The Simpsons’ Best Thanksgiving Episode In Years Breaks A Major Series Rule

The Simpsons’ Best Thanksgiving Episode In Years Breaks A Major Series Rule By  Cathal Gunning Published 23 minutes ago Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Although The Simpsons season 35, episode 7 was the show’s best holiday episode in years, the series only achieved this by breaking one of the show’s main writing rules. With 800 episodes and a theatrical movie spinoff to its name, The Simpsons is the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show in history.

As such, it is hardly surprising that the show relies on some trusty writing formulae that the creators of The Simpsons have developed over the years. These rules keep the series in check, and the times when The Simpsons gets too dark, or loses the audience’s interest, it is often because the series has broken one of these commandments.

However, sometimes, rules need to be broken. Season 35, episode 7, “It’s a Blunderful Life,” is a perfect example of this, as the Thanksgiving special broke one of the show’s biggest writing rules and became its best holiday special in years as a result. “It’s a Blunderful Life” did this by acknowledging the show’s knotty continuity.

The Simpsons Season 35 Episode 7 Is The Show’s Best Thanksgiving Episode In Years

The Simpsons Marge Simpson crying season 36 finale

“It’s a Blunderful Life” opens with an older Lisa telling the episode’s story to her children and grandchildren as the surviving members of the Simpson family gather for Thanksgiving dinner in 2083. Like season 23, episode 9, “Holidays of Future Passed,” this futuristic holiday sequence is heartfelt, sweet, and even funnier than a lot of the already-strong season 35.

However, things really kick into gear when Lisa’s story starts in earnest. She tells her children and grandchildren about how Homer was blamed for a town-wide blackout that occurred around Thanksgiving when Mr Burns hired non-union staff to replace much of the power plant’s workforce.

In reality, the blackout was Mr Burns’ fault, as he overloaded a crucial power socket while celebrating his opportunity to fire his staff and replace them with cheaper workers. However, in the best holiday episode of The Simpsons in years, Homer gets the blame for the Thanksgiving-derailing disaster since the townspeople think of him as infamously irresponsible and accident-prone.

Of course, by the time the episode wraps up, Homer’s good name has been cleared, and Mr. Burns has been fined for causing the blackout. However, the main thrust of the outing’s plot sees Marge question her trust in Homer as the town turns him into a pariah, eventually even moving the Simpson house miles away while the family sleeps.

“It's a Blunderful Life” Ignores A Major Simpsons Rule

By acknowledging the show’s canon, “It’s a Blunderful Life” ignores a major rule that has kept The Simpsons going for years. According to the creators, The Simpsons has an “Elastic canon” where the events of one episode never impact another. However, here, the entire town blames Homer for something he didn’t do precisely because he’s known to be such a screw-up.

Some characters even cite the plots of specific earlier episodes as examples of Homer’s stupidity and negligence, proving that the town remembers his mistakes even if the show doesn’t. While some of the darkest moments in The Simpsons, like the death of Maude Flanders, permanently changed its canon, most episodes are effectively retconned as soon as they end.

This is why, for example, the season 36 finale was able to flash forward into the future and kill off Marge without causing a major furor. Similarly, the ending of “It’s a Blunderful Life” sees Bart literally die from boredom while listening to Lisa’s story, but there is no reason to think that this cause of death is canonical.

Broadly speaking, The Simpsons benefits from its loose, almost non-existent canon. The series can kill off characters temporarily, give Homer and Marge hundreds of new jobs, and pull off spectacularly absurd standalone plots without worrying about how their events will impact the show’s protagonists going forward. However, here, dropping this approach works perfectly.

The Simpsons’ Best Holiday Episodes Prove This Rule Needs To Be Broken

Image courtesy of Everett Collection

“It’s a Blunderful Life” works precisely because it feels like the people of Springfield know Homer and the Simpson family as well as longtime viewers do, and this simply wouldn’t make sense if the show’s canon were entirely elastic. The townspeople need to recall at least some of the family’s infamous adventures for the show to have any sense of continuity.

The same is true of The Simpsons season 36’s Christmas special, which revealed that Ned Flanders had been quietly losing his faith off-screen after the deaths of his two wives. This plot was devastating, poignant, and ultimately uplifting, but the entire story would have been meaningless unless viewers were aware of the earlier storylines about Maude and Edna Krabappel’s deaths.

It is tricky for The Simpsons to sometimes acknowledge the events of earlier episodes while the show simultaneously ignores its canon in other outings. However, episodes like “It’s a Blunderful Life” prove that holiday specials deserve a special dispensation from The Simpsons, since their sentimental stories rely on the show’s long history.

188 8.6/10 9/10

The Simpsons

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-PG Family Animation Comedy Release Date December 17, 1989 Network FOX Showrunner Al Jean Directors Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller Writers J. Stewart Burns, Michael Price, Brian Kelley, Bill Odenkirk, Dan Vebber, Kevin Curran, Stephanie Gillis, Dan Castellaneta, Deb Lacusta, Billy Kimball, Jessica Conrad, Cesar Mazariegos, Daniel Chun, Jennifer Crittenden, Conan O'Brien, Valentina Garza, Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, Christine Nangle, Broti Gupta, Loni Steele Sosthand, Megan Amram, Bob Kushell, David Isaacs, David Mandel

Cast

See All

• Dan Castellaneta Homer Simpson / Abe Simpson / Barney Gumble / Krusty (voice)
• Julie Kavner Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier (voice)

Franchise(s) The Simpsons Genres Family, Animation, Comedy Creator(s) Matt Groening Powered by Expand Collapse

• Network TV
• The Simpsons

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Do you think The Simpsons benefits from its 'elastic canon' approach, or would you prefer more continuity between episodes?

Cathal Cathal Cathal #JD414179 Member since 2023-10-24 0 Reviews 0 Ratings Following 0 Topics 0 Users Follow Followed 0 Followers View 23 minutes ago  Some fans appreciate the flexibility of the elastic canon, allowing the show to explore new storylines without being constrained by past events. Others feel that more continuity would make the characters' journeys feel more meaningful and impactful over time. Ultimately, it depends on whether you prioritize creative freedom or narrative cohesion. Reply / Post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.

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