Yes, Marge dies in The Simpsons, but not in ways you actually imagined

Does Marge die in The Simpsons? That is the question every sitcom fan is asking after the Season 36 finale, titled "Estranger Things'', which featured Marge Simpson's death.

For a sitcom that has largely avoided killing major characters throughout its run, it is shocking that it would kill the show's matriarch, who is also one of the most important and beloved characters in the show.

But worry not! While The Simpsons' Season 36 finale did feature Marge's death, it was a flash-forward episode. Marge Simpson is very much alive in the present timeline of the sitcom.

Since the show often features flash-forward episodes, the season 36 finale was also one of them. Set decades in the future, the episode offered a peek into the family's future after their matriarch's death.

The episode opens with Marge's tombstone, bearing the words:

"Beloved wife, mother, pork-chop seasoner!''

An elderly Homer and adult Lisa, Bart, and Maggie weep over Marge's death.

Here is how The Simpsons Season 36 featured Marge's death without actually killing off the character.

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Does Marge die in The Simpsons Season 36 finale? The answer is complex...

The Simpsons surely attempted a bold move in the season 36 finale, and fans were left wondering: Does Marge die in The Simpsons?

The Simpsons' matriarch is one of the main characters on the show, who essentially acts as a glue between her dysfunctional family.

While Marge does not die in the present timeline of the sitcom, the Season 36 finale featured a timeline set decades after, thus allowing them to feature Marge's death.

Thinking Homer outlived her is surprising, but the finale glimpses a time where Marge Simpson is no more, and all her children are left to fend for themselves.

However, Marge, being the mother of the year, shared some words of wisdom with her children before leaving for her heavenly abode:

"Your father and I won't be around forever. When you get older, you'll need to lean on each other. Whatever you do, don't drift apart. You share a journey with your siblings that no one else will ever understand. You must never, ever, ever take that for granted.''

However, 35 years later, after their mother died, the Simpsons' siblings paid no heed to their mother's wishes. While Lisa became the commissioner of the NBA, Bart remained Bart and was scamming the senior citizens out of their Social Security checks when we meet him in the future.

In addition, he was also not paying for Homer's retirement home, as Lisa believed, which caused a rift between the siblings. After Lisa found out about Homer, he was sent to "a maximum-security prison for old folks."

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The Simpsons: Marge's (future) death reiterated her importance in the family

While Marge did not die in the present timeline of The Simpsons, the episode did feature a bleak future for the family after her death.

While things looked bleak for Homer and Bart after Marge's death, Lisa discovers a video message from her mother, which she then plays after her death:

"Bart and Lisa, many years ago, I told you both to lean on each other and not drift apart. My dearest hope is that you're looking out for each other and sharing a lifelong journey together."

This was the only push Lisa needed from her mother, and she took this opportunity to reconnect with Bart and bond while watching a reboot of The Itchy & Scratchy Show. As for Homer, the children planned a rescue mission for him from the facility.

The episode did not end here, and we also get to see a happy Marge in heaven in The Simpsons Season 36 finale. After realising that all her children are happy together, she shares a kiss with Ringo Starr (apparently her new husband) and enjoys a heavenly (pun intended) buffet of shrimp tower.

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