While The Simpsons Season 35 has made Marge a pivotal figure in the family once again, this just goes to show that the character has been wasted for years. It would be quite understandable if The Simpsons I was stuck in a routine. After all, the series has been on the air for almost 35 years, and in that time the animated comedy has been responsible for reshaping the television comedy landscape. Without The Simpsonsthere would be no South ParkNo Family manand not Rick and Mortyso it would be fair if the series felt a little tired and dated after more than three decades.
However, The Simpsons Season 35 has shown that this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Since this critically acclaimed outing began, the creators of The Simpsons They have capitalized on the positive reception of season 34 with a season that constantly pushes the show’s boundaries and changes its formula. There’s been one mockumentary episode, two outings that make Homer the show’s villain, and one typically inspired episode. the tree house of horror Halloween special. However, there is one character in particular who The Simpsons Season 35 came into its own for the first time in years, and in the process, the show proved its potential was wasted for decades.
Marge is essential for season 35 of The Simpsons
The Simpsons Season 35 centered two episodes around the Simpson family matriarch and, in the process, demonstrated how the series has criminally underused Marge in recent decades. The highlight so far is The Simpsons season 35, episode 2, “A Childhood Night’s Dream”, which delved into Marge’s subconscious for a story illustrating her fear of empty nest syndrome. Meanwhile, season 35, episode 6, “Iron Marge,” showed that Lisa and Bart barely recognize her mother despite everything she does for them. Between these two outputs, The Simpsons Season 35 included the best Marge episodes in years. precisely because the show recognized where his character arc went wrong.
Previous episodes throughout the Golden Age of The Simpsons He attempted to give Marge an identity outside of her role as mother and wife, and these departures were often successful. Classic outings like Season 6, Episode 11, “Fear of Flying” and Season 8, Episode 11, “The Twisted World of Marge Simpson,” previously demonstrated that Marge Simpson can act as a series main character, but they rarely stood out. . her role as a homemaker and the challenges she creates. The Simpsons Season 35 takes Marge’s character growth even further by recognizing and challenging the ways in which her status as the long-suffering sitcom mother archetype shapes her character and personality.
The Simpsons can make Marge’s stories great
The aforementioned Golden Age episodes demonstrate that Marge has long been a great main character for The Simpsons, but the later seasons of the show failed to highlight this. Just as seasons 13 to 33 made Homer Simpson a jerk but not a villain, these same apathetic outings limited Marge’s role to a stereotypical nagging wife and harried mother. Her unique quirks were largely forgotten and few episodes focused on how she felt about her life as a housewife. This is ironic since these episodes were released from the late ’90s to the early 2020s, during a time when this occupation was being redefined in both American culture and the world at large.
New Marge Episodes Address Major Criticisms
In The Simpsons Season 5, Episode 6, “Marge on the Lam,” Marge broke out of her boring life with a rebellious, almost deadly adventure. However, in subsequent seasons, The Simpsons He completely forgot about Marge’s struggles with her role in family life and largely limited her to a supporting role. Much like the theme of Homer strangling Bart, Marge’s limited role as a caretaker was ignored despite how dated this detail seemed. In those intervening years, everything from marge simpson anime to Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s viral thread about Marge’s social life (via The edge) highlighted how Marge has primarily existed as a stock character in seasons 13 to 33.
Fortunately, The Simpsons Season 35 has addressed this issue with episodes exploring Marge’s personality. Both “A Childhood Night’s Dream” and “Iron Marge” depict Marge as a loving mother who enjoys a traditional role in her home but also has ambitions and dreams outside of it. This is a refreshing change from the last 20 seasons and makes Marge feel more complete without radically altering her character overnight. With two episodes that illuminated Marge’s inner life without revising her character or rewriting her personal history, The Simpsons Season 35 has proven that Marge Simpson is not a relic of a bygone era despite her life choices.