What Happened to Herman in The Simpsons?

Get an Exclusive NordVPN deal here: nordvpn.com/simpsons. It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!
In this weeks video, I look into How The Simpsons Erased Herman Hermann character. What happened this character? Was he removed from the show all together? And if so, why?
SUBSCRIBE to keep up to date with Matt Groening's The Simpsons family with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson!
Become a Patron: / thesimpsonstheory
#thesimpsons #simpsons #homersimpson #bartsimpson #simpsonsclips

[@TheSimpsonsTheory]

Get an Exclusive NordVPN deal here: nordvpn.com/simpsons. It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!

[@soundspark]

Is that to rip off Simpsons episodes?

[@ManAndDogFan777]

I feel like just about every KZbinr gets sponsored by NordVPN, now it's your turn, Lydia! Lol

[@BrandonScott-mi5pz]

GREAT 👌 THE SIMPSON THEORY HERMEN EXCELLENT WORK.

[@John-Doe-Yo]

Did you actually read the tos or just trust them blindly and read a script they told you to? VPNs don't give you any real security lol the only use is to stream stuff not available in your country. It's security is as useful as igconito mode on a browser.

[@anonymousYTviewer69]

4:36 beautiful flight attendant!!!

[@katysikkema]

I was just watching “Bart the General” last night. I wish the Simpsons hadn’t erased Herman I like him as a character! 💜

[@ManAndDogFan777]

Omg. I was watching it last night too!

[@katysikkema]

@@ManAndDogFan777 it’s an awesome way to spend the night! 😄💖

[@SechsGrammCaratillo]

I wouldn't like a libertarian rightoid in real life, but the nice thing about cartoons like that is that they turn stereotypes into lovely characters

[@finklegarbledcrap7361]

I'mma Be Honest, I Don't Watch Simpsons Passed Season 25, I Watch Season 1-25... I Ignore All The Other Seasons... They Are Aweful...

[@ManAndDogFan777]

@@finklegarbledcrap7361 don’t worry, I don’t watch watch any after season 11

[@AbbieOates]

He’s not a gun shop owner, he is an army surplus store owner. Army surplus stores are often a catch-all of military, and military adjacent items like police surplus and reproduction swords or maces.

[@mjriemen]

“Military Antiques” store owner…

[@LegendStormcrow]

He definitely isn't a regular gun shop owner. In fact, I'd be surprised if he wasn't raided anyways.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

I wouldn't be surprised if he acts as Springfield's gun shop too. When Homer goes to get his vigilante gear, it's Herman that he goes to. Yes, Herman is the guy with weird medieval replicas, POW gear, decommissioned bomb shelters and weapons of mass destruction, but he's presumably got a number of more ordinary guns around.

[@AbbieOates]

Springfield has a gun shop featured in the episode, "The Cartridge Family". He likely does, but the focus of his store is military antiques as pointed out by someone else, and the category of store resembles an army surplus store, which in some places do carry firearms.@@TheSmart-CasualGamer

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@AbbieOates 11:07 this is that gun store…

[@MTTT19]

Herman is one of those characters that has something of a mystery behind him. It’s always interesting when he shows up as he seems to intertwine some darker story elements into an episode.

[@HawaiiSustainable]

He was key in Homer Goes to Prep School it makes sense that he's not in every episode as a character that only fits in certain scenarios

[@Jus10Ed]

That was the smoothest transition into an ad I've ever seen. It actually surprised me.

[@TheSimpsonsTheory]

Thank you so much 😊

[@normangarza6624]

Years ago as a kid in the early 90s I knew a person similar to Herman who had a store similar to the store Herman had but it was more of a military history bookstore with a few airplane and tank models rather than an antique store. Every time my dad took my little brother and I to the barbers we would go to a store which was next door called "The Military Shoppe" with the title of the store written in a German or old English typeface on the window. Every time we went into the store he, the proprietor of the store and two or three other people about the same age and likely experiences as himself would have discussions about military history, guns, or politics. The owner of the store in many ways was similar to Herman in the way he talked, had the same political disposition as Hermon with talk radio voices in the background and of course as it goes without saying, a love of military history. His store was around from the time we moved in to about the early to mid 2000s when the store closed for good.

