The Simpsons: 10 Golden Age Episodes That Foreshadowed Its Decline

I mean, obviously. Rather than tie Martin Sheen’s real Skinner to a train cart, they might as well tied him to a jet ski and launched him over a shark. If you can forgive a few shaky attempts while they found their feet in Season 1, The Principal & The Pauper has to be considered the first bad episode the show ever put out there.

The quick retcon at the end where Judge Snyder changes Armin Tamzarian’s name by law ‘back’ to Seymour Skinner is particularly prophetic. Lisa The Skeptic is a pretty solid episode which does the same, having first star scientist Stephen Jay Gould admit he never tested the sample Lisa gave him. But a speedy two minute fix before the credits soon becomes the MO they lean on for entire seasons.

Its also a sign they were plumb out of ideas. Skinner being a buttoned down principal with Vietnam flashbacks obviously wasn’t cutting it anymore. It’s the same issue that’s seen Flanders become more religious, Moe more lovesick/depressed and Krusty more of a hack, cancelled every few seasons.

At least the DVD commentary is fun. It’s 22 minutes of writer Ken Keeler trying to justify why this episode isn’t terrible. He fails.