The Simpsons' Continued Success: Season 35 Ushers in a Bright Future

Article Overview

The Simpsons season 35 continues to innovate and keep its formula feeling fresh, disproving accusations of relying on familiar storylines.

In seasons 34 and 35, the show has introduced a new format, featuring episodes that explore dreams, mockumentaries, and meta-parodies. Through these innovative episodes, The Simpsons showcases its originality and demonstrates its evolution. By addressing controversies, mocking its own complacency, and breaking free from its usual formula, the show ensures its continued relevance even after 34 seasons.

Despite being on the air for more than three decades, The Simpsons season 35 demonstrates the series' ability to maintain a fresh and engaging formula. As the longest-running scripted primetime TV show in American history, with over 750 episodes aired in the last 34 years, The Simpsons has faced criticism for relying on predictable tropes and storylines. However, the show's creators have taken this challenge head-on and are determined to prove the critics wrong. While seasons 32 and 33 may have been perceived as a low point, season 34 marked a turning point for the series. Now, in The Simpsons season 35, the show continues to impress with its originality and innovation. The format of the series has evolved beyond the traditional family sitcom template, with episodes exploring different styles such as dreams, mockumentaries, and even self-aware parodies of the show's own storytelling flaws.

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The Simpsons Changed The Show’s Format Again

“Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story" is a mockumentary.

Content In season 35, episode 4 of The Simpsons titled "Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story," the show introduces a mockumentary style, which is just one of the many format changes the series has recently undergone. This episode, like others in seasons 34 and 35, continues to experiment with the show's format and presents a parody of Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scam. What sets this episode apart is its clever and satirical writing, which not only deviates from the formula of season 35, but also delivers an engaging and innovative storyline.

In "Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story," The Simpsons introduces Persephone as a clear analog for Holmes, a dubious entrepreneur who deceives Lisa with her pseudo-feminist corporate jargon. While this premise is strong, the episode takes a surprising twist when Persephone unexpectedly becomes romantically involved with and eventually marries the elderly billionaire, Monty Burns. This plot development could have been risky, considering Burns' cold demeanor is a crucial aspect of his character's charm. However, thanks to the mockumentary format, the episode effectively explains how Persephone manages to win over the notorious villain, all while ensuring the inclusion of a subplot involving the Simpson family.

The Simpsons Keeps Dropping Its Typical Formula

Is The Simpsons changing forever?

The show's narratives are becoming less and less straightforward when it comes to portraying the family. This is evident in season 35, episode 2, "A Mid-Childhood Night's Dream", which takes viewers on a trippy and dream-like journey. It can be argued that this episode showcases one of Marge Simpson's best stories in years, thanks to its surreal and reality-bending storytelling style, which greatly contributes to its success.

On the other hand, in season 34, episode 12, "My Life As A Vlog", the show takes a different approach by presenting a mockumentary. However, this episode also incorporates a unique storytelling format known as screenlife. The entire story unfolds through computer screen captures, as an (mostly) unseen protagonist navigates from tab to tab while delving into the Simpson family's fleeting taste of viral fame and subsequent downfall.

Meanwhile, in season 34, episode 3 titled "Lisa the Boy Scout," the brazenly meta-storytelling approach was taken to another level. This particular episode delved into canceled subplots of The Simpsons, making it a standout in season 34. Not only did the episode engage with the cultural legacy of the show itself, but it also parodied the fan base and its unique position in television history. Remarkably, "Lisa the Boy Scout" held its own as an exceptional episode while allowing The Simpsons to poke fun at themselves, much like season 11, episode 22, "Behind the Laughter."

Why The Simpsons' Recent Trend Bodes Well For The Future

The Simpsons has to continue evolving.

Keeping things fresh and interesting becomes a challenging task for any show that has reached its 34th season, and The Simpsons is no exception. However, the series managed to tackle its controversies head-on, satirize its own complacency, and break free from its usual formula during seasons 34 and 35. At its peak, The Simpsons received critical acclaim for its anarchic and innovative nature, influencing a wide range of animated shows such as Rick and Morty, Bob's Burgers, Bojack Horseman, and Big Mouth.

In order to live up to the highly regarded critical reputation of Golden Age Simpsons episodes, it would be nearly impossible for any show. However, in season 35, The Simpsons is taking a different approach by avoiding this expectation entirely. Through the use of mockumentary episodes, self-parody, and experimental endeavors that challenge the traditional format of an episode, the show is successfully staying relevant in its thirty-fifth year.

Editor's P/S

The Simpsons has been on the air for over 30 years, and it's still going strong. The show has had its ups and downs over the years, but it's always managed to stay relevant and funny.

One of the things that has kept The Simpsons fresh is its willingness to experiment with different formats. In recent seasons, the show has done everything from mockumentaries to dream episodes to musical numbers. These episodes have been a lot of fun, and they've helped to keep the show from getting stale.

I'm excited to see what the future holds for The Simpsons. I think the show has a lot of potential, and I'm confident that it will continue to be a hit for many years to come.