The 3 Simpsons Episodes That Must Get Sequels Next Season

For a show that has done basically everything a TV show can do, The Simpsons almost never circles back for true sequel episodes. Normally I am fine with that. But heading into season 38, there are a few classic stories that deserve an actual follow-up, not just a wink or a throwaway gag. These are the ones I want the show to finally revisit and resolve. Quick reality check on the scale of this thing: The Simpsons is already the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show, with 800-plus episodes and counting, a theatrical feature under its belt, and a long-discussed second movie still hovering out there. About a decade ago it even pulled off TV's first live animated segment. All that said, the show is chaotic by design, which means plot threads get dropped, guest stars breeze by, and some very good ideas never get the space they deserve. Herb Powell deserves a real reunion Season 2, episode 15, 'Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?' introduced Danny DeVito as Homer's long-lost, actually-competent half-brother Herb Powell. Then Homer tanked Herb's life with that legendarily awful car design. The season 2 finale, 'Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?', did the course-correction by letting Herb claw his way back to a fortune with an invention and Homer's help. Great. But that was decades ago, and the family angle never really got its moment. Bring Herb back in season 38 and give him a proper reunion with the Simpsons. Not a cameo. A story. 'Irrational Treasure' left jokes and story on the table Yes, suggesting a sequel to a recent episode sounds wild when there are 800-plus to pick from, but the show's 800th outing in season 37 was so packed it undercut its own best bits. The episode zeroed in on Marge's bond with Santa's Little Helper, which was sweet, but it sidelined Abbott Elementary's Quinta Brunson, who popped in as a dog trainer named Adrienne and barely got more than a hello. Worse, the National Treasure riff that gives the episode its title got sprinted through in the second act, even though it was one of the sharpest movie parodies the show has done in years. That whole madcap trip through the show's ersatz version of Philadelphia is begging for a return visit with room to breathe. 'Bart to the Future ' has way more story left Season 11's 'Bart to the Future' is infamous for one thing: calling Donald Trump's presidential wins years before 2016 (and, yes, 2024). That prediction overshadowed the actual episode, which is a bummer, because its future timeline has serious legs. Lisa as President is a killer premise specifically because she is not magically great at the job, and Bart hovering between screw-up and unexpected ally gives their dynamic some bite. The show has done plenty of future looks since then (see season 23's 'Holidays of Future Passed'), but if any of them deserves a proper sequel now, it is the 2000 original. There is too much character potential here for just one visit. The Simpsons does not need to become a sequel machine. But every once in a while, tying off a dangling thread or expanding a half-rushed idea pays off in a big way. Season 38 feels like the right moment to cash in on these three.

The 3 Simpsons Episodes That Must Get Sequels Next Season

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