History YMMV / TheSimpsonsS9E2ThePrincipalAndThePauper

* FanonDiscontinuity: Most fans did not take this new take on Skinner's backstory well and most have refused to acknowledge it since. The Show has as well, having only made one reference to it ever since, and that was a DiscontinuityNod at that.

* {{Misblamed}}: Many people blame Mike Scully for this episode (he became showrunner starting this season and is often cited as sending the show into its AudienceAlienatingEra) since this did air when Scully first became showrunner in Season 9. However, he was not yet showrunner at the time -- this episode was held over from the previous season, which was run by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. Nor did Scully personally write or direct it (Ken Keeler and Steven Dean Moore respectively did). When watched alongside other Season 8 episodes like "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E14TheItchyAndScratchyAndPoochieShow The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]" and "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E23HomersEnemy Homer's Enemy]]" (the second also seen as among the show's most controversial episodes), it becomes more apparent that this was written to have the same deconstructive/meta approach to the series as those episodes.

* {{Misblamed}}: Many people blame Mike Scully for this episode (he became showrunner starting this season and is often cited as sending the show into its AudienceAlienatingEra) since this did air when Scully first became showrunner in Season 9. However, he was not yet showrunner at the time -- this episode was held over from the previous season, which was run by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. Nor did Scully personally write or direct it (Ken Keeler and Steven Dean Moore respectively did). When watched alongside other s
Season 8 episodes like "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E14TheItchyAndScratchyAndPoochieShow The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]" and "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E23HomersEnemy Homer's Enemy]]" (the second also seen as among the show's most controversial episodes), it becomes more apparent that this was written to have the same deconstructive/meta approach to the series as those episodes.

* {{Misblamed}}: Many people blame Mike Scully for this episode (he became showrunner starting this season and is often cited as sending the show into its AudienceAlienatingEra) since this did air when Scully first became showrunner in Season 9. However, he was not yet showrunner at the time -- this episode was held over from the previous season, which was run by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. Nor did Scully personally write or direct it (Ken Keeler and Steven Dean Moore respectively did). When watched alongside other season 8 episodes like "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E14TheItchyAndScratchyAndPoochieShow The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]" and "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E23HomersEnemy Homer's Enemy]]" (the second also seen as among the show's most controversial episodes), it becomes more apparent that this was written to have the same deconstructive/meta approach to the series as those episodes.

* EnsembleDarkHorse: Creator/MartinSheen's performance as the real Seymour Skinner was easily the best-received part of the episode. He really made the best with what he had to work with and it shows.

* OvershadowedByControversy: The episode is best known for TheReveal that Principal Skinner is really an impostor called Armin Tamzarian, who stole the identity of his superior officer, after he believed that the latter had been killed in Vietnam. Fans and critics quickly criticized the episode for suddenly changing Skinner's previously established backstory without any prior buildup, while the show's staff, including Creator/MattGroening and Creator/HarryShearer regard the episode as an Old Shame. The episode's reputation has resulted in the episode itself being retconned. The episode is also often used to pinpoint where the show started undergoing SeasonalRot.

* BrokenBase: Was this episode a clever, interesting twist on Skinner or an insulting waste of time that permanently ruined him and the previous character development he went through?

* SoOkayItsAverage: The episode itself isn't all that terrible. It has a lot of the hallmarks of the Golden Age Simpsons: some decent Simpsons' jokes, a guest celebrity who ''isn't'' just playing himself, and an interesting plot. But for many, the episode signaled the show was beginning to fall off a cliff, with many of its flaws being even more pronounced in the later seasons.

* {{Misblamed}}: Many people blame Mike Scully for this episode (he became showrunner starting this season and is often cited as sending the show into its AudienceAlienatingEra) since this did air when Scully first became showrunner in Season 9. However, he was not yet showrunner at the time -- this episode was held over from the previous season, which was run by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. Nor did Scully personally write or direct it (Ken Keeler and Steven Dean Moore respectively did). When watched alongside other season 8 episodes like "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" and "Homer's Enemy" (the second also seen as among the show's most controversial episodes), it becomes more apparent that this was written to have the same deconstructive/meta approach to the series as those plots.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Creator/MartinSheen's performance as the real Seymour Skinner was easily the best-received part of the episode. He really made the best with what he had to work with and it shows.

* MisBlamed: Many people blame Mike Scully for this episode (he became showrunner starting this season and is often cited as sending the show into its AudienceAlienatingEra) since this did air when Scully first became showrunner in Season 9. However, he was not yet showrunner at the time -- this episode was held over from the previous production line, which was run by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. Nor did Scully personally write or direct it (Ken Keeler and Steven Dean Moore respectively did).

** The Youtube channel "Nerdstalgic" mentions [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FeZtwJlnFZE in this video review of the episode]], that the story does contain one small interesting element that could have been explored further: The reveal that Skinner was a troublemaking rebel when he was younger just like Bart is. Unfortunately, the episode itself hardly touches on this.

** The Youtube channel "Nerdstalgic" mentions [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FeZtwJlnFZE in this video review of the episode]], that the story does contain one small interesting element that could have been explored further: The reveal that Skinner was a troublemaking rebel when he was younger [[NotSoDifferent just like Bart is.]] Unfortunately, the episode itself hardly touches on this.

** Tthe twist could have even worked for a more prominent character who had an established shady history, like Mr. Burns or Moe.

*** Arguably, the twist could have even worked for a more prominent character who has an established shady history, like Mr. Burns or Moe.

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: While the episode is considered infamous among fans of the show, Martin Sheen's performance as the real Seymour Skinner is generally acclaimed, both in his [[AFatherToHisMen relationship with Skinner in flashbacks]] and his [[TheComicallySerious overly serious and sincere personality clashing with the madness of Springfield]].

* MisBlamed: Many people blame Mike Scully for this episode (he became showrunner starting this season and is often cited as sending the show into its DorkAge) since this did air when Scully first became showrunner in Season 9. However, he was not yet showrunner at the time -- this episode was held over from the previous production line, which was run by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. Nor did Scully personally write or direct it (Ken Keeler and Steven Dean Moore respectively did).

** Creator/MattGroening himself said that he thought the episode would have worked much better as a Treehouse of Horror episode than a canon episode.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Creator/MartinSheen's performance as the real Seymour Skinner was easily the best-received part of the episode.