The Simpsons is Good Again

The Simpsons suffered the most infamous fall in media history, but apparently... its good again? OR IS IT? We join Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie to find out.
Note- in an early version of this video I say Al Jean wrote Season 33 Episode 12- That was actually John Frink. My bad.
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Links:
ToonrificTariq
www.youtube.com/@ToonrificTar...
• Carl, The SIMPSONS and...
The Real Jims:
/ @therealjims
• Simpsons Mysteries - T...
Minecraft Parkour:
• 1 hour 20 minutes of r...
Beehive Beard goes wrong:
• Bee Beard GONE WRONG!
Sources/ Research:
The Simpsons is Good Again:
www.vulture.com/article/the-s...
The Anatomy of Funny:
My Wasted Life Matt Groening:
• My Wasted Life - BBC2 ...
Simpsons Writers Room:
• "The Simpsons" Writers...
Old Simpsons Reviews:
www.simpsonsarchive.com/episo...

[@supereyepatchwolf3007]

Hello friends. Thanks to everyone for sticking with me, even when its been a while between videos. I am genuinely always shocked by the support this channel receives. If you want to grab some eyepatchwolves merch (some of which goes to charity, and the rest to helping me make these videos) you can do so here: eyepatchwolves.com/ Or, support my patreon here: www.patreon.com/Supereyepatchwolf If neither of these are an option for you, I still appreciate the heck out of you being here and watching the videos.

[@Ballman404]

Balls

[@vincients569]

You make good content it only makes sense. It was cool seeing you in the FD Signifier video as well.

[@fazedk3097]

Your content is amazing

[@ryanmaxwell5076]

Every video is a banger! Thanks for sharing.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

You're awesome

[@JennyNicholson]

You don't talk about leprechauns because you're so used to seeing them everywhere. You take them for granted. Appreciate that for us they're a novelty

[@eoghan00]

Hearing this in Jenny’s deadpan sincere voice really sells it.

[@Starkweather133]

Nice bit of casual racism Jen

[@seededsoul]

Lets be honest: that was a good joke.

[@eoghan00]

@@Starkweather133 I’m Irish I’m giving her a leprechaun pass.

[@Starkweather133]

@@eoghan00 I'm Irish too but I'm not giving her a pass, want to settle this like men by getting drunk and fighting in the streets?

[@mandownunder5211]

That shot of Homer and Marge breaking down crying in each other’s embrace genuinely got me choked up.

[@BB-te8tc]

I'd recommend the second episode of Season 35 that aired last week. It's about Marge dealing with empty nest syndrome. The opening scene is heartbreaking.

[@mandownunder5211]

I watched the episode proper and yep: weeping like a baby by the ending

[@LuisSierra42]

@@jabron.destoroyah grow up I'm joking, I'm 34 as well and it also made me emotional

[@MissAshley42]

I can't see a clip of "Pixelated and Afraid" without immediately welling up. It's just such a beautiful episode.

[@ReapzUK]

Which episode is this from?

[@radiofreeurope]

I find it interesting how nobody mentioned the part where Wolf talks about how the Simpsons family used to be from the lower class mirroring the situation IRL in the US and now they've transformed into " at least they have a house and a job" middle or upper class without changing their setup, which is the current reality for many. Sad to say the least.

[@MrChickennugget360]

that is a good point. Originally the Simpsons were a sign of "its not perfect, but it works" now it more a sign of "having a wife kids, a house and a stable job is beyond anything i will ever attain in life."

[@theviniso]

It has been getting harder and harder for the people at the base of the pyramid to afford a good life. At this rate, unless some radical changes are made, soon we'll have to put some sort of universal basic income in practice or most people simply won't be able to survive.

[@terminator_405]

@@thevinisoprices of everything would increase even further with a ubi. Changes would need to include things like banning loans for education, which would force down higher education costs, banning corporations from buying residential homes, putting a cap on how many homes a person may own to maybe two max, and banning non United States citizens from buying property in the United States.

[@theviniso]

@@terminator_405 Okay, such measures would make homes accessible again for the common folk, which is great, but what about all the rest? Gas, water, energy, food? The prices will just keep increasing and I don't see a way out other than UBI.

[@terminator_405]

@@theviniso everything would increase in price with ubi to the point where at best things would effectively cost just as much as they do now. Everytime we get a minimum wage hike prices of everything go up exponentially at a higher rate than the minimum wage increases. All that ubi money will be given straight to the top. Ubi would just further erode the middle class and create a larger lower class.

[@michaelmooney5246]

I haven't really watched The Simpsons for about 15 years, but the punchline to the 'when's Mommy coming back' joke made me laugh. But then, when I thought about it, it brought a tear to my eye without taking away from what a great joke it was. Bravo.

[@winnipegperfectcircleflyin7859]

man you have a foul mouth 👎

[@jeremyhauck960]

this could single handedly raise the viewership of the Simpsons

[@aldokurti3272]

💯

[@constantreader1422]

it's gonna make me watch it again

[@markclinton9088]

Eyepatch Wolf is a necromancer confirmed

[@pjdougherty6442]

I haven’t gotten to the part where he praises it yet. So far, I’m not convinced to watch new Simpsons yet. (Edit) Ok, getting to the positive stuff now.

[@sorenfirestar2657]

You're wrong. This WILL raise viewship of the Simpsons, I've been considering it but probably wasn't going to till I watched this

[@SPACESNAKE66]

I think that the simpsons reaching a lowest point is actually a positive thing, we often forget that to make any show or movie happen there are people who actually work on the media and people who dictate its trajectory, often based on stats, audience...ect, maybe marketing bros got tired of beating this yellow dead horse and moved on, leaving it to actual artists and writers to be free of telling whatever stories and jokes they want

[@vitoc8454]

There's a story I've heard about the anime "Ghost Stories" Apparently, the company that owned the rights to it cared so little for it, that when they licensed it to another company for an English dub, they were like, "just do whatever. We don't give a sh*t." So the writers and voice actors just went wild with it, resulting in a hilarious English dub.

[@alexwilliams5799]

The best thing they could all do is cancel the show

[@Betito1171]

Marketing bros ruin everything

[@SpiralSine6]

I think I can make a comparison to the comic book market here. In Marvel comics, Amazing Spider-Man is *the* Spider-Man book, the main book of the flagship character of the franchise. Because of that, it’s rarely been good in the past fifteen years. There is so much editorial oversight that whether it’s Dan Slott, Nick Spencer, or Zeb Welles writing the book, they don’t have a chance to be free to write their own stories. Daredevil, on the other hand, has rarely been a top seller. Because of this, there’s much less editorial mandate. Which has led to the book having multiple decades worth of celebrated runs from a number of writer/artist combos. From Miller to Waid to Bendis to Soule to Zdarsky, it’s practically a miracle that the book has been so different over the course of its run, but so enjoyed by its fanbase.

[@ASTARH]

to save what we love, we must kill it

[@PAT.OS96]

I Think so much time has passed that the young people who watched the Simpsons, are now able to write officially for them and that's why these episodes feel so good. Imo

[@hughjasssssssss]

This is correct. We’re living in a time where kids who grew up making weird experimental fan fictions are now employed writers.

[@damien678]

​@@hughjasssssssss I hope the person that made that fancomic about Bart and Peter Griffin going to couple's therapy and talking about how the abuse they experienced during childhood is effecting their relationship is on the writing team, or inspired someone on it

[@jebbryant6522]

​@@damien678what?........

[@Homodemon]

​@@damien678 the one where Bobby Hill was the therapist?? Oh God I loved that comic!!

[@DerrangedVH]

This year, I experienced my worst Christmas. Not because of the gifts, or anything like that. But because it's the first christmas after moving out. My grandfather passing. Family not visiting since he was gone. Everything was different, and it hurt me because I expected it to be like all the years before. Your words in the end echo that, and genuinely reached me. Thank you.

[@yuaria5524]

You're hangin in there. I hope things get better for you

[@joseaguilar3323]

What people don't get is that seasons 1-10 had 5 different showrunners while seasons 11-30 only had a single one, Al Jean. Everything is going to feel stale after 20 years. Matt Selman is the new showrunner and that's why it feels like a breath of fresh air.