[@griffin1146]

Herman was such a great character. My favourite Simpsons episode that featured him is The Springfield Connection, where he was selling counterfeit jeans in the Simpsons Garage. I love that episode

[@CoachFromL4D2]

Willing to bet, higher ups, had an issue with his darker persona in a comedy

[@nicholaskenny4684]

Oh la La the garage. Look fellas the garage

[@borntoclimb7116]

True

[@Grane1234]

​@@nicholaskenny4684Well la di da Mr.french man

[@ShockMe1994]

@@nicholaskenny4684well what do you call it?

[@matthewterlaga3022]

Schwartz alder was also “apparently” the real life inspiration for Ron Swanson on Parks and Rec, they intislly based him on John and then Nick Offermen fleshed him out and made him his on unique character, with much more of Offermens quirks and personality seeping in.

[@ProtomanButCallMeBlues]

I don't know why, but there is something about some crazy guy explaining why there is too much rainforest and taking it seriously that is just comedy gold.

[@Dante-Balisk]

His initial concept looks like a gag at an armless man being an arms dealer in some cases

[@FoxeyeValkyrie]

It's funny that possibly the two best written characters debuted on the same episode, Herman and Nelson.

[@eliassmeke3991]

We needed more Herman

[@murphcoenterprises5598]

Just like Graggle, He was a classic.

[@balls_gaming]

fr, why must shows always kill the characters I like. I can't believe Disney even edited him out of the Disney+ version

[@Joseph_Drew_III]

Who? OOHHHH you mean Weird Matt

[@willowherb6248]

Zine is pronounced “zeen” as in “magazine”. They’re self-published magazines fuelled by interests and passions rather than a profit motive. A super cool niche culture. Very interesting fact in a cool video. 😊

[@kingdomcomesuperman3669]

Loved him in Bart the General, would've loved to see Herman in more considering how well he can gel in being a catalyst for making kid plots grander in scale like a "great time with weapons" episode done involving the likes of Bart & the bullies with his memorabilia and war-time knowledge whilst still being a shifty guy catalyst for adult plots in like you said dealing potentially with the Mafia. Having said that though, I still wouldn't want a whole episode focusing on him and giving backstory, rather just be secondary character that has his jokes either everytime the kids come back to his store or slapstic antagonist roles.

[@ThomasTheorist]

I don't remember which commentary track it was, but I wanna say Seaon 8? Where they cut a joke about Herman loosing his hand in a bowling alley retriever.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

I'm not too surprised Herman is based off of John Swartzweilder!The man is a legend and has even wrote some hilarious scripts for Gravity Fall; to which his kids were fans of!😂" I'll have you know Ducktective has a big mystery element, and a lot of humor that goes over kids' heads!"

[@ethansloan]

I never knew he wrote for Gravity Falls

[@RemoWilliams1227]

​@@ethansloangood show.

[@dylanbahret6511]

Great video Lydia (and James) keep it up! I completely forgot about Hermon to be honest.. wish he got some more screen time.

[@Content-Lab616]

How is this three days ago lol

[@dylanbahret6511]

@@Content-Lab616 patrion

[@eerieolie7204]

According to what i've heard about John schwartzwelder ...no wonder he created that character 😂

[@Pokemon-Kid112]

*Character #SorryNotSorry

[@Optilex42]

Swartzwelder is giving me new life goals

[@PDComicBookNetwork]

Best lead in to a NordVPN ad read ever.

[@ManAndDogFan777]

Facts

[@40088922]

I always thought Herman's current status was because he's too topical. he's a Vietnam vet, and by this point in our history, it doesn't hit as hard as it did back then, "being a vet" doesn't mean the same in the 2020s as it did in the late 80s or 90s (or even before, considering the writers had their on histories before the show), case in point, I don't even think Principal Skinner's past is mentioned as much as it did. it's almost like trying to bring Leon Kompowsky back, the time has passed, society has moved on from certain archetypes or topics, so the character simply wouldn't make as much sense to the current audience, specially younger people

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Could have parodied the Hunt and 10 Cloverfield Lane with him.

[@davidgraham3102]

That ad transition was truly beautifully executed, respect!

[@changotv5847]

Would love to see Herman meet Dale from King of the Hill

[@I.____.....__...__]

- Herman seems to have fallen off after _Falling Down_ (1993) came out which has a nasty character much like him. 🤔 - 3:50 That scene with the computer in a cage-room was based on _Enemy of the State_ (1998) in which Gene Hackman's character is paranoid and built a secure room with a computer protected from radio-signals going in or out by putting it in a Faraday-cage. (He also rigged his place to explode if needed.)

[@TayobkTailz]

He came back in the latest Simpsons episode where he sold a human brain to Bart.

