It’s the end of the road for one iconic “Simpsons” character. Or is it?
Many fans of the long-running series were left devastated and confused after watching the Season 36 finale, which killed off Marge Simpson.
Since 1989, the matriarch of the Simpson family has entertained viewers as she’s cared for her comedic clan. But many viewers are concerned that they’ve seen the last of her after the Season 36 finale.
Is Marge Simpson really dead? And if so, how did she die? Here’s everything you need to know to catch up.
What happened to Marge?
Viewers get a look ahead at the Simpson family’s future in the Season 36 finale, titled “Estranger Things.”
Early on in the episode, Marge worries that her children will grow apart after Bart and Lisa stop watching their favorite show, “The Itchy & Scratchy Show.”
Soon, the episode flashes forward 35 years. Viewers learn that Marge passed away before her husband and get a glimpse of her funeral.
Lisa, meanwhile, is living her best life as the commissioner of the NBA, formerly known as the WNBA. She tells a colleague that she and her brother are “really not that close” and reveals that she previously paid for Bart to go to air conditioning school, but he never followed through with the career.
When Lisa visits her childhood home, she finds her father Homer, who’s supposed to be living in a retirement home that she’s paying for, his friends and her brother Bart. Lisa is annoyed to find out that Bart has been running an unlicensed retirement home out of his house and throwing parties with the money she sent him.
Senior Protective Services takes Homer out of the retirement home after Lisa files a complaint, but she later regrets doing so when the siblings learn that their father will soon be sent to Florida.
At home, Lisa stumbles upon an old video of her mother explaining that she and Bart can always depend on each other since they’re siblings.
Together, Lisa and Bart decide to save Homer. They return him to their family home and watch a reboot of “The Itchy & Scratchy Show” together.
At the end of the episode, Marge appears from heaven and proudly watches her family as she says, “I’m just so happy my kids are close again.”
Musician Ringo Starr then stands by Marge’s side and says, “Love, we’ll be late for the Heaven Buffett. There’s a shrimp tower.”
“OK, Ringo. And I’m just so glad that we’re allowed to marry different people in heaven,” Marge responds then kisses Starr.
Is Marge really dead?
Technically, yes. But the majority of the episode takes places many decades in the future. Unless the show decides to take a drastically different direction for future seasons, Marge will presumably return for Season 37.
Per TV Insider, “The Simpsons” has been renewed through Season 40.
How fans reacted
After watching the season finale, many fans of “The Simpsons” weren’t exactly pleased with the show’s writers.
“What’s this I’m hearing they killed Marge Simpson off????” one X user commented.
“I stopped watching the show a while ago but, that sucks dude! You just ruined my day,” another wrote. “I guess I’ll only watch the first 35 Seasons so Marge Simpson can live forever.”
Many fans took to X to share their grief, including one who wrote, “Rest in peace Marge Simpson. Lovely caring woman.”
Although many viewers were upset, some noted that Marge’s loss could shake up the show, including one who commented, “Marge Simpson was the glue that hold the family together it shows how for so many years she had to put up with Homer shenanigans. So maybe this makes Simpsons more interesting of a show.”
Still, most fans were in agreement that you shouldn’t mess with a good thing.
“They f—— killed off Marge Simpson. That’s insanity. Might as well kill off Randy Marsh from South Park and Stewie from Family Guy while you’re at it,” one wrote.
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