Smithers finally finds love in historic new episode of The Simpsons

16 November 2021, 17:24

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By Sam Prance

Waylon Smithers came out as gay during a 2016 episode of the beloved animated series.

Over 30 years since The Simpsons debuted, the iconic TV show has finally given Waylon Smithers his first gay love interest.

For anyone who hasn't watched The Simpsons recently, Smithers officially came out as gay during the season 27 episode, The Burns Cage, in 2016. After years of hints and queer-coding, Smithers reveals that he is in love with Mr. Burns. At first, Mr. Burns rejects his love and Smithers quits his job. However, the duo reunite and reconcile at the end of the episode.

In spite of this, Smithers has never had a significant boyfriend in the show but that's all changed with their new episode.

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The official description for the next episode of The Simpsons, named Portrait of a Lackey on Fire, reads: "Smithers finds true love with a famous fashion designer, but will his new relationship destroy Springfield?" People reports that Victor Garber will play Michael De Graaf, the object of Smithers affections, and their love story will be central to the entire episode.

Speaking to The New York Post, Johnny LaZebnik – who co-wrote the episode with his father longterm The Simpsons writer Rob LaZebinik – opened up about why this episode is so important: "So often, gay romances are a subplot or alluded to or shown in some kind of montage or as a punchline."

He then teased: "And what I think I was really excited about, with this episode, we get to see — without spoiling too much — the beginning, middle and who knows how it ends of a gay relationship, of really getting into the nitty-gritty of how gay people date, how they meet, what it's like."

Johnny ended by saying: "That was really special to me to get to highlight characters who are not punchlines, who are fully formed."

Portrait of a Lackey on Fire is set to air on November 21 on Fox.

Listen to Peppermint and Jackie Cox talk about their coming out journeys

This week on the ‘Coming Out Chats’ podcast, Drag Race legends Peppermint and Jackie Cox talk about coming out in the age of AOL messenger, identifying as gender-expansive, finding your tribe and giving yourself permission to be who you really are. Listen on the player below.