The Simpsons: 10 Most HATED Episodes

In perhaps the single most controversial Simpsons episode of all time, "The Principal and the Pauper" nonsensically retcons continuity in asking fans to accept that an established, much-beloved character is in fact an imposter.

Ostensibly a meta-comedy examining reliance on the status quo in entertainment, the episode features the revelation that Principal Seymour Skinner is really Armin Tamzarian, a Dick Whitman-esque figure who stole the real Skinner's identity.

It didn't go down well, from critics to viewers and even the creator of the show. Matt Groening referred to the episode as a "mistake", and all involved seem to wish that it never happened. Indeed, in line with the episode's conclusion in which the characters declare that all shall be as it was, the story twist was never referenced again. So, fans argued, why bother? For no good reason, years of investment had been jeopardized, and after that point, why invest at all?

Since then, The Simpsons has deteriorated in quality and esteem to such an extent that flagrantly scrapping years of carefully built history is simply par the course (just look at "That 90's Show") but at the time, this was the first indication that the show's reality could no longer be taken seriously. For many, "The Principal and the Pauper" was the point of no return for a once proud show.