They’ll Never Stop The Simpsons… Or Will They?

As a longtime fan of The Simpsons, I must say that this latest episode has left me both amused and perplexed. On one hand, it’s refreshing to see the creators poking fun at those who criticize the show for supposedly losing its touch over the years. The meta-humor and self-deprecation are reminiscent of the early seasons that made the show a cultural phenomenon.

The Simpsons did it. After 35 years, TV’s longest-running sitcom aired its series finale.

I’m thrilled to share that we’re about to witness “Bart’s Birthday,” an extraordinary episode marking the beginning of our 36th season on The Simpsons. Although there are more adventures ahead, this installment serves as a witty interpretation of what a finale might be like. It not only pokes fun at the notion that our show could ever come to an end, but also skewers the very idea of series finales in general. It’s yet another testament to the fact that, despite all these years, The Simpsons continues to challenge and redefine both the sitcom genre and viewer expectations.

Drawing inspiration from the season-ten parody “The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular,” the episode “Bart’s Birthday” is structured like a special with a host, but unlike traditional clip shows, it presents an entirely new AI-written episode that serves as the series finale. This episode features Bart growing increasingly frustrated as he watches the characters go through typical, overly sentimental finale storylines. The result is a humorous, multi-layered, and surprisingly poignant episode of The Simpsons that combines references to past episodes with something entirely new and unique. Recently, showrunner Matt Selman, who has been instrumental in the show’s recent success, shared insights into the writers’ thought process behind this innovative approach.

Why a “finale”?

If you’re a writer for The Simpsons, people often inquire about what a finale episode could look like. This question poses a challenge for Selman, who has been with the show since 1998, as he feels that The Simpsons was not intended to have an ending. He likens this to the movie Groundhog Day, where each episode restarts, making it perpetual because it lacks a strict canon or complex continuity. Selman also notes that The Simpsons was designed to defy conventional endings that might be considered corny. Consequently, when asked about a potential finale, he typically responds that there isn’t really an answer to that question.

Following the 2023 episodes, when Selman was finally able to conduct interviews again, he found himself in Australia facing the same old question. However, during this particular interview, an idea struck him: “What if we created a mock finale that satirizes finales, wrapping things up, but then rejects it in a style reminiscent of ‘The Simpsons’?” Upon returning to L.A., Selman discussed this concept with Mike Price, who has worked on the show since 2003, and Jessica Conrad, a writer who joined the team in 2020. They brainstormed what Fox might do if there was indeed a ‘Simpsons’ finale and settled on the idea of an extravagant, star-studded celebration that would serve as a clever critique of showbiz self-mythologizing and mock the reverence some fans have for a specific period of the show. To strengthen this argument, they knew precisely which celebrity to invite.

Conan returns

They’ll Never Stop The Simpsons… Or Will They?

In “Bart’s Birthday,” Conan O’Brien takes on the role of the finale host, much like Phil Hartman’s Troy McClure did in “The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular.” Given his history with The Simpsons – having worked for two seasons and written one of their most renowned episodes, “Marge vs. the Monorail” – Conan embodies the show’s so-called golden era. The writers decided to poke fun at this symbolic significance by mocking Conan, making a few obligatory jokes about his wig and having him deliver lines like, “I’m thrilled to be here for The Simpsons series finale. They thought I was perfect for the job because I’ve hosted the final episode of three of my shows – and there are more to come.

Initially, this part was intended for Conan, yet there was a possibility he could find it offensive. Nevertheless, Selman asserts that Conan is both intelligent and witty enough to recognize that he was unequivocally the most suitable individual to narrate this tale.

The stars are out

In the “Bart’s Birthday” episode, although Conan plays a pivotal role in the storyline, most of the appearances by celebrities are merely animated extras in the audience. This allowed the show to avoid seeking their permission. However, Fox Legal required the writers to include a line for Conan acknowledging the many celebrities who have appeared on The Simpsons before. In an unusual turn of events, Seth Rogen needed to grant approval because his laugh from a prior episode was used. Tom Hanks reappeared as himself from “The Simpsons Movie,” even ad-libbing a line, and for the episode-within-the-episode, the AI managed to get John Cena to cameo as himself, a move that felt like an ambitious guest star choice for a finale, according to Matt Selman.

