Disney+ Doesn’t Watch ‘The Simpsons’: More Proof

ly and portly safety instructor finds himself falling for a compulsory DEI hire named Mindy Simmons, despite his matrimonial commitment to dear Marge. When Marge goes down with a cold and Mr. Burns sends Homer and Mindy off on an intimate work trip together, Homer must make a decision to either give in to temptation or stay true to his soulmate, thankfully choosing the latter option.

Critically, however, Homer’s conflict of conscience and moral triumph in “The Last Temptation of Homer” is internal. Homer’s dilemma in the pivotal hotel room scene isn’t about Marge finding out about the possible affair, it’s about his devotion and faithfulness to the woman he loves. The episode’s conclusion wouldn’t be half as satisfying if Homer’s motivations were self-preservative rather than loving, and making Marge fight to save her marriage from another woman would have been preposterously undignified.

As minor as this error may seem, it’s part of the fandom’s larger sense of distaste for Disney’s performance as custodian of the Simpsons catalog, especially its most celebrated early seasons. For instance, fans cried foul when Disney struck the Season Three episode “Stark Raving Dad” from the streaming library over the guest performance of pop superstar and accused pedophile Michael Jackson — aka Leon Kompowsky — and Disney’s decision to change the default aspect ratio of the entire early series while cropping out important visual gags still has some fans incensed.

All these errors in the Disney+ streaming of The Simpsons seem to be symptoms of the same problem — the people in charge of The Simpsons don’t watch the show, and they don’t know what it needs. It’s enough to tempt longtime fans to break their copyright vows and, uh, “sail the high seas.”