Summary
AlthoughThe Simpsonsseason 36 promises to revive one of the show’s oldest traditions, the series will do so in a potentially divisive new way. After 35 years on the air, it’s fair to say thatThe Simpsonshas explored a lot of stories. However,The Simpsonsseason 36isn’t content to rest on its laurels, judging by the upcoming outing’s plans. Rather than relying on the show’s usual formula,The Simpsonsseason 36 promises a handful of episodes that play with its well-established setup. The season premiere may finally addresswhy the Simpsons never age in-universe.
Meanwhile, season 36’s Treehouse of Horror Presents episode will see the show air two Halloween episodes in one season. Season 34 took this approach with the acclaimed Stephen King parody “Not IT,” and that episode’s success proves that season 36’s Ray Bradbury tribute “Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” could be a similarly enjoyable, ambitious effort.The Simpsonsseason 36 will continue its experiments with another episode that delves into Grampa’s secret past working as a detective in the ‘80s. This outing makes the show’s canon even more confusing but also provesThe Simpsonsisn’t afraid of trying new things.
I’m Very Confused By The Simpsons Season 36’s Retcons
Even with the show’s ever-changing canon and continuity, I can’t see how The Simpsons season 36 is going to pull off one of its weirdest storylines.
The Simpsons Season 36 Features The First Christmas Episode Since 2021
Season 32’s Manger Things Marks The Show’s Most Recent Festive Outing
However,one of the most exciting parts ofThe Simpsonsseason 36 is its two-part Christmas special, the show’s first festive offering since 2021. While season 32, episode 16, “Manger Things,” was technically a Christmas episode, the outing was released in March 2021. As such,The Simpsonshasn’t released a Christmas episode around Christmas since season 32, episode 10, “A Springfield Summer Christmas for Christmas.” At Anaheim’s D23 convention, the creators ofThe Simpsonsannounced that the Christmas two-parter “O C’mon All Ye Faithful” would premiere in December. One thing separates this outing fromThe Simpsons’ many earlier Christmas specials.
“O C’mon All Ye Faithful” is set to premiere on the Disney streaming service instead of network TV.
“O C’mon All Ye Faithful” will be a Disney+ exclusive rather than a standard episode of the series. WhileThe Simpsonsseason 36’s Halloween outingswill both be standard episodes, “O C’mon All Ye Faithful” is set to premiere on the Disney streaming service instead of network TV. This is part of a recent shift toward online animated content from the studio. In 2023,Futuramawas revived as a streaming series, with seasons 11 and 12 of the show premiering on Hulu. Similarly,Family Guy’s upcoming 2024 Halloween special will be a Disney+ exclusive. This might alienate long-time fans of shows likeThe Simpsons, a show whose existence predates Disney+’s launch by three decades.
The Simpsons Season 36 Christmas Episode Is A Disney+ Exclusive
Family Guy’s 2024 Halloween Special Also Debuts On The Streaming Service
LikeFamily Guy’s next Halloween episode,”O C’mon All Ye Faithful” will be a Disney+ exclusive fromThe Simpsons. Notably, this is not the first timeThe Simpsonshas released exclusive content for the streaming service. The show’s creators penned a handful ofStar Warscrossover shorts for Disney+, as well as the MCU crossover “The Good, The Bart, and The Loki.” However, much likeThe Simpsonsseason 36 promises to solvethe show’s mystery around the cast’s unchanging ages, the outing also marks the first time that Disney+ will release entire episodes exclusive to the platform.
Disney+ shorts that featured characters from theStar Warsand Marvel universes were a fun way for Disney to incorporate one of its biggest brands into the world of its other famous IPs. However, they were also inessential. Viewers who missed the Disney+ shorts might not have seen Lisa jamming with Billie Eilish or the family wishing viewers a happy Christmas with the Bocellis, but they didn’t lose out on anything central to the canon of the show. In contrast, releasing entire episodes on Disney+ means viewers will need a subscription to the streaming service to keep up with the series.
The Simpsons Season 36’s Christmas Episode Is A Two-Part Special
The Simpsons Has Not Staged A Two-Part Episode Since 2021
To make 2024’s upcoming Christmas special all the more enticing,“O C’mon All Ye Faithful” marks the first timeThe Simpsonshas staged a two-part episode in three years. Season 33, episodes 6 and 7, “A Serious Flanders,” was a hilarious and surprisingly dark parody of prestige TV that cast Flanders as the unlikely antihero of a brutal crime story. WhileThe Simpsons’ many retconscan be annoying, this deservedly acclaimed special took advantage of the show’s elastic continuity by including some major creative risks. With its longer runtime, “O C’mon All Ye Faithful” could be similarly ambitious.
“O C’mon All Ye Faithful” gives The Simpsons the opportunity to tell a longer, more immersive story in a festive setting.
“O C’mon All Ye Faithful” also marks the first timeThe Simpsonshas ever made a two-part Christmas episode. Although season 18, episode 9, “Kill Gil, Volumes I & II,” was named after both of Quentin Tarantino’sKill Billmovies, the outing’s story was wrapped up within one episode. In contrast, “O C’mon All Ye Faithful” givesThe Simpsonsthe opportunity to tell a longer, more immersive story in a festive setting. Since the show’s pilot, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,” was an unexpectedly poignant Christmas story, “O C’mon All Ye Faithful” has a lot of comedy and dramatic potential.
The Simpsons Season 36’s Creative Risks Could Pay Off
The Simpsons Seasons 34 and 35 Succeeded By Subverting Its Formula
The Simpsonsseasons 34 and 35 have seen the show’s critical fortunes improve dramatically thanks to episodes like “Not IT” and season 35, episode 13, “Clan of the Cave Mom.” These outings took offbeat creative chances that paid off, changing the audience’s expectations of what an episode ofThe Simpsonscan be.Season 36’s Christmas special can once again subvert audience expectations, offering a festive outing that is both a classic Christmas story and something more inventive and experimental than the show’s pre-season 34 efforts. However, releasing the special via Disney+ remains a risky strategy that could alienate viewers.
The Simpsons making the move to Disney+, however gradually, makes its audience smaller.
The Simpsonshas been a network TV mainstay for decades now, producing more episodes than almost any other TV show outside of soap operas. Thus,The Simpsonsmaking the move to Disney+, however gradually, makes its audience smaller and risks lessening the show’s relevance. At a time whenThe Simpsonshas just won back fans and critics with two years of well-liked outings, it is risky for the series to switch platforms for some of its episodes. If “O C’mon All Ye Faithful” succeeds,The Simpsonsseason 36’s best episodes might end up being online exclusives.
