A brilliant idea for an ending to the Simpsons

[John Pannozzi]

NOTE: I didn't come up with this. markcohen_295-1 did.

From http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462538/board/flat/25151070:

If the movie really does end the series, this is my own opinion of how one of america's most beloved icons should be sent off. It should involve a great disaster (not totally far fetched for the simpsons) and the simpsons saving everyone (again, not too far fetched,) and a tribute to the america's favorite family, and how they influenced so many other animated shows that came after them.

Okay, the nuclear plant is about to go critical. And of course, the Simpsons have to save everyone as they always do (or at least how Bart and Lisa often do.)

Anyway, the entire world knows that the world is going go into nuclear winter/blow up/whatever, and are cowering in fear. They can show cameos for any number of characters here, and how they anticipate the end. They could stop the meltdown through careful planning and taking action (like how Bart and Lisa thwart Sideshow bob and whatnot) or by pure stupidity (like when Homer guessed which button would stop the plant from exploding.) However, in the process of saving the world, the simpsons are killed. The entire planet sees what they've done, and an enourmous statue is erected in their honor in springfield.

1000 years later.

Fry, Bender and Leela are touring through a historic cemetary orbiting earth, when they come upon the statue. (it's not unlikely that it'd be orbiting earth; Fry's nephew's grave was and he died in the 2000s) Anyway, Fry sees it and asks what the big deal is. (He wouldn't know about it, because the simpsons would have died in 2008 and he was frozen in 1999.) Leela directs him to the inscription on the statue:

"They were different. They were unusual. They were the first of their kind. And it is because of them that we are here. Whether you're a family guy, an american dad, a film critic, living south of the park, or if you're just living for the future, remember this: you live because of them. You owe your lives and success to them, and their names shall be remembered for ever. THE SIMPSONS: AMERICA'S FIRST FAMILY."

Comments? Opinions?

Note: You may say they can't exist in the same universe because of when Fry found the Bart Simpson dolls on the giant garbage ball. But those could be from when Bart was a temporary celebrity with the whole "I didn't do it" thing.

[Space Chief]

Genius!

[Sr.Infierno]

Genius!

I second that

But what about the whole "yellow skin thing" absent from Futurama?

[MasterDartz]

Not bad.

[Fone Bone]

I normally wouldn't like the Simpsons to get killed, but if they do THAT is the way to go about it. Wow, a totally ballsy ending. I just know the producers would never go for it.

[Anthonynotes]

Interesting idea, though for myself, I'm of the "they live on seperate Earths" school of thought---unless the Simpsons statue crossed dimensional boundaries into Futurama's universe somehow...

My guesses as to how the show will probably end:

1. The whole town is blown up/ruined in some huge disaster.

2. The Simpsons (and possibly the rest of Springfield) are exiled from the U.S./sent to prison/some such fate, a la "Seinfeld"'s series finale.

3. The whole show is revealed to be a fantasy of Ralph Wiggum/Homer Simpson/Matt Groening/etc., who's shown to be treated for their stupidity/insanity/etc. in a mental hospital somewhere, with the doctors dismissing his fantasies of such a show as existing. Basically, the ending of "St. Elsewhere".

4. Homer is shown waking up in a cold sweat from having a bad "nightmare" about this "awful place where he's an incompetent nuclear safety technician, deals with a bad son", etc., and tells about it to the figure in bed next to him... Mr. Burns. Basically, the ending of "Newhart". (Substitute "Homer and Matt Groening", "Mr. Burns and Smithers", or some other "ha ha, it's funny because they're 'really' gay in the 'real world'" cliche pairing...)

5. One of the endings above, only for us to see the "real" Simpsons family at home (possibly aged in real time since 1990/looking like they did in teh first season/etc.) and/or the staff at Fox dismissing the whole idea of this show as "a dumb way to end a show" or (if the Fox idea is gone with) "a dumb way to end a series/dumb idea for a series"...

6. After a big adventure involving the whole series' cast of characters (maybe a two-part episode), we see the Simpsons family at home, relaxing, discussing the events that happened---which somehow reflect on their relations to each other as a family. They all reaffirm their connectedness with each other, and then sit down to a game of Scrabble---which soon ends with Homer strangling Bart for coming up with a tacky name referring to Homer. Marge, Lisa and Maggie at first start to roll their eyes, but they soon opt to smile slyly instead, contented in knowing that no matter what happens and despite their dysfunctionality, they'll always have/care about each other---even despite stuff like the Bart-strangling going on in front of them. Cue a pull out from the scene to the Simpsons house layout, the exterior of the Simpsons home, and Springfield as a whole... and fade to the end credits (with some softly-played instrumental variation on the Simpsons theme thrown in). Basically, a variation on the first regularly aired episode's (Bart the Genius) opening scenes... or even a reference to the closing scene of the last episode of "Star Trek: TNG".

