Kate McKinnon guest-starred in The Simpsons season 27 episode "Gal Of Constant Sorrow," and here's her character Hettie Mae Boggs explained. The Simpsons began in 1989 and is still running to this day, making The Simpsons the longest-running primetime scripted series in the U.S. The show began as a series of animated sketches for The Tracey Ullman Show, which eventually led to a solo series. The Simpsons soon became a genuine pop culture phenomenon, with audiences falling in love with both the main and supporting cast, and its razor-sharp comic writing.
It also spawned a movie, video games, comics, toys and other merch. The Simpsons received critical acclaim until around the tenth season, and in the years that followed, many critics and fans felt the show lost the comic edge it once possessed. Of course, it's tough for any series to run for over 700 episodes and stay fresh, and there are plenty of solid episodes in later series too. The show is showing no signs of stopping in the near future, and a sequel to The Simpsons movie is also in development.
One such well-received episode from recent years is season 27's "Gal Of Constant Sorrow," where Bart accidentally destroys the cart of a homeless woman named Hettie Mae Boggs, voiced by Kate McKinnon (Ghostbusters: Answer The Call). Bart invites Hettie to live in his closet, where she and Lisa make a connection over music. "Gal Of Constant Sorrow" reveals Hettie is the daughter of a famed musician, and Lisa attempts to make her a star by arranging a live performance for Springfield.
Hettie's Simpsons Arc Explained
Despite bonding with Hettie too, Bart suspects Lisa is headed for heartbreak believing in Hettie, but she refuses to listen to her brother's warnings. The Simpsons' "Gal Of Constant Sorrow" then takes a dark turn when during a radio interview, Hettie reveals she's a heroin addict and alcoholic, and she may have even blinded her father with a shotgun, a story she had told Lisa (who originally had a different Simpsons character plan). She then disappears before her live show, and despite Lisa playing sax to entertain the crowd, they all get up and leave.
Homer - who has his own subplot in "Gal Of Constant Sorrow" trying to fix things around the Simpsons' home - finds the drunken Hettie and gets her to the performance. Despite the crowd being gone, Hettie performs for Lisa and they reconcile, and the end credits see her perform for fellow interns - including Krusty the Clown - at a rehab clinic. The Simpsons' "Gal Of Constant Sorrow" was Hettie's only appearance on the show, and while Kate McKinnon proved her voice, The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines proved Hettie's singing.