The Simpsons’ Complete Timeline of Family Feud With Mr. Burns Explained

The Simpsons have expanded their tradition several times over the years, including establishing a long-running rivalry between the titular family and Mr. Part of the elastic nature of the The SimpsonsThe animated approach to comedy is the ability to shift focus from episode to episode. This allows for inventive and experimental episodes, like a complete anthology of short films dedicated to the women of Springfield or a The Simpsons remake of the underrated Martin Scorsese film from almost forty years ago.

Many episodes of The Simpsons have jumped to different time periods and settings, with a shifting timeline keeping personalities consistent while altering events and personal histories. Sometimes this led to changes The Simpsons‘long canon that directly impacted characters like Abe Simpson. Other times, it expanded on the past experiences of the family as a whole, going back more than a century. It’s like this The Simpsons managed to stop a long-standing rivalry between Homer’s family and The Simpsons‘longest-lasting villain who further cements one of the series’ greatest rivalries.

The Simpsons and Burns’ ancestors were enemies

“The Color Yellow” Pit Homer and Burns’ relatives against each other

While The Simpsons‘The sliding timeline changed the events of the show’s canon, the long-running rivalry between the Simpsons family and Mr. Burns has its roots over a century before the events of the show. One of the first explorations of the Simpson family lineage came in season 21’s “The Color Yellow,” which revealed that the Simpson family lineage included members of the Underground Railroad. Mabel Simpson and her daughter Eliza worked against the interests of plantation-owning slave trader Colonel Burns.

Because of Hiram Simpson’s decision to betray Virgil, a family friend and escaped slave, Mabel divorced her husband and later fell in love with Virgil. After the pair fled the country, they raised a family together, including their son Abraham Simpson, secretly Abe Simpson’s current great-grandfather. This establishes that The Simpsons and the Burns have been pitted against each other since the 19th centuryand that the family might not even exist in the present if Simpson had not rebelled against Burns.

Burns and Abe serve together in World War II

How Abe Simpsons and Monty Burns worked together

In the 20th century, the Simpsons and Burns families found themselves temporarily aligned during World War II. Despite many episodes referencing Burns’ connection to the Nazis, Mr. Burns ended up enlisting in the United States Army, as revealed in Season 7’s “Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumpy Grandson in ‘The Curse of the Flying Hellfish'” . the starting team, led by Abe Simpson. Burns and Simpson clashed several times during the war, with Burns even ruined Abes’ chance to kill Hitler and end the war sooner.

However, Burns managed to break some of the Simpsons’ integrity after the posse found themselves in possession of several valuable paintings. At Burns’ request, Simpson and the rest of the posse agreed to a tontine, hiding the paintings and agreeing to reveal them only when the last surviving member of the group could sell them. Despite his misgivings, Abe Simpson agreed in the hope that fortune could keep him out of a nursing home later in life. Abe Simpsons’ eventual fate makes this unexpected irony even harsherand highlights Burns’ corrupting influence.

Burns forces Mona Simpson to hide

Mister Burns is the reason Homer grew up without a mother

Both Abe Simpson and CM Burns eventually returned to Springfield, with the latter building the Nuclear Power Plant that gave him a monopoly on the city. Meanwhile, Simpson met his wife Mona after joining the Air Force (as revealed during Season 26’s “Let’s Go Fly a Coot”) and the two had a son, Homer. Marital strife was already creeping into their relationship, leading Mona to have affairs with other men (as detailed in season 17’s “Homer’s Paternity Coot”). However, Ultimately it was Burns who broke up the Simpson family once for all.

As portrayed in Season 7’s “Mother Simpson,” Mona became part of a protest group that targeted Mr. Burns’ bioweapons laboratory on the campus of Springfield University. Mona’s decision to help an injured Burns after the protest led to her being identified by the mogul, forcing Mona to flee to avoid arrest. This is the original reason why Mona finally left Abe and abandoned Homercreating a series of traumas that would continue to haunt his son throughout his adult life. Episodes like season 19’s “Mona Leaves-a” emphasized this aspect of the Simpsons/Burns rivalry.

