Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Simpsons season 36, episode 14, “P.S. I Hate You.”

While I knew I recognized the storyline of The Simpsons season 36, episode 14 from somewhere, I couldn’t believe that it was the plot of a Shirley Jackson short story. Shirley Jackson might be one of the most celebrated horror authors of all time, but it is still easy to feel like the iconic lady of letters has not yet received her flowers. ittedly, Jackson adaptations like We Have Always Lived In The Castle, 1963’s The Haunting, and Netflix’s miniseries The Haunting of Hill House come close to capturing her prose's unsettling power.

However, the horror writer still isn’t as well-known as Stephen King despite her mammoth contributions to the genre. While The Simpsons season 36 Marge episode was the last place I expected to see the author receive an homage, this surprise was more than welcome. While The Simpsons is now the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show in history, that doesn’t mean the cartoon comedy is lacking in ambition and intriguing experiments. Season 36, episode 14, “P.S. I Hate You," started out as a pretty conventional effort but, before long, the inspiration for its odd plot became clear.

The Simpsons Season 36, Episode 14 Is Based On “The Impossibility of Evil”

Shirley Jackson’s Iconic Short Story Provides The Premise For Marge’s Plight

In “P.S. I Hate You,” Marge reveals that she has spent decades dealing with her unprocessed anger by writing angry letters to her enemies and hiding them in a box in her closet. When this box is stolen during her birthday party, Marge must scramble to retrieve the letters before her reputation as “The Nicest Woman In Springfield” is destroyed. If this plot sounds vaguely familiar to readers, that is likely because “P.S. I Hate You” borrows its premise from the Shirley Jackson short story “The Impossibility of Evil.”

In “The Impossibility of Evil,” Jackson’s odious protagonist sends her nasty letters anonymously, ruining the confidence and happiness of the townspeople while enjoying her quiet, tranquil existence.

While The Simpsons season 36 borrowed one storyline from a 2024 South Park special, seeing the show riff on Jackson’s oeuvre is a lot more unexpected. A few vital details are changed in translation, but the two stories have a lot in common. In “The Impossibility of Evil,” Jackson’s odious protagonist sends her nasty letters anonymously, ruining the confidence and happiness of the townspeople while enjoying her quiet, tranquil existence. That strategy backfires in one of the most darkly satisfying endings Jackson ever wrote, but the story of “P.S. I Hate You” is a lot more sympathetic throughout.

How The Simpsons Season 36 Puts Its Own Spin On Jackson's Dark Story

Marge Doesn’t Send Her Poison Pen Letters

For one thing, Marge doesn’t send her letters in “P.S. I Hate You,” and is horrified by the thought of people reading them. As a result, for all the unexpected dark moments in The Simpsons season 36, the ending of “P.S. I Hate You,” is a lot lighter than its source material. Marge’s life isn’t ruined by the revelation of her letters, and the two of Springfield instead dub her “The Most Three-Dimensional Woman In Springfield” to prove that no one aspect of her multifaceted personality is unwelcome in the community.

It is a sweet twist and one that feels earned for Marge, who truly didn’t mean any harm by writing her brutally mean letters. While Jackson’s short story is a viciously funny tale of just desserts, The Simpsons season 36’s revision of “The Impossibility of Evil” is a sweeter story about letting friends see even your pettiest side from time to time.

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