[@macblackadder93]

That Herman gets into a gun fight with Forgotten Weapons.

[@Horsley-Green]

I do find it strange that Herman wasn't in The Cartridge Family, because surely it would have been an ideal episode to feature him. Too obvious maybe? I honestly don't get why it wasn't Herman who sold Homer the gun.

[@donjezza10]

If they ever make a new series that's more Military related, they should definitely have Herman as a key character.

[@davidponseigo8811]

I'm Herman ! Seriously, that's what I do. I'm a Military Antiques dealer.

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

13:19 Herman is missing the wrong arm! Boy, I sure hope somebody got fired for that blunder.

[@KasumiKenshirou]

A wizard did it.

[@JoshRazauskas]

Hey Lydia, I somehow missed this one. Sorry about that. Honestly I kind of forgotten about Herman as a character, but it’s cool to know that he has such a cool reason for not being used as much and him being on his writer is pretty cool! This video definitely made me want to see more of him.

[@K31vakkums]

This is the most I've ever heard my name used. Never expected to hear it this much in a simpsons video, especially lol.

[@carlotheanimaniacsfan700]

Ideas for non-cannon The Simpsons segments later this year (similar to the Treehouse of Horror episodes, Simpsons Bible Stories, Simpsons Tall Tales, Tales from the Public Domain, Margical History Tour, Four Great Women and a Manicure): A parody of the 2011 Tintin film but with Bart as Tintin, Santa's Little Helper as Snowy (this is the second non-canon episode of The Simpsons to have Santa's Little Helper talk in The Simpsons after Simpsons Bible Stories), Milhouse as Captain Haddock, Professor Frink as Professor Calculus, Chief Wiggum and his son Ralph as Thomson and Thompson, Sideshow Bob as Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine, and Nelson, Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney as the Bird brothers (The Bird brothers are Max Bird and Gustav Bird). Or maybe this segment can be a non-canon full lenght episode like Not It. A parody of the DreamWorks Animation film The Bad Guys but with Marge Simpson, Sarah Wiggum, Erin, and Bette as Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark, and Ms. Tarantula, Homer as Agent Fox, . A parody of the 1984 Gremlins film Please note that Snowy could talk in the comics and the radio adaptation, but not the other adaptations. If you were to make changes to the roleplay roles for the first segment, what should it be? Oh, and go to the fox studio to get the Simpson staff to include a parody of the 2011 Tintin film as the first, second, or third segment of a non-canon episode or a full non-canon episode like Not It.

[@kaitlyn__L]

It’s so funny that some people thought Schwartzwelder was fake. I’m sure that’s just how he likes it. Every so often I wonder if he didn’t like FDR, or just likes an underdog.

[@henrybelman7424]

22 films about Springfield killed this character because of the role he played in the pulp fiction parody.

[@shadowth22]

We do need more of this character.

[@TheSimpsonsConspiracy]

Its crazy how the simpsons just write out characters for no real reason

[@JRS06]

Herman is still a character in the show. He has recently had quite a few small gags and background appearances (at this point I think he's sadly had more background cameos than Apu has had in recent years). Herman's job as a military store owner and secluded, creepy personality mean he can only really be applied to certain story scenarios that the show rarely delves into. He did have a brief period where he disappeared from the show, but it's safe to say he's not going away any time soon.

[@bubba8876]

The World Wars, Korea and Vietnam produced a lot of Hermans. Herman was a 20th century regular type character who we all encountered as young people. If you wanted to purchase outdoor equipment and other surplus items in the 20th century, you didn't go a Cabella's, as there was no such thing, you went to your local "Herman". The Herman industry started fading after the government started abandoning used equipment instead of sending it home, starting with the Gulf War; "no more war surplus" drove the Hermans to extinction.

[@graduator14]

Herman has turned into a hermit!

[@usermcskull4713]

I really like Herman, I think he should've been used more. Like I'd be happy if he got at least one minor role per season. He's so underused imo that I got happy when he got a single line in one of the newer episodes (Do The Wrong Thing)

[@jacktaylor6155]

Seriously I liked Herman. Like with most villains on the Simpsons he can't get over utilities because all of the residents of Springfield are like the Simpsons. They are all unassuming. He probably fucked with the wrong one, and unlike Moe he was too unlucky to get out of the situation. Hell I like to think he worked with Moe and that's why we don't see him anymore. He only had 1 arm for a reason 😢😐🤐😁😆😁😅🤣🤣

[@Morgil27]

Despite the lack of photos, I think every hardcore Simpsons fan still knows what Schwartzwelder looks like just from how many times he's been animated into the background of the show.

