I believe that The Simpsons is, and will be, the greatest TV show ever. At its peak, it was not only so funny that you'd hurt yourself laughing, but it would contain such brilliant social commentary. Times are different now.

Back in the day, the jokes would be non-stop. You'd laugh so much that you'd miss the next few jokes because they would be relentless. However, in more recent episodes, this is simply not the case. Many fans now disparage the show, saying it is a faint shadow of its former glory. I agree that the show is not as good as it once was, but I contend it's still better than most of the trash on TV.

A few seasons back, The Simpsons got pretty bad, but not as bad as some people would have you believe. There would be an episode where nary a smile would crack my face, but on the whole, it was still a quality show. Gone were the days of a single plot shows (usually something Bart did at school, or Homer at work). These episodes were both incredibly funny, but also though-provoking at times and almost always had some sort of moral at the end. However, a few seasons in, you could see that they were running out of ideas. Instead, there were sub-plots and really ridiculous things goings on. Homer got incredibly stupid and Bart, once the cool troublemaker, matched Homer's stupidity. Those were the dark days. Since everyone was so used to genius on their TV, they became hyper-critical, nitpicking every little detail, until they couldn't enjoy anything The Simpsons offered. I say to these people, "Yo, chill out!"

This past season has seen a change in quality. There were many good shows this year, but some fans don't want to admit it. They long for the glory days, holding today's episodes to those. This should not be done. On a first viewing, some shows may not seem as funny as they actually are. If you have been watching repeats of more recent episodes, you'll notice the brilliant writing is still there, but you have to pay attention. I recommend that in the future, new episodes should be taped and watched again. That way, everyone will see that The Simpsons is still a great show, although not at the same lofty levels that it once occupied. Why do you think its ratings are at their highest in years? It's no coincidence. The show is getting better and with no end in sight, we still have many good antics coming our way. Come on, Simpsons ol' buddy, don't let me down.

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