The Simpsons Season 37 Just Repeated An Iconic Storyline From The Show’s Golden Age

by

Despite borrowing a storyline from its classic era, the latest episode of The Simpsons (season 37, episode 12) feels fresh and like a respectful nod to the past, rather than a simple repeat. With over 800 episodes spanning 37 seasons, The Simpsons is a long-running hit that even expanded to a feature film in 2007.

A new movie is coming, proving just how much of a cultural landmark The Simpsons has become. As the longest-running scripted prime-time show in American history, even its less popular seasons still manage to feature great celebrity appearances and flashes of brilliant humor.

Recently, The Simpsons has seen a surprising comeback in critical acclaim. Starting around season 33, the show has been getting some of its best reviews and fan reactions in years, with many believing it’s returned to its former quality after a long period of being just okay.

The Simpsons Season 37’s Stuntman Story Repeats Homer’s “Homerpalooza” Plot

Image courtesy of Everett Collection

Looking back at some of The Simpsons‘ best Christmas episodes shows how consistently great they are, with the recent Season 36 special, “Oh C’mon All Ye Faithful,” standing out alongside the show’s most beloved holiday episodes. Remarkably, Season 37’s episode 12, “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” continued this tradition of quality, even though it revisited a story idea the show had used before.

As early as season 11, in the episode “Saddlesore Galactica,” The Simpsons began playfully poking fun at its tendency to reuse storylines. The episode featured a fair crowd booing Comic Book Guy when he pointed out that the Simpsons already had a horse, highlighting how unoriginal their current plot felt.

It’s not surprising, then, that “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” borrows ideas from the classic episode “Homerpalooza.” In that episode, Homer went to a music festival called Hullabalooza and discovered his musical preferences were out of touch. He also met the bands Cypress Hill and Smashing Pumpkins there.

Homer demonstrated an unusual resilience – he survived being hit in the stomach by a cannonball without injury, even suggesting he could be a performer in the festival’s special show. Similar to a classic episode of The Simpsons, the rest of the event involved Homer taking dangerous risks all to try and make his kids proud.

Okay, so there are these two episodes that really stand out to me as prime Homer. In “Homerpalooza,” he gets a job at a music festival and, get this, gets blasted by a cannon every night! All to try and prove to Bart and Lisa he’s still cool. It’s ridiculous! Then there’s “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” where he becomes the secret stunt double for this cheesy Latin American superhero, Bumblebee Man, just to get Bart’s approval. Seriously, the lengths this guy goes to for his kids are amazing.

The Simpsons “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” Put An Ingenious Spin On This Classic Plot

Okay, so Homer did that thing again where he takes a super risky job just to be a hero to the kids, and predictably, it almost ended badly. But honestly, this episode – “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” – was way more than just a repeat of that old storyline. It really surprised me with how it took things in a new direction.

In this episode of The Simpsons, Homer’s stunt double allowed Humberto Vélez, who voices Homer in Latin American Spanish, to play a significant role. Vélez is very popular with the show’s large Latin American fanbase.

It’s unusual for TV shows to recognize the voice actors who dub them. That’s why it was a pleasant surprise to see the show give such a prominent role to Vélez so soon after The Simpsons celebrated its 800th episode.

As Bumblebee Man, Vélez portrayed a popular Latin American comedy star on TV. This role cleverly mirrored Vélez’s own experience playing Homer, as his TV character even lamented that his show’s quality declined over time, just like the show went on for too long and lost its initial appeal.

The Simpsons Season 37’s Homer Story Highlights The Show’s Growth

While “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” clearly drew inspiration from “Homerpalooza,” that wasn’t a weakness. In fact, it showed how valuable The Simpsons‘ long run has become. The show can now cleverly revisit and reimagine older ideas with new characters and a fresh take.

It’s remarkable that The Simpsons has been on television long enough to revisit old storylines, give attention to a minor character, and acknowledge its huge Spanish-speaking fan base—all in one episode. Even with a recent improvement in critical reception, the show’s future feels less secure as it moves to Disney+.

As a huge fan, it’s tough to admit, but The Simpsons isn’t as popular as it used to be. Even though critics still sometimes praise it, the ratings have been falling for a while now. I often wonder how much longer it can stay on regular TV, and when we’ll see it move completely over to streaming services. It’s a little scary to think about, honestly!

Despite the current unpredictable television landscape, “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” proves that The Simpsons can still deliver fresh and creative episodes. After so many years, even its strongest new stories often rely on familiar themes and ideas.

Read More

2026-01-07 00:29