In the lead-up to the Season 36 premiere of The Simpsons, Fox kept the details under wraps, teasing fans with phrases like “it’s the episode fans have waited for since 1989” and Bart’s haunting remark, “Something super weird is going on!”
The season opened with a unique meta twist: an episode titled “The Simpsons Series Finale,” hosted by former writer Conan O’Brien. O’Brien shared that Fox has explored concluding the series multiple times, but this was presented as the definitive ending. He introduced an A.I. bot that analyzed the dialogue from all episodes of The Simpsons along with every series finale in TV history, claiming to create the “perfect” finale via A.I.
The storyline followed Bart on his 11th birthday, navigating through every typical series finale trope, such as businesses shutting down, characters relocating, babies being born, and unexpected celebrity appearances. The episode served as a humorous critique of clichéd tropes, crafted by writer Jessica Conrad and co-executive producer Michael Price, who discussed the creative process after the premiere aired.
Price revealed that the concept for a spoof finale emerged from a conversation with showrunner Matt Selman during the writers’ strike last year. After finding inspiration from fans’ curiosity about how the show might conclude, they agreed on crafting a fake series finale to poke fun at the notion of ending a beloved show.
The choice to center the story around Bart stemmed from his eternal childhood and the philosophical question of what a final scene for The Simpsons could look like. Bart turning 11 added a layer of complexity to the narrative.
Conan O’Brien joined the project early on due to his deep-rooted connection with the series, having worked as a writer and made numerous guest appearances. Conrad mentioned that they intentionally infused humor into the supposed “bad” A.I. writing, citing a particularly clichéd line delivered by Maggie.
The episode aimed for a balance between celebrating and satirizing the emotional farewells typical of series finales, drawing inspiration from various iconic shows. The writers crafted nostalgic moments featuring past characters and guest stars, culminating in a wild celebration of the series’ long-lasting legacy.
Price mentioned that while they initially conceived a more elaborate commentary from Bart on the discontent in Springfield, the final version opted for a classic moment of Homer strangling Bart—an animated choice from long-time contributor David Silverman, styled after the series’ earlier tone.
They were cautious not to overlap too closely with any previous episodes while ensuring they included witty references to classic moments from The Simpsons history. The creative team had ambitions to secure a guest appearance from Barack Obama for a tribute, but scheduling conflicts prevented the former president from participating.
As for the inevitable actual finale of The Simpsons, Price withheld any concrete predictions, suggesting it should remain a classic, humor-driven episode rather than wrapping up characters’ arcs or bringing feelings of closure.