Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for The Simpsons season 36, episode 4, “Shoddy Heat," and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder ClubWhileThe Simpsonsfrequently parodies TV shows and movies, one season 36 episode managed the considerable achievement of spoofing a movie that hasn’t even been released yet.The Simpsonshas always loved to parody famous movies. As far back as its earliest outings, the show was spoofing everything fromRaiders of the Lost ArktoThe Twilight ZonetoGoodfellas.The Simpsonsseason 36’s Martin Scorsese spoofproved that this streak continues unabated into the show’s latest outing, as did the preceding episode’s parody of HBO’s acclaimed murder mystery seriesThe White Lotus. That outingkilled off aSimpsonsguest star.
The Simpsons Season 36 Brought Back The Show’s Controversial “Homer Strangles Bart” Gag - But AI Is To Blame
The Simpsons season 36 premiere brought back one of Homer and Bart’s most controversial gags, but there was a good justification for this twist.
As such, it was something of a surprise when season 36, episode 4, “Shoddy Heat,” proved to be another parody of another murder mystery sub-genre. This episode spoofed the neo-noir revival of the ‘80s with a story where Grampa searches through ‘80s Springfield for his missing partner. This episode revealed that Grampa was a private investigator during the decade, and he became embroiled in a twisty plot involving Agnes Skinner and Mr. Burns. As if this weren’t complicated enough, the entire story was set in motion with a plot point that referenced a movie that hasn’t even been released yet.
The Simpsons Season 36 Episode 4 Borrows From Netflix’s Upcoming Thursday Murder Club
The Episode’s Plot Setup Is Similar To Richard Osman’s Novel
“Shoddy Heat” owes one major plot point to the story of author Richard Osman’sThe Thursday Murder Club, which director Chris Columbus is currently adapting to the screen for Netflix. Columbus’s adaptation is set to rivalKnives Outas the streaming service’s starriest murder mystery franchise, with stars like Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren among the cast. However, althoughThe Simpsons spoofs many movies, the fact that the adaptation doesn’t even have a release date yet makes the reference from “Shoddy Heat” surprising. Mild novel spoilers follow, as they prove that the nod is too specific to be a coincidence.
In both stories, an unexpected body in an unearthed coffin leads an inhabitant of a local home for the elderly to revisit a cold case from decades earlier.
InThe Thursday Murder Club, the redevelopment of a cemetery results in a coffin with a mysterious extra body being unearthed. This, in turn, leads an inhabitant of a local home for the elderly to revisit a cold case from decades earlier, convinced that the extra body has some connection to this forgotten unsolved disappearance. Admittedly, the storylines ofThe Thursday Murder Cluband “Shoddy Heat” do diverge from this point onward, as Grampa’s plot flashes back to the ‘80s and the disappearance of his former partner takes on the contours of a noir story likeChinatown,Night Moves, orBody Heat.
The Simpsons Season 36 Doesn’t Spoil The Thursday Murder Club
The Simpsons Episode Changes The Hit Mystery Novel’s Plot Significantly
However, the specific details of the mystery’s setup are still strikingly similar. Fortunately, likeThe Simpsonsseason 36’sAfter Hoursparody, this plot makes enough original changes to the source material to feel fresh and surprising. By borrowing from classic film noir movies, as well as dropping any actual murder from the story, “Shoddy Heat” comes up with a storyline that feels nothing likeThe Thursday Murder Clubby the time its ending rolls around. That said, it is still clear whereThe Simpsonsseason 36 found the inspiration for the inciting incident of the episode’s storyline.
