A lot of people point towards The Simpsons episode ‘The Principal and the Pauper’ as a ‘jump the shark’ moment. The fact is, The Simpsons jumped the shark a decade ago. Close. I think his character jumped the shark in Skinner’s Sense of Snow, where he was completely overrun by the kids at the school. Seymour told Armin that his dream was to become an elementary school principal after the war. Season 18 is where I stopped watching Simpsons regularly, and is where I place the moment where The Simpsons jumped the shark. “The Principal And The Pauper” (season nine, episode two; originally aired 09/28/1997) ... this is the one the majority would agree is the jump-the-shark moment. Club’s classic The Simpsons coverage, there’s been something akin to an air of dread hanging over our reviewers, the feeling that in this journey through the show the best is almost over. "The Principal and the Pauper" was the last episode of The Simpsons written by Ken Keeler, who also pitched the original idea for the episode. However, Keeler says that some of the dialogue was changed from his original draft, making this point less obvious. When did The Simpsons jump the shark? While Shearer’s never hidden his distaste for the episode in the ensuing years, he does a great job applying Skinner’s typical monotone delivery to his radically changed circumstances. [16], In July 2007, in an article in The Guardian, Ian Jones argues that the "show became stupid" in 1997, pointing to "The Principal and the Pauper" as the bellwether. While I considered the episode not so good I took it and it's ending in humor and thought nothing serious about it. The family’s discussion of the merits of Shakespeare’s “rose by any other name” quote is a delightful non sequitur (Marge: “I’d sure hate to get a dozen crapweeds for Valentine’s Day. In other cases, critics dispute the exact shark jumping moment. He instead allowed Agnes to call him Seymour, and took over Seymour's life. Aside from the Armin of it all, Keeler does craft a few vintage lines and interactions using the Simpson family. This page was last edited on 13 January 2021, at 19:22. "The Principal and the Pauper" is the second episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. They resorted to ever more outlandish episodes. They realize it was a horrible mistake. They resorted to ever more outlandish episodes. Credit where credit is due, though. [25] He also called the episode "a mistake" in an interview with Rolling Stone. [19] Alan Sepinwall observes in another Star-Ledger article, "[The episode] was so implausible that even the characters were disavowing it by the end of the episode. Principal Skinner admits that he is an impostor, and that his real name is Armin Tamzarian. Skinner out of town on a literal rail. [17], In his 2004 book Planet Simpson, Chris Turner describes "The Principal and the Pauper" as the "broadcast that marked [the] abrupt plunge" from The Simpsons' "Golden Age", which he says began in the middle of the show's third season. It’s a toss-up for best line between his delivery of “Up yours, children” and the literal way he reads a strip club advertisement. 1 Answer. I think The Principal And The Pauper was definitely one of their worst. [8.8/10] People get hung up on the ending of this one and the fact that it retcons Principal Skinner’s past. The real Skinner is then offered the chance to realize his dream and take over as school principal. [2] In the episode, Seymour Skinner begins to celebrate his twentieth anniversary as principal of Springfield Elementary School, when a man arrives claiming that Skinner has assumed his identity. [32], Later episodes of The Simpsons contain references to "The Principal and the Pauper". The matter-of-fact way he goes about cutting ties with his life is a very Skinner thing to do (“I know we were planning to see a film tonight but instead, I’m leaving town forever,” he tells a heartbroken Edna), and the way he tries to slide back into the role of Armin is rife with comedic potential. Answer Save. I still think Principal and the Pauper is a good, and interesting episode, but like Seinfeld's Season 9, this is the prime example of why The Simpsons should have ended at Season 9, since, I believe they reached the limits of character development from people like Skinner. Relevance. Does "The Principal and the Pauper" being the Simpson's "jump the shark" moment make sense if there were many classic episodes that followed? Skinner isn’t the unlikeable character that Poochie was or that Frank Grimes became—a key detail that allowed both of those earlier jokes on the audience to work. Principal Skinner admits that his real name is Armin Tamzarian, and that he had thought the true Seymour Skinner, a friend from the Army, had died in the Vietnam War. Keeler asserts, "I am very, very proud of the job I did on this episode. That, in the end, is the true betrayal of “The Principal And The Pauper.” It’s not that it’s a terrible episode of The Simpsons, or that it forces you to have this element of the character in your mind every time another Principal Skinner storyline comes up. The episode has been criticized by series creator Matt Groening, and by Harry Shearer, who provides the voice of Principal Skinner. 