In a new couch gag for this Sunday’s episode, The Simpsons appears to be giving a nod to audiences who are finding ways to pass the time while bunkered at home.
The longer than usual opening segment features Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie going wild in a virtual reality world that starts with Homer diving in, Fortnite-style, to steal a plane from Ned Flanders, which he then uses to buzz the Springfield nuclear plant, presumably to stick it to his boss Mr. Burns. From there, we catch Bart snowboarding out of a helicopter and writing on the side of a mountain in a nod to his now 30-year-old chalkboard gag in the opening credits.
Meanwhile, Marge catches some waves (Who knew she likes to surf?), Lisa explores the ocean floor where she meets up with some whales, and Maggie tears up the town on a revved up tricycle. It seems like the whole family is making the most of their VR experience while responsibly self-isolating like the responsible Springfield citizens that they are. However, things soon go south for Homer as the tail of his plane explodes causing his plane to crash, and that’s apparently enough VR for him as he rips off his headset and returns to his one true love: TV.
The couch gag marks a decidedly less controversial moment for The Simpsons during the global pandemic. An old joke from a ’90s episode recently became the subject of a racially-insensitive viral meme that prompted a former Simpsons writer to denounce it in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
In lighter, less health crisis-based news, Disney+ has confirmed that it will keep its promise to fans by making classic episodes of The Simpsons available in their original aspect ratio by the end of May.
