The Simpsons did it!

I actually don't have a strong recollection of when the golden era ended. I do however remember the moment the show went from "a hollow shell of its former glory" to outright terrible. I was mildly enjoying season 16 (don't remember any of it now though - something about a vending machine at school making Bart fat?)…

Sexist? Care to elaborate?

I was on board that ship for a while, it seemed like a good idea in the beginning (I was moved by the jumping off the roof scene). But I hate it when shows try to have their cake and eat it too by having a couple get together and then backtrack into will-they-or-won't-they-territory; dropping hints, showing longing…

I was surprised Ethel didn't give the baby up. That would have ended the storyline neatly and probably tugged a little at the ol' heartstrings. Now it just kind of… fizzled? 

Meh, I didn't hate the Patrick story. I mean during the episode I was like Woha they jumped the shark! - but then when it turns out in the end that he was clearly just an imposter I didn't mind it. It didn't even seem that unlikely - bloke's lost his face and figured it would be worth a long shot. Poor, foolish Edith.

*** SPOILER ALERT FOR UPCOMING EPISODES ***

I didn't find their death especially moving, because the "spare set" still running around in the sideways universe (the nature of which was still unknown at that point) undermined the emotional impact. It's a shame, really.

I read somewhere (tvtropes?) that it's holy water, not just water, that kills the aliens. Kinda fits with Mel being a priest, and a news anchor in the end mentioning a "technique discovered in the middle east"…