1 min ago. [8.8/10] People get hung up on the ending of this one and the fact that it retcons Principal Skinner’s past. It's pretty well established that The Simpsons just hasn't been the same since the late 1990s, but when do people think it jumped the shark? Archived. [13] The episode was the second highest rated show on the Fox network that week, following King of the Hill. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 28, 1997. The real Skinner is unhappy about this and refuses to give up his job and his dignity just because the people of Springfield prefer Armin to him. "[24] In the introduction to the ninth season DVD boxset, series creator Matt Groening describes "The Principal and the Pauper" as "one of [his] least favorite episodes". So we reach the most controversial episode of the simpsons the shark jumping to many The Principal And The Pauper an episode remembered … Although it aired during the show's ninth season, it was a holdover from season eight.[3]. The message sent was that preserving its carefully constructed universe was secondary to the goal of producing an episode, and this world could be taken apart and put it back together as necessary. Keeler also attempts to redirect audience distaste in the commentary track by arguing that this was intended to be satirical, a take on “a community of people who like things just the way they are.” Yet that argument doesn’t hold up either. Martin Sheen as the real Seymour Skinner[1]. Updated 8 mins ago: I didn't like the movie either. (2006). "[3] Total Film's Nathan Ditum named Martin Sheen's performance in the episode the 20th best guest appearance on The Simpsons. Others will pick Principal and the Pauper as to where the show to them completely jumped the shark. After these revelations, the people of Springfield begin to distrust Armin, who decides that there is no longer any place for him in Springfield and leaves for Capital City to resume his old persona as a no-good street thug, sadly breaking up with Edna Krabappel in the process. Matt Groening, in the ninth season DVD introduction, calls it out as one of his least favorite episodes. "[23], In a December 2006 interview, Shearer added, "Now, [the writers] refuse to talk about it. He was sent sailing straight over the shark.The shark smelled blood.The shark started to circle.We spotted a fin.But the damage had been done.The shark had moved on to its next victim.If hearing those phrases repeatedly does not bother you, then you will enjoy the abridged audiobook version of Jump the Shark, written and read by John Hein. [14] The Fox network's ratings average for the week was 6.4. The moment your favourite TV show went bad. A lot of people say The Principal And The Pauper, which came out in 1997, marked the downfall, the episode where Skinner is revealed to have been adopted and the real Seymour Skinner is an Army Sergeant, and I sort of agree … And I’m also well aware that today is Friday.”, “They gave me a choice: Jail, the army, or apologizing to the judge and the old lady. Keeler feared he would face legal troubles, but afterwards, Tamzarian explained that he was simply curious and did not intend to scare anyone. Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed. “The Principal and the Pauper” on the other hand is an episode where the writers tried to throw in an elaborate war era backstory and ended up making an episode, which many mark as the decline of The Simpsons. Once again, Keeler argues for meaning in this move by making it a commentary on how America treats its veterans, but that argument (while more reasonable than earlier ones) loses its strength given the episode spent its running time invalidating the military career of someone who until this episode was one of The Simpsons’ most decorated war heroes. They never mention it. Springfield is as malleable and mob-ruled as ever, pushed in whatever direction is most convenient, not up in arms that this destroyed their comfortable bubble. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 28, 1997. HighOnCraic. It was cheap, idle storytelling", he remarks. this show has always had loose continuity; (b.) After Agnes orders Armin to return home, expressing that he is more of a real son to her than the real Skinner is, Homer persuades Mayor Quimby and all the other citizens to allow Armin to resume his assumed identity as Principal Skinner. That man is the real Seymour Skinner.” Armin Tamzarian (Fake Skinner)'s confession "The Principal and the Pauper" is the second episode of Season 9. "The Principal and the Pauper" was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Steven Dean Moore. 