The Simpsons Brings Back One Of Marge’s Most Unexpected (And Perfect) Comedic Partners

The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 12, “Bottle Episode,” now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons‘ season 36 just brought back one of the show’s most unexpected (and quietly perfect) scene partners for Marge. The matriarch of the Simpson family, Marge spends much of the show’s run cleaning up after the chaos of her children and husband. As a result of being the rock on which the rest of the family relies, Marge can sometimes feel underserved compared to the rest of the show’s main cast. One way the show amends this is by highlighting friends and foils to Marge, ranging from a surprising bond with Sarah Wiggum to Marge’s rivalry with Luann Van Houten.

This kind of connection is at the core of “Bottle Episode,” which follows Marge as she embarks on a surprisingly lucrative scam for a good purpose, working to replicate a priceless bottle of wine she used. Her partner in crime is someone with whom Marge has been shown to have a surprising amount of compatibility in the past, even if that bond is underutilized. The character beats and compelling elements of Marge’s storyline in “Bottle Episode” are a reminder that The Simpsons always does well with unexpected character pairings, and that this friendship should be explored further in future episodes.

The Simpsons Paired Up Marge And Smithers For A Season 36 Adventure

“Bottle Episode” Brings Marge & Smithers Together For A Surprisingly Effective Con

“Bottle Episode” is a fun adventure for Marge Simpson and Waylon Smithers, highlighting why the duo are one of the more underrated pairings in The Simpsons. “Bottle Episode” largely focuses on three bottles of wine worth a million dollars — a real one belonging to Mr. Burns that Marge accidentally uses while making a stew, and a pair of counterfeit replacements that she works with Waylon Smithers and Professor Frink to replicate. The true emotional throughline of the episode can be found with Marge’s attempts to help Waylon, who has become beaten down by the atrocities Mr. Burns has him commit.

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The pair end up deciding to use an extra duplicate of the wine to make a million dollars, which they can then use to bring some good back into the world and undo some of the damage caused by people like Burns. Although their efforts get the pair arrested and briefly sent to wine jail, they’re ultimately able to escape consequences thanks to a well-timed bribe from Burns. The episode ends with Marge and Smithers doubling down on their original idea, using the million to help the world. It’s a sweet episode that underscores the surprisingly heartfelt friendship that’s developed between the two characters.

How The Simpsons Made Marge And Smithers Friends Before

Multiple Episodes In The Past Have Highlighted How Marge & Smithers Get Along Great

Marge and Smithers have actually been established as friends before season 36. This makes their friendship in “Bottle Episode” all the more rewarding, as it quietly builds on the connection they’ve shared in several previous episodes. In many episodes, Marge has expressed an appreciation for Smithers even as the family bemoans the casual abuse Burns throws at Homer. Marge and Homer have openly supported Smithers’ attempts to find love outside of his infatuation with Burns, doing their best to assist in Smithers’ romances that occur in season 27’s “The Burns Cage” and season 33’s “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire.”

In the latter especially, Marge openly expressed excitement when things seemed to be going well for Smithers and Michael de Graaf. Marge formed a genuine emotional bond with Smithers while Homer was recovering from an injury in season 28’s “The Last Traction Hero,” and even developed a brief physical attraction to him. She’s also been shown joking around with him on social media in episodes like season 27’s “The Girl Code.” Smithers and Marge being friends is an unexpected but welcome element of the show, one that fleshes out both characters and meshes well with their established personalities and interactions.

Marge And Smithers Compliment One Another Perfectly

Smithers And Marge Bring Out The Best In One Another

On a certain level, Smithers and Marge understand one another better than almost anyone else in Springfield. In “The Last Traction Hero,” Marge and Smithers reflect on the fact that no one in Springfield knows why they put up with Homer and Burns, but they can empathize with one another’s love for the other. They are both repeatedly underappreciated in their lives, to the point where they occasionally need to break away from their loved ones (as in episodes like season 3’s “Homer Alone” and season 7’s “Homer the Smithers”). Marge and Smithers are both good people in The Simpsons.

However, they’re both often dragged into the bizarre schemes of their respective partners. Their compatible personalities is part of what makes “Bottle Episode” so much fun, as Marge and Smithers bring out the best in one another. With Smithers, Marge is able to let loose and be more adventurous, leading her to pitch the idea of selling a false wine in the first place. Conversely, Marge is able to prove to Smithers that he’s still a good man, and actively helps him undo the damage he’s reluctantly carried out on Burns’ orders. It’s a sweet relationship that benefits both characters.

The Simpsons Benefits From Unlikely Pairings

The Simpsons Always Finds New Layers To Supporting Characters By Pairing Them Off In Surprising Ways

One of the benefits of The Simpsons‘ lengthy run is the way the show has grown increasingly inventive and ambitious with character pairings and storylines. Marge and Smithers might not initially seem like a natural fit, but the two characters bounce off one another well. It’s similar to the way that Homer and Ralph are paired up in “C’Mon All Ye Faithful,” an unlikely and underutilized duo that end up working incredibly well together both for the sake of comedy and unexpected pathos. That holiday special also highlighted the unlikely pairing of Ned Flanders and Prof. Frink, another effective pairing.

The show always benefits from having two characters who seem completely different on the surface but are able to help one another in unexpected ways. The friendship between Marge and Smithers is a prime example of how The Simpsons finds new shades to their well-worn characters by pairing them up in unexpected ways. This is one of the ways The Simpsons has been able to develop minor characters into interesting fixtures of the show organically. Marge’s friendship with Waylon Smithers in season 36 of The Simpsons is a great showcase for both characters, and should be revisited in future episodes.

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The Simpsons is a long-running animated TV series created by Matt Groening that satirically follows a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield. Homer, a bit of a schmoe who works at a nuclear power plant, is the provider for his family, while his wife, Marge, tries to keep sanity and reason in the house to the best of her ability. Bart is a born troublemaker, and Lisa is his super-intelligent sister who finds herself surrounded by people who can’t understand her. Finally, Maggie is the mysterious baby who acts as a deus ex machina when the series calls for it. The show puts the family in several wild situations while constantly tackling socio-political and pop-culture topics set within their world, providing an often sharp critique of the subjects covered in each episode. This series first premiered in 1989 and has been a staple of Fox’s programming schedule ever since!

Release Date

December 17, 1989

Franchise(s)

The Simpsons

Network

FOX

Seasons

36