How The Simpsons' Latest Airline Parody Builds on 36 Seasons of Character Development and History

The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons Season 36 Episode 8, 'Convenience Airways,' now streaming on HuluThe SimpsonsThe latest air travel parody builds on the jokes and character development from previous seasons. The Simpsons last season was an interesting mix of long-running stories and new material. This allowed for unique combinations of the show's legacy with new content, like an episode that explored the long-running drama of the Hibbert marriage, while also serving as a parody of recent TV shows like The White Lotus. This has been a good showcase for what you do The Simpsons such a long-lasting accessory.

The last example of The Simpsons Balancing modern comedy with long-running character elements is “Convenience Airways,” which focuses entirely on the titular family traveling aboard a commercial flight. The entire episode is an extended riff on the challenges of modern aviation, from the innocuous to the potentially dangerous. In the process, The Simpsons uses character beats established in previous seasons to highlight some important character growth, while also finding new ways to poke fun at how air travel works. See how “Convenience Airways” builds on the last thirty-six seasons of The Simpsons.

The Simpsons has poked fun at air travel for over three decades

The Simpsons They have been flying for over thirty years

The Simpsons has been poking fun at air travel for three and a half decades, with “Convenience Airways” building on the previous jokes and character development seen in these episodes. The Simpsons has always benefited from the lively nature of the show, which allows the characters to move through different scenarios with ease. This means the cast has traveled on multiple planes over the yearswith the show’s first international trip occurring in season one, “The Crepes of Wrath.”

Since then, the show has poked a lot of fun at the complications and natural conditions of flying, with many jokes about first-class travel, technology on planes, and the typical obstacles that occur when people take to the skies. Like most things in modern life, The Simpsons takes these universal complaints and filters them through an absurd and often cutting sense of comedy. This makes up the majority of “Convenience Airways”, which fill an entire plane full of problem passengers for the sake of comedy.

Marge's first class trip is a far cry from her former fear of flying

Marge has a much easier time flying in Season 36 than in Season 6

One of the biggest features of “Convenience Airways” focuses on how Marge leaves Homer to watch the kids while she gets a first class ticket. Marge ends up relaxing so much that she sleeps the entire flight, while also becoming one of the only passengers who doesn't end up briefly trapped in the play's hold for bad behavior. This is a far cry from how Marge flew in previous seasons of the series.

While Season 3's “Mr. Lisa Goes To Washington” saw Marge flying without a hitch, Season 6's “Fear of Flying” revealed Marge's deep-seated fear of air travel. The episode delves into Marge's backstory and is one of the only times in the series that her father Clancy Bouvier actually appears on the series. Marge overcame her fear of flyingallowing her to have a more relaxed time on other trips she took throughout The Simpsons. It's even gotten to the point where she can completely relax on a flight and actually get some sleep, like she does in “Convenience Airways.”

Homer's Aerial Rage Has Made Him Famous Before

Homer's new approach to air rage highlights his character growth

Much of “Convenience Airways” is focused on Homer, who struggles to keep his promise to Marge that he will refrain from attacking anyone on the flight. Homer's airline difficulties apparently got them kicked out of most airlines, leading them to Convenience Airways in the first place. Homer's bad airline antics have been used beforewith season 23's “Politically Inept with Homer Simpson” even using Homer's freak-out on board a flight as a springboard to television fame.

Notably, Homer's efforts to maintain his composure at Convenience Airways and a message of emojis from Marge (actually Maggie playing with a sleeping Marge's phone) convinces Homer to quell a potential riot and spare the airline the violence of the crowd waiting for them. Homer's calmer approach and commitment to making Marge proud actually highlights the small ways in which Homer has grown and improved over the years.. It's a subtle showcase for the character development that drove The Simpsons'main characters over the past thirty-six seasons, even while Springfield's status quo remains consistent.