ans of were left scratching their heads when the iconic animated kicked off its 36th season with what was billed as the "series finale." The episode, titled "Bart's Birthday," opened with , a former writer for the show, hosting a fictional gala of animated celebrities. humorously claimed that Fox had decided to end the show, poking fun at the fact that he's hosted finales of his own shows before.

He even joked about retrieving a sweater he left in the writer's room back in 1993. The episode then showcased a montage of supposed "unaired series finale" scenes from older Simpsons episodes, further adding to the mystery. However, things took a strange turn when revealed that the entire episode was AI-generated, leading to bizarre and dramatic moments involving beloved characters.

The AI-created storyline showed dying, shutting down, and retiring, while also parodying the finales of shows like . The "Series Finale" was simply a clever gag The episode's AI twist left many fans temporarily believing that was coming to an end. However, the truth was revealed as snapped out of the AI illusion, returning to his usual 10-year-old self after briefly turning 11.

Once was back to reality, the faux series finale concluded, and viewers realized it was all part of a playful joke. Fans quickly took to social media to express their initial confusion. "I legit thought this was the series finale until I realized it was all a joke XD," one fan tweeted.

"I DEFINITELY FELL FOR THAT 'SERIES FINALE' O.