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For more than thirty years, The Simpsons stuck to a formula where nothing really changed and everything reset by the next episode. Homer could fall off a cliff, or Marge could threaten to leave, and somehow things would go back to normal like nothing happened. That is why the Season 36 finale felt so different, because this time, something actually changed. Marge died. And the show did not treat it like a throwaway joke or a temporary gag.
The episode was called Estranger Things and it jumped ahead thirty-five years into the future. In that future, Marge is gone. She left behind a video message. Her tombstone is shown. And there is a final scene where she is in heaven with Ringo Starr. That was it. No big farewell. No twist to undo it. Just the idea that she lived a full life and then passed on before Homer.
Even though the show made it clear that current episodes will still feature Marge and nothing is changing in the present timeline, this felt like the most serious look yet at what the end might actually look like for the family. And for once, The Simpsons did not hit the reset button.
10 times Marge and Homer proved love can be messy and real in The Simpsons, especially after Marge’s death
1. I Married Marge (The Simpsons Season 3, Episode 12)
Homer finds out Marge is pregnant and panics. He feels like a failure, so he leaves to get a better job. He picks up whatever work he can find and even lies about it so Marge does not worry.
He returns with a small paycheck and a ring from a vending machine and asks her to marry him. It is not graceful, but it is real. This episode does not romanticize the struggle. It shows two young people trying to figure out life, and that is what made their love feel believable from the very beginning.
2. Secrets of a Successful Marriage (The Simpsons Season 5, Episode 22)
Homer starts teaching a class about marriage, but ends up oversharing about Marge. She gets humiliated and throws him out of the house. He breaks down and admits that he feels lost without her.
That line hits hard because it comes from someone who usually plays dumb. He does not say it to win her back. He says it because it is true. This episode worked because it let Homer be messy and emotional without turning it into a joke. It showed how much Marge means to him in a way that felt grounded and raw.
3. That '90s Show (The Simpsons Season 19, Episode 11)
This flashback shows Homer and Marge during their college years. Marge is encouraged to follow a smarter path while Homer chases music. They split because they both think the other deserves something better.
It is not clean, and it does not rewrite their story. It makes it harder. They reconnect later, and it is not because life forced them to. They come back together because they want to. The retcon upset a lot of people, but the emotions in this one are what saved it. Their reunion felt like a choice made after knowing what life is really like.
4. Life on the Fast Lane (The Simpsons Season 1, Episode 9)
Homer buys Marge a birthday gift that he wants for himself. She takes up bowling to spite him and meets Jacques. He pays attention to her in a way Homer never does.
She nearly has an affair but chooses Homer. Not because she has to, but because she wants to. The episode doesn’t frame it as some huge act of sacrifice. It is a decision. She still believes in their marriage. That scene where she turns down Jacques felt like a turning point. It told viewers Marge has her own mind and her loyalty is never automatic.
5. The Way We Was (The Simpsons Season 2, Episode 12)
This episode tells the story of how Homer and Marge met. Homer lies to spend time with her, and Marge finds out. She is furious, but he tells her how much he cares and begs for another chance.
His apology is messy and honest, and not impressive. And that is why it works. Marge forgives him because she sees effort, not perfection. This was the first real look at how flawed their connection was from the start. And it still mattered. It helped make their whole relationship feel earned instead of some perfect match setup.
6. A Streetcar Named Marge (The Simpsons Season 4, Episode 2)
Marge signs up for a local play and finally feels like she is doing something for herself. Homer does not support her. He barely even notices what she is doing. She feels invisible in her own house.
But when Homer sees her perform, he realizes how disconnected he has become. He brings her flowers and tells her he is proud. It is a small gesture, but it means everything. This episode showed what it is like when one partner gets so wrapped up in their routine that they forget who the other person is. And how fixing that takes awareness.
7. Dangerous Curves (The Simpsons Season 20, Episode 5)
This episode follows Homer and Marge through three different points in time. In the past, they almost cheated during a road trip. It does not happen, but the temptation was real and both of them felt it.
What stops them is not guilt. It is memory. They remember what it was like when they were happy. They know things have gotten rough, but they still believe it can work. The structure of this one gave a full picture of what long-term relationships go through. It showed how things do not always go right, but sometimes people stay anyway.
8. Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind (The Simpsons Season 19, Episode 9)
Homer wakes up with no memory and thinks Marge has left him. He spirals. He questions everything. He thinks back on all the times he let her down and believes this time he really lost her.
But the truth is, she was planning a surprise party. He just forgot. What hits is not the twist but his reaction. For once, his fear is quiet. It is not a joke. It is genuine. That scene where he breaks down thinking he ruined everything felt like the most real version of Homer we had seen in years.
9. Colonel Homer (Season 3, Episode 20)
Homer discovers a talented country singer named Lurleen and becomes her manager. Marge is uncomfortable from the start because she knows something is off. Homer insists he is being professional but the connection between him and Lurleen grows more personal.
By the end, Lurleen makes a move and Homer turns her down. He could have crossed a line but doesn’t. He goes home instead and apologizes. Marge never says "I told you so." She just takes him back. This episode worked because it didn’t paint Homer as a villain. It showed how temptation happens and how choosing your partner matters.
10. Holidays of Future Passed (Season 23, Episode 9)
Set decades into the future, this episode shows an older Marge and Homer with grown-up kids and grandkids. Their dynamic hasn’t changed much. He still frustrates her and she still sighs through it. But when things get serious they turn to each other.
They share quiet scenes that show comfort more than passion. Marge has a scar on her head, and Homer gently touches it. There’s no big speech. Just presence. That’s what makes it powerful. This future isn’t dramatic. It’s just two people who grew old and stayed side by side. It showed their love lasts because it adjusts.
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