The Simpsons: 10 Greatest Apu Moments

This episode is an interesting one, given recent developments in the Apu saga. Homer and Moe, irritated at not being allowed to bowl on league night, team up with Apu and Otto to form a team. Once they start supporting each other, they all turn out to be great and in with a chance at the championship.

This chance appears to fade as Mr Burns joins the team, and is predictably terrible. The Pin Pals lose a match against the Stereotypes (Cletus, Willie, Luigi and the Sea Captain) and Apu jokes that they begged him to join the team. The Simpsons have always acknowledged using stereotypical characters, but have rarely used punching down as their humour. Arguably they do with white redneck Cletus, but whether that even constitutes racism is a different conversation.

For all it’s a lighthearted, throwaway gag, Apu was never going to be on that team. We know next to nothing about the backstory and history of Luigi and the Sea Captain. Apu is a main character; fully realised and developed. He belongs on the starring team, with main story focus. He’s always been much, much more than a background joke.