In Remembrance of Marcia Wallace: The Best of Edna

Posted on November 5, 2013December 22, 2016 by Vic Bright

An actor and a character who will be greatly missed, to coincide with last night’s tribute on The Simpsons, we say goodbye to the wonderful Marcia Wallace, aka: Edna Krabappel.

I was deeply saddened by the news last week that voice actor extraordinaire, Marcia Wallace, had passed away at the age of 70. 70!! I had no idea the star had been around so long, but Marcia first came to fame whilst appearing on the Merv Griffin show in the seventies and barely stopped working since. To our generation though, she will forever be remembered as the voice of cantankerous, belligerent teacher, Edna Krabappel in hit animated comedy, The Simpsons.

For over 20 years we have tuned in to hear Edna berate Bart (she realised the futility of this and gave up around season 3) and try her feminine wiles on any available batchelor. For me, Marcia’s passion has struck a particularly poignant chord as two seasons ago Edna finally found true love in the arms of do-gooder Ned Flanders, a man who was her polar opposite and therefore, perfect for her. How Ned will handle another bereavement is up to the shows producers but I personally would settle for the whole Flanders clan driving off into the sunset to start anew.

We’re still lucky enough to spend time with Edna via the remaining episodes that she has contributed to so before we say goodbye to the best teacher in Springfield, let’s remember some of her best moments.

Bart The Lover 1992

O.K, everyone has included this episode but its pivotal to our growing affection for the character. During one of his many detentions, Bart notices Edna’s lost her passion for punishment along with her chances for true love. In what starts as a prank, he creates a fictional siutor for his teacher but after seeing how much his letters from Woodrow cheer Edna up Bart feels guilty and looks to find a way to break off the romance without hurting Edna. The episode is so well observed and our attitude toward Edna changes when she realises at the same moment we do that Bart is the closest thing she has to a partner or friend.

“Anytime I hear The Wind blow, it will whisper the name…Edna”

Grade School Confidential 1994

In a play on the classic The Go-Between, Bart discovers his teacher has finally found a bit of action, with the inept mothers boy, Principal Skinner, The scheming lovers use Bart’s discovery to their advantage, promising a more favourable permanent record if he acts as a go-between for the pair, passing love notes and other tokens of affection. Bart soon tires of being used so mercilessly and opens the supply closet door, revealing the pair making out, to the whole school. They promptly get fired and only reslove the situation when Skinner comes out to the whole town as a forty-year-old virgin.

My Big Fat Geek Wedding 2004

After years of putting up with Skinner’s indecision he finally realises he probably should propose to Edna at the Teacher of the Year Awards that she is invited to thanks to Bart. However, after she realises Seymour had some serious doubts, Edna calls off the wedding and embarks on a fling with ComicBook Guy. Skinner, of course, becomes jealous and the two would be suitors battle it out for Edna’s affections but for Edna it’s all a case of too little far too late from Skinner and she realises she would be better off alone.

Bart Gets A Z 2009

The whole class figure Edna should lighten up a little and spike her coffee, with predictable results. After getting fired for being drunk on the job Edna spends the rest of the episode in her bathrobe whilst Bart tries to find her another job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Juh5m-mhloU

Ned N Edna’s Blend 2012

The most bittersweet of all episodes for me because in this we finally get to see Edna happy. Following the sudden death of Marcia Wallace I can only wonder how they will choose to retire the character.

In Ned ‘N Edna’s blend we discover Edna and Ned Flanders have marries in secret and now the whole town wants to congratulate them. Edna realises that Rod and Todd have been receiving a a poor excuse for an education at the local creationist school and promptly enrolls them in Springfield Elementary. Ned become s wary of her choices regarding the kids and the marriage hits its first bump. After staying with the Simpsons for the nigt Ned finds the perfect marriage doesn’t exist and concedes that somethings he and Edna are going to have to agree to disagree on a few things. Such a happy episode, Ms Krabapple finally gets the happy ending she always wanted.