Unexpectedly, there was a cameo in the show that not even Selman and the writers had foreseen. Typically, when Maggie has spoken on the show, big names like Elizabeth Taylor and Jodie Foster have been brought in. However, it turned out that series regular Nancy Cartwright was the one who delivered Maggie’s single line (“What’s up his butt?”) in the original cut of this episode. When I brought this to Selman’s attention, he recognized it as a missed chance for an episode so heavily centered on mocking the show’s history. This revelation occurred only six days before the episode was set to air, which Selman considered “not too late” to contact his producers about the potential costs of a last-minute change. Eventually, Amy Sedaris came in to record the final version on Thursday afternoon.

The fin-AI-le

Following the 2023 strikes that put a spotlight on AI, the writers seized this opportunity to share their thoughts. According to Selman, “AI is skilled at repetition but lacks originality.” Consequently, they envisioned a scenario where every series finale was fed into an AI system. The outcome? The most predictable episode ever, brimming with characters rehashing tired clichés from finale stereotypes.

For instance, Principal Skinner reveals his departure to take over as principal of a school in Sacramento, describing it as “a refreshing change.” He jokes, “I’m looking forward to meeting a new diverse group of people and, oh, did I mention? Groundskeeper Willie will be my roommate!” A melancholic tune plays as Skinner expresses his fondness for the school, echoing the iconic ending of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. The episode proceeds by satirizing typical finale tropes such as births (Comic Book Guy’s wife Kumiko Nakamura gives birth) and unexpected inheritances (Mr. Burns feigns death initially, then genuinely passes away, leaving his wealth to the power plant employees). Each of these events concludes with characters repeating the same phrase and turning off the lights. In contrast, Bart defies these moments, such as when he flashes the camera in an attempt to prevent Krusty from recording a farewell show.

Bart’s growing anxiety as various endings approach reflects his status as what Selman refers to as the “leading character” in “The Simpsons.” Initially, the show, Bart symbolizes its original mischievousness and defiance, even as it delves deeper into other characters. The initial plot revolved around Bart executing the ultimate prank, but James L. Brooks proposed altering the story structure to a birthday party for “the world’s longest-serving 10-year-old,” which not only added a witty touch of cliché but also resonated with finale-related ideas like development and transformation.

Are the writers trolling?

Selman acknowledges he shares some traits with Bart Simpson, notably his tendency to tease parts of the fanbase who criticize ‘The Simpsons’ for being less humorous now. The show takes aim at these fans when Conan quips, “When the first episode aired in 1989, viewers all agreed on one thing: It wasn’t as funny as it used to be.” This leads into a self-referential joke, suggesting that Fox has been trying to end the series for years and that several classic episodes were actually intended to serve as finales. The humor continues with a sequence of reimagined famous scenes where things go terribly wrong in ominous ways.

Towards the end of the episode-within-the-episode, a significant twist occurs that may be seen as a major insult to devoted fans – the genuine Principal Skinner (from season nine’s contentious “The Principal and the Pauper”) meets his mother. This revelation – that the Skinner we’ve known is actually a man named Armin Tamzarian – is one of the most disliked moments in the series, but 27 years later, Selman suggests fans should move on from it. “That we added it quite late into the production,” explains Selman. “We were essentially thinking, Let’s just set things ablaze. Let’s provoke the audience.

Have no fears, they’ve got stories for years

The creators of “The Simpsons”, including Selman, aim their satire not only at die-hard fans but also at critics who rarely discuss the show unless it serves as a topic for analysis. They sought to mock those in media and online circles who only bring up the show when it can be turned into an opinion piece. In this episode, the narrative revolves around a confrontation between Bart, who refuses to turn 11, and Homer, who, through couples therapy, is striving to improve as a man, husband, and father. However, Bart resists these changes and provokes Homer until, in true Simpsons fashion, he ends up strangling Bart.

At the end of the episode, everything returns to normal and Bart remains 10 years old. Conan emotionally acknowledges that this might have been the season premiere, causing the celebrities to boo and protest. As the credits roll, sharp-eared viewers will spot an instrumental rendition of “They’ll Never End for The Simpsons,” a “We Didn’t Start the Fire” parody from the end of season 13’s clip show episode, “Gump Roast.” This tune previously mocked the type of repetitive episodes the show might produce to continue. Selman penned this song 22 years ago but has always disliked the line “They’ll never stop The Simpsons,” as he only wanted the chorus to repeat “We apologize for the clip show.

“But now,” he says, “we’re bringing it back and we’re owning it.”

2024-09-30 04:54