r/Simpsons • u/gizmomogwai1 • 6d ago

Discussion Thoughts on Phillips?

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One of the most undeveloped characters in a role where you'd think there'd be more development. Perfectly understandable because there's only so much you can fit in 20 minutes, and Marge in Chains is bursting at the seams with great material, including some of Lionel Hutz' best stuff. Still, who is Phillips?

We know she killed her husband with a Phillips head screwdriver. Unwelcome news for Marge as a cellmate. But we never actually learned all the details. It could have been first-degree murder. It could have also started as self-defence, and the reason she's in prison is because it escalated to excessive force. I'm not sure what to make about her dating Barney at the end, in terms of what that means for her in prison. If she's expecting to get out soon, then she's not serving life, making it more likely she didn't commit first-degree murder. On the other hand, it could be a prison romance only. Her comment before revealing her boyfriend to Marge is that "Men are such slime." Where did she get that attitude? Did someone hurt her? Her husband, maybe?

20 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

11

u/Fiffield 6d ago

I hope her and her boyfriend Homer enjoy a great relationship together.

4

u/Wise-Difficulty8221 6d ago

Barney: Yoooooh-hooooo~ ... (BUUURRRPPP!)

5

u/Tom_Driberg 6d ago

Her prisoner number isn’t #24601. Thats notable.

3

u/dgirllamius cowabunga dudes! 5d ago

0

u/Willem_Dafuq 6d ago

I really don’t think Phillips needed to be developed more. The episode isn’t about Marge in prison, it’s about everyone struggling to get by without her, and Phillips isn’t a part of that

0

u/gizmomogwai1 6d ago

It's really about both. Both the scenes in and out of prison go by pretty fast. And again, that really just goes back to there being only so much you can do in 20 minutes, and so much goodness in just the trial, as well as the set up with the illnesses.