Hank Scorpio’s two returns thankfully avoided ruining The Simpsons’ best-ever one-off character

Although The Simpsons Hank Scorpio brought back more than once, his repeated returns never denting his status as the show’s funniest one-off character. After 35 years on the air, The Simpsons Has a cast of thousands. Most episodes of the show introduce a new character or two, and after over 740 episodes, this has resulted in a massive, sprawling cast for the animated sitcom. The Simpsons Season 36 is likely to make the cast list even bigger, but not all of the show’s characters are created equal. There are some one-off guest stars that viewers will never forget.

Some of the best one-off characters in the history of The Simpsons elevated their respective episodes and turned them into all-time classics. Admittedly, the worst episodes of The Simpsons Also adding new characters to the show’s cast, but figures like Lyle Lanley, Lt. Smash, Karl, Larry Burns, Laura Powers and Herb Powell all managed to win over viewers despite their limited screen time. The best guest star in The Simpsons The stories feel like full-fledged characters, even though they’ve only appeared once, and few characters epitomize this quality quite like Homer’s likable eccentric boss/evil supervillain Hank Scorpio.

When Hank Scorpio returns to The Simpsons after “You Only Move Twice”

The legendary Simpsons supervillain crops up in two later episodes

In season 8, episode 2, “You Only Move Twice,” Homer moves the eponymous family to a new town to pursue a promising new job. His new boss, Albert Brooks’ Hank Scorpio, is a charismatic, sympathetic figure whose line of work becomes clear as the episode’s story progresses. Eventually, viewers realize that Scorpio is a supervillain, complete with a super spy nemesis that is a blatant parody of James Bond. However, Brooks makes Scorpio so charming and his camaraderie with Homer so sweet that it’s hard not to root for the duo.

While The Simpsons Season 36 may bring him back again, readers may be surprised to learn that Hank Scorpio appeared in more than one episode of The Simpsons. In season 22, episode 21, “500 Keys,” Scorpio appears flying a jet and says he has to choose between purchasing the plane or a Porsche. in Family guys crossover with The SimpsonsSeason 13, Episode 1, “The Simpsons Guy,” Scorpio appears in his car. Neither cameo takes up much screen time, but they do prove that Hank Scorpio isn’t technically a one-and-done character.

It’s a relief The Simpsons never brought Hank Scorpio back properly

Hank Scorpio’s proposed The Simpsons movie return was high-risk

The Simpsons Brought back Hank Scorpio without actually bringing him back And, as surprising as it may sound, it was ultimately the right choice. Typically, the idea of ​​bringing back an iconic character just to do something with them sounds like a recipe for a letdown. However, it would be almost impossible for The Simpsons To advance the self-contained narrative of “You Only Move Twice,” which is often listed among the best episodes ever. The best way to acknowledge Scorpio’s continued existence without centering entire episodes around him. The Simpsons To keep him around.

so, The Simpsons 36’s future episodes can feature Scorpio without diminishing the impact his character made on the series all those years ago. Trying to replicate the success of You Only Move Twice might come across as desperate and, even if it wasn’t, it would be unlikely to succeed. The tone of The Simpsons has changed since the episode’s original 1996 airdate and, from the Johnny English movies to the Austin Powers Franchise, the James Bond The series has since faded to death. Thus, Scorpio’s return could never have been the same.

Not every one-off Simpsons character has escaped like Hank Scorpio

The Simpsons struggles to bring back one-off icons

The Simpsons has historically struggled to bring back iconic characters after their one-off appearancesAs proven by Frank Grimes’ regrettable return to the show. Grimes was Homer’s beleaguered associate in season 8, episode 23, “Homer’s Enemy.” Another episode often singled out as one of the show’s finest hours, “Homer’s Enemy,” saw Grimes struggle with Homer’s easy-going approach to life and his almost supernatural good luck. While Grimes died impersonating Homer at the episode’s brutally bleak end, that didn’t stop him from doing it again. His son, Frank Grimes Jr., repeatedly tried to kill Homer in season 14, episode 6, “The Big Loose Detective.”

The attempt to revisit one of the show’s funniest one-off stories fell flat, as did Grimes’ repeated appearances as a ghost in Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials. While The SimpsonsHoliday specials have a looser canon than the usual episodes of the show, the series still did not know what to do with Grimes in the appearances. None of the later references to Grimes did much more than explain that his defining hatred of Homer remained unchanged, and that this did not justify the iconic character. This proved just how much Hank Scorpio’s short The Simpsons Comeback was a blessing.