One of the Executive Producers onThe Simpsonsshared his views on the show’s lack of canon, which is a great strength (and unique creative challenge) of the show.The Simpsonshas been on the air for nearly forty years, with the animated nature of the series allowing it to evolve in ways no other show really can. The show’s unique approach to canon, never aging the characters even as their world changes to reflect real life events, has given way to plenty of medium-bending and overtly non-canon episodes.
The most recent of these experiments wasThe Simpsons' season 36 finale, “Estranger Things.” The episode featured a possible future whereMarge passed away, prompting some to believe Marge had actually been killed off permanently. In response,The SimpsonsExecutive Producer Matt Selman had to highlight how the show has never really had a firm canon. This is a genuine strength of the show, but it’s also not exactly correct — as the show’s unique approach to character consistency and continuity is also paramount to what makesThe Simpsonsso enduring.
Why The Simpsons Producers Said The Show’s Canon Doesn’t Matter
The Simpsons' Creatives Don’t Think The Show Needs A Singular Timeline
Despite some fans being furious at the death of Marge Simpson in a potential future timeline glimpsed in season 36, canon and continuity inThe Simpsonsremain purposefully fluid and flexible. Because of the animated nature of the show and the way time passes even while characters don’t age,The Simpsonshas never really had a firm canon.
This has allowed the show to embrace plenty of flights of fancy, including in episodes set years from the present day of the main characters. The latest of these potential futures was seen in the season 36 finale “Estranger Things,” where Marge passed away. Some have taken this to mean that Marge has been killed off permanently, forcingThe Simpsonscreatives to respond.
As Matt Selman explained toVariety, “since the ‘The Simpsons’ future episodes are all speculative fantasies, they’re all different every time…Marge will probably never be dead ever again. The only place Marge is dead is in one future episode that aired six weeks ago.”
This is consistent withSelman’s previous statements about continuity inThe Simpsons, whichhighlights the purposefully flexible nature of the show’s canon. Selman even openly declared there “is no canon” in the show, which plays into the series' ability to experiment with style, tone, and even medium.
The Simpsons' Flexible Timeline & Non-Canon Experiments Are Great
Why The Simpsons Gets To Mess With The Timeline, The Format, And The 4th Wall
The Simpsonshas always had a flexible timeline and canon, which has been a genuine boon for the series.The show was bending the canon as early as season 2, with the annual “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween specials always taking place in their own separate universes.
Over the years, the show has experimented with format and genre thanks to this creative freedom,reimagining the family in different ways that technically “break” the show. This can include potential futures as seen in season 6’s “Lisa’s Wedding,” 4th-wall shattering episodes like season 12’s “Behind the Laughter,” or large-scale parodies like season 29’s “The Serfsons.”
The timeline’s flexibility has givenThe Simpsonsa timeless quality that contributes to its enduring elements.
This freedom from the limitations of canon has also paid off in the main continuity of the show. Because there are few limits on what can happen in Springfield, anything can happen. This has been the impetus for the countless wacky adventures, temporary jobs, and brief passions that have propelled the show for almost forty years.
The timeline’s flexibility has givenThe Simpsonsa timeless quality that contributes to its enduring elements. The show can adjust the world with ease, capable of changing for the times even as the characters remain consistent and in many ways static.The Simpsons' lack of a formal canon is a major strength of the show, and always has been.
The Continuity Of The Simpsons' Personal Stories Is Vital To The Show
The Simpsons' Characters Have Been Consistent For Decades, Even If They Don’t Age
However, that’s not to say there isn’t continuity inThe Simpsons. Even as aging in Springfield has stalled and the characters comment on the cartoon nature of the world,there are still genuine consequences for some of the characters' actions. That flexible timeline only works if the characters remain consistent, and that includes their own personal growth.
Enduring pieces of character development, like Lisa’s vegetarianism and embrace of Buddhism, highlight the wayscharacters inThe Simpsonsdo have personal continuity. Ned Flanders, being a widower, has been the source of some great storylines, something that wouldn’t work without a personal canon.
While the world may change around them and ret-cons can easily transform minor characters into more fleshed-out forms (like Shauna Chalmers and Sarah Wiggum, who took years to develop into fully realized and unique characters),the actual inhabitants of Springfield tend to be consistent with their relationships and world views.
This is one of the reasons the show can go for so many big swings, even as it often reverts everything to the regular status quo. The show can even visit alternate universes or revamped timelines,all while maintaining the characterization it spent decades crystallizing(as in theDisney+ special featuring a time-traveling Lisa)
Sometimes, major events do happen that impact the characters on a deeper level, requiring the show to embrace those changes permanently.Character deaths do happen on the show, and often have lingering effects on the series. Despite Matt Selman’s claims, there is a very loose canon toThe Simpsons, one that helps improve the show’s flexibility.
Why The Simpsons Needs A Flexible (But Emotionally Consistent) Canon
The Simpsons Is A Show Where Anything Can Happen, So Long As The Characters Remain True To Form
The flexible canon ofThe Simpsonsis inherently a double-edged sword for the creatives behind the scenes. If there are too many wild bits that diverge from the emotional core, the audience could lose their connection to the characters. If the show is too rigid in the canon, then it closes off countless storytelling opportunities.
The Simpsonshaving a flexible but consistent canon is one of the most important parts of the show. While elements of the show have been tweaked over the years (like Abe Simpsons' age or Seymour Skinner’s true identity), they remain consistent character-wise. So long as the characters aren’t contradictory to what we know of them, the wild plot twists remain valid.
“Estranger Things” might kill off Marge in a possible timeline, butin service of a story that feels authentic to Bart and Lisa, even as it enhances the drama of their falling out by aging them up. It works outside the regular canon ofThe Simpsonsbecause it feels consistent with the Bart and Lisa audiences have known for decades.
The Simpsonshas become so enduring in part because of its lack of a singular, consistent canon. However,that’s not to say the show lacks continuity. What’s most important is that each new adventure or possible future feels authentic to the characters. That’s why the Marge-less future ofThe Simpsonsworked, even if it’s not a permanent change.
The Simpsons
Cast
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.
