Season 36, episode 17 of The Simpsons deepens an already confusing inconsistency

Having over 780 episodes, The Simpsons has transformed from an animated sitcom to an American television institution. However, with longevity comes some quirks—for The Simpsons, one of those is its continuous use of status quo reset.

In Season 36, Episode 17, the show accidentally highlights an ancient inconsistency that has puzzled viewers for years, reinforcing criticism the show accepted decades ago.

Homer’s worry feels out of place

In the episode, Homer’s deeply anxious concern clashes with a long-established part of his character. While the episode is meant to be humorous and character-driven, this specific worry is at odds with Homer's history and development.

Homer has confronted such scenarios dozens of times over—nuclear fearmongering, getting the boot from the plant, or significant family worries—sometimes caring deeply, and other times without concern. In any case, this newfound worry feels ill-timed and out pace with the character progression, or rather the lack of progression, we see throughout the series.

The status quo problem: a self-aware legacy

Once again, The Simpsons has had to navigate the boundaries of its own storytelling possibilities. The show has had awareness regarding this problem for years. During Season 14, Episode 3 called Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade, the show very much recognized that nothing fundamentally changes in Springfield.

There is emotional aging and physical aging at different paces. Drastically impactful moments within an arc are brushed over in the subsequent one. Employment is sometimes terminated, only for it to magically be given back. The clock resets every week, and The Simpsons is fully aware of this.

Even South Park made fun of this trait in the ever-popular “Simpsons Already Did It” back in 2002. The humor was straightforward; The Simpsons had reused nearly every single story possibility more than once.

Is it just a cartoon trope, or something deeper?

It’s tempting to write off these inconsistencies as cartoon logic. After all, The Simpsons isn’t designed to be serialized like Breaking Bad or Succession. But in any case, this inconsistency becomes irritating when it strips away immersion or contradicts the emotional stakes.

When characters experience some fear or concern in scenarios they have already overcome countless times, without any consequences, they start coming off as rather empty. The audience remembers, even if the characters do not.

A legacy of laughter, trapped in a loop

Although The Simpsons is still a cultural landmark of sorts, Season 36, Episode 17 serves as a reminder of a problem that has haunted the show for quite some time: the need to reset the storyline every week. The show has hinted at stagnation before, but now it feels less like a clever witticism and more like a dismaying reality.

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Whether The Simpsons will ever find a way to get out of this cycle is one question. The other, perhaps more important question is whether the reset button is precisely what keeps the show alive.

Their ears are locked on the feed, no matter the lack of logic, and it is evident fans are still tuning in.

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