I think I really dislike Al Jean. His showrunning days started right after the basically latest possible end of the Golden Era in the eyes of about 98% of fans.
You always appreciate the concept of trying new things even if it doesnt work out more than I do. I need the ambition to also deliver the goods. I have been on a 3 plus year Simpsons watch. Every single episode, then I write a short review with score. Season 17 got by far my lowest average score per episode to date. During Season 15 is where I stopped watching the show as it aired and from that point forward 90% is new to me Comparing it to my views on 15 and 16 it is a step down Currently I am 6 episodes into season 18 and already feel a slight quality bounce back.
The Itchy and Scratchy Musical joke is hands down my mum's favourite joke from The Simpsons. The Lion-Kingesque "Itchy scratchy, itchy itchy scratchy" gets quoted in our house constantly and it never gets old.
Similar to what happened on Season 15 and the Spanish dub, Season 17 is a very important year for Brazilian Simpsons fans, as it is the last season of Homer's first voice actor, Waldyr Sant'anna, voicing the character. Sant'anna went from seasons 1 to 8, being replaced by Júlio César Barreiros. At season 14, Waldyr came back, but had troubles with Fox due to the usage of his voice acting at the DVD sets. Without a settlement, Sant'anna was replaced by Carlos Alberto Vasconcellos, the voice actor of Homer since then. It was specifically tough because Sant'anna did some voice acting for the Simpsons movie, including the first trailer, but all had to be scrapped. All respect for Vasconcellos, who's doing a pretty solid job as Homer. But Waldyr was able to sell both the ignorant and impulsive adult as well as the caring father, being considered a legendary voice actor in our country.
The early to mid 2000s was surely a rough time for Simpsons dubs it seems. Spain also lost its original Homer after s11 following his passing. And in Japan there was also the debacle of a complete recast for the movie, replacing the stablished cast with popular actors in an attempt to attract general audiences since TS was arguably just a cult series there, which backfired hard. But the eventual return of its main japanese cast for the home media release of the movie, as well as the original latin Spanish Homer returning in s32, are rare developments that were surely appreciated by their communities.
@@Game_Hero Hubert Gagnon, the Canadian french voice of Homer passed away in 2020- the last season he can be heard in is Season 27- after they moved to using the France french voice actor for Homer ( Philippe Peythieu) - it takes some adjustment when listening to later seasons on Disney+
I appreciate that you're still analyzing the seasons. I don't think the internet poisoned you. The internet allowed you to keep caring. Without the internet, people would just stop watching and caring.
The Italian Bob is one of my favorite Simpsons episodes ever. The "What does Vendetta mean in Italian." Joke kills me each time. I can for sure feel want you mean by a sort of "series fatigue" hitting in this season but I still enjoy a lot of it. I think your understanding of how you start to view things differently via 'the discourse' is also very apt.
Small thing I just realized, your audio editing is fantastic. It's so consistent, never peaks my speakers, and the music never encroaches your voice. I think for all the years I've watched you, I've never had to adjust the volume at any point, just smooth watching through and through. It's a thing no one would ever notice when you do it right. It's adds a layer of professionalism to your work and I truly appreciate it.
@HotDivasWrestling they were, but then Disney+ happened, so Disney ayopped printing DVDs that they figured would rot on store shelves because they make for a good reason to subscribe to Disney+.
I love how I can go to the comments and people are actually talking about the video, and not sounding like bots and saying how much they're in love with the channel. It's great to have interesting stuff to read after finishing the video
I enjoy the potshots at Ricky Gervais even when this season came out before everyone outside of the UK got sick of his shtick. Also yeah, while the internet can "activate" you and be a positive, some things do absolutely need to get revisited post-grass touching so you feel less conflicted about said thing. Great video as always, Jim(s)!
For whatever reason, my younger brother and I got sort of obsessed with that one trilogy episode about boats, it was just an easy one to watch and laugh at. Honestly there were several eps from this season I didn't mind rewatching as a kid, even if they weren't as funny as the Golden Age stuff. They were still interesting enough, with the Sideshow Bob ep and the two trilogy episodes being my faves. Also that one throwing batteries joke from the Baseball player/Pop Star ep lives in my head rent-free. I just love the delivery on "9 volt, double A, D, D, D, D, cordless DRILL!"
i have a lot of memories of season 17, probably because it might be the only season i saw every episode of when they aired. the 27 joke is gold, i will never think otherwise
The girls school principal from that boys vs girls episode should definitely return whenever they inevitably decide to parody the Barbie Movie. In fact there’s a lot they could do if they wanted to do “Malibu Stacy The Episode”.
I appreciate your critique of the show's humor trying to be edgier like South Park, because I remember my younger self complaining to my parents about this season as it aired that it was trying too hard to be more like Family Guy.
South Park is edgy, but I’d say it’s also a lot more subtle. Family Guy on the other hand after it came back on air, was just edgy for the sake of being edgy.
For the longest time, seasons beyond 16 did not air in the UK for the longest time. But when season 17 finally came on (probably due to settling on airing rights), I could tell something had radically changed. I asked my older brother "Why do they now have all this edgey jokes, metahumor and blantant pop culture references like Family Guy?" He said the writers must have realised their audience were now grown up, and had to adapt to those changes. And he was right. I was now growning up, and was in a transition period, just the show was at this point.
Jims relationship with this season reminds me of mine with Season 27. I was so critical watching because i was watching a lot of Mr. Enter back then. Now i like it a lot more.
Always liked that one scene from this season where Bart and Milhouse are watching the OC and Milhouse remarks "Wow! Whatever those tv writers are getting paid, it's not enough!" Delicious levels of irony.
I always have a new perspective on the seasons you make retrospectives on. So after finishing the video, I'd say I agree with the thought that season 17 has great ideas and uninspiring execution. It feels like the status quo is more of a detriment then ever in this season. I vaguely remember seeing the previews for these episodes, as a kid, and thinking how the plots might have a long lasting effects on the characters. Only to watch them and come to the realization that nothing ever really changes, by the end of an episode. Obviously, there are some exceptions and sometimes an episode can still build up to future plots, without any major changes within itself. But still, I remember watching episodes like the Italian Bob and thinking "Wow! Sideshow Bob has a wife and child now? And, they're also murdering psychopaths!? I wonder how they'll utilize these characters and dynamics in future episodes?" Just to have them rarely appear at all afterwards.