[@vitoc8454]

And in time, Selman himself will leave and someone new will come along

[@MarcyTheKindaCoolWizard]

​@@vitoc8454Which is inevitable if the Simpsons keeps going, and i tohnk its the only way to keep thinga fresh, we can only hope wvery new director can bring aomething new and enjoyable to the table

[@aria5614]

I laughed at the "she's dead" joke but once I learned it had a lasting affect on Homer I started crying for him. It really does a good job of showing the axe never remembers and the tree never forgets. For Abe it was just getting his kid to shut up. For Homer it was the worst news of his life.

[@JohnTyree]

"The axe never remembers and the tree never forgets" is an expression I didn't realize I needed.

[@rishabhanand4973]

@@JohnTyree it's more commonly phrased as "the axe forgets but the tree remembers". Same thing but you may or may not have heard it that way before.

[@aktvxs]

@@rishabhanand4973"it's more commonly phrased as" ☝🤓, shhhh man let them enjoy it that way.

[@nessmarie6044]

@@aktvxs they never said they couldn't

[@aktvxs]

@@nessmarie6044 yeah but shhhh

[@yellowteethvillage8671]

watched the newest episode, i demand an apology

[@SknyMcFinny]

I grew up watching the simpsons with my dad. After eating our dinner we would sit on the couch and watch it every night I was at his house, he would fall asleep and I would get to stay up past my bedtime watching it until I laughed so hard it would wake him up. This video genuinely brought me to tears! I had forgotten how much this show means to me, I’ve seen so many episodes and it was one of my favourite things as a kid. I hadn’t watched it in years except for the new treehouse of horror because of the death note parody. I might start watching it again but genuinely thank you for making this video

[@primeirrational]

Some of the oldest memories I have of my dad is about him and me watching the Simpsons. This is probably a big reason why I love the show so much.

[@zephlodwick1009]

When the narrator recapped the episode where Homer and Marge were lost in the wilderness, I teared up when Homer kills the wolverine and hugs Marge as they both cry. And I've never seen that episode.

[@TheRealJims]

Thanks for the shout-out! 😀 When I did my Simpsons Season 33 review, I really struggled with using the word "renaissance" because I feel like that gets people's hopes up and think that we're arguing that it's a return to Season 6 quality or something. The show has been on so long that the standard of what we should want out of a Season 34 is so weird and convoluted. Today, the show feels like it has a strong grasp of what it has done already, and is been thoughtful in how they deconstruct their characters or tell their stories. I hope they keep experimenting.

[@magusperde365]

The MVP himself. Discovered your videos a couple of years ago and you're doing great work.

[@burhanbudak6041]

Instead of renaissance, would the word meta be more appropriate.

[@thedominion6643]

Nearly every channel I'm subscribed to has millions of subscribers but your channel is the one I watch the most.

[@jack-a-lopium]

Who measures this standard? And how do you measure it? Against which scale? And no, I am not going to watch any of your KZbin content. So don't even try.

[@dugonman8360]

@@jack-a-lopium you should. It's really damn good if you like the Simpsons.

[@kovokkovariki]

Something we should praise more: John's evolving convoluted similes. It's like a child slowly learning how to operate a machine gun to a level that allows him to make precise, surgical cuts on boulders until they resemble gigantic anime figurines escales to unsustainably huge proportions.

[@ceinwenchandler4716]

Now I want to hear John say that.

[@noviatoria2436]

++

[@base4yrface]

Reminds me a lot of how the amazing world of gumball increasingly used more and more extreme similes as its main source of dialogue based humor

[@dantaylor8197]

It’s so true that the passage of time has completed changed how the Simpsons is viewed. When I was a kid, my mom wouldn’t let me watch The Simpsons because she thought it was too violent and edgy. Twenty-some years later and she, my brother, my sister and I will watch it during Christmas

[@BigSplenda1885]

Not only that but when zoomers watch it they call it lame and tame....that's how much things have changed

[@damien678]

​@@BigSplenda1885 Ok while that's somewhat true, as amongst the oldest of zoomers (26) I grew up with the golden age of Simpsons and have always thought of it well even though I do think some of even the golden age stuff is a bit meh and before my time. Regardless, I still have very fond memories of it, and some of it's games like Simpsons hit and run

[@moonchild6063]

You should watch 2nd episode of the new 35th season, in which Marge is stuggling accepting that Bart is growing up. It made me pretty emotinal ngl Great video btw, hope you have as good time making this content as we have watching it

[@gwennorthcutt421]

my mom watches the simpsons pretty regularly bc its on before snl, and sometimes i'll pop in to watch a few minutes. what turned into just a peek ended up with me standing in the doorway watching the whole episode. its amazing how a single line that started her on her spiral came to a really sweet conclusion. also a great "butts are funny" gag that just was the cherry on top.

[@jengl_exe]

If the Simpsons fully embraces this weird, comedy-adjacent, personal direction, I might actually start watching it again.

[@DerM0H]

You "might" start watching it again? Shouldn't you start watching right now, at the time when they start embracing the style you want to see to let them know it's the right way? Because if they experiment with this style, but people wait till later, all they see is that the thing you are waiting to get more off doesn't work right now, so they might stop it because not enough people show interest right now

[@TheBenSanders]

At this point I watch it still because it's a nice way to end the week. It's become a part of life.

[@4X4StudiosHR]

@@DerM0H Fox will stop The Simpsons? Yeah right...

[@InvadeNormandy]

@@DerM0H Because our time on this planet is limited, and we've been "betrayed" as strong of a word and big a meme as it's become to say as fans before. Too little too late.

[@ThatPianoNoob]

American Dad has these types of episodes a lot and it is awesome.

[@MrStGeorgeIllawarra]

I don't think it's a coincidence that Al Jean not longer running the show (into the ground) and a new generation who grew up with these characters coming on board to write, the show is better than it has been in decades.

[@ZackC]

Yeah, Al Jean as the sole showrunner from 13 to 31 is a big part of what went wrong. Bringing in Matt Selman and (allegedly) letting him fully take over the writing room side of things is what has restored some manner of life to the show. I think Jean was a solid showrunner at first (and a great one for seasons 3/4), but ran into the impossible task of doing it for literal decades.

[@cowboyluigi5275]

@@ZackCyeah there’s nothing wrong with Jean, just the fatigue of being showrunner for essentially 3 decades takes a toll on someone.

[@BIacklce]

I posted this comment on a cumtown video and its very relevant "the problem with the simpsons is its written by people who thought lisa was the good guy"

[@gargledmesh8374]

Thats so funny because ive been saying they should get rid of jean for years now- i didnt realize his role changed.

[@jeremyrobinson9660]

Al Jean is still showrunner, its just that Matt Selman is co-show runner. Al Jean still runs about 1/3 of the episodes.

[@FratinandMadrik]

I think you raise an excellent point by saying that the episodes' plots seem more like vehicles for jokes rather than actual stories. That was my issue with a bunch of Family Guy seasons as well: You couldn't really get invested in the story, because it was only relevant for 4 minutes before transitioning to the next part of the "story" that was crammed full of jokes. And you get kinda numb to Peter changing his personality when it's only for 6 minutes so he can do a bunch of jokes about a topic and then get snapped out of it by something. So I feel like you summarized it perfectly with that sentence: The plots are a vehicle for the jokes rather than actual stories.

[@nerononfire7710]

I rarely comment on YT videos, but man, this one is gold. The way it was structured, every joke, the plot twists, refrences, everything. Cheers to you!

[@agostinodublino1387]

so you agree that season 6 is the best? I've never read anywhere it is. Season 4 is the best, according to every statistic. Then 5,8,7... any other between the canonic ones 🤷‍♂

[@maykechi7752]

From being a middle-aged power plant worker in the 80s to being a teenage DJ in the 90s, I guess this family has lasted through the ages.

[@kelpsie]

Your flow-state experience with the Simpsons reminds me VERY strongly of reading serialized web novels, particularly the translated ones from China. The chapters number in the 4 digits, with an absolutely relentless release schedule. I sit down, blink, and realize I've read another couple hundred chapters over the course of several hours, the scenes all smear together, and I largely just recall the broad strokes of the protagonist's progress. When I look back, I can muster enough interest to see what happens next and repeat the cycle, but I'm certain I've never shed a tear or felt my adrenaline pump for a second.

[@emmanuelguerrerohernandez9353]

If you never read Reverend Insanity you really should, peak wuxia.

[@srahhh]

This is how most people play MMOs too

[@Ronin11111111]

Have you read The Second Coming of Gluttony? That one will get your brain moving for sure.

