The Simpsons has a hidden movie starring Rainier Wolfcastle as McBain, and while the scenes are scattered through three seasons, they form a coherent storyline. Created by Matt Groening, The Simpsons began as a series of animated shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987, and after three seasons it was developed into a half-hour prime time show, making its official debut on Fox in 1989. The Simpsons is now one of the most popular animated shows and has entertained generations for years, becoming the longest-running American sitcom and expanding to other media as well, most notably film and comic books.
The Simpsons follows the daily lives of the title family and their closest friends and some enemies in the fictional town of Springfield. Although the Simpsons are a one-of-a-kind family, the town is full of colorful residents with their own quirks and problems, going from cold-hearted billionaires like Mr. Burns to homeless people like the Crazy Cat Lady and even a couple of celebrities – local celebrities, that is. The most famous one is, without a doubt, Troy McClure (Phil Hartman), who starred in various movies with strange titles, but the character was retired after Hartman’s death. However, Springfield has another celebrity in Rainier Wolfcastle (Harry Shearer), an Austrian actor living and working in Springfield.
Wolfcastle has appeared in various movies within The Simpsons, but his most notable roles are those of Radioactive Man (though that project didn’t go well) and McBain, an action movie hero inspired by real-life action stars Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. McBain is the star of a film series, and The Simpsons actually told a full storyline through different clips that appeared sporadically in seasons two to four, forming a “hidden movie” within the show – and here’s every scene and the story told through them.
The Way We Was
Season 2’s episode “The Way We Was” tells the story of how Homer and Marge met in high school, but it made room for a McBain clip that marks the beginning of the movie. In it, McBain, a former policeman, finds evidence that Senator Mendoza is running a drug cartel and confronts his boss about it, but gets kicked out of the squad. McBain punches the captain out of the window in retaliation, and that’s the end of the clip.
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
The next clip is also in season 2, this time in the episode “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”, where Homer’s half-brother, Herb, was introduced. The McBain clip shown in this episode sees McBain and his best friend and partner Scoey tracking down evidence on their own as McBain was kicked out of the squad. Sadly, Scoey is gunned down by an assassin hired by Mendoza, who was looking to kill McBain but Scoey took the bullets. To make it even sadder, Scoey had just explained he was two days away from retirement, his daughter was going to graduate from college, and after finishing with Mendoza, he and his wife were going to sail around the world. McBain fails to stop the assassin, and as Scoey dies in his arms, he becomes more determined to take Mendoza down.
The War of the Simpsons
Another clip can be found later on in season 2, in the episode “The War of the Simpsons”, where Marge signs her and Homer for a marriage retreat. The McBain clip continues his quest to avenge Scoey, for which he decides that his regulated gun is too small, so he decides to use a bigger one. As he just got his job back, the captain reprimands him about the size of the new gun, but McBain doesn’t care and continues with his plan, though not before shooting and blowing away the Police Manual that stated the gun was too big.
Saturdays of Thunder
Jumping to season 3, the continuation of the McBain movie can be found in the episode “Saturdays of Thunder”, where Bart gets involved in competitive soapbox racing. The clip in this episode sees McBain ambushing Mendoza during a meeting about his newest drug, where he kills everyone except Mendoza, who gets away by feeding him a drugged salmon puff.
Last Exit to Springfield
The final part of the McBain movie is in season 4’s episode “Last Exit to Springfield”, where Homer takes the place of the leader of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant’s union. In the clip, Mendoza once again tries to get McBain killed by another hitman, but he survives. Their final stand takes place at Mendoza’s headquarters at the top of a skyscraper, where McBain throws him out of a window, finally killing him – and that’s the end of The Simpsons’ hidden McBain movie.