The Simpsons season 36 flashforward silently hands Bart the perfect future role in Springfield

By season 36 of The Simpsons, I had daydreamed about the Simpson family's future. One of the most profound flashforwards of the show comes in the form of "Estranger Things," where Bart receives a surprisingly perfect and mundane arc that taps into the core of who he really is.

Unlike his other peers from Springfield, this simulation of Bart’s future is an exemplary period of real development. In contrast to the show's tendency to stall character development, this version of Bart’s future is quite refreshing.

The pseudo success that Bart repeatedly fails to achieve in the show seems unrecognizable to us but helps him build peace, purpose, and quiet dignity – arguably more valuable than celebrity status. For the chaotic underachiever that we’ve come to know, that elusive triumph seems remarkably poetic.

A caregiver at heart: Bart’s new role in Springfield

In this future timeline, Bart has transformed the old family home into a retirement center for Springfield’s senior citizens, including Homer, Lenny, and Carl. It appears to be another one of Bart’s lazy get-by schemes, considering he is using the setup money Lisa sent for Homer’s care. The episode, however, slowly uncovers a more intricate story.

Bart is not loafing around. He is taking care of the town’s elderly residents’ psychological and physical needs. He offers his father and friends a safe, warm place to spend their last years in peace and dignity. This caring attitude is a sharp contrast to his reputation as Springfield’s relentless prankster. Throughout the series, Bart has always had an empathetic side hidden underneath the wisecracks—and in this future, it finally gets space to blossom.

Breaking the pattern of failure in Bart’s flashforwards in The Simpsons

For decades now, Bart has been featured as a negative example in most of the Simpsons flashforward episodes. From “Bart to the Future” and “Days of Future Future,” he is usually depicted as a divorced father, shackled with dead-end jobs, or languishing in the shadow of Lisa’s brilliance. And even in more positive outlooks of the future like “Barthood” or “Mother and Child Reunion,” optimism is plastered all over Bart, but his journey is still riddled with self-doubt and personal failure.

That is exactly what makes this version so different. Bart is happy, even if he is not “successful” by society’s standards. Instead, he has managed to build something meaningful out of his life’s fragments and contribute in ways that give back to others. He is no longer a figure of tragedy or comic relief; he is simply… good. And his kindness does all the talking.

Empathy was always Bart’s secret superpower

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What makes this future so refreshing is that it doesn’t erase Bart’s character but rather builds on top of it. He is more relaxed, still a little rough around the edges, and still doing things his own way. But now that rhythm includes looking after his ailing father and friends while providing them with happiness and comfort during their last years.

Bart has always been uniquely capable of forming connections, whether it was accepting bullies or nurturing his grandfather, Abe. The Simpsons has captured not only Bart's unruly antics but also his emotional intelligence quite vividly. Season 36’s finale simply takes that thread and pulls it forward, creating a future that not only seems feasible but is quietly ideal—both for Bart and for Springfield.

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