A new Simpsons Easter egg will change the way you watch "Who Shot Mr. Burns"

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Is that Homer hiding in the background?

(Image credit: 20th Century Televison)

In 1995, the world was caught up in one mystery: who shot Mr. Burns? Twenty-five years later, a newly discovered Simpsons Easter egg is sparking fan theories about who almost shot the billionaire.

As first posited by Game_of_Jabrones on Reddit, the moment at the end of the first episode in the "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" two-parter – a cliffhanger that spanned the entire summer of 1995 and into the seventh season – sees Mr. Burns sprawled out over a sundial with the residents of Springfield surrounding him. Inexplicably, one person is Homer quite clearly disguised as Krusty the Clown.

While we know that (spoilers?) Maggie was the one who shot Mr. Burns, this hidden background moment points to Homer wanting to do the deed himself before her baby daughter pulled the trigger – all while trying to frame Krusty, a ploy that Sideshow Bob also used in the season 1 episode “Krusty Gets Busted.”

Bill Oakley, who was co-showrunner on The Simpsons in seasons seven and eight, has poured cold water on that theory, however. In the original version of the script, which he posted on Twitter, it’s made abundantly clear that “none of the prime suspects” should be visible on the streets and in the crowd at the end.

So, sorry, folks. While it’s undeniably a piece of cromulent evidence that suggests Homer was planning to shoot Mr. Burns, it appears that this was just an animator either making a mistake, goofing around, or wanting to add further fuel to the fire. Maybe we'll never know.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.