[@samt3412]

This is how I felt bingereading Black Clover a couple months back. I could barely tell you any of the plot (all I remember is that I felt like the series could've ended twice with no loose ends) but I read it all the same

[@justsomeannoyingredpanda]

Tower Of God really fits your description. The lore is insane(in the creative way), the characters have their motivations, the art can show the biggest of fights, the story is. . . not that great. It has its goals but every 20-30 chapters we get introduced to a whole new setting with 7 new side characters that are all named and have a unique power. It feels like we're going at a lightning fast pace at the slowest speed possible. After 300 chapters of a 11 year old series I can only recall the most important plot points, locations, and characters. It may feel like the most high quality filler, but it still feels like filler.

[@ritzreborn]

Stop lying about the leprechauns, we just want to know how you grill them

[@Hadeto_AngelRust]

that whole thing about keeping the characters consistent to their core traits, or testing the limits of those traits, were always what made me seperate good and bad shows even back when i was young. there's always that stomach-churning feeling i got whenever i've watched episodes of shows where the characters are subverted or act out of character for no other reason than (likely) filler.

[@bendover2649]

I wasn't convinced until you got to the wolverine and Flanders episodes. The last thing I was expecting was for the Simpsons to take a genuine, unironically serious direction, and for that it has my respect. I might actually give those episodes a go just to see how well done they are.

[@MissAshley42]

Seriously, when I first heard Homer shout for Marge during the wolverine attack, I thought they were going to actually kill her off. That's just how masterfully they built that scene, with Dan's yell bringing it together and selling it hard.

[@JTR_3]

The Flanders Episode was a big parody of the Cohen Brothers movies. From the title, A Serious Man originally a Cohen bros. movie, along with the rest of the tiny details that give you another level of appreciation for the gags and details while at the same time being enjoyable on it's own even if you don't know what they are (like how SuperEyepatchWolf didn't even realize) really makes the whole episode a great one.

[@Sillylittledragons]

@@JTR_3 A serious Flanders is the best episode

[@ozharms]

Going from “The Fall of The Simpsons: How It Happened” to “The Simpsons is Good Again” is some INSANE character development ngl

[@crazyracer9863]

'Bleach is good again' video when lol

[@CathPaluigi]

@@crazyracer9863 THIS

[@MegaShingo97]

@@crazyracer9863 Probably after the Hell arc😄

[@voratheexplorer6442]

"It's so over" "We're so back"

[@JacF6734]

"But then... Super Eyepatch Wolf does something completely... unexpected." *VHS sound effect* "He starts... lying."

[@NextToToddliness]

What made the Simpsons special wasn't just that it was funny. The Simpsons allowed a window into the Average American family, with struggles and triumphs, but through a mutated lens. The Simpsons is the best when it can make us laugh and cry, whether it be "You are Lisa Simpson", or Homer sitting on the hood of his car watching the sunset turn to twinkling stars after being yet again separated from his estranged mother. The poorer seasons of the Simpsons lost the heart and soul. Instead it became a rubric for how to process out a Simpsons episode with the highest return in investment possible. I just started watching Season 34, after over a decade of not watching, and to be honest, I really like it. They've gotten back to adding more drama and emotion to their stories, which is what set the Simpsons apart from other cartoons. I'm really enjoying this season, and have yet to finish it, but this video popped up and I felt like sharing. What makes a good story is a good story; period.

[@lucasbarbosadesousa7600]

I discovered this channel because of the Simpson’s downfall video. Now the cycle is complete. Thank you

[@austenmoore7326]

His second Simpson’s video was my first video of his and is etched into my brain to the point that I remember what I was doing when I watched it. And this one is another banger.

[@ParsureArts]

Same!! I keep rewatching the old Simpsons video, let’s see how this one goesss

[@NexusKirin]

Now you can leave

[@kindkindred]

Your watch is over.

[@cokezerofiend]

the “marge did the thing no parent is ever supposed to do… acknowledge what their children look like!” joke made me actually laugh out loud. really great joke considering the really personal topic of the episode. lisa’s struggle is something i’ve dealt with and having this connection to the topic makes it incredibly funny to me.

[@imamoronand9199]

some of the analysis in this video is very good, but some of it is very very questionable. that joke being a prime example. It may well be true, and it may well be relatable, but is it surprising? I'd say no. does it fit Homer's character? probably not. is it funny? that's obviously subjective, but to me it didn't even feel like it was supposed to be funny The Chief Wiggum joke is another example. it definitely does fit his character, but is it funny? god no. the "that'll hold him" Abe joke is definitely funny though, for all the reasons described in the video plus the fact that it has an actual edge to it

[@youssefbencheikh8637]

​@@imamoronand91991/ As you mentioned, comedy is subjective 2/ the first joke DOES fit Homer's character, very well actually.

[@disembodiedglances8695]

I thought you were gonna say “trying to murder their own children”

[@YukaAkemi]

9:13 that’s crazy that the Simpson were seen as a“lower class household” bc the fact that they own a home means they’re doing better than most of us, and yea in 2023 seeing aliens is more realistic than the thought of owning a home our lifetime

[@darinherrick9224]

I’m watching the entire show for the first time and it’s one of the first things I noticed. Lower class Americans used to be able to afford a house. I’m a white collar worker with 20 years experience. I can’t afford a house on dual income no kids.

[@JesstyEissej]

Shout out to the NIN Ghosts track in the background at the end there. I don't listen to that album often, but it got me through many an all-nighter so it's always a nice surprise to recognise it out in the wild

[@vonnegutfrey8714]

For some reason, these videos consistently invoke a sense of cosmic horror better than anything I have ever seen.

[@MonkTorius]

I've been trying to think of a way to describe the feeling I've had since I started this channel and you've nailed it, thank you.

[@daniellee2343]

reddit moment

[@SladeBallard]

and all you need is an european accent, lofi beats, and talking... like you just... survived... a seizure

[@polendri4812]

The style is unsettling yet the content is ordinary, leaving one's brain in a constant state of unease as it tries to explain the incongruity.

[@REDEEMERWOLF]

Holy shit dude. Come back down to earth, it's just a KZbin video. Get real

[@DocRaeLive]

I've heard some people call seasons 33 & 34 "The Simpsons renaissance" and I honestly think that's an apt description Unlike the boring, sterilized seasons after the movie came and went, these 2 seasons felt like a breath of fresh air. While not perfect I can feel the true heart and soul being put into the writing and characters that has been sorely lacking. And with each episode I found myself enjoying them more and more which just feels like they're really discovering what will come to define this new era Not everyone's going to be happy with it, but you can't please everyone. I'm just glad to see The Simpsons try something new and be relevant again

[@mytimetravellingdog]

Renaissance is way way too strong a term (I do think SEW oversells how good these episodes are) maybe it's The Simpon's Pre-Raphaelite movement.

[@DingoWalley01]

I also put Season 32 in it. Season 32 just has so many great episodes in it, like the Roman episode, the Artist Parodies episode, the Skinner-Chalmers road trip, the Pizza Robots, Krabappel's Diary, Mr. Burn's Vegetarian Burgers, the British Spy out for Abe and the Crystal Skull Tequila episodes are all top notch in my opinion, and even the weaker episodes (like Homer helping Maude give birth to Todd, and Sarah Wiggum's being an ex-thief) are still so much better then the boring/bad episodes of the Zombie seasons.

[@BobtheX]

@@DingoWalley01 That Skinner-Chalmer's road trip episode was so damn good

[@sven_bender]

​@@BobtheX🎵Timothy, Timothy🎵

[@donutholebandit6212]

I mean hey, not everyone was happy with the Simpsons when it started

[@victorfaasuamaleaui]

You know "A Serious Flanders" is a mashup parody of the Cohen brothers' movie "A Serious Man" and "Fargo" right?

[@SgtPowell]

Excellent. As someone who grew up on and was obsessed with The Simpsons (my family recorded every episode of the first 9 seasons on VHS and had a quote for every possible occassion), I have mourned the death of the "good Simpsons" for decades. This gives me hope. Thanks for that. New subsriber.

[@DownChucked]

As an avid RealJims viewer for years, I'm so happy his contributions to the Simpsons discussion are being recognized, as well as being just a great content creator. Huge recommendation to anyone who wants a lot more Simpsons content.

