The Simpsons Season 35's Latest Homer Storyline Was Done Much Better Over A Decade Ago

The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons Season 35 Episode 15, "Cremains Of The Day," now streaming on Hulu.

Summary "Cremains Of The Day" repeats an emotional arc from a past episode, lacking in comparison.

The newer episode fails to surpass the emotional heights of "The Saga Of Carl."

Homer's friendships could be explored in more original and emotionally resonant ways.

The Simpsons' latest episode, season 35's "Cremains Of The Day," repeats an emotional beat that was explored better in an episode from over ten years ago. It's not uncommon to see The Simpsons return to previous concepts and story ideas. Sometimes the concept lends itself to invention and natural comedy, such as Homer's constantly changing job prospects. Other times it can take a basic premise and reinvent it with new meaning or purpose. The show has even utilized similar emotional beats as consistent throughlines, like exploring Homer and Marge's romance through thirty-five years of different perspectives.

Unfortunately, some episodes that repeat previous emotional beats can feel lackluster in comparison. This is the case with "Cremains Of The Day," which focuses on how Homer and his friends respond to the death of someone they rarely thought about. The result is an episode largely rooted in exploring The Simpsons' main friendships, something that a season 24 episode also explored. In comparison, the newer episode doesn't match the emotional heights of the prior episode, despite having the ideal set up for a more introspective and emotional storyline.

Related The Simpsons Season 35 Proves Who The Show's Best Villain Is (& Always Has Been) The Simpsons season 35 almost forgot about the show's original villain, but one of its best outings reinstated this famous figure as its antagonist.

The Simpsons Season 35 Repeats A Season 24 Episode

"Cremains Of The Day" Repeats The Big Emotional Arc Of "The Saga Of Carl"

The Simpsons' season 35 episode "Cremains Of The Day" has the same emotional throughline as season 24's "The Saga Of Carl," but fails to improve on the story. Both episodes take Homer, Moe, Lenny, and Carl out of Springfield and force the four to consider their friendship. In both episodes, the four are confronted with the possibility that their bond is almost entirely surface-level and lacks a genuine emotional connection. However, they discover together that their connection is far greater than that, with the four reaffirming their friendship by the episode's end.

Both episodes do have their own unique elements. In "The Saga Of Carl," Carl's decision to take all of their shared lottery winnings sets off a trip to Iceland that uncovers more of Carl's origins. By contrast, "Cremains Of The Day" is a more grounded affair that follows the four men as they try to spread the honor fellow Moe's regular Larry after his death. However, they're both ultimately about the most consistent friendships in Homer's life. Despite the clear emotional potential of dealing with mortality, the newer episode fails to rise above "The Saga Of Carl."

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While both "The Saga Of Carl" and "Cremains Of The Day" focus on Homer's primary friend group, the former is a more focused and insightful exploration of the characters. Carl's blunt assessment that the four aren't real friends hits hard because it stems directly from one of Homer's most consistent supporting characters. It's treated as an impactful blow to Lenny especially, whose friendship with Carl has been a defining element of the character for years. By contrast, the discovery that Larry was jealous of the bond between the four men is only really used to underscore the differences between them.

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There's never a moment in "Cremains Of The Day" as effective as Lenny's somber acceptance of Carl's criticism, or as stirring as Lenny, Homer, and Moe proving their friendship to a tearful Carl in front of his hometown. Instead, the episode shifts focus repeatedly and even adds a layer of danger by inserting a murderous agent of Fat Tony into the plot. The relative lack of characterization for Larry over the years undercuts the emotional thrust of the story. Whereas "The Saga Of Carl" built upon years of casual friendship being genuinely tested, "Cremains Of The Day" feels rushed.

Related The Simpsons Season 35's Lisa Fix Drops The Most Annoying Part Of Her Character The Simpsons season 35 has largely dropped one of Lisa's most annoying character traits and the show has improved her role as a result of the change.

Homer's Friendships Need A Better Spotlight

"Cremains Of The Day" Could Have Explored Friendship In Different Ways

Homer's friend group is among the show's most consistent supporting characters. As a result, exploring them and their bonds is fertile ground for The Simpsons. However, there are more ways the friendship between the characters could be explored that would feel more original and emotionally resonant than repeating the question of whether they're friends. "Cremains Of The Day" touches on some of these interesting elements. Marge's belief that Lenny is a "sweet" guy motivates him to do right by Larry's memory, which could raise questions about why he's friends with a self-avowed scumbag like Moe.

Their differing views on the afterlife could invite discourse and discord, showcasing how friends navigate their different worldviews. Even Moe's decision to take the jewels found smuggled in Larry's ashes without Lenny and Carl's knowledge — another retread of the monetary stakes of "The Saga Of Carl" — could draw attention to the different responsibilities Homer feels compared to his friends. A Simpsons character death should be the perfect set-up to explore the characters. However, future episodes of The Simpsons that do so should embrace different approaches to the group.