‘The Simpsons’ Series Finale Wasn’t Really Its Last Episode

SPOILER ALERT: Details follow for Season 36, Episode 1 of “The Simpsons,” “Bart’s Birthday,” which aired September 29 on Fox.

“The Simpsons” kicked off its Season 36 premiere on Sunday with what the show dubbed its “series finale.” Hosted by an animated version of former “Simpsons” writer Conan O’Brien, the episode opened with “The Simpsons” characters and other notables entering a Dolby Theatre-esque venue (technically, the “Dolby-Mucinex Theatre”) to celebrate the show’s ending.

“It’s such an honor to be with you all for the series finale of ‘The Simpsons,’” O’Brien said in his opening monologue. “I knew I was the right man for the job because I’ve hosted the last episode of three of my own shows and counting… Well, it’s true. Fox has decided to end the Simpsons. This show was such a special part of my early career, so being here means the world to me. Also. I left a sweater in the writer’s room in 1993 this is the only way they’ll let me get it back.

“This theater is full of the many celebrities who’ve appeared on ‘The Simpsons’ over the years and who have come to say farewell,” O’Brien continued. “And of course, we’re also joined by the stars of Fox’s many live action hits.”

Cut to one person: “Animal Control” star Joel McHale, sitting alone.

“Now, not many people know this, but Fox has been trying to end it for years,” O’Brien added. “When the very first episode aired in 1989 the viewers agreed on one thing: It wasn’t as funny as it used to be, and their expressions of hatred could serve as a history of modern communication technology. Fox executives, unaccustomed to criticism of any kind, immediately caved to public pressure and decided to end ‘The Simpsons’ in 1990.”

O’Brien then showed what he said were the original cuts of scenes from famous “The Simpsons” episodes, such as 1990’s “Bart the Daredevil” and 2000’s “Little Big Mom,” in which Homer died for real. “Many now classic episodes were originally conceived as series finales,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien revealed that the show’s writers had employed artificial intelligence to come up with what he said was the actual final episode script, “Bart’s Birthday.” The script parodied some of the biggest cliches that can be found in most series finales — with storyline-ending plots like Mr. Burns dying, Principal Skinner retiring from Springfield Elementary, Milhouse’s family moving to Atlanta, several characters marrying, Moe’s shutting down and a lot of characters proclaiming, “I’m gonna miss this place!”

During the episode, an on-screen bug proclaimed to viewers that they were watching “‘The Simpsons’ Series Finale” (sure to confuse viewers tuning in late and realizing it was all a prank). But Series Finale Bart became sentient, and at the end of the episode he returned home and learned that he was turning 11 — something that has never happened, and can never happen, on “The Simpsons” — causing him to rebel and refuse to blow out his candles. Homer went to strangle Bart, and the screen rebooted — back to Bart turning 10 again. That stopped all the changes, and conceivably, the idea that “The Simpsons” was over.

It was a bold way to kick off Season 36, as “The Simpsons” isn’t ending — but by the way, the show hasn’t yet been picked up for a Season 37 at Fox. And with new special “The Simpsons” episodes set to run this fall on Disney+, there’s plenty of ongoing speculation about the future of the show at the network.

Besides O’Brien and McHale, other guest stars included John Cena (delivering Comic Book Guy’s baby), Danny DeVito, Seth Rogen, Mark Proksch, Amy Sedaris and Tom Hanks, who was very upset to learn that this wasn’t the series finale after all.

The episode ended with scenes of “The Simpsons” characters parodying other famous series finales, including “The Sopranos,” “M*A*S*H,” “Mad Men,” “Mary Tyler Moore,” “Breaking Bad,” “Frasier,” “Succession” and “Newhart.”

Of course, fans knew that this couldn’t possibly be the “series finale” of “The Simpsons,” as plenty of episodes previously touted at San Diego Comic-Con are still coming up this fall — including its 35th “Treehouse of Horror” episode, which includes a partnership with Stoopid Buddy (“Robot Chicken”) to parody “Venom.” Also set for a November airing is a “second scary trilogy” that will focus on a trio of stories inspired by Ray Bradbury, dubbed “Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes.” Next week’s episode, “Yellow Lotus,” is a parody of “The White Lotus.”