Of Those Who Have Quit Watching the Simpsons....

[Cranjis McBasketball]

What would you say the last great or classic episode was? I guess this question also asks, what episode caused you to give up?

Though I'm really more interested in the first question. If you've stopped, what do you reckon was the last great episode they did?

[SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts]

Maybe season 19 Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind. I think Little Orphan Millie and Dial N for Nerder were funny as well from that season.

[DZ: WF Legacy]

I stopped watching regularly somewhere between 2000 and 2002. I loved the Behind the Laughter episode in an otherwise dire Season 11. There have been several "not bad" episodes since, maybe even some good ones, but I feel like every time I gave it another chance, the asinine direction of the show, off-putting characterization, and unfunny gags turned me away. The show changed dramatically much like Rugrats did when they began making new episodes after burning through the old ones. As for my "breaking point" with The Simpsons, I can specifically remember watching the episode where they found a screaming bug in the backyard, and I found it to be so obnoxious and stupid that I stopped tuning in for episode premieres, which lead to me just not watching it at all. Then I got those DVD sets (S1-S8), and it rekindled my love for the show.

I thought S12's "Badger my ass, it's probably Milhouse." gag was hilarious. That's about as late as I get when referencing it.

It used to make me pretty pissed thinking about how the different showrunners and direction ruined the show, but I've made peace with it as I've gotten older. Nothing will take away how much that show influenced my sense of humor in my developing years. You can't ruin that.

[thechase]

I always say the classic era ended with "Homer's Enemy", but there were a few potential series finale candidates after that, "City of New York vs Homer Simpson" and "Behind the Laughter" etc.

I did tune in to Barthood a couple of seasons back, I thought it was probably the best of the "potential future" stories, it didn't make Bart look too much like a deadbeat. Ralph was in the army, and Lisa/Nelson were endgame.

[Deleted]

The episode where the family visits Florida for spring break is my last real favorite

[sfvega]

Lost Our Lisa, second to last episode of season 9. It's not a great episode, but even now it feels like the end of the classic series to me. The last episodes I remember watching and liking were Skinner's Sense of Snow and Trilogy of Error so I guess season 12 wasn't as bad as I thought. I think around season 14 I just stopped watching altogether. There wasn't one particular episode that stands out as when or why I stopped watching. As with WCW in 2000, they fed me so much shit that I just slowly gave up.

[Deleted]

Halloween of Horror.

[Push R Truth]

Oddly enough, the Simpsons Movie was the last memorably good "episode" I recall.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

As a knee jerk I'd say Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo, but I stopped watching The Simpsons gradually so I'm not even sure where that falls.

I know it started to feel really tired to me by the time they went to the UK

And I don't think I"ve watched since they had Weird Al or Tony Hawk as guest stars.

EDIT: Just saw that the UK episode was the season after Weird Al and Tony Hawk, so I definitely gave up sometime in that time period.

[Deleted]

I've heard Behind the Laughter brought up a lot as being the last great episode (from "long ago," that is) - it was just after I gave up on the show, with Season 10 (which I realized is when a lot of people tuned out), but I think I saw it at some point and liked it.

[Gravedigger's Biscuits]

Yeah, I'd probably agree that "Behind the Laughter" was probably the last 'classic' episode to me.

But saying that there were plenty of solid/good episodes after that IMO, just not at the peak of what The Simpsons was.

However since around Season 18 it seems even the supply of decent episodes has slowed considerably. They've just ran out of original ideas completely.

[grungesmurf]

The last episode I remember watching was the original airing of Who shot Mr. Burns.

Haven’t seen it since.

Just stopped caring about the show after that I guess.

So long ago that I don’t even know how long ago it was.

[Hit Girl]

Behind The Laughter is the final episode of the show.

[Fade is a CodyCryBaby]

I vividly remember watching the New York episode and being like “That’s it. I’m done”. Which is weird cause I remember liking it?.. After that I occasionally tuned into less than a handful of episodes and yikes.

[Main Event Mark]

I might not be remembering correctly, but it sticks in my mind that I watched the first HD episode, but not regularly after that.

[Kevin Hamilton]

There really wasn't any particular reason or episode. Just around about college (I started in 96) I fell out of the habit and never looked back.