Season Review: The Simpsons Season Thirty-Seven

“The Simpsons are back, baby!”  This line of dialogue from the commercials exemplifies the return of one of America’s favorite animated sitcom families.  But let’s face it, are we really that surprised by this?  Even with its ups and downs in episode quality, The Simpsons continues to dominate animation television, with its thirty-seventh season hoping to extend this expansive run.  With last year seeing the family appear in Fortnite and the announcement of its long-awaited return to the big screen, it remains unlikely that the animated sitcom will bite the dust sooner, especially given its recent four-season deal with Fox.  I know most people may have already dropped the series at this point, or earlier, particularly given the recent changes it introduced in previous seasons.  However, I remain one of the many who continue to experience even more surreal slice-of-life adventures with Homer and his family, with season thirty-seven being no exception.

Much like previous seasons, the thirty-seventh season continues the show’s trend of focusing on its supporting characters while exploring relatable topics.  That includes Superintendent Chalmers, who becomes a skin-care guru amid children’s reliance on AI in “Keep Chalm and Gary On”, and Bumblebee Man, who hires Homer as his secret stunt double in “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!”, which explores stunt work in the entertainment industry.  While some of these episodes may not be as effective as others narrative-wise, they’re entertaining enough to warrant the spotlight on a few of the show’s supporting characters.  “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” was certainly the highlight regarding these types of episodes, and it’s not just because the title is a reference to the 1980s television series.  It highlights its commentary on the risks posed by stunt work in the industry, especially from the perspective of a member of the Hispanic community.  More importantly, it underscores the show’s Latin American cast, notably Humberto Vélez, who made his English debut as Bumblebee Man after dubbing Homer’s voice in the Latin American dub.

However, the real highlights of the season are the episodes focusing on Bart Simpson, particularly his collaborations with the different characters.  The notable example, and the best one of this category, is its sixth episode, “Bart’ N’ Frink”, in which Bart becomes Professor Frink’s assistant and accompanies him to his college reunion.  Granted, they have interacted before in previous episodes, but this recent one might be the best interaction I’ve seen from this season.  It’s been a while since I’ve watched the previous episodes, so I couldn’t get into a deep explanation of the comparison.  But I can say that the recent chemistry between Bart and Frink is a scientific calculation that yielded a satisfying result, mainly because Frank respects Bart’s intelligence.  

The 37th season of The Simpsons isn’t without its share of flaws, with the worst episode being “Men Behaving Manly”.  That episode had its moments, including Albert Brooks’ performance as Greg and the return of Moe’s fiancée, Maya, from previous seasons.  However, they weren’t enough to save the episode from its disappointing, formulaic plot about people going to camp to change themselves.  Thankfully, one bad episode didn’t detract from the consistency of the others regarding their charm and satirized dilemmas, whether from real life or movies like “Waterworld”, “Trap”, and “National Treasure”.  In short, this is another solid season that highlights the sitcom’s everlasting popularity and cultural impact, even if its narrative issues threaten to derail its winning streak in primetime television.