The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 6, “Women in Shorts,” now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons’latest anthology episode quietly introduces a minor retcon to one of the show’s most beloved Golden Age episodes.The Simpsons' longevity means that it has plenty of canon and history to play with, but a wide world of adaptable characters to experiment with. For the most part, this has allowed the characters to change and evolve across thirty-six seasons. Sometimes though, the new plots inThe Simpsonsretcon the backstoriesand histories of certain characters.
This can come in major and minor ways, ranging from flashback episodes that rework the timeline ofThe Simpsonsto episodes that reveal new wrinkles on long-standing tropes of the series. The latest of these from season 36’s “Women in Shorts” adds quietly changes the details of a plot-beat from one ofThe Simpsons' Golden Age. However, the episode largely avoids changing too much of that story, highlighting howThe Simpsonscan bring modern flourishes to an elastic but consistent timeline.
The Simpsons Season 36 Changes How Maggie Was Conceived
“Women in Shorts” Changes A Detail From “And Maggie Makes Three”
“Women in Shorts” introduces a new wrinkle to Homer and Marge’s conception of Maggie, which quietly seems to ret-con a major plotbeat in season 6’s “And Maggie Makes Three.“Season 36’s “Women in Shorts"is an anthology episode, similar in structure to previous episodes like season 7’s “22 Short Films About Springfield.” The final gag of the episode however takes place a year before the modern events ofThe Simpsons, revealing Homer and Marge alone at home. After admitting “Jake from State Farm kinda does it” for her,Marge and Homer are implied to sleep together, leading to the conception of Maggie.
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This is a different origin for the youngest Simpson than what had been established in season 6. “And Maggie Makes Three” was a flashback episode that revealed Homer had paid off all their debts a year prior to the main events of the show, leading him to quit the Nuclear Power Plant and get his dream job at the bowling alley. However, a night celebrating with Marge resulted in them conceiving Maggie, whose birth forced Homer to return to his higher-paying but soul-crushing work under Mr. Burns. It’s a small change, but one that does change the show’s established canon.
The Latest Simpson Retcon Tweaks An Old Episode But Doesn’t Erase It
The Simpsons' Latest Change Doesn’t Erase A Beloved Episode
This ret-con brings the conception of Maggie more firmly into the present day, especially given the presence of a reference to the modern State Farm Insurance Agency mascot character, Jake. It’s a minor change, but one that does twist the canon of the show. However, this tweak doesn’t erase any of the plot from “And Maggie Makes Three,” which has actually aged fairly well compared to other flashback episodes ofThe Simpsons. The reference to Jake from State Farm changes the specifics of Maggie’s conception, but the rest of “And Maggie Makes Three” continues to work in the present day.
“Women in Shorts” highlights one of the best ways [The Simpsons] can do this, by having a minor element of an old episode updated while still leaving the emotional and comedic core of the original intact.
At its heart,the best plotlines inThe Simpsonshave a timeless quality. While many cultural references in early seasons are very different from the ones made in the present-day, the sliding timeline of the show has allowed it to feel relevant for decades. “Women in Shorts” highlights one of the best ways the show can do this, by having a minor element of an old episode updated while still leaving the emotional and comedic core of the original intact. Season 28’s “Kamp Krustier” did something similar, highlighting howThe Simpsonscan create threads from past seasons to modern episodes.
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The Simpsons is an animated series set in the fictional town of Springfield, following the daily lives of the Simpson family—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Premiering in 1989, the show is renowned for its satirical commentary on politics, media, and American culture, featuring numerous celebrity guest appearances.
