The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 36, episode 1, “Bart’s Birthday,” as well as the series finales for The Sopranos, M.A.S.H., Mad Men, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Frasier, Succession, and NewhartThe Simpsons‘ riff on series finales includes some pretty clever parodies on some of TV’s most iconic final episodes. The first episode of season 36 is a fake “series finale” for the long-running animated comedy. This includes a star-studded audience watching what is meant to be the conclusion of many long-running character arcs and The Simpsons plot twists. The episode pokes fun at the conventions and tropes of those episodes, while also highlighitng the timeless and enduring qualities that make The Simpsons a wholly unique pop culture institution.
This carries over to the credits of The Simpsons‘ fake out finale. Each shot during the credits is a direct parody of a landmark TV series finale, filtered through The Simpsons‘ cast and characters. The episode even uses the montage to poke fun at itself, remixing the “They’ll Never Stop The Simpsons” song the show used to mock its longevity back in season 13’s “Gump Roast.” Here’s how each one compares to the original, and The Simpsons uses it to reflect their own characters and the original shows.
9 The Sopranos
“Made In America,” Season 6, Episode 21, Aired June 10, 2007
One of the most famously divisive series finales in TV history, the final moments of The Sopranos are among the shows that The Simpsons directly references in “Bart’s Birthday.” The HBO series focuses on New Jersey crime boss Tony Soprano’s efforts to juggle his work with his family life. After several near-death experiences, the show ended with Tony (along with his wife Carmela, and their son AJ) in a diner when the show cuts to black. The Simpsons reimagines Homer as Tony, Marge as Carmela, and Bart as AJ, presumably with Lisa filling in as AJ’s sister Meadow.
The ambiguous nature of The Soprano’s final episode, “Made in America,” has invited plenty of debate over the years, with fans arguing whether the cut to black represents the sudden death of Tony or simply the end of his story. In the HBO show, a suspicious man stands and walks away from his table just before the cut, an ambiguous touch The Simpsons tweaks. In their version of The Soprano’s ending, the man walking by is Legs, a frequent henchman for Fat Tony — suggesting The Simpsons creatives believe in the theory that the suspicious man in The Soprano’s was a criminal enforcer.
8 M.A.S.H.
“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” Season 11, Episode 16, Aired February 28, 1983
The final episode of M.A.S.H., which aired in 1983, remains the single most-watched episode of any television show in history. The dramedy, which focused on the soldiers, doctors, and staff at an army base during the Korean War, came to an end with “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.” Much of the episode was spent on characters saying goodbye and resolving a major romance (a common finale trope that The Simpsons parodies in “Bart’s Birthday” by revealing several off-screen weddings).
The episode’s final moments featured B.J. bid farewell to his friend Hawkeye with a message spelled out in rocks. As Hawkeye’s helicopter carried him away from the base one last time, he (and the audience) could read that the message spelled out the word “Goodbye.” It’s a perfectly emotional and simple farewell to the audience, and one The Simpsons reimagines with a more goofy utterance of Homer’s trademark annoyed grunt. It’s a perfectly simple way to filter one of TV’s most iconic moments through The Simpsons’ world.
7 Mad Men
“Person to Person,” Season 7, Episode 14, Aired May 17, 2015
AMC’s Mad Men came to an end with season 7’s “Person to Person” in 2015. The series, which had focused on the dramas surrounding the life of 1960s ad executive Don Draper, concluded with Don heading to California in 1970 amid a new series of personal crises. While the episode also revealed the fates of Mad Men‘s other characters, the final moments of the show focused on Don in a meditation class as he imagined what would become the iconic “Hilltop” Coca-Cola advertisement. The Simpsons recreates this moment, with Homer replacing Don.
The version of Don’s Epiphany in The Simpsons is fleshed out with two deep cuts from the animated series. Replacing minor characters from Mad Men, to Homer’s left is a white-haired version of the Hippie, an otherwise nameless background player who’s had a few minor speaking roles in the show. To Homer’s right is Eleanor Abernathy, aka the Crazy Cat Lady. She bears the appearance she had as a younger woman, which was featured in season 18’s “Springfield Up.” This makes her more put-together appearance in “Bart’s Birthday” a sweet gesture to a secretly tragic character.
6 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
“The Last Show,” Season 7, Episode 24, Aired March 19, 1977
The final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “The Last Show,” focuses on newscaster Mary and the staff of WJM-TV in Minneapolis dealing with a series of terminations at the station. The episode ends with the main cast huddled together in a massive hug before they all depart one by one from the office. The Simpsons recreates this moment with Homer and the regular supporting characters from Moe’s Tavern — Barney, Moe, Lenny, and Carl. The show even recreates the five men embracing in the WJM-TV station office, reinforcing the reference.
The gueest star-filled “Bart’s Birthday” pokes fun at a lot of tropes of series finales, including a common trope made popular by The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In the episode itself, several characters around Springfield leave iconic settings by turning off the lights and walking away, mentioning they’re going to “miss this place.” This kind of beat was made famous by The Mary Tyler Moore Show‘s finale, which ended with Mary turning off the lights and closing the door to the office similarly (although she didn’t say any lines as she did so).
5 Breaking Bad
“Felina,” Season 5, Episode 16, Aired September 29, 2013
The Bryan Cranston-led Breaking Bad steadily became one of AMC’s biggest critical hits, with the crime-drama becoming an award winning phenomon by its ending in season 5’s “Felina.” After slaughtering the Neo-Nazi gang and freeing his former partner Jesse from their grasp, Walt collapses in their drug lab and seemingly dies from his injuries. The Simpsons recreates this moment, replacing Walter White with Ned Flanders.
