In this season, Krusty the Clown plans to retire, while in the same episode a notable character will die (Clown in the Dumps); Homer and Bart attempt to solve some father/son conflicts (The Wreck of the Relationship); Marge opens a sandwich franchise (Super Franchise Me); Mr. Burns finds a girlfriend in Democratic Assemblywoman Maxine Lombard; Bart schemes to bring down his new 4th grade teacher, Mr. Lassen (guest voice Willem Dafoe), who is a terrible bully (Blazed and Confused); Homer has a mid-life crisis; and the cast of Futurama will make an appearance in Springfield in a crossover episode (Simpsorama). Additional guest voices for this season will include Nick Offerman, David Hyde Pierce, Jeff Ross and Matthew Sweet and Gordon Ramsay