10 Serious Moments From Sitcoms

7. The Simpsons - And Maggie Makes Three

7 simpsons

Years and years ago, before The Simpsons was this monumental, never-ending force that might just outlive us all, it was simply the best comedy show on television. As little as the show€™s characters have progressed (admittedly not every show needs this, with South Park adopting a similar strategy) the antics of Homer and his family always made us laugh. The rebellious Bart, straight-A Lisa and grounded Marge form a brilliant circle to surround the madcap adventures of fan favourite Homer. But what about the smallest Simpson? Maggie barely has any lines in the over-twenty year history of the show, so how do we spotlight her when the inevitable flashback episode rolls around in the form of And Maggie Makes Three?

In heartbreaking fashion, it would seem. When Bart and Lisa ask why Maggie isn€™t in the family photo album, we flashback to Homer and Marge safely and happily raising two kids. Homer has paid off his debts and quits his job at the nuclear power plant to have his dream job working in a bowling alley. It isn€™t much, but Homer relishes it. So what happened? How did the perfect family dissolve into the world€™s favourite dysfunctional one? Maggie was born.

Once Maggie comes along, Homer can€™t support a family with three kids. He€™s forced to quit the bowling alley and go back to his old job at the power plant, where Mr. Burns forces him to crawl through a cat flap and places a large plaque in front of his work place reading €œDon€™t forget: you€™re here forever€. It€™s a tremendously sad moment where, for all intents and purposes, Homer€™s life has been ruined. Is this why Maggie isn€™t in the photo album? No. It€™s because all of Maggie€™s pictures are at Homer€™s workplace, blocking out sections of the plaque to now read €œDo it for her€.

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A Cinema and Photography graduate whose media exposure has amounted to little more than an amateur comics society podcast and a one minute radio discussion about cantaloupe melons. Reader of Vertigo, watcher of Doctor Who, lover of everything film. Tweet in his direction @Story24