The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 17, "Full Heart, Empty Pool," now streaming on HuluNed Flanders into some of The Simpsons' most interesting characters.

Even one-note gag characters have been explored in shocking detail over the years, fleshing out nameless gag roles like Comic Book Guy with actual personalities, histories, and motivations. The latest example of that finally seems to give a concrete name and background to a minor member of the ing cast who debuted all the way back in season 2 and has largely remained comic relief instead of an actual character. It's a minor subplot in season 36's "Full Heart, Empty Pool," but another reminder of how The Simpsons can transform gags into real characters.

The Simpsons Season 36 Gives The Squeaky-Voiced Teen A Story (And A Name)

Andrew Teen Actually Gets A Home Life And A Girlfriend

The Simpsons season 36's Homer and Grandpa-centric episode "Full Heart Empty Pool" actually gives a subplot — and a new name — to the character often only referred to as the Squeaky-Voiced Teen. Identified as Andrew, the teenager actually gets the opening scene of the episode. It's a fun moment that actually offers a lot of little clues towards his personality. The teenager is shown to be a rock fan, debating which band T-shirt to wear before deciding on a more openly feminist one that might help convince his longtime friend and apparent crush, Amy, to go to the prom with him.

Revealed to be growing up under two nice but unimpressed parents, Andrew is forced to delay his plans to prom-pose to Amy because of a legal case involving Homer. This leads to Andrew being used as a story device to introduce the main plot of the episode, which focuses on the fallout of Homer arranging it so that he's legally declared a buffoon (and gains a certain amount of legal protection and punitive victory for his antics). The episode's ending returns to Andrew, revealing that he did successfully ask out Amy and the pair have seemingly begun a formal romance.

The Squeaky-Voiced Teen's History In The Simpsons, Explained

The Squeaky-Voiced Teen First Appeared Thirty-Five Years Ago

Voiced by Dan Castellaneta, the Squeaky-Voiced Teen has been a mainstay of The Simpsons' background since season 2's "Brush with Greatness." The teen has rarely had any major role in the show, often appearing as a minor employee at any number of businesses around Springfield. The character was purposefully left broad enough to fill out any number of comedic roles in the show, whether that be as a lazy teen, an overwhelmed employee, or even just a random citizen of the town.

The Squeaky-Voiced Teen ends the episode with just enough details about his personal life to feel like an actual character instead of a comedic device.

The character was so thin in of pure characterization that he took thirty-five seasons to even get a formal name. Referred to as Jeremy in a deleted scene from season 5 and seen wearing a "Steve" name tag in season 23, the character has also been given multiple last names, like Peterson and Freedman. Now referred to directly as Andrew Teen in season 36, the Squeaky-Voiced Teen ends the episode with just enough details about his personal life to feel like an actual character instead of a comedic device.

The Simpsons Gave The Squeaky Voiced Teen A Happy Ending For Once

Andrew And Amy Are Dating By The End Of The Episode

While the world of The Simpsons operates on a typically dark set of comedic rules for almost every recurring character, the Squeaky-Voiced Teen has always had it rough in Springfield. The character is frequently a verbal punching bag for other characters (and occasionally a literal one), manipulated by others for comedic effect. He was frequently shown in degrading jobs, serves as the show's most consistent parody of teenagers, and even suffers some pretty brutal deaths in the non-canonical "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween specials.

That's what makes Andrew's role in "Full Heart Empty Pool" initially seem like a perfectly in-character reintroduction to his full life, and why the happy ending he gets is so sweet. Andrew's embarrassing attempts to psyche himself up to ask out Amy is met with resistance by his parents, who not only tell him to carry through on his sudden legal obligations but also assure him that Amy will be going with someone else to the prom. There's little expectation for Andrew, and even his sky-written prom-posal hangs over the courthouse as a sort of cosmic joke played on him.

Despite this, The Simpsons still gives Andrew a lifeline by revealing him walking arm in arm with Amy at the episode's end. It turns out that she liked him right back, and thinks he was responsible and impressive for helping take part in Homer's trial. This prompts her to give him a kiss on the cheek, which causes the Squeaky-Voiced Teen's trademark goofy voice to suddenly drop into a much more mature and impressive . It's a fun beat that will likely be reversed by the next time the character appears, but is a rare unmitigated win for Andrew.

Should The Squeaky-Voiced Teen Get A Whole Episode In The Simpsons?

The Squeaky-Voiced Teen Is More Useful To The Simpsons As A Comedic Side-Character

One of the best aspects of The Simpsons being such a long-running success is the fact that its expanded scope allows for all sorts of gag concepts to evolve into fully fleshed-out characters. Even characters who lacked a formal name in the show, like Comic Book Guy and the Old Sea Captain, have been fleshed out in later seasons of the show and afforded a sense of depth that they previously lacked. While the plot quickly moves on from him, "Full Heart Empty Pool" proves he can drive his own storyline.

Andrew Teen even has a solid basis for an episode, as his home life suggests he could be another young parallel to Homer. However, the Squeaky-Voiced Teen might be better served as a gag character or background figure in The Simpsons. The show has steadily developed more interesting teenage characters over the years who would be better served in a lead role, like Shauna. The Teen works well as a marker for low-wage jobs, which the show frequently mines for comic gold — so losing that edge would likely make the character more forgettable or easily replaceable.

The Simpsons rarely focuses on teenage characters outside of characters like Shauna, which would be another likely reason Andrew Teen wouldn't get a full focus episode.

There also doesn't seem to be much inherent drama to the character, making any of his potential lead roles harder to make engaging. Plenty could change or be added to his storyline to make him more interesting, but he simply doesn't have the bizarre edge that helps elevate many Springfield citizens from background figures to leading characters. While it's exciting to see the Squeaky-Voiced Teen finally get a win (and a name) in The Simpsons, he doesn't need his own standalone episode.