[Redway]

Originally Posted by Christmas Lights

Yeah but that was for comedy effect, hardly to be taken seriously lol .

I know, but he actually was a much more serious character in the earliest days. That’s what gives his anger a more menacing streak (albeit implicitly). The show hadn’t found its comedic beat in season 1, and that stretches to Marge, who was a lot more downbeat, almost quietly depressed, in the first season. You can hear the strain (not just the usual rasp) in her voice. It’s like a wistfully mournful lachrymose that’s compounded by strain. She doesn’t stand up to Homer at this point, either, which kind of can get you thinking about the dynamics of that marriage in the first place and what the original intention for Homer was before he was softened. The strain in their marriage at that point feels heavy, not comedic. That’s kind of the point of season 1, intentionally or not, before they decided everything had to be within comedic bounds. You wouldn’t necessarily be to know that if you were watching season 1 in live time with nothing but those hideous Ullman-shorts to compare it to. Season 1 seems to operate under a different assumption about what kind of realism the show can tolerate.