Biggest Disappointment

[Jesse Pinkman]

what was the biggest disappointment to you? whether it was a 'milestone' episode like 100, 200, etc. whether it was the movie, or a video game, or just an episode that sounded interesting, but upon watching it, did not meet your expectations?

the 400th episode disappointed me. not the episode itself (which would probably be around a "C" or so from me), but that it was You Kent Always Say What You Want, as opposed to 24 Minutes. 24 Minutes would have made an excellent 400th episode and IMO been probably the second best milestone episode (after Sweet Seymour Skinner for 100th episode).

I was also pretty let down with The Simpsons Game. It starts off somewhat fun in the first two levels, but I hated Marge trying to control the mob, the one where Bart and Lisa are in the video game, etc. I never finished the game, because it bored me and some of it annoyed me, like when the characters would keep repeating the voice overs (like "i hope i have time to finish my homework" from lisa in the video game level).

[Ray Jay Jonah]

THOHXIX.

[Blobulle]

THOHXIX.

Me too.

But ESPECIALLY when Maggie talks in the episode Four Great Women and a Manicure. (Maggie is my favorite character of the show)

[biffwestwood]

The cameo by Alex Trebek in the episode "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" because the plot description in that episode stated that Marge will attempt to win the money to pay back the people the family swindled. The Jeopardy scene was only a few seconds and Alex Trebek sounded bored and uninteresting in his voice cameo.

[Old painty-can Ned]

Alex Trebek sounded bored and uninteresting in his voice cameo.

At least his VA matched the episode

[Nauru-1]

Probably Al Jean once he outlasted the time of any previous showrunning team.

[Wavy Gravy]

Probably Al Jean once he outlasted the time of any previous showrunning team.

Yep. I've said it before, but I can remember back in 2001 when Jean assumed the showrunner position and everyone was talking about how he was going to "save" the show and return it to its former state of glory. Holy fuck, were we ever wrong.

[Snaked]

Yep. I've said it before, but I can remember back in 2001 when Jean assumed the showrunner position and everyone was talking about how he was going to "save" the show and return it to its former state of glory. Holy fuck, were we ever wrong.

Oh yeah. It's just like I said in an earlier thread way back in January about what made me most angry about him is how he was supposed to be this hope for the show, a return to the golden era but instead, he turned out to be no better, even far worse than Scully in many more ways than not, despite the fact there was SOME improvement here & there but far less than what we as fans had hoped for (do I need to remind you all of the "clever" Lampoons, which in itself are just the tip of the iceberg of the horrendous actions that have been perpetrated under his tyrannical regime?). And it's preety obvious when you think about it that he's deliberately making things worse for whatever reasons, even if he decides to show he's not a total prick by giving us stale but otherwise edible cookies in the forms of good jokes or even call backs to episodes from the golden era.

[DotheBartman]

which in itself are just the tip of the iceberg of the horrendous actions that have been perpetrated under his tyrannical regime?

Jesus fucking christ. I think the show is pretty lame now but could you have possibly phrased it any worse than this? He's not a dictator ruling his people with an iron fist, he's a TV showrunner whose work you don't enjoy. That's all.

Hitler references (or other dictator references) demean the person making them more than the person they're meant to demean.

EDIT: Oh and also, this

And it's preety obvious when you think about it that he's deliberately making things worse for whatever reasons

is just completely laughable. First of all for job security reasons, but also because I can't imagine someone's EVIL PLOT being to work day and night for years to ruin one TV show that some people happen to enjoy. Doesn't the imaginary Al Jean in your brain have any letter bombs or something? Death cannons maybe?

[Steve]

Obligatory joke reply: That the show is still in production.

Serious reply: The lack of any substantial special features on The Simpsons Movie DVD was kind of disappointing I guess. The commentaries were annoying too.

I haven't kept up with the current show in years so I am sure there are far better examples people will think of.

[CousinMerl]

The lack of any substantial special features on The Simpsons Movie DVD was kind of disappointing I guess.

