The Simpsons: 11 Best Episodes From Season 11

The problem with The Simpsons being an episodic cartoon is that it’s incredibly resistant to change. The format of an episodic sitcom calls for the status quo to be preserved each week, and because characters are animated, they don’t age, and thus, stay as they are forever. So with the exception of minor alteration, the Simpson family itself has remained constant for around 30 years.

That said, side characters are often allowed much more flexibility. Other residents in Springfield have gotten married, divorced, beaten addictions, made new friendships, and while many of them are reversed, often their world is shaken up for good.

Apu is a good example of this, as we the viewers have seen his ascent from series window dressing to fully-fledged family man. Two seasons prior, he married his arranged bride Manjula, and it’s in Season 11’s “Eight Misbehavin’” we see them have a child... or rather, eight children.

This episode works not just for the absurd conflict that arises from this development (a zoo owner offers Apu and Manjula to house the octuplets in an exhibit), but for the fact that it represents a genuine change in Apu’s life.

True, as a side character, we the audience don’t see much of that change, but it can’t be said Apu was the same relatively vanilla character he had been portrayed as before he the show began developing a history for him.

“Eight Misbehavin’” was an important stepping stone for Apu, and it’s worth strolling by again if you’ve forgotten.