Silver Era); the Golden Season was definitely over with Season 8, where there were still some fun moments and good episodes mixed in but the cracks were showing... Season 9 is like Season 8 and more-so!
I remember feeling at the time that post-Golden Era season felt the effects of the other adult animated comedies that were starting to come in (I've always pointed to 'South Park, due to the BBC here in the UK running The Simpsons several years behind by which time 'South Park' was already several seasons in here, but US-wise that actually started it's run at the same time of S9) that at times, some might have seen to be making the once-biting Simpsons almost look a little tame (an incorrect in my view) and either consciously or subconsciously, the new show-runners seemed to be upping up the harsher, topical, seedier side of things. Yes things need to move on and progress, and the family satire of S1-2 (which I know you and I both love Jims) had already very much passed. But with S9 having so many 'harsh' topical, sometimes biting episodes, it often felt to have little real heart. Characters, especially supporting ones, seemed to be played more for harsher, shocking laughs, which was fine and had already been done so in many Golden Era episodes, but there was no grounding to them, no brining them back down to earth afterwards.
And that goes for the episodes themselves - you mention many of the endings, which was something I picked up on too. Sometimes they just sort of peter out with little or no real 'answer' or conclusion, and often they will again close on a harsh (or wacky) joke. By this time the more outlandish and 'wacky' plots were definitely on the up, but to do that, things generally need to be reigned in again at the end, to effectively reset things back and reflect how things are part of the bigger picture in Springfield. There was little of that in this era, seeming to be more focused on "What wacky thing are they gonna do next week?".
I think much of the problem was that there was now no 'mirror' to the viewers - in earlier seasons, we could often relate to the dysfunctional family, the cynical side of life, the caricatures of which we could relate to people we knew of... by this phase with the either further-fetched or 'colder' style of humour, there was increasingly less of that. We could less easily laugh at the "dysfunctional family who are almost as bad as us!!" and the unexpected, amusing, well-constructed situations they would find themselves in each week (and resolved by the end of the episode with a "begging-middle-and-end of tale" context), now things were far more "...Okay, well there's some funny stuff happening to the characters we watch each week. And less with that subversive warmth and more with the harsher, less-relatable tone of writing. Episodes that would once have had some warmth or charm laced into them were now handled quite differently; example: 'Miracle on Evergreen Terrace'. Where once this disastrous, cynical, 'harsh' Christmas would have had things for us to warm to, now much of it was such 'cold' humour that at times you might be at risk of catching frost bite. Complete with the "Okay, that's a little bit wacky, maybe a little bit depressing" ending.
This felt really to be the point where writers/producers fully became self-aware; to the point of the serious trying to double-guess itself. The sorts of things it would once subvert in it's humour, now it would be trying to outwit it's own expectations and subvert what itself did. Which maybe in principal is fine, but which contributes to that whole chaotic, unfocused feel. Add to that "Hey, I know, let's move the entire town at the end of an episode" and the now INFAMOUS Principal Skinner/Armin Tamzarian fiasco, and it's like "Hey, what are the strengths of the previous seasons that we can now undermine and undo to get a quick semi-funny gag out of?". The rules of the Simpsons universe were being shifted and expanded, which maybe for a long-running show is both inevitable and necessary... but were back to that 'chaos', there was no focus or deciding on direction. And as such, damage was sadly done.
...And with that self-recognition of success, they also started trading off of that more. Key example: "The world loves Homer. Okay, so lets up the Homer, lets have him doing more and more far-fetched and amusing things and push his characteristics further" (...at the cost of his lovable characteristics), which would be the seeds of infamous Jerk-Ass Homer who would be ruling by the following season. And the secondary-characters... there was a real increase of loving to used second or third tier Springfield semi-regulars because of reasons. Which is fine, where there actually is a good or amusing reason, though at times it was the start of "Hey you know what will be hilarious? Lets suddenly have Disco Stu* here, because he lives in Springfield and people remember him from living in Springfield and it makes it seem more like Springfield" (* - substitute Disco Stu with any such level character as deemed fit).