I have to agree about this since it was pretty much the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread; knowing about all the deleted scenes they didn't include on the DVD (the 'money shot' scene with Lovejoy and Marge, country fair tent scene, looting of Burns' mansion and all the others) makes it the biggest disappointment I can think of right now. They should also have included at least one documentary about the making of the movie and a bunch of featurettes, all of which could have greatly improved the selection of bonus material.

[Snaked]

I have to agree about this since it was pretty much the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread; knowing about all the deleted scenes they didn't include on the DVD (the 'money shot' scene with Lovejoy and Marge, country fair tent scene, looting of Burns' mansion and all the others) makes it the biggest disappointment I can think of right now. They should also have included at least one documentary about the making of the movie and a bunch of featurettes, all of which could have greatly improved the selection of bonus material.

This (even if the movie was far from spectacular).

[Ryan]

I have to agree about this since it was pretty much the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread; knowing about all the deleted scenes they didn't include on the DVD (the 'money shot' scene with Lovejoy and Marge, country fair tent scene, looting of Burns' mansion and all the others) makes it the biggest disappointment I can think of right now. They should also have included at least one documentary about the making of the movie and a bunch of featurettes, all of which could have greatly improved the selection of bonus material.

What really made things worse was the fact that the producers made a big fucking deal out of the deleted scenes, even going so far as having an entire article in EW about a bunch of scenes that didn't make it in. (only one was featured on the dvd) It was as if they were advertising the DVD that far in advance, and FOX Home Video just shrugged, said "fuck it, they'll buy it no matter what" and came out with the other version.

[Steve]

Matt Groening not caring anymore on the audio-commentaries.
And this is a man who used to criticize the winking of the General Sherman-fish in The War of the Simpsons.

Most of the commentaries from Season 9 through 12 are pretty damn disappointing now that I think about it.

I stopped being caring about the audio commentaries after Mirkin stopped doing them (which was understandable since he wouldn't have as much to say about shows he hadn't been the showrunner for). Oakley and Weinstein did good commentary for S7 and 8, but after that they're barely listenable.

[gayformoleman]

These days, I watch “The Simpsons” like any other show: seldom, hoping for little more than mild amusement and expecting these hopes to go unfulfilled. So, while worse things probably went down during the Jean era, I’m not going to list them here as I don’t care enough about the show anymore to be disappointed in it . Instead, here are five disappointments that collectively comprise one ongoing disappointment, from my middle school days during the Oakley/Weinstein/Scully eras (yes, I’m old), back when viewers’ standards weren’t so low that disappointment was impossible:

I’ll start with the most controversial one and work my way chronologically:

- “Homer's Phobia:” It's hilarious - I'll give it that - but it was essentially a PC message episode, and just about every show was airing "it's okay to accept this gay guest star"-message episodes back then. "The Simpsons" used to mock shows that did stuff like this.

- “Simpsons Spinoff Showcase” through “The Principal and the Pauper:” "Homer's Enemy" was brilliant, but it intentionally left a sour taste in my mouth that "Spinoff Showcase" and "The Secret War..." weren't potent enough to erase. Then we had a summer break and some concerns about what would happen after Oakley/Weinstein left. "The City of NY v. Homer" slightly mitigated the sour taste before the horrible experiment [well, Bill Oakley says it was an experiment] that was Armin Tazmanian beaconed the classic era's slow and painful death. Honestly, had “Homer’s Enemy” aired early during season 8 followed by some good episodes that felt like “real” “Simpsons,” it wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much hate as it did following its initial airdate.

- The Two Mrs. Nahasipeemapetilans: Manjula = Poochie. Think about that for a moment. Less than a full season after the show’s writer assured us “The Simpsons” would never pointlessly add a character to breathe new life into a stale formula, Manjula comes along. Yes, the show kept adding new characters consistently (e.g. Disco Stu didn’t come along until “2 Bad Neighbors”), but in those cases the understanding was that these people had always been in Springfield, they weren’t there to shake up the formula, and they certainly weren’t going to have whole episodes centered around them. Moreover, Manjula’s introduction marks a clear point at which we could begin separating “old” episodes from “new” ones. Oakley/Weinstein episodes like “Lisa the Vegetarian” and “Milhouse Divided” changed characters but not in ways that would stick out *too* much in future episodes (Lisa being a vegetarian doesn’t radically change her character; how often did we ever see Kirk and Louanne?), although O+W definitely started the trend. But “The Two Mrs. Nahasipeemapetilans” was the first time I realized the show was definitely now a serial, which changed its overall nature. During seasons 1-7, there was a comfortable sense of the familiar when you sat down to watch the show, as things didn’t change episode to episode. Manjula was another sign that the show I once loved was no more.