The Italian Bob was imo one of the most memorable s17 episodes, primarily out of its novelty idea. And arguably also because of its Family Guy plagiarism joke which has become the most popular of the many jabs that The Simpsons has made against FG over the years. Though i won't stand by the American Dad joke made right afterwards. That show has since then forged its own identity after the first few episodes and became a really weird, amusing and interesting show in its own right. Worth giving a chance tbh.
@@AlvinFlang69420 By that mentality, all one-off characters were pointless, a wasted opportunity for sure, but I wouldn't go as far as saying it is "pointless"
In fairness, American Dad had only been on for a year by the time The Italian Bob aired, so the prevailing perception was that it was just another Family Guy clone. It hadn't gotten the chance to forge its own identity yet.
Bravo for another incredible retrospecticus, Jims.❤ One of my biggest hot-takes is that I'd take any episode out of Season 15, 16, or 17 over anything from 18 thru the 20s. I have such strong nostalgic feelings towards these episodes. And I'm glad to see the community seems less harsh on these seasons than they used to be.
@@Marylandbrony Not in a million years would I have come to the conclusion that that's what people mean. Despite being aware of this ratio in television.
@@camelopardalis84 The Simpsons was in standard definition and in a "4:3" aspect ratio up until it changed to HD 16:19 in Season 20. So "4:3 Al Jean" refers to Seasons 13-20: all the season's in Al Jean's second tenure as showrunner before the series changed to high definition.
I actually have fond memories of this season. Some really strong episodes that feel classic to me. In highschool, at the peak of my depression and very sedentary, sad existence - I was watching 'Girls Just Want To Have Sums' with my brother, and that damn '27!' broke what felt like a year of me not laughing genuinely at anything. I just couldn't stop, and then it became funny that I couldn't stop and I kept laughing. I must have laughed for 10 minute straight. In a weird way, it brought me and my brother closer together after a lot of icy awkward silence while we both privately struggled with our sadness and cruel teen years. I haven't laughed that hard at anything since a 'laughter battle' I entered, and some I Think You Should Leave sketches.
This season holds a special place in my heart because is one of the reasons I fell in love with the simpsons. I remember watching most of it on tv when I was a pre-teen and I thought it was so edgy, critical and non-sense that I simply loved. To this day 'Kiss kiss bangalore' is still my go-to episode everytime I need some simpsons to cheer me up. Great video! Can't wait for the top10!
I'm really excited to see you cover this season. This season was the only Simpsons DVDs my family had when I was young. So aside from the classic episodes that everybody knows these are the Simpsons episodes I have watched the most. I'm not sure if this season still holds up but it holds a lot of nostalgic value for me.
Really? This was the only season your family had? Well that's interesting. So looks like you got too dive into the show first by seeing how it evolved after 17 years. Now that's classy.😉
9:26 I've been thinking about this for ages, because the punchline being "27!" is also in the show Chowder. What is it with this number and being a punchline? I think it's considered a funny word in the same way that "duck" is a funny animal.
I had been religiously watching episodes as they aired up until season 15 when I stopped watching altogether. I got back on the wagon in season 20 and eventually watched what I had missed, so maybe I have a bias too, but 15-19 will forever be a blur of sameness to me. Every season has a couple good if not great episodes, but I just can't think of any of them in 17, even after watching your retrospective.
10:13 I recall mentioning the outhouse joke from Manatees to a friend and she was sure it was from a different episode/context, so good to discover we were both right and neither of us were being Mandelad, bad that it's due to the Simpsons recycling a joke.
Fantastic job, as always. This season was forgotten by me until I watched this, and the episode of Mr. Burns/Lisa with all of the interconnected storylines is one of my absolute favourites; I had no idea it was in this season of all things. If I'm not mistaken it's actually one of the more lauded/praised episodes of 'modern' Simpsons as well. The 'tiredness' is definitely evident in these 'teen' seasons, I'm convinced this is even more the case with all of your excellent visuals and comparisons. Thank you for all of your Simpsons content, Jims!
I honestly feel that the team simultaneously working on the movie around about this time is probably the reason why the episodes feel like repeats. I think this season is an example of why I look back at the Scully era a little more fondly. There's an energy too his era where the choices may baffle me sometimes, but I'm never bored. It's as you say, even though they try to transform the characters, they don't commit. The stories just feel too self defeating and uninterested. If the characters don't care about what's going on in the story, then why should we care? Season 17 is just too tired for my liking.
I'm using this series to help figure out how far into the show's run I actually watched on TV as a kid. i thought season 16 was the last season I saw, because checking the plot synopsises of a bunch of season 17 episodes I didn't recognize any of them. But this video showed me a bunch of moments I remember, like Marge gaining her memory of Homer's beer addiction back (ironic, I know), Skinner in a dress, Bart eating the dirty fries, the museum presentation about nunchucks being cool but useless, and Ned fighting Lisa over creationism. Looking up the list of episodes again also caused me to remember several moments from the cave anthology episode. I also realised that this was the Treehouse episode with Blob Homer, which I clearly remember liking. There are still a ton of episodes I don't remember, however, so either my memory's spotty or I didn't watch the show as regularly anymore. Taking a quick look at the episode synopsies for episode 18, I don't seem to recognize them, but maybe your recap on that season will jolt my memory once again.
Hey, real Jim's. I'm a long time viewer. And I'm glad you finally made it to season 17. It really helped me decide that season 15 DVD set was the last to collect . Season 15 had just enuff episodes for me to be satisfied With my perches. From season 16 and on, less episodes were Exciting to me. Long story short, you helped give me closer.
the episode Regarding Margie has one of my biggest bugbears I wish it was revealed that Homers cousins they stayed with where either Mona's nephew or neice but them being related just because of their dog being Santa's Little Helper's brother was a very infruiating twist.
Most of the jokes from the Al Jean era feel like when another show or writer (Doug Walker, for example) tries to write Simpsons-type dialogue without really understanding what made it funny to begin with, like they know the pattern of a Simpsons gag, they just can't pull it off themselves. But in Al Jean's case, these jokes are being delivered by actual Simpsons characters.
