Look, you people obviously don't understand what others on this board are pissed off about when they say they want the episodes to be like the old ones, but not use the same jokes. I understand what they mean and can calmly explain this to you:
The series started after the original black and white film was released. For those of you who have seen the original film (I'm guessing most of you) You should realize that it was EXTREMELY dark in comparrison to the televison series. In the first seasons there was a lot of black comedy, that was very off beat, sometimes it was even capable of making you cringe (Think Lucy trying to get with Julian, possibly even implying Trinity is his? It WAS done, subtly, in early shows)
The boys were a little more hardcore back then too, maybe even not such good guys as they are now.
There are few things that have REALLY botered me about Trailer Park Boys up until this season because the jokes were always so good, and they boys were so awesome. One thing that DID bother me was the sudden dissapearance without explanation of Treena Lahey (Chuck Cunningham syndrom!) When we got into the episodes with Conky and Steve French, anyone could see that the show was getting a little gimicky, but Who cared? It was HILARIOUS! Ricky walking around with that rag on his nose and the truck stuck to his hand made my entire YEAR I swear!
My problem this year is that as I've said before, they've jumped the shark; they've become something entirely different than they originally started as, and I think this is what is bothering other people who are crying that they liked teh old episodes more. Go back and watch your old episodes and compare the characters. Character development is a wonderful thing, but some characters have been diminished by it.
Look specifically at Bubbles: He used to be quiet and subdued, now he freaks out almost as much as Ricky! Bubbles as the Straight man was one of the things that gave TPB its greatness because you just didn't expect poor ol' Bubbles to have all that insight! And also, why has Bubbles voice gotten so high over the years? Mike Smith has always done a wonderful job, but he's been overplaying the character in the past 2 seasons. (though I love Bubbles songs and Kittyland)
Cory and Trevor's Characters were changed too much, but it worked (to a point). Originally they weren't such lackeys. In the episode "I'm not Gay, I love Lucy" You see C&T actually mocking RICKY! (They imply that he's gay.) Later on they became these completely downtrodden guys with no self esteem who wouldn't stick up to the boys at all. It worked for those seasons when they worked for Ricky and Julian (Cory and Trevor taking the place of the girls at Julian's Rub n' Tug! I thought I'd never stop laughing. When they broke their arms and they both had those casts that kept ther arms in position: funniest thing EVER!) but it was taken too far last season when they suddenly became equivalent to dogs? It was just taken a smidge too far to the point where it wasn't very funny. (Becasue it wouldn't happen to real people)
Lucy has become WAY too much of a ho-bag. Sure she's a trailer park girl, but at least she used to have good intentions. Lucy would tell Ricky to straighten up because they had a child. Now her character has no integrity, she doesn't keep Trinity in mind, she just sleeps around on Ricky for no reason.
And most of all, I can't take how Ricky was pushed aside this season as a sidekick. In old episodes, yes, Julian was the "Brains" of the outfiit in that he tried his best to keep them out of trouble, but Ricky was "the man with the plan". Ricky in all his ignorance is this mastermind in all things illegal. And that he does those things and doesn't even really realize that what he's doing is wrong, and that he's almost always able to talk himself out of being arrested for all the stupid small shit that the boys do is another thing that makes TPB so amazing. Ricky is this true anti-hero, he's a victim of circumstance who's got a heart of gold when it comes to his friends and family. You want Ricky to win in the end, you want him to succeed even though he's doing seriously illegal stuff. For Ricky to be pushed aside and turned into a moron this season was a slight to the character. Ricky deserved better.
As for the jokes, its okay to keep whats tried and true, but things can be overdone. people love to hear the catch phrases of a character, Every time Ricky has ever said "Knock Knock" I've nearly burst blood vessels from laughing so hard ("And by the way your fish sticks suck!" if that didn't kill you you have NO sense of humour.) and the Patrick Swayze/Reveen thing is hilarious, but Patrick Swayze was WAY overdone this year. I know some of you found that "Baaaam" thing hilarious, but to me that was about as dated as if they had said "Whazaaap" instead. I nearly cringed when they did that.
In closing, people aren't complaining about changes so much as they are comlaining about the show taking a complete turn into pure comedy (With a lot of gimmicks, physical comedy and too much reliance on old jokes) instead of having the dark undertones and subtle comedy that it used to have.
I know I am replying to a REALLY old post... but since I just finished the final episode of season 7 last night... I wanted to reply to this.
I agree with everything this poster said. Don't get me wrong... I love the show and will probably watch all of the episodes over and over for years to come... but unlike most of you who watched this series develop over a period of years... I watched every seasonal episode, in order, in a period of about 3 weeks to a month.
It appeared to me that the last 2 seasons or so were either a struggle to write... or just haphazardly thrown together. I was not happy with the direction they took Corey and Trevor. (MINDLESS SHEEP) I was disappointed in the fact that they took Ricky from being a low-level criminal mastermind who had a hilariously hard time with words over 2 syllables long... to being a 30 year old man who had spend his entire life in a trailer park next to a lake and wooded area in NovaScotia... but had never seen a Raccoon (not even in a book even though he had a 10th grade education) until he was in his late 30s and couldn't even identify it on sight.
I agree with what this poster also said about Bubble's character. In the initial episodes he was subdued and kinda shy but very innocent and hilarious as hell. By the last episodes he totally lost his innocence and was so overplayed that at times it appeared to "be the bubbles show" with Ricky and Julian as his bumbling sidekicks. Are we forgetting this is a guy who spent his entire life... since he was a small child.. living in a shed in a trailer park? It appeared they did the same thing with the Bubbles character that a shitty show called "Family Matters" did with their "Steve Urkel" character.. they intended for him to be a background character but eventually they figured out people liked him so the last years of the show totally revolved around him.
Bubbles is still my favorite character though... "tickle their tummies twice.."
I guess what it comes down to.. is that the earlier shows were more based on reality while the later shows seemed to be more of an "anything goes if it may be the least bit funny" kinda thing.
Don't get me wrong. Still love the show and am watching all the misc. TBP stuff now... but ya.. I agree it was time to end it. Another season would definitely have put this show over the shark.
