‘The Simpsons’ Showrunner Reveals Unconventional Plans for Potential Series Finale
A surprising approach to ending a television dynasty: the long-running animated series may conclude not with a grand farewell, but with a typical episode.
For over three decades, speculation about the end of The Simpsons has been a constant among fans. Now, the show’s showrunner, Matt Selman, has offered a glimpse into how the iconic series might eventually sign off, and it’s far from the dramatic send-off many anticipate. As the show enters its 37th season and reaches its 800th episode, with a sequel to The Simpsons Movie on the horizon, the question of a finale looms large.
A Finale That Isn’t a Finale
Selman is adamant that if The Simpsons does come to an end, it won’t follow the traditional format of a series finale. “We did an episode about a year-and-a-half ago that was like a parody of the series finale,” he explained to TheWrap. “We jammed every possible series finale concept into one show, so that was sort of my way of saying we’re never going to do a series finale.”
He further elaborated that the show’s approach is to avoid “wrapping everything up or ending,” suggesting that a final episode would simply feel like any other installment featuring the Simpson family. “If the show ever did end, there’s no finale; it would just be a regular episode that has the family in it. Probably a little Easter egg here and there, but no ‘I’m going to miss this place.’”
The Groundhog Day Effect
This unconventional approach stems from the show’s core philosophy. Selman emphasizes that The Simpsons “isn’t supposed to change” week to week. “The characters reset every week. It’s like Groundhog Day, but they don’t know it – and they don’t die that much.” This cyclical nature, where storylines largely reset each episode, makes a definitive ending feel counter to the show’s established rhythm.
However, this doesn’t mean the show has shied away from character deaths entirely. In recent years, The Simpsons has notably killed off several recurring characters, prompting emotional responses from its dedicated fanbase.
Recent Character Departures
In November, the show bid farewell to Alice Glick, the beloved organist at Springfield’s church, during a service led by Reverend Lovejoy. Introduced in 1991 and originally voiced by Cloris Leachman, the character was later voiced by Tress MacNeille following Leachman’s passing in 2021. According to executive producer Tim Long, “In a sense, Alice the organist will live forever, through the beautiful music she made. But in another, more important sense, yep, she’s dead as a doornail.”
The year prior, the show also wrote off Larry the Barfly, a character who had been a fixture since season 10. Long acknowledged the fan outcry, stating, “I’m sorry if some fans are upset, but we really wanted to use Larry’s death as a way to show that even the most peripheral people in our lives have dignity and worth, and that we really shouldn’t take anyone for granted.”
Despite these poignant departures, the showrunner’s vision remains clear: should The Simpsons conclude its remarkable run, it will do so quietly, continuing the familiar pattern that has defined the series for over three decades.
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