2020-09-21 3:35:47 AM : Trik: buckeyebrain: johnny_vegas: Not a bad list If only there were a website that would take votes and other suggestions from users... Yeah it sucked when TV Guide bought the Jump The Shark … Fans generally agreed that the plot made for a terrible Simpsons episode. This episode is an example of how to do this kind of ‘jump the shark’ writing well. Commentary for "The Principal and the Pauper", in, Oakley, Bill. I’d rather have candy.” Homer: “Not if they were called scumdrops.”) And the scene in the car, where Homer tries to piece together why exactly everyone is in said car, is vaudevillian humor in its escalation and the way he decides he doesn’t need to know why Jasper tagged along. In response, the townspeople banish the real Skinner from town by tying him to a chair on a flatcar of a freight train (literally running him out of town on a rail). Keeler said he later received a "curtly phrased" letter from Tamzarian, who wanted to know why his name appeared in the episode. [18], In a February 2006 article in The Star-Ledger, Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz cite the episode when asserting that the quality of The Simpsons "gets much spottier" in season nine. Answer Save. Judge Snyder declares that Armin will again be referred to as Seymour Skinner, that he will return to his job as school principal, and that no one shall ever again refer to Skinner or the fallout from his visit, under penalty of torture. [3], Producers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein were excited about the episode because Principal Skinner was one of their favorite characters. our Inventory on subplots shows threw out the window. Interesting trivia: Skinner has no idea who Ned Flanders is despite the fact that Flanders once took his job and is head of the PTA. : A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued, "Governor Jerry Brown Taps Armenian Bar Member Armen Tamzarian As Judge Of The California Superior Court", Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture, "Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped the Shark", "The 20 Best Simpsons Movie-Star Guest Spots", Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation, "The Principal and the Pauper episode capsule", A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper, Cultural depictions of Edward VI of England, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Principal_and_the_Pauper&oldid=1000135395, Television episodes written by Ken Keeler, Television episodes about prisoners of war, Short description is different from Wikidata, Television episode articles with short description for single episodes, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. While the existence of Tamzarian can never be revealed in the show under penalty of torture. However, the real Tamzarian (now a California Superior Court Judge[11]) was unaware his name was being used until after the episode aired. Jump the shark. A lot of people point towards The Simpsons episode ‘The Principal and the Pauper’ as a ‘jump the shark’ moment. * Again, they did it for no reason whatsoever, aside from … The series would continue to produce good-to-great episodes—several of which are still present in season nine—but the show’s batting average would never again be what it was. We made him just not quite right, not quite Skinner, and a little bit off. [31] They also describe the ending of the episode as an attempt to reset the continuity and allow fans to consider the episode as non-canonical, divorced from the larger series. Tonight you can sleep on the floor of your office.”, “Just put an ‘X,’ then call yourself whatever the hell you want.”, “That child is the most disobedient, smart-alecky, middle-aged man in creation!”, “This is Armin’s apartment, Armin’s liquor, Armin’s copy of, “I’m sorry, Seymour. The Simpsons are dressed as astronauts and sit on the couch just as it blasts off into space. The episode garnered controversy from fans and critics, with many citing it as the moment when the series, "This [episode] is about a community of people who like things just the way they are. A clip from the episode was used in season eleven's "Behind the Laughter" as an example of the show's increasingly "gimmicky and nonsensical plots". [2] In the episode, Seymour Skinner begins to celebrate his twentieth anniversary as principal of Springfield Elementary School when a man arrives claiming that Skinner has assumed his identity. In other cases, critics dispute the exact shark jumping moment. It’s a resolution that’s entirely too direct and up front in its neatness, an acknowledgement that this is a TV show and it can get away with hitting the reset button if it wants to. TL:DR it's not as