The Simpsons Season 36 Just Broke The Show’s Character Death Rule For A Second Time

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Simpsons season 36, episode 9, “Homer and Her Sisters.”

Although The Simpsons almost never kills off characters permanently, season 36 of the show broke this rule for the second time in episode 9. The Simpsons has been on the air for a long time and, in the years since the series began back in 1989, the show has aired over 770 episodes. The Simpsons themselves may never age, but the show’s style and sense of humor have changed a lot over the years. Seasons 1-3 were darker and more cynical, the Golden Age of seasons 3-11 balanced comedy and character perfectly, and then came the show’s decline.

In recent years, The Simpsons has enjoyed something of a critical revival as reviews of the series improved. Critics noted The Simpsons’ renewed focus on character comedy as the show moved away from constant zany humor and toward more character-centric stories. The Simpsons’ season 37 renewal has not yet been announced, but the show’s critical reputation has improved significantly since season 33. This is due in part to the big changes The Simpsons has made to the show’s reliable formula since its critical nadir, embracing new storytelling styles and unconventional formats.

The Simpsons Season 36 Episode 9 Killed Off Krusty’s Aunt Sadie

The Simpsons Season 36 Already Killed Off Another Character Earlier

Episode 9, “Homer and Her Sisters,” was one of the more straightforward offerings of season 36 in terms of plot. Episode 6, “Women In Shorts,” highlighted over a dozen largely forgotten female supporting characters from all around Springfield, while episode 7, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes” adapted three stories by genre fiction legend Ray Bradbury to the world of the series. In contrast, “Homer and Her Sisters” told a fairly conventional story of Homer briefly reconciling his differences with Patty and Selma, before the episode’s ending reverted to the show’s status quo.

However, “Homer and Her Sisters” did feature one last-minute surprise that upended the show’s usual status quo. Early on, Marge signed Patty, Selma, and Homer up for The Problem Is You, a relationship advice series where Krusty’s aunt Sadie gave people the tough love they needed to solve their interpersonal woes. This backfired on Marge when Aunt Sadie told her that she was the reason her sisters and Homer couldn’t get along, as she got between them to martyr herself and feel like a valued peacekeeper. Marge was insulted, but she got the last laugh thanks to Aunt Sadie’s sudden death.

The Simpsons Rarely Kills Off Supporting Characters

Only Around A Dozen The Simpsons Characters Have Died Permanently

While character deaths aren’t unheard of, The Simpsons almost never kills off characters permanently. A few notable exceptions include Frank Grimes, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Larry the Barfly, and Maude Flanders but, all told, The Simpsons has only permanently killed off around a dozen characters. That is a pretty staggeringly low number considering the show has aired over 770 episodes, so it would always have been notable that a stage light fell on Aunt Sadie as she presented her show, and “Homer and Her Sisters” ended with her funeral.

However, what made this death all the more striking and unexpected is the fact that an earlier episode in season 36 also killed off a character permanently, and season 35 killed off a recurring guest star only five episodes before that. The duplicitous real estate agent Nick the Realtor was killed by a sea otter in season 36, episode 2, “The Yellow Lotus,” while Larry the Barfly died in season 35, episode 14, “Cremains of the Day.” Unlike Aunt Sadie’s death, these two character deaths were central to the plots of their respective episodes.

Why The Simpsons Season 36 Is Killing Off More Characters

The Simpsons Has Been Loosening Its Writing Rules

While The Simpsons’ scary Treehouse of Horror episodes repeatedly kill off the show’s main characters, these outings are not part of the show’s canon. In contrast, the deaths of Aunt Sadie, Nick the Realtor, and Larry the Barfly all seem to be permanent, and this represents a major uptick in the number of character deaths featured in recent seasons of the series. The Simpsons has already killed more characters than usual between seasons 35 and 36 and season 36 isn’t even halfway over. However, it is easy to see why this change has taken place.

The Simpsons has been loosening the rules of the show’s writing style and, more specifically, playing with its usual format since season 34. The critical reception of The Simpsons has improved as a result, so it makes sense that the series is continuing to experiment as season 36 continues. Season 36’s premiere was a self-aware in-universe “Series finale” that poked fun at the show’s inability to change its status quo, and the episodes that aired since have proven that its writers aren’t averse to upsetting the usual rules of its fictional universe. This resulted in Aunt Sadie’s death in The Simpsons season 36.