The Simpsons Theory Gives The Series A Mind-Blowing Multiversal Twist
Though Fox has had other long-running animated comedy series over the years, none of them can touch the mind-blowing 30+ years that "The Simpsons" has been airing. Boasting over 750 episodes, even side characters on the series like Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer), Moe Szyzlak (Hank Azaria), and Milhouse Van Houten (Pamela Hayden) have become household names and common pop culture reference points.
However, when you consider just how much has happened to America's favorite family over the years, "The Simpsons" satire-heavy storytelling becomes even harder to believe than normal. Of course, many animated programs have operated on a very exaggerated and fluid version of reality for decades. All that aside, one Redditor has an explanation that could change how we view the reality of the series.
On the r/FanTheories subreddit, a Reddit user posited that each season of "The Simpsons" takes place in a different level of the multiverse. "I feel like every Simpsons season takes place in a different universe that is slightly different than others, which [may] explain why characters don't age and some continuity issues," they explained. They went on to give a few examples, including changes to characters' backstories, Waylon Smithers' (Shearer) skin color being different in Season 1, and other details that seem to be in constant flux over the course of the series.
The theory has received pushback from other fans
While the theory might seem somewhat improbable, the Redditor was able to give some meaningful arguments to back up their fan theory. "So when every season ends, you won't see that version of the universe ever again," they explained. "So that's why character backstories keep changing, like Homer growing up in different time periods and such."
There is definitely something to that last bit, as character backstories, especially for Homer (Dan Castellaneta) and Marge (Julie Kavner), have been retold in ways that contradict each other in different episodes of "The Simpsons." Still, other fans have opted for a much simpler explanation for all of these inconsistencies.
"The writers have explained that Springfield's elastic reality will stretch time, physics, and canonical plot points for the sake of a good enough joke," wrote u/justtrustmeokay. As we noted above, many cartoons operate in this same kind of evolving reality.
Still, the real capper that could bring this fan theory down came from another Redditor. "What about the fact that Who Shot Mr. Burns Part 1 was the Season 6 finale and Part 2 was the Season 7 premiere?" asked u/FredererPower. Given that these two episodes have a continuity that is directly connected in dozens of key ways, this observation could be the checkmate move that ends the game for this "The Simpsons" explanation. Either way, though, it's a fun idea for fans to mull over after all of these years of "The Simpsons."