That’s what happens when a show goes on for too long without its original creative team. The answer to the Ship of Theseus problem in TV is “No, but it’s trying really hard to look like it”
15:34 No wonder I love the middle seasons more than most people, Krusty is pretty grating to me that its pretty refreshing to know he has less and less screen time this season!
seeing jims go from calling this season one of his least favourites to realising he might treated this season too harshly is an unexpected but welcome arc.
Comparing 10:12 and 19:56... You've really changed your mind about that outhouse gag in The Bonfire of The Manatees since 2005, huh? (As a big fan of your channel it's pretty cool to see where it all started from, though, so thanks for sharing that historic document.)
I'm just gonna say it, Season 17 was the season that made me quit the show for a long time, but i think specifically the wife swaping episode was the straw that broke the camel's back for me, i actually enjoyed the Scully seasons and have some fondness for Al Jean first years, but here's, with that particular episode, it's when it becomes embarassing. I wonder how it would have been if after Scully, we still changed showrunners every two or three seasons, maybe it would helped it stay more fresh. But on the other side, it's time for the *Simpsons Retrospective Secondary Character Stockwatch!* Let's see how the charts goes: *Prinicipal secondary characters* Season 2-3: Mr. Burns Season 4: Krusty Season 5-8: Mr. Burns Season 9-11: Moe Season 12: Skinner Season 13-14: Moe Season 15: Skinner Season 16: Wiggum Season 17: Bart's friend *Biggest winners* Season 2: Mr. Burns Season 3: Bart's friend Season 4: Grounskeeper Willie and Apu Season 5: Skinner and Grandpa Season 6: Moe Season 7: Skinner and Bart's friend Season 8: Moe Season 9: Apu Season 10: Gil Season 11: Lenny and Carl Season 12: Dr. Hibbert Season 13: Mr. Burns Season 14: Cletus Season 15: Comic Book Guy Season 16: Cletus and Brandine Season 17: Jimbo (also Kearney and Dolph) See you for the next Simpson update!
A lot of your criticisms on season 17, especially rehashing elements or reasoning jokes for stuff. I was thinking when it originally aired good video as usual, Jims
I distinctly remember "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife" being the episode that caused me to fall off the show. I was 13 when it broadcast and I still rank it as the absolute worst episode of the show's first 17 seasons.
I've been doing a partial rewatch of the seasons in reverse and I found with some distance I'm coming around to episodes that I didn't give much thought to before. When I got to 17 though I had to take a break because the episodes are just..... not appealing to me. After watching a few I had to check this video out because I was still struggling (I may only like about six episodes 😬). I appreciate your positive approach and it did make me dislike the writers less lol because at least they were trying new stuff. However I don't think you were poisoned by the message boards, season 17 really is just..... not great. Love your videos 👍
Just want to say, thank you for making these videos! I only started watching the Simpsons relatively late, so I don't have a real sense for trends during a given season or differences between them (watched most of it out of order). Your videos are helping me to categorize everything a lot, and it's really interesting. I haven't seen any of these episodes recently, but from what I remember I thought these episodes were alright, never stood out to me in any special way, but I don't have any negative memories either. Well, maybe with the exception of some lgbt jokes around that time, which nowadays just feel very dated for the most part. But that's to be expected I suppose and (most likely) not exclusive to this season.
Because of the way you struggled with this one, this is probably your best video. This and the Who Shot Mr Burns side-theories about the other simpson family members. Top stuff. Sorry about the Gervais bit. Love from the UK.
I think this is the last season where I still occasionally tried to watch new episodes coming out before I gave up entirely. I remember several of these episodes, but mostly in the abstract as something I rolled my eyes at than remembering the content of them.
I just got done rewatching this season for D'ohMance Dawn, the One Piece/Simpsons podcast I've been doing, and I agree with you on your points. For me, this was also a turning point in my watching because this was when my family was making the Simpsons less of a priority and so there were some episodes I just didn't remember or hadn't seen. There were also a few episodes I thought were really solid overall and I'll be excited to see your ranking list. Also I wish you luck as we reached the end of Frinkiac'd seasons, so screenshots will be harder to come by.
There's alot of memorable plots and jokes that I can remember from this season that's actually surprising cause I'm sure I haven't seen these episodes more then once
i feel season 17 is definitely the place where you can REALLY feel the tiredness of the show, to the point where it feels sort of reflected in the writing don't wanna give off the impression that i think the writers are lazy or don't care, but i feel everyone knew that the show was just never gonna end so they feel it's best to play it safe and not really try to venture in new and different directions. even in episodes where they do ask big questions, they don't really commit so it feels hollow. then again i was in kindergarten when this season was airing so i obviously ate it all up like any kid would so my criticisms mostly come from hindsight
19:56 That original post of yours, "Jims", is quite the interesting origin story. Asking the big questions, are you still single and thus still can't relate to Homer/Marge relationship episodes? Or are you no more and still can't relate to Homer/Marge relationship episodes?
Happy to see that you’re continuing your journey to season 60! Yea the internet definitely has it’s way to poison one‘s opinion. Tho as from most of the mid season I‘m always surprised to hear about a moment or two which make me think: „wait that’s not from the golden years?!“. So I looking forward for the rest of the journey :D
I agree. If the series truly wants to step away from the shadow of the old jokes and memes and stuff, they should make the push to bind itself away from the floating timeline and let them develop as much at the technology does overtime.
Al Jean destroyed the Simpsons's reputation. Him staying for 20 years is the reason why it's so hard for people to give Matt Selman a chance. It's a cautionary tale
Have you ever listened to the commentaries? Al Jean is awesome. The show has been on for 30 freaking years. Like no he didn’t ruin it. It’s just been on a long time. And even then it still has good episodes every now and then.
@@UnknownName5050 There's still good episodes in his era, my favorite episode was deep into his era, but he should've stepped down right after this season. Let someone else showrun to keep the perspective fresh and stopping it from growing too formulaic like they did in the first 10 years.
From what i can tell, people are more or less starting to rediscover the show on Disney+ and whatnot. It's oddly one of the best show in the "Binging era".
I'll always have good memories of the seasons up to 22 because I remember watching them every sunday with my dad till he passed away like a month after the end of S22.
