Over the decades,The Simpsonshas developed a reputation for its movie parodies and homages, but it has angered some fans by spoiling big twist endings.The Simpsonsoften references movies, putting a satirical spin on iconic scenes and characters in all genres. Everything fromCitizen KanetoStar Warshas been skewered by the show’s writers, although not many of the show’s movie references directly give away the ending.
For whatever reason,The Simpsonsseems to have no problem giving away big movie twists. In some cases, the show chooses a famous twist as a punch line, and it’s not going to upset many fans to mention that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father, for example. There are other big spoilers that could be more of an issue, like how the show gave away the big twist inThe Crying Gameless than a year after the movie was released.
8Planet Of The Apes (1968)
Season 7, Episode 19, “A Fish Called Selma”
The ending ofThe Planet of the Apeshas been spoiled many times over, and the last four movies in the franchise have been prequels detailing how exactly Earth fell to the apes.The Simpsonsis hardly the first show to spoil the movie, but its miniature musical makes it hard to forget. Troy McClure is one of the show’s funniest minor characters, and “A Fish Called Selma” puts the pompous actor and secret fish-fetishist in the spotlight once again. He has a long history of appearing in terrible movies and plays - not to mention his roles as a TV presenter - but thePlanet of the Apesmusical seems to be extremely popular.
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It’s worth remembering that “A Fish Called Selma” came out many years before the trend of adapting Hollywood movies into Broadway musicals, likeMean GirlsandBack to the Future.It was still a ludicrous concept at the time, andPlanet of the Apeswas a great choice by theSimpsonswriters. The moment when the Statue of Liberty is revealed on stage is only slightly less risible than the upbeat number at the end of theA Streetcar Named Desiremusical that Marge appears in. “A Fish Called Selma” is aclassic episode ofThe Simpsons,and the musical puts it over the top.
7Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Season 3, Episode 12, “I Married Marge”
Just likePlanet of the Apes,the big twist inThe Empire Strikes Backhas become so famous that people who haven’t seen the movie might still be aware that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father. The prequel trilogy details Anakin’s transition to the dark side of the Force, and the more recent movies also mention it in passing. While the twist is common knowledge these days, it still had a huge impact on the fandom back in 1980. “I Married Marge” is one of a few great episodes ofThe Simpsonsthat take place a few years removed from the bulk of the show, like “And Maggie Makes Three” and “Lisa’s Wedding”.
This is just one of manyStar Warsreferences inThe Simpsons.
As Homer and Marge walk out of the movie theater after seeingThe Empire Strikes Back,Homer loudly proclaims"Who’d have thought Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father?“This irritates the long line of people waiting to see the movie, and one of them responds sarcastically,“Thank you, Mr. Blow-the-picture-for-me.“It’s a fun joke that grounds the story in 1980, eleven years before “I Married Marge” came out inThe Simpsonsseason 3, and it also shows that Homer has always been just as careless. This is just one of manyStar Warsreferences inThe Simpsons.
6Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Season 21, Episode 22, “The Bob Next Door”
“The Bob Next Door” is mostly a parody ofFace/Off,as Sideshow Bob performs a secret face transplant on a fellow prisoner as part of a ploy to escape and kill Bart. Although the face-swapping is ripped straight fromFace/Off,the episode takes a moment to spoil the big twist inHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.As Bob tells Bart about his plan to murder him at a point where five different US states intersect, he says that he will avoid committing any crime due to legal technicalities, and that this makes it the “greatest murder since Snape killed Dumbledore.”
The movie adaptation ofHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Princecame out just one year before “The Bob Next Door,” but the book had been published four years prior.
The movie adaptation ofHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Princecame out just one year before “The Bob Next Door,” but the book had been published four years prior.This spoiler is so annoying that Bart complains about it, even though he’s moments from death. Sideshow Bob’s flair for the theatrical makes him one of thebest villains inThe Simpsons,and hisHarry Potterspoiler could be just as annoying for fans of the show as it is for Bart.
5The Sting (1973)
Season 12, Episode 7, “The Great Money Caper”
“The Great Money Caper” was a bright spot in season 12 as theGolden Age ofThe Simpsonshad come to an end. The title of the episode is a play onThe Great Muppet Caper,and the episode parodies a wide variety of heist movies. In particular, the big twist ending is reminiscent of Paul Newman and Robert Redford’s 1973 classicThe Sting.BothThe Stingand “The Great Money Caper” end with the reveal that the violent finale was all just one more con, with a large team of grifters putting on a show for their mark.
This spoiler isn’t as egregious as some others thatThe Simpsonsis responsible for, since it never mentionsThe Stingby name.
In “The Great Money Caper,” it becomes fairly obvious that something is fishy when Groundskeeper Willie shoots and kills Principal Skinner. Of course, he isn’t really dead, just like how Hooker and Gondorff survive inThe Sting.This spoiler isn’t as egregious as some others thatThe Simpsonsis responsible for, since it never mentionsThe Stingby name. It could be seen as more of an inside-joke or an homage, but people who see the episode before watchingThe Stingmight be able to figure out what’s about to happen based onThe Simpsons.
