Season Review: The Simpsons Season 32

 

32 years of any show is a monumental topic to be discussing. But let us remember the television program at hand. Arguably, The Simpsons is the most influential, globally recognizable, and generationally adored sitcoms of all time. Matt Groening’s creation spans five decades and has continuously produced some of the highest quality content on network television. Today, The Simpsons remains one of the best shows you can watch on prime-time TV.

Of course, it is hard to ignore the large camp out there that believes The Simpsons is long past its prime and should be cut off before doing any further damage to itself. Reversely, most of us tend to feel bad for these critics who have lost touch with the simplicity and warm feelings of being in Springfield. There should be no argument that this show is an international treasure and should be cherished and protected as such.

One of the biggest criticisms about modern-day Simpsons is the far cry the show has become compared to what it was during the height of its popularity in the early 90s. 

However, being able to grow and adapt is precisely what makes this franchise invaluable.  

Thank goodness, The Simpsons is not the same show it was at the beginning. The show would have run out of timeless content quickly. Instead, The Simpsons formed something better. It has become a visual time capsule of our generation.

Those early years of The Simpsons was a show in its adolescence. Then it hit puberty, had some tough years. And like the majority of the fan base, the series has entered its thirties. That is a good thing. It now has a solid income and family under the flag of Disney.  The Simpsons has found a new home where it can have some security and thrive.

With a couple of years in the house of mouse, season 32 was a turning point for establishing what the show can look like going forward.  The Simpsons could have easily rested on its accomplishments and rode out a few more years as cable television dies. But, instead, finding a VOD service to call home base, the show has prepared itself for a bright future.

The latest season came out strong, with more than a few fun episodes to kick off the fall season. “I, Carumbus” put Springfield in ancient Rome; “Now Museum, Now You Don’t” explored art history; both released before the annual “Treehouse of Horror”. A holiday tradition that delivered big this year with parodies of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and the 2020 Presidential Election.   

Before the winter break, The Simpsons managed to try some new things. “The Road to Cincinnati” featured Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers in an entertaining odd-couple road trip adventure. Three plots converged for “Three Dreams Denied”. And the years Christmas special played around with the cliches by mocking Hallmark holiday features.

Unfortunately, the back half of season 32 could not maintain the momentum that was established early. 

The series did fall into some of the same-old routines. An episode about Bart making loads of cash as a golf caddy lacked originality. Another involving Lisa making an imagery friend failed to land.  

There are some treasures throughout the remainder of season 32. But a few more of the expected episodes appear, such as stories that delve into the lives of other Springfieldians like Comic Book Guy’s “The Dad-Feelings Limited” and Cletus’s “Yokel Hero”. The latter of which gave Homer the same job of managing a music act as he had in the early years of the show but done half as well.

Unsuspectedly, the most controversial episode of the year was a definitive one for The Simpsons moving forward. “Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Cars?” flashbacked to Homer’s teen years. However, it placed him in the height of the 90s, when the series was already on the air and a significant part of pop culture. The trolls took exception to the blatant continuity errors. However, it was a mentionable milestone for the series, saying, “what does it matter?” The Simpsons has always been a sitcom with stand-alone episodes. Continuity should be thrown out the window so the animated series can be free to tell relevant stories.  

On the other side of the spectrum, there were a couple of points where season 32 helped fill in some of the backstories of the show. For example, “Manger Things” explored how Homer was an invaluable neighbour to the Flandereses during the birth of their youngest, Todd. And a heartfelt return of the late Marcia Wallace as Edna Krabappel gave Bart some closure.

Successfully, season 32 managed to put away a lot of the family drama that saturated many of the previous years. Homer and Marge’s marriage only faced one threat this season. Arguably, some extra episodes were exploring Marge’s relationship with Lisa. But, for the most part, season 32 tried to include new tricks.

“Podcast News”, “Uncut Femmes”, “The Man from G.R.A.M.P.A.”, and “The Last Barfighter” all featured exciting, action-packed plots that veered from the traditional storytelling found on The Simpsons. These particular episodes are helping to develop a new class. The show is diving into bigger concepts and ambitious themes like murder mysteries, heists, spies, and secret societies. Episodes like this have been sprinkled throughout the years; never has the series explored so much in one season.

Honestly, season 32 is so packed full of exciting episodes that there are only a small few left unacknowledged in this review. However, even those are solid editions and include a couple of Mr. Burns plots. 

It is safe to say that this series that could be considered ancient continues to grow and push its own boundaries. The Simpsons has established itself and found new vigour in the Disney era. Last season attempted to make some of these same plays, but this sophomore year delivered. Much like how the best season of most sitcoms lands at season 3 or 4, there is a case that the best is yet to come for The Simpsons – at least in its modern version.

There is undoubtedly a new identity forming for televisions longest-running sitcom. Whether The Simpsons finds its end in two years or two decades, there will be a marker on season 32 as the year the show re-established itself under the Disney banner. It is an exciting time to be a fan of The Simpsons. The quality of content has been on an upswing for a couple of seasons now, and there is no telling what this definitive series will hit us with next.