Its interesting watching detailed analysis of all the seasons I never watched. Curious to see how season 18 will be different from season 28 and so on.
Season 17 is actually one of my favorites out of the teen seasons of the simpsons, so I was bummed in previous videos to hear how much you hated it. I like this retrospective though, you were very fair and level-headed towards it. 😊
Like someone else said they are not on cels anymore, they actually went out of their way to add shadows behind the characters to make it feel like cels
I share a lot of the reticence about season 17, some episodes I really do not like. But, some I love. Road to D'oh-where and Seemingly Never-Ending Story in particular. In fact when Road to D'oh-where first aired, it dawned on me that after a few years of general disappointment in Simpsons, it had reached a point where I could again expect really great episodes. I personally tend to think of seasons 15/16 through 22-24 (ish) as a "renaissance", where episodes aren't always good, but there was still a healthy dose of clever and creative episodes. The ending scene (which I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it) of Road to D'oh-where remains one of my favourite jokes, along with "Stupid horse, it's a DEER crossing!".
Thanks for the great vid maan. Delving into internet culture and it's outreach when I was 8yo in 1998 was definitely full of pros and cons but I don't think you were poisoned by the Internet or were too heavily cynical. I think you just grew up more and gained more experiences, while I will say the quantity and virtue signaling over quality definitely makes mid episodes look better.
Regarding recycled jokes, I remember watching a commentary track for an episode in the single digit seasons where they talk about a joke they cut because it wasn't working. Homer was watching some girls jump rope and he would gasp when it sounded like they were about to say a swear word, and then be relieved when they actually said something else. A year or two later I was watching a new episode and this cut joke showed up in it. (I don't remember what season it was.)
17 is one of my favourite Jean seasons off the strength of its down-to-earth character motives. Marge’s Son Poisoning, Girls Just Wanna Have Sums, Bart Has Two Mommies, Milhouse of Sand and Fog, the Girl Who Slept Too Little, and See Homer Run are all great for that reason. Dare I say, they’re almost on par with some golden age episodes! Except some of the episodes I don’t like hit a very wrong chord with me, namely Million Dollar Abie and Regarding Margie. They bring up such depressing topics and don’t exactly resolve them. It’s a lot harder to laugh at Abe when you’re thinking about his visit to Dr Kevorkian. But hey, I’ll take sad episodes over boring ones. Season 17 is a good one
I definitely want to revisit this season more myself. I rewatched the first half of it for a while but I got a little bit bored. I think it got better towards the later part especially with the sideshow bob story and school torn in half episode. Those were always were big favorites of mine. I definitely want to rewatch both of those two episodes but there’s a lot in this season that doesn’t grab me as strongly.
I gave up on the show around season 15, and this video captures why. New episodes stopped feeling new. They had pretty much told every story there was to tell and were recycling in a way that even Lisa would not approve. The only kind of show that can stay fresh for 17 years is one where the cast changes over time, and adding more characters while the existing ones remain is not the same thing.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
As you can see, I have mixed feelings about this season 🤣
To say the least 😂
We noticed.
Season 17 is the season of all time
I think I really dislike Al Jean. His showrunning days started right after the basically latest possible end of the Golden Era in the eyes of about 98% of fans.
You always appreciate the concept of trying new things even if it doesnt work out more than I do. I need the ambition to also deliver the goods.
I have been on a 3 plus year Simpsons watch. Every single episode, then I write a short review with score. Season 17 got by far my lowest average score per episode to date. During Season 15 is where I stopped watching the show as it aired and from that point forward 90% is new to me
Comparing it to my views on 15 and 16 it is a step down
Currently I am 6 episodes into season 18 and already feel a slight quality bounce back.
The Itchy and Scratchy Musical joke is hands down my mum's favourite joke from The Simpsons. The Lion-Kingesque "Itchy scratchy, itchy itchy scratchy" gets quoted in our house constantly and it never gets old.
I suppose it’s symbiotic
And perhaps a bit erotic
‘Cause pain is my narcotic
Tell me this doesn’t sound like classic Simpsons
Similar to what happened on Season 15 and the Spanish dub, Season 17 is a very important year for Brazilian Simpsons fans, as it is the last season of Homer's first voice actor, Waldyr Sant'anna, voicing the character. Sant'anna went from seasons 1 to 8, being replaced by Júlio César Barreiros. At season 14, Waldyr came back, but had troubles with Fox due to the usage of his voice acting at the DVD sets. Without a settlement, Sant'anna was replaced by Carlos Alberto Vasconcellos, the voice actor of Homer since then. It was specifically tough because Sant'anna did some voice acting for the Simpsons movie, including the first trailer, but all had to be scrapped.
All respect for Vasconcellos, who's doing a pretty solid job as Homer. But Waldyr was able to sell both the ignorant and impulsive adult as well as the caring father, being considered a legendary voice actor in our country.
The early to mid 2000s was surely a rough time for Simpsons dubs it seems. Spain also lost its original Homer after s11 following his passing. And in Japan there was also the debacle of a complete recast for the movie, replacing the stablished cast with popular actors in an attempt to attract general audiences since TS was arguably just a cult series there, which backfired hard. But the eventual return of its main japanese cast for the home media release of the movie, as well as the original latin Spanish Homer returning in s32, are rare developments that were surely appreciated by their communities.
the Simpsons dubbing is legitimately really interesting to learn about.
This is very interesting. The perceived decline of the Simpsons also concurs with the death of the first Spaniard voice of Homer.
@@KremBotop Meanwhile the Québécois french dub seems ok unless I missed something.
@@Game_Hero Hubert Gagnon, the Canadian french voice of Homer passed away in 2020- the last season he can be heard in is Season 27- after they moved to using the France french voice actor for Homer ( Philippe Peythieu) - it takes some adjustment when listening to later seasons on Disney+
I appreciate that you're still analyzing the seasons. I don't think the internet poisoned you. The internet allowed you to keep caring. Without the internet, people would just stop watching and caring.
The Italian Bob is one of my favorite Simpsons episodes ever. The "What does Vendetta mean in Italian." Joke kills me each time. I can for sure feel want you mean by a sort of "series fatigue" hitting in this season but I still enjoy a lot of it. I think your understanding of how you start to view things differently via 'the discourse' is also very apt.
Vendetta means… VENDETTA!
