The following contains spoilers for the first three episodes of Paradise, now streaming on HuluParadise takes a big sci-fi swing at the end of the first episode which gives it an unexpected thematic connection to Stephen King and The Simpsons. At first glance, Paradise seems to be a political thriller focused on the assassination of the President. Paradise's cast of characters are focused entirely on that event, with flashbacks expanding their character dynamics and histories. It's a compelling character drama with particularly high stakes. However, this is all quietly a fake-out. 66103d

The Simpsons has been on the air for 35 years, and they just completely dropped a few storylines during that time.

In the process of referencing the show's movie spinoff, The Simpsons season 35, episode 11 retconned the story. The Simpsons Moviewas a huge hit upon release, impressing critics and breaking records at the box office. Although the wait for a Simpsons spinoff movie lasted over a decade, the consensus was that the movie proved worth the wait. Since then, The Simpsons has occasionally referenced the events of the movie in ing, although it has also been partially retconned from time to time. In particular, Dr. Nick’s death in The Simpsons Movie was seemingly undone.

Rumors are starting to heat up once more that The Simpsons is preparing for another movie, but the writers can learn a few lessons from The Simpsons Movie. Since its release in 2007, The Simpsons Movie has seemed destined for a sequel at one point or another. The show has been continuing at a steady pace, now in its 35th season, although its cultural relevance has waned somewhat over the years. There have been peaks and troughs in the show's quality, but it has failed to return to the quality of the "Golden Age" of The Simpsons. A sequel to The Simpsons Movie would be an opportunity to reclaim some of the show's enormous popularity.

While The Simpsons Movie 2 could still happen, the sequel will not be able to match the box office impact of The Simpsons’ first cinematic outing, The Simpsons Movie. The Simpsons Movie arrived long after the height of the TV show’s success. The so-called Golden Age of The Simpsons ended around season 11 or 12 at a generous estimate, while The Simpsons Movie did not arrive in theaters until the show was entering season 18. That said, The Simpsons is now on season 34, proving the show was nowhere near its ending when The Simpsons Movie released in 2007, despite its critical decline.

Unlike The Simpsons Movie, The Bob’s Burgers Movie found time to utilize the show’s expansive cast in its brief runtime. Both The Bob’s Burgers Movie and The Simpsons Movie have relatively brief runtimes compared to many modern theatrical releases. The Bob’s Burgers Movie runs 1 hour 42 minutes while The Simpsons Movie runs 1 hour 27 minutes, meaning neither had time to throw in an appearance from every cast member of their respective shows.

Despite both theatrical spinoffs being huge hits, The Bob’s Burgers Movie feels nothing like The Simpsons Movie, and there is a good reason for that. The Bob’s Burgers Movie has proven a hit with critics and viewers alike, earning an impressive box office return and largely positive reviews. Even more impressively, The Bob’s Burgers Movie didn’t replicate The Simpsons Movie's successful formula. Instead, it feels nothing like that earlier hit.

Warning! SPOILERS for The Bob's Burgers Movie.

References to Marvel Comics have become omnipresent since the MCU became the biggest movie franchise in the world. Now, jokes about Iron Man and Captain America are commonplace. But, as with every other comedic area, The Simpsons has been poking fun at Marvel since long before it was cool.

Even if The Bobs Burgers Movie is a huge hit, there is almost no chance that the animated family sitcom’s theatrical debut will be able to match The Simpsons Movie's legendary box office numbers. While The Bobs Burgers Movie has already avoided The Simpsons Movie's biggest issue by being less intensely hyped than that long-awaited outing, the release still won’t be able to outdo Springfield’s first family at the box office. The historical box-office success of The Simpsons Movie would be tough for any animated movie to beat, and The Bobs Burgers Movie’s chances aren’t aided by inflation.