The Simpsons has been telling the story of Springfield for decades, and throughout that history, there have been landmark episodes that are still thought of with high regard to this day. While there are examples of this Fox animated series that still can receive some serious laughs from audiences, there remains a “golden age” of the show that took place before many Simpsons fans were alive. Thirty-three years ago, a fan-favourite episode aired that not only dove further into the past of Springfield’s most popular family, but it also gave viewers something that they never expected to see.
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In 1992, The Simpsons released the tenth episode of its fourth season, “Lisa’s First Word.” In this episode, the runtime was split between two distinct storylines taking place in the present and the past. In the present story, Homer and his clan were attempting to get Maggie to say her first word, something that hadn’t happened in any of the instalments prior. During these numerous attempts, Homer and Marge talked with their children about Lisa’s first word. In this heartwarming tale, we see the friction between brother and sister years before Maggie joins the animated world, with Lisa and Bart eventually burying the hatchet. As a result of their understanding, Lisa blurts out “Bart” as her first word, though this doesn’t stop the two from fighting in the present.
In the episode’s final moments, Homer hopes that Maggie never speaks and never grows up, so she can stay as an adorable baby forever. Putting her to bed, the audience sees Maggie’s first word for themselves as she heart-warmingly calls Homer “Daddy,” out of his earshot. Throughout The Simpsons, Bart routinely addresses his father by his first name, making for quite the change when it comes to Homer’s youngest. While this scene gave us Maggie’s first word, it was far from the first time that we witnessed Maggie speaking in general.
The Times Maggie Spoke
Ironically enough, Maggie has spoken quite a few times in The Simpsons ever since uttering her first word in season four. Perhaps the youngest member of the Simpsons spoke the most during the Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials that take place each year. While these specials certainly didn’t take place within the show’s continuity, it gave audiences some hilarious moments to witness Maggie belting out words she most likely would never say. One of the funniest instances remains the fifth Treehouse of Horror that saw Maggie in an alternate timeline burying an ax into the back of Groundskeeper Willie. Voiced by none other than James Earl Jones, Maggie simply states, “This is indeed a strange universe.”
Most recently, Maggie talked once again during the latest Treehouse of Horror and while, obviously, Jones didn’t return to the role, another prominent actor stepped into the youngest Simpson’s shoes. In Treehouse of Horror XXXVI, none other than Viola Davis voiced Maggie Simpson, hilariously depicting a “perfect” future that is filled with nothing but duplicates of the baby. Again, this story doesn’t take place in the main series’ canon, but it shows the wild journey that Maggie has had across the universes.
Another way for Maggie to potentially speak is via the “future episodes” that the show has become more well-known for in recent years. Routinely, The Simpsons will often look to the future to show Bart, Lisa, and Maggie as adults, with some even having families of their own. There have been some future instalments that deftly avoided Maggie blurting out any words, though this is another avenue to see the youngest of Homer and Marge saying something.
As for whether Maggie will once again speak in the future, it’s a safe bet that we’ll hear her say something down the line. The Fox animated series is confirmed to air all the way up until season forty, meaning we have at least three more seasons of The Simpsons to enjoy. With such a long history under its belt, it will be interesting to see just how long the animated series will run when all is said and done, but its legacy as one of the most influential animated shows in North America won’t ever be forgotten.
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