The Simpsons’ 36th season continues a 33-year-old character’s surprising transformation into a new villain

Although The Simpsons Season 36, Episode 7 brought back a villain from a standout Season 35 episode, not a supporting character viewers would likely expect. The Simpsons The season 37 renewal has not yet been announced, but things are looking good for the future of the series. Of Vulture to YouTubeCritics across the Internet have begun to argue that the long-running series has undergone something of a creative renaissance since season 33. Seasons 34 and 35 have had substantially better reviews and fan reception than seasons 30-33, which were largely ridiculed as showing the new lowest point online.

Since the fall of The Simpsons began in season 12, it’s remarkable that so many viewers and critics are tuning in again. The Simpsons may not age, but the series inevitably does. As such, it’s surprising and inspiring to see a series that has broken countless records due to its longevity feeling inventive and original again. A lot of this comes down to experiential tours like The Simpsons season 36, episode 6, “Women in Shorts,” which featured more than a dozen female-centric tales set in Springfield, and the anthology plot of the following episode.

Luann Van Houten buried Kirk alive in Simpsons season 36

Bart saved Milhouse’s father in a Ray Bradbury parody

Season 36, Episode 7, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” is a tribute to the late, great author Ray Bradbury, and the outing includes a trio of short stories that affectionately mimic Bradbury’s writing. Of all people, Luann Van Houten is the villain in the first story of The Simpsons episode. Strangely, this is not the first time that The Simpsons utilized Milhouse’s mother as a surprise villain in an acclaimed performance from the start of the show’s creative renaissance. Luann was also the villain of episode 13 of season 35, “Clan of the Cave Mom”, where she faced Marge.

While “Clan of the Cave Mom” used a different animation style to illustrate the inner workings of Marge’s mind, this first storyline in “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” transplanted Bart, Marge and Homer to the 1950s. Like many previous Treehouse of Horror stories, the plot included a genuinely frightening premise. Bart heard about a woman buried alive in the woods, but couldn’t convince his parents to take action. Eventually, he confided in Luann Van Houten, only for Milhouse’s mother to soothe him into a nap by feeding him warm milk. Bart almost fell asleep before escaping.

Luann was the main villain of season 35, episode 13 of The Simpsons

Marge fought Milhouse’s mother in “Clan of the Cave Mom”

Upon returning to the forest, Bart discovered that the screaming woman buried underground was actually Kirk Van Houten. Luann buried him alive after he accidentally revealed that she dyed her hair, an absurd twist that made this segment one of Season 36’s least scary Treehouse of Horror stories. “Clan of the Cave Mom” ended on a less awkward note, but the previous episode humanized Luann by revealing that Marge was overreacting to her fight with Milhouse’s mother. That’s why, The Simpsons Season 36 has yet to make Milhouse’s mother a true villain, despite two episodes using her as an unlikely antagonist.

Source: Vulture

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