In my memory, this certainly was the year (or a year) for Lisa, with her often being the moral focal point of plots, and I remember feeling at the time that maybe she had become a little TOO moral. I miss both that "female Bart" of the very early shorts, and the confused, cynical, sometimes lost Lisa of much of S2 and on into the Golden Era. And as you rightly point out, this was the start of the era of Moe, and then some. During the Golden Era I quite liked Moe - gruff, seedy, often untrustworthy... but here where they started playing with him more, they began upping his harsher, seedier, less likeable elements. Which actually probably seems well at home with the tone of the series that would start to settle in from this season onwards.
...For all I'm saying that may sound negative, I don't outright HATE s9 (I'm actually more just trying to constructively pull apart where those big cracks in the series appeared from). I think it's more that feeling of disappointment that's stuck with me over it all those years. The cracks were getting bigger. There were no nice, well-plotted character episodes in amongst the many 'bigger' "What wacky thing this week" plots, often with both character traits, and the Simpsons-universe logic being more and more discarded. It was watchable, there were still some fair episodes and moments, but coming after the Golden Era, where even a lesser episode would nearly always be of a high standard, now things were entering an era of "...I hope it's a better episode next week", sometimes staying with the series more out of loyalty than to actually eagerly awaiting the next episode. Sadly, things would nosedive to the bottom with Season 10 (though in fairness, my memory does suggest that things did pick up a little in the couple of seasons following that).
There are episodes from the season that stick in my mind as really enjoying: Not in the same league as the "How Bart/Lisa/Maggie were born" episodes, 'Lisa's Sax' is one that grew and grew on me. Although it splits the vote and isn't regarded that highly I enjoyed 'Lisa the Skeptic', maybe because it's a return to the more thoughtful character-driven earlier stories (albeit with a semi-satisfying ending). As despite my thoughts on s9+ era Moe, I actually really enjoyed 'Dumbbell Identity', maybe again as it featured more character-driven humour. Oh, and although it's not a common vote, I do consider 'Treehouse of Horror VIII' one of the ToH classics (I adore 'The HΩmega Man' and 'Fly vs. Fly', maybe only 'Easy Bake Coven' letting things down slightly). But the hit-rate was noticeably lower this season; I'll be hard pressed to think of a Top 10 episodes to compare up against yours. ...Essay over.
Great, constructive analysis!
Season 9, 1 and 2 are my 3 favourite seasons of the show. 3-5 is gold, along with 6-8
This is a great addition to Jim’s video. You put my feelings into words perfectly - thank you!
I think this is an underrated season that doesn't deserve so much hate. Including THAT episode, that is a pretty good episode over the top plot and more cartoonish but full of amazing gags and character development.
I for one, loved the musical clip show idea. Songs are the best way to have an audience experience something over again.
I've watched all of these videos but haven't watched The Simpsons in 20 years.
I stopped after season 16.. But I rewatched the whole show on Disney + this year... The later seasons are not classics, but not nearly as bad as the internet makes it out to be
@@mullaoslo Interesting. I figured watching the entirety of the series sequentially would make the later season episodes seem even worse due to content fatigue.
@@tatehildyard5332 😂🤣 definetly binge them at your own pace, fatigue is possible.. But no is say most of the later seasons is in the meh category, like I said not classics, but the really bad ones are just as far and few between as the really good ones.. And avarage simpsons is still allot better than allot of other shows..
@@mullaoslo Thanks. would you mind giving me a list of some of the better recent season episodes? I don't like or want to discount the entire back half of this show, but every time I try, I'm just left cold and unamused. In particular, I don't like how Bart and Lisa are written anymore. They don't act or talk like actual kids anymore unless to get a plot point going. That's one of the things I love about Bob's Burgers. The kids are weird and precocious, but they still act and feel like kids.
My favourite thing about your videos is how you highlight aspects of the simpsons that I completely miss. I realise it may sound a little dumb, but I never realised how much crime features in this season
I think Season 9 is still generally part of the golden era, at least for me. I think it's hit and miss, but more hit than miss. It really noticeably tails off in Season 10 though. That season conspicuously marks the end of the show I fell in love with
wow, duffman only premiered in s9!? that's crazy, he feels like such a mainstay and i stopped watching after s10. i would have guessed he came in s3 or 4
Season 9 is what really lead to Moe being one of my favorite characters on the show. It also made me miss Apu since he's pretty much gone in the Mondern era. Take out the reveal in Principle and the Pauper and Jerkass Homer, then the Season as a whole wouldn't have been so negatively received.