[@takeru3159]

For a good first episode of his to check out, I suggest Ralph the Viking

[@Xijor]

That man deserves so much for keeping the Simpsons discussion alive as a whole.

[@cannibalisticrequiem]

I was really hoping for an acknowledgement of Jim's videos, and was so glad when I finally got it! I began watching TheRealJims not too long after my first viewing of Jon's first Simpsons video when a Jims video showed up in my Suggestions/Recommendations. It makes me really glad to know that Jon is aware of Jim's videos and watches them, because Jims has really helped turn my opinion around on The Simpsons, and his Simpsons Histories and Mysteries videos are some of my favorite from him, as well as the one-offs that don't fit into those series like his Herb Powell Sucks video, as well as the newer "Who Did It First?" videos comparing episodes of other shows to similar episodes of The Simpsons to see who was copying who, and who had the better execution of the plot. I also really enjoyed his two in-park videos where he went to the Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando and Hollywood and visited the Springfield sections of the parks to see the similarities and differences between the two - mostly because I'm a theme park fan and I just love watching walk-around videos as well as on-ride POVs of theme parks around the world! I kinda would like to see Jims fly out to the Universal theme parks in Japan and Singapore to see if those parks have Springfield sections as well, and if they do, what similarities and differences are in those sections of the parks (see if they might have a different layout for their Springfields from what we have in the states, if they have any other rides besides The Simpsons Ride - like how Orlando has the Twirl N' Hurl while Hollywood just has the one ride, what their restaurants are like and how different their menus are). Jim's Simpsons videos are really well done! They're very funny (I love his dry monotone delivery of jokes) and well researched, and it's awesome seeing the work he puts into his videos be acknowledged by a larger channel like Jon's!

[@dugonman8360]

Jim really got me to see modern Simpsons as something other then golden age Simpsons, essentially my Simpsons. I was able to approach the modern iteration of the Simpsons not with the rampant cynicism but with an unbiased and objective lens. Of course it's nowhere near as good, not many things ever could be as good. But it certainly wasn't the septic tank I always viewed it as. Realjims channel is a true gem and a bonafide true fan.

[@bibbitybooper6437]

He is honestly my favourite KZbinr (no offence eyepatch wolf, your Riverdale video might be the funniest on this site) I love his content and it makes me adore the Simpsons so much more. His style of editing and deep dives into what makes it good is endlessly entertaining

[@gendygoblin8391]

Honestly from how you describe the new “better” seasons, they really fall under what I have wanted to see in the Simpsons. Just experimenting with these characters in fun and engaging ways that maintain their personalities but explore who they are in ways we don’t really expect.

[@rayvenkman2087]

I think stagnation was what Simpsons actually suffered from than anything else next to consistency. Having Al Jean on the showrunner position longer than JNT’s entire 1980’s Doctor Who run. With 33, there’s a new energy to the episodes and the consistency of quality in the episodes is evident. No longer are episodes like Barthood outliers in a batch of forgettables but one in a majority of good episodes. They figured out how to get a consistent run going on again.

[@someinternetweirdo6953]

I KNOW THIS WAS SIX MONTHS AGO AND NO ONE CARES BUT The episode that's black and white, about Marge and reality TV at 23:28, is a parody of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" by Edward Albee -- a play (and movie with Liz Taylor and Richard Burton) about a deeply splintered older couple who invite a younger couple over for dinner and... like, "trauma dumping" is an understatement. The play itself is about a marriage that is "the ghost of a thing that used to exist." Obviously it is not exactly the same, but is VERY clearly given a mid-century aesthetic and theatrical tone with some similar imagery (like that blond, younger couple). but I still agree it is not a "good look" for the Simpsons as characters. Why wouldn't they just do one of those framing devices, like the Treehouse of Horrors or when Lisa visits the fortune teller? Omg... or the spinoff showcase. Or the 138th Clipshow Spectacular... wow, I miss the old Simpsons, bruh. Anyway, they should have done an anthology of different plays or something if they just wanted to do a parody.

[@mborok]

I liked the Homer's step brother episode. It was an interesting idea, the kid was a neat character, and it brought the relationship between Homer and grandpa into relief. In general, even those episodes that don't quite work I can appreciate because they're at least trying to say something. And I'm perfectly happy to see characters going in different directions (Homer being a good husband and father, Marge being a "mean girl" and bonding with Bart) because I think interesting stories are more important than consistency in a show like this one. How else are you going to surprise the audience after 34 years? The animation has a lot of character now (Homer and Lisa making faces at each other in the Duffman episode). Overall, I think these have been some of the best episodes yet.

[@checkillo]

As a Mexican Simpsons fan (I'm pretty sure you know how massively BIG The Simpsons are here) this essay is outstanding and just beautifully written, and it even makes me reflect in my own life. Before this I was exclusively watching the golden era episodes pretty often but I'll give these new seasons a shot. Again, amazing video, so glad the YT algorithm recommended this to me.

[@karlo125]

How did they translate New season Simpsons in spanish what for mexicans was the reason it lost it's magic

[@jorgevillegas3139]

The fact that we got (most) of the original voices back also helps

[@PEDROGARCIA-qj3gr]

I know that feeling and is a trap, I'm not with eye patch in this one, saying is not fair to expect the same level of season six is dumb and not because I want the Simpsons be the same as used to, but because the Simpsons for a long to now have been mediocre even the people still watching regularly tells you "there are like 3 good episodes for season", like dude why still going? Because the people still watching it of course, expecting that good episodes... People only stills watching the Simpson because they used to be good... Asking for quality is not the same than being nostalgic, for the love of god that's like saying people is unfair with GOT because you shouldn't have expected the last season to be good cause "bro the time pass, things are not what used to be" the original books series is older and have been for longer than the TV series... They also are not what used to be... They turn be better each time a new one came out...

[@Suzukixd89]

Lo Sinso

[@four-en-tee]

I did not, but i do know that Dragon Ball is massive there.

[@Flip-a-dip-dip]

Homer refusing to get sucked into the bush and then pushing the other two guys into the bush to their deaths, has to be one of the funniest recent Simpson's jokes I've seen. On par with early Simpsons in my opinion.

[@UndergroundAquarium]

Great video! The parallels between The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live really come into focus here. Everyone has their own idea of what the golden age is. Love the point you make about mistaking quality for how it made you feel at the time. Youth is a helluva time to discover great stories, jokes, and content in general. And getting older sucks.

[@Txm_Dxr_Bxss]

The latest episodes totally threw out any rules that were previously set in place for the sake of making silly jokes and to copy other popular media. Many "non Canon" episodes too.

[@dyerseve3001]

37:40 the episode he scored a 9 on was clearly based on the themes of the tv series "Fargo" which basically takes a good person and puts them into an impossible dilemma and watches as they spin out of control. It's an amazing show.

[@tommycook9307]

Thank God someone else noticed this haha. Not because it isn’t obvious, but I feel like because nobody has ever watched Fargo before lol.

[@REDEEMERWOLF]

I was looking for this comment. Fargo is one of the goats, watch it and you'll be hooked from episode 1. Super Eyepatch Wolf needs to watch more and better TV shows, he didn't even recognize the parodies of Fargo, Mr robot, and Westworld, even though those Simpsons episodes were some of his favorites. Guy needs to spend his time with better quality TV

[@missamieholly2313]

@@REDEEMERWOLF Is it on Netflix?

[@mj.l]

@@REDEEMERWOLFthe tv show is good, but the best Fargo is the movie from the 90s that the series is based on

[@mentalanton]

@@missamieholly2313yes it is! At least in the U.K

[@SmartSmears]

On the IMDB thing, I think it's useful to note that a lot of people are rating every new episode a 1 before it even comes out. I wouldnt be surprised if people are voting every episode a 1 without watching just to make the score lower for whatever reason. The Simpsons IMDB number ratings are actually less than worthless.

[@SmartSmears]

This was a great video btw, even if you didn't like Step Brother from the Same Planet. Praising the Pookadook made up for it.

[@transformer03]

Thank you, I've been saying this for years.

[@MrAdBounty]

The idea is to use the trend (the shape of the curve). As long as all new episodes have around the same amount of 1 reviews. You can compare them together. But I agree, need to be careful with those numbers.

[@transformer03]

@@MrAdBounty I doubt that the earlier seasons have the same amount of 1 reviews. As someone who has watched a lot of Modern Simpsons, I've been dubious about some of the ratings because there have been legit good episodes that get such low reviews.