Vendetta Vendetta
The family screaming after that then cutting to commercial is probably one of the funniest act breaks they’ve done.
I genuinely adore the "27" joke so damn much.
Me too!
Even after all these years I still remember it vividly. It’s so dumb but so funny
it’s another joke that i add to the list of “reasons my humour hasn’t evolved”
i laugh at the dumbest stuff
I want to painfully admit that anytime the number 27 comes up in conversation, my brain IMMEDIATELY defaults to 9:27
Thank fuck. I'm not the only one.
At 9... 27??
@@maxresdefault_ Ya, I was wondering if that was intentional.
I just turned 27 and it was all I could think about lol
yes thanks all of you for validating my experience
Small thing I just realized, your audio editing is fantastic. It's so consistent, never peaks my speakers, and the music never encroaches your voice. I think for all the years I've watched you, I've never had to adjust the volume at any point, just smooth watching through and through. It's a thing no one would ever notice when you do it right. It's adds a layer of professionalism to your work and I truly appreciate it.
Ah yes, the “why is the dvd so expensive now” era
It really feels like all the seasons were pretty affordable just a few years ago too
@HotDivasWrestling they were, but then Disney+ happened, so Disney ayopped printing DVDs that they figured would rot on store shelves because they make for a good reason to subscribe to Disney+.
Doh!
it's sad how physical media is quickly becoming more precious
I'm so happy you mentioned the 27 joke. It's weirdly one of my favourites of all seasons
I love how I can go to the comments and people are actually talking about the video, and not sounding like bots and saying how much they're in love with the channel. It's great to have interesting stuff to read after finishing the video
I'm just gonna guess you have been reading comments in certain studios videos
The chad RealJims discussion halls vs the 2 hour long documentary "oh boy a new video!" brown nosers
I enjoy the potshots at Ricky Gervais even when this season came out before everyone outside of the UK got sick of his shtick.
Also yeah, while the internet can "activate" you and be a positive, some things do absolutely need to get revisited post-grass touching so you feel less conflicted about said thing. Great video as always, Jim(s)!
For whatever reason, my younger brother and I got sort of obsessed with that one trilogy episode about boats, it was just an easy one to watch and laugh at. Honestly there were several eps from this season I didn't mind rewatching as a kid, even if they weren't as funny as the Golden Age stuff. They were still interesting enough, with the Sideshow Bob ep and the two trilogy episodes being my faves. Also that one throwing batteries joke from the Baseball player/Pop Star ep lives in my head rent-free. I just love the delivery on "9 volt, double A, D, D, D, D, cordless DRILL!"
i have a lot of memories of season 17, probably because it might be the only season i saw every episode of when they aired. the 27 joke is gold, i will never think otherwise
The girls school principal from that boys vs girls episode should definitely return whenever they inevitably decide to parody the Barbie Movie.
In fact there’s a lot they could do if they wanted to do “Malibu Stacy The Episode”.
I appreciate your critique of the show's humor trying to be edgier like South Park, because I remember my younger self complaining to my parents about this season as it aired that it was trying too hard to be more like Family Guy.
South Park is edgy, but I’d say it’s also a lot more subtle. Family Guy on the other hand after it came back on air, was just edgy for the sake of being edgy.
Nothing wrong with that. Family guy is pristine
@@alexanderguerrero347I don’t think The Simpsons is the same sort of show tbh, so it always feels a bit unnatural when they try to go edgier
@@alexanderguerrero347was*
For the longest time, seasons beyond 16 did not air in the UK for the longest time. But when season 17 finally came on (probably due to settling on airing rights), I could tell something had radically changed. I asked my older brother "Why do they now have all this edgey jokes, metahumor and blantant pop culture references like Family Guy?" He said the writers must have realised their audience were now grown up, and had to adapt to those changes.
And he was right. I was now growning up, and was in a transition period, just the show was at this point.
Seeing 2005 Jims' first post on a forum with the *exact* same cadence you carry in your videos today is so adorable
Jims relationship with this season reminds me of mine with Season 27. I was so critical watching because i was watching a lot of Mr. Enter back then. Now i like it a lot more.
Jims's relationship
It's mixed bag of a season, but Milhouse's line "I just need your chap size. It's two more than your pant size" really kills me for some reason.
I don't get it
Me neither @@nitrosherbert888
Always liked that one scene from this season where Bart and Milhouse are watching the OC and Milhouse remarks "Wow! Whatever those tv writers are getting paid, it's not enough!"
Delicious levels of irony.
Yeah, the ironing is delicious.
I always have a new perspective on the seasons you make retrospectives on. So after finishing the video, I'd say I agree with the thought that season 17 has great ideas and uninspiring execution.
It feels like the status quo is more of a detriment then ever in this season. I vaguely remember seeing the previews for these episodes, as a kid, and thinking how the plots might have a long lasting effects on the characters. Only to watch them and come to the realization that nothing ever really changes, by the end of an episode. Obviously, there are some exceptions and sometimes an episode can still build up to future plots, without any major changes within itself. But still, I remember watching episodes like the Italian Bob and thinking "Wow! Sideshow Bob has a wife and child now? And, they're also murdering psychopaths!? I wonder how they'll utilize these characters and dynamics in future episodes?" Just to have them rarely appear at all afterwards.
The Italian Bob was imo one of the most memorable s17 episodes, primarily out of its novelty idea. And arguably also because of its Family Guy plagiarism joke which has become the most popular of the many jabs that The Simpsons has made against FG over the years. Though i won't stand by the American Dad joke made right afterwards. That show has since then forged its own identity after the first few episodes and became a really weird, amusing and interesting show in its own right. Worth giving a chance tbh.
And Italian Bob and his family all went nowhere, making the episode completely pointless
@@AlvinFlang69420 By that mentality, all one-off characters were pointless, a wasted opportunity for sure, but I wouldn't go as far as saying it is "pointless"
@@Game_Hero Bob is not a one time character, now is he?
In fairness, American Dad had only been on for a year by the time The Italian Bob aired, so the prevailing perception was that it was just another Family Guy clone. It hadn't gotten the chance to forge its own identity yet.
Nothing wrong with copying family guy. The copied from the Simpsons as well. It’s just fair play
"No more Rice Krispies. We are out of Rice Krispies".
