The Simpsons Season 36 Just Mocked The Show's Oldest Plot Hole

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Simpsons season 36, episode 5, “Treehouse of Horror XXXV”

Just when it seemed like The Simpsons couldn’t poke any more fun at the show’s premise, season 36, episode 6 proved that the series is well aware of one common complaint from viewers. As The Simpsons season 36’s Treehouse of Horror Halloween special proved, the long-running series isn’t above mocking its own reliance on formula. The Simpsons’ season 37 renewal has not been confirmed yet, but the first few outings of season 36 have proven that its writers and creators are not at all afraid of taking risks and trying new things, with varying degrees of success.

The Simpsons Season 36’s Treehouse Of Horror Episode Reignites An Iconic Tradition From 29 Years Ago

The Simpsons season 36’s “Treehouse of Horror XXXV” brought back a classic animation tradition seen in earlier Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials.

The Simpsons season 36 premiere was a self-aware in-universe “Series finale” that mocked the show’s unchanging status quo, while another season 36 episode was a standalone adventure that starred Lisa and sidelined the rest of the eponymous family. The result, in both cases, were fresh, funny episodes that felt inspired despite the longevity of The Simpsons. Although not all the special’s segments worked, the best “Treehouse of Horror XXXV” segment, The Simpsons’ Edgar Allan Poe parody, took the opposite approach by honoring the show’s history with a story that playfully referenced numerous earlier episodes from the show’s Golden Age.

The Simpsons Revealed Maggie Was Conceived After 2011

Maggie’s Conception Was Inspired By A Jake From State Farm Commercial

Meanwhile, season 36, episode 6, “Women in Shorts,” kept this successful streak going with another self-aware outing. A sequel of sorts to season 7, episode 21, “22 Short Films About Springfield,” this female-centric episode highlighted the oft-forgotten supporting women of Springfield. In the process, the final segment proved The Simpsons is laughably self-aware about the cast’s inconsistent ages. In a trailer for a superhero-style movie titled “Maggie: Origins,” the short mid-credits scene detailed the night Homer and Marge conceived their youngest child. Homer’s changing age was referenced in season 36, episode 4, “Shoddy Heat,” but this gag complicated things further.

This gag once again brings up the question of just when the main characters were born.

In “Maggie: Origins,” The Simpsons revealed that Maggie was conceived as a result of Marge admitting that Jake from State Farms gets her hot under the collar and Homer taking advantage of the mood with an invitation to fool around. Jake from State Farms debuted as a character in commercials around 2011, meaning Maggie couldn’t have been conceived before then. However, this gag once again brings up the question of just when the main characters were born. “Shoddy Heat” depicted Homer as a 10-year-old in the early ‘80s, which, for once, aligns with the events of “Women in Shorts.”

Maggie Simpson Has Been One Year Old Since 1989

Maggie’s Age Is One Of The Silliest Simpsons Plot Holes

If the two episodes are to be trusted, Homer was in his early 40s when Maggie was born. This seems about right, but his and the rest of the family’s ages are still notoriously inconsistent. Maggie’s infancy makes this issue particularly notable since, as a perpetual one-year-old, she was either born in 2023 or 1988, depending on the episode. The Simpsons’ many mysteries include the exact date that the characters were born, but showrunner Matt Selman explained on X (formerly Twitter) that this can be chalked up to its “Elastic canon.” Ages constantly change on The Simpsons, facilitating gags like “Maggie: Origins.”