February 17, 2026
Worst. Episode Count. Ever?
After 800 episodes, 'The Simpsons' creators look back – and ahead
800 episodes in, fans split: TV legend or let it die
TLDR: The Simpsons hits 800 episodes as its creators praise the reset-every-episode formula and promise ongoing tweaks, while fans brawl over whether the show’s glory days are long gone. Commenters slam the “slop,” blame a Family Guy era shift, nitpick audio, and even float AI-written episodes as a wild fix.
Eight hundred episodes. Thirty-seven seasons. One family that never ages — but the fanbase definitely does. As the creators toast this wild milestone and promise more tweaks and “square-one” resets, the internet’s having a full-on Springfield town hall. Some cheer the feat; others yell like Comic Book Guy: “Worst. Episode. Ever.” And yes, they mean the last decade.
The biggest fight? Whether “The Simpsons” lost its soul. One camp claims the show turned to “absolute slop” and should’ve bowed out years ago. Another blames a weird era shift — one user swears the voices got too clean, sounding oddly detached from music and sound effects. Then there’s the spicy take that everything fell off when “Family Guy” hit big, with accusations that Springfield copied Quahog’s cutaway chaos. It’s nostalgia versus new-school snark, with a side of “D’oh!”
Meanwhile, the creators are reflective and feisty. Matt Groening still tweaks the drawings, Al Jean says the reset-every-episode model kept the show alive, and the team even baked early internet criticism into Comic Book Guy — a meta clapback to fans calling each new ep the “worst.” Over in the comments, a curveball: Could AI write a good episode? Some are morbidly curious, others say that’s the final insult. Either way, the milestone episode — “Irrational Treasure” — is about to be judged by the toughest jury of all: the people who grew up with it, and won’t stop arguing about it.
Key Points
- •The Simpsons reaches 800 episodes across 37 seasons, originating from 1987 shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show.
- •Al Jean credits the episodic reset format for the show’s longevity.
- •Matt Groening emphasizes continual improvements in character drawing and cinematic perspective over 38 years.
- •Nancy Cartwright’s 1987 audition led to her voicing Bart; David Silverman and James L. Brooks defined Lisa’s baritone saxophone trait.
- •Early controversy and the decision to target adults shaped the show’s tone; Comic Book Guy emerged in response to online criticism.