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These ‘Simpsons’ continuity errors will surprise even hardcore fans

Published Apr 7th, 2020 11:20PM EDT
The Simpsons
Image: FOX

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  • The Simpsons has been around for more than 30 years and two continuity errors, to the surprise of many fans, were recently discovered.
  • The most recent discovery involves the show’s opening sequence.
  • A previous continuity error involved a picture of Maggie hanging on the wall before she was actually born.
  • Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

I’m unabashedly something of a The Simpsons snob. I’ll happily trade Simpsons quotes with friends for hours on end, have read multiple books about the show, have interviewed writers on the show, and will eagerly and happily consume any and all things Simpsons related. Yes, I have something of a problem, but hey, there are a lot more dangerous addictions out there.

With that said, an alleged continuity error from the show’s opening sequence was recently discovered by fans of the show. It’s obvious once you see it, but somehow it was never really mentioned publicly until now. I suppose with much of the world still on coronavirus-induced quarantine, people have a whole a lot of time to search out and unearth the most trivial of details from The Simpsons universe. And you know what? I’m here for it.

So what’s the continuity error in question? Well, in the show’s iconic opening, the sequence ends with Marge driving her car into the garage as Homer flees for safety. In the wide shot, we see a bike and a few boxes. When the next scene zooms in, the bike and boxes are seemingly replaced by a completely different box, as evidenced in the photo below:

If we dive deeper into Simspons lore, however, we learn that this arguably wasn’t a continuity error at all. The first season of The Simpsons had a longer opening sequence with details that were subsequently removed. If we take a close look at it, we can see that the box in question is visible in the wide shot:

Image source: FOX

And then when we see the close-up shot, we see that the same boxes are still there:

Image source: FOX

The original intro in its entirety can be seen below:

If you want a more substantive Simpsons continuity error, because the one above is admittedly weak, we’ve got you covered.

In And Maggie Makes Three — which is the 13th episode of season 6 — we see Homer confronting Marge because he’s not terribly thrilled with the news that she’s pregnant with Maggie. But if you look closely at the screenshot below, you can see a picture of Maggie is already on the wall. “Oh, the humanity!” as Kent Brockman might be inclined to exclaim.

Image source: FOX

Word of this continuity error was first brought to light on Twitter a few years ago by Simpsons writer and executive producer Matt Selman.

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.