The Simpsons: 10 Major Plot-Holes Everyone Ignores
Point out your plot holes elsewhere!
The Simpsons is an iconic part of television and has been going on for over 30 years now. In all that time, there's bound to be inconsistencies; especially with cartoons. After a rewatch of The Simpsons (or multiple), there's a few different inconsistencies which start to crop up. Some of them multiple times.
This list ignores the Treehouse episodes, and the flash forwards, as they're not usually considered canon. Flashbacks are thought by the fanbase to be canon episodes, so they are under consideration here, although to avoid just making it about them, the obvious things have been left out.
The episode That '90s Show does throw a fair few plot holes our way, but they're not ignored by the fanbase. On the contrary, they're one of the biggest bones of contention in the modern era.
Still, other little plot holes do slip by. Either because they’re only noticeable having watched two (or more) different episodes, or because they’re minor details in a story overall.
The Simpsons is one of the most comforting shows to watch over and over again though, so these plot holes can pop up a lot if you settle down for a binge.
10. What Happened To Allison?
The Simpsons have guest characters which come and go all the time. Frank Grimes, Hank Scorpio, Lyle Lanley... most of them appear, do a good job, then disappear. Some of the more modern ones don’t even do a good job. Allison Taylor from Lisa’s Rival though causes a bit of bother.
She’s as good as or better than Lisa at everything Lisa values in her own identity, and Lisa eventually becomes jealous enough to sabotage Allison’s diorama. In the end, she repents, saves the day, and she and Allison agree to be friends. Allison doesn’t move away, transfer schools or get skipped into another grade. She just fades away.
You’d think that Allison could have added more depth to Lisa’s lonely school life, even if they couldn’t get Hollywood star Winona Ryder back for every episode. Her character model is occasionally seen wandering the halls, but she never has a meaningful conversation with Lisa again.
It’s a shame, considering how often Lisa’s school days are used for the plot. Adding Allison, even occasionally, might have offered more depth. Janey never really gets used anymore either, but at least she’s there.