There’s a “Simpsons” theory making its way around the Internet, and, if true, it would completely change everything you thought you knew about the show. The theory is that Homer Simpson has actually been in a coma for most of the series. Yes, it sounds hard to believe, but there is actually a lot of evidence.

The theory

According to redditor Hardtopickaname, it all starts in the 1992 episode “Homer the Heretic.” During a conversation with God, Homer inquires about the meaning of life. Homer is insistent that he can’t wait until he’s dead to find out, and God says, “You can’t wait six months?”

Six months later in the April 1993 episode “So It’s Come To This: A Simpsons Clip Show,” Bart’s April Fools’ Day prank sends Homer to the hospital:

“Call for Backup”
“Pretzels, I repeat, we need pretzels!”
For the full clip, click here’ width=”570″ height=”400″>
Image: Tumblr

Homer goes into a coma, waking up later and choking Bart. However, the theory proposes that Homer never actually woke up from the coma, and everything from that point on is occurring in his head.

But could this really be the case?

The evidence

Image: Tumblr

The redditor first points to how plots before the April 1993 episode seemed to include more mundane things such as Bart cheating on an IQ test, Homer trying to give up drinking and Lisa having a crush on her teacher. After the episode, there were wackier plots. These later stories include things like Homer traveling to outer space, Principal Skinner being revealed as an impostor and Bart and Homer discovering the secret land of jockeys.

The redditor says these fantastical plots prove the point:

This is clearly Homer’s imagination running wild. With no real world restrictions, Homer’s mind is able to dream up scenarios of him and his family in fantasies.

Other evidence includes the celebrity appearances, which could be chalked up to Homer hearing references to celebs while in the coma, and the characters remaining the same age in the series. The Simpson patriarch is said to be subconsciously aware of time passing, which could explain why the characters remain the same age but technology changes.

The case against

“Simpsons” did have some zany plots before Homer went in a coma. For instance, this theory all stems from an episode where Homer is talking with God. In addition, other “Simpsons” theories, such as one that claims Springfield operates outside of time and space, could explain things like the characters staying the same age.

HuffPost Entertainment reached out to “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening for his thoughts and will update this post if and when a response is received.

Is “The Simpsons” just happening in Homer’s head? What do you think?

Image: Giphy

H/T BuzzFeed