In The Simpsons episode " Meat is Murder " (Season 33, Episode 21), the show moves away from Lisa’s usual vegetarian themes to deliver a sharp satire on corporate greed and family power dynamics. The episode serves as a dual parody, drawing heavily from the HBO drama Succession and the 2016 film The Founder .
Critics from Den of Geek and Bubbleblabber noted that while the episode is a "well-balanced" offering with strong guest performances, it occasionally suffers from familiar tropes, such as "Krusty losing everything". Nevertheless, it succeeds in showcasing a rare, competent side of Grampa Simpson, proving that despite his age, he can still "outplay a room full of players" to protect his granddaughter's integrity. [S33E21] Meat is Murder
The climax highlights the show's cynical take on the "Simpsons Curse"—the idea that the family is destined for failure. Grampa ultimately outplays the billionaires by feigning mental incompetence to nullify a critical board vote, effectively deadlocking the company and ruining Gus’s plan to oust his children. In The Simpsons episode " Meat is Murder
: Lisa is initially lured in by Gus’s daughter, Sheila (Krysten Ritter), who promises to pivot the company toward eco-friendly, green initiatives. However, Lisa soon realizes that even "progressive" corporate maneuvering is just another form of cutthroat manipulation. The "Simpsons Curse" and Mental Incompetence Nevertheless, it succeeds in showcasing a rare, competent
The core of the episode shifts to Gus’s "RedStar Corporation"—a clear stand-in for Succession’s Waystar RoyCo. The guest cast is a direct nod to the show, including Nicholas Braun (Cousin Greg) and parodies of the Roy siblings.
: Gus brings Grampa onto his board of directors, seemingly as a nostalgic gesture but actually to use him as a "pawn" in a bitter internal power struggle against his own children.
The narrative begins with a flashback to the 1970s, revealing that Grampa Simpson and his partner, Augustus "Gus" Redfield (voiced by John Lithgow), were the original masterminds behind a revolutionary burger concept. In a twist inspired by the real-world history of McDonald's , a struggling Krusty the Clown steals their techniques to build his empire, leaving Gus and Abe in the dust. This "origin story" sets the stage for a present-day revenge plot where Gus, now a billionaire, returns to dismantle Krusty Burger.