One of my all time favourite jokes
Bravo for another incredible retrospecticus, Jims.❤ One of my biggest hot-takes is that I'd take any episode out of Season 15, 16, or 17 over anything from 18 thru the 20s. I have such strong nostalgic feelings towards these episodes. And I'm glad to see the community seems less harsh on these seasons than they used to be.
As the self-proclaimed "biggest fan of the 4:3 Jean era", I am very excited for this video
Same here. Mainly as it the first seasons i started to watch when they were "new" as a kid.
What is this "4:3" thing people mention?
@@camelopardalis84 It’s was the standard ratio of televisions back then.
@@Marylandbrony Not in a million years would I have come to the conclusion that that's what people mean. Despite being aware of this ratio in television.
@@camelopardalis84 The Simpsons was in standard definition and in a "4:3" aspect ratio up until it changed to HD 16:19 in Season 20. So "4:3 Al Jean" refers to Seasons 13-20: all the season's in Al Jean's second tenure as showrunner before the series changed to high definition.
I actually have fond memories of this season. Some really strong episodes that feel classic to me. In highschool, at the peak of my depression and very sedentary, sad existence - I was watching 'Girls Just Want To Have Sums' with my brother, and that damn '27!' broke what felt like a year of me not laughing genuinely at anything. I just couldn't stop, and then it became funny that I couldn't stop and I kept laughing. I must have laughed for 10 minute straight. In a weird way, it brought me and my brother closer together after a lot of icy awkward silence while we both privately struggled with our sadness and cruel teen years. I haven't laughed that hard at anything since a 'laughter battle' I entered, and some I Think You Should Leave sketches.
This season holds a special place in my heart because is one of the reasons I fell in love with the simpsons. I remember watching most of it on tv when I was a pre-teen and I thought it was so edgy, critical and non-sense that I simply loved. To this day 'Kiss kiss bangalore' is still my go-to episode everytime I need some simpsons to cheer me up. Great video! Can't wait for the top10!
I'm really excited to see you cover this season. This season was the only Simpsons DVDs my family had when I was young. So aside from the classic episodes that everybody knows these are the Simpsons episodes I have watched the most. I'm not sure if this season still holds up but it holds a lot of nostalgic value for me.
Really? This was the only season your family had? Well that's interesting. So looks like you got too dive into the show first by seeing how it evolved after 17 years. Now that's classy.😉
Keep going Jim we’re with ya
'Jimbo: Tough on nerds, tougher on dorks' is probably my favourite joke from the entire season
9:26 I've been thinking about this for ages, because the punchline being "27!" is also in the show Chowder. What is it with this number and being a punchline? I think it's considered a funny word in the same way that "duck" is a funny animal.
27 is a number that's unique in some way, I can't remember why. Weird Al uses it in his songs too.
"Dad, stop acting like Mussolini."
"I thought I was doing Donald Trump."
That joke aged so well it's unnatural.
It's crazy.
😂😂😂
Lol no it didn't.
You're pathetic 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
I had been religiously watching episodes as they aired up until season 15 when I stopped watching altogether. I got back on the wagon in season 20 and eventually watched what I had missed, so maybe I have a bias too, but 15-19 will forever be a blur of sameness to me.
Every season has a couple good if not great episodes, but I just can't think of any of them in 17, even after watching your retrospective.
10:13 I recall mentioning the outhouse joke from Manatees to a friend and she was sure it was from a different episode/context, so good to discover we were both right and neither of us were being Mandelad, bad that it's due to the Simpsons recycling a joke.
Fantastic job, as always. This season was forgotten by me until I watched this, and the episode of Mr. Burns/Lisa with all of the interconnected storylines is one of my absolute favourites; I had no idea it was in this season of all things. If I'm not mistaken it's actually one of the more lauded/praised episodes of 'modern' Simpsons as well. The 'tiredness' is definitely evident in these 'teen' seasons, I'm convinced this is even more the case with all of your excellent visuals and comparisons. Thank you for all of your Simpsons content, Jims!
We've waited for so long now it's finally here!
It’s Great to see another amazing video from you TheRealJims.
Can't wait for the top ten list!
I honestly feel that the team simultaneously working on the movie around about this time is probably the reason why the episodes feel like repeats.
I think this season is an example of why I look back at the Scully era a little more fondly. There's an energy too his era where the choices may baffle me sometimes, but I'm never bored.
It's as you say, even though they try to transform the characters, they don't commit. The stories just feel too self defeating and uninterested. If the characters don't care about what's going on in the story, then why should we care?
Season 17 is just too tired for my liking.
I'm using this series to help figure out how far into the show's run I actually watched on TV as a kid. i thought season 16 was the last season I saw, because checking the plot synopsises of a bunch of season 17 episodes I didn't recognize any of them. But this video showed me a bunch of moments I remember, like Marge gaining her memory of Homer's beer addiction back (ironic, I know), Skinner in a dress, Bart eating the dirty fries, the museum presentation about nunchucks being cool but useless, and Ned fighting Lisa over creationism. Looking up the list of episodes again also caused me to remember several moments from the cave anthology episode. I also realised that this was the Treehouse episode with Blob Homer, which I clearly remember liking. There are still a ton of episodes I don't remember, however, so either my memory's spotty or I didn't watch the show as regularly anymore. Taking a quick look at the episode synopsies for episode 18, I don't seem to recognize them, but maybe your recap on that season will jolt my memory once again.
Edit: It turns out Blob Homer was from season 18, which I once again remember a bunch of stuff from when checking through the episodes once again.
Hey, real Jim's.
I'm a long time viewer.
And I'm glad you finally made it to season 17.
It really helped me decide that season 15 DVD set was the last to collect .
Season 15 had just enuff episodes for me to be satisfied
With my perches.
From season 16 and on, less episodes were Exciting to me.
Long story short, you helped give me closer.
The best thing about most simpsons is it's always a fun time no matter the quality.
the episode Regarding Margie has one of my biggest bugbears I wish it was revealed that Homers cousins they stayed with where either Mona's nephew or neice but them being related just because of their dog being Santa's Little Helper's brother was a very infruiating twist.
