The Simpsons stunned fans by killing off Marge Simpson in its season 36 finale … sort of.
The May 18 episode, “Estranger Things,” teased some shocking events awaiting Marge and Homer once their children finally grow up. The finale, which was written by longtime Simpsons staffer Tim Long, flashes ahead 35 years to reveal that Marge somehow dies before Homer. Simpsons fans should not fear because a spokesperson for the show confirmed to Us Weekly that “Marge is not dead.”
In the season 36 finale, Marge was bothered by Bart and Lisa continuing to clash and worried they would become “the kind of siblings who stop speaking and drift apart” once she was no longer around.
“Estranger Things” jumps three decades into the future to confirm that Marge’s dire prediction was correct – Bart and Lisa barely communicate after Marge dies in her early 70s. Sarah McLachlan makes a cameo appearance during the time jump montage for a “heartbreaking” ballad about Bart and Lisa falling out of touch.
In the future, Lisa becomes the president of the NBA – which is now the rebranded WNBA, while the less popular men’s league is renamed the MNBA. Meanwhile, Bart is unemployed and living at the Simpsons’ derelict family home – seemingly all by himself.
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Lisa discovers on a trip home to Springfield that Bart has been keeping the money she’s sent home for Homer’s retirement community and letting their elderly dad and his friends crash with him in their rundown family home. Lisa lashes out at Bart, calling him a “a failure as a brother, son, a human being and given your shocking lack of responsibility, probably a father” and reports him to Senior Services.
When Senior Services arrive to forcibly move Homer to a retirement home in Florida, Bart and Lisa suddenly have to team up to save their father. Lisa struggles to come up with a rescue plan until she discovers a DVD labeled “Marge Simpson Emotional Will.”
“Home, in the very unlikely circumstance that I die before you, please know that I’ll always be there in the sizzle of your bacon, bubble of your beer, and in all the other things that will kill you so we can be together again,” Marge tells her husband in her video will.
Viewers learn that Homer and Marge’s youngest daughter, Maggie, has become an auctioneer for farm equipment, before Marge leaves some inspiring words for her two older children.
“Bart and Lisa, many years ago, I told you both to lean on each other and not drift apart,” Marge reminds her children. “My dearest hope is that you’re looking out for each other and sharing a life-long journey together.”
Lisa and Bart come up with a plan to stop the bus that’s driving Homer and other retirees to Florida and eventually bring their dad back to Springfield. The bittersweet episode closes with Marge sitting on a cloud in heaven, watching over her family.
“I’m just so happy my kids are close again,” Marge beams.
Marge is then interrupted by Ringo Starr inviting her to join him for an endless shrimp tower at heaven’s buffet. Marge and the ex-Beatle embrace, then she admits she’s “just so glad we’re allowed to marry different people in heaven” to close the season finale.
Many fans were stunned that The Simpsons seemingly killed off one of the most beloved characters in the history of the animated series.
“No way there tryna kill off Marge in the Simpsons wtf,” one viewer complained via X.
Another stunned Simpsons fan wrote, “WHAT THE F*** DO YOU MEAN MARGE IS DEAD???!!!”
“I haven’t even watched The Simpsons in 10+ years but they really killed MARGE?!” another viewer asked.
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While “Estranger Things” provided some surprising details about Marge’s eventual death, Us can confirm The Simpsons has not actually killed off the iconic character voiced by Julie Kavner since 1987.
“Marge is not dead. Click-bait is alive & well,” a Fox spokesperson told Us.
In April, Fox renewed The Simpsons for four more seasons – meaning it’s now guaranteed to last at least through its 40th anniversary season. (The Simpsons already surpassed Gunsmoke in 2009 to become the longest-running primetime series in TV history.)
When The Simpsons returns this fall, all signs point to the show picking up in its usual timeline where Homer and Marge are perpetually raising Bart, Lisa and Maggie as children.
All 36 seasons of The Simpsons can be streamed on Disney+.