Flanders may initially seem like an unexpected choice to fill the role of Walter White. Flanders’ sweet personality is a far cry from the ruthless Walter White. However, episodes like season 8’s “Hurricane Neddy” hinted at Flanders’ dark side. He was also one of the central characters of season 33’s “A Serious Flanders” two-parter, which was an extended parody of intense crime dramas like Breaking Bad. This gives the moment a bit more of a thematic connection, especially given Walter White’s seemingly benign nature at the beginning of his series.
4 Game of Thrones
“The Iron Throne,” Season 8, Episode 6, Aired May 19, 2019
The HBO fantasy epic Game of Thrones was a global smash, all building to the climactic events of season 8. More of an epilogue that followed the massive battles of previous episodes, “The Iron Throne” wrapped up the various plot threads and character arcs in the aftermath of Jon Snow regretfully killing Daenerys Targaryen after realizing the cost of her ambitions. The Simpsons specifically recreates the other remaining Stark children of Arya, Bran, and Sansa with Lisa, Ralph, and Marge filling in for those roles respectively.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.
- Cast
- Emilia Clarke , Peter Dinklage , Sophie Turner , Kit Harington , Lena Headey , Maisie Williams , Nikolaj Coster-Waldau , Iain Glen , John Bradley , Alfie Allen , Conleth Hill , Liam Cunningham , Gwendoline Christie , Aidan Gillen , Isaac Hempstead-Wright , Rory McCann , Nathalie Emmanuel , Jerome Flynn , Rhys Ifans , Matt Smith , Graham McTavish , Fabien Frankel , Steve Toussaint , Eve Best , Emma D’Arcy , Matthew Needham , Olivia Cooke , Milly Alcock , Emily Carey
The Simpsons has poked fun at Game of Thrones plenty of times and in some elaborate ways, but this reference feels like a jab at one of the finale’s more controversial elements. Among the finale’s big status quo shifts is the reveal that Bran Stark will be named King of Westeros. This was met with mockery by some of the fans, who disliked the choice. This is reflected in The Simpsons choosing to cast the series’ dim-witted Ralph in the role, complete with aside glances from an unsure Lisa and Marge.
3 Frasier
“Goodnight, Seattle,” Season 11, Episode 23 & 24, Aired May 13, 2004
Starring Kelsey Grammer in the titular role as Frasier Crane, Fraiser was the highly successful spin-off of Cheers that took Frasier to a radio station in Seattle. Season 11’s “Goodnight, Seattle” ended with Frasier deciding to depart the city and relocate to San Francisco for a new radio show. Among the final shots of the episode is Frasier signing off from his final show at KACL, with his friends and family watching from behind a nearby window. It’s a sweet conclusion that takes on extra meaning by being recreated by Sideshow Bob.
In the credits to “Bart’s Birthday,” Sideshow Bob is shown sitting in a radio booth, with his brother Cecil, his brother Robert, his wife Francesca, and their son Gina watching in admiration. Kelsey Grammer plays Bob and Frasier, making this reference also a fitting tribute to Grammer’s legacy on television. The fact that they’re joined by Bob’s former employer Krusty only adds to the beat, especially with Bob’s replacement Sideshow Mel and his predecessor Sideshow Raheem also present.
2 Succession
“With Open Eyes,” Season 4, Episode 10, Aired May 28, 2023
The most recent series finale parodied directly by “Bart’s Birthday,” Succession‘s finale “With Open Eyes” is recreated in The Simpsons with Kirk and Luann Van Houten standing in for Tom and Shiv. In Succession‘s finale, the Roy siblings Shiv, Roman, and Kendall make their final plays for control of their father’s company. The underhanded and ruthless tactics taken by the family members during the show ended with Shiv winning a pyrrhic victory over her brothers at the cost of installing her husband, Tom, in power, ensuring their loveless marriage continues.
Placing Luann and Kirk in the roles of Shiv and Tom is a harsh little easter egg, especially given the way the show has treated their relationship over the years. Tom spent much of Succession being a squirmy backstabber, whose faulted ambitions match the big-headed antics that Kirk has taken in episodes. The Van Houtens’ marital strife in The Simpsons reflects the troubled relationship between Shiv and Tom, with the Van Houtens serving as an ideal reflection of those character archetypes.
1 Newhart
“The Last Newhart,” Season 8, Episode 24, Aired May 21, 1990
Running for eight seasons, Newhart focused on Bob Newhart’s Dick Loudon, an author who decides to run the Stratford Inn with his wife Joanna. The sitcom was a critical favorite, earning twenty-five Emmy Award nominations across the course of the series (albeit never winning a single one). Season 8’s “The Last Newhart” closed out the series in memorably absurd fashion, with Newhart getting knocked out by a golf ball. This awakens Dick, who is revealed to actually be Dr. Bob Harley, Newhart’s character from his previous sitcom The Bob Newhart Show.
The implication is that the entirety of Newhart has been a dream, with his The Bob Newhart Show wife Emily (played by Suzanne Plenshette) appearing in bed alongside him. The Simpsons recreates the moment with Homer, ending “Bart’s Birthday” with the suggestion that Homer might have similarly dreamed all of Springfield and The Simpsons. It’s a solid absurdist gag that fits alongside The Simpsons‘ often bizarre sense of bittersweet comedy, and a good final joke for the episode.
The Simpsons
“The Simpsons” is a legendary American animated franchise that debuted in 1987 as short segments on The Tracey Ullman Show before becoming a standalone series in 1989. The show follows the Simpson family—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie—who live in the fictional town of Springfield. The franchise is renowned for its satirical and humorous take on various aspects of American culture, society, and the human condition. Over the years, “The Simpsons” has expanded into films, video games, comic books, and theme park attractions, becoming a cornerstone of popular culture.
- Created by
- Matt Groening
- First Episode Air Date
- December 17, 1989
