The Simpsons: Ranking Every Alternate Future Episode From Worst To Best

Over two decades of looking ahead.

The Simpsons Barthood
20th Television

Whether they were predicting smartwatches or the current turbulent political landscape, The Simpsons has provided some eerily accurate looks into our future for a good portion of its nearly-thirty year run.

Therefore, it only stands to reason that for all predictions the show has made about the future of our world, they've also taken the time to explore the (potential) future of theirs.

Not only that, but in a cartoon like The Simpsons where characters essentially stay frozen in time for years and years, it's always interesting to ask the question "what would things be like if they were allowed to age?"

The Simpsons has attempted to answer this question for its cast several times over the years, giving us a glimpse as to what could possibly lie ahead for the residents of Springfield (depending on which era the episode was made in.)

To be frank, it's no wonder this is an episode concept that the show's writers have gone back to several times over the years. It opens the door to countless possibilities and meaningful character moments.

Some of these episodes got the job done well enough, some have been lackluster at best, and some should honestly be considered required Simpsons viewing.

7. Days Of Future Future

The Simpsons Barthood
Fox

Days of Future Future is actually the final installment in a trilogy of future-themed Simpsons episodes, the first being Future-Drama and the second being Holidays of Future Passed.

It's honestly rather fitting that Days of Future Future borrows its title from a famous X-Men storyline, as this trilogy went down exactly the same way as the original X-Men film trilogy. The first one was good, the second was excellent, and the third fell flat on its face.

As a continuation of Holidays of Future Passed, this episode really doesn't work. None of the moving character arcs from that episode were built upon in a meaningful way, with some being shrugged off entirely. And even when you look at this episode in a bubble, it's still rather unimpressive. In turn, the whole thing just feels unnecessary.

Days of Future Future isn't irredeemably terrible, mind you. There are still some decent character moments and funny jokes. However, given how much better and more impactful its predecessors were, this episode ends up being pretty forgettable.

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A film-loving wrestling fan from west Texas who will live and die by the statement that Return of the Jedi is the best Star Wars movie and unironically cherishes the brief moment and time when Deuce & Domino were WWE Tag Team Champions. Hates honey, but loves honey mustard.