The 'Nobody Expects The Spanish Inquisition' meme originates from a classic sketch in the second series of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus,' first aired in 1970. The recurring gag features Cardinal Ximénez and his assistants bursting into a room whenever a character says they didn't expect the Inquisition. In internet culture, the template is used to react to sudden, jarring, or completely unrelated developments in a conversation or news cycle. It represents the pinnacle of 'random' humor, often accompanied by the Cardinal's iconic list of 'weapons' like fear, surprise, and a fanatical devotion to the Pope.