Major Simpsons plot twist that never aired explains why Homer and Krusty look so similar

The point of slipping a plot twist into a storyline is to keep the audience guessing by giving them a good shock.

Viewers simply have to see what happens next when an unexpected turn of events takes place, especially as it gives the characters the opportunity to explore other avenues which might of formerly been out of their wheelhouse.

But for whatever reason, what could have been The Simpsons' most incredible plot twist has never seen the light of day.

Even though it would have finally enlightened us all as to why patriarch Homer Simpson and Krusty the Clown share such a resemblance, show runner Matt Groening ultimately decided to shelve it.

The move was quite impolite if you ask me, as when you do find out the reason why the bumbling power plant worker and Springfield's king of showbiz look so alike, all the pieces of the puzzle will finally fall into place.

For those who haven't noticed, Homer Simpson and Krusty the Clown share a lot of similarities (Disney)

To kick things off, both of the comical cartoon characters are voiced by the same legendary actor, Dan Castellaneta - so if you reckon the pair sound vaguely similar too, you'd be spot on.

But seasoned viewers are much more interested in why Homer is such a dead ringer for the children's entertainer.

So, did the animation team designing the characters for the sitcom simply run out of ideas when it came to creating the clown? Or was there something bigger at play here?

TikTok user @lwham explained why Homer and Krusty are the spitting image of one another perfectly in the short clip - and of course, Bart is apparently to blame.

Have you figured it out yet? (Disney)

He said: "Ever noticed just how similar Homer and Krusty the Clown are? It’s even more evident when Krusty’s shown without make-up on or in the episode Homie the Clown, where they look more or less identical."

In this episode from the sixth season, Homer signs up to Krusty's clown training school and successfully becomes an impersonator - only to be mistaken for the real Krusty by the Springfield Mafia.

Which isn't that surprising really, seen as though he's a dead ringer for the cynical clown.

Discussing the reasoning behind their obvious similarities, the TikToker continued: "This is not sheer coincidence.

"In fact, this is a defining part of Krusty’s character and a key element for the relationship between Krusty, Homer and Bart, because while Bart showed no respect for his father and is just a brat, he idolises Krusty the Clown.

"It's meant to show that although they look the same and share an almost equal level of stupidity and pure silliness, he [Bart] treats them differently."

Viewers could barely tell the pair apart in the episode 'Homie the Clown' (Disney)

This super fan was very clued up on the Homer-being-Krusty's-clone concept, so he then touched on the secret twist which never made it to air - that it was actually intended for Homer to secretly be Krusty the Clown.

While most viewers are unaware of this, creator Matt Groening has previously spoken about and confirmed the axed sub-plot in The Simpsons, which was supposed to be unveiled during an early series.

He had originally planned to have Bart attend a taping of the Krusty the Clown Show, only to suspect that the beloved clown was being portrayed by an imposter.

Eager to unmask the truth, the young boy would yank off Krusty’s iconic red nose and click on to the fact that it's actually his father's alter ego.

Groening told Entertainment Weekly about the twist: "The original idea behind Krusty the Clown was that he was Homer in disguise, but Homer still couldn’t get any respect from his son, who worshiped Krusty.

"If you look at Krusty, it’s just Homer with extended hair and a tuft on his head."

But on second thoughts, Groening reckoned that the situation might be a bit too complicated to squeeze into one of the episodes so the plot never aired.