Hear the truth straight from their hastily animated mouths…
Henry Gilbert here again, and when I’m hosting Cape Crisis, I do my best to cope with a crippling addiction. Its name? Remembering the Simpsons. Having watched the first 10 seasons roughly 60 times over – sadly not an exaggeration – my brain is basically a constant slideshow of clips from the ‘good years’ as I smugly refer to them. No matter the era, a core truth is that Marge and Homer have a marriage that has been tested constantly, but would never truly break. Roughly 36 episodes at the show are based on this idea, so you’d think it’d be ho-hum news that an episode in the upcoming 27th season would see Homer and Marge separate. For most viewers it was, but then the internet just had to go and ruin everything.
The plot synopsis lead some to assume Homer and Marge Simpsons would permanently separate this season, instead of just for a tame plot where Homer is tempted by another woman for an episode. Just like the goofs who assumed Family Guy actually thought Brian Griffin would stay dead, some freaked out that the show was irrevocably ruined – when really, could the show every recover from Homer singing along to Kid Rock in that spring break episode?
The writers and producers on the show clarified this wasn’t going to be anything that’d forever change the sitcom, much like they needed to explain the sky being blue or the world still existing when one closes their eyes. But if you really needed more confirmation, Homer and Marge themselves have a new and very topical message to clarify things.
What impresses me most is that The Simpsons production pipeline is so good that they can get a minute of new animation out so fast to address it, complete with a topical joke about Lebron James showing his penis turning the sportsball tourney. The two are just fine, because a fortune cookie couldn’t separate them…
And neither could a heartfelt scene from The Simpsons Movie. It almost got me when I saw the film, probably because Julie Kavner did such a great job in the scene – according to James L. Brooks it took over 100 recordings to get it just right. I’d love to link to it, but Fox makes it virtually impossible to find legit Simpsons clips online, so here’s a shitty still image.
Anyway, if those moments can’t break them up, along with country singers, bowlers, Milhouse’s parents, and all the other piddling I wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot clown pole, NOTHING will. Not least of which a season premiere where Homer is tempted by guest star Lena Dunham. Hopefully this clip can put all the rumors to rest. It must be a pretty slow news day for people to obsess over this. What’s that now?
I’d be remiss in my writing if I didn’t direct you to the Laser Time Bandcamp page to check out our premium movie commentaries, including The Avengers and Iron Man 3! Also, if you need more Simpsons information, we’ve been known to stream the games from time to time…
Great article, but I’m pretty much over the Simpsons and nothing they do will ever bring me back to watching the show, but every time I listen to a laser time affiliated podcast and someone says “Hey that dog has a puffy tail”, it still brings a smile to my face.
When I heard about these rumors, I had the same thought you did, “What could possibly break them up anyways?” Homer and Marge have gone through every situation imaginable that would lead for them to divorce and they’re still together.
However, maybe it would be an interesting idea to have them split up for a whole season only to fall back in love by the end of it. It might lead to some creative and fun stories we can’t have while they’re married. Still glad to hear they’re not divorced though.
Homer and Marge have separated several times. It’s silly for anyone who cares to assume that the show would permanently break them up.
I have to admit, the one thing that came from all of this is the fact that I’d love to see them do an entire season as quick as this was done…I guess I’m asking for them to do something like South Park in how quick the turnaround is, but it would be an interesting thing to see what would happen…it can’t be much worse than some of the seasons they’ve somehow felt were good enough to air thus far.
A perfectly cromulent explanation
Yes, it embiggend us all.
I don’t watch the Simpsons anymore but I still love the old seasons and I still think it’s the best thing on FOX these days.