‘The Simpsons’ officially corrected its biggest mistake by bringing back this character

Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons, Season 38, Episode 3For nearly ten years, The Simpsons struggles with one of his most beloved characters, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, voiced by the actor Hank Azaria. As one of Springfield’s favorite neighborhoods, the owner of Kwik-E-Mart faced heavy criticism for stereotypical portrayal of Indian Americans and so he was pushed into the background. Although he continued to appear from time to time and be seen in several frames of the series with other side characters, Apu suddenly became silent after 2017. But that finally changed in Sunday night’s season 38 episode, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening.”

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

‘The Simpsons’ Treehouse Special finally addressed Apu’s absence

While Apu’s portrayal has been criticized for years, the conversation got more momentum when South Asian actors shared their experiences as comedians. Kondabolu Day released his 2017 documentary, The problem with Apu. Examining how Apu’s exaggerated Indian accent, catchphrases, and cultural stereotypes influenced South Asian viewers’ experiences as Americans, Kondabolu’s study showed how many became mocked or compared to the character. But what made things worse was that Azaria, a white actor, was the one who voiced him since 1990.

With that kind of perspective perpetuating a stereotypical lens, Azaria eventually apologized for the mistake and resigned. “I’m really sorry,” he said at the time in a CBS report. “I’m sorry for my part in creating that and participating in it. Part of me feels like I have to go to every Indian in this country and apologize in person. And sometimes I do. But even though the mistake was fully acknowledged, the show chose to cut Apu from stories and stopped giving him speaking roles. The There was never a problem with Apu’s existence, but the way it was designed, and that didn’t really put him off.

That’s what makes his return in Sunday night’s episode, “The Revengening,” so interesting. The blood-and-nails Halloween special follows a mysterious figure who seeks revenge against Springfield in a series I know what you did last summer (err, Halloween) kind of way, only for the killer to reveal that he is Apu. He accuses the town of “forgetting” about him, telling the residents, “I’m the one you pretended was never there!” Of course, the events align with the theme of the episode, but when Bart (Nancy Cartwright) admit that they were “too scared” to do anything, while other characters joke about “internal conversations that went nowhere,” The Simpsons openly mocking his handling of the controversy itself. Rather than ignore 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 Different reports, South Asian actor Malhotra has now taken over the role, but as he tells the publication, it was not an easy decision to accept the job. The actor admits he was initially uncomfortable with the opportunity due to the character’s controversial history. Since it’s been eight years since Apu spoke 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 bring him back in some way?”

That awareness and care for the character is important, because Apu has always been more than his accent or the jokes made at his expense. He was a friend of Homer, which is reaffirmed in the last moments of the episodea devoted husband and father, and an important part of Springfield. Having rejected stereotypical Indian roles in the past, Malhotra wanted to ensure that the show’s writers took Apu into account and even requested a meeting with a showrunner. Matthew Salmanwho told Different there is more ahead of Apu. “We love this character, and we wanted to bring him back in a quick, ‘Simpsons’ 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 That’s all Gavankar also joining the cast as Apu’s wife Manjula, there is hope that the show will give meaningful stories to these characters again. Of course, no single program eliminates the errors The Simpsons done in the pastbut it is a good step forward in correcting courses and bringing back a beloved part of Springfield that should not be forgotten.

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