How The Simpsons Season 37 Premiere Brought Back Marge After Character’s Death in Last Season’s Finale

To semi-quote Mark Twain, rumors of Marge Simpson’s death have been greatly exaggerated.

Following the revelation of Marge’s death in a flash-forward storyline during the show’s season 36 finale, which aired in May, the beloved Simpson family matriarch (voiced by Julie Kavner) returned in the season 37 premiere on Sunday, Sept. 28.

Marge’s return saw her connecting with her eldest daughter, Lisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith), over an old TV show she used to be obsessed with: the Dawson’s Creek-inspired Keagan’s Pond.

With Marge caught up in the nostalgia of it all, she unpacked some of her clothes from the ’90s for Lisa to borrow. The hand-me-downs helped Lisa garner attention from a trendy clique at school. However, things took a turn for the worse when the students created a plan to steal vintage clothes from the mothers of Springfield, with Marge stepping in to save Lisa from getting in trouble.

“I’m so sorry, mom. You just wanted to bond with me, and I ruined it. I’m such a terrible daughter,” Lisa apologized.

While Marge grounded Lisa, she told her, “Remember: I’m with you for the long haul. As long as there’s a pond and a ladder, I’ll be there,” quoting a line from Keagan’s Pond.

When viewers last saw Marge, she was sitting in the clouds watching her grown-up children connect after decades of being apart and rescue their father, Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta). The moment was set 35 years in the future.

“I’m just so happy my kids are close again,” she said from the clouds.

“I’m just so glad we’re allowed to marry different people in heaven,” Marge said to Beatles member Ringo Starr before the two shared a kiss and wandered off to enjoy a shrimp tower.

While Marge is alive and well, another character’s fate was hinted at during the season 37 premiere.

When Lisa was hanging out with the popular group at school, they held their fashion club in a classroom belonging to Dewey Largo (Harry Shearer), the music teacher.

“We took it over when Mr. Largo died,” one of Lisa’s classmates told her. Lisa, clearly shocked, asked for clarification, with the classmate responding, “Or, he has jury duty. It was something dumb.”

Jessica Conrad, who wrote the season 37 premiere, confirmed to TV Line that the character was not, in fact, dead.

Explaining that she wasn’t worried the throwaway line would rile up fans, she added that “for something like this, I would welcome the riling up if you actually believe that would kill him off off-camera.”

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The Simpsons airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.