Most of the jokes from the Al Jean era feel like when another show or writer (Doug Walker, for example) tries to write Simpsons-type dialogue without really understanding what made it funny to begin with, like they know the pattern of a Simpsons gag, they just can't pull it off themselves. But in Al Jean's case, these jokes are being delivered by actual Simpsons characters.
This is how i feel about the latest season of Archer.
@@ScarybugI'm glad I never got into that show.
That’s what happens when a show goes on for too long without its original creative team. The answer to the Ship of Theseus problem in TV is “No, but it’s trying really hard to look like it”
Doug walker the nostalgia critic
Kirk Van Houten is a underrated Simpsons character 😂😂
yes
I watched this season as a young teenager when it was first airing. I have absolutely no nostalgia for a single episode or joke in it.
Tbh I really liked this season, (if you know me it's not surprising I like most seasons) plus the middle era art style is my favourite tbh
It was the first ever season I got on DVD.
I also have it on dvd lol
15:34 No wonder I love the middle seasons more than most people, Krusty is pretty grating to me that its pretty refreshing to know he has less and less screen time this season!
seeing jims go from calling this season one of his least favourites to realising he might treated this season too harshly is an unexpected but welcome arc.
i doubt he'll do the same for 23 lol
If Weird Al has a wiki, that 27 needs to join his Simpsons appearances in there.
Comparing 10:12 and 19:56... You've really changed your mind about that outhouse gag in The Bonfire of The Manatees since 2005, huh?
(As a big fan of your channel it's pretty cool to see where it all started from, though, so thanks for sharing that historic document.)
I'm just gonna say it, Season 17 was the season that made me quit the show for a long time, but i think specifically the wife swaping episode was the straw that broke the camel's back for me, i actually enjoyed the Scully seasons and have some fondness for Al Jean first years, but here's, with that particular episode, it's when it becomes embarassing. I wonder how it would have been if after Scully, we still changed showrunners every two or three seasons, maybe it would helped it stay more fresh.
But on the other side, it's time for the *Simpsons Retrospective Secondary Character Stockwatch!*
Let's see how the charts goes:
*Prinicipal secondary characters*
Season 2-3: Mr. Burns
Season 4: Krusty
Season 5-8: Mr. Burns
Season 9-11: Moe
Season 12: Skinner
Season 13-14: Moe
Season 15: Skinner
Season 16: Wiggum
Season 17: Bart's friend
*Biggest winners*
Season 2: Mr. Burns
Season 3: Bart's friend
Season 4: Grounskeeper Willie and Apu
Season 5: Skinner and Grandpa
Season 6: Moe
Season 7: Skinner and Bart's friend
Season 8: Moe
Season 9: Apu
Season 10: Gil
Season 11: Lenny and Carl
Season 12: Dr. Hibbert
Season 13: Mr. Burns
Season 14: Cletus
Season 15: Comic Book Guy
Season 16: Cletus and Brandine
Season 17: Jimbo (also Kearney and Dolph)
See you for the next Simpson update!
Homer's Paternity Coot gained traction this year due to people thinking it was predicting the submarine incident.
A lot of your criticisms on season 17, especially rehashing elements or reasoning jokes for stuff. I was thinking when it originally aired good video as usual, Jims
I distinctly remember "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife" being the episode that caused me to fall off the show. I was 13 when it broadcast and I still rank it as the absolute worst episode of the show's first 17 seasons.
I've been doing a partial rewatch of the seasons in reverse and I found with some distance I'm coming around to episodes that I didn't give much thought to before. When I got to 17 though I had to take a break because the episodes are just..... not appealing to me. After watching a few I had to check this video out because I was still struggling (I may only like about six episodes 😬). I appreciate your positive approach and it did make me dislike the writers less lol because at least they were trying new stuff. However I don't think you were poisoned by the message boards, season 17 really is just..... not great. Love your videos 👍
that 27 joke lives in my head rent free
Thanks for the upload! 🔥 I love your channel!
Just want to say, thank you for making these videos!
I only started watching the Simpsons relatively late, so I don't have a real sense for trends during a given season or differences between them (watched most of it out of order).
Your videos are helping me to categorize everything a lot, and it's really interesting.
I haven't seen any of these episodes recently, but from what I remember I thought these episodes were alright, never stood out to me in any special way, but I don't have any negative memories either. Well, maybe with the exception of some lgbt jokes around that time, which nowadays just feel very dated for the most part.
But that's to be expected I suppose and (most likely) not exclusive to this season.
Because of the way you struggled with this one, this is probably your best video. This and the Who Shot Mr Burns side-theories about the other simpson family members. Top stuff. Sorry about the Gervais bit. Love from the UK.
I think this is the last season where I still occasionally tried to watch new episodes coming out before I gave up entirely. I remember several of these episodes, but mostly in the abstract as something I rolled my eyes at than remembering the content of them.
I just got done rewatching this season for D'ohMance Dawn, the One Piece/Simpsons podcast I've been doing, and I agree with you on your points.
For me, this was also a turning point in my watching because this was when my family was making the Simpsons less of a priority and so there were some episodes I just didn't remember or hadn't seen.
There were also a few episodes I thought were really solid overall and I'll be excited to see your ranking list.
Also I wish you luck as we reached the end of Frinkiac'd seasons, so screenshots will be harder to come by.
You have been talking about the Simpsons on the internet for 18 years that amazing.
15:42 At least he helped saved the The Simpson family from Sideshow Bob so he wasn't totally shafted.
There's alot of memorable plots and jokes that I can remember from this season that's actually surprising cause I'm sure I haven't seen these episodes more then once
Season 16 was the last one I watched regularly, so it's nice seeing how things spun out afterwards.
In my case i watched until season 19 and then quit the show.
I only watch reruns of old episodes
I really enjoy this season. Probably my favourite from the middle years
i feel season 17 is definitely the place where you can REALLY feel the tiredness of the show, to the point where it feels sort of reflected in the writing
don't wanna give off the impression that i think the writers are lazy or don't care, but i feel everyone knew that the show was just never gonna end so they feel it's best to play it safe and not really try to venture in new and different directions. even in episodes where they do ask big questions, they don't really commit so it feels hollow.
then again i was in kindergarten when this season was airing so i obviously ate it all up like any kid would so my criticisms mostly come from hindsight
A new RealJims video is a great weekend present
19:56 That original post of yours, "Jims", is quite the interesting origin story. Asking the big questions, are you still single and thus still can't relate to Homer/Marge relationship episodes? Or are you no more and still can't relate to Homer/Marge relationship episodes?
