erve . com ▁put ▁the ▁episode ▁fifth ▁on ▁his ▁list ▁" T en ▁Times ▁The ▁Sim ps ons ▁J ump ed ▁the ▁Sh ark ", ▁calling ▁it ▁a ▁" n ons ens ical ▁meta - com edy " ▁and ▁arg uing ▁that ▁it ▁" se emed ▁to ▁bet ray ▁the ▁reality ▁of ▁the ▁show ▁itself ". ▁ ▁Other ▁figures ▁associated ▁with ▁The ▁Sim ps ons ▁have ▁public ly ▁critic ized ▁the ▁episode . ▁In ▁an ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁interview , ▁Harry ▁She ar er , ▁the ▁voice ▁of ▁Princi pal ▁Sk inner , ▁re called ▁that ▁after ▁reading ▁the ▁script , ▁he ▁told ▁the ▁writers , ▁" That ' s ▁so ▁wrong . ▁You ' re ▁taking ▁something ▁that ▁an ▁audience ▁has ▁built ▁eight ▁years ▁or ▁nine ▁years ▁of ▁invest ment ▁in ▁and ▁just ▁toss ed ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁tr ash ▁can ▁for ▁no ▁good ▁reason , ▁for ▁a ▁story ▁we ' ve ▁done ▁before ▁with ▁other ▁characters . ▁It ' s ▁so ▁arbitrary ▁and ▁grat uit ous , ▁and ▁it ' s ▁dis res pect ful ▁to ▁the ▁audience ." ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁interview , ▁She ar er ▁added , ▁" Now , ▁[ the ▁writers ] ▁refuse ▁to ▁talk ▁about ▁it . ▁They ▁realize ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁hor rible ▁mistake . ▁They ▁never ▁mention ▁it . ▁It ' s ▁like ▁they ' re ▁pun ishing ▁[ the ▁audience ] ▁for ▁pay ing ▁attention ." ▁In ▁the ▁introduction ▁to ▁the ▁nin th ▁season