One of the most popular TV shows on the planet, ‘The Simpsons’ is known for its take on life. The show touched upon the topic of homosexuality for the first time in 1997 with the episode “Homer’s Phobia.” In 2016, Waylon Smithers Jr., the assistant of Mr. Burns, the antagonist in the show, came out as gay. The episode was special since it was a homage by writer Rob LaZebnik for his son, Johnny, who is gay. Now, five years later, Smithers, in a historical moment, is about to get his first-ever boyfriend on the show, Michael De Graaf, a fashion mogul. The plot for this episode, which is scheduled to air on November 21, is written by the father-son duo, Rob and Johnny. The 27-year-old, after completing his graduation, joined his father and became a TV writer. “I know my dad is a comedy writer. I grew up with him. Hence, I know he is a funny guy. But getting to write jokes with him for a show I grew up watching was amazing. So we now have a piece of content being put into the world, which is a product of combined brainpower of both of us,” said Johnny, in an interview with New York Post.

He elaborated how gay romances used to be secluded as a subplot or were shown as a montage or a punch line. However, he said, with this episode, we get to see the beginning, middle, and “who knows how it ends” of a gay relationship.

According to him, this episode will show the nitty-gritty of how gay people meet, date, and what it’s like. The characters are not mere punchlines but are fully formed.

“To be able to work with Johnny on this was a dream come true. It was amazing to see how truly funny and talented he is,” said Rob.

The Simpsons’ Waylon Smithers Finds Love in Historic Gay Episode

In a landmark new episode of The Simpsons, Waylon Smithers gets his first-ever boyfriend.