Nelson got the very first Simpsons History and I was still figuring out how to research and organize them, so I think he deserves a second video. Also, we can never have enough Nelson content out there 😛

"Oh for god's sake, I can see why he left..." is one of my absolute favourite later-season Marge lines, it's so weirdly out-of-character, but I think that makes it even funnier.

The obvious solution is to make the very tall man Nelson’s new father figure. 1. He has a car so he has some sort of financial stability even if it is quite small 2. He showed some willingness to reason with Nelson about why him being laughed at was mean spirited. However upon Nelson failing to understand his actions have consequences 3. He then shows Nelson some discipline which is sometimes necessary as a father figure 4. And finally he’s very tall so Mrs. Muntz would probably go for him. It’s the obvious and best thing for Nelson.

We need when Homer went bald for a Simpsons Mysteries. It bothers me so goddamn much. In Lisa’s Sax, Homer is completely bald, but even in 1 year flashbacks, we see that Homer still has the tiniest bit of hair. In Barthood. Lisa is five, and Homer still has a lot of hair. Contrasting Lisa’s 3 and 3 8ths age in Lisa’s Sax, I’m probably going into this too much lol. Edit: holy crap hopefully Jims sees this, it has more likes than his comment lol.

The Nelson-Moe duo idea is even better the more I think about it. Moe is pragmatic and persuasive enough to get on Nelson’s good side and be a positive influence. But due to his slimy and violent side, he could never really stop Nelson as a bully or be a perfect father. They both can change each other in interesting ways while still retaining the characters core struggle for episodic storytelling.

That corkboard of father figures is something else. The thought of Hank Scorpio as a mentor to Nelson makes me sad we never got that episode.

"The Many Dads of Nelson Muntz" sounds like a a really depressing John Cassavetes movie.

Whenever The Simpsons decides it's time to start wrapping up the show and everyone's storylines, I think they should commit to Moe adopting Nelson. With this and Maya's return, it'd feel like a pretty satisfactory ending.

My theory with Nelson's dad is that he's similar to Jamie Tartt's dad from Ted Lasso. He abandoned Nelson when he was young, but comes back when he sees something he's good at to try and exploit him. Explains why he coaches him in one episode, picks him up from football, and shows up in the documentary episode when Nelson is playing basketball.

I think it would be sweet if Nelson got super protective over his foster mother Maya. The schoolyard kids make fun of her and he beats them up, and when Nelson's real mom gets angry about it, he shoots her down 'She's half the height of you, but she's more than twice the mother you've ever been!'

We've also seen Moe be a good father-figue/ good with kids from when he babysat Maggie. If the writers actually wanted to give Nelson some happiness, Moe as a father figure is perfect

I feel like there's a story in addressing the two clearly different Nelson's Dad characters - Soccer dad and Abandonment dad. Maybe his mum didn't know for sure which of these similar-looking men she slept with was actually the father and told them both they were at different (or the same) times to get support raising him, financial or otherwise, and during his early years he saw these men interchangeably/simultaneously as his dad. Maybe Abandonment dad stuck around more permanently but she continued and on-again/off-again thing with Soccer dad so he was around sporadically even after AD left. Maybe they had a polyamory thing going on for a while that didn't work out. Because you know what's more tragic than Nelson's dad leaving? Nelson having two dads who are equally important to him BOTH leaving in different ways.

i would love to see a Top 10 or 20 best simpsons B plots/ opening set pieces. some of them are really fun, like the mayo clinic visit and homer selling sugar. a top 20 worst would be cool too, like that weird one when bart and lisa are obsessed w that balloon, it's maybe only 2 scenes

I love the idea of Nelson having a Big Brother/Big Sister kind of guy and Moe would be great for this. Obviously Nelson and Moe get emotionally beat up hard and I think having them to be able to bounce off each other, even if it is just having Nelson help out at the tavern after work until his mom is done at work (the little extra cash would even help Nelson treat his mom better!). Plus, they could do an episode where Nelson recognizes Bart's voice and it could be a whole fun little B-plot about it Edit: obviously Nelson already could tell it was Bart, but my point still stands

Has anyone else noticed Groundskeeper Willie is never seen using the same mop twice? There's always subtle differences. Someone should totally look deeper into Groundskeeper Willie.

