The Simpsons Season 36 Finale: A Heartbreaking Twist on Toy Story 2 You Won’t Believe!

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Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Simpsons season 36, episode 18, “Estranger Things”

Although the finale of The Simpsons season 36, with its tribute to Toy Story 2, was touching, I’m still amazed at how melancholic that Pixar reference turned out to be. As the longest-running scripted prime-time American television show ever, The Simpsons has made fun of, referenced, and paid tribute to a myriad of other TV shows and movies for decades now. With more than 780 episodes produced, it’s simpler to list the movies and shows that The Simpsons hasn’t acknowledged rather than trying to mention every piece of media this series has referenced throughout its history.

At the moment, the most frequent venue for The Simpsons’ pop culture satires is their annual Treehouse of Horror Halloween episodes. These episodic segments contain numerous short parodies of well-known and modern genre films and TV shows, allowing The Simpsons to mock a wide range of topics every year, from Westworld to Stranger Things to Snowpiercer. Occasionally, they also satirize children’s media, as seen in “Toy Gory” from season 32, episode 4, “Treehouse of Horror XXXI.” However, this could potentially shift with The Simpsons’ season 37.

The Simpsons Season 36’s Finale Features A Lengthy Toy Story 2 Homage

Bart and Lisa Grow Apart To Sarah McLachlan’s “When She Loved Me”

Previously, the spoof resembled many of the series’ Halloween episodes in its surreal and violent nature, failing to distinguish itself within the Treehouse of Horror collection. On the other hand, season 36 episode 18, titled “Estranger Things,” offered an unusual tribute to Toy Story 2 due to its emotional depth and somber atmosphere. Similar to numerous episodes throughout The Simpsons’ history, this installment began with a separate subplot involving Bart and Lisa watching Itchy & Scratchy together as kids, highlighting the special bond formed through their shared experience despite their differences in personality.

When Marge disclosed that she’d bought Maggie some Itchy & Scratchy merchandise, Bart and Lisa were taken aback to discover the show was now marketed as “baby-friendly.” To Marge’s dismay, they ceased watching it together. Marge hoped Bart and Lisa would keep watching the series so they wouldn’t drift apart without this shared interest.

The Simpsons Season 36’s Finale’s Toy Story Parody Is Shockingly Sad

An Earlier Treehouse of Horror Halloween Episode Featured The Sillier Spoof “Toy Gory”

Initially, her concerns were validated as Sarah McLachlan sung a poignant version of “When She Loved Me,” originally from Toy Story 2. In this reinterpretation, the song conveyed the story of Bart and Lisa’s fondness for Itchy & Scratchy, yet the sequence showing their drift apart, symbolized by them forgetting their cherished childhood toys, retained its emotionally charged impact. Interestingly, unlike previous seasons, the final episode of The Simpsons season 36 did not use this scene for comedic effect.

Instead of playing it light-heartedly, the series emphasized the profound melancholy of two siblings growing more distant as they aged, culminating in an emotionally wrenching surprise: The Simpsons’ season 36 finale paid tribute to Toy Story 2 by revealing that Marge had passed away before witnessing Bart and Lisa reconcile. This unexpected twist was even more heart-rending than the “When She Loved Me” scene in the original film. While The Simpsons has satirized Toy Story previously, this sequence transcended parody to become a deeply poignant tribute instead.

The Simpsons Season 36’s Finale Paid Off This Toy Story 2 Nod

Bart and Lisa’s Daring Homer Rescue Relied On Their Love Of Itchy & Scratchy

Instead of the chaotic “Toy Gloom,” the situation was unusually emotional and truly sad, mirroring the original Toy Story 2 sequence and adding more sorrow with Marge’s sudden demise. However, The Simpsons season 36 cleverly injected humor to soften the blow before Stranger Things concluded, as the siblings eventually made amends later in life. When Lisa accidentally contacted a senior service to collect Homer, Bart and his sister had to pursue a bus filled with elders on their way to Florida in order to rescue their father.

In a pinch, Lisa came up with a clever trick when she couldn’t get the bus to stop. She played an old Itchy & Scratchy cartoon clip, which had water sounds that fooled the elderly passengers into thinking they all needed to use the restroom urgently. This cunning reference to The Simpsons brought back memories of Bart and Lisa’s shared love for the show, saving them in a tight spot just as the season 36 finale was wrapping up. Although it may have made the Toy Story 2 scene more poignant, the episode still managed to end on an optimistic note.

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2025-05-25 21:10