The legendary character from ‘The Simpsons’ who debuted 35 years ago but will never return to the series for a sad reason
He was one of the most recognizable and entertaining lawyers in fiction. Lionel Hutz debuted on ‘The Simpsons’ in 1991, but he will not return to the series for a compelling reason.
Throughout its history, ‘The Simpsons’ has introduced us to all kinds of memorable characters. During the series’ golden age, getting to know their quirks was one of its great attractions. Aside from the adventures and misadventures of the Simpson family, scenes featuring other Springfield residents such as Disco Stu, the comic book store clerk, and Hans Moleman were one of its main sources of humor. In this case, we remember Lionel Hutz, the comically incompetent lawyer who made his debut 35 years ago but will never return due to the death of the actor who voiced him in the original version.
Lionel Hutz turns 35: we look back at his best moments in ‘The Simpsons’ and why he won’t be returning to the series
Lionel Hutz, alias Miguel Sanchez, alias Dr. Nguyen Van Phuoc, was a lawyer based in Springfield who stood out for one key reason: he was completely incompetent. He made his debut on the show on January 10, 1991, in the episode 'Bart Gets Hit by a Car,' the tenth episode of the second season. In it, the Simpson family sued Mr. Burns for running over Bart and hired Hutz to represent them in court.
In his initial appearance, Hutz was a lawyer willing to lie on the stand and distort reality in order to win the case against Burns. After this, the character appeared numerous times in episodes released between 1991 and 1997, and it was in these new cameos that his character and personality developed, with several common denominators: his eagerness to take on a new case was only surpassed by his stinginess—since he lost almost all his cases, he was completely broke—and his unorthodox methods of practicing law.
Hutz’s last appearance was in the episode ‘Realty Bites.’ It was the ninth episode of the ninth season, originally aired on December 7, 1997. Here, he was no longer a lawyer and was in charge of the Red Blazer Realty, where he had some success, although he still had his mannerisms.
1997 would be the last year Lionel Hutz appeared on The Simpsons. Along with him, another great supporting character also retired: actor Troy McClure. The reason was that Phil Hartman, who voiced both characters in the original version, was murdered. Although the series’ team had plans to reintroduce both characters in later years, they ultimately decided to do without them as a tribute to the voice actor.
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Ultimately, both Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure were symbols of an unrepeatable era of The Simpsons. Both fans and critics tend to place the best years of the series between the third and tenth seasons, a period that coincides with Phil Hartman’s time as a voice actor. His talent was key to bringing unforgettable supporting characters to life, elevating the plots of every episode in which they appeared. Therefore, although, understandably, there are no plans to bring them back, their absence reminds us that that golden age is unlikely to be repeated.
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