The Simpsons Season 35 Teases A Follow-Up To One Of Its Best Stories Of The Last 5 Years

While The Simpsons season 35 has revisited a few familiar plots already, episode 13’s synopsis teases a return to a particularly fertile story setting. The Simpsons has been on the air for a long time. As a result, it is more than understandable when the long-running animated sitcom revisits familiar plot lines. After all, it has been 22 years and another 21 seasons of The Simpsons since South Park season 6, episode 7, “Simpsons Already Did It,” famously mocked the fact that the iconic show had seemingly mined every joke and played out every conceivable plot in existence.

That said, repeating storylines can still be a problem for The Simpsons. While it is excusable since the series has aired over 760 episodes, repetitive storytelling can also result in overly familiar plots. Although The Simpsons season 36 might change this, season 35 has already reused numerous plots within its first twelve episodes. Two of these outings saw Homer gain a short-lived role as a safety monitor, only to go viral and subsequently go mad with power. Repeating the same storyline twice in 35 years is reasonable, but two Simpsons stories about Homer’s villainy in 10 episodes is harder to justify.

The Simpsons Season 35 May Have Another Wilderness Episode

One of season 33’s best episodes left Homer and Marge stranded

However, since The Simpsons never age, it is unsurprising that the family never learns their lessons and is doomed to repeat certain reliable plots. Moreover, some of the show’s plot lines are worth repeating, since they reliably illustrate new, compelling facets of the eponymous family. An upcoming episode of The Simpsons season 35 remixes season 33’s best outing and this is not necessarily a bad thing, since the episode’s synopsis promises to change a few details to ensure its story isn’t too familiar. Both episodes strand Marge in the wilderness, but highlight different elements of her character.

Season 35, episode 13, “Clan of the Cave Mom” will see a “Disagreement between Marge and Luann Van Houten” turn into a fight for survival. The title, a parody of Jean M. Auel’s novel Clan of the Cave Bear and its 1986 movie adaptation, implies that this struggle will take the pair out of civilization and into the wild. This sounds like it will mirror the simple successful setup of The Simpsons season 33 episode “Pixelated and Afraid,” which tested Marge and Homer’s bond in the wilderness. Despite its familiarity, The Simpsons stranding Marge far from home again makes sense.

Why The Simpsons Season 33’s Wilderness Story Worked So Well

The simplicity of season 33 episode 12 let Homer and Marge shine

In a show whose biggest flaw is overwriting and trying to cram too much incident into each story, “Pixelated and Afraid” succeeded precisely because The Simpsons simplified its storytelling. As noted by YouTuber Super Eyepatch Wolf, the episode featured an atypical sequence where multiple tense minutes went by without a single gag. Homer and Marge escaping a ravenous wolverine ended up being a gripping, surprisingly dark scene that made their arc in the outing feel earned. These stripped-back outings gave the show’s characters time to shine, focusing on their internal arcs instead of prioritizing the show’s latest cameos.

The Simpsons season 35 still makes meta-jokes and uses self-referential humor. However, many of the best outings in the show’s recent seasons have toned down this approach in favor of using simpler stories to offer sincere insights into the main characters. Season 35, episode 2, “A Mid-Childhood Night’s Dream,” focused on Marge’s struggle with Bart growing up and its lack of easy answers called to mind season 8, episode 9, “El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer).” Like that acclaimed classic, this outing prioritized character development over relentless punchlines.

The Simpsons Season 35 Could Be Setting Up A Misdirection

Season 34’s wilderness adventure episode was nothing of the sort

However, there is always a possibility that “Clan of the Cave Mom” will subvert viewer expectations with a completely unexpected plot. After all, season 34, episode 3, “Lisa the Boy Scout” seemed like it would be another wilderness adventure starring the show’s heroes. Instead, the well-received episode was actually a meta-outing that mocked the show’s own predictability and reputation. For all of The Simpsons season 35’s trends, the show isn’t entirely predictable. Already, season 35 has utilized the mockumentary format twice, featured an episode set in the future, and included an outing that took place in Marge’s mind.

The Simpsons may use episode 13’s title to misdirect viewers, only for the episode to offer something totally different. This wouldn’t be a problem, since the show doesn’t need to send Marge into the wilderness for her to have a meaningful character arc. In “A Mid-Childhood Night’s Dream,” it only took a bad case of food poisoning for Marge to visualize Bart’s entire future and come to terms with him growing up. As such, viewers can be certain that The Simpsons season 35, episode 13 will make Marge’s story work, even if it isn’t as predictable as some viewers guessed.