The Simpsons has jumped genre constantly over the years, playing with classic tropes from across almost all forms of fiction and walks of life. But some of the best experiments the show has ever taken with it's format comes from the largely-silent Maggie sequences. The youngest Simpson has only gotten a few such showcases, but they've all be fantastic short pieces set within the world of The Simpsons.
The latest, "Playdate With Destiny," just premiered on Disney+ and is the proof The Simpsons and Disney should continue to mine the adventures of the little girl for more such shorts.
PLAYDATE WITH DESTINY
"Playdate With Destiny" opens with Maggie being taken to her regular park by Marge. While there, she meets a little boy named Hudson. The two playfully flirt and end up spending the rest of their time at the park together, with Maggie imagining all the globe-trotting romance they are playing out in the playground. But the next day, after spending all morning preparing to see the little boy again, Maggie is surprised to have Homer take her out -- and to a different park.
After a restless night, Maggie forces Homer to take her to the right park the following day, where she sees the boy climb aboard a small train. Although Maggie fails to jump onto the train in time, it quickly does a full lap -- allowing the little boy to grab Maggie and bring her onto the train with him. It's a sweet story for the youngest Simpson, giving her a pleasant and cute connection with another character her age -- which rarely happens in the series. It's also just the most recent such story that The Simpsons has told, and a sign of how strong the concept could be going forward.
WHY MAGGIE STORIES WORK SO WELL
Maggie has, across three decades of The Simpsons, only ever said a handful of words. Her silence has generally been played for laughs, but it also provides The Simpsons the perfect opportunity to play with silent-comedy, which it doesn't always get to explore. Maggie, along with every other character around her in these kinds of sequences, have to convey their wants and needs through motion and action -- which is perfect for the comically over-the-top animated world of The Simpsons. These shorts often challenge the creators in the best ways, showcasing their skills as animators and storytellers to the greatest degree.
It's a well The Simpsons has gone to in the past, and always with fantastic results. Maggie has a history of receiving silent comedy set-pieces, ranging all the way back to the fourth season with her The Great Escape inspired liberation of pacifiers in "A Streetcar Named Marge" and continuing into the modern day with episodes like Season 27's "Puffless," which devotes the subplot of the episode to Maggie leading an army of local animals to try and free a friendly possum that's going to be eaten by Cletus and his family.
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The idea of using Maggie as a silent-short star has carried over to theatrical releases. In 2012, "The Longest Daycare" was released ahead one of the Ice Age films. Likewise,"Playdate With Destiny" originally screened before showings of Onward, Pixar's latest film. Maggie Simpson makes perfect sense an the inheritor of the "silent cartoon star" role, especially in the position Disney has set her up in. The often-subversive comedy of The Simpsons can be used to flesh out the world around her (like the various names of the judgemental mothering books that Marge and the other moms at the park read) while Maggie engages in some fantastical expansion of her surroundings.
The shorts even show a willingness to contain the surprisingly dark humor The Simpsons has always been great at slipping under the radar, such as having a despondent Maggie drink her entire bottle of milk at one point as if she were chugging alcohol. It gives the shorts an edge parents will appreciate -- akin to how some cartoons used to be produced. Her precocious nature and surprising craftiness make her a compelling protagonist, but her childish sense of wonder and love makes her easy to root for. And as a baby, her goals are often simple enough that they can be grasped with very little difficulty by the audience.
These silent shorts could also provide The Simpsons with a venue to prolong the franchise, even when the series itself finally ends. It also puts the spotlight on the most underappreciated member of the Simpsons family, and could even elevate her to be the modern answer to characters like Mickey Mouse. All-in-all, these silent shorts could help elevate the Simpsons family beyond their already established place at Disney.
The Simpsons airs Sundays on Fox at 8 p.m. ET/PT.