The Simpsons Reveals One Classic Running Gag Will Not Return

The Simpsons is currently in the midst of Season 35 of the series' run with FOX, and the newer episodes have revealed that the classic running joke of Homer strangling Bart won't be returning in future episodes. While fans of the long running series have actually seen a return to nostalgic episodes for new stories or to bring back characters in the last few years, there have been a few ideas that have not aged as gracefully quietly retired. These can factor for many reasons, but it's a changing landscape for the series as it enters a new era. 

The Simpsons still had some Homer choking Bart jokes even in Season 35's Treehouse of Horror as a Homer transformed Kirk VanHouten chokes a Homer transformed Milhouse (and a non-canon version of the family in a Season 32 episode), but there have been a few years since Homer has gotten physically abusive on screen in the same way he used to. It was a move in order to reflect the changing times around the new episodes, and Homer actually addresses it as such when mentioning the fact he no longer chokes his son in the newest episode of the series. 

The Simpsons: Why Homer No Longer Chokes Bart

The Simpsons Season 35 Episode 3, "McMansion & Wife" sees The Simpsons welcome a new family to the neighborhood, and a new character shakes Homer's hand. Then complimenting his grip, Homer jokes to Marge that all those times choking Bart had paid off before saying, "Just kidding. I don't do that anymore. Times have changed." So while fans might have noticed the lack of one of the series' longest running jokes in the new episodes, the series itself has now fully made a statement on it. Joking or not. 

If you wanted to see the new episodes as they air, The Simpsons Season 35 is now airing on FOX on Sunday evenings at 8:00PM EST. If you missed the episodes during their premiere, you can catch the new episodes the day after they air streaming on Hulu. If you wanted to go back and actually rewatch The Simpsons' many seasons and see how it's changed over all this time, you can find the first 34 seasons of the fan favorite animated series now streaming with Disney+. 

How do you feel about The Simpsons getting rid of this long running joke in the new seasons? 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!