The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 18, "Estranger Things," now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons explore future events, revealing the potential fates of the titular family if the show were to let them grow up. Some of these futures build off one another, while others are their own divergent timelines that contradict the events of other ones.

This is the case with The Simpsons' season 36 finale, "Estranger Things." The episode is focused on a grown version of Bart and Lisa who have grown apart in their adult years who find themselves facing off after Lisa's actions get Homer sent to a potentially lethal retirement community. The episode initially seems to be following a trend with future episodes depicting Bart as a failure in comparison to Lisa, but the role he fills in Springfield's latest future is actually a great little showcase for some of Bart's best qualities as a character.

Bart Takes Care Of The Elderly In Springfield's Newest The Simpsons Future

The Simpsons Argues Bart Would Be A Good Caretaker

Bart's latest career in a future Springfield — taking care of the elderly men of the town — is actually a quietly perfect showcase for the character's underlying emotional core. "Estranger Things" focuses on a future where Bart and Lisa have drifted apart, with the latter moving out of Springfield entirely and largely becoming disconnected from her home town and family. In the aftermath of Marge's off-screen death, Bart has converted the family home into a "retirement community" for people like Homer, Lenny, and Carl.

Bart affords this casual lifestyle with the funds Lisa sends for Homer's place at the Retirement Castle. While this revelation is initially presented as another example of Bart's lack of ambition and slacker personality taken to a criminal degree, he also proves to be surprisingly attuned to their needs. He references caring for their fading mental states, providing a calm environment for his father and his friends, and takes care of their physical needs. By the end of the episode, Bart and Lisa's relationship is mended in part by Lisa seeing that Bart's empathy has made him a good caretaker.

Why Bart's Always A Loser In The Simpsons Flashforwards

Bart Doesn't Usually Reach His Potential

It's a refreshingly fulfilling future for Bart, who is often depicted with a more complicated future. Many flashforwards to hypothetical futures portray Bart as a divorced father of two who works menial jobs, struggling with his family connections and romantic relationships. Although there have been two positive futures for Bart — season 4's "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" and season 32's "Mother And Child Reunion," where Bart became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and a CEO, respectively — he's usually shown in future episodes to have wasted his potential.

The futures depicted in other episodes (Like "Lisa's Wedding," "Bart to the Future," "Future-Drama," "Holidays of Futures ed," and "Days of Future Future") feature a Bart who has made little with his life and struggles on both personal and professional levels. Even his better ones, like the future where he follows his artistic ambitions like season 27's "Barthood," tend to come with complications he can't overcome. That's what makes the version depicted in "eStranger Things" so interesting as a showcase of Bart as a character.

Bart initially comes off as the lazy and aimless character that some of his previous futures predicted, even sharing a general design with his childish counterpart from season 11's "Bart to the Future." However, this version of the character proves to be more quietly aware of his appearance and his actions. He even defends his treatment of the old men to Lisa as a way to give them dignity and fun in their waning years instead of condemning them to a future of confinement in the future's now super-expanded senior citizen centers.

Why Bart's New Future Job Is The Perfect Fate For The Character

Bart Has A Surprisingly Fitting Role Taking Care Of Springfield's Elderly

Bart's status as the ultimate troublemaker in Springfield has always been balanced by The Simpsons giving him a deceptively empathetic side. Although he can be chaos incarnate, the character is often depicted as having an emotional intelligence that allows him to bond with people quickly. Bart has befriended his bullies, impressed plenty of love interests, and even developed fun dynamics with grown citizens of Springfield. Bart, having the genuine care and happiness of the older generation in mind, makes sense, especially considering his now much calmer relationship with Homer.

It's sweet to see Bart bonding with Homer and watching after Lenny, especially in light of the death of Marge and the implication that Moe took his own life at some point in this future. It also reflects the connection Bart has always been shown to have with Abe Simpson, which often comes with a respect and iration for the older relative that others don't share. It's refreshing to see a version of Bart in a future timeline of The Simpsons who retains his underachiever personality, but in a way that feels thematically justified and emotionally mature.