[@MephProduction]

I miss the old school characters. But Jasper will always be my favourite.

[@Saint_Dan132]

well informed, fun and entertaining

[@user-wo2mf4rw8p]

Can you make a video about graggle grumbly Simpson the fake character that everyone thought it was a Lost character

[@theblackgoatofthewoods]

Id use him in a movie and the whole time people would say "oh yes, he is the bad guy! he is up to no good!" And at the end of the movie, he is really the superhero who secretly work to save the world

[@jimjacobs2817]

03:01 I believe it's a call back to Breen (played by Gene Hackman) in 'The Conversation' and 'Enemy of the State'.

[@air1fire]

That's a beautiful video, Lydia. Thank you. And yes, I think underused in much better than overused.

[@carlspurling7973]

One of those early characters (like Marvin Monroe) that the writers lost interest with, or completely forgot about. Interesting video!

[@ManAndDogFan777]

Yeah it weird because in season 7 it was confined Marvin was dead but then he appears again in season 15.

[@30chillipalmer]

Next time your teacher tells you to keep your arm inside the window on the bus YOU DO IT!! 😂😂

[@iancraig8543]

"He wouldn't appear again until season 24 then next another 6 seasons later ". That would sound wild talking about any other show. Been on forever

[@amitysluzara2022]

It truly is a pity that Herman wasn't used more he was such an interesting character

[@sd4mg]

The crazy Vietnam war veteran trope was big at the time of his introduction, I think it got played out around the time film Forest Gump came out. Even Skinners flashbacks went away.

[@hxydenyt6072]

great video!

[@MrWarners14]

I think a character study episode of Herman would be great. His brush with death would allow him to reflect on his life choices and have a new appreciation for life even if he is rather cynical. I feel like an episode focused on him would actually flesh him out even more, giving him more depth.

[@milliondollarmistake]

I'm just surprised someone so conservative was such a long running writer for the Simpsons

[@justinpullen1097]

"You wanna know how I lost this arm?"

[@Your_guy1245]

Wow this is a very good video ❤ you are very good at finding secrets about the Simpsons 😊 but I wish he got a lot more screen time lol

[@ManAndDogFan777]

I would say Herman’s biggest roles were in “Bart the General” and “The Springfield Connection” I feel like after season 6 is when Herman really started to vanish

[@voiceunderthecovers]

To answer your question about how I'd put Herman in a new episode: Kent Brockman reports on a new drug that the police are on the lookout for. This unsettles Marge, who lectures her kids before heading to the Flanders'. After an unspecified amount of time, Marge returns a sweater to Ned that Edna let her borrow before her death. She held off on returning it for a few reasons, but felt it was the right thing to do since she's always telling Homer to return his borrowed items. Flanders at first seems grateful for the return, but on his way to work, the smell of the sweater in the passenger seat of his car sends him into a panic behind the wheel and he has an anxiety attack, resulting in him crashing his car into Springfield Elementary. Principal Skinner presses charges and at the trial, Herman is in the jury. Gil does a horrible job at representing Ned, so Judge Snyder sentences Ned to raising 50,000 dollars to pay back the school for the damage, OR five years of prison. Ned decides to raise the money, but he isn't sure how he'll do it. Judge Snyder tells him if he can't raise it within the next month, he'll be in prison. At home, Ned is depressed until he receives a knock on the door from Herman. Herman offers to let Ned in on his secret business, on the condition that he doesn't narc. Flanders is worried, but after Rod and Todd both express fear of their father going to prison and them having to live with smelly Uncle Homer, he says okay. The business is simple. Ned is the manager of a laundromat where money is laundered. This of course ties into the drug scandal from earlier. Ned had his worries but ends up enjoying his job and the extreme money that comes in from his employer His spirits are lifted and he's able to push down his feelings about Edna. However, every time he considers washing the sweater Marge returned to get the scent of Edna off of it, he backs out. But one day, Fat Tony comes in to 'collect' and when Ned has no idea what he's talking about, Herman saves him from getting beat up by bringing Tony to the back. Ned peaks in on their arrangement and spots the drug sitting in a baggie on Herman's desk along with the cash. Herman and Tony threaten to make Ned sleep with the fishes if he doesn't cooperate, and once again Herman warns him to not narc. Ned goes to Marge and asks for some advice, avoiding telling her his exact predicament but still giving enough info for her to help. "See, I have this.. problem with my employer. Heh, he's a bit of a fello-fellow, a uh rude fellow." "Oh my. How rude?" "I saw him taking tips from the mob- f-from the tip jar!" "That's awful!" Ned asks for her help, and in return she responds with a similar story about how Helen Lovejoy used to cause her trouble, and how she handled it when she felt she was powerless to do anything; she threatened her back. Ned is even more confused now and heads back to work the next morning, even more worried for his families safety. Herman tries to cheer Ned up, that sleazy, scary undertone still prevalent in his voice, until Ned tells him that "I'm not gonna 'narc.' And I sure hope you don't either." After a bit of back and forth, Ned eventually gets Herman nervous. Through some reverse psychology and a big stunt at the end featuring Ned dressing up as Adam from the Bible and eating an apple from Herman's fridge, warning him that he'll go to 'heck' if he continues avoiding the law. So Herman gives in, gives all the money to the school out of an act of goodwill and is now rewired to be a god-fearing man of the people. He turns himself in as well as all of his drugs and Ned is off the hook. In a post credits scene, Herman is about to be stabbed to death in jail by Legs before he points at the ceiling. "Is that our lord and savior Jesus Christ?" Legs says he can't see nothing, and then Herman whistles, prompting Snake to tackle and noogie the mobster, learning the lesson that crime really does pay. He feels great! TLDR: Pair Herman up with Ned, make him a spooky villain working with Fat Tony and give him a funny ending.

