Season 36 finale of "The Simpsons", titled "Estranger Things," gives an unexpected and significant narrative twist by depicting the death of Marge Simpson, a core family member. This plot development occurs within a flash-forward set 35 years into the future, diverging from the show's present timeline and thus preserving its ongoing continuity. The episode centers on the family's emotional response to Marge's passing, highlighting themes of grief and reconciliation among her children, Bart and Lisa, who had become estranged prior to her death .
The season 36 finale, titled “Estranger Things,” features a flashforward to thirty-five years in the future, when Lisa (Yeardley Smith) and Bart Simpson are adults, and their mother, Marge Simpson (Julie Kavner), is dead.
Marge looks down on her estranged children from heaven and rejoices when they reconnect. She’s also married to Beatle Ringo Starr in the afterlife, as Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta) is still alive in the future.
Years later, Lisa found success in business as a professional basketball league commissioner while "Bart remained Bart." In the future, after Marge dies before husband Homer, the siblings actually do become estranged before reuniting.
In Season 11 episode Bart to the Future, for instance, Lisa is seen becoming president (taking over from — in a weirdly prescient twist of fate — Donald Trump). These events do not seem to take place in the future seen within Season 23 episode Holidays of Future Passed, where a series of Simpsons family Christmas photos for the show's following 30 years depict Lisa married to Milhouse (and an aged Marge and Homer still present).
Whether this latest look into The Simpsons' future is canon or not, fans expect Marge to be back alive in the present for the show's 38th season — and indeed in the two seasons thereafter. The long-running animation has currently been renewed until its 40 season, set to debut in 2028-2029.
This narrative choice marks a profound moment in the series' long history, eliciting strong reactions from audiences. While some fans expressed discontent with the direction taken by the showrunners, others perceived it as an innovative approach to evolve character arcs within a well-established framework . Additionally, elements such as Marge’s posthumous message urging familial unity and her symbolic remarriage in Heaven contribute layers of emotional complexity to this finale . Overall, this episode exemplifies how *The Simpsons* continues to challenge traditional sitcom conventions through bold storytelling.
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