The Simpsons' Double Take: How One Storyline Inspired Two Classic Episodes

The Tale of Two Episodes

As surprising as it might seem, one storyline for The Simpsons ended up fueling two classic, otherwise unrelated, episodes of the show. With 35 seasons and over 750 episodes, The Simpsons is one of the longest-running TV shows in the medium’s history. As such, it is not particularly surprising that The Simpsons is sometimes accused of recycling old plots and familiar story beats. While The Simpsons season 36 may soon be accused of relying on stories that viewers have seen before, the comparisons actually started far earlier - even arising during The Simpsons' Golden Age.

Homer hits Mr. Burns in the face in The Simpsons

Surprising as it seems, prolific series scribe John Swartzwelder's script for The Simpsons season 8, episode 12, 'Mountain of Madness,' featured a story setup that was effectively remixed four seasons later. In a strange numerical coincidence, season 12, episode 8, 'Skinner’s Sense of Snow,' took the earlier episode's story of a Simpson family member getting trapped in a snowed-in location with a hated authority figure and spun it into another, unrelated outing.

An annoyed Flanders sits in a car with a smug Homer in The Simpsons

The Parallel Plots

While 'Mountain of Madness' stranded Mr. Burns and Homer on a snowy mountain in a remote cabin, 'Skinner’s Sense of Snow' left Bart and Lisa stuck in a snowed-in school with Principal Skinner. The earlier episode saw Smithers, Bart, and Lisa try to save Homer and Burns in a B-story, while season 12's episode flipped this plot with Homer and Ned Flanders attempting to get the kids home safely. The snow-in at Springfield Elementary resulted in Bart, Lisa, and Principal Skinner sharing the same close-quarters isolation Mr. Burns and Homer endured earlier, but the two plots did diverge.

While 'Mountain of Madness' mostly relied on the interplay between an increasingly unhinged and combative Homer and Burns, 'Skinner’s Sense of Snow' gained most of its laughs from Bart and his fellow students rebelling against Skinner’s attempts to control them. However, while 'Skinner’s Sense of Snow' never felt like a retread of 'Mountain of Madness,' both episodes did rely on the tension between the Simpson family members and the already-hated authority figure they found themselves trapped with. While Bart soon led an uprising against Skinner, Homer instead grew paranoid about his boss trying to kill him.

The Evolution of the Story

Skinner ending up trapped inside the school with unruly kids at Christmas provided 'Skinner’s Sense of Snow' with plenty of comedic gold, but the episode’s biggest difference from 'Mountain of Madness' came with Homer’s role. Whereas Homer needed to be saved in 'Mountain of Madness,' he was the one doing the rescuing in season 12's festive outing. The Simpsons heroes Homer and Ned pairing up to save the kids was an inspired choice that further ensured the two episodes never felt overly similar despite their shared plot points. This subplot meant both episodes of The Simpsons were uniquely funny.