Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Simpsons, season 36, episode 9, “Homer and Her Sisters.”
Although The Simpsons almost never kills characters permanently, the series' 36th season broke this rule for the second time in episode 9. The Simpsons has been on the air for a long time, and since the series began in 1989, the show has aired more than 770 episodes. The Simpsons themselves may never get old, but the show's style and sense of humor have changed a lot over the years. Seasons 1-3 were darker and more cynical, the Golden Age of seasons 3-11 perfectly balanced comedy and character, and then came the show's decline.
In recent years, The Simpsons enjoyed a critical renaissance as the series' reviews improved. Critics noted The Simpsons' renewed focus on character comedy as the show moved away from constant wacky humor and towards more character-driven stories. The SimpsonsA 37th season renewal has not yet been announced, but the show's critical reputation has improved significantly since season 33. The Simpsons has made the show's reliable formula since its most critical point, embracing new storytelling styles and unconventional formats.
The Simpsons Season 36 Episode 9 Killed Off Krusty's Aunt Sadie
The Simpsons Season 36 Has Killed Off Another Character Before
Episode 9, “Homer and Her Sisters,” was one of Season 36’s most straightforward offerings in terms of plot. Episode 6, “Women In Shorts,” highlighted more than a dozen largely forgotten female supporting characters from across Springfield, while Episode 7, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” adapted three stories from the horror genre legend. Ray Bradbury fiction for the world of the series. In contrast, “Homer and Her Sisters” told a fairly conventional story of Homer briefly reconciling his differences with Patty and Selmabefore the end of the episode returned to the show's status quo.
Marge signed Patty, Selma and Homer up for The problem is youa relationship advice series where Krusty's Aunt Sadie gave people the tough love they needed.
However, “Homer and Her Sisters” delivered a last-minute surprise that altered the show’s usual status quo. At first, Marge hired Patty, Selma, and Homer to The problem is youa series of relationship advice in which Krusty's aunt Sadie gave people the tough love they needed to solve their interpersonal problems. This backfired on Marge when Aunt Sadie told her that she was the reason her sisters and Homer couldn't get along, as she came between them to martyr herself and feel like a valuable peacemaker. Marge was insulted, but had the last laugh thanks to Aunt Sadie's sudden death.
The Simpsons rarely kills off supporting characters
Only about a dozen Simpsons characters have died permanently
While character deaths are not unheard of, The Simpsons almost never kills characters permanently. Some notable exceptions include Frank Grimes, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Larry the Barfly and Maude Flanders but overall, The Simpsons only permanently killed about a dozen characters. That's a surprisingly low number considering the show aired more than 770 episodes, so it would always have been notable that a stage light fell on Aunt Sadie while she was hosting her show, and “Homer and Her Sisters” ended with her funeral. .
An earlier season 36 episode also killed off a character permanently, and season 35 killed off a recurring guest star just five episodes before that.
However, what made this death even more stunning and unexpected is the fact that a previous episode of season 36 also killed off a character permanently, and season 35 killed off a recurring guest star just five episodes before that. Shady real estate agent Nick the Realtor was killed by a sea otter in season 36, episode 2, “The Yellow Lotus,” while Larry the Barfly died in season 35, episode 14, “Cremains of the Day ”. Unlike Aunt Sadie's death, the deaths of these two characters were central to the plot of their respective episodes.
Why The Simpsons Season 36 Is Killing Off More Characters
The Simpsons Is Loosening Its Writing Rules
While The Simpsons“Treehouse of Horror's scary episodes repeatedly kill off the show's main characters, these outings are not part of the show's canon. In contrast, the deaths of Aunt Sadie, Nick the Realtor, and Larry the Barfly appear to be permanent, and this represents a large increase in the number of character deaths featured in the series' later seasons. The Simpsons has already killed more characters than usual between seasons 35 and 36 and season 36 is not over yet. However, it is easy to see why this change occurred.
The Simpsons has been loosening the rules of the show's writing style and, more specifically, playing with its usual format since season 34. The critical reception of The Simpsons It's gotten better as a result, so it makes sense that the series will continue to experiment as season 36 continues. The Season 36 Premiere Was a Self-Aware Universe”Series finale” that poked fun at the show's inability to change its status quo, and the episodes that have aired since then have proven that its writers are not averse to upsetting the usual rules of their fictional universe. This resulted in Aunt Sadie's death in The Simpsons season 36.