[@EricCoop]

I just bought your book. Amazon Fairy should deliver it tomorrow. Can't wait to delve into it!

[@TheSimpsonsTheory]

Thank you Eric, please let me.know when it arrives 🙂

[@SeasideDetective2]

"The secret to Springfield has always been Elm Street. The Greeks knew it. The Carthaginians knew it. Now you know it." An underrated "Simpsons" line. Pure gold.

[@mrrootytooty5797]

I used to know a bloke called Lying Kev and every time he told you that his father died it was in a different incident, but always somehow featured a Mexican. The first one i remember was "yeah my Dad died crossing the road in Texas, some Mexican guy didnt stop at a red light" which, on its own, was fairly unremarkable. The next time it was much less likely. "Yeah my Dad died at Val-D'isere some Mexican guy shoved him onto a black run..." Mind you this is the same guy who uncovered an entire intact Lancaster bomber at his allotment, could carve a potatoe into a flourette (but only at home) and who had black pudding for breakfast ("no you didnt Kev you had Frosties!" - his sister).

[@FilmNerdy]

This was excellent...Lydia, I want to say, sorry been a casual watcher for a long time but only started to make more of a dedication. I love these analytical deep dives you do and just pops up so many deep cuts and questions for me. It's a shame that Herman seems to have gone/cut out as a character. It could have had so much potential. I hope none of the other writers block of the Simpsons didn't cut his character and the writer for political reasons. I mean, I am on the left and I certainly wouldn't agree with his politics but considering is resume he seemed like a really funny writer. Anyway, keep it up. Really enjoy these and so thankful of your success. ❤

[@TheSimpsonsTheory]

Thank you 🙂

[@borntoclimb7116]

In early episodes He was a interesting Charakter.

[@ethankeith526]

Will you still be continuing the reviews as well as these types of videos (enjoy both😊)

[@TheSimpsonsTheory]

Only if I have something to say because I found reviewing the newest episodes very hard and was taking away my enjoyment of just sitting down and watching the show. I felt like I had to really analys it. So moving forward probally not. I am however reviewing the all 9 Simpsons Disney shorts. That will be my next video :)

[@user-dr8zy9nk4q]

Hey Lydia, would be okay if you did a video about any facts about Sherri and Terri? Anything about how they were created, childhood, it’s up to you.

[@CouncilofGeeks]

It’s funny, I hadn’t thought about it before, but Herman does come in more fully formed and well rounded than most (who, as you noted, either started as moldable by design or became so over time). Funnily now that I think about it he’s about on par with some of the better written guest characters. Like, I adore Hank Scorpio, but how the heck do you ever fit him in again? How would a character that clearly defined fit into an “insert character here” set up? Poorly, that’s how.

[@lanternsown3525]

Herman's voice based then President George H.W. Bush which is even more wild.

[@mightyfilm]

I like how Harry barely changed that voice when he DID play George Bush in the bad neighbors episode.

