Celebrity Deaths and Unlikely Returns (Episode: "The Springfield Connection", 1997)

The Simpsons has earned quite the reputation for seemingly predicting the future. It’s actually a bit of a meme at this point, with fans pointing out how many things in the real world appear to have been "predicted" by the show, sometimes years in advance. While some of these predictions are purely coincidental or the result of broad satire, others do seem oddly prescient.

Celebrity Deaths and Unlikely Returns (Episode: "The Springfield Connection", 1997)

• What happened: The episode features a subplot where the character of "Poochie" (a parody of a certain type of celebrity) is written out of the show in a way that mirrors how many celebrities get overly hyped, only to be later discarded or forced to make unexpected returns.
• Reality: Over the years, many celebrities have come in and out of the public spotlight, often making comebacks years after being written off by the media.