▁with ▁many ▁seeing ▁this ▁episode ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁series ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁jump ing ▁the ▁sh ark . ▁Sk inner ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁rec urr ing ▁character ▁since ▁the ▁first ▁season ▁and , ▁after ▁years ▁of ▁development , ▁his ▁back story ▁had ▁suddenly ▁been ▁changed . ▁Bill ▁Oak ley ▁cons iders ▁" The ▁Princi pal ▁and ▁the ▁P au per " ▁the ▁most ▁controvers ial ▁episode ▁from ▁his ▁ten ure ▁as ▁executive ▁producer . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁book ▁Planet ▁Sim pson , ▁Chris ▁Turner ▁describes ▁" The ▁Princi pal ▁and ▁the ▁P au per " ▁as ▁the ▁" bro ad cast ▁that ▁marked ▁[ the ] ▁ab rupt ▁pl unge " ▁from ▁The ▁Sim ps ons ' ▁" G old en ▁Age ", ▁which ▁he ▁says ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁show ' s ▁third ▁season . ▁He ▁calls ▁the ▁episode ▁"[ one ▁of ] ▁the ▁weak est ▁episodes ▁in ▁Sim ps ons ▁history ", ▁and ▁adds , ▁" A ▁bl at ant , ▁continu ity - scr amb ling ▁plot ▁tw ist ▁of ▁this ▁sort ▁might ' ve ▁been ▁forg iv able ▁if ▁the ▁result ▁had ▁been ▁as ▁fun ny ▁or ▁sharp ly ▁sat ir ical ▁as ▁the ▁class ics ▁of ▁the ▁Golden ▁Age , ▁but ▁al as ▁it ' s ▁em ph atically ▁not ." ▁Turner ▁notes ▁that ▁the ▁episode ▁" st ill ▁sports ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁virt u oso ▁g ags ", ▁but ▁says ▁that ▁such ▁moments ▁are ▁limited . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