How Burns Gains Power Over Abe

Abe and Burns have been against each other for decades

Several episodes of The Simpsons to have explored the persistent rivalry that existed between Abe Simpson and Monty Burnsespecially after Mona’s departure. While it was never clear whether Abe knew of Monty’s role in Mona’s departure, the two clashed several times over the years. Notably, this conflict changed the specifics based on a moving timeline. Season 24’s “To Cur With Love” revealed that Homer’s childhood dog bit Burns, sparking his ire.

To save the dog, Abe was forced to give him up to a couple upstate (earning Homer’s wrath in the process). Furthermore, Burns forced Abe into a series of humiliating jobs. Season 36’s “Shoddy Heat” expanded on this storyline by revealing that Abe briefly worked as a private investigator, which eventually led him to investigate his partner’s disappearance. Fearing Abe’s ability to uncover the truth, Burns bribed Abe by promising to give Homer a job from which he could never be fired. By voluntarily submitting to his former rival, Abe ensured his son’s stable future.

Homer becomes Burn’s employee

Homer has been under Burns’ control for years

Although Abe Simpson and Monty Burns eventually had other confrontations, Burns eventually turned his attention to Homer. Homer got a job at the Nuclear Power Plant (as revealed in the flashback-filled Season 3 episode “I Married Marge”) and became a frequent target of the old man’s wrath. Despite Burns apparently being unable to remember Homer’s name for years, he always found a way to silently torture Homer and make your professional life difficult.

Although Burns kept his promise to Burns and refused to fire Homer permanently for his numerous transgressions, Homer often tried to escape the daily grind of working for Burns. Episodes like Season 6’s “And Maggie Makes Three,” which revealed Maggie Simpson’s origins, saw Homer briefly escape the factory so he could take his dream job. Likewise, Homer often worked temporarily elsewhere over the course of The Simpsons. However, Homer always ends up back at the Nuclear Power Plant and under the control of Mr..

The Simpsons vs. Burns today

How The Simpsons Face Burns The Simpsons

Homer and Burns, strangely enough, have found a small friendship in recent seasons, with season 28’s “The Great Phatsby” highlighting how well the two get along. Despite that, the Simpsons family often remains at odds with Burnsas with Abe and Burns’ efforts to woo Marge’s mother in Season 5’s “Lady Bouvier’s Lover.” Marge was sexually harassed by Burns, almost leading to a lawsuit. Bart was briefly Burns’ heir in Season 5’s “Burns’ Heir”, but Burns nearly killed Bart several times, such as in Season 2’s “Bart Gets Hit by a Car” or “Raging Abe Simpson”.

Burns’s most consistent modern counterpoint is Lisawhose commitment to improving the Earth makes her a natural enemy of the greedy industrialist. Episodes like Season 15’s “Fraudcast News” focused on their conflict. Although Lisa’s best side saw her extend empathy to the old man (such as in Season 28’s “Monty Burns’ Fleeing Circus”), Burns used this to her advantage in episodes like Season 8’s “The Old Man and the Lisa.” The closest Simpson came to taking Burns down once and for all was Maggie, who nearly killed Burns in the season 6/7 two-parter “Who Shot Mr. Burns?”

How The Simpsons’ Feud With Burns Evolves In The Future

The Simpsons beats the Burns in the long run

The Simpson and Burns families will likely have less conflict in the future, as the Burns’ illegitimate children are rarely shown in The Simpsons. On the other hand, episodes set in the future, such as season 35’s “It’s a Blunderful Life”, revealed thatThe Simpsons family will continue to grow and expand with future generations. However, some of the episodes set in the future highlight how the rivalry between the families steadily diminishes. Season 16’s “Future-Drama” even revealed that Lisa’s college hopes depend somewhat on a scholarship from Burns. Notably, Burns eventually fades from prominence, potentially passing away off-screen.

The rivalry between Simpsons and Burns is a surprisingly consistent element of The Simpsons tradition. However, the connection that eventually grows between the family and the way it appears to end with Burns’ death and the Simpsons’ prosperity highlights the show’s central themes. Despite his wealth, Burns is ultimately an old villain with no happy ending. In contrast, The Simpsons always find joy in each other, for the generations before and many more to come.