The Simpsons: What Episode REALLY Ended The Golden Age?

https://www.cbr.com/the-simpsons-what-episode-ended-golden-age/

Season 7, Episode 25, "Summer Of 4 Ft. 2"

"Summer at 4 Ft. 2" is the Season 7 finale. The episode focuses on the titular family (plus Milhouse) spending part of their summer at the Flanders summer home. Lisa decides to take the chance to reinvent herself for the local kids in the beach town, earning some unexpected friends, which makes Bart jealous. The episode was well-received, featuring a rare, genuine victory for Lisa.

It's also one of the last fully grounded episodes of The Simpsons, with Season 8 becoming increasingly cartoonish and meta-leaning. While both Season 7 and Season 8 are often considered part of the Golden Age, there's a case to be made that "Summer of 4 Ft. 2" closes out the era's strong character work while only briefly indulging in sillier impulses. In that sense, this episode could be considered the true end of the Golden Age and the beginning of a transitional period for The Simpsons.

Season 8, Episode 23, "Homer's Enemy"

Season 8's "Homer's Enemy" introduces Frank Grimes, a new employee at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. The hard-working and self-serious employee quickly finds himself hating Homer, going so far as to declare them enemies. Homer's attempts to soothe things out only cause more conflict, and Grimes ends up so broken by the world's acceptance of Homer and his light-hearted foolishness that he has a breakdown and dies.

A controversial episode within The Simpsons fanbase, "Homer's Enemy" is a biting and often hilarious look at the show and the comic rules that govern it. However, it also welcomed an increasingly dark tone to the series and a willingness to lean harder into shock comedy. It predicted the beginning of "Jerkass Homer," a period that turned the loveable patriarch into a more boorish, aggressive and mean-spirited figure. This episode is arguably the greatest indicator of the show's changing sense of style and comedy -- and the true end of the Golden Age.

Season 9, Episode 2, "The Principal And The Pauper"

"The Principal and the Pauper" opens with the twenty-year anniversary of Seymour Skinner as Principal of Springfield Elementary, but the rest of Springfield is shocked when another man arrives, claiming to be the real Skinner. It's revealed the man the town has come to know as Skinner is a former street punk named Armin Tamzarian, who impersonated Skinner when he was believed dead in Vietnam. Although the town tries to adjust to the new Skinner, everyone becomes exhausted of him and works to restore Tamzarian to the identity, running the real Skinner out of town.

"The Principal and the Pauper" is considered by many to be the true end of the Golden Age. Although the episode is remembered fondly by writer Ken Keeler and Season 9 showrunners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, according to the Season 9 DVD commentary, many have expressed their dislike for the major retcons to Skinner and how the entire town's reaction to the real Skinner sets up Springfield's cruelty that would become more prevalent in future seasons. Notable critics of the episode include series creator Matt Groening, who called the episode a "mistake" during an interview with Rolling Stone, and Skinner's voice actor, Harry Schear, who has spoken negatively about the episode to the East Bay Express.

Season 11, Episode 22, "Behind The Laughter"

"Behind the Laughter" is a mockumentary about the "true" history of The Simpsons, portraying the titular family as actors who've been staring in an increasingly bizarre adaptation of their lives. The episode reflects the highs and lows of the show's first decade, pokes fun at celebrity culture and briefly has the family break up over pent-up frustrations -- only to be reunited during an award ceremony.

The Emmy Award winning "Behind the Laughter" is considered by some fans to be the true "ending" of the series as a satirical, soft-hearted send-off of the show up to that point. It even teases the longevity of the show and the increasingly strange plots, with the episode ending on a gag about how the then-upcoming Season 12 would be its last. Current showrunner Al Jean -- who has been with The Simpsons for a majority of its run at this point -- even told Entertainment Weekly that he would consider the episode a strong contender for a good series finale.