The Ultimate Mind-Blowing Twist You Never Saw Coming in The Simpsons!

Summary

The Simpsons, known for its predictability, has pulled off some shocking plot twists over its 34-year run.

The show's comedic tone is far more appropriate for a family audience, making dark jokes less effective. Several noteworthy story developments include Bob being innocent, Homer's surprising intelligence, Maude's unexpected death, and Maggie shooting Mr. Burns.

The Simpsons, despite not being known for its shocking plot twists, has managed to surprise viewers with unexpected revelations throughout its thirty-four year run. It has earned a reputation as a consistently enjoyable sitcom, standing out from its darker competitors like Family Guy and South Park by maintaining a relatively family-friendly and warm tone. For many viewers, The Simpsons has become a classic, comforting show to watch.

However, this reputation comes with its drawbacks. Due to the show's focus on maintaining a cozy atmosphere, even its darkest jokes often fall flat. When the series does change voice actors for characters, the creators go to great lengths to ensure a seamless transition, aiming to avoid any disruptions for viewers. While this creates a predictable atmosphere, it also limits the show's ability to take significant storytelling risks. Nonetheless, the biggest plot twists in The Simpsons history prove that this predictability isn't always the case.

8 The Entire Plot Is A Setup

Renowned among comedy enthusiasts, the elusive humorist John Swartzwelder gained fame primarily through his remarkable contributions to The Simpsons. With a total of fifty-nine episodes to his credit, he penned notable classics such as "You Only Move Twice" (season 8, episode 2), "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" (season 5, episode 20), and "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment" (season 8, episode 18). However, Swartzwelder also ventured into the realm of peculiar darkness with the infamous and discomforting "The Frying Game" (season 13, episode 21). This episode exemplifies the show's uniquely unsettling blend of dark slapstick, making it one of the reasons why a live-action adaptation of The Simpsons would be unrealistic.

"The Frying Game" commences with the Simpson family's acquisition of a Koi pond, only to have it overtaken by a creepy and endangered creature known as the Screamapillar. Accidentally injuring the Screamapillar, Homer is sentenced to community service, leading him and Marge to reluctantly become servants for an elderly woman. An unexpected turn of events occurs when the woman dies under mysterious circumstances, implicating the couple as the primary suspects in her murder. Just as Homer finds himself on the brink of electric chair-induced demise, "The Frying Game" dramatically unveils the entire narrative as an intricately orchestrated deception for a game show. This twist is disorienting and maintains its strange allure even to this day.

7 Sideshow Bob Is Actually Innocent

6 Homer Was Secretly Smart All Along

Kelsey Grammer's suave Sideshow Bob initially emerged as a quintessential antagonist during his early appearances on The Simpsons. He schemed to frame Krusty for robbery, made an attempt to murder Selma, and persistently targeted Bart in numerous ventures that brought him dangerously close to eliminating the eldest member of the eponymous family. However, in the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons' eighth season, titled "Brother from Another Series," Bob's innocence was surprisingly unveiled. This time, his recent string of crimes was orchestrated by his own brother, Cecil. Diverging from The Simpsons' Cape Fear parody, "Brother from Another Series" demonstrated Bob's potential to be a hero, only to ultimately find himself imprisoned once again.

Contrary to the belief held by The Simpsons, who claimed that all male members of the extended Simpson family were innately unintelligent due to the presence of the "Simpson Gene," an intriguing turn of events took place in season 12, episode 9, titled "HOMЯ." The episode, drawing inspiration from the story "Flowers for Algernon," depicted Homer having a crayon extracted from his brain. This unexpected twist revealed that Homer possessed above-average intelligence, disproving The Simpsons' own theory. Despite previously showcasing his hidden depths through his explanation of envy and jealousy, this revelation came as a shocking surprise.

5 Frank Grimes Actually Dies

4 Bart Doesn’t See Itchy And Scratchy: The Movie

: In a highly controversial episode, Frank Grimes, a character known for his tragic backstory and humorless demeanor, met his demise at the hands of The Simpsons. Throughout the episode, titled "Homer's Enemy," Grimes' frustration and resentment towards Homer grew exponentially. However, it wasn't until the shocking climax that viewers were confronted with one of the show's most shocking moments. In a tragic turn of events, Grimes unintentionally electrocuted himself while imitating Homer, resulting in his instantaneous death.

In episode 6 of season 4, titled "Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie," Homer made multiple attempts to find a punishment that would help Bart improve his behavior. Eventually, Homer told Bart that he would not be allowed to watch Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie as a consequence of his actions. Surprisingly, Homer remained true to his word, and Bart went on to become the Chief Justice of the U.S. Later on, many years later, Bart and Homer finally watched Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie together. However, it was unexpected that Homer never changed his decision while the movie was still in theaters, resulting in Bart missing out on the experience.

3 Maude Flanders Dies

One reason why The Simpsons never had a spinoff was due to its heavy reliance on its numerous supporting characters. This aspect greatly influenced the series, resulting in rare occurrences of even minor figures being killed off. However, the show deviated from this pattern in season 11, episode 14, titled "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily," by abruptly killing off Maude Flanders for good. This surprising development was triggered by failed negotiations with the voice actor, Maggie Roswell. Although Roswell was eventually rehired, the decision to keep Maude dead remained a major departure from the show's usual format.

2 Principal Skinner Is An Impostor

In a notorious turn of events, the 1997 episode of The Simpsons titled "The Principal and the Pauper" stunned viewers by exposing Seymour Skinner as an imposter. Martin Sheen made a special appearance as the real Seymour Skinner, unmasking the school's principal as the daring renegade, Armin Tanzanian. However, due to immense backlash, the controversial twist was later contradicted within the episode's own conclusion. This unexpected revelation was quite a departure for a show that was not known for its major character reveals.

1 Maggie Shot Mr. Burns

In The Simpsons season 6, episode 25, titled "Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part One," viewers were left puzzled by the titular question. The town of Springfield, as well as members of the Simpson family and Mr. Burns' assistant Smithers, all had strong motives to harm the main antagonist. However, in an unexpected turn of events, the season 7 premiere unveiled that Maggie accidentally shot him in a bizarre incident. Although portrayed humorously by The Simpsons, this plot twist remains the most significant in the show's extensive history.