bad as people think, but it is an example of why The Simpsons should've … The celebration goes well until a strange man arrives, claiming to be the real Seymour Skinner. The Principal and the Pauper is a good Simpsons episode but it is one of the most shocking episodes of the series. Yet Agnes’ strong-arming her adopted son to return leads to the greatest sin of “The Principal And The Pauper,” the ending. Armin then tells the story of the events that led him to steal Seymour Skinner's identity. Like The Andy Griffith Show" it is easy to figure out the jump the shark episode because it is just as the show goes from black and white to color, but that is a coincidence because at the start of the Fall season in 1966 on all 3 major networks they decided to require all shows to be in color, not an individual shows decision. [4] The episode's official title is a reference to the book The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. Later, Seymour was declared missing and presumed dead. Bill Oakley considers "The Principal and the Pauper" the most controversial episode from his tenure as executive producer. He also refuses to take part in mother-son activities with Agnes, who realizes she misses having Armin as a son. Speaking of the trip, this episode is also noteworthy as one of the few instances where Agnes Skinner displays more depth than the elderly shrew who holds an iron grip on her son’s independence. 8. But I do consider that episode you mentioned first as the one where the show for me finally completely jumped the shark. [12], "The Principal and the Pauper" finished 41st in the United States in the ratings for the week of September 22–28, 1997, with a Nielsen rating of 9.2. He calls the episode "[one of] the weakest episodes in Simpsons history", and adds, "A blatant, continuity-scrambling plot twist of this sort might've been forgivable if the result had been as funny or sharply satirical as the classics of the Golden Age, but alas it's emphatically not." Skinner reveal. It calls attention to the episode’s structural flaws by pointing out that no one in Springfield cares about the big reveal once the shock has worn off, and then Sgt. 2 1. (2006). All of our TV reviews in one convenient place. The teachers lounge serves coffee-flavored Bevarine. Matt Groening, in the ninth season DVD introduction, calls it out as one of his least favorite episodes. It’s what ultimately makes some of the scenes work that shouldn’t, ones that create the emotion that having Skinner in Springfield is a thing worth fighting for. The episode is one of the most controversial of The Simpsons. 3 Stan. "[29] He describes the episode as a commentary on "people who like things just the way they are", and remarks, "It never seems to have occurred to anyone that this episode is about the people who hate it." The fact is, The Simpsons jumped the shark a decade ago. A lot of people say The Principal And The Pauper, which came out in 1997, marked the downfall, the episode where Skinner is revealed to have been adopted and the real Seymour Skinner is an Army Sergeant, and I sort of agree because that season … Seymour Skinner. [34], Principal Skinner declares himself an impostor. You're taking something that an audience has built eight years or nine years of investment in and just tossed it in the trash can for no good reason, for a story we've done before with other characters. For me, I'd have to say this one: The Principal and the Pauper I remember watching that one when it aired and like looking around the room to see if anyone was laughing. This is an outlandish episode … It's so arbitrary and gratuitous, and it's disrespectful to the audience. I remember watching that episode and cringing at his inability to cope. Upon meeting him, however, Agnes mistook him for her son, and Armin could not bear to deliver the message. The pair had already written the season five episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song", which was an in-depth study of the character. Commentary for "The Principal and the Pauper", in, Moore, Steven Dean. … The problem is that it’s a change that makes no sense for this particular character. 14. ", Keeler, Ken. * Moreover, her death was stupid, tacky, tasteless and offensive. It also suffers from the fact that Sgt. This is a wild … But (a.) The episode writes itself into a corner, and the only way out is to ride Sgt. The decline of The Simpsons is a source of great pain to me. In an April 2001 interview, Harry Shearer, the voice of Principal Skinner, recalled that after reading the script, he told the writers, "That's so wrong. (movie, 2014, days) User Name: Remember Me: Password : Please ... the pivotal moment for me was when it was revealded that principal skinner was an imposter , apparently his real name is arman tanzarian or something , nothing could recover from that 01-11-2013, 11:15 AM topchief1 : Location: Charlotte, NC. Skinner's not really close to these people—you know, he's a minor character—but they get upset when someone comes in and says, 'This is not really the way things are', and they run the messenger out of town on the rail. it works as a meta-commentary about delivering real change on a sitcom and (c.) the show has done fourth wall-winking endings before. 