The Simpsons Season 35, Episode 9: Taika Waititi's Controversial Cameo

Taika Waititi's Rise and Fall

Director Taika Waititi has recently struggled to win over critics and viewers, but his extended cameo in The Simpsons season 35, episode 9, does nothing to dispel criticisms of his work. Taika Waititi had a very hot streak in the 2010s and the early 2020s, but that came crashing to a halt in recent years. After the 2007 indie Eagle vs Shark marked him out as a quirky talent to watch, 2014’s What We Do in the Shadows catapulted Waititi to stardom. Hunt for the Wilderpeople solidified his reputation, while Thor: Ragnarok proved the director could fuse indie charm with mainstream sensibilities.

Taika Waititi's Antwan talking in Free Guy

However, things soon fell apart for the director with the public, and a cameo in The Simpsons season 35 might not help matters. The Simpsons was renewed through season 36 recently, meaning the perennially popular series doesn’t need big-name cameos to keep its audience. However, the series still nabbed Waititi to play a fictionalized version of himself in season 35, episode 9, “Murder She Boat,” and the appearance did nothing to help his reputation. After Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Next Goal Wins earned progressively worse reviews for Waititi, the director’s cameo ended up feeling like a cringeworthy misstep.

Comic Book Guy looking shocked in his store in The Simpsons

The Impact of Waititi's Simpsons Cameo

Whether it was him saying that “everyone” is a fan of the Taika-verse, talking about his “huge pile of money,” or saying a movie looked so good that he couldn't believe he didn’t direct it, Waititi’s role in The Simpsons did nothing to disprove the perception that his work is self-indulgent, smug, and self-congratulatory. It didn’t help that Lisa pandered to Waititi, with the show’s heroine heaping praise upon him when they first met. Most of the episode’s plot was taken up by a murder mystery story involving Waititi, albeit one where Comic Book Guy’s prized toy was broken, since The Simpsons rarely permanently kills characters.

This plot line provided the episode with some saving grace, but Lisa pairing up with Waititi to solve the crime was what facilitated most of the unfortunate gags about how wonderful he is and how successful he considers himself. Admittedly, the ending of “Murder She Boat” did at least reveal that Waititi was secretly the villain of the episode when Lisa proved that he stole Comic Book Guy’s priceless toy and replaced it with a broken one. However, this didn’t do much to ameliorate the weak role, largely because The Simpsons episode still added another line about how successful Waititi was as he was dragged away.

Redeeming Feature of Waititi's Role

Waititi's role was more understandable once “Murder She Boat” revealed that the character wasn’t meant to be a good guy. However, no one in the cast pushed back against claims that he was a universally beloved artistic genius, instead only pointing out that he wronged Comic Book Guy. At its best, The Simpsons uses iconic characters in new pairings to prove that the series still has plenty of potential despite its age. However, in outings like “Murder She Boat,” the show simply throws a big-name cameo at viewers and hopes for the best. In the process, The Simpsons ironically made the Taika Waititi backlash worse.