Though you may usually discover “Simpsons” followers right this moment who declare they completely figured the thriller out earlier than “Who Shot Mr. Burns? Half Two” aired, it is quite a bit tougher to seek out precise proof of viewers who referred to as it. That is as a result of Maggie actually was not on most followers’ radar. “About the one characters who do not have motives are Marge and Maggie Simpson,” wrote one critic within the Tampa Tribune, the kind of assertion that went comparatively uncontested by the fanbase. Within the behind-the-scenes DVD commentary for “The Simpsons” season 6, the showrunners remarked that they knew of a minimum of one fan who correctly guessed it, however the individual wrote it underneath an nameless username on a fan message board and the writers by no means managed to trace them down.
Maggie was so underneath the radar, actually, that the “Simpsons” creatives have been in a position to give some hints about her with none subject. Animator David Silverman drew an image of Maggie through the anticipate “Half Two,” and the Chicago Tribune author did not even appear to contemplate that this would possibly a clue. Likewise, when Matt Groening was requested in regards to the attainable shooter, he replied, “Individuals are guessing everybody from visitor stars who have been on the present in seasons previous to Bobo the stuffed bear that Mr. Burns stole from Maggie.” There Groening was, a month earlier than “Half Two” aired, subtly reminding viewers {that a} beef between Maggie and Mr. Burns had already been established.
At the very least a couple of followers did appear to select up on Groening’s trace, though they weren’t taken too critically. As The Oregonian reported in a chunk that positioned Skinner as the highest suspect, “A number of Net surfers suspect little Maggie Simpson, who tangled with Burns over possession of a stuffed teddy bear, Bobo. And the alt.fan.simpsons group consists of one vote for Itchy and Scratchy.”
Wanting by way of the newspaper archives, it appears the one individual on the file for guessing Maggie is Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer himself. “I do not know who shot him. I assume Maggie,” he advised the LA Instances in Could 1995. Granted, it is not clear if this was actually Castellaneta making a real guess or if he, as the primary voice actor on the present, had already been made aware about the reveal. Both method, it is telling that the lead actor straight up stated Maggie’s title on the file and he or she nonetheless wasn’t thought-about an inexpensive guess by most viewers.
In fact, the explanation why Maggie wasn’t a preferred guess was as a result of it wasn’t a very satisfying reply. Described as the “largest anti-climax in a sitcom” by the Miami Herald, most followers discovered the episode humorous however not fairly matching as much as what they’d constructed up of their heads. “OK, a bit disappointing,” wrote TV critic Mike Duffy. “I used to be rootin’ for Smithers myself. However a minimum of it wasn’t all a dream.”
