The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 4, “Shoddy Heat,” now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons'36th season gives Lisa the chance to relive a formerly common aspect of her character. For thirty-six seasons, Lisa has been the brainy moral compass of the Simpsons family, looking to improve her life and the lives of others (even while occasionally falling into a childish impulse or facing the perpetual tough luck of a bittersweet world). Those core characteristics have been filtered through plenty of different directions, such as her exploration of faith, her struggles with living ethically or her efforts to make Springfield a better place even amidThe Simpsons' various parodiesand stories.
In early episodes ofThe Simpsons, it wasn’t uncommon to see her take on a different role that set up plenty of mysteries around Springfield and beyond. This element of the character became less pronounced over time, with Lisa instead shifting into other roles as the episodes required. However,The Simpsonsseason 36’s “Shoddy Heat"brings this aspect of the character back to the forefront in a very fun way.
The Simpsons Season 36 Brings Back A Classic Episode Template
The SimpsonsMakes Lisa A Detective Again
“Shoddy Heat” turns Lisa back into a young detective, which was a consistent element of the show’s earlier Lisa-heavy storylines. “Shoddy Heat” focuses on an uncovered cold case that Abe Simpson once investigated decades before the events of the main series. Curious about the situation, Lisa sets out to find the truth and uncovers a secret between Mr. Burns and Abe that ensured the latter’s silence, explaining howHomer keeps his job at the Nuclear Power Plant. It’s a fun return for Lisa the Kid Detective, which was a more consistent character beat during the Golden Age ofThe Simpsons.
The Simpsons Season 36’s Grampa Story Brought Back An Infamous Plot Hole
The Simpsons season 36 episode 4’s Grampa storyline made an infamous plot hole from the long running series even more confusing than it already was.
Episodes like season 3’s “Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington,” season 5’s “Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy,” season 6’s “Sideshow Bob Roberts” and season 7’s “Who Shot Mr. Burns Part 2"highlighted Lisa’s potential as a mystery solver. Alongside Bart, the pair found themselves uncovering plenty of truths around Springfield. This was even poked fun at inThe Simpsonsitself, with season 7’s “The Day the Violence Died” revealing a similar pair of siblings who steal Bart and Lisa’s thunder. Although her own investigation stopped being the primary focus of the episode, it’s a fun return for Lisa’s detective skills.
How The Simpsons Turned Lisa Into A Modern Nancy Drew
Lisa Has Been On Dozens Of Mystery Stories Over The Series
Early seasons ofThe Simpsonsplayed with Lisa in several different ways, with the character’s innocence and intelligence steadily becoming a key component of the character.This intellect made her ideal for solving mysteries across Springfield, which became a recurring element of those early seasons. Over time, Lisa’s intellect being applied to politics and academics became a much more prevalent aspect of her storylines, with the detective plots falling by the wayside. However, this element would be reintroduced occasionally, such as in season 20’s “Gone Maggie Gone” or season 35’s “Murder She Boat.”
Lisa has still embarked on enough mysteries over the years to place her firmly alongside other iconic “young detective” characters like Nancy Drew.
Even with those plotlines becoming less pronounced in modern seasons,Lisa has still embarked on enough mysteries over the years to place her firmly alongside other iconic “young detective” characters like Nancy Drew. The show even pokes fun at this in “Who Shot Mr. Burns,” with Lisa telling herself that she can follow in Nancy Drew’s footsteps as she helps prove her father wasn’t responsible for shooting his boss. Lisa’s natural charm and intellect make her an ideal modern answer to Nancy Drew, especially in a setting likeThe Simpsonsthat can gleefully subvert expectations in those mystery stories.
The Key To The Simpsons' Longevity Helps Lisa Become A Foundational Character
The Simpsons' Flexibility Is Why It So Enduring
The sheer adaptability and fluidity ofThe Simpsonsis one of the big reasons the show has lasted as long as it has. The characters are at their cores very consistent but benefit from the ability to be used in many different ways. Lisa’s intellect can make her a detective for an episode, an over-achiever in the next and a somber lone in the one after that. All those elements feel true to the character. Lisa being a snooping detective plays into her intellect and her capabilities, while still feeling natural for the character.
This same idea applies to the rest of Springfield’s many residents, who have proven adaptable enough to be placed into different settings and genres as episodes dictate.Lisa’s detective capabilities are one of the best examples of this, a character skill set that may have been largely pushed aside but can easily be reasserted in an episode to both motivate the plot and set up different directions. The key toThe Simpsonsfeeling as fresh as they do even after 36 seasons is the ability to shape their characters into different forms, like letting Lisa become a detective again.
The Simpsons
Cast
The Simpsons is an animated series set in the fictional town of Springfield, following the daily lives of the Simpson family—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Premiering in 1989, the show is renowned for its satirical commentary on politics, media, and American culture, featuring numerous celebrity guest appearances.