- Simpson Tide: It's hilarious, but it's also the first time Homer gets fired and causes an innocent person's death and we're not supposed to find this sad, dark and/or disturbing in the least. Try to put Homer’s nonchalant response to getting fired in the same context as “And Maggie Makes Three” (which explains why Homer’s miserable job is so important to him) or “Homer’s Odyssey” (where he contemplates suicide because he can’t provide for his family). Also, put Homer’s responsibility for his captain’s death (let’s call it what it is: negligent homicide) in the same context as “Homer’s Enemy.” Homer isn’t nearly as awful in “Homer’s Enemy:” Grimes did himself in after spending most of the episode being a grade-A jerk to Homer, who was just trying to get along with the guy -- and we’re still left thinking Homer is kind of a monster. Here, Homer is a straight-up sociopath and we’re just supposed to accept that as the norm. I dunno. A lot of people love this episode, but I hated it. I consider it a litmus test for post-O/W “Simpsons,” because it *is* funny: if you like this episode, proceed further. If you don’t, pretend “The Simpsons” ended after season 8, only watch newer episodes upon militant recommendation, treat those episodes as long-lost classics, and the sight of “Simpsons” merchandise won’t depress you as much. Unfortunately, I didn’t stop tuning in every week until:

- “Trilogy of Error:” It was a magnificent episode and I loved it. I loved it so much that I honestly believed 100% that it was a long-lost classic the producers decided to air instead of a new one. After enduring Homer’s jam session with Kid Rock, subterranean jocky elves, Maude Flanders superfluously dying, gradually resigning myself to the show’s declining quality and trying to convince myself “It’s just a little stale/lazy/unrecognizable; it’s still good, it’s still good!” an episode came along that made me remember what it was like to be a kid watching a work of genius in top form, and it didn’t even cross my mind that this could be a new episode (even though it actually was and there were no indications that it wasn’t). *That’s* how bad “The Simpsons” had gotten.

More recently, I tuned into “The Real Housewives of Fat Tony,” which was such a colossal monstrosity on every level that I did something I vowed never to do: I joined a TV discussion forum (www.tv.com, which was where I found about you good people) and wrote a nasty review of it. More disappointing than watching that episode (again, 99% of me expected it to suck) is the fact that it remains the only nasty review of that episode on the site. We are a nation whose artistic and cultural discourse is controlled by semi-literate tweenagers. “The Simpsons” used to make fun of that fact, but now it just panders to it.

[The Governor]

More recently, I tuned into “The Real Housewives of Fat Tony,” which was such a colossal monstrosity on every level that I did something I vowed never to do: I joined a TV discussion forum (www.tv.com, which was where I found about you good people) and wrote a nasty review of it. More disappointing than watching that episode (again, 99% of me expected it to suck) is the fact that it remains the only nasty review of that episode on the site.

Did you write "Fuggetaboutit!"?

We are a nation whose artistic and cultural discourse is controlled by semi-literate tweenagers. “The Simpsons” used to make fun of that fact, but now it just panders to it.

Ever since Mike Scully took over as show runner, the Simpsons writing room has been dominated by a very strong anti-intellectual slant. Just look back a few seasons at Oakley and Wienstien--they actually wrote episodes where the subject matter was smart and mature enough to actually get a reaction out viewers because they were written deep enough (Bart Sells his Soul, Lisa the Iconlast) to be thought provoking and be pretty damn funny. Compare that to Mike Scully and the latter-Jean seasons who brought nothing to table excecpt jerkass Homer and a pun-fetish.