Crazy how they kept flip-flopping on the design of his dad, the fact that each one has its own kind of characterisation too. It's so consistently inconsistent.

Wait, so Nelson's dad being missing because he went to the store is a later season thing? I thought it was always part of Nelson's backstory.

“Imagine having a bad childhood and being stuck in it for 30 years” *laughs in PTSD* Seriously though, I love what the writers have done with Nelson over the years. He’s one of the most iconic secondary characters on the Simpsons and I do kinda hope he ends up with at least someone in his life he can turn to in more than just one episode, even if the rest of his life is pretty tough. There could be an interesting dynamic there and at the end of the day, you can’t help but want him to succeed in some way, or at least catch a break once in a while

i literally gasped when i saw this pop up, i'm obsessed with your channel, thank you for making niche simpsons content for weirdos like me :)))

Do a Simpsons History video on Bernice Hibbert. Dr. Hibbert's wife. Now that's a underrated character worth taking a look at.

I think Nelson's dad being present in the earlier seasons can be explained by not taking the episodes as they were released, but as different points in time, in the same ways some episodes show Barney being sober and others have him reverting to his alcoholic self. Since the Simpsons is episodic, barring a couple of major events, most notably the death of Maude, Milhouse's parents getting a divorce, Edna's relationship with Skinner and later Flanders, Sideshow Bob's episodes, and so on, there's nothing stopping us from thinking that all the episodes with jokes about his father missing for 15 years take place before Sleeping With The Enemy, at which point he reappears, and that's where the rest of his appearances slot in, and then he presumably disappeared again, which leads into episodes like Better Off Ned.

You could easily upgrade Nelson's life and have Jimbo, Dulp & Kerny as the replacement characters. There have been a number of times where it is implied those 3 aren't living much better than Nelson but they are much less sympathetic. Nelson basically became Bart's other best friend and is far from the early seasons' bully character. He deserves something of a long-term win.

There is no way that the writers didn't just completely forget about Sports Dad, when they started writing fatherless Nelson

I always thought the joke about Nelson's dad abandoning him, was to make Nelson seem more sympathetic & give a reason why Nelson is a bully. What if they took a Puss In Boots: The Last wish direction in the future? Make Nelson more behaved with a father figure with Moe, but introduce a new bully who is just unhinged & has a very good family. Maybe that could have worked with Barney take away his alcoholism but give those jokes to another tavern regular or give Barney a new vice or trait you can actually make jokes out of.

We've seen two different versions of Nelson's Dad in the show. And they both have different features and trails. One is a coach for Nelson football or baseball team. And the other one is a the one who Nelson thought run away but instead was forced into a circus freak job after a peanut allergy accident.

he said smell you later, but he never smelled me agaaaaaaaain

I feel like Moe and Nelson could just get a few moments together without either character having to change. Nelson can care and be cared for by someone and Moe can show more of his fatherly side. Neither would have to fundamentally change if it's Moe as a mentor, we know Moe is pretty poor so it's not like it would really change Nelson's financial situation and Nelson wouldn't have to be nice to anyone else except Moe and his wife.

I think what I'd like to see with Nelson most is something you touched on - not for him to get a new dad (although that would be nice), but his relationship with his mom to improve. It never really occurred to me until now how messed up it is that this working class woman who has very clearly been dealt a bad hand in life is constantly getting dunked on by the show, portrayed as a fuck up, and shamed for being a sex worker, especially since a lot of men in the show who could also be seen as 'screw ups', like Moe, are portrayed a lot more sympathetically and with a lot more nuance than she is. I think it'd be great to get a spotlight episode that goes into her background and her struggles as a working class single mother, fleshing her out as a character, and ends with her vowing to be a more attentive mother to Nelson. After all, the kid has it hard enough with his dad constantly abandoning him, the least the writer's could do would be to give him a decent mom. It'd be a way to give Nelson a sort of 'happy ending' without majorly changing the status quo or taking away potential stories. Nelson would still have a lot of baggage for the writers to exploit; living in poverty, his daddy issues, etc. but at the very least we'd know that he has one stable adult figure in his life. Plus, it'd allow the writers to add another adult female character to the supporting cast, which would be a plus.

I used to think Moe was Nelson's dad. Their facial features are strikingly similar.

