“The Simpsons” recently aired what was presented as its “final episode,” but it turned out to be a clever way to kick off the Season 36 premiere. The episode, “Bart’s Birthday,” was introduced as a “Fox special presentation” and started with animated celebrities arriving at the “Dolby-Mucinex Theater” for the event, hosted by Conan O’Brien. O’Brien humorously addressed the onlooking crowd, which included animated versions of stars who have appeared on the show, such as Seth Rogen and Mr. T. He quipped about hosting the last episode of his own shows and added a touch of meta humor to the occasion.
During the segment, O’Brien remarked, “It’s true. Fox has decided to end The Simpsons.” He then proceeded to deliver a mock obituary for the iconic Fox sitcom. In his skit, O’Brien’s character revealed, “Not many people know this, but Fox has been attempting to conclude the show for years. When the very first episode aired in 1989, viewers unanimously agreed on one thing: it wasn’t as hilarious as it used to be. Fox executives, unaccustomed to any form of criticism, promptly succumbed to public pressure and made the decision to terminate ‘The Simpsons’ in 1990.”
In the final episode of the show, O’Brien’s character aired clips from unaired series finale attempts before presenting the “final” episode. This “final” episode was created using artificial intelligence and featured several dramatic attempts to wrap up the show’s storyline. The AI-generated episode included storylines such as Moe’s shutting down and Mr. Burns dying.
In the episode’s conclusion, Bart becomes self-aware and realizes that his upcoming birthday will mark his 11th year, despite having been 10 years old since the series’ inception. He refuses to accept this, prompting Homer to strangle him and causing the show to glitch and reset. Following the reset, everything returns to normal and the anticipated “series finale” never comes to fruition.
“The Simpsons” holds the distinction of being America’s longest-running animated series, as well as the longest-running sitcom and scripted primetime television series. Its inaugural episode aired on January 14, 1990.
While the series may not enjoy the same level of popularity it did during its peak in the 1990s, it remains renowned for its occasional ability to seemingly predict the future, a notion embraced by many of its fans.
