The Simpsons Season 35 Brought Back 2 Surprising New Trends

While The Simpsons season 35 isn’t reinventing the show’s entire formula, episode 12 did bring back two new trends and both of these helped enliven the outing’s storyline. It is tough for The Simpsons to feel genuinely original and innovative as the show continues its 35th season. The Simpsons has been on the air for so long that some of its most famous imitators, like South Park and Family Guy, now have imitators of their own. Despite this, The Simpsons is still changing up its formula, albeit in relatively subtle ways. Season 35 features inventive touches that ensure the show isn’t predictable.

While The Simpsons season 36 story may change this, season 35 has made Homer the show’s villain a surprisingly high number of times. Five of the season’s first 12 outings depict Homer in an unflattering light, drawing attention to his greed, corruption, or incompetence. This makes an otherwise very familiar character feel unpredictable while also ensuring that the show’s tone never gets too saccharine. Similarly, season 35, episode 12, “Lisa Gets An F1,” reused two recent trends to make the episode’s story feel more immersive and original. These included a format shift and the decision to drop an iconic series tradition.

The Simpsons Season 35, Episode 12 Is Another Mockumentary

Like season 35, episode 4, “Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story,” “Lisa Gets An F1” was a mockumentary episode that focused on Lisa’s personal journey. This outing saw Lisa conquer her anxiety by becoming a Kid’s Formula 1 go-kart racing champion, whereas “Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story” centered on a Theranos-style scammer whom Lisa idolized until she married Mr. Burns. While season 35 episode 11 featured a Simpsons first when the outing claimed to be based on a true story, “Lisa Gets An F1” offered a similar subversion of the show’s usual status quo thanks to its mockumentary format.

Guest star Matt Berry narrated a documentary about Springfield’s Kid’s Formula 1 contest, explaining Lisa’s rise before the episode flashed back to the therapist who introduced Lisa to go-kart racing. Like “Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story,” the episode bounced seamlessly between mockumentary sequences and normal scenes, with some moments featuring Berry’s character narrating the events and others taking place in the Simpson family home or Springfield Elementary. This ensured that the mockumentary format never got in the way of character work, as a hypocritical Homer began to worry about Lisa’s safety (despite his dangerous driving) while her racing career blossomed.

The Simpsons Changing Its Format Helps The Show

Adding a mockumentary format allowed The Simpsons to keep things fresh after over 750 episodes, but that wasn’t the only change this episode made. Like a few other recent episodes of The Simpsons, “Lisa Gets An F1” cut the show’s opening credits sequence to give Lisa’s story more screen time. This meant that the outing had no chalkboard gag and no couch gag, but it also meant the story got underway faster and had more time to breathe. While a little jarring, this subversion of the show’s normal status quo proved that The Simpsons season 35 isn’t entirely predictable.