The news that The Simpsons season 37’s renewal, the show’s longevity would be almost unprecedented.
As such, it should come as no surprise that The Simpsons has come up with some wild and inventive ways to pair off the show's many ing characters. When Marge and Smithers worked together in The Simpsons season 36, episode 11, “Bottle Episode,” this wasn’t the first time that the pairing was utilized by one of the show’s subplots. Similarly, Bart’s unlikely alliance with Skinner, Marge’s friendship with Ned Flanders, and Homer's pairing with Ralph all prove that season 36 of The Simpsons is still finding new ways to make familiar characters feel fresh.
The Simpsons Season 36’s The Past and the Furious Pairs Up Lisa and Mr. Burns
The Disney+ Special Arrives On February 12
However, I was still surprised to see one supremely unexpected character pairing appear together in the Disney+ special, “The Past and the Furious.” Somehow, "The Past and the Furious" is not the first or even the second time Lisa Simpson worked with Mr. Burns. I’m excited to see how the environmentally conscious, morally driven Lisa ends up aligning herself with the soulless corporate overlord Mr. Burns in this full-length episode. Like season 36’s earlier feature-length Christmas special "O C’mon All Ye Faithful,” "The Past and the Furious" will be released exclusively on Disney+.
“The Past and the Furious” tells the story of Lisa heading back in time to early 20th century Springfield.
As The Simpsons season 36’s long mid-season hiatus continues, the show’s latest offering arrives on the Disney streaming service rather than Fox. The Simpsons season 36 will return to Fox at the end of March, but before then, “The Past and the Furious” tells the story of Lisa heading back in time to early 20th century Springfield. According to Animation magazine, once in 1923, Lisa realizes that the Springfield Mini Moose was pivotal to Springfield’s ecosystem before its extinction. Lisa works with a young Burns to save the animal, which I’m sure won’t end well.
Lisa and Mr. Burns' The Simpsons History Tells Me They Should Pair Up More
Lisa Makes An Unlikely Partner For The Simpsons Villain
This storyline reminds me of Burns and Lisa’s first shared storyline, wherein Burns lost his money and Lisa tried to help him out by introducing him to environmentalism. Season 8, episode 21, “The Old Man and the Lisa,” sees Burns lose his nuclear plant, only for him to start growing his fortune again when Lisa convinces him to open a recycling plant. To her horror, Burns then turns to cleaning up the seas by indiscriminately churning live fish into an all-purpose slurry branded with Lisa’s smiling face.
The Simpsons' Showrunner's Idea On How To End The Show Sounds Like The Perfect Series Finale
The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman recently explained his ideal ending for The Simpsons, and season 36 proves this proposed series finale could work.
In one of the most tragic moments of The Simpsons, Lisa learns the hard way that Monty Burns will never change. However, the lesson of this episode is undone in a later, more underrated outing, season 17, episode 13, “The Seemingly Never-Ending Story.” The bizarre nested storyline of this episode mostly concerns a wild plot shared between Moe, Snake, and Burns, but the story sees Lisa and Burns work together in a plot that partially redeems the comically monstrous villain. Although Burns is far from anyone’s hero, “The Seemingly Never-Ending Story” proves he is an undeniably complex character.
The Simpsons Season 36’s The Past and the Furious Continues A Welcome Trend
The Special Features A Far-Fetched Time Travel Story
Although “The Seemingly Never-Ending Story” gave Lisa and Burns’ shared story a surprisingly sweet resolution, it seems like “The Past and the Furious” will have a story more akin to the events of “The Old Man and the Lisa.” That said, the episode already avoided feeling redundant or unnecessary thanks to a fun decision. Like many of season 36’s best efforts, from “O C’Mon All Ye Faithful” to episode 7’s Ray Bradbury tribute "Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes,” the Disney+ special promises to be an unpredictable, ambitious genre-blending episode.
Since the series has been around for so long, The Simpsons can afford to get experimental.
The Simpsons is at its best when the show subverts the expectations of viewers, especially after so many years on the air. The superb ratings of season 36’s Treehouse of Horror episodes alone prove that viewers want riskier, weirder stories from the show. Since the series has been around for so long, The Simpsons can afford to get experimental.
As such, the promise of Lisa traveling backward in time and The Simpsons introducing a younger version of Mr. Burns is a fun one. The plot of “The Past and the Furious” highlights the boundless creative freedom offered in the later seasons ofThe Simpsons, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes next after this special.
Source: Animation
The Simpsons
- Release Date
- December 17, 1989
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- Al Jean
Cast
Tress MacNeille
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- David Silverman, Jim Reardon, Mark Kirkland
- Writers
- Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Sam Simon
- Franchise(s)
- The Simpsons
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