2 0 0 7 , ▁in ▁an ▁article ▁in ▁The ▁Guardian , ▁Ian ▁Jones ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁" show ▁became ▁stupid " ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁pointing ▁to ▁" The ▁Princi pal ▁and ▁the ▁P au per " ▁as ▁the ▁bell w ether . ▁" Come ▁again ? ▁A ▁major ▁character ▁in ▁a ▁long - running ▁series ▁gets ▁un mask ed ▁as ▁a ▁fra ud ? ▁It ▁was ▁cheap , ▁idle ▁story t elling ", ▁he ▁remarks . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁article ▁in ▁The ▁Star - L ed ger , ▁Alan ▁Se pin wall ▁and ▁Matt ▁Z ol ler ▁Se itz ▁c ite ▁the ▁episode ▁when ▁as ser ting ▁that ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁The ▁Sim ps ons ▁" gets ▁much ▁sp ott ier " ▁in ▁season ▁nine . ▁Alan ▁Se pin wall ▁obser ves ▁in ▁another ▁Star - L ed ger ▁article , ▁"[ The ▁episode ] ▁was ▁so ▁imp laus ible ▁that ▁even ▁the ▁characters ▁were ▁dis av ow ing ▁it ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁episode ." ▁Jon ▁Hein , ▁who ▁co ined ▁the ▁term ▁" j ump ing ▁the ▁sh ark " ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁negative ▁changes ▁in ▁television ▁series , ▁writes ▁in ▁J ump ▁the ▁Sh ark : ▁TV ▁Edition , ▁" We ▁finally ▁sp otted ▁a ▁fin ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁nin th ▁season ▁when ▁Princi pal ▁Sk inner ' s ▁true ▁identity ▁was ▁revealed ▁as ▁Ar min ▁Tam z arian ." ▁James ▁Gre ene ▁of ▁N