I am a big fan of both Moe and Nelson so I’m a big fan of the story idea, but I think taking it a step further and giving them a found family would work great. Moe getting married and adopting a child is the perfect found family group to do episodes around. If we’ve had a hundred Simpson family stories, why not 20 Szyslak stories

i think a simpsons mysteries about Moes age would be interesting, or just about his backstory in general

Wow, as an aspiring writer this video speaks to me, especially the topic of when to absolve characters of their problems. I love the late father figures of Nelson, it's a very captivating experimentation. I think good writing often tries to change the status quo for characters to good or even poor effect, and even here, in this “glacial-paced” endless sitcom, we see the sparks of imagination of the writers. I love to see characters change-or like here, try to. Thank you RealJims, this is my favorite video of yours yet.

I would honestly love a centered episode on Nelson’s mom as you suggested. Give an episode on her perspective

16:54 Finally, thanks for someone remembering Ling! I don't know why they don't want to use her anymore, she could make more for Selma and her life! Also, i like the idea of Nelson working in Moe's Tavern, with him having a sketchy but caring mentor. I hope they don't mess the whole Moe and Maya thing, is such an exciting change and i don't want them to chicken out like with Edna and Skinner.

Moe would be an absent father figure as well. Outside of kid's hockey, he really doesn't have a home or stability himself so he can't really give what he doesn't have either. He's at Moe's Tavern almost always for 30+ seasons outside of that recent episode, so therefore he could potentially 'be' Nelson's dad as an absent father figure who eventually won't be able to be there and therefore maintain the 'status quo' of Nelson's backstory. I guess his coaching a kid's hockey team without being a dad himself was motivated by rivalry with the King Toot guy. Moe and Nelson initially establish a working relationship where ultimately Nelson wants more from his 'primary' which I think Moe appreciates when he realizes it but Nelson hanging out at Moe's bar seems like a worse or at least less legal option than a trailer with his mom.

I think you hit on a possible future episode right at the end. An episode where Nelson and Moe are still pals and then Barney appears in the plot. Then we are teased with the possibility of Barney being Nelson's dead by playing into that untapped artistic and passionate side of Barney we got from the earlier years.

5:06 Nelson's dad really did go out for space cigarettes but he was run aground by an alien fleet and abducted for a human zoo.

Moe and Nelson is so perfect. I get why people brag about the recent seasons since that works

It should be noted that Nelson's grandfather is a judge whom has sent several to death row. It's not clear however whether the judge is his paternal or maternal grandfather.

Great episode, this! You raise some good points about the bind the writers are in. Love that the old fan theory was brought up, even if at the last moment.

I noticed once that Nelson looks like a pre-evolution of Barney It might be nice to have more years of youth, in some ways

I gotta say this channel is a real treasure.

As a kid, I thought Nelson's dad was Snake Jailbird.

Great job as always!!

I feel like Moe adopting Nelson would make both of them more interesting. Moe and Nelson have similar traits and I feel like Nelson being raised by Moe wouldn't ruin him at all! Imagine a centered episode of the two being together and Bart prank calls Moe. Like usual everyone laughs while he gets depressed instead of angry then add Nelson he can do a taken reference where he hunts down Bart for Moe. I feel Moe would teach Nelson so much stuff and Nelson would help Moe be finally happy with a son and a wife.

I'm an avid watcher of seasons 1-10 and no further, so I mostly miss a lot of the later arcs. But even with what I have seen, I wanted to see Moe and Nelson hang out. I always felt they made so much sense together. I am glad that was taken advantage of, and honestly would like to see that happen more even if I haven't seen much of recent Simpsons.

This is cool that you make this stuff, thanks a lot, mate

I laughed at first when I saw the wall of Nelson's days but then I became sad when I saw that Bleeding Gums Murphy tried to be his dad/mentor. He didn't abandon him like the others, he died :( Also I would like to see a Simpson's mysteries episode about Kearny's age. How old is he suppose to be and he's still in grade school? lol

I think Moe and Nelson make a fun duo, even if its only for 1 (or a few) episodes. I don't think either work well as characters without their edges but seeing the two be happy and bond is a nice change from laughing at their expense

yo realjims i know this doesn't really have to do much with this video specifically but i just want to say your videos are always a treat to watch and i look forward to your uploads, thank you for doing what you do :)

I've been waiting for this one!! :D

I love these character stories! I stopped watching Simpsons in 9th grade in 2002 and only catch the treehouse of horror each year it's great to see what characters are up to! Also can't believe it took this long to pair nelson and moe. The perfect pairing I never thought of!

