The Simpsons Season 22 Dthrip ~upd~ -
By the time The Simpsons rolled into its 22nd season (airing from September 26, 2010, to May 22, 2011), the cultural conversation had long since shifted. The golden age (seasons 3–8) was a relic. The “teenage” seasons (9–12) had their defenders. The Scully and early Jean years had given way to a strange, prolonged middle age. Critics had written obituaries for the show multiple times over. And yet, here it was: Season 22, still alive, still producing 22 episodes, still capable of moments of genuine brilliance, and still, somehow, a ratings cornerstone for Fox.
Notably, Season 22 did not win any Emmys (it was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program for “Treehouse of Horror XXI” but lost to South Park ’s “It’s a Jersey Thing”). Still, it was nominated for multiple Annie Awards, and voice actor won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his work in the season. the simpsons season 22 dthrip
A standout. Bart becomes a therapy bird handler for a former attack pigeon named Ray. When Ray goes missing, Bart descends into a The French Connection -style obsession. The episode is a loving homage to 1970s paranoid thrillers, with rain-soaked streets, a jazz score, and a surprisingly touching ending. This is the kind of episode that reminds you The Simpsons could still do genre pastiche better than almost anyone. By the time The Simpsons rolled into its
A solid B-minus season — unessential for new viewers, but rewarding for longtime fans willing to meet the show where it lives. Watch “How Munched Is That Birdie in the Window?” and “The Great Simpsina” for proof that the heart was still beating. The Scully and early Jean years had given
Yet even mediocre Season 22 episodes have a certain craft. The show never feels lazy; it feels experienced . Like a veteran band playing their hits with slight variations, occasionally veering into a deep cut that reminds you why they mattered. Critically, Season 22 was met with a shrug. Metacritic aggregates weren’t common for individual seasons then, but fan reception on forums like No Homers Club was mixed: some called it a mild improvement over Season 21; others dismissed it as more of the same. The IMDb episode ratings hover mostly between 6.5 and 7.5 — respectable for a show in its third decade.
The show had also recently broken the record for the longest-running primetime scripted series (surpassing Gunsmoke in 2009). Season 22, therefore, carried an air of legacy maintenance. The writers — led by showrunner (now in his second long stint) — leaned into guest stars, Homer-and-Marge relationship episodes, and increasingly absurd yet strangely structured plots. Notable Episodes: The Highs, the Lows, and the Weird Season 22 is uneven, but its best episodes hold up surprisingly well.
A surprisingly dark episode where Mr. Burns, abandoned by everyone after a health scare, fakes his own death and lives in the Simpsons’ attic. It’s a bleak character study — Burns losing everything, even Smithers’ loyalty — and ends with a failed redemption. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but it showed the writers could still handle melancholy and moral complexity.
