The Simpsons Season 36 Is A Great Time To Use One Storytelling Trick The Show Surprisingly Never Has Before

Although The Simpsons season 36 has the chance to pull off a surprising series first, this would require the show’s creators to take a big creative risk. The Simpsons might receive a lot of flack for its perceived critical decline, but the show can’t be faulted for its invention. One 2017 two-parter was a two-part parody of The Great Gatsby told via hip-hop, while the show’s season 29 premiere took place entirely in a fantasy land re-imagining of The Simpsons universe. Judging by seasons 34 and 35, The Simpsons season 36 will continue this experimental streak with aplomb.

Sadly, not all of these ambitious experiments pay off. Some of the worst episodes of The Simpsons are outings that try to do something truly new and different with the show’s formula, like season 23, episode 12, “Moe Goes from Rags to Riches.” On paper, the idea of an entire episode about Moe’s sentient dishrag sounds surreal and hilarious but, in practice, the episode earned largely negative reviews. Fortunately, these missteps have not stopped the show from making bold, bizarre choices. As such, it is surprising that The Simpsons has never attempted one experiment that would be truly daring.

The Simpsons Has Never Done A Silent Episode

No Episode Of The Simpsons Is Silent From Start To Finish

In its 25 seasons, The Simpsons has never done an entirely silent episode. The show has messed with its format repeatedly, with a partially “Live” improvised episode in 2016, an episode animated via Lego in 2014, and an earlier Treehouse of Horror segment that ended in the live-action real world. However, The Simpsons hasn’t attempted a silent episode even though one of its most acclaimed shorts ever, 2012’s "The Longest Daycare," was dialogue-free. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, “The Longest Daycare” was deservedly adored by critics and fans alike upon its release.

Admittedly, this short film is only four minutes long, while a typical episode of the series lasts around twenty minutes. However, given the strange experiments that later seasons of The Simpsons have attempted, it still seems like a striking oversight to realize that The Simpsons has no silent episodes. The Simpsons season 36’s problem with declining ratings could be assisted by an attention-grabbing stunt like this, and the success of 2024’s recent indie hit Hundreds of Beavers proves that silent comedy is more than a mere gimmick. The Simpsons could truly surprise viewers with this approach.

The Simpsons Has Tried Its Hand At Most TV Experiments

The Simpsons Has Musical Episodes, Anthology Episodes, And Two-Parters

Since the series began, The Simpsons has rarely met a TV experiment that the show didn’t try. The Simpsons had numerous clip shows in its early seasons, and its earliest anthology episodes date back as far as season 2, episode 3, “Treehouse of Horror.” The Simpsons turned this multi-story experiment into a beloved annual tradition immediately, resulting in other anthology episodes that riffed on everything from bible stories to the tall tales of American folklore, to Shakespeare. The Simpsons also staged numerous musical episodes, such as season 9, episode 11, “All Singing, All Dancing,” and some audaciously meta outings.

The Simpsons season 11 finale “Behind the Laughter” purported to be a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show and the dysfunctional relationship shared by its stars. Earlier, both season 8, episode 24, “The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase,” and season 7, episode 10, “The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular,” acknowledge the show’s existence as a fictional series within its own universe. This list doesn’t even mention the many Simpsons episodes told out of chronological order or weird one-off experiments like season 7, episode 21, “22 Short Films About Springfield." All of these prove that a silent episode wouldn’t be outside of its purview.

It’s Not Too Late For A Silent Simpsons Episode

The Simpsons Season 36 Could Try This Risky Experiment

Although The Simpsons bringing back beloved supporting stars smacks of desperation, the show’s fondness for experimental episodes has the opposite impact on its reputation. These outings might not always succeed, but they always prove that The Simpsons is not irrelevant yet. The Simpsons can still surprise viewers after 36 years on the air, as proven by acclaimed outings like season 34, episode 3, “Lisa the Boy Scout.” An entirely silent episode could be the perfect way to double down on this approach, paying homage to an earlier era of entertainment while simultaneously, ironically, proving The Simpsons isn’t old news.

Admittedly, silent episodes are a rarity in TV history. Although The Bear’s season 3 premiere brought the idea back into the mainstream, Michael Hogan’s article on the topic for TheGuardian proves that, while silence is golden, silent episodes are a big creative risk in the medium. Many of the most famous examples, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 4, episode 10, “Hush,” or BoJack Horseman season 3, episode 4, “Fish Out of Water,” are only partially silent. However, this only makes the idea of a television staple like The Simpsons breaking this rule all the more intriguing.

Why The Simpsons Needs A Silent Episode

The Simpsons Should Try A Silent Outing For Two Reasons

There are two major reasons that The Simpsons season 36 should include a silent episode, one practical and one artistically motivated. In practical terms, The Simpsons is one of the few shows on the air with enough un-cancelable cultural clout to do something as risky and weird as an entirely silent episode. The Simpsons has lasted for over 760 outings, so there is no fear of one negatively received episode killing the series. The other reason is more concerned with the show’s creative side. The Simpsons owes its unique comedic style to influences from cinema’s entire history, including the Silent Era.

The Simpsons was shaped by every type of comedy that came before it, from the Marx Brothers to the Zucker brothers. There are countless movies viewers can’t watch without The Simpsons coming to mind since the show spoofed, paid homage to, and borrowed from innumerable classics since its inception. As such, The Simpsons should acknowledge its creative debt to Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, and the rest of the Silent Era’s stars. The Simpsons season 36 has a chance to pull this off with a silent episode or, more likely, one wherein Homer utters a single “D’oh!” just before the credits roll.

Source: TheGuardian