I wish in some future commentary in 2039 on the Purple-Ray Holo-disc when a crotchety Mike Reiss has a meltdown after watching "Homer Gets a Pun" from S27 and just starts screaming at Al Jean: "Goddamnit we used to be funny! We used to be great and now we're gonna be remembered for THIS shit!?!...eh, just kidding!".

[leprechaun_dan]

The one episode where I feel the writers need to be sacked for good: The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed

[Old painty-can Ned]

The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed

Were you really expecting it to be good though?

[lionelhutz123]

Actually when the title was announced, yes.

[D'ohmer]

http://s2.subirimagenes.com/imagen/p...4scorpions.png

[Jesse Pinkman]

i forgot to mention mona leaves-a. back when s19 was airing simpsons were my favorite show and i geniunely thought they'd try to handle the death of homer's mother in a caring manner. i was sadly mistaken (the only moments that seemed even remotely sad/like they tried were the ending montage, and the scene where homer discovers his mother's body. the rest of the episode is pretty poor)

[harlequinade]

i forgot to mention mona leaves-a. back when s19 was airing simpsons were my favorite show and i geniunely thought they'd try to handle the death of homer's mother in a caring manner. i was sadly mistaken (the only moments that seemed even remotely sad/like they tried were the ending montage, and the scene where homer discovers his mother's body. the rest of the episode is pretty poor)

THIS!
Glenn Close as Mona Simpson was one of my favourite characters, and her death seemed to me, pointless in a way. Really, just a way to get a cheap episode. In the Classic Era, we would have seen Homer dealing with his mothers death and going through a process, then maybe finding a letter or some other message to him, redeeming his lost faith. But here we just see the death pushed into play as a plot device, and that just upsets me. There is no reason for this character to have died, other than the writers stretching for ideas, and killing a character is such an irreversible thing. Even the last time Homer thought she died (My Mother the Carjacker wasn't it? Can't remember the episode name, but you guys know what I mean), his reaction was more realistic and true to character.

Compare this episode to David Silverman's ending to Season Seven's Mother Simpson, and if you don't see what I'm getting at, I don't know how I can further explain. Poor form writers, poor form.

[alex_on_ice]

I really thought that Elementary School Musical wasn't going to be that bad. And I was actually quite excited because I had watched some of "The Flight of the Conchords" series with my cousins last summer, and during a number of scenes Brett and Jemane had given me a good laugh.

Turned out that the episode was terrible. Brett and Jemane weren't good at all but I think what spoiled the episode even more was the B story with Krusty. Easily the worst episode of the Season.

[leprechaun_dan]

^Because Brett and Jemaine had many New Zealand references such as the Wellington Botanic Gardens joke, which made me laugh hysterically. Then again, the rest of the episode was very poor.

[cinco]

Matt Groening not caring anymore on the audio-commentaries.
And this is a man who used to criticize the winking of the General Sherman-fish in The War of the Simpsons.

[Oh, that's raspberry!]

Most of the commentaries from Season 9 through 12 are pretty damn disappointing now that I think about it.

[Bert Stanton]

The Great Louse Detective. Ruined one of the best single episode characters. Grimey certainly does not strike me as the sort of man who would "happen to like hookers"

[Chew My Shoe]

The lame Twilight parody in the last Halloween episode.

[Wavy Gravy]

The lame Twilight parody in the last Halloween episode.

Ah yes, I almost forgot about this. I suppose it was foolish of me to expect a genuinely clever parody from the show in its current state, but I still didn't expect them to whiff it that badly. All the Homer and Dracula stuff was just painful.

[Ben Chan]

the mentioned disappointments associated with the saviour, al jean. though more importantly,

the movie.

i chuckled here and there and i suppose i enjoyed it. but i expected much more than 'i suppose i enjoyed it' from the simpsons movie. that i have never had te urge to re-watch it, i think, speaks much about its quality and expectations.
actually it was a sad moment. i left that movie theatre with my tail between my legs in stunned silence. i saw it with four friends, each of whom was expecting something big, each of whom departed in the same state of mind.

kind of like when someone tells you that you stink and you need to bath. that never feels good man...