Difference between revisions of "The Way of the Dog"

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"The Way of the Dog"

Episode Information Episode number: 684 Production code: ZABF16 Original airdate: May 17, 2020 Title screen: Snowball I, Nibbles, Bart's turtle and Mr. Pinchy fly through the screen with angel wings on their backs Guest star(s): Cate Blanchett as Elaine Wolff Michael York as Clayton Showrunner: [[Al Jean]] Written by: Carolyn Omine Directed by: Matthew Faughnan

"The Way of the Dog" is the 22nd episode and season finale of season 31. It aired on May 17, 2020. The episode was dedicated in memory of Little Richard, who died on May 9, aged 87.

Synopsis

"After the Simpsons' dog bites Marge, the family explores the tragic past of Santa's Little Helper."

Plot

Santa's Little Helper is dreaming at the Simpson house, watching Ralph reaching for popcorn. When he wakes up to the smell of popcorn prepared by Marge so Bart and Lisa could make a string to put on the Christmas tree.

When Marge tries to put a Santa hat on Santa's Little Helper, he is afraid, getting flashbacks from his past, and resists them putting it on for a picture for the Christmas family card.

When the family returns from shopping for presents, they found the couch shredded by the dog and the dog depressed on an angle, and Lisa proposes to take him to a psychologist, Elaine Wolff.

They bring him at the Springfield Knowledge College, where Elaine is giving a lecture, which gets interrupted by her lover Clayton informing her that he left his ex, but after the lecture she refuses to help them. At home, when Marge tries to take the Santa hat to clean it, the dog bites her, so they take him to a pet doctor that proposes to put him down but they refuse.

While they make arrangements to keep the dog outside, unsuccessfully, Chief Wiggum arrives at the house informing them that animal control is coming to take him away, but Elaine arrives before them, taking him with her at the Dognitive Behavioral Therapy Institute.

At the institute, Santa's Little Helper dreams of his mother, when his previous owner took him from his mother, so Elaine gives him a pill to sleep better. Meanwhile in Bart's room, Bart asks Homer when the dog will back, and then they both start praying and Lisa and Marge join the prayer. But Homer says the dog was possibly lost forever, which make Bart cry. The next day, Elaine asks him how he feels about the family, during which she is interrupted by Clay proposing to her, but she refuses.

Right after, he attacks another dog in his chest, and she finds out that he hid the Santa hat in it, the reason for his behavior. She takes him home and Bart remember it's the hat that Bart was wearing the evening they got him. Elaine says he has to confront his previous owner due to him having PTSD of him.

At his place he recounts the story of how he took him away from his mother once he finds out how fast he is and everyone take turn slapping him for his action, till the dog finally reunites with his mother, She Biscuit. In the end the family take She Biscuit home with them, working out the issues, but Snowball signals their fish she's going to eat it.

Gallery

Production

Promo videos

• Lisa Wants To Understand Santa's Little Helper at YouTube
• Dognitive Behavioral Therapy Institute Commercial at YouTube

Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "The Way of the Dog".