There’s so many of these episodes I’ve never seen or had time to watch but I like these videos anyways man! Cheers.
Nice video as always
Happy to see that you’re continuing your journey to season 60!
Yea the internet definitely has it’s way to poison one‘s opinion. Tho as from most of the mid season I‘m always surprised to hear about a moment or two which make me think:
„wait that’s not from the golden years?!“. So I looking forward for the rest of the journey :D
I’d love to see a reboot of the simpsons that’s actually story focused, like time actually passes and the characters slowly age.
I agree. If the series truly wants to step away from the shadow of the old jokes and memes and stuff, they should make the push to bind itself away from the floating timeline and let them develop as much at the technology does overtime.
Al Jean destroyed the Simpsons's reputation. Him staying for 20 years is the reason why it's so hard for people to give Matt Selman a chance. It's a cautionary tale
Basically
Have you ever listened to the commentaries? Al Jean is awesome. The show has been on for 30 freaking years. Like no he didn’t ruin it. It’s just been on a long time. And even then it still has good episodes every now and then.
@@UnknownName5050 There's still good episodes in his era, my favorite episode was deep into his era, but he should've stepped down right after this season. Let someone else showrun to keep the perspective fresh and stopping it from growing too formulaic like they did in the first 10 years.
From what i can tell, people are more or less starting to rediscover the show on Disney+ and whatnot. It's oddly one of the best show in the "Binging era".
What a stupid opinion. Usually this comment section is better than this.
I'll always have good memories of the seasons up to 22 because I remember watching them every sunday with my dad till he passed away like a month after the end of S22.
Season 17 has quite a few bangers.
I vaguely remember the Ricky Gervais episode being alright... until Ricky Gervais showed up.
Why you got to do Ricky like that.
Its interesting watching detailed analysis of all the seasons I never watched. Curious to see how season 18 will be different from season 28 and so on.
As long as We're on the Road to D'ohwhere is in number 1 I don't really care how you rank them. That episode is such an underrated gem.
True I do love this one too 😊
🎶 I'm buying blue pants in the morning!
Ding dong, the zipper's gonna shine!🎶
This is the season I have the most memories of as I would always watch it on DVD as a kid
Weird Al's 27 based humor deserves a mention in the discussion of jokes about 27.
Season 17 is actually one of my favorites out of the teen seasons of the simpsons, so I was bummed in previous videos to hear how much you hated it. I like this retrospective though, you were very fair and level-headed towards it. 😊
The India episode was a classic. Vote union was the best punchline of middle Simpsons.
I personally think that seasons 14-19 are the best the shows ever looked. Still being on cels with the beautiful digital ink? Chef's kiss
They aren't on cells. Starting in season fourtéén there were no cells. They moved to digital. Then starting 20, they moved to HD
Like someone else said they are not on cels anymore, they actually went out of their way to add shadows behind the characters to make it feel like cels
Let’s goooooo, back on the grind
I share a lot of the reticence about season 17, some episodes I really do not like. But, some I love. Road to D'oh-where and Seemingly Never-Ending Story in particular. In fact when Road to D'oh-where first aired, it dawned on me that after a few years of general disappointment in Simpsons, it had reached a point where I could again expect really great episodes. I personally tend to think of seasons 15/16 through 22-24 (ish) as a "renaissance", where episodes aren't always good, but there was still a healthy dose of clever and creative episodes. The ending scene (which I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it) of Road to D'oh-where remains one of my favourite jokes, along with "Stupid horse, it's a DEER crossing!".
I *love* the ending to Road to D'oh-where.
Frankly, I'm surprised Lisa doesn't get more jokes like it.
Lovely video!
Thanks for the great vid maan.
Delving into internet culture and it's outreach when I was 8yo in 1998 was definitely full of pros and cons but I don't think you were poisoned by the Internet or were too heavily cynical.
I think you just grew up more and gained more experiences, while I will say the quantity and virtue signaling over quality definitely makes mid episodes look better.
Regarding recycled jokes, I remember watching a commentary track for an episode in the single digit seasons where they talk about a joke they cut because it wasn't working. Homer was watching some girls jump rope and he would gasp when it sounded like they were about to say a swear word, and then be relieved when they actually said something else.
A year or two later I was watching a new episode and this cut joke showed up in it. (I don't remember what season it was.)
I try not to be unnecessarily nasty towards Al Jean, but that's seriously embarrassing, totally indicative of his direction.
Season 17 was one of those odd series where the episodes i think are either later on or earlier in the episode list
Season 17 is a rare case where the season after it is better.
17 is one of my favourite Jean seasons off the strength of its down-to-earth character motives. Marge’s Son Poisoning, Girls Just Wanna Have Sums, Bart Has Two Mommies, Milhouse of Sand and Fog, the Girl Who Slept Too Little, and See Homer Run are all great for that reason. Dare I say, they’re almost on par with some golden age episodes! Except some of the episodes I don’t like hit a very wrong chord with me, namely Million Dollar Abie and Regarding Margie. They bring up such depressing topics and don’t exactly resolve them. It’s a lot harder to laugh at Abe when you’re thinking about his visit to Dr Kevorkian. But hey, I’ll take sad episodes over boring ones. Season 17 is a good one
I think that the "Meh, I don't want to do this anymore" endings are what made this season so unfun to watch as a kid.
What a teenage season. So much promise but so many awkward mis-steps.
I definitely want to revisit this season more myself. I rewatched the first half of it for a while but I got a little bit bored. I think it got better towards the later part especially with the sideshow bob story and school torn in half episode. Those were always were big favorites of mine. I definitely want to rewatch both of those two episodes but there’s a lot in this season that doesn’t grab me as strongly.
I gave up on the show around season 15, and this video captures why. New episodes stopped feeling new. They had pretty much told every story there was to tell and were recycling in a way that even Lisa would not approve. The only kind of show that can stay fresh for 17 years is one where the cast changes over time, and adding more characters while the existing ones remain is not the same thing.
Love your channel
Do you think you would be able to do a history video on Arne zeffe