The Simpsons run Chrome’s offline desert gauntlet in latest couch gag

The Simpsons premiered its 34th season on Fox last night with a show about a tortoise’s constitutionally-granted rights and liberties. But it was the opener that probably made some internet nerds you know (maybe yourself, even) crack a smile. And hey, if you don’t watch TV anymore, now you’ll know.

For those familiar with the swing of things — and even if you haven’t watched the show for a while, you still know — the opener goes immediately from the flying title text into the couch gag which, this time, is themed around the simple little 8-bitdinosaurrunner game you could play when Google Chrome isn’t able to detect an internet connection.

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But instead of the Lonely T-Rex — I didn’t name them, designer Sebastien Gabriel did (viaOMG! Chrome!) — stepping through the desert and jumping over cacti, it’s the Simpsons family running the gauntlet. After a couple of leaps, most of the family ends up on the couch. If you’ve placed bets on Homer hitting a cactus conveniently placed just before the couch and then crying out his signature, angsty “D’oh,” take your winnings.

It’s usually Google that takes time to create self-referential or just plain wildEaster eggsorApril Fools gags. Even with a character as cute as our buddy T-Rex, though, there have beenvery few outside mentionsof the company’s quirkier aspects. Perhaps the writers and animators over on the Fox lot went through an internet service outage and found themselves inspired by a dinosaur who’s always ready to run.

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For what? Perhaps a webpage they may never reach.

While we aren’t strictly in the business of recommending what to watch on Sunday nights other than adult-oriented animations,we do have some movies picked out for you every weekhere at Android Police.

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