While something like #6 would be amusing (depending on what the series-ending adventure the bulk of the episode would involve), I suspect/fear it'll just be one of the first five suggestions I listed---some lame references to other TV shows' series finales and a "look it's really a dream/delusion/etc. of Homer/Ralph/etc." ending... meh...


-B.
Figures for him, the show ended around 2000 anyway, so it doesn't matter if they go with the lame "gay" joke ending I listed above...

[HellCat]

Eh, seems too dramatic for the show. Besides, Futurama has implied more than once that in it's world The Simpsons is just a TV show like it is here. Interesting though how so many people seem to think the show will end with the power plant going into a meltdown.

[Pc-Famicom64]

Umm.. ,I Think The Simpsons surd End around The 20th Season/1th and only Movie but miany The Movie,Hears how The Fans and myself what the Movie to be.

1.Makesure The Movie is Done by TMS and not Rough Draft and/or Akom.

2.Makesure Everyone Loves how the movie go's,becuse some people Don't like Newer Simpson episods go.

And 3.Make sure it's Rating PG-13 and Not Rating R in in Movie so more people can Love it.

Thats all I what to say about The Movie.

[Aztec]

My idea for ending The Simpsons? Take it out behind the shed and shoot it in the head! Sorry, but it's long overdue at this point.

[SirLemming]

None of these ideas really thrill me yet. I hope professional writers can think of something great. You'd think that's a given, but *shrug*.

[atf487]

I think at the final episode, someone needs to die, and the Simpsons move away from Springfield for the final time.

I can't think of any other ending. And I would really like the movie to deal with something huge and series-changing, but I doubt it will. Or like a prequel of sorts. They were always good at doing flashback episodes.

edit: I like the response this got at no-homers

[90'sCartoonMan]

Yeah, that ending is a little too dramatic for my tastes. And "south of the park" is really stretching it.

5. One of the endings above, only for us to see the "real" Simpsons family at home (possibly aged in real time since 1990/looking like they did in teh first season/etc.) and/or the staff at Fox dismissing the whole idea of this show as "a dumb way to end a show" or (if the Fox idea is gone with) "a dumb way to end a series/dumb idea for a series"...

6. After a big adventure involving the whole series' cast of characters (maybe a two-part episode), we see the Simpsons family at home, relaxing, discussing the events that happened---which somehow reflect on their relations to each other as a family. They all reaffirm their connectedness with each other, and then sit down to a game of Scrabble---which soon ends with Homer strangling Bart for coming up with a tacky name referring to Homer. Marge, Lisa and Maggie at first start to roll their eyes, but they soon opt to smile slyly instead, contented in knowing that no matter what happens and despite their dysfunctionality, they'll always have/care about each other---even despite stuff like the Bart-strangling going on in front of them. Cue a pull out from the scene to the Simpsons house layout, the exterior of the Simpsons home, and Springfield as a whole... and fade to the end credits (with some softly-played instrumental variation on the Simpsons theme thrown in). Basically, a variation on the first regularly aired episode's (Bart the Genius) opening scenes... or even a reference to the closing scene of the last episode of "Star Trek: TNG".

I like these two possibilities. Basically, I want something that's a subtle nod to the fact that they have been through a lot but basically not much has changed and maybe nothing will.

As long as whatever ends the series is funny and with respect to the characters (and not a big screw you to the viewers), I think it'd be okay.

[Beat]

Supposedly Greoning penned the finale years ago. Meaning that whatever it is, it won't account for Family Guy, etc, etc...

[Dee]

That doesn't seem like a decent ending at all. It's overly dramatic and that's just not fitting.

[simpspin]

original idea from first post

Hmmm....cartoony plot, tons of pointless guest stars....yep, Mike Scully probably wrote it. I bet this 'idea' was an episode of "The Pitts" rewritten with Groening charcters.

[sdp]

can't say i like any of those ideas too much.

not that i can come up with any better idea, i mean they have pretty much already done everysingle type of ending on the run of the show already...

[SirLemming]

Supposedly Greoning penned the finale years ago.

I hope that's true. I tend to have hoped that's true for just about every comedy show that gets derailed leading up to its final years. Certainly I know that's what I'd do if I were writing a show.

[Jave]

Regarding the ending in post 1, there's a 100% chance of something like that never happening. Groening has stated many times that Simpsons is fiction, but Futurama is reality.

[cartoonscartoons]

I think a great ending would be the final episode just plays out regurlarly and then as the plot for the episode ends we see that the whole series was a pitch for the Simpsons to Fox but at the end they throw Matt Greoning out saying that it would never even make it for one season.

[Dr.Pepper]

Normally I would say that is too dramatic for the Simpsons, but it being the ending, I don't mind it.

EDIT: Holy cow, this thread is old