‘The Simpsons’ Officially Fixed Its Biggest Mistake With the Return of This Character

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons, Season 38, Episode 3For almost a decade, The Simpsons struggled with one of its most beloved characters, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, voiced by actor Hank Azaria. As one of Springfield’s favorite neighbors, the Kwik-E-Mart owner faced mounting criticism for a stereotypical portrayal of Indian Americans and was consequently pushed into the background. Although he continued to appear occasionally and was seen in numerous frames of the series with other side characters, Apu suddenly became voiceless after 2017. But that finally changed in Sunday night’s Season 38 episode, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening.”

Finally returning to Springfield with new voice actor Sunil Malhotra, Apu’s return proves to be one of the series’ most important comebacks for more than just fan service and nostalgia. After years of avoiding the issue, The Simpsons has finally acknowledged its biggest mistake and found a way to bring the Indian-American character back without ignoring the concerns that led to his absence in the first place.

‘The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror Special Finally Addressed Apu’s Absence

While Apu’s portrayal has been criticized for years, the conversation gained more momentum when South Asian actors shared their experiences and comedian Hari Kondabolu released his 2017 documentary, The Problem With Apu. Exploring how Apu’s exaggerated Indian accent, catchphrases, and cultural stereotypes affected South Asian viewers’ experiences as Americans, Kondabolu’s investigation underscored how so many grew up being mocked or compared to the character. But what made matters worse was how Azaria, a white actor, was the one voicing him since 1990.

With that kind of perspective perpetuating a stereotypical lens, Azaria eventually apologized for the mistake and stepped away from the role. “I really do apologize,” he said at the time in a report from CBS. “I apologize for my part in creating that and participating in that. Part of me feels like I need to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologize. And sometimes I do.” But while the mistake was fully acknowledged, the show chose to cut Apu from stories and stopped giving him speaking roles. The problem was never that Apu existed, but how he had been portrayed, and removing him didn’t actually fix that.

Which is what makes his return in Sunday night’s episode, “The Revengening,” so interesting. The Halloween special, full of blood and guts, follows a mysterious figure seeking revenge against Springfield in an I Know What You Did Last Summer (err, Halloween) kind of way, only for the killer to reveal that he’s Apu. He accuses the town of “forgetting” about him, telling residents, “I am the one you pretended never existed!” Of course, the events align with the episode’s subject matter, but when Bart (Nancy Cartwright) admits they were “too scared” to do anything, and other characters joke about “internal conversations that went nowhere,” The Simpsons is openly making fun of its own handling of the controversy. Because rather than ignoring Apu’s long absence, the show finally admits it didn’t know how to deal with the problem.

Apu’s New Voice Gives ‘The Simpsons’ a Chance To Get It Right

As Variety reports, South Asian actor Malhotra has now taken over the role, but as he tells the publication, accepting the job wasn’t an easy decision. The actor admits he was initially uncomfortable with the opportunity because of the character’s controversial history. With it being eight years since Apu had spoken on the show, Malhotra admits he was curious about the writers’ room now: “Could they bring him back in a way that acknowledged and apologized for past mistakes? Could I make the character my own, and reclaim him in some way? And could they achieve all of that in an unmistakably ‘Simpsons’ way that didn’t disappoint fans?”

That awareness and care for the character matters, because Apu has always been more than his accent or the jokes made at his expense. He was a friend to Homer, which is reaffirmed in the final moments of the episode, a devoted husband and father, and an important part of Springfield. After turning down stereotypical Indian roles in the past, Malhotra wanted to ensure the show’s writers took Apu seriously and even requested a meeting with showrunner Matt Selman, who told Variety there is more ahead for Apu. “We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, ‘Simpsons’-y way that allowed him to evolve. We’re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role, and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.”

With Janina Gavankar also joining the cast as Apu’s wife, Manjula, there’s hope that the show will give these characters meaningful stories again. Of course, one episode doesn’t erase the mistakes The Simpsons made in the past, but it is a good step forward for course-correcting and bringing back a beloved part of Springfield that didn’t need to be forgotten.

The Simpsons airs Sundays at 8:00 p.m. EST on Fox and streams the next day on Hulu.

The Simpsons

Release Date: December 17, 1989
Network: FOX
Directors: Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller