The Simpsons Season 35 Is Repeating A Big Story Just 2 Months Later (& It’s A Recurring Problem)

While The Simpsons season 35 looks set to parody a popular HBO show, the series seems likely to repeat a recent plot line in the process. The Simpsons is one of the longest-running and most influential shows in TV history. The series has been on the air for 35 years, producing over 750 episodes in that time. As such, it is no surprise that The Simpsons has been criticized for its repetitive storytelling. As far back as season 13, episode 17, “Gump Roast,” The Simpsons itself has mocked the show’s lack of fresh stories due to its unprecedented longevity.

However, while The Simpsons season 36 may change this, seasons 34 and 35 of the series have gained impressive critical commendation for their commitment to new ideas. Although these seasons are far from flawless, the two most recent outings have seen The Simpsons revive some of its old magic with character-centric storylines that focus on the show’s eponymous family members more than random humor. While The Simpsons is famous for its mile-a-minute gag rate, seasons 34 and 35 toned down the zaniness to center the Simpsons themselves and succeeded as a result. One upcoming outing threatens this delicate balance.

The Simpsons Season 35’s White Lotus Parody Mimics An Earlier Story

Season 35 already featured another murder mystery vacation story

The Simpsons co-showrunner Al Jean recently posted a picture of an upcoming episode’s script to Twitter. The outing’s title was revealed to be “The Yellow Lotus,” implying that The Simpsons season 35 parodies The White Lotus in this upcoming episode. The White Lotus is a satirical murder mystery series set at a high-end vacation resort, but The Simpsons season 35 already featured a plot with a setup that was jarringly similar to The White Lotus‘s description. Season 35, episode 9, “Murder She Boat,” was a murder mystery parody set on an expensive cruise, which could make the upcoming episode redundant.

The Simpsons season 35 is set to spoof The White Lotus, but between its vacation setting, its murder mystery parody (wherein a prized collectible toy was the “Victim”), and its guest stars, “Murder She Boat” seemingly beat the episode to this premise. It is tough to see how much more the show can wring from The White Lotus’s central conceit, especially when “Murder She Boat” aired so recently. Although The Simpsons may never age, the family having two adventures that parody the murder mystery genre while also satirizing expensive holidays still seems tough to justify.

The Simpsons Season 35’s Borrowed Plot Could Still Succeed

Both Simpsons episodes may be original enough to work on their own

While these plots seem like they will be interchangeable, it is worth noting that The Simpsons has successfully repeated seemingly similar plots before. Season 11, episode 3, “Saddlesore Galactica,” was criticized for repeating the story of an earlier episode wherein the Simpsons family bought a horse, but the underrated outing offered a totally different, much sillier take on that basic plot. Similarly, two unrelated episodes of The Simpsons saw members of the family trapped in a snowbound location with an authority figure that they despised, but these storylines both succeeded thanks to their differences.

Since two great episodes of The Simpsons followed the same story, it is reasonable to assume that both “Murder She Boat” and “The Yellow Lotus” can find a fresh take on vacation murder mystery tropes. If, like “Murder She Boat,” “The Yellow Lotus” makes good use of the show’s cast members as stand-ins for The White Lotus’s characters, the episode could still succeed despite its familiar plot. It would be fun to see the supporting characters of The Simpsons inhabit the part of The White Lotus’s privileged antiheroes, meaning this outing doesn’t necessarily need to feel redundant.

The Simpsons Season 35 Needs To Stop Repeating Stories (Even If “The Yellow Lotus” Works)

The show might get away with this repetition but it is a bad sign for the series

While The Simpsons’ upcoming season 35 parody might be able to justify its repetitive plot with a fresh angle, this is still not a good sign for the show heading forward. Although The Simpsons season 34 was fairly viewed as a return to form for the show, one of its biggest recurring issues was storylines that felt too familiar and similar. Season 34, episode 13, “The Many Saints of Springfield,” saw Flanders get into trouble with Fat Tony, while episode 21, “Clown V. Board of Education,” saw the same fate befall Krusty. Season 35 isn’t immune to this either.

Season 35 has only aired ten episodes so far, but the show still hasn’t managed to avoid repetition. Already, two of The Simpsons season 35’s first six episodes have touched on the same Homer storyline. Episode 1, “Homer’s Crossing,” saw Homer become a crossing guard, go viral, and get overzealous about his job, while episode 6, “Iron Marge,” saw him join a local neighborhood watch app, for viral, and get way too into posting about trivial dangers. This level of story replication gets in the way of The Simpsons season 35’s potential, making the series feel predictable.