Although The Simpsons season 37, episode 1 wants to win over viewers, the long-running cartoon comedy is still bringing back a controversial mystery that caused chaos among the fandom some 17 years ago. After airing over 790 episodes and releasing a theatrical movie spinoff, The Simpsons is officially the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show in history.

As such, the show has earned the right to experiment with risky storytelling choices. That said, some of The Simpsons season 37’s plans run the risk of alienating longtime viewers and newcomers alike. The outing promises plenty of big-name cameos, but this has historically been a mixed blessing for The Simpsons.

Sometimes, a celebrity cameo can be just the thing to elevate an otherwise middling episode of The Simpsons. However, if the big-name cast member is the show’s main focus, this can feel gimmicky and distract from the main characters. That said, if they are sidelined, then this can leave viewers wondering why the show cast this A-list star in the first place.

The Simpsons Season 37 Episode 1 Sees Lisa Borrow Marge’s 90s Wardrobe

“Thrifty Ways to Thieve Your Mother” Satirizes Vintage Fashion Trends

Luckily, The Simpsons has masterfully utilized celebrity cameos before, balancing big-name cast additions with a solid story and a consistent focus on its titular family. Less luckily, celebrity guest appearances aren’t the only controversial recurring element of The Simpsons formula that will make a comeback in season 37.

For years now, The Simpsons has utilized what is known as a “Floating Timeline.” In effect, this means that the ages of the show’s main characters never change, which also means that they change constantly. This might sound confusing, but, in practice, it simply means the birthdates of the lead characters shift along with the series.

Family Guy, South Park, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad all follow this same approach, although King of the Hill’s reboot notably does not. In practice, what this means is that Bart was 10 years old in an episode of The Simpsons from 1991, so he was born in 1981.

He is also 10 years old in an episode that aired in 2024, meaning he was born in 2014. These statements are both true, as the show’s canon changes constantly with each new episode. However, this obviously makes the question of when exactly Marge and Homer were born a mystery.

In one season 4 episode, Homer’s birth year is listed as 1956. Although The Simpsons’ annual Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials are pointedly not part of the show’s canon, this outing is. As such, this was assumed to be Homer’s “True” birthdate for quite some time.

However, season 9, episode 11, “That ‘90s Show,” infamously revealed that Homer and Marge were young adults in the 1990s, with Homer playing in a grunge band modeled on Nirvana. While the show’s parody of ‘90s pop culture might have worked relatively well, it was entirely overshadowed by the controversy over this episode’s perceived retcons.

The Simpsons Season 37 Premiere Implies Marge Was Young in The ‘90s

Season 9 Episode 11 Controversially Revealed Homer and Marge Were Teens in the ‘90s

As any longtime fan knows, Homer was in his 40s in the ‘90s, as this was when many of the show’s classic Golden Age episodes take place. In season 7, episode 24, “Homerpalooza,” a middle-aged Homer struggles to hide his age and out-of-touch status from Sonic Youth and The Smashing Pumpkins.

12 years later, “That ‘90s Show” portrayed Homer as a contemporary of these musicians, and perhaps even slightly younger than some of them. This proved very controversial, with “That ‘90s Show” even reaching the “Still listed among the show’s worst episodes by fans online even after 790 episodes” levels of controversy.

As such, it might be surprising to hear that The Simpsons season 37, episode 1, “Thrifty Ways to Thieve Your Mother,” intends to reopen this can of worms. This outing sees Lisa start wearing Marge’s clothes from the ‘90s, which swiftly turns her into a fashion sensation in Springfield Elementary.

This premise is a cute way for the series to tackle the current vintage fashion trend, which sees Gen Z and Gen Alpha content creators rooting through their parents’ wardrobes to reintroduce pieces of ‘90s and ‘00s fashion. Although the Y2K trend cycle has arguably already peaked, “Thrifty Ways to Thieve Your Mother” still has a fun premise.

The Simpsons Season 37 Is Unlikely To Explain Marge’s Changing Age

The Long-Running Show Has Laughed Off This Inconsistency Before

That said, there is no way for this episode to avoid the show’s big controversy, as its very conceit implies Marge was Lisa’s age in the ‘90s. While The Simpsons season 36’s risky choices mostly paid off, it is still strange to see the show actively revisit such a contentious canon change with another ’90s-centric plot.

In season 34, Homer said he was born in “The ‘50s, or maybe the ‘80s,” heavily implying that the show will never take fan concerns about inconsistent birthdates very seriously. In a way, this is a reasonable reaction. The Simpsons is an anarchic cartoon, so it doesn’t need to feel true to life.

However, on a less practical, more existential level, there is something truly fascinating about “Thrifty Ways to Thieve Your Mother.” As the series reaches a point that few other TV shows have ever managed, namely its 800th episode, The Simpsons seems eager to cast off audience expectations and toy with everything that viewers take for granted.

As real-life viewers age, the Simpson family changes by the day, turning Homer and Marge from Baby Boomers into Gen X parents, into millennials. If the show lasts long enough, they may someday be Gen Z parents raising children in the 2030s. Until then, The Simpsons season 37, episode 1 is another reminder that anything can happen in the world of the series.

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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

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  Homer Simpson / Abe Simpson / Barney Gumble / Krusty (voice)

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  Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier (voice)