While The Simpsons rarely does direct sequels to earlier episodes, the show should make an exception in the upcoming season 38 so that these three classic outings get the resolution they need. The Simpsons is a unique show with a singular place in TV history. With over 800 episodes and 27 seasons to its name, not to mention a theatrical spinoff movie and The Simpsons Movie 2 on the way, the series is already the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show in history.
Not content with this historic achievement, The Simpsons also featured TV’s first live animated episode segment ten years ago, became the longest-running animated comedy in the years since, and has broken all manner of other records over the decades. That said, this doesn’t mean that the anarchic animated comedy is perfect. Far from it, as the chaotic nature of The Simpsons means that the show often leaves plot threads dangling and viewers wishing for sequel episodes that would resolve unfinished plots.
After season 2, episode 15, “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” first introduced Danny DeVito as Homer’s business-savvy half-brother Herb Powell, the show always needed to revisit this figure. Homer’s first interaction with this half-brother left Herb broke after he foolishly invested in Homer’s terrible car design, but the show redeemed this classic Simpsons character’s story with season 2’s finale “Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?” wherein Herb regained his fortune with Homer’s help. Now, after a multi-decade wait, Herb must return onscreen in season 38 and be reunited with his estranged family.
It might seem surprising, with over 800 outings to choose from, to suggest that season 38 revisit a storyline from season 37. However, the 800th episode of the show was filled with promising plots that never got to fulfil their full potential solely because the series was so busy. The primary focus on Marge’s relationship with Santa’s Little Helper was endearing, but it meant that Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson barely got any screen time as the dog trainer Adrienne.
Meanwhile, the National Treasure parody that gives the episode its title was rushed through in the second act, even though this charming adventure movie parody was one of the show’s funniest spoofs in years. A return to this season 37 story would allow the show to revisit the plot and flesh it out further after a hilarious introduction to the show’s ersatz version of Philadelphia.
While season 11, episode 17, “Bart to the Future,” is maybe the single most infamous episode of The Simpsons, this is for all the wrong reasons. Compared to many classic episodes of The Simpsons known for their jokes, this episode is primarily famous for predicting the 2016 and 2024 presidential wins of Donald Trump over a decade and a half before his first campaign began. However, the episode itself deserves a sequel since its story is more than a mere vehicle for unlikely predictions.
In all of the versions of the family’s future featured throughout the show, “Bart to the Future” offers arguably the most compelling peek into Bart and Lisa’s later lives. The revelation that Lisa is President of the United States, and not necessarily great at her job, has too much potential for one standalone episode, and Bart’s ability to both aggravate and assist her in this role has endless untapped potential.
Quite a few seasons of The Simpsons feature a flash-forward into the future of the show’s characters, whether it is the acclaimed season 23, episode 9, “Holidays of Future Passed,” or the controversial 2025 series finale that killed off Marge. However, of all these classic outings of The Simpsons, it is 2000’s “Bart to the Future” that truly needs an overdue sequel episode that further expands on its promising story in season 38.
