Al Jean has been with The Simpsons for as long as the animated comedy has been around, signing on as one of the show’s first writers in 1989. In the years since, he’s also served as an executive producer and showrunner on the series. If anyone has the experience and the background to write the eventual ending to The Simpsons, it’s Al Jean. The man recently spoke out to give us the ending he hopes Fox’s animated series will have.
In terms of an ending, Jean says he really hopes The Simpsons will have a circular narrative. His ideal situation involves harkening back to the very first episode of the series that aired in 1989, which happens to be the Christmas special “Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire.” Here’s what The Simpsons showrunner had to say.
“However, there is an ending I've always had in mind, which was, I thought it would be cool if in the last episode they're getting ready to go to a Christmas pageant, and they go to the Christmas pageant that opens up the first episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire," so the entire series is a loop with no end. That would be my way of concluding the run, but nobody has asked me for it yet. “
Obviously, that ending isn’t written in stone, but now that it’s out there it seems kind of perfect, a callback reference within a show filled with the same sorts of references and gags. Jean goes on to tell CNN that obviously The Simpsons is as alive and thriving in Season 25 as it was early in its run and he doesn’t think the show is going anywhere, anytime soon.
“I think we're the highest-rated show on the network, so it's not like there's an ending coming soon.”
So, don’t expect The Simpsons to figure out its ending, anytime soon. The animated comedy, in fact, is having an incredible year, signing on for a gig at the Hollywood Bowl and crushing a marathon on FX. Today, the show is launching The Simpsons World, a new and interactive website that opens fans up to a slew of Simpsons episodes, clips and more. The app is available through your cable provider, with FXNOW promising the series will be searchable by specific lines of dialogue by January of 2015.
In some ways, The Simpsons is bigger than ever, but it's still nice that those who have been involved with the series for its entire run have a clear picture in their heads about where the show is going. We don't know if The Simpsons will actually receive the ending Jean hopes it will, but in my mind that's already how it has ended.
