The Simpsons Season 28: 7 Things It's Got Right (So Far)
2. Focusing On Some Lesser Known Characters
We mentioned Grandpa, and Smithers, earlier on in the list. Frankly, overall, The Simpsons twenty-eighth season has wisely moved away a smidge from the family itself, and focused on the supporting cast.
That's important for one key reason: with so many episodes, nearly everything that can be done with The Simpson family has been. Yet there's a wealth of potential talent in the lesser known characters. That's why Carl's backstory in Iceland a few seasons ago worked so well. It's why Havana Wild Weekend and The Last Traction Hero this year worked better than expected.
There's another episode in season twenty-eight that highlights this as well: There Will Be Buds. The sixth episode of the season, this outing features Kirk and Homer becoming coaches of Springfield's new lacrosse team. It brings Kirk Van Houten to the forefront as he and Homer become something of an odd couple, with Kirk wanting to pal up, while Homer winds up annoyed by his fellow coach.
For a change, the episode also drops (often needless) subplots, and sticks to the story of Kirk, Homer, and the lacrosse team. Which is more than enough to entertain for a half hour.