I Know It’s The Point, But The Skinny Springfield In The Simpsons Season 36 Really Freaks Me Out
The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 13, “The Last Man Expanding,” now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons’ latest dig at the pharmaceutical industry radically changes the body types of multiple supporting characters — and is really creepy as a result. “The Last Man Expanding” introduces a new weight loss drug to Springfield that transforms much of the show’s heavy-set supporting cast into much skinnier (and more vicious) characters. While most of the town becomes addicted to the medicine, Homer becomes an outlyer because he’s come to love his body.
While the A-plot of “The Last Man Expanding” is rooted and Homer and Marge’s conflict over him potentially taking the drug, the real meat of the episode is seeing how Springfield responds to it. The physical and mental transformations of the larger supporting cast are unsettling, with their usual traits erased and replaced with a ruthless need for more of the medicine. It’s a creepy turn of events and one that underscores the political themes of The Simpsons.
Which Characters Become Weirdly Skinny In Simpsons Season 36
A Lot Of Springfield Becomes Dangerous Skinny In “The Last Man Expanding”
“The Last Man Expanding” focuses on Othinquic, a new medical drug — and clear stand-in for ozempic — that reduces someone’s weight by in part removing their appetite. Many of The Simpsons‘ larger characters like Barney Gumble, Chief Wiggum, Patty, Selma, and Fat Tony quickly use the medicine, giving them much thinner frames. As the episode progresses and news about the medicine spreads, most characters begin taking it until Homer is the last overweight person in town. However, the episode portrays them as dangerously addicted to the medicine.
All of the affected characters quickly develop sagging skin on their faces, as well as a willingness to steal the fat from Homer to replenish their own wasting-away bodies. It’s a surprisingly dark turn for much of the extended cast, with even the likes of Chief Wiggum quickly resorting to force to use Homer as a cellulite donor. The episode ends with Homer and Marge confronting the town and convincing them to give up the medicine, resetting the status quo. However, the episode’s creepy elements of the skinny Springfield might be the most memorable beats in the episode.
Skinny Springfield Was Surprisingly Creepy And Very Sad
The Simpsons Turned Springfield Into A Very Somber Place In Season 36
Skinny Springfield ended up being a surprisingly dour bit of imagery, with much of the extended supporting cast radically changed. While Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, and Barney initially seem genuinely happy, their desperation to remain skinny pushes them to take extreme measures. There’s a montage later in the episode that highlights the impact Othinquic has had on the town, with many of the citizens now dangerously skinny and left scrounging around some of the only remaining samples of the medicine in the town.
Even the Jebidiah Springfield statue has been replaced with a skinny variant, which comes to match the look of the extended town as a whole. Given the usually joyful attitudes of characters like Wiggum and Barney, seeing them brush aside their usual wants and friendships so they can just remain thin is a grim turn. It’s especially harrowing for Homer, who considers some of the people trying to use him as a fat farm his friends. This highlights the dangerous qualities of drugs like Othinquic, which the episode makes clear when it specifically name-drops ozempic.
Season 36 Uses The Status Quo Body Shapes To Great Effect
The Simpsons’ Always Looking The Same Makes The Radical Changes In “The Last Man Expanding” Really Creepy
One of the useful things about having a firm status quo in The Simpsons is the ability to subvert expectations to great effect. This was the appeal of “Bart’s Birthday” earlier in the season, seemingly resolving several plot threads in uncharacteristically happy ways. Something similar happens in “The Last Man Expanding” when it showcases the now-skinny citizens of Springfield, who seem content to ignore some of their other qualities for the sake of remaining skinny. Their increasingly haggard appearances, especially in contrast to their normal appearance, highlight the danger of the drug.
It’s important that “The Last Man Expanding” happens in continuity, highlighting the way this drug can transform the lovable Springfield citizens into more ruthless versions of themselves…
The Simpsons diverging from their usual stories and format can often feel like a jolt for audiences used to seeing the characters in certain ways. Typically, these big swings take place in non-canon episodes like “A Serious Flanders” that can easily reset things. However, it’s important that “The Last Man Expanding” happens in continuity, highlighting the way this drug can transform the lovable Springfield citizens into more ruthless versions of themselves. By highlighting the changes in established characters caused by the unhealthy use of weight loss drugs, The Simpsons makes the theme of the episode especially clear.
