‘The Simpsons’: Fans React as Smithers Gets a Serious Boyfriend

Martin Holmes November 22, 2021

The Simpsons viewers believe that the latest episode, which saw Waylon Smithers Jr. (Harry Shearer) finally given his own love story, is worthy of an Emmy award.

Smithers, one of the show’s original characters, came out as gay in a 2016 episode but had yet to have his own romantic storyline. That changed in Sunday night’s episode when Homer set Mr. Burns’ long-serving assistant up on a date with a famous fashion designer named Michael de Graf (voiced by Alias alum Victor Garber).

The episode, titled “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire,” was written by longtime series writer Rob LaZebnik and his son, Johnny LaZebnik, who also wrote Smithers’ coming out episode. The father-and-son duo live-tweeted along with the airing, sharing their thoughts on the episode and praising the animators for bringing their story to life.

“Many thanks to @mattselman and the @thesimpsons writers and animators for doing amazing work on our gayest episode ever,” wrote Rob.

Many thanks to @mattselman and the @thesimpsons writers and animators for doing amazing work on our gayest episode ever.

— Rob LaZebnik (@Rlazebnik) November 22, 2021

i was so excited to write an episode about a gay springfieldian!! obviously my first choice was the mustachioed man with an iguana from “the burns cage,” but smithers was a strong second choice. pic.twitter.com/GGuEu4fCrk

— Johnny LaZebnik (@jlazebnik) November 22, 2021

Fans were also quick to heap praise on the episode, with many calling it one of the best episodes of the season.

“This was my favorite episode of The Simpsons so far this season!,” said one viewer, while another declared the episode “Emmy worthy.”

This was my favorite episode of The Simpsons so far this season!#TheSimpsons #VictorGarber pic.twitter.com/9kUevIdctJ

— eugelicious (@eugelicious1) November 22, 2021

Tonight’s @TheSimpsons was Emmy worthy

— Billy (@wjm911) November 22, 2021

What a beautiful episode, written with love @TheSimpsons. I love you all. Stay beautiful and I can’t wait to see you again. #TheSimpsons

— Love, Joshua (@lovejoshua2021) November 22, 2021

#TheSimpsons hot streak continues! The Wayz We Were, Lisa’s Belly, A Serious Flanders parts 1&2, and Portrait of a Lackey on Fire have all been excellent. This is the best and the most consistent the show has been in years. pic.twitter.com/8NbHPPMlO6

— Mike (@lIllImikelIllI) November 22, 2021

#TheSimpsons after all this time Smithers got a puppy and found true love! I’m so happy for him! @TheSimpsons pic.twitter.com/11QM4vWlcE

— ChelseatheCartoonGal (@CartoonGal1) November 22, 2021

Speaking about the episode in a recent interview with The New York Post, Johnny said, “So often, gay romances are a subplot or alluded to or shown in some kind of montage or as a punchline. And what I think I was really excited about, with this episode, we get to see — without spoiling too much — the beginning, middle and who knows how it ends of a gay relationship, of really getting into the nitty-gritty of how gay people date, how they meet, what it’s like.”

He added: “That was really special to me to get to highlight characters who are not punchlines, who are fully formed.”