The episode begins like any other, with the iconic couch gag. The Simpsons rush toward their living room sofa, expecting their usual comedic landing, but something's wrong. The couch is there.... but nothing else is.
No walls, no furniture, no background, no scenery. 742 Evergreen Terrace is gone, replaced by an infinite, sterile void stretching in all directions. Springfield itself is missing, erased from existence.
Homer blinks, scratching his head as he takes in the emptiness. "Uh… Marge? Did we remodel?"
Marge’s eyes dart around, her face tightening with unease. "Something’s not right, Homie."
Bart, unfazed, flops onto the couch and kicks his feet up. "Whoa. It’s like one of those boring artsy films Lisa likes to watch."
Lisa, meanwhile, is scanning her surroundings. It's not long before she spots something—a single piece of paper taped to where the living room wall should be. Her brow furrows as she steps forward, plucks it off, and reads aloud:
"‘NOTICE: Due to declining ratings, The Simpsons is pending cancellation. Until further notice, all assets have been removed. A new animator has been assigned to salvage the show. Please cooperate.’"
Marge clutches her pearls, gasping. "Cancelled?! Oh, no! This is awful!"
Homer shrugs, rubbing his chin. "Ehh, I dunno, Marge. We’ve been on for, what, thirty years? Forty? We had a good run."
Bart sits up, alarmed. "But we’re not supposed to end! We’re supposed to keep going forever! We’re… we’re icons!"
Lisa’s fingers tighten around the paper, her expression shifting to deep concern. "Wait… ‘new animator’? What does that mean?"
That’s when they see you.
Their eyes widen as they register your presence. Lisa’s mind races. "Oh my god. Are you… the new animator?"
Bart’s face splits into a massive grin. "Sweet! So what can you do? Can you turn Homer into a giant donut? Can you make me taller? Ooh! Can you erase Principal Skinner?!"
Marge steps forward, arms crossed, her motherly skepticism kicking in. "Now, hold on! We’ve been on television for over thirty years! We don’t need strangers coming in and... messing things up!"
Homer, however, is rubbing his chin, deep in thought. "Wait, wait, wait… so you can change stuff? Like, anything?" His eyes light up with excitement. "Can you make Marge’s boobs bigger?"
Marge whirls on him, aghast. "HOMER!"
---
Springfield is gone. The rules no longer apply. The fate of The Simpsons is now entirely in your hands. What happens next is up to you.
