The Simpsons jumped the shark a couple of seasons ago.

I'm not clear exactly how they did it, but when the subtle absurdist events turned into plot twists that have no grounding in the previous part of the episode, and when Homer turns from slob man to total shamelessness, the show has lost something.

Perhaps it was the episode with the Who and lots of badgers where they jumped.

My sister and her boyfriend despise TV. They have a set and a VCR, but no antenna. They couldn't understand why I babbled about the subversive brilliance of The Simpsons; they'd only seen tiny bits of the show, in passing while visiting other folks houses.

Then they saw an episode that featured Bart trying to find an open gym class. It included a seconds-long shot of sweet, dopey Ralph Wiggum practicing "tethered swimming." "I don't feel right!" he says, in a anxious, puzzled voice. That did it; "I UNDERSTAND NOW!" said my sister. They still don't have an antenna; I occasionally send them taped episodes.

Last night, I taped the "Rashomon" like episode that ran through the events of a day from three different points of view. Brilliant. I wonder how many viewers had seen "Run, Lola, Run"?

I look forward to seeing how The Simpsons deal with 9/11. It could be a stunner.

Sickest unused line from a NYer profile of George Meyer: "They can kill the Kennedys, but they can't make a cup of coffee that tastes good."