35 years ago, The Simpsons aired an episode that debuted some of its most memorable side characters all at once, but there’s one that has not only remained the best after all this time, but sadly can’t ever come back. The Simpsons has been running for 37 seasons at this point, and fans have been introduced to all sorts of fun and hilarious characters as Springfield has expanded in some major ways over the years. But for as many characters who have been introduced to the series, there have been many who have been retired over that time.
35 years ago, on January 10, 1991, The Simpsons introduced one character who would end of being the best standout guest character we’d ever get to see in the series’ history, Lionel Hutz. Voiced by the late, legendary Phil Hartman, Hutz made many appearances over the course of The Simpsons’ early seasons to great effect. But following the actor’s death, Hutz (along with Hartman’s other characters) have since been retired from the animated series because no other actor could ever follow in Hartman’s footsteps.
Lionel Hutz Debuted in The Simpsons 35 Years Ago
Courtesy of 20th Television Animation
35 years ago, The Simpsons debuted “Bart Gets Hit By a Car” as the tenth episode in the animated series’ second season. Much like the title of the episode suggests, Bart is hit by a car and it turns out to be Mr. Burns’ vehicle. Though Bart himself is relatively fine, Burns’ refusal to help with any of the medical bills sparks an entire court case. This is where Lionel Hutz comes in as after making his appearance at Bart’s hospital room hungry to take on such a fruitful case, and he’s immediately shifty and hilariously phonies up Bart to have heavier sustained injuries than he actually has.
This episode in particular actually gives us two more side characters that we’ll see in future appearances. Hutz takes Bart to Dr. Nick Riviera for a phony, trumped up take on his injuries. And during the case, Burns is represented by the Blue Haired Lawyer (who never does get an official name), and soon enough it all falls apart when Homer’s drive to get the million dollars from Burns makes Marge uncomfortable. She ends up revealing that Dr. Riviera was a phony, and this gives Burns the edge in the case he needs to win it.
Lionel Hutz was much different in this initial debut than he was in future appearances. He would continue to sporadically show up in future episodes where the Simpsons needed a lawyer, but then his guest spots continued to evolve. He was a much more incompetent lawyer in future appearances than just his crooked nature here, and became much more ridiculous in terms of what his life was like and what kind of jobs he would take on in order to make a quick buck. But there was also some sort of con artistry involved in those careers.
What Happened to Lionel Hutz?
Courtesy of 20th Television Animation
Lionel Hutz made his final appearance in The Simpsons Season 9 episode “Realty Bites,” but was soon retired following Phil Hartman’s death. It was revealed years later that Hutz was almost recast for the animated series to keep the character around for future appearances, but the team instead decided to retire Hutz along with Hartman’s other great recurring character, Troy McClure. This is why despite many of the court focused episodes in the years that followed, Hutz was nowhere to be seen even if he would have been perfect for the occasion.
Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure were perfect voices and characters for what many fans consider as the Golden Age of The Simpsons overall. After their disappearance, the series would find other characters who could potentially fill these gaps, but there never was quite the right kind of fit to hit the same kind of vibe as Hartman did. As the franchise continues into the future, Hutz is definitely one of those standout side characters that fans would love to see again someday. But tragically, he’ll never be able to return.
It was ultimately the right move to retire Hartman’s characters rather than trying to recast them because what fans love the most about them is Hartman’s performance in particular. There was just a fine line that he was able to tow with his characters in that you could love such an inherent slime ball like Hutz, and hope that he wins it out at the end of the day. No one could do it the same way, and it’s why The Simpsons still feels like there’s been some kind of piece missing after all this time. Much like Hartman’s absence from the world has left that void.
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