I love every single Simpsons Episode until the end of the 8th Season (with the exception of the one involving Mr Burns going broke). During the 9th Season - that was when I started noticing terrible, awful episodes. However, there were enough good episodes to still retain my interest.
I trace it back to "The Trouble with Trillions", which is still one of my most hated episodes to date. After that, the series really started to go downhill. Season 10 had maybe one or two good episodes, and most of the episodes had one or two good jokes, but it was mostly awful. Then season 11 rolled around. I lost interest entirely. Up until Season 11, I can recall the plot and the jokes of almost every single Simpsons Episode. For all the episodes after that, I can't even tell you anything about them.
The series is played out. I can't even think about a single sensible plot that the show hasn't already used, except if Homer and Marge really do get divorced - and they've had several episodes in which they effectively separate (only to reunite at the end of course). I literally can't think of anything they haven't done that isn't ludicrously fantastical.
The characters don't (CAN'T) develop in any meaningful way. No important characters can ever get killed off. There are only TWO things they can do to rejuvenate or re-liven the show. They can let the characters finally age (I doubt they'll ever do this) or they can make the characters move location - not too far away because they'll want to reuse many of the old cast, but far away enough to put them in a new neighbourhood or maybe give Homer a new job or Bart and Lisa a new school. That's about the only thing I can think of which would even slightly increase my interest in watching the series again.
So to answer your question about where it really starts to go bad: Season 9. Season 9 is when the cracks start appearing. It goes downhill very quickly from there on.
I trace it back to "The Trouble with Trillions", which is still one of my most hated episodes to date. After that, the series really started to go downhill. Season 10 had maybe one or two good episodes, and most of the episodes had one or two good jokes, but it was mostly awful. Then season 11 rolled around. I lost interest entirely. Up until Season 11, I can recall the plot and the jokes of almost every single Simpsons Episode. For all the episodes after that, I can't even tell you anything about them.
The series is played out. I can't even think about a single sensible plot that the show hasn't already used, except if Homer and Marge really do get divorced - and they've had several episodes in which they effectively separate (only to reunite at the end of course). I literally can't think of anything they haven't done that isn't ludicrously fantastical.
The characters don't (CAN'T) develop in any meaningful way. No important characters can ever get killed off. There are only TWO things they can do to rejuvenate or re-liven the show. They can let the characters finally age (I doubt they'll ever do this) or they can make the characters move location - not too far away because they'll want to reuse many of the old cast, but far away enough to put them in a new neighbourhood or maybe give Homer a new job or Bart and Lisa a new school. That's about the only thing I can think of which would even slightly increase my interest in watching the series again.
So to answer your question about where it really starts to go bad: Season 9. Season 9 is when the cracks start appearing. It goes downhill very quickly from there on.
