Homer Simpson may be maturing, or so he says. In the third episode of the current season, the show’s 35th, titled “McMansion & Wife,” Homer meets a neighbor who compliments the grip on his handshake. Strangling the boy has paid off,” Homer says to his wife in the episode, which aired on Oct. 22. Times have changed.”It was not clear whether this signaled a lasting shift in the show, which was renewed for a 36th season this year. A spokesman for Fox, the network that has long aired “The Simpsons,” declined to comment.

---

Persons: Homer Simpson, Dan Castellaneta, Bart, ” Homer, Marge, “, ” Organizations: Times, Fox