How The Simpsons Season 4 Almost Ruined Homer & Selma's Relationship
The Simpsons often depicts Homer and Selma as enemies, but the original plan for a season 4 episode would have ruined a sweet moment between the pair.
Homer and Selma have long been enemies in The Simpsons, but there are moments of understanding between them – here’s how season 4 almost ruined their relationship. Created by Matt Groening and debuting as a half-hour show in 1989, The Simpsons now holds the title of America’s longest-running sitcom. Season 4 marks the shift in focus from Bart to Homer. Supporting characters also became more fleshed out, sometimes leading their own stories.
A perfect example is Selma, Marge’s older sister and the chain-smoking twin of Patty, who Homer collectively dubs “the gruesome twosome”. Patty and Selma never attempt to hide their contempt for Homer and vice versa. However, Selma transcends her clashes with The Simpsons’ patriarch, undergoing a long search for love and fulfillment, with Selma boasting five failed marriages.
Season 4 of The Simpsons reveals Selma’s softer side in “Selma’s Choice” through a relatable story about her desire to start a family. “Selma’s Choice” also culminates in a sweet moment between the rivals, but the original plan would have ruined Homer and Selma’s relationship. According to Tyro's interview with series animator and director David Silverman (via The Simpsons Archive), Selma was never meant to accompany the kids to Duff Gardens. Instead, she was supposed to babysit Homer, which would have undermined her story and only furthered her disdain for Homer.
In “Selma’s Choice”, she fears she will die alone and resolves to start a family before it’s too late. Selma seizes the opportunity to test her parenting skills by taking Bart and Lisa to Duff Gardens. Homer is unable to go after he gets food poisoning from a moldy sandwich he refuses to throw away, staying home with Marge. However, Silverman revealed the original script had Marge take the kids, “leaving Selma at home to take care of a sick Homer and the baby, only to find out that she can’t hack it”. Homer probably would have acted more like a baby than Maggie, refusing to comply with Selma’s instructions. Silverman claimed the story was changed to better blend various ideas and create more jokes with Selma at Duff Gardens. Selma failing to keep Bart and Lisa out of trouble vastly improves her arc, especially considering she's planning on being a single parent.
This original Simpsons season 4 idea sounds more cartoonish and significantly less heartfelt. Looking after man-child Homer isn’t the same as caring for kids, and this would only have caused more friction between them. It’s also unlikely the original plan culminated in the memorable ending of “Selma’s Choice" when she confides in Homer that she isn’t ready to raise a child. She indirectly compliments him by asking, “How do you do it?” Although Homer doesn’t say anything, he sympathizes with her and shows a look of concern as he puts his hand on top of hers. He probably didn’t have an answer for Selma. After all, Homer’s far from the greatest parent himself, but it’s a sincere display of compassion that subtly deepens their relationship. It’s the first time Selma has ever admitted to envying Homer, which is perhaps at the root of some of their issues. The original idea would have struggled to deliver a similarly emotive ending - it's doubtful they would still be on good terms after spending a whole day together. Fortunately, “Selma’s Choice” builds to a brief but profound moment of two enemies finding a way to relate to each other.
Selma has always been less cruel to Homer than Patty, as demonstrated in season 3’s flashback episode “I Married Marge”. In turn, Homer shows compassion for her on certain occasions, like when he finds out Troy McClure is only marrying her to improve his image. Homer even posed as Selma’s husband to help her adopt a Chinese baby. They have a complex dynamic that would have been ruined, if not for The Simpsons season 4 changing one episode.