The Simpsons: Bart Strangles Homer in Newest Episode

The Simpsons had recently sparked a lot of debate amongst fans online when Homer in a recent episode joked he wouldn’t be strangling his son Bart anymore, and as a hilarious twist of fate, the newest episode of the series turns the tables as Bart strangled Homer! The Simpsons is currently working its way through its milestone Season 35 of the animated sitcom, and much has changed over the years since it all first began. This includes retiring some of the elements that don’t work as well in the present day, and that almost ended up being one of the longest running gags. 

A previous episode of the season saw Homer addressing the fact he wouldn’t be strangling his son anymore as “times have changed,” and this grew into such a heated debate among fans that the creative team behind it all actually chimed it to reveal that the joke wasn’t going anywhere. Doubling down on this was a twist on the gag in the newest episode of The Simpsons as Bart strangled Homer in its opening minutes. It’s a pretty funny coincidence considering the talk over the last few weeks. 

The Simpsons: Bart Strangles Homer

Bart strangling Homer for a change isn’t a new joke as he’s done it many times in the past, but The Simpsons Season 35 hits harder this time around thanks to the timing of the joke around all of the coincidental talk about it. In Episode 7, “It’s a Blunderful Life,” a Future Lisa thinks back to a particularly sad Thanksgiving and it opens with Homer telling Bart that he signed away all of his rights to the turkey’s drumsticks as a child. This results in Bart strangling Homer to end the scene. 

It’s just a further stamp on the fact that the classic joke really isn’t going anywhere. It’s what The Simpsons co-creator James L. Brooks even mentioned recently when he confirmed that fact in a statement to People, “Don’t think for a second we’re changing anything. Nothing’s getting tamed. Nothing, nothing, nothing,” Brooks stated. “He’ll continue to be strangled—[if] you want to use that awful term for it. He’ll continue to be loved by his father in a specific way.”

How do you feel about The Simpsons‘ strangling running gag? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!