Unlucky Season 13

“The Simpsons” is getting old. The show has been on for 21 seasons, although they’re just getting around to releasing number 13 on DVD. Unfortunately, this is one of the most uneven seasons in the show’s long run.

Things get off to a poor start with the twelfth installment of the annual Halloween episode. The episode is rarely funny, a serious problem for the one episode of the series that is allowed to jettison all connections to reality.

After a few episodes, things even out, but something important is still missing. Seldom are there emotional moments, and the previously developed characters begin to seem flat and empty.

The decline is mirrored in the commentaries. Creator Matt Groening is no longer an important force — he stops in on multiple commentaries yet never says a word the entire episode. Apparently, he doesn’t see anything worth commenting about.

“The Simpsons” has improved in the last eight seasons, but if there’s one season worth skipping, it might be number 13.