The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36's "Stew Lies," now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons has given one notable villain character an expanded origin thirty-three seasons after they debuted on the show, and it's a great expansion of the character's history. Fat Tony was established in season 3's "Bart the Murderer" as the most dangerous criminal in Springfield. While minor threats like Snake might be more common in the show, Fat Tony's presence atop the Springfield criminal scene gives him an edge that much of the show's cast lacks. The show has played the character for plenty of dark humor over the years, even pitting him openly against the titular family.

That hasn't stopped other episodes from teaming Season 36's "Stew Lives" delves further into Fat Tony's history, which helps flesh out his character while also setting up a potential new wildcard in Springfield.

The Simpsons Season 36 Reveals Fat Tony's Origins

Fat Tony Gets An Origin Established Decades After He Debuted

Fat Tony gets a long-overdue origin story in season 36's "Stew Lies," explaining his personality and questions about the character. "Stew Lies" is largely about Homer and Fat Tony, who have a run-in after a Guy Fieri parody named Thad Parkour. After being led to Fat Tony's home by the smell of a delicious stew he was making, Homer learns Tony's origin. The son of a former mob boss in Springfield, Tony was largely raised by his father's rival in the Prussian mob, Wilhelm von Wonthelm as part of a son exchange that ensured the peace.

Steadily developing a bond with Wilhelm, Tony became something of a surrogate son to him — something that enraged Wilhelm's oldest child, Maximillian. Maximillian turning his back on his father caused him to have a fatal heart attack, but Tony remained by his side as he ed. Tony and Maximillian both eventually took their rightful places as the head of Springfield's leading criminal organizations, even going so far as to retain the peace by trading their own sons.

The Simpsons' Fat Tony Retcon Introduces A New Springfield Villain

Fat Tony's Old Rival Could Become Springfield's Next Threat

The introduction of Maximilian is an interesting choice by The Simpsons that could benefit the show in several ways. Tony describes Maximilian as a ruthless crime boss who reshaped the Prussian mob in Springfield. The fact that it's Fat Tony saying this adds a layer of menace to the character, as Tony is usually portrayed as the most lethal antagonist in The Simpsons. The fact that he's quickly concerned about the Prussians coming after him once Wilhelm's most precious recipe is revealed to the public because of Thad ensures that the organization comes across as a real threat.

Even though the Prussians are styled as an out-of-date ska-band, they are still able to quickly surround Tony and Homer, and only spare them because of Homer's quick thinking and empathetic side. Giving Springfield a rival criminal organization that is far more willing to cross moral lines that even Tony wouldn't adds a certain element of danger to the show. Maximilian could become the kind of threat that Tony only occasionally is, genuinely menacing the Simpsons and their neighbors while retaining a certain amount of unique comedic personality given his failed musical ambitions.

Fat Tony's Son Trade Explains His Missing Son

Michael Has Been Missing From The Simpsons For Over A Decade

One of the most interesting aspects of this revelation about Fat Tony is the way it explains the absence of his son, Michael. Debuting in season 18's "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer," Michael is portrayed as a soft-spoken boy with a flair for cooking. Although he dislikes his father's criminal life, he loves Fat Tony dearly and only wants to make him proud — pushing aside his culinary ambitions and his bond with Lisa in the name of keeping the Springfield Mafia strong while Tony recovers from an attempted assassination.

The reveal at the end of the episode that Tony and Maximilian carried on the tradition of "trading sons" to ensure the peace continues in Springfield could easily explain where Michael has been.

Michael has mainly only appeared in crowd shots or in the background since season 18, but this plotline about Tony's origins tweaks Michael's role in the story in surprisingly effective ways. Tony's dislike for his son's cooking could be seen as an extension of his own history with the culinary arts and remind him of his time with Wilhelm, pushing Tony to argue against cooking. The reveal at the end of the episode that Tony and Maximilian carried on the tradition of "trading sons" to ensure the peace continues in Springfield could easily explain where Michael has been.

What Fat Tony's New Origin Says About The Character

Fat Tony's Soft Side Has Always Been A Core Element Of The Character

Fat Tony has always been an interesting antagonist in The Simpsons, a potentially one-off character in season 3 who gradually became a consistent presence in Springfield. He's easily deployable as a criminal figurehead for any storyline, and his self-confessed crimes make him a dangerous complication for plenty of episodes. However, there's also always been a soft side to Fat Tony that makes him just endearing enough for audiences to never fully turn on the character.

"Stew Lies" is a great example of that delicate balancing act in action, with Tony threatening Homer and even going so far as to try and murder him — only to relent and forgive Homer when he's able to save them. His concern for Wilhelm's memory brings a tear to Fat Tony's eye, highlighting how family bonds mean a lot to the character. Fat Tony's origins fit his typically ruthless but emotional approach to crime, with a willingness to kill that's only matched by his frequent ability to forgive and forget the transgressions of other characters.

It also plays into the fluid history of Springfield, where certain storylines and timelines can be retconned so long as the emotional core of the character remains consistent. This isn't even the first big Fat Tony ret-con, as the original version of the character died in season 22's "Donnie Fatso" and was replaced by his cousin Fit Tony, who quickly assumed Fat Tony's role in town and eventually his identity. The character remained functionally the same, with the episode's focus on Homer and Tony's surprising compatibility as friends setting up Fit Tony's decision to spare him and stay in Springfield.

The new origins for Tony and details about the character have been adjusted over the years to reflect an ever-changing landscape, and it all works. His commitment to tradition and surprising humanity despite his lethal tendencies make Tony a fascinating riff on the stereotypical "Italian Mobster" archetype. Fat Tony's new origin is a great addition to the lore of The Simpsons and should play a role in directing the character's future appearances in the show.