This is the strangest thing. Just yesterday I had a random thought about asking you to make a video about Nelsons many dads. And here we are!

Before 2023 ends, didn't expect to hear, "laying pipe" from you, haha! Love your vids, haven't seen the show in years but you condense it perfectly, thanks Jim(s)!

Thanks for posting the names of artist for the background music! I've searched for the name of the background song to the Simpsons Mysteries for a while now, and finnaly found it thanks to this video :) Thanks a million!

What if the abandonment dad and the sports dad are different guys, and the Muntzs are just not sure which is Nelson’s dad.

I would be down for more Moe and Nelson adventures. Those two have the same personality that they can bounce off easily.

I was hoping for a new Simpsons Mysteries. I've recently been rewatching the old ones.

I always love your Final Fantasy songs in the background.

We already know what a rich Nelson Muntz would be like, he's called Montana Max from Tiny Toon Adventures. He even has sleeves for his vest

Ok I've been actually waiting for this one

Nelson's Dad voicing over that, and ending with that smooth, deep "Ha ha" is one of my fav Simpson's moments.

I LOVE that Simpsons Mysteries is back

I could see it as a story and creative perspective to venture down the route of Moe and Nelson. Found it fun and we could see them fulfill each other's lives.

Just when you think there aren't any more Simpsons' mysteries, Jims comes up with another great idea

This is a very complex video. Truly a fantastic project! I definitely vote for Barney as Nelson’s true dad! They would be really fun together in my opinion. I also love how you squeezed in Nelson x Lisa. Still a fantastic ship. I definitely imagine Lisa cringing a little if either Moe or Barney has to walk her down at the isle though. That wedding would be wacky! Nelson is indeed a compelling character. I hope he does get his happy storyline one day!

I really like seeing the character development across the series, Lisa becoming a vegetarian and a Buddhist, Edna and Skinner, Ned losing Maude, Comic Book Guy and Kumiko, Moe with Maya I honestly really hope we see more changes in the future. Nelson would be a great character to see catch a break, and Moe is easily the best candidate for a father figure in the future. If the show didn’t want anything too permanent then try others too like Krusty or maybe give him a new maternal figure like Agnes that would be entertaining. Nelson and Lisa is definitely a more interesting couple than Lisa and Milhouse anything that can help set that up is a bonus

at least nelson got to see King Pele

I think they should just keep cycling through Nelson father figures: the sea captain, superintendent Chalmers, duff man, Kirk Van Houten, Dr. Colossus, sideshow mel

How your channel has only 128k subs is unfathomable. Criminal. Keep on trucking Jim

I didn't even know there was a s34 or that they brought back the lil woman, but that Nelson-Moe story seemed really wholesome. I wish the show ended already and let them be happy...

I think one episode of nelson and mr burns would be so good, both of them throwing rocks at school kids from a limo while they both yell HaHa. They could even make it a big moment for nelsons character, have him start the episode wanting a father but after his time with burns falls appart he come out more confident in a "ha, i dont need him" moment. that allows them to keep the status quo while still paying off that storyline

For Years I was Convinced that Snake was Nelson’s dad. I only very recently was shocked that he wasn’t

I really love these videos

So is his last name (Muntz / Munts?) taken from his mother's maiden name? If they haven't given away his father's last name, it'd be an interesting reveal if his last name is Gumble (Or, however Barney's last name is spelled). This would also be a fascinating twist considering the recent Moe pairing. Moe has been helping aid the alcohol addiction to Nelson's dad's brother all these years

"Another kid in Fort McMurrary" Oh geez! For those who don't know Fort McMurrary is the oilsands city in Alberta Canada, it has a reputation for being a "temporary" spot for a lot of people to live in while they make some quick money (temporary was in quotations for a reason)

I think it would've been interesting if they'd made Moe Nelson's Uncle in the mid seasons Moe is definitely a mixed bag that would've worked in the long run being close but not always there for Nelson

Well now I have a whole pitch for a Moe and Nelson/Homer and Maya -> Homer and Lisa episode. I really enjoyed the new episode and I am here for more Top Goon discussion!

