The Simpsons has been in production for the entirety of my life. Making its debut around the same time I was born, I feel a certain kinship with the series and always will, no matter how the quality of the show has been perceived to decline. I own every DVD set of the series. I’m addicted.

The Simpson family is comforting to me; something about the way they’ve (mostly) refused to change with the times. This is probably their ultimate downfall, the reason South Park beats them in ratings, but it’s the reason I’ll always tune in when I can.

My love for The Simpsons, along with my knowledge of how great the DVD sets are (particularly for the commentary tracks, which are among the best in the niche business) is why I can’t help but somewhat dissuade people from buying the 20th season of The Simpsons on Blu-ray.

Believe it or not, my negative attitude toward the set isn’t really because of a declining quality in the show. Granted, The Simpsons isn’t uproariously funny as it was twenty years ago (neither am I), but in every episode of season twenty there are at least a handful of jokes that are on par with the best episodes the series has to offer.

The decline in quality in reality seems to be a lack of direction: show-runner Al Jean, who has worked on The Simpsons for nearly its entire run, lacks style and uniqueness, and this is reflected in the seasons themselves. Considering the batsh*t craziness of the David Mirkin era (which notably sent Homer Simpson into space) and the intellectualized meta-humor of the Oakley and Weinstein era, Jean’s work pales in comparison. His attempt to return the focus of the show to the family itself has dumbed down creativity and made the direction flat; I’d almost prefer Mike Scully’s years of slapstick stupidity in the early 2000s.

There are some glowing exceptions to this assessment, however. The premiere episode of the season, “Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes,” has an extremely elaborate free running sequence sandwiched between a tired “Homer/Marge gets a new job” and “Homer and Flanders bond” story. “Take My Life, Please” features an interesting nostalgia trip into what Homer’s life could have been like had he not been screwed out of high school class presidency.

One of the best episodes of the season may actually be the annual “Treehouse of Horror,” which pays homage in animation and humor to Charlie Brown with a huge dose of uncharacteristic gore and some fantastic visual storytelling. The Mad Men parody isn’t just one of the best segments in the whole season, but also one of the greatest pieces of animation the show has ever produced. The very best episode might be “Gone Maggie Gone,” in which Lisa must unravel the mystery of her sister’s kidnapping by infiltrating a convent. It wins points for being a fairly unique story in The Simpsons‘ run while peeling back a few layers of Springfield’s intricate history.

So we have a average, decent season in the middle of a show that has been on for a huge chunk of time. What more could you ask for? At this point, Matt Groening’s work could have evolved into an utter abomination; instead, The Simpsons is now a humorous, comfy diversion. That’s fine by me. Hit the jump for a look at specifications and special features.

How Does the Blu-ray Look and Sound?

Here’s where we get into weirder territory. The transfer on the Blu-ray is technically stunning: presented in 1080p resolution, the animation has never looked more crisp and vibrant. While I have personal issues with this — I’ve always thought the dirty flaws of the first five or six seasons added an additional layer of life to the show — I can’t honestly complain about the digital transfer. I can complain about the awkward shift in presentation ratio: halfway through the season, The Simpsons went 1.78:1 widescreen and gained a new, revamped opening credit sequence.

Leave the opening credit sequence the hell alone. I get it. You all went digital. It looks pretty. But there’s no need to show off by doing away with a sequence of animation I could storyboard in my sleep.

The audio (5.1 DTS HD Master Audio and 5.0 Dolby Digital) is serviceable but nothing spiffy. It sounds just about as good as it did during original broadcast. There are also dubbed French and Spanish tracks as well as Spanish subtitles.

What Sorts of Special Features Should We Expect?

Ready for the deal-breaker? Next to nothing.

Expect none of the ultra-entertaining, casual and occasionally informative commentary tracks from cast and crew, nor storyboards nor animatics. This seems like a bare-bones test run for something better, later. If this is off-putting, I’d suggest you save your money for season 13 and wait until the DVDs catch up.

The only special feature to speak of, really, is a preview of the 20th Anniversary Special hosted by Morgan Spurlock. Boo.

What’s the Final Word?

This is an average season of the show presented in beautiful high-definition, hampered by sparse special features. If you’re a die-hard fan and want to show off your Blu-ray player, go for it. If you want to be entertained as much as possible and listen to excellent commentary tracks, go purchase seasons 4 or 5 on DVD. You won’t regret it.