The Simpsons' 10 Most Desperate Attempts To Boost Ratings

The premiere episode focused on a well-worn topic of The Simpsons: Marge and Homer’s relationship issues.

In the episode, the couple sees a marriage counsellor and Marge is advised to leave Homer. Homer, now separated, goes on a date with Candace, an employee at the pharmacy, who drugs him with GHB while on their date. Homer wakes up at Candace’s apartment reluctant to accept the idea of having been with another woman. However, Homer warms to it in no time and embraces his relationship with Candace. They even get matching tattoos.

While meeting Candace’s father, Roger, it is revealed Marge is dating him. While Candace and Roger argue during the meal, Candace reveals she’s pregnant. Homer wakes up in the marriage counsellor’s office. Like a badly written school creative writing story, it was a dream all along…

Finally, at the end of the episode, it was actually Marge’s dream. It appears the writers were trying to hide the fact they didn’t know how to end the episode, so hid it by making it the most convoluted closing ever. Not a strong way to start a new season…

This exists in the same universe as earlier episodes where Marge almost had an affair with expert bowler Jaques Brunswick, Homer almost does the same thing with co-worker Mindy Simmons. Together, Marge and Homer have had issues with their sex life, gotten divorced, remarried, and faced many other marital issues.

While The Simpsons discusses issues that many people face, after being on air for thirty years, they are bound to encounter problems of going over the same topics. However, ‘Every Man’s Dream’ feels like the writers didn’t know what they were getting at, but felt a little domestic instability could pique interest. Compared to the aforementioned marital episodes, this one was the most desperate to say something, whilst saying nothing at the same time.