Hank Scorpio's Two Returns Thankfully Avoided Ruining The Simpsons' Best Ever One-Off Character

Although The Simpsons did bring back Hank Scorpio more than once, his repeated returns never dented 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 this cast list even bigger, but not all the show’s characters are created equal. There are some one-off guest stars who 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 add new characters to the show’s cast, but figures like Lyle Lanley, Lt. Smash, Karl, Larry Burns, Laura Powers, and Herb Powell have all managed to win over viewers despite their limited screen time. The best guest stars in The Simpsons history feel like full-fledged characters even though they only appeared once, and few characters epitomize this quality quite like Homer’s likable eccentric boss/ evil supervillain Hank Scorpio.

When Hank Scorpio Returns In 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 Scorpio is a supervillain, complete with a super spy nemesis who is a blatant parody of James Bond. However, Brooks makes Scorpio so charming and his camaraderie with Homer is so sweet that it is hard not to root for the duo.

While The Simpsons season 36 may bring him back again, readers could be surprised to learn that Hank Scorpio appears in more than one episode of The Simpsons. In season 22, episode 21, “500 Keys,” Scorpio appears flying a jet and says that he had to choose between purchasing the plane or a Porsche. In Family Guy‘s crossover with The Simpsons, season 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 is not 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 really bringing him back and, as surprising as it may sound, this was ultimately the right choice. Typically, the thought of bringing back an iconic character only to do little with them sounds like a recipe for a letdown. However, it would be almost impossible for The Simpsons to outdo the self-contained story of “You Only Move Twice,” which is frequently listed among the show’s best episodes ever. As such, acknowledging Scorpio’s continued existence without centering entire episodes around him is the best way for The Simpsons to keep him around.

This way, 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” could come across as desperate and, even if it didn’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 series has been spoofed to death since then. Thus, Scorpio’s return could never have been the same.

Not Every One-Off Simpsons Character 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 appearances, as proven by Frank Grimes’s regrettable return to the show. Grimes was Homer’s beleaguered coworker in season 8, episode 23, “Homer’s Enemy.” Another episode frequently singled out as one of the show’s finest hours, “Homer’s Enemy,” saw Grimes struggle with Homer’s easygoing approach to life and his almost supernatural good luck. While Grimes died imitating Homer in the episode’s brutally bleak ending, this didn’t stop him from appearing again. His son, Frank Grimes Jr, repeatedly attempted to kill Homer in season 14, episode 6, “The Great Louse Detective.”

This 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 Simpsons’ holiday specials have a looser canon than the show’s usual episodes, the series still didn’t know what to do with Grimes in these appearances. None of the later references to Grimes did much beyond clarifying that his defining hatred for Homer remained unchanged, and this didn’t justify revisiting the iconic character. This proved just how much Hank Scorpio’s brief The Simpsons comebacks were a blessing.