[@godzillasenpai3685]

-On the IMDB thing, I think it's useful to note that a lot of people are rating every new episode a 1 before it even comes out. I wouldnt be surprised if people are voting every episode a 1 without watching just to make the score lower for whatever reason. The Simpsons- IMDB number ratings are actually less than worthless. (im only like 30% joking)

[@ShtikMahn]

Why didn't the duck say "Duck the government"?

[@thatswhatsgood24]

I can only speak for myself but i feel like most peoples problems with modern simpsons is that, like you said, it has no identity. To me it felt like after a few down seasons in the early 2000s and family guy surging in popularity at that time, that the simpsons was simply trying to copy their formula. I remember watching an episode of the simpsons back in like 2017 and it was just pop culture reference after pop culture reference with no actual effort to say anything. It has been incredibly frustrating watching, or lack of, for the past 15 years. It feels like i had been abandoning a family member. I grew up with the "golden age" and it was one of the few things everybody in my family sat down and watched together, words cant properly describe the sentimental value i hold to the simpsons and watching it turn into a dumpster fire has been really sad. It feels like the writers now know what made the show what it was and that it doesnt have to be a 1 to 1, it just needs to have effort.

[@KenPurchase]

I'm convinced Al Jean's endless tenure as showrunner has done the most harm to the franchise, his stubborn unwillingness to rock the boat or take any risks leading to the decades long creative rut the show is only just now crawling out of. It's incredible that they're only now doing what they should've done years ago, using the format of The Simpsons to experiment and tell different kinds of stories rather than just rehashing the same plot beats over and over again.

[@HighFlyingOwlOfMinerva]

I'd say this feels a bit similar to what South Park was going through in the last few years. While the same two guys have been running the show and it was pretty good, funny and in some cases even genuinely fantastic and deep, the episode 'I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining' felt... quite stale and was unfunny. Some would say cringeworthy, even. It was generally disliked by many fans (and still is to this day) and is seen as the the low point of the show. Fans feared the show would the same way of the Simpsons, but they noticed that South Park was heading down the same road of dreadful mediocrity and unfunnyness and readjusted course in time. It's a big shame the Simpsons took this long to get back up its feet, but I can see some resemblance now that the quality has slowly returned and I do hope that'll continue. Then there's Family Guy, but we don't talk about that one, lol.

[@jstevinik3261]

@@HighFlyingOwlOfMinerva Family Guy does try to remove cut-away gags but it does not address the unlikable characters.

[@con6904]

Ziplines is goated. @@HighFlyingOwlOfMinerva

[@rollfizzlebeef6619]

@@HighFlyingOwlOfMinerva Yup, this is what's kept South Park fresh for so long. Their willingness to quickly course-correct and reimagine the show whenever it feels like it's starting to get too formulaic and stale. Like when they started experimenting with telling more long-form season-long stories, or making different characters the focal point, like the last few seasons where Randy has basically become the main character. Or how now they're experimenting with releasing short movies on Paramount + to tell stories in a different way. The way they dropped the "Kenny dies every episode" thing when the gag got boring, and then have subsequently retconned the joke in a number of creative ways. The Simpsons should've been taking a page out of the South Park book the whole time. I'm glad to see they're FINALLY starting to get the message

[@MusicVersa]

It is odd that the show was so successful in its first decade in part because they changed up the showrunner every two years. The first two seasons it was really Matt Groening and Sam Simon running things, then Al Jean & Mike Reiss, then David Mirkin, then Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, then Mike Scully.... and then Mike Scully stuck around too long and things started going off the rails, then they brought back Al Jean and it just stayed mediocre for twenty years... One wonders what would have happened if they'd turned the show over to someone like Ken Keeler, or David Cohen, or Greg Daniels, for Season 11, instead of leaving it with Scully and then giving it back to Jean.

[@traythetable]

I'm honestly happy to see a Silver Age of the Simpsons developing, and hopefully it will not only be its own identity, but bring more depth into the unexpected.

[@dcogs8856]

The silver age is over. It’s been over for a while. /s

[@PoisonFlower765]

@@dcogs8856 Bronze age then! Who cares! There's new Simpsons and it's not what it used to be but certainly isn't Zombie Simpsons!

[@legitaddress]

Even if it's good there's no point to it being good. It's so far divorced from what originally made it good that it still takes away from the golden age. It's a corporate product. The show has less integrity than those Bart Butterfinger commercials

[@PoisonFlower765]

@@legitaddress I don't see how good Simpsons takes away from the first 10 seasons any more than zombie Simpsons???

[@ToxicTurquoise454]

The Silver Age already exists. It’s called Season 11-20 (and the movie).

[@glenngrachus6573]

Man, I love your videos. Whatever direction you go with them, I will always watch. It's taken me a few weeks to get through this one just because I don't always have the time to watch them in one sitting.

[@ZachBobBob]

The scanline overlay on the footage here absolutely wrecked my eyes watching this on my tv

[@InaneBlatherPodcast]

When I saw the "naked and afraid" episode with Marge and Homer it SHOCKED me by how much I loved it. Some of the emotional appeals in these recent seasons actually work on me, I gotta admit

[@ZeranZeran]

I hate it, so much, but if others enjoy it then I'm happy

[@NOUH-my9kq]

Fr I thought it was really amazing too a really great episode

[@andykishore]

Yeah, it's easily one of the best episodes of the modern era and the HD animation actually benefits the nature scenes.

[@lj2659]

@@ZeranZeranI haven't seen it, and have only heard praise, I'm really curious on why you hate it if you don't mind sharing!!

[@PartlySmith]

If I had a nickel every time Super Eyepatch Wolf made a Simpsons video essay that gave me an existential crisis, I'd have two nickels.

[@parasocialbondsmetaswvoits9078]

that's the way to put it

[@OttrPopAnimations]

Which is not a lot, but it's weird it happened twice

[@andykishore]

@@OttrPopAnimations I thought he made 3 Simpsons videos though.

[@bobjones2959]

@@andykishore I'm not the OP, but speaking for myself, the first Simpsons video didn't give me an existential crisis. The bizarre modern reality of the Simpsons and this one did since the idea of the passage of time and inevitable change is a lot more palpable.

[@pschmidty5]

I've been on KZbin since 2007. This is one of those videos that will stay with me ... and I think that's ok. Congratulations on everything. Amazing work.

[@yaxiithya]

I loved the video. Honestly some of the best insights about the way I perceive media came from you and I appreciate that a lot. I think your videos taking a while to make gives them better quality. Keep it up, I love your vids.

[@WaiW41]

What I did not expect from a third video on the legacy of The Simpsons is a commentary on the Buddhist idea of anicca (transience), nostalgia, and how every narrative at every level is shaped by both the narrator and the audience. I am sure you hear this praise often, John, but your newer videos are fantastic. I think you are one of the best video essayist out there, really defining what this new form of media really means.

[@vitoc8454]

Or the Japanese concept of Mono No Aware, the wistful feeling about the fact that nothing lasts forever

[@rhandyrhoads12]

you´re drunk

[@pazamataz]

what I love about the way you write these videos is that you never just answer a basic question, you always ask why you're asking that question, why you're interested and who is listening. its a show of a really great writer and a creator when they look beyond the scope of 'good/bad' 'yes/no' etc. thanks for sharing with us x

[@rzeqdw]

I did not expect to wake up, watch an hour long video about the Simpsons, and tear up by the end. I've never seen your channel before but you hit me right in the feels. I hate getting old

[@olemew]

1:03:00 There are always haters. Think of the best purchase you've ever made on Amazon, and you'll find dozens of 1/5 reviews. Back to the Simpsons, I have a sister and I remember how the episode of Lisa and Bart playing hockey made me laugh out loud and then cry even harder. It's not a fake tunnel of nostalgia. Those seasons were absolutely amazing.

[@Sagacyte]

"One thing life has beaten into me, is that the more you expect things to be what they were, the more disappointed and bitter you will become." Man, that was great. Excellent video.

[@0x20pirate]

My depression needed to hear this right now. It hasn't sunk in yet, but I feel like actualising this advice is going to be super important if I want to keep going.

[@lonewanderer882]

the statement is true, but you can't kill your expectation hoping that this this can make likeable the new simpsons

[@YouTenaza]

That line got me completely unaware and hit me like a train. Did not expect that hard truth spoken from a Simpsons review. Wtf.

