This is not a drill: Homer and Marge Simpson are splitting up

The Simpsons have been through a lot over the last 26 years: dolphin uprisings, unexpected cat deaths (RIP Snowball), and even the apocalypse. But this season, everyone’s favorite animated family will be going through something that hits a little closer to home: a separation.

According to the show’s executive producer, Al Jean, who was interviewed by Variety, Homer’s long-time marriage will crumble after he falls for his local pharmacist, voiced by the one and only Lena Dunham. While Jean didn’t use the word “divorce,” he did say they’d “legally separate.” Hoo boy.

With all the news surrounding the upcoming Simpsons seasons, this headline may not come as too much of a shock. Harry Shearer’s exit from the series is already expected to cause storyline shakeups and potentially, more character deaths. A breakup between Homer and Marge will be the cherry on top of a seemingly chaotic season. If anything, it could open up opportunities for new, more relatable plot arcs: how the kids handle the split, how the living situation will work, etc.

While I know that Homer and Marge have already technically broken up once before thanks to a faulty marriage license and a lot of miscommunication (it’s a long story, trust me), the circumstances here are different. Marge has always been Homer’s light at the end of the tunnel. She’s loved him unconditionally for years and when you look past all of the show’s crazy antics, the whole series really boils down to their dedication to one another.

This time around, though, that passion seems to have fizzled. What’s going to happen to TV’s favorite dysfunctional couple? Is the breakup just another one of Matt Groening’s gags or are Marge and Homer done for good?

I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Featured image via Wikia.com.