The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 14, “P.S. I Hate You,” now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons’season 36 paired Homer up with an unexpected character who could be the unlikely heir to his role in Springfield. As arguably the most focused on character inThe Simpsons, Homer has interacted with most of Springfield’s extended cast of supporting characters. However, there are some that he’s only ever had a few passing moments with, in contrast to his more extended interactions with his family members or peers at theNuclear Power Plant.
This is especially true with the younger characters of Springfield, whom Homer doesn’t usually have a lot of reason to interact with on a regular basis. However, he actually has a pretty great foil amid the orbit of characters usually reserved for Bart and Lisa.Season 36’s “P.S. I Hate You"highlights how similar Homer is to one ofThe Simpsons' minor characters, which could be an ideal way to play with the character going forward.
Homer And Jimbo Are Surprisingly Good Foils In The Simpsons Season 36
Homer And Jimbo Face Off And Make Up In “P.S. I Hate You”
The Simpsonsseason 36 has a lot of fun pitting Homer up against Jimbo Jonesin “P.S. I Love You,” with their common elements making them surprisingly good counters to one another. “P.S. I Hate You” is largely focused on Shauna Chalmers stealing a collection of angry letters Marge has written over the years to the various citizens of Springfield. Homer and Jimbo are largely in supporting roles, working to help Marge and Shauna respectively. Homer and Jimbo even get into a brief fight before making up and hugging over a shared laugh at the emotional climax.
While Marge and Shauna get the central focus in the episode, Homer and Jimbo end up being fun side-characters in the storyline. Jimbo is the one who gives Shauna the idea, takes part in an extended chase scene, and faces off with Homer. These moments bring a good string of levity to the episode, especially with their dimwitted but quietly incisive comments getting some of the episode’s biggest laughs.It also emphasizes an unexpected element of Jimbo’s growth and revelations about Homer’s backstory, highlighting how the two actually have a lot in common.
How Homer And Jimbo Are Quietly Alike
Homer And Jimbo Are Both Dim-Witted And Loyal Romantics
While the specifics of Homer’s backstory have changed as a result ofThe Simpsons' sliding time-scale,the character’s younger years typically match the dim-witted bully Jimbo. Flashbacks have shown Homer having a similar dismissal of high school norms and rules to Jimbo, as well as a habit of picking on students like Waylon Smithers. Both of them are deeply committed to their love interests, with Homer and Marge’s teen romance finding a modern parallel in Jimbo and Shauna. Jimbo’s infrequently mentioned bond to his mother reflects Homer’s loss of his own.
Their willingness to help sets up most of the episode’s big action moments, and they bond over a shared love of dumb humor. Even beyond those connections,there are other consistent similarities between Homer and Jimbo. The show has made plenty of gags about Jimbo going prematurely bald, giving him a shared physical trait with Homer. Jimbo shares an admission that he finds Marge attractive by complementing her appearance, but he stays firmly committed to helping Shauna. Just as Marge and Shauna find a real connection in the episode, so do Homer and Jimbo.
Why Making Jimbo A Mini-Homer Could Be A Clever Move For The Simpsons
Jimbo Could Be More Like Homer In Future Episodes
Making Jimbo more like Homer in terms of temperament and behavior could be a good direction forThe Simpsonsto take the character going forward. It would give him a bit more of distinct personality from his fellow bullies, Dolph and Kearney. It would give him a more comedic interplay with Bart, especially if the prankster took his lessons from dealing with one over to confronting the other.Jimbo being more like Homer could also benefit any Shauna storylinesby keeping them together and with a similar rapport to what Homer and Marge discovered when they were that age.
Jimbo’s unexpected contrast to Homer inThe Simpsonscould turn out to be a natural way to evolve the character.
It would also be fitting to play the character slightly differently, given thatThe Simpsonsjust recast Jimbofollowing the retirement of Pamela Hayden.Mo Collins could have the liberty to play Jimbo a bit bigger and more boisterous. It could even generate more sweet connections between Homer and the younger characters in Springfield, similar to his connection with Ralph in “O C’mon All Ye Faithful.” Jimbo’s unexpected contrast to Homer inThe Simpsonscould turn out to be a natural way to evolve the character.
