Key examples include the season premiere 'Homer's Crossing,' which satirizes militarized policing and overfunded authority figures via Homer's crossing guard squad clashing with police; 'Night of the Living Wage,' a full episode centered on Marge organizing a union strike at a ghost kitchen to fight corporate exploitation and secure fair wages, complete with robot replacements and worker victory; and 'The Tipping Point,' poking at tipping culture pressures. Corporate greed critiques appear in episodes like 'Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story' (Theranos parody with whistleblower Homer) and 'It's a Blunderful Life' (community vs. Mr. Burns).

Production influences include the permanent retirement of the Homer-strangling-Bart gag in early episodes for sensitivity reasons and ongoing effects from 2020 DEI voice recasting (e.g., Harry Shearer's Dr. Hibbert replaced by a Black actor imitating his voice, which Shearer says 'affected' the character and prompted fans to call the show 'woke'). No major new casting changes, race/gender swaps, or LGBTQ+ focal points; themes feel like extensions of the show's traditional satire rather than forced lectures.

Audience reception lacks S35-specific backlash, with general later-season decline complaints, but no 'go woke go broke' collapse. Creator intent remains entertainment-focused, impacted by WGA strike reducing episodes.