1 April 2019 . The Simpson family heads to Capital City with Edna and Agnes to find Armin at his apartment. Despite being a terrible episode for the real Skinner in the universe of The Simpsons, this is ironically also an episode that has many great Skinner moments. [26], In contrast, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, praised the episode, calling it "one of the series' all-time best episodes, mainly because it shows us a human side, not just of Principal Skinner, but of his hectorish [sic] Mom as well." There are some sturdy jokes (which we’ll get to later) peppered throughout, but there’s a sense of underlying wrongness to the whole endeavor. Skinner is entirely believable as the man who’d inspire young Armin into a better life and who could phrase an oddly sound argument to become principal: “If a man pretending to be me could do it well, then, logically, the real me must be far more qualified.” True, he’s bit uptight and lacking in some social graces, but it’s not his fault that he’d rather go to a bar at 7:30 on Friday night than sit for silhouettes with his mother. Something they then did in the Principal and the Pauper and pretty much every episode in Season Twelve when it really turned crap. I’m glad you understand.”. Skinner’s speech about giving up half his life for Springfield transforms everyone else into the bad guy. [15][16] Skinner had been a recurring character since the first season and, after years of development, his backstory had suddenly been changed. Skip to main content. Armin took the news of the apparent death to Seymour's mother, Agnes. Apparently outside the storage facility after dark is the place for fourth graders to hang out. Some good Ralph Wiggum lines here too: “Principal Skinner is an old man who lives at the school.” “Teacher made me go to Principal Skinner’s office when I was dirty.” “When I grow up, I wanna be a principal or a caterpillar. When the episode aired, lo and behold, a community of people who like things just the way they are got mad. Many fans and critics reacted extremely negatively to the revelation that Principal Skinner, a recurring character since the first season who had undergone much character development, was an impostor. u/candidateHundred. Any show can retcon a storyline out of existence (see again: our Inventory on the subject) but those moves can be done if it happens between seasons or even between episodes, and you don’t call attention to it. On the eve of his twentieth anniversary as school principal, Seymour Skinner is lured by his mother to Springfield Elementary School for a surprise party. I’ll admit, the convenience of the Judge declaring no one should talk … No, what damns this episode in the history of The Simpsons is that it’s where it became clear for the first time that the people making the show didn’t hold Springfield and its citizens in the same light as so many of its fans. [4][5] According to animation director Steve Moore, one of the working titles for the episode was "Skinnersby". 10 Times The Simpsons Jumped The Shark. From the creator of the immensely popular website that has coined a catch phrase comes the book that is bound to be the pop-culture sensation of the season. Homer remains the one with the foresight to move toward the cake (even before Chief Wiggum, who brought his own plate and fork), which is a great cut-to-commercial gag in the aftershock of the Skinner/Sgt. The Principal and the Pauper. Compared to other episodes with a more overt aim to skewer, like “Homer’s Enemy” or “The Itchy And Scratchy And Poochie Show,” the satire on the people of Springfield isn’t clear enough beyond a mid-episode Kent Brockman dig at the town’s “adaptable” citizens. Anonymous. Harry Shearer has over the years used such terms as “arbitrary,” “disrespectful,” and “a horrible … The reactions are never outraged or indignant enough to feel like that’s what the episode is about—indeed, when Marge addresses the topic directly, her argument on why this makes her uncomfortable is entirely valid. Try Prime EN Hello, Sign in Account & Lists Sign in Account & Lists Returns & Orders Try Prime Cart. [27], Ken Keeler, Bill Oakley, and Josh Weinstein all defend the episode in its DVD commentary. Did The Simpsons 'jump the shark' and if so when? Our Skinner, it turns out, is really a former bad boy called Armin Tanzarian. In your opinion, which episode did The Simpsons "jump the shark"? 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