ate ▁his ▁tw enti eth ▁anni versary ▁as ▁principal ▁of ▁Spring field ▁Element ary ▁School , ▁when ▁a ▁man ▁arriv es ▁claim ing ▁that ▁Sk inner ▁has ▁assumed ▁his ▁identity . ▁Princi pal ▁Sk inner ▁adm its ▁that ▁his ▁real ▁name ▁is ▁Ar min ▁Tam z arian , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁thought ▁the ▁true ▁Se ym our ▁Sk inner , ▁a ▁friend ▁from ▁the ▁Army , ▁had ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War . ▁Ar min ▁leaves ▁Spring field , ▁but ▁is ▁later ▁persu aded ▁to ▁return ▁as ▁principal . ▁ ▁" The ▁Princi pal ▁and ▁the ▁P au per " ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁Ken ▁Ke eler ▁and ▁directed ▁by ▁Steven ▁Dean ▁Moore . ▁It ▁guest - star red ▁Martin ▁She en ▁as ▁the ▁real ▁Se ym our ▁Sk inner . ▁Although ▁it ▁a ired ▁during ▁the ▁show ' s ▁nin th ▁season , ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁hold over ▁from ▁season ▁eight . ▁▁ ▁The ▁episode ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁controvers ial ▁episodes ▁of ▁The ▁Sim ps ons . ▁Many ▁fans ▁and ▁critics ▁react ed ▁extremely ▁neg atively ▁to ▁the ▁revel ation ▁that ▁Princi pal ▁Sk inner , ▁a ▁rec urr ing ▁character ▁since ▁the ▁first ▁season ▁who ▁had ▁under g one ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁character ▁development , ▁was ▁an ▁imp ost or . ▁The ▁episode ▁has ▁been ▁critic ized ▁by ▁series ▁cre ator ▁Matt ▁Gro ening , ▁and ▁by ▁Harry ▁She ar er , ▁who ▁provides ▁the ▁voice ▁of ▁Princi pal ▁Sk inner . ▁ ▁Plot ▁On ▁the ▁e ve ▁of