[@Mant111]

"Don't have any expectations, if you do, that's your fault" Uh-huh. It's a show called The Simpsons. Of course we're going to compare the present episodes with the past episodes.

[@RebornLegacy]

@0x20pirate Hugs and kisses Pirate. Hang in there!

[@Titantr0n]

I'm surprised you didn't mention Marge's line right after taking down the Matt Groening statue. Lisa says "look out, those people are real!" and Marge says "And so are WE", like we're our own thing despite our own legacy, let's move forward, very much in the theme of the episode. Awesome work as always man we might be onto something here.

[@blakestars2399]

You're my favourite KZbinr, and part of what makes me love you the most isn't your repetition of old things, but the new things you bring about in your videos. I am from India, and there's a street food item here known as Panipuri. There are vendors who sell it with both heated stuffing as well as cold stuffing. The blend of both the hot and the cold stuffing is an incredible symphony. Your old jokes and your new ones act the same. I'm a sports news writer by profession, and your videos and your thought process always inspire me to try new things in my articles. I love how you connect even the remotest of things and sew them together perfectly. Keep making more videos. I finally got the time to watch the video after 3 weeks, and I'm so happy to have seen it. Love you, man. I hope you keep making more content. Love you ❤️

[@emillarsson1299]

And as per usual, Super Eyepatch Wolf was dead fucking wrong and The Simpsons still STINKS! Who could have guessed?

[@butterknifepatten4455]

i really appreciate how genuinely and seriously all the media on this channel is approached, even when its something seemingly self evident or silly, like the simpsons or riverdale. also love it when video essayists just lie randomly lmao. just create mid video essay plot twists. its so fun

[@NintendoCapriSun]

This only happens more and more as we get older, it seems. I find myself struggling to feel nostalgia for anything even remotely recent, and at my age, "recent" could be as distant as ten years ago. It feels like every kind of media I take in, whether it's TV shows, movies or video games, my mind is constantly asking the question: "Should I hang on to this?" It's no secret that your ability to retain information (ergo: memories) deteriorates as you get older, and you can feel that. You start feeling anxious, like you have to very carefully pick and choose what to hold onto, and what to just leave to the void. But you don't know. You don't know if you should hang on to the memory of this movie, 'cause it might be the most mind-blowing movie you'll ever see in your life, but you don't know that now. And so you sit and wait for that feeling to come, that feeling you felt when you were 24 and you walked out of the movie theater with the realization that you could do anything with your life. But that feeling never comes, because the whole time, you're thinking "I'm too old now," or "It's too late", or "What if I only got 10 years left? What could I ever do with this anyway?" And your brain is constantly wrestling with these questions, leading you to wonder if it's all just a waste of time. So yeah. Of course you're not going to fully enjoy it. Of course it's not going to matter. Of course it's not going to stick with you. The first time I really acutely felt this feeling was with Undertale. I was 39. It's a mind-blowing experience, and I know that, but I only know it objectively. I don't think it really stuck with me the same way that it should have, because I remember even back then, even back then I had all those aforementioned questions going through my mind about whether it was even worth it to "hang on" to it. If I could have just sat back, let myself become immersed in the game and not worried about mortality (of course, I suppose some of the subject matter in the game wouldn't really allow me to NOT think about it), maybe I would feel nostalgic for it today. Instead, if I hear music from the game today, I just get depressed, and I remember how scared I was back then, and I remember that if I had only known back then I was going to still be here, that I wasn't going to get in a car accident, that I wasn't gonna have a stroke, that everything was going to be just fine 8 years down the road. Then maybe I would have let it in. Maybe there would have been a reason for me to let it in. But the older you get, the more brittle that assurance becomes. Now you're just scared that what if this was the last game I play in my life. Scared of what if it's NOT the last game I play in my life and I miss out because I didn't invest my emotions into it. But every now and then, by some strange miracle, I do feel nostalgia for things recent. Things like Breath of the Wild. And I know exactly why that is. Because somehow, for reasons that I don't really understand, I WASN'T thinking about all those questions when I played that game. I wasn't constantly questioning whether it mattered if I was going to remember any of this. I was just playing the game, taking it in, and wonder of wonders, it stuck with me. I think I've finally started to get past whatever all this was, call it a mid-life crisis maybe. And maybe I'm finally starting to take things in again without worrying about whether or not it's worth it to try to "hang on" to it. And now a lot of media feels like it's good again. But this is also why I think that there's this constant blathering of thoughts among people that stuff just isn't as good as it used to be. I've heard the same thing, that I'm not as good as I used to be. (And to be fair, for a few years I was getting pretty bad due to hypothyroid, but beside the point) But it's pretty much everywhere. Everybody misses the old Foo Fighters, the old Semisonic, the old Silverchair, the old Metallica. Everybody wants the old Smosh, the old Philip DeFranco, the old AVGN. Everybody misses the old Matrix, the old Terminator, the old Game of Thrones, the old Star Wars. And I wonder if it's just a symptom of getting older and not feeling as inclined to invest in any of it, with time growing shorter by the second for any of that investment to pay off. So we all just watch YT vids instead, 'cause there's no investment required there, and at least you're enjoying yourself in the moment. Don't know what I'm really getting at here, but this definitely stirred up some thoughts.

[@heinoustentacles5719]

part of this may be down to artists seriously cutting corners due to overstimulation. Either because the artists themselves are overstimulated, or they want to appeal to such an audience. And overstimulation in general, and the fact that all media is effectively free and never-ending now. Like a hose without a stopper. (Now that Algorithmic Art is on the scene this will probably only accelerate. When there's so much stuff to go around it all becomes sort of dull. I read a book called 'Retromania' by Simon Reynolds, which confirmed to me that my feeling wasn't just idle speculation; there were people who grew up in the 20th Century and could directly confirm the difference: "A while ago I felt a strange pang of nostalgia for boredom, the kind of absolute emptiness so familiar when I was a teenager, or a college student, or a dole-claiming idler in my early twenties. Those great gaping gulfs of time with absolutely nothing to fill them would induce a sensation of tedium so intense it was almost spiritual. This was the pre-digital era (before COs, before personal computers, long before the Internet) when in the UK there were only three or four TV channels, mostly with nothing you'd want to watch; only a couple of just-about-tolerable radio stations; no video stores or DVDs to buy; no email, no blogs, no webzines, no social media. To alleviate boredom, you relied on books, magazines, records, all of which were limited by what you could afford. You might have also resorted to mischief, or drugs,or creativity. It was a cultural economy of dearth and delay. As a music fan, you waited for things to come out or be aired: an album, the new issues of the weekly music papers, John Peel's radio show at ten o'clock, Top of the Pops on Thursday. There were long anticipation-stoking gaps, and then there were Events,and if you happened to miss the programme, the Peel show or the gig, it was gone. Boredom is different nowadays. It's about super-saturation,distraction, restlessness. I am often bored but it's not for lack of options: a thousand TV channels, the bounty of Netflix, countless net radio stations, innumerable unlistened-to albums, unwatched DVDs and unread books, the maze-like anarchive of KZbin. Today's boredom is not hungry, a response to deprivation; it is a loss of cultural appetite, in response to the surfeit of claims on your attention and time."

[@lainiwakura1776]

You're overthinking it, honestly. Consume what you like or think you'll like. If it impacted you enough, you'll remember it.

[@Slazon]

.

[@karenamyx2205]

I really think i might be dumb or something. I dont think like this at all, even remotely. Im in my mid 30s, so i think I qualify as similar context. But.. im just much simpler. If something looks kinda cool, ill easily give it a shot. As long as its not completely terrible, i consider it worth the time. It doesn't even have to be very good. Let alone incredible. I get your state of mind and why its a reaction to your perceived circumstances, its just that my mind went the opposite direction. Im grateful for whatever experience I have. Watched a show that was like a 6.5 outta 10? Spent 20 hours on a game that was just pretty alright? Fantastic. No regrets. Will i remember it at all in a year? Probably not. But for that time i was comfortable, safe, and i wasnt having a bad time. Thats good enough for me.

[@robinlarin69]

Damn bro maybe you should make your own video!

[@woman-of-clay]

I just barely stumbled across your channel but I find the ending of this lovely and somehow the touch of warmth I needed today. GGs to you buddy. Hope your day is good.