4The Crying Game (1992)
Season 4, Episode 21, “Marge in Chains”
Mayor Quimby is prone to political gaffes, but spoiling a movie in front of a large crowd for seemingly no reason is up there with his biggest blunders. His unsophisticated wording of the spoiler is also offensive, as the accepted lexicography surrounding trans people has changed a lot since Mayor Quimby’s speech. At the time “Marge in Chains” aired during season 4 ofThe Simpsons, The Crying Gamehad only been out for eight months, and it hadn’t even been released on home video or shown on network TV yet.
At the time “Marge in Chains” aired during season 4 ofThe Simpsons, The Crying Gamehad only been out for eight months.
The Crying Gamewas a big hit in 1992, and it received six Oscar nominations. Retrospective reviews have been more mixed, with some people objecting to the movie’s trans representation, while others support its intent, considering the differences between the culture of today and the early 1990s. Mayor Quimby’s heavy-handed reveal highlights that contemporary responses sometimes took the twist as a moment of great shock value without internalizing the movie’s themes of gender and sexuality.
3Soylent Green (1973)
Season 11, Episode 17, “Bart to the Future”
“Bart to the Future” is anotherSimpsonsepisode which largely takes place in a different time. The show’s vision of the future is often a tongue-in-cheek dystopia, where people accept crushing injustices because TV technology is more advanced and everyone wears weird fins and hoops on their clothing like inThe Jetsons.“Bart to the Future” is one of manyThe Simpsonsepisodes set in the future, each of which present a different timeline. Lisa is the President in “Bart to the Future,” while Bart is a failing musician who lives with Ralph Wiggum.
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“Bart to the Future” is the famousSimpsonsepisode which predicted Donald Trump’s presidency back in 2000. As well as spoiling real life 16 years in advance, it also takes time to spoil the 1973 dystopian thrillerSoylent Green.Homer offers Bart and Ralph some Soylent Green, only for Ralph to respond by telling him that it’s made of people. This revelation is the dramatic final twist in the movie, when the main character discovers the truth about a mysterious food product.Soylent Green’s big twist has been spoiled countless times, with shows likeFuturama, Family GuyandSouth Parkall making fun of the concept.
2The Shining (1980)
Season 6, Episode 6, “Treehouse of Horror V”
Season 6’s Halloween special is arguably thebestSimpsonsTreehouse of Horror episode, with three brilliant stories. The first of these is titled “The Shinning,” and it parodies Stanley Kubrick’sThe Shiningin remarkable detail. The small segment manages to distill the essence of the movie down to just a few minutes while delivering plenty of laughs. Many of the movie’s most iconic scenes get theSimpsonstreatment, with Homer taking on the role of Jack Torrance. There’s the elevator full of blood, the scene in which Jack hammers at the door with a fire axe, and the famous finale in which he sits frozen in the snow.
The episode highlights how darkly humorous it is for Hallorann to travel across the country just to get murdered within seconds.
Groundskeeper Willie takes on the part of Dick Hallorann, who is played by Scatman Crothers in the movie. A major turning point inThe Shiningcomes when Hallorann feels Danny’s unease and returns to the Overlook Hotel to check on the Torrance family, only to be murdered by Jack as soon as he arrives. “Treehouse of Horror V” spoils this twist, and it highlights how darkly humorous it is for Hallorann to travel across the country just to get murdered within seconds.Many Treehouse of Horror episodes parody famous horror movies, but not many go into such detail.
1Citizen Kane (1941)
Season 5, Episode 4, “Rosebud”
As the title of the episode suggests, “Rosebud” is a play onCitizen Kane,but with Mr. Burns playing the role of the dissatisfied billionaire. The big mystery in Orson Welles' classic pertains to the cryptic final words of Charles Foster Kane. Different characters theorize that “Rosebud” could be the name of a woman from his past, an urgent piece of business, or something as trivial as a horse that he placed a bet on. Ultimately, it’s revealed that “Rosebud” is the name of his childhood sled, which represents his lost innocence.
Citizen Kaneis one of the most frequently referenced movies inThe Simpsons.
The SimpsonsspoilsCitizen Kanefrom the very beginning of “Rosebud,“as the whole episode is about how Mr. Burns pines after his childhood teddy bear, Bobo.Citizen Kaneis one of the most frequently referenced movies inThe Simpsons,and “Rosebud” isn’t the only episode that parodies a famous scene from the movie. Mr. Burns is often the focus of these parodies, like his campaign speech in “Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish” or the musical number in “Marge Gets a Job”.
The Simpsons
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The Simpsons is an animated series set in the fictional town of Springfield, following the daily lives of the Simpson family—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Premiering in 1989, the show is renowned for its satirical commentary on politics, media, and American culture, featuring numerous celebrity guest appearances.