Kind of surprised they never went the route of playing nelson as a protege of Snake, that would be an interesting episode

TheRealJims posting is the highlight of my life

I always thought it made more sense to have Snake as Nelson's Dad

I like the idea of Moe and Nelson becoming something closer to father and son. Especially if they confirmed Barney was his father. If Barney ever goes back to drinking it'd be a nice bit of dramatic irony that he's so close, but so far from his father.

I hadn’t really thought about it until you pointed it out but you’re right: Nelson is probably the best developed character in the show outside of The Simpsons themselves, and maybe Mr. Burns. I did realize myself, though, that Nelson is kind of special. He is invariably more than the sum of his parts. I cannot think of a character in the show that he has interacted with that has somehow not benefited both characters by the dynamic. So yeah, I would like him to have a happy ending, or if not that, and I would like him to have some sort of recognition from the other characters. Even if it’s some thing, like realizing how vastly much worse he really should be all things considered. Just the fact that he is tortured soul and still manages to be mostly functional would be enough. And mow would be a great vehicle for that.

There's "flexibly reality" and than there's whatever the Hell Mr. Muntz is!

I was surpiced to learn that Nelson's dad abandoned him so late in the series run. I somehow remembered his dad "leaving to get cigarettes" happening much earlier, like season 5 or 7

this made me think that broken people might need people like them, broken, someone who can actually relate, it sounds dangerous but its so poetic that might be plausible.

Seeing all the changes of Flanders you mentioned I have to wonder what are the biggest missed opportunities in the Simpsons. Still think the whole ned/Edna could have been amazing but sadly we'll never know. Rip.

I think it’d be neat to have Nelson work part time at Moe’s. You don’t necessarily have to have a full episode about it, but I think you could get some decent mileage by having Nelson pop up in the bar from time to time.

With The Simpsons writers, it's usually gags over plot or character development, but they've been really diving into the latter the past few years. I don't think Nelson having a stable home life takes away from the character being a bully. We didn't know his dad abandoned him for how many seasons, and he still worked as that character. I think it's a tired old trope that a bully's a bully because there's something wrong with their home lives because they're someone to pity. I've never met a bully IRL that didn't have a decent home life with either a clueless "pfft, not MY child" or a straight up enabler parent. Besides, you look at other sympathetic "bully" characters (i.e. Binky Barnes from Arthur or Gian from Doraemon), and they have actually loving parents. Personally, when it comes to Nelson, I'm annoyed that the writers can't make up their minds if he's Bart's friend or not. If we're talking derailed character development, what about all the way back in Bart the General where he signed a treaty to never bully again. I like the concept for Bart being the popular character, a devilish prankster and underachiever that is looked up to by the bullies and the dorks alike. I always thought that Bart belongs with Nelson and the bully trio a little more than Milhouse or sometimes Martin. I want to see the relationship where Bart invites Nelson over his house to put a train on a slot car track, have it melt, and wants to dump some crud on it.

Another great deep dive

I LOVE THESE VIDEJOES!!!!!!!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WOrkS

I think that Nelson is the kind of character that stays in a bad situation but manages to become a good person eventually.

In my head I always thought Nelson's dad would be the red herring episode for you. Always hinted at but never expanded upon. Or an April fools joke. I didn't expect to start the year like this

If you think about it; Nelson's dad COULD still be a mystery. Given his mom's reputation; she could have easily been sleeping around and doesn't know for sure which guy actually got her pregnant, so she's just been tracking down old ONSs, telling them and Nelson they're his dad, and then them finding out the truth and bailing.

Another great episode. Can we have a character spotlight on Apu's brother Sanji?

I kind of like the idea of Nelson's real father being Barney, he already has two supposedly biological fathers, why not add a third?! I guess it would also add an interesting new element to Nelson's dynamic with Moe.

another video so soon? let's go!

That’s the good vid right there

i like the idea of mo becoming nelsons faster dad and the two of them taking down the town

he’s the resident deadbeat dad, his whole gag is running off but returning when he’s seeing something in his son that he can use