Old Money is notable to Simpsons buffs because in this episode we learn the name of Abraham Simpson for the first time. But random trivia is obviously not enough for it to be considered an underrated episode. It is underrated because it is one of the earliest episodes that deals in making a minor character fully realised, and it does this superbly. In this episode we really get to see that Homer and the kids treat Abe woefully. They see him as a burden and they dont even really try to hide it. He has a drawer full of beef jerky from his multiple excursions to the gas station that his family consider their bonding time. And if this isnt tragic enough, they are so callous about his wishes that they use him as an excuse to go on a discount lion safari, which means he misses the birthday of Bea - the woman he has started dating and has fallen in love with. Tragically she dies without Abe getting to see her again. Its not only a brutally humanising moment, but it also leads to an epiphany for Abe. When he inherits Beas money and sacrifices it on making his rest home a better place (a rest home he shouldnt really be in) it not only is a moving end to a well rounded narrative arc, but it makes us realise that all these background characters we are beginning to see have their own lives and their own stories to tell. And as funny as they are, we will also come to empathise and share their journeys over the next twenty plus years.
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