Season 9 is when I stopped liking seasons as a whole and more like individual episodes here and there. Season 10 was when I stopped liking episodes as a whole and started differentiating between liking A plots or B plots of given episodes. By season 12 I started just picking out individual jokes out of episodes, which I suppose is a step up from hating everything about season 11.
Season 11 has that Tomaco episode though
@@BirdsElopeWithTheSun09 Despite that, Season 11 tastes like Grandma.
I really like the episode where Barney tries to give up alcohol.
@@BirdsElopeWithTheSun09 I honestly dont get what people like about the Tomacco episode, it's not offensively bad like most of the season but I remember zero good jokes from it. Behind the Laughter is the stand out episode from that season to me, by far
@@acblook sneed
I like the theory of each season is a different timeline. That theory helps to explain why they celebrate multiple Christmases, why Armin Tamzarian is never mentioned again, and the strong character developments between seasons.
I know many people consider season 8 to be the last great season, but I consider season 9 the last great season.
Same.
I consider season 9 to be a transition season between the golden age and the current age we find today.
@@thegroove14 nah current simpsons is different compared to the teen years
I consider that to be 26. After that its very hit and miss.
I consider season 7 to be the last great season.
I’m loving these season retrospectives so far👌🏽👌🏽🔥
My opinion is classic Simpsons doesn't sharply end, it slowly fades away with it finally phasing out with Maud's death.
It's a shame they never had another season after this one
Cringe.
Lol.
@@ChiefMedicPururu Truth hurts?
@@MosoKaiser That's not truth, that's denial.
@@ChiefMedicPururu Sure, they kept pushing out stuff under the same name, but it's just never been the same since.
I appreciate how the pictures move in time with your voice
I think Season 9 is a good season, some of its episodes are great, "Lost our Lisa," "This Little Wiggy," "Bart Carny," "The Joy of Sect," "Lisa the Simpson," just to name a few. However, I can see why some people might not like it.
I'm with you except for Bart Carney.
Most underrated channel. Glad I discovered this
I can’t understand how fans think episodes like “joy of sect” or “the Cartridge family” or “reality bites” are all in “zombie” simpsons.
I get so much joy when I see you have uploaded
never clicked so fast i was watching the other retrospectives just last night
As someone who grew up hyperfixated on Simpsons, FF9 specifically, and Sonic: these videos are always a trip 💜
I'm glad you mentioned the underappreciated social commentary, because season 9 doesn't get enough credit for it's satire-oriented episodes. I'm amazed by how many big, polarizing political themes they covered with hilariously over-the-top and still pretty biting episodes. This season boldly tackles subjects like gun control (The Cartridge Family), political populism and seeking easy solutions to pollution problems (Trash of Titans), religion vs. science (Lisa The Skeptic), new religions as financial scams (The Joy of Sect), libertarian views on taxation (The Trouble With Trillions) and ethics of TV journalism (Girly Edition) with full episodes dedicated to them.
All of these may not be the absolute best episodes of their kind (I'd likely take Homer Badman at least slightly over Girly Edition as a media satire and Much Apu About Nothing over Trash of Titans as commentary on populism for being funnier), but as a whole, season 9 offers a more impressive selection of satirical episodes than probably any other individual season of this show. As far as the satire-focused episodes are concerned, I'd say the previous golden era seasons may have most of the aces but season 9 has a royal flush.
Really good comment (hence my like)! I (re)watched Trash of the Titans (I probably would have seen it a few times as a kid, but now I am much more 'restrained' when it comes to watching Simpsons episodes, particularly golden era ones) recently (which for me, means I have watched it in the past 8 months), and I feel somewhat conflicted about it. It is a really good episode, with 5-star levels of comedy, but having trash suddenly rocketing from beneath, and *then* having the whole town moved to somewhere nearby, is so ridiculously ungrounded (see what I did there) that it makes watching the episode quite grating. I personally found it very entertaining and hilarious, but it leaves me mostly pleased, somewhat displeased.
I suppose what I'm trying to get at, is the idea that having such extreme happenings in the plot (with the town being moved, especially, especially egregious (whether you see that as good or bad)) might be reasonably seen as a stain on the quality of such episodes (which's an idea I'm not particularly for or against, though I do favour for).
I'm aware of the over-the-top lashback from some of the fans of the show, & I wouldn't want the show to restrain itself from going for wacky plots, at least not when they can make something genuinely funny or otherwise good out of it, but I feel like there should be a bit of consideration for the fans who want a certain level of continuity.
