The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 12, “The Flandshees of Innersimpson,” now streaming on HuluThe Simpsonsseason 36 just made a major change to the history of Homer and Ned’s relationship — and introduces a wild change to the iconic family couch in the process. Perhaps the most well-known imagery fromThe Simpsonsis the family on the couch. It’s a major part of the opening sequence to one of TV’s longest-running shows, with the family racing to the couch and experiencing countless visual gags and experiences while trying to sit down and watch some TV.
It’s a key visual cue for the franchise that has been parodied and referenced plenty of times across pop culture. It’s also just been given a surprising place in one of the show’s most fundamental dynamics, withThe Simpsonsseason 36using it as the visual signifier for how bad things have grown between two of the show’s most iconic characters. While it does retcon some elements from a Golden Age episode that it takes inspiration from, it’s an interesting way to tie the iconic piece of the set to an actualcharacter feud inThe Simpsons.
The Simpsons Couch Actually Belongs To Ned Flanders
Apparently The Couch Never Belonged To The Simpsons
“The Flandshees of Innersimpson” reveals thatthe iconic couch fromThe Simpsonshas actually belonged to Ned Flanders all along. The season 36 episode reignitesthe feud between Homer and Nedby having Flanders vow to never speak with Homer again. In the extended riff onThe Banshees of Inisherin, this silent distance grows more and more consuming until it explodes into regrettable violence — although the more cartoonish world ofThe Simpsonsallows the fight to be resolved in a bloodless car fight. Homer pours his heart out in a soulful apology letter to Flanders, but it doesn’t help.
I Wish The Simpsons Season 36 Would Mine Inspiration From One Of Its Darkest Episodes For Bart’s Sake
A classic Golden Age episode of The Simpsons provided the show with one of its darkest stories, but I think the show should still borrow its approach.
Ned is left even more enraged by the depth of Homer’s emotional intelligence and his subsequent tendency to ignore it. Lashing out by destroying everything Homer has ever “borrowed” from Flanders over the years, Ned reveals that even the couch the family are often seen sitting on was originally his. According to Ned,this was actually the first thing that Homer ever took from Ned, seemingly when they first met. It’s a deceptively surprising reveal about one of the most recognizable elements of the franchise, even if it does make some slight tweaks to the in-universe history of the show.
When Did Homer Steal The Simpsons' Iconic Couch
Homer Stealing The Couch Is A Ret-Con Of A Season 4 Episode
According to Ned, Homer took the couch when they first met. This actually does fit the broad strokes of their first meeting in the show’s continuity, which was revealed over thirty years ago. Audiences see Homer and a pregnant Marge move into their current house in season 4’s “Lisa’s First Word.” Homer and a toddler-aged Bart met Ned and his son Todd while still adjusting to the new building. In the scene,Homer does immediately ask to borrow something from Ned, although it’s just a tray instead of the full couch.
The ret-con that the couch always belonged to Ned is a change to the episode but a solid little tweak for the episode.This is actually a great example of the sliding timeline that has become a key element ofThe Simpsons' longevity. Many minor elements of the moment have changed, such as the year it takes place in and which specific item was borrowed. However, the character throughline remains consistent, thirty-six seasons of constant abuse from Homer stretching all the way back to their first meeting.
The escalation from the dinner tray to the couch not only helps underscore the level of frustration Flanders feels over the situation, it also reflects the bigger and broader world ofThe Simpsonsin season 36 has become…
This is what makes the emotional core of “The Flandshees of Innersimpson” compellingeven after dozens of “Ned gets fed up with Homer” storylines. It builds on the consistent emotional history of the characters. The escalation from the dinner tray to the couch not only helps underscore the level of frustration Flanders feels over the situation, it also reflects the bigger and broader world ofThe Simpsonsin season 36 has become compared to the more grounded season 4. It’s a wild reveal forThe Simpsonsto make, but it is one that fits the episode and the characters.
