The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 4, “Shoddy Heat,” now streaming on HuluThe Simpsonshas introduced a new ret-con to the animated universe that highlights a key reason the show has been able to remain consistent and relevant for nearly forty seasons. Since season 1 debuted at the tail-end of 1987,The Simpsonshas been forced to reckon with a sliding time scale that adjusts with every passing year. In the early episodes ofThe Simpsons, the mid-30’s Homer and Marge went to high school in the 1970s and Bart was born in 1980. By contrast, season 36’s “Shoddy Heat” recasts Abe Simpson as a single father in the 1980s, raising a youngHomer after his mother Mona’s departure.
For fans who demand the show to have a singular consistent timeline, it can be a constantly contradictory affair. However, plots likeAbe and Burns' confrontation in “Shoddy Heat"may change the timeline of the show’s backstory but work to remain consistent with the internal emotional growth and logic of the series.It’s an important element to how the show has remained so adaptable and relevantand highlights one ofThe Simpsons' great enduring strengths.
The Simpsons' Sliding Timescale Makes Canon Histories Tricky
The SimpsonsHas Changed Their Timeline Several Times
The Simpsons' timeline is always in flux, as seen in season 36’s “Shoddy Heat — but the episode’s commitment to the show’s overarching emotional throughlines makes it a palatable ret-con.The Simpsonshas long existed on a sliding time scale, perpetually taking place in whatever year it currently is airing in. As joked about inseason 36’s season premiere “Bart’s Birthday,” the characters don’t age despite there being almost four decades of the family’s exploits.This carries over to “Shoddy Heat,” which shifts Abe Simpson’s backstory ahead a few decades.
The Simpsons Season 36 Just Parodied A Movie That Hasn’t Even Come Out Yet
The Simpsons season 36 episode 4 parodies ’80s neo-noir movies, but the episode’s plot also borrows from a movie that has not even been released yet.
In the early seasons of the show, Abe was a veteran of World War II, but has now been reimagined in his prime as a single father in the 1980s. These two elements don’t work when seen along a strict timeline, butThe Simpsons' animated nature keeps the characters consistent even while the world around them changes. What “Shoddy Heat” does do though is maintain an internal character consistency that fits neatly into the show’s character timeline. While the show never had Abe as a private investigator before, “Shoddy Heat” figures out how to fit into his character.
Abe Simpson’s Newest Backstory Twist Fits Well Into The Show’s Lore
Grampa’s Personality And Relationships Feel Consistent, Even If His Backstory Isn’t
This ret-con feels consistent with the emotional throughline of the characterand his relationship with his son, making it feel less intrusive than it may have otherwise. In the episode, Abe is portrayed as a single father, with the young Homer still reeling from the disappearance of his mother Mona. While the specifics of Mona’s 60’s style departure from season 7 “Mother Simpson” may not work in connection with the modern day, the emotional core of this turn and the impact it had on both Abe and Homer feels consistent with previous episodes.
This is the key to makingThe Simpsons' timeline ret-cons feel consistent with the show’s history.
It slots into the same kind of nebulous era as referenced or explored in episodes like Season 6’s “Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy,” season 24’s “To Cur With Love” and “Gone Abie Gone.” Each of those episodes highlights Abe’s flaws as a single father and his efforts to make the best life for Homer that he could. This is consistent with “Shoddy Heat,” which reveals Abe sacrificed his integrity as an investigator in exchange for Homer being ensured a career for life.This is the key to makingThe Simpsons' timeline ret-cons feel consistent with the show’s history.
Why The Simpsons Benefits From A Fluid Timeline
The SimpsonsCan Change Time-Period And Setting So Long As The Characters Remain True
The Simpsonshas never had the strictest timeline, even beyond the sliding time-scale. The episodic nature of the show, coupled with the ever-flexible medium of animation, has given the show a certain adaptability that allows it to cover a number of different subjects and genres.What keeps the show consistent is the sense of humor and heart that’s been at the core ofThe Simpsonsever since it premieredas shorts on theTracey Ullman Show. So long as those elements are present and don’t actively change the backstory of characters (like the show’s more frustrating ret-cons, likethe real Principal Skinner), then it doesn’t feel like it breaks the flexible universe of the show.
As reported byScreen Rant, “Shoddy Heat” uses the ret-con about Abe Simpson to justify how Homer never gets fired from the Nuclear Power Plant.
Even though “Shoddy Heat” is a major ret-con that ignores the specific setting of early episodes,it stays true to those elements and accurately reflects the relationship between Homer and his father. The show still mines it for dark and goofy humor in equal measure but keeps the focus on Homer and Abe’s relationship. This is a big reasonThe Simpsonshas been able to last so long. Thanks to a fluid timeline that allows it to morph references and time periods while remaining true to the characters and heart of the show,The Simpsonshas figured out how to make ret-cons not be too distracting.
The Simpsons
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The Simpsons is an animated series set in the fictional town of Springfield, following the daily lives of the Simpson family—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Premiering in 1989, the show is renowned for its satirical commentary on politics, media, and American culture, featuring numerous celebrity guest appearances.
