 The episode polarized critical opinions.Carey Bodenheimer of CNN wrote that Instead of dropping the mic and resting on its collective laurels, ["The Simpsons"] kicked off season 26 with a staggering, Don Hertzfeldt directed intro sequence and then went on to prove that, in a world where shows can flame out after just a few episodes, 'The Simpsons', which premiered in 1989 still has plenty of jokes left in their comedic arsenal.