[@deimoslash1337]

I just discovered you. Excellent video. I love what you said near the end about yourself not making videos as often and why and I applaud you for it. Honest and heartfelt. I wish James Rolfe would just come out and say it that bluntly. None of us are the same and nothing ever stays the same, it cant. Life is dynamic.... You got my subscription.

[@anthonylarocque7975]

Season 34 isn't even the first time the Simpsons did a Death Note parody. There's an amazing one in the comics, with Nina Matsumoto on art, and I think Ian Boothby on the script. I think it won an Eisner for best short. It's amazing that this crossover knocked it out of the park twice.

[@blackpoolmemesclub83]

And it's because Nina Matsumoto, back in The Era (around 2006ish), was blowing up in DeviantArt for all her Death Note style Simpsons stuff. Didn't they do an intro in her style once?

[@RetiredMonolith]

Your ability to discover the eggs often overlooked, and then to write and bring such an intense drama to the work produced on this channel is inspiring. Even to a 13,400 year old Monolith. I’m old and very tired. You have created a meaning for me periodically re-surface. A meaning I have yearned to find for eons as I stand still in my prison of red sands and regret.

[@four-en-tee]

Bro, you're just a rock. Chill.

[@RetiredMonolith]

​@@four-en-tee *space rock

[@jamesderiven1843]

@@RetiredMonolith Well actually you're a Tycho magnetic anomaly.

[@duffman18]

Delicious egg

[@REDEEMERWOLF]

I identify as a rock.

[@saavlewdfanpage]

Welpppp this video already became outdated 😅 Whoops

[@mondruner]

Nice to know, I was about to waste 1 hour.

[@inabudon]

you are never living this up LOL

[@dorkydoodle3573]

Your videos are seriously on an entirely different planet of quality, polish, intrigue, and existential introspection that each time I finish one I genuinely don’t feel like the same person I was an hour before.

[@averyboredhumanoid8418]

Literally

[@TheImmigrantEater]

Pretty soon, there will be people making video essays on the cultural and personal impact this channel has had.

[@DragonZombie2000]

Lol at existential introspection. Literally how?

[@austinprice4813]

Because these people do not read or watch anything that is actually challenging or interesting and so when confronted with the most milquetoast shit they find their minds blown.

[@zk0rned]

That's called using the right words and talking a certain way there's nothing truly special outside of that

[@docileventriloquist]

I remember watching the Simpsons video you made 6 years ago being one of your first videos I had watched. Seeing things come full circle is kind of cathartic, the Simpsons has been around as long as I've been alive and despite anything, it always is around. It's like a presence that couldn't die if it tried to. Almost as if when the "Zombie Simpsons" era was a thing it was just merely biding time for a true resurrection.

[@BerenElendilAPGaming]

Y'know what I bet it is? The Simpsons is now so old... that new episodes can be made by people who were fans of classic Simpsons, and know the heart of the series.

[@requiem6465]

​@@BerenElendilAPGamingAh Sonic syndrome.

[@zacharyheller1313]

His video on the Fall of the Simpsons is the reason why I deep dived into Golden Age Simpsons. Nothing has made me laugh as hard as GAS. It’s shocking how good and clever the writing is.

[@BerenElendilAPGaming]

@@requiem6465 In a sense -- I think it's broader than Sonic, it reaches more toward the concept of nostalgia in general. Nostalgia tends to operate in roughly 30-year cycles, part of why we saw so much 80s nostalgia in the 2010s. As for The Simpsons, it was built on a level of rebellion against what came before (the idea of the "happy nuclear family" sitcom, when Groening was at the pen). And there are people working on this show now, I'm sure, who knew that's what The Simpsons is about. The Simpsons Revival is rebelling against the show's own stagnation.

[@requiem6465]

@BerenElendilAPGaming I just call it Sonic syndrome because a person like Ian Flynn went from a fan to a person that fans unironically call 'The Sonic Saviour'

[@KidAL0]

Not the dramatic video essay pauses

[@crashchannel_2787]

Pretty funny you mention that season 10 is that last good season before it started going downhill. Which was 1999 and they started doing constant jokes instead of focusing on story and characters. Bc you know what else came out in 1999 that focused on constant jokes and little story and characters. Family guy...

[@majorpwner241]

Well before season 10 the Simpsons was near-constant jokes with less emphasis on plot, and this was its golden age. It was a satire, plain and simple. It matters little if the jokes from then flew over your head... it was still about the jokes. The 'story' of the episodes generally meandered and came in 10 minute segments at the Simpson's peak.

[@RealLukeWilson]

Honestly I think a huge difference in quality between the past 2-3 seasons and the past 2 decades has a lot to do with the fact that the current writers grew up being fans of Classic Simpsons and seeing how the show has been handled by the generation of post-Matt Groening era writers. They want to reclaim the show they love. I’m in my early 30s, but a good portion of television I watch these days are children’s cartoons like Steven Universe or The Owl House, because they’re made by people the same age as me, who grew up watching the same cartoons as me, and brings the same things I loved (or hated) about those cartoons to the writers’ room. They’re great.

[@TaylorHappel]

This is exactly what I think is happening, as well!

[@heinoustentacles5719]

This is why I consider nostalgia useful. Only, it has be a sort of 'transformative' nostalgia. I'm an artist, and I do this weird thing while referencing where instead of taking a close look at the picture I stand several feet away. The picture becomes blurry and indistinct, and then I try and draw that. By the time I'm done it looks pretty good but has some very marked differences, where I had to use my imagination, or sort of 'guessed' what I was looking at and drew that. This is what I think is necessary for nostalgia to be useful. Taking what you like and referencing it, but applying a certain distance to it, so that you have to use your own ingenuity, and certain 'inaccuracies' come out. Those inaccuracies are something new and different. So nostalgia is actually good for inspiring the creation of new art that holds up, but it has to be sublimated somehow.

[@kaitlyn__L]

I’d noticed a lot of 90s nostalgia in modern animated shows, especially for stuff like cassette tapes and game cartridges which don’t really exist anymore for new distribution. Came to similar conclusions about the why, especially since 90s cartoons often had a lot of 60s and 70s nostalgia baked-into them. I think it’s useful not just as an outlet for the writers, but also as a bridge into the past for the audience. Eg the 90s and 00s Scooby Doo stuff helped me approach the 60s cartoon, which helped me approach even older animation. Then the cultural cues in all of those helped me begin to appreciate classic cinema as a teen.

[@lainiwakura1776]

Who cares if the creators of those shows are your age? What does that have to do with anything? And never mind how questionable I find your taste in shows, and how pissed I was when I saw one of the Owl House character designs was just a rip off of an anime character I like.

[@lainiwakura1776]

@@kaitlyn__L The people feeling nostalgia over cassettes are not smart people, I remember cassettes too and I can happily say I'm _glad_ CDs came out because it's easier to flip through songs on them. You don't have to hold down rewind or fast forward and let go at random time hoping you stopped at the correct spot where the song you want to hear starts. When I was kid, I couldn't tell certain shows were old. I watched what I wanted, age had no bearing on what they played on TV as reruns. Most kids don't find out how old some of the stuff they watch is until they're adults anyway. I watched a Pup Named Scooby-Doo as much as I watched regular Scooby-Doo, I didn't need help getting into the original. I watched the Flinstones and Jetsons and old Looney Tunes without modern iterations needing to introduce them to me. They were animated, so I watched.

[@Scarnehu]

John, this was a touching and poignant video. I know you had to really push to get this one out the door, but I want to say thank you. For your old content, your new content, and for just genuinely bringing a beautiful perspective to the world. Thank you

[@DennisBuchmiller]

....And then season 35 happened.

[@ErasMcras]

If there was a zombie era 29-30 must be the ghost era when there's no body left

[@jojogape]

One time, years ago, around the time I watched your first Simpsons video, I said to myself "one day, they will make an episode about the Simpsons trying to get out of a reality that feels artificial, like pointing at their own cartoonification over time. One day, they will go meta about the very state of the show and that will be the point of the episode or season". I'm glad they finally went there with that Treehouse segment.

[@sergeyromanov2116]

They already did it years ago with that time-traveling intro.

[@jojogape]

@@sergeyromanov2116 Oh yeah! But I meant having an entire episode or season focused on that. With the current rise of metamodernism and "stories about writing stories" and movies making some sort of meta commentary about their own genre, it just kind of makes sense.

[@jaguarndr]

HOLY CRAP!! That plot twist at 59:51 was actually jaw dropping, your videos are always top tier.

