Although The Simpsons season 33 just copied one of the show’s earlier episodes, this time around, the borrow was oblique and unusual enough to work in the long-running sitcom’s favor. After 33 seasons, it is almost inevitable that The Simpsons has been accused of copying itself numerous times now. Fans have noted that storylines like “The Simpsons getting a horse” have been explored by the series more than once and, sometimes, this results in a frustrated fanbase feeling that the series is simply recycling the hits ad nauseam to ever-diminishing effects.

It's perhaps surprising, therefore, that The Simpsons season 33 managed to copy itself in one episode that still managed to impress critics and long-time fans alike. The episode stranded a pair of Simpsons in the wilderness and forced them to confront their troubled relationship to ensure their survival, resulting in some funny fights, some nudity, and some thwarted attempts at hunting. If that sounds familiar, that could be because an early Simpsons episode, “The Call of the Simpsons” (season 1, episode 7) featured all of these story details too.

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However, the difference, in this case, was that the episode in question, “Pixelated and Afraid” (season 33, episode 12), changed a sufficient amount of story detail for its borrows to feel fresh and original. Although the show still built on past successes with this outing, the episode didn’t feel like a rehash of an earlier Golden Age Simpsons hit, allowing The Simpsons 33 to copy itself without annoying fans in the process. For instance, in the season 33 episode, it was Marge and Homer rather than Homer and Bart who were stranded in the wilderness, proving that the show’s writers could keep the series fresh despite The Simpsons borrowing from prior outings.

The Simpson family sit in front of the TV from season 1

The plot of “Pixelated and Afraid” owes some inspiration to “The Call of the Simpsons,” with both adventures beginning when the Simpsons in question are driven off a country road and end up abandoned in the middle of nowhere. This time, Marge and Homer ended up in the wilderness because Lisa and Bart’s worries about the state of their marriage resulted in them taking (and, at the last second, reneging on) a romantic couple’s trip. However, unlike season 1’s John Swartzwelder-scripted Simpsons episode, “Pixelated and Afraid” then spent the rest of its story looking at both the faults and strengths in Homer and Marge’s partnership. This approach allowed the same plot device to be used to examine different relationships within the Simpson family.

The earlier episode looked at Homer’s inability to work together with Bart, whereas season 33 instead opted to look at Marge and Homer’s compatibility. As the episode’s title implies, “Pixelated and Afraid” also owed some inspiration to the frequently censored “Natural Born Kissers” (season 9, episode 25). That classic Simpsons outing saw Homer and Marge stranded without clothes for an extended period thanks to a date gone awry, circumstances that were recreated but given an original spin in the season 33 episode. Between a season 1 and season 9 episode, it is obvious that this season 33 outing took a lot of inspiration from the show’s earlier successes, but the positive reaction to this outing proves The Simpsons can still borrow from itself without feeling tired or uninspired.

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