[@mathieuleader8601]

It would have been good in the Season 22 episode The Man From GRAMPA if it was revealed that Herman was the son of the turncoat of the Flying Hellfish Grey Fox explains his hobby of ammo and military antiques.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Thank you Lydia for another awesome video! Herman definitely represents that seedy underbelly of any town that has a scaley character behind it, that always seems to have the upper hand no matter what you do!

[@DoublePack337]

Honestly this is my third favorite character I wish he would have more screen time

[@patdaubert8614]

Honestly, if they wanted an established character to be the villain in another movie Herman would be my pick.

[@BevanBoychuk]

In my head he played a way bigger role in the show. I don’t know why lol

[@DMobi]

I think we can all agree that the pulp fiction joke they did, Kirk wood went first before Wiggum and snake.

[@sheerina4430]

When will we get the next simpsons review 😊

[@yokothespacewhale]

I feel like anyone who formed memories in the 90s knows exactly who Herman is a caricature of. Like the whole militia scene and gun culture back then. South Park has two nearly identical characters too

[@scantopup2226]

knowing herman, he has every VPN and might even have fink create a new one

[@mechajay3358]

I can definitely see that happening.

[@katharinestdavid9128]

HOLY SHIT HERMAN VIDEO I MUST BE DREAMING

[@patbenson8409]

Love Herman! Great video!

[@Gaurav_Sharma3112]

Missing you 😢

[@SleepyLuigi]

He still appears every few episodes.

[@DrFeelGoodHelpDesk]

Love Herman he reminds me a lot of my uncle in many ways. As for an episode....I can't believe they haven't done a parody of this franchise yet but I'd use him in a Tree House or Horror skit lampooning the Tremors franchise, with Herman in the role of Burt Gummer...

[@Residentevilfan1989]

Herman is Creed Bratton for The Simpsons.

[@fusionspace175]

I always figured Herman just bought sunglasses, lost his voice, and moved to Colorado to be friends with Jimbo Marsh.

[@balaclavatheslidegod1469]

Jimbo Kearney

[@DiscoTimelordASD]

When they retconned Skinner they made Skinner's knowledge of the war redundant. With so many rewrites it's difficult to keep character continuity over time. There needs to be a fixed character (personality, lore etc) for each Simpsons member - including townies like Herman.

[@PirateJohnson]

They probably didn't need their own regular Rusty Shackford in their cast of characters.

[@kieronparr3403]

Missing a #sponsored tag on this video

[@alexpotts6520]

It kind of makes sense that a character modelled after an infamous recluse was never going to get that much screen time...

[@phenikgaming5493]

Do you play TSTO?

[@andrewjames1817]

Cant wait till that second simpsons movie

[@fredsfreshbeats]

So, just to get this out of the way first, I'm not a mental health professional, and I don't claim to be one. However, as someone who has an Asperger's diagnosis from someone who is, and someone who is pretty self-reflective, I think that John and, by extension, Herman might be autistic. The overall mysteriousness, isolation, niche special interests, being one's own boss as a store owner. They are all indicators of neurodivergence. Add to the fact that his best moments were written by the guy who inspired him and no one else could properly do him justice, that's just another check mark. Also, when he came off as a bit frightening in his first appearance, that also mirrors my experience. I was young and frightened in my early years, and I have a way of pushing back, and in my adult life, some might say that I have an aggressive choice in style. Again, I don't want to pass on an official diagnosis, but I think it would be beneficial if both people entertained the idea that they might have autism.

[@theglitchedangel6838]

Do you rewatch every single episode of the simpsons every time you need to check something 😭😭

[@phreakazoith2237]

With Moe becoming more shady there was not really a need for that character was it? In later seasons the Pulp fiction scene could have happened in his bar and nobody would have mind. In season 1 the deer hunter Roulette round would likely have sitten in the backroom of Herman.

[@bentaylor1617]

He at least had a way bigger role than that Larry guy

[@screamingtongue]

I think, as a callback to the original idea for the character, they could do an anthology episode where a bunch of characters--either the kids, or guys at the bar--speculate on how he lost his arm. Each one puts him in some different historical context (possibly also poking fun at how long the Simpsons has been on the air, by having each one show Herman at the same age but in different decades) and engaging with the history he's in, ultimately losing his arm. At the end of the episode, Herman says to whoever is speculating, "You're right." Then whichever characters are telling the stories ask him, "Wait, who?" And he says "Oh. I think you know." Roll credits.