[@DaWoWzer]

I never got this argument, there have always been weird auts who hate anything that drift from what they see as the norm, the real problem is when even normal fan start seeing issues, cherry picking bad reviews from weirdos prove nothing.

[@flux_casey]

@@DaWoWzer He's not trying to prove anything with it. Just pointing out that for something that runs for a long time, the most recent will always be compared with what came before. And even if the most recent is nigh-objectively fantastic, how the old stuff made you feel will have an enormous impact on how you see what comes later. Pattern recognition is a fundamental facet of human nature. Our minds are programmed to compare and contrast past and present to draw conclusions. It's a bias that can prevent anyone from seeing the value of something in isolation, because it's not the way you remember it. In other words, he's noting this is a thing that can happen and we should reflect on our own opinions to determine if we're being tricked by that bias. It doesn't prove anything about The Simpsons, it's saying something about people.

[@rockstar-made]

@@DaWoWzer Just purposefully missing the point lmao

[@Sleepy_Cabbage]

@@flux_casey Im so sick of that type of take, like no kid, its been proven that our minds will literally tint our pasts to be more favorable and more fantastical, in other words nostalgic. does this completely invalidate the views of an older audience? hell no, as long as their aware of this factor and speak constructively, its essentially a noting take and i get sick of people bringing up nostalgia this way.

[@flux_casey]

@@Sleepy_Cabbage Uh... It feels like an entirely fair thing to bring up in a video essay about a show that has been running for more than three decades with a well known 'golden age' that may well be seeing a resurgence. How we see the past vs how we see the present seems like a really important factor in recognising the basis of opinions on that sort of thing. But go off calling a dude in his mid-30s a kid, I guess.

[@heyd5305]

Hey i literally discovered your video yesterday with the simpson downfall video and now i find this ! I struck gold !!

[@willajer]

That said, the Dublin Leprechaun museum is a lovely afternoon activity. Especially with kids!

[@holycow818181]

I watched a few of the Season 33 and 34 episodes you mentioned after reading the Vulture article a few months ago. I'd describe it this way: It's like, think of a friend you had in school, who you loved and hung out with all the time. Then, as you both got older, your friend started to get in with a bad crowd and started doing things that ruined their own life, and as much as you cared about them, you couldn't stand to be around and watch them destroy themselves, so you go your separate ways. Then, a decade later, you see them again. They've gone through hell, but they've gotten their life together. They're not the person you knew as a kid, but what they are is still a decent human being, and as much as you miss what they were and you'll probably never have the close friendship you did when you were younger, you're glad to see that they're doing okay. That's how I'd describe watching Seasons 33 and 34 of The Simpsons.

[@majorsimmons2633]

I haven’t compared for myself but this is just a crazy analogy in the best way.

[@NAJ0202]

When it comes to nostalgia, I try not to let it become a prison for my mind, and instead try to view it like a photo album, something I can look back on and enjoy the memories while still being able to live in the present and find joy there, too. This video really kind of crystalizes that perspective for me, and I really appreciate that. Thanks, SEW :)

[@vladimiradidas1945]

That's a very healthy point of view. Be happy about the things you love existing, but continue moving forward and give the new guys a chance to shine.

[@caisintlys]

I knew I had to watch the entire video as soon as I saw that a 10/10 was rated Gentle Ben Talk Show. Editing in after watching the whole thing: Fantastic video. I'm going to check out some modern Simpsons this weekend.

[@joeygarza9550]

Even though I used to love, nay, champion The Simpsons, I thank god I'm not a completist... otherwise I'd feel compelled to watch seasons 16-34.

[@TheGreatMelonyt]

the emotion behind seeing a heartfelt episode in S33E12 is overwhelming. it feels like seeing a star athlete after years of flanderization, finally comes back into their prime.

[@OctarineCode]

Man, I got all pumped now I wanna torrent the hell out of those seasons

[@HoorayTV21]

........................................its shit though. How can you be emotional about some shit made by a whole new group of people 30 years after the fact? Dumb. Shows dead, move on.

[@connorpoole2194]

​@@HoorayTV21You sound absolutely miserable, why you gotta shit on somebody for enjoying a T.V show

[@prestonwuvsyou990]

yet here you are. @@HoorayTV21

[@braddub8145]

Honestly, I'm just impressed you managed to connect the plight of Tetsuya Naito to latter-day Simpsons. Also, the review bait-and-switch was perfect, gobsmacked and annoyed I didn't see it coming

[@VetinariClone]

This was, amusingly, a blast from the past for me. I haven’t heard your voice since the last episode of Let’s Fight a Boss. I never really followed John’s KZbin career, which I only found through the podcast, lol. I should watch a few of these.

[@IsaiahNewman-rv8dh]

The writing quality took a dive with the "advancement in animation". Demographic and audience becomes the main factors against storytelling, arc, intent and purpose. It's not just the Simpsons...

[@connordarvall8482]

That last Treehouse of Horror episode really spoke to me about what I'm finding difficult with discussing pop culture. There's this odd fascination with taking the best moments of the past, building a metaphorical shrine to it and just basking in it. Then again, I might just be nostalgic for a non-existent past where people didn't do that or maybe I was to young to notice people complaining.

[@Jacksiloution]

As someone growing up in the 2010's and not the 1990's as many have I do feel like this is how this is with many things. I'm an avid WWE watcher and I find alot of people online act this way wanting everything to be like how it was in the early 2000's or how anything good is always talked about being similar to the attitude era or how this wrestling era will never ever be the same as the past was despite the fact that it is probably on the same level as we speak. But that's just how I feel about it

[@Gumper30]

52:21 just to add another layer to this moment, it's worth noting that Matt Groening has said that the "I call the big one bitey" joke that starts the segment is one of his favourite jokes of the entire series. out of all the jokes they could have picked to start Simpsonsworld, they chose one that the original creator of the show is particularly fond of.

[@LuAhaRlEQuIm]

When you start analyzing season 34, and sayin that the show start a meta discussion about it's identity, I could only think about super heroes comics when modern age started. In 80's to 90's we started to see heroes being represented as humans, and this started to get disturbing. In comics by Alex Ross we get existential discussion as in Marvels and in Kingdom Come, and in Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth we deep dive in madness (one of my favorite comics of all time, I think you would love it if you didn't read it). So after more than 40 years of hearos comics, they start to look to it self and talk about their existence.

[@lunarirose7181]

So good. SO GOOD. I kept saying this over and over while watching this video. John has this incredible ability to describe subtle, complex, and nuanced sensations or emotions with hyper accuracy. For example describing the uncanny feeling of modern Simpsons' self-referencing as like watching it put its feet in its mouth and devour itself oroboros-style, or like having an incestuous relationship with itself. And that's so perfectly and concisely stated. As someone who struggles to communicate their thoughts effectively to others, I admire this skill so much. Another amazing piece of work.

[@lilmissgearhead]

You’ve communicated this comment very effectively!!!

[@UmbreonMessiah]

Marge's lifelong dream was to be a contestant on a show format that didn't exist until she was already well into her 40s. Kinda....explains everything about that season, doesn't it?

[@holycow818181]

"Your lifelong dream was to be a contestant on the Gong Show. And you did it in 1977, remember?"

[@twinphalanx4465]

To be fair, you can see something that didn't exist when you were younger like say VR for me and still say I've always wanted to do that, even though VR system didn't remotely exist for me outside of something like the rzone or Virtual boy.

[@yehuda8589]

tbf with the floating timeline, Homer and Marge are literally millennials now

[@driedspace3687]

I always leave these videos with a weird feeling in my mind. A well scripted video that really changes your view of a topic and leaves you with something to reflect, usually the fact that the past is well gone. That calm but sad feeling is something that I will always keep in my mind and heart. Thank you Wolf.

[@grimsladeleviathan3958]

That's why I love his videos so much. It's basically just him pondering on things he loved. And somehow it makes me feel the same. Note, I have zero connections to The Simpsons, but the three videos he makes on them is just so... thought provoking? Emotional? I dunno. It's hard to describe. But it makes me feel his disappointment with the way the show went. It makes me sad knowing that this great show has turned into ash and remolded into what people of a different time think it used to be. Even though I've never seen a single episode of it.

[@CMBGAMER2018TV]

The episode where Marge is sick and constantly has nightmares about Bart growing up is an incredible episode in my eyes.