Why is it whenever people whine about the new episodes not being as good as the old days I picture the fat guy/comic bookstore owner? Every series has its ups and downs but the Simpsons has maintained an amazingly high level of quality for an astonishlingly long time. Think back on how some of your favorite TV series got truly awful in their last year or so. Enjoy the show for what it is, one of the best out there, and abandon your unrealistic expectations that every episode should be greater than all other episodes that preceded it.