Waylon Smithers has seen something of an evolution across The Simpsons' almost 32 years. Originally a background player amid the show's expansive ensemble, he has been central to - or, at least, an important element of - a number of key episodes since the show's birth in 1989. And now, three decades into its gargantuan run, he'll finally find love.
While his sexuality was originally only seen as part of a joke about his attraction to boss Mr. Burns (remember, if you will, Smithers' fantasy of Burns screaming his name a la Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire) it has become a key component of his character arc. Smithers, who previously officially came out as gay in the 2016 episode "Tom Collins," will have a gay romantic storyline in the episode "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire" (a nice little pun for the Céline Sciamma fans out there)
The episode synopsis reads: "Smithers finds true love with a famous fashion designer, but will his new relationship destroy Springfield?" Forgive us, then, for getting something of a Phantom Thread vibe here, too. Fashionistas always make dangerous dates! Said fashion designer will be voiced by none other than Victor Garber, of Alias and - especially pertinently, here - Legally Blonde fame. The episode was written by longtime series writer Rob LaZebnik with his son, Johnny (describing himself as coming out as "d'ohmosexual" in a tweet) who inspired Rob to write the episode in the first place.
The Simpsons famously broke new ground in terms of gay representation with the 1997 episode "Homer's Phobia," in which Homer dissociates himself from a new family friend, voiced by camp maestro John Waters, after discovering he is gay. Many have since cited the episode as a groundbreaking example of positive LGBTQ+ visibility on screen.
The Simpsons episode, "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire," is set to air on November 21.