@@nathanpollard1223 It's a matter of taste, but I like how Trash of the Titans ends with the town getting moved. Firstly, I see Springfield's trash problem as a metaphor for (global) human-caused environmental problems, so the town eventually becoming uninhabitable feels like a dark prophecy or warning about the potential future of civilization. The fact that Springfieldians will rather move their town than try solve the root of the problem also works as a part of the episode's satire. Secondly, the location and geography of Springfield had already been really inconsistent to begin with (sometimes it's an inland town, sometimes it's on the coast; sometimes surrounded by a desert, sometimes by redwood forests, sometimes by mountains etc.), so in the context of the show's lore the idea that the town can be moved might actually answer more questions than it creates. Thirdly, it's not even that unrealistic because there are real-life examples of moved towns (for example the town of Kiruna in Sweden is gradually being moved a few kilometres because of an expanding mine).
What I personally dislike in the ending is that pointless mid-credit scene where the U2 members discuss about a spoon and Mr. Burns calls them "wankers". It's lame and it undermines the poignancy of the proper ending (the sight of a huge trash pile where Springfield used to be located). There are also a few other not-that-funny gags in the episode, such as Homer kicking and insulting the bald woman ("Take a hike, Kojak!") which I find perhaps a bit too vulgar. I don't really have any complaints about Trash of the Titans' plot but Much Apu About Nothing is more consistently great with it's jokes.
Adore this series. Can't imagine you continuing the retrospective into Season 15 and beyond
5:30 *though, wasn't the New York episode a holdover from the previous season? "I'M, CHECKING IN!"*
Yes i been waiting so long for this video thank you
Personally, I really like season 9 (also one of my favorite season ever) and i think it's a shame that this season gets so much hate almost because of the Skinner episode. I can understand why so many don't like this episode, but that doesn't mean the rest of this season is also bad.
Season 9''s reputation is very debatable from what I've seen. However, I think people are starting to lighten up a little on The Principal and the Pauper. However, it'll never get the Homer's Enemy treatment because the former episode was just an experiment that went horribly wrong. The latter has more context and it makes people think about their current situation. I also don't think this season is hated at all. Many people say Season 9 is the last good season
I think it just slides in as a golden age season. I never had any, “Uggh this episode” moments, other than the skinner one.
I never liked #11 - "All Singing, All Dancing". One one of the weakest episodes imo, it annoys the heck out of me somehow. Clipshows can be clever and funny, but not this one.
@@talkingben5190 I like your profile pic 😂😂
@@seharzt2729 138th episode spectacular was the only good clipshow, all the other ones suck
Honestly, we only way I can describe this and the next few seasons is that inconsistency is what fuels this era. Either way, It's going to be interesting to hear what you have to say about them, not many people really like to analyse the transitional seasons. I kinda hate when some people pretend that we went from Season 8 to Season 13 immediately.
Man I watch your vids for such a long time now and totally forgot to subscribe. Guess so many yters yelling for it these Days that I became totally blind for it.
Great Content!
Well here we go, the season that many say marks the downfall of the Simpsons and the end of classic Simpsons.
*Others say Season 10. Others say Season 18. Let's just agree its true downfall was during the uh, the first Tracy Ullman Skit.*
Hot take: it was actually season 30.
As a modern Simpsons fan that season just felt odd, even for MS standarts.
It just felt like the writters were having less fun and were writting character studies because they ran out of ideas and they felt forced.
This was also the season where they made grandpa bi. Although the idea was interesting, it just proves how they were trying hard to make the audience feel something.
After this season, I dont know, the hummour felt odd. There were good jokes, the family guy attraction presented in a cutaway was a good one, but it felt like something wasnt there.
As if the writters lost their child-like view of the show(not that thats an insult), wich made it MS so insane and now they were just... there.
There is value to each one, we can't just throw 20 years of art into the same bag without giving them a fair shot.
@@matti.8465
b-but it’s all bad, ALL OF IT I TELLS YA! /s
Love the subtle sonic three credits track in the background
"Hey! That's just my Aspirin!"
This was one of my favorite seasons!
I always considered season 9 to be "the last good one", sometimes season 10 or 11 if I'm in a generous mood.
