This Is The End (The Simpsons) (Johnsonverse)

"This Is The End" is the twenty-second and final episode of the thirty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 772nd and final episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 19, 2024. In the episode, the Simpsons, ten years in the future, must prepare for Lisa's graduation, moving out of Springfield, and the return of Frank Grimes Jr. who, along with his son Frank Grimes III, is plotting to kill Homer.
The episode was directed by David Silverman and written by Tim and Chloe Johnson.
"This Is The End" was well-received among critics and fans for its emotional weight, humor, and ending.
==Plot==
Ten years in the future, Springfield has seen a great many changes. Mr. Burns has recently died (and Smithers was buried alive alongside him), with the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant being purchased by Walt and Bertha Haven. Appalled at the plant's horrible safety record, they decide to make a great many changes, starting by bribing Homer to retire with annual million-dollar checks.
Lisa goes through her final day at Springfield High School, saying goodbye to her teachers and friends and making out with Nelson while promising to contact him. She is asked to give the valedictorian speech at her graduation, accepting the offer. Meanwhile, Maggie finishes her last day at Springfield Elementary School, where her lower grades disappoint her teacher, Marge. After Marge drives back home with Lisa and Maggie, Homer tells her that they no longer need to live in Springfield thanks to his hefty retirement checks and that they can move to Capital City.
Bart, meanwhile, visits Springfield's local American Legion post with Laura, seeing Skinner and his war buddies mourning the death of his mother, Agnes. He then spots Sideshow Bob, who assures him that he's given up on trying to kill him in favor of writing comedies with Milhouse.
At Kwik-E-Mart, Marge goes to buy party supplies to celebrate Lisa's graduation. She has a brief conversation with Sanjay, who took over the place after Apu retired to India with his family. Back at the house, Bart and Maggie stream the Happy Little Elves reboot, focusing on Cheery and being more action-based and lore-focused than the original series. They enjoy it, but Lisa doesn't much care for it. They get a voicemail from Herb Powell, in which it's revealed that he's lost his fortune yet again and was forced to move to the streets of Detroit, where he's become known as the "Junk Guy" due to his habit of throwing around and eating trash. 
As Homer goes to see Grampa, who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and is being cryogenically frozen until a cure can be found, he sees Frank Grimes Jr., who somehow escaped from prison, and his son, Frank Grimes III, who he had been training to kill Homer. Grimes gives Homer an ominous warning before walking out. Marge enters an espresso shop owned by Sherri and Terri (occupying the space formerly held by Moe's Tavern) and meets with Patty and Selma, Patty's new wife Mel Sanders, Luann, and Lenny and Carl. They catch Troy McClure on TV, interviewing Conan O'Brien.
While the Simpsons are sleeping, Grimes and Frank III break in, intending to kill Homer. Grimes, however, doesn't realize that he's talking too loud, causing Homer and Marge to spot them. The Grimes' try to run off, and are spotted by Snake, the new Chief of Police, who arrests them for a prior jaywalking charge.
At the graduation ceremony, Principal Peyton introduces Lisa, who gives the valedictorian speech, especially making sure to thank her family for supporting her despite their flaws (and also revealing that the city of Springfield is located in Oregon). When she finishes, she meets up with them and Homer offers to buy frosty chocolate milkshakes. The next day, the family begins moving. They all look forward to the future, with Maggie snarking that she's glad to "get out of that crud bucket", Lisa deciding to apply for college, and Bart considering applying for a law degree. They decide to leave only their couch in the house.
As the Simpsons drive off into the sunset, the camera pans back to reveal that it's on a TV being watched by adult animation creators Raphael Bob-Waksberg (creator of BoJack Horseman), Loren Bouchard (creator of Home Movies, Lucy, Daughter of the Devil, Bob's Burgers, and Central Park), Seth Green (creator of Robot Chicken), Mike Judge (creator of Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill, and The Goode Family), Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy, American Dad!, and The Cleveland Show), Trey Parker and Matt Stone (creators of South Park), Adam Reed (creator of Archer and Sealab 2021), Justin Roiland (creator of Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites), and Dave Willis (creator of Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Squidbillies) watching the episode while writing scripts for their respective series on their typewriters. Among other interactions, MacFarlane and Green roast each other, Parker and Stone accuse MacFarlane of plagiarizing the ending word-for-word for his script, leading to them slap-fighting each other until Judge breaks it up, Willis and Reed fist-bump each other, and Roiland wonders where Matt Groening is. It's revealed that Groening is at his office, fanning himself with a stack of $100 bills and saying, "Ah... royalties!" while surrounded with bags of money.
After a message thanking the audience, a montage of clips from the series, The Simpsons Movie and the shorts from The Tracey Ullman Show plays during the credits, set to "The Show Must Go On" by Queen.
==Production==
==Cultural references==
The title is a reference to the 2013 film This is The End. The Happy Little Elves reboot is a reference to She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.
Troy McClure introduces himself as being from NCIS, SpongeBob SquarePants, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Herb Powell's identity as the "Junk Guy" also references Always Sunny, in which Frank assumes the ring name "The Trash Man" in one episode.
==Reception==
Category:Johnsonverse