The Simpsons latest episode drops GTA San Andreas reference

The Fox Broadcasting Company recently dropped a major GTA San Andreas reference in its latest episode of The Simpsons. While Grand Theft Auto references outside the series are not uncommon, most of them are indirect. However, the animated TV show directly mentioned the 2004 installment, some of its characters, and also showed a parody of the gameplay.

GTA San Andreas fans have been left pleased seeing their favorite game being brought up in a major TV show. This article explores more.

The Simpsons revives GTA San Andreas nostalgia in its latest episode

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The latest episode of The Simpsons (S36 E18) was aired on May 18, 2025 (titled Estranger Things). It included a major reference to the Grand Theft Auto series. During a conversation, Marge Simpson says to Homer Simpson:

“I don’t want Bart and Lisa to be the kind of siblings who stop speaking and drift apart.”

In response, Homer says:

“Yeah, maybe you’re right. We don’t want them to end up like Sweet Johnson and CJ Johnson in Grand Theft Auto.”

Marge stated that she never played GTA San Andreas. Homer laughs and replies:

“Marge, when you grow up in Los Santos, and Big Smoke needs you to move that powder, the game has a way of playing you.”

Thereafter, the episode shows Homer Simpson playing a video game, likely inspired by Rockstar Games’ GTA San Andreas.

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The 2004 title is known to have a huge influence within the gaming community and is often mentioned in various pop-culture references. However, this episode of The Simpsons was a major shout-out to the game. Even though Homer pronounced Carl Johnson’s name slightly wrong, the rest of the references are both hilarious and nostalgic.

Also read: GTA 6 could bring back a scrapped GTA 5 feature

Interestingly, this is not the first time the popular TV show has mentioned GTA San Andreas. Homer Simpson appears to be a hardcore fan of the series, and in The Simpsons Movie (2007), he is seen playing an arcade game titled Grand Theft Walrus.

Nonetheless, the recent TV episode has taken the fanboy moment to a new level by mentioning core details about San Andreas. If you haven’t tried the game yet (like Marge Simpson), you can play the Definitive Edition on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.

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About the author

Mridul completed his post-graduation in Mass Communication, Journalism, and Media Studies. His career as a journalist began at Sportskeeda, and he has been associated with the Esports & Gaming division for over 1.5 years. He has produced 1600+ articles on Grand Theft Auto, his favorite gaming franchise of all time.

Mridul writes detailed and well-researched articles, relying solely on official sources and reputable insiders for credible information. His immense love for the GTA series shines through in his work, which resonates with readers, with five of his articles having crossed the 100,000 reads mark each. Overall, his reads count stands at close to 8 million.

GTA: Vice City served as Mridul's introduction to Rockstar Games, and he has dedicatedly made his way through the publisher's catalog since then. If given a chance, he would love to drop into the world of Bully and relive his school days. However, he would like to recommend Grand Theft Auto 4 to beginners due to the depth of its narrative and in-game mechanics.

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Edited by Dinesh Renthlei