Although The Simpsons is set to soon spoof an iconic Netflix sci-fi series, this isn’t the first time that the long-running show has parodied this particular pop culture phenomenon. The Simpsons has addressed the show’s repetitive plots more than once at this stage. The animated family sitcom is the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show in history, so it’s hardly surprising that The Simpsons has been known to repeat storylines on occasion, as well as bring back classic Simpsons supporting characters for guest appearances.
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However, Disney+’s upcoming The Simpsons special is still a strange case. “Yellow Mirror” will be the show’s sixth Disney+ exclusive episode, set to be released in August 2026. A parody of Netflix’s Black Mirror, the episode’s synopsis says it will feature two stories wherein a broken lamp leads Homer to question reality itself and an AI-powered tablet makes friends with, and soon starts to exert control over, the family’s baby Maggie.
The Simpsons’ Upcoming Black Mirror Parody Isn’t Its First
These two parodies have potential, but this isn’t the first time that The Simpsons has spoofed the iconic cult sci-fi series. Season 31, episode 8, “Thanksgiving of Horror,” featured a segment titled “The Fourth Thursday After Tomorrow,” which was also about a rogue AI and parodied an earlier episode of the iconic Netflix anthology series. This late-season Simpsons segment specifically parodied the disturbing Black Mirror special “White Christmas” and its the storyline wherein Oona Chaplin played a tortured sentient AI “Cookie.”
While Black Mirror was concerned with the existential horror of Chaplin’s character effectively living as a slave in a white void, “The Fourth Thursday After Tomorrow” spoofed this with an AI version of Marge trying to escape the drudgery of housework and gain credit for making Thanksgiving dinner. The sequence might have been brief, but it was a true love letter to the Netflix show that managed to also cram references to the episodes “Nosedive,” “The National Anthem,” “The Waldo Moment,” “USS Callister,” “Bandersnatch,” “White Bear,” and “Crocodile.”
The Simpsons Spoofing Black Mirror Again Makes Sense
Since The Simpsons fit in so many references to so many Black Mirror episodes in “The Fourth Thursday After Tomorrow,” and even got a cameo from the show’s creator, Charlie Brooker, in the episode, it might seem odd that “Yellow Mirror” is revisiting this. However, for all the changes The Simpsons has made in recent years, the show’s return to spoofing Black Mirror proves that the series still holds onto one perennial obsession.
Early Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials borrowed many of their storylines from The Twilight Zone, an iconic anthology show that was an ambitious blend of sci-fi, mystery, satire, and horror. Since Black Mirror is effectively an updated take on The Twilight Zone that specifically deals with technology’s impact on humanity, it makes sense that The Simpsons is parodying the sci-fi series again despite its earlier spoof of the seven-season Netflix hit.
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