Not that everything after it is bad... but they're all, at best, "mediocre at best with just a handful of good bits"
As a fan who's main early exposure to the show was the CW reruns and season 9 for some reason being their favorite season to air episodes. I'll always consider this to be an extra golden year. Also i can't wait for the post-movie seasons until about 2013-2014. I consider those episodes to be really underrated. Not classic simpsons level but good enough.
The Joy of Sect is in my top 5 episodes, dont know why, but I just enjoy that episode.
You should get a medal for your hard work on these videos. I love them!
I watched the Principal and the Pauper when it premiered on September 28th, 1997, and I didn't think it was that bad. To put it in a better context, I had just had started watching the Simpsons in syndication the previous year and cut my teeth on reruns of the Jean & Reiss, Mirkin, and Oakley & Weinstein episodes. So, Season 9 to me was just more new episodes of the Simpsons. At that time, I had no idea the depths that Mike Scully was going to sink to literally ushering the advent of Jerkass Homer.
I've always enjoyed season 9. "The joy of sect" was always one of my favorites. Not to say season 9 is the best season in the series, but it's definitely not without it's charms.
Ooh, I made it early today, hehe. Season 9 is kind of chaotic but a little underrated.
I really like season 9, yeah it's less good than sesson 8 but this is my favorite season haha. Some of my favorites episodes are in that season too :
- Homer vs New York
-The Cartridge Familly
-Bart Star
-Simpson Tide
-The trouble with Trillions
- Trash of the Titans
An Homer's season overall, but a strong one.
So many great episodes... a good season
Season 9 IS the start of a new era for me, though it has classic elements, to me some of the new ideas Mike Scully brought to the table don’t really work for me. I’m probably a little more negative on it than most, but I still like it a little
I thought this was an excellent video. Thank you. I hope you have an awesome day!
"I didn't become a scientist for financial gain. Whatever small money you have will be just fine"
Season 9 had a lot of gems. But overall, you can see a dynamic shift. I love these videos ❤❤❤❤
I like season nine for the most part. I don’t think it’s as good as what came before this season (season 6 is my personal favorite) and it does feel a bit messy sometimes, but I truly think there are some real jems of episodes in there.
I personally consider it part of the Simpson’s ‘Golden Era’ (for me it’s season 1-9), even if Homer does kinda fall into his ‘jerky’ territory here, although I do understand why people don’t consider it in the classic era.
I accept season nine, but I do draw the line for the golden era at Season 10. I don’t think season ten is terrible or anything, but I do consider it a larger step down than season nine’s step down in quality
Awesome a new video! This day just got better.
The quality of the show as still there it was just spread a lot thinner. If Seasons 1-8 are considered the "Golden Age", then that makes seasons 9-12 the "Silver Age".
This is one of my favorite channels. That is all.
Season 9 might be the last good season of 'The Simpsons'. And I like how you pointed out that most of the vehicles in 'Hit and Run' are from this season. Maybe you should do a walk through on 'Hit and Run'. Also, I'm still waiting for an extra seconds on 'The Principal and The Pauper'.
I'm definitely in the "Season 9 was the last good one" camp. Maybe it's those holdover episodes you mentioned.
I sense a large amount of controversy in this video
Now it's official he is going to do it for all seasons, not just golden age, can't wait to see modern seasons retrospective
Wait...Mr. Burns was shot by the ninth season of The Simpsons!
I can’t believe it!
Oh my
I liked your summary of the “moral” of The Last Temptation of Krust...I’d never thought of it like that before (my understanding was too cynical).
I believe that season 9 and 10 was the middle ground between classic and "zombie" Simpsons. In season 9, you have episodes like Homer Vs New York (my all-time favourite episode) yet you also have Principle and the Pauper that is known by many as one of the worst episodes ever. I think it was season 11 where things truly went downhill...
Definitely agree with your last sentence.
"A group of funny comedians and Jay Leno will do a show there"
You have my upmost respect for that one. Excellent.
As Moe is my favorite character, I'm all in favor of The Dawn of The Moe Syzlak Era.
May it never end.
I think you hit the nail on the head with "smelling smoke." It's not on fire yet, it's still perfectly watchable, but it is definitely the beginning of the end.
I really liked season 9 as a whole but you can see a shift from the "classic" era, though it's still very good.
i have to imagine taking all these screenshots that are related to what you're talking about must be tedious as hell