‘The Simpsons’ Is Officially Changing Its Formula for the First Time in 36 Years
The Simpsons is departing from its usual structure with "Yellow Mirror," the third and final special of Season 37, released exclusively on Disney+. The episode adopts an anthology format that parodies Black Mirror, a style normally reserved for the show's Halloween "Treehouse of Horror" tradition, marking a notable break from a 36-year pattern and signalling greater willingness to experiment.
Unlike the usual three-story "Treehouse of Horror" format, "Yellow Mirror" contains just two self-contained tales: "The Way We Wasn't," a dark reimagining of the classic episode "The Way We Was" in which Homer discovers his life with Marge was a dream, and "I Have No Tablet But I Must Stream," a riff on Harlan Ellison's "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" tackling screen addiction and AI through Marge, Maggie and a tablet assistant voiced by Patti LuPone. The special also features bespoke Black Mirror-style opening and closing credits, and critics have praised the writing as among the show's strongest in recent years.
- The Simpsons breaks 36-year formula with Black Mirror-style anthology special "Yellow Mirror"
- Season 37's final Disney+ exclusive special features two dark, satirical stories
- Praised as some of the show's best recent writing, hinting at future experimentation