‘The Simpsons’ EP Reveals Which Character’s Dying Would Be the “Finish of Every little thing” After 800 Episodes

Editor’s Notice: The next incorporates spoilers for The Simpsons, Season 37, Episode 14

“After we first got here up with this concept… we had no thought it was going to be the 800th episode,” he admits. The objective was merely, “What’s the perfect story that we will inform?” That very same understanding is why the episode additionally finds time to have a good time one among TV’s most up-to-date obsessions: The Pitt. Value stated the writers’ room was principally hooked without delay by the HBO drama, and since the story already had Marge speeding the canine to a veterinary ER, it “simply made absolute sense” to go full Pitt with it. They even pulled in Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa, and Taylor Dearden to voice the medical workers taking care of the pup.

However in case you’re apprehensive they’d ever make a milestone like this a lot darker, he doesn’t mince phrases: “There was by no means going to be a world… the place it ended with the canine actually dying.” The present can faux a collection finale, have Conan O’Brien host it, and switch the lights off “actually 12 instances,” however mess with Santa’s Little Helper? “That would be the finish of every thing.”

And that bigger-than-TV vitality isn’t stopping at simply Episode 800: Value additionally says the workforce is happy to return to the large display with one other Simpsons film. “I performed a small function within the writing of the primary one, and I hope we make one thing that is simply pretty much as good as that one for this factor,” he says.

How ‘The Simpsons’ Discovered the 800th Episode Story With out Chasing the Milestone

The concept got here first, the milestone got here later: how a Philly journey, a canine present, and Marge’s bond with Santa’s Little Helper turned the backbone.

COLLIDER: Congrats to you and The Simpsons workforce on such an unimaginable milestone. Getting proper into it, if you began occupied with this 800th episode, why did Santa’s Little Helper really feel like the fitting character to anchor such a milestone?

MICHAEL PRICE: After we first got here up with this concept for the present, we had no thought it was going to be the 800th episode. It simply sort of labored out that manner. After we begin a brand new season, all of the writers come up, and we discuss our concepts and issues. So, Christine Nangle, an incredible author, has been on the present for a variety of years… I just lately joined the ranks of what is referred to as Matt Selman’s co-runners. Matt is the showrunner, and myself, Tim Lengthy, Brian Kelley, Rob LaZebnik, and Cesar Mazariegos are referred to as the co-runners, which means that we every individually have a few episodes that we kind of produce, sort of just like the showrunner. Then Matt (Groening), in fact, is, above all, working the complete present, however we’ve got an opportunity to individually work on some episodes. So, I knew Christine was an incredible author. She’d written a bunch of fantastic episodes. She’s from Philadelphia, I am from New Jersey, so we share some references, and we at all times make enjoyable of how she’s a Philly fan, and I am a fan. So, I approached her and stated we must always do a present the place the Simpsons go to Philadelphia. That is the way it began.

We had no thought on the time it was going to be the 800th present. No thought. Even as soon as we began, perhaps we thought that it is likely to be, however that was by no means the sensation of, like, “Oh, we’ve received to do one thing particular for the 800th episode.” It was at all times, “What’s the perfect story that we will inform?” So, in figuring out the story, it sort of was the cart main the horse when it comes to, “Alright, we all know we need to get them to Philadelphia and have enjoyable in Philadelphia. What’s the perfect enjoyable Simpsons story to a minimum of get the household to Philadelphia?” And Christine is a big canine lover. She had a beautiful canine who, sadly, handed whereas we have been on the brink of work on the present, named Philby, so you may see within the episode that they discuss one of many canine exhibits they go to, which known as Philby’s Poop Luggage Presents. It is a little bit tribute to her canine, Philby. So, she loves her canines, I really like my canines — I’ve two canines, golden retrievers — and so the thought of it being a canine present that will get them to Philadelphia got here up, after which we took it from there.

Then the emotional backbone of the story, such because it was, was about Marge’s relationship to the canine, and this concept of attempting to maintain them wholesome and preserve them secure, after which having them being caught up on this loopy conspiracy that results in him being in large hazard. Finally, this got here all the way down to being actually the sort of alchemy of what makes a very good Simpsons episode. There’s plenty of loopy stuff, and we do a parody of Nicolas Cage and Nationwide Treasure and every thing round Philadelphia jokes, however on the middle of it’s that emotional story about what you are feeling if you’re a pet proprietor and the way they imply every thing to you, and the way you need to preserve them alive and preserve them secure. That speech that Marge has on the finish, the place she thinks she’s misplaced the canine, and he or she talks about how, being a pet, you are signing your self up for, in some unspecified time in the future in 10 years or so, to be devastated once they’re gone.

That is the way it happened. After we discovered it was going to be the 800th present, it made complete sense as a result of we have been already planning on doing this, doing the opening the place it kind of tracks the connection of the canine with the household, again to the very first episode. So, it is kind of coincidentally, serendipitously nice that it turned a milestone episode, and it started by harkening again to the very first episode.

I wouldn’t say it’s not a retcon, however going again to the primary episode and lengthening the narrative of their life in between — how do you do one thing like that with out really messing up their future in some Again to the Future manner? How do you determine what to tweak and what to not tweak?

PRICE: Properly, we went again and watched the very first episode. After all, the ending is Homer bringing the canine dwelling, after which it ends with Marge kissing him. We have been like, “Okay, nicely, then what occurs subsequent?” Then we simply began to inform the story of the unknown story of the canine that leads us into this story, and what Marge’s relationship with him is. We have achieved a number of episodes centered round Santa’s Little Helper over all these a few years, and most of them have kind of centered on Bart, a pair with Homer, however we by no means did one with Marge. So, we figured this is able to be a enjoyable factor to do. So, I don’t know, you would name it retconning. I feel for us, it is extra simply exploring a unique facet, and imagining what might need occurred proper after that second of first getting the canine. It turns into this factor that I do know personally with our personal canines that we cope with, which is wanting to like them and deal with them, but in addition give them treats and feed them from the desk. It is a pure factor, however perhaps that is not the perfect factor for the canines’ well being.

That turned that. Then it turned enjoyable to trace this complete story about how the canine beneath Homer’s and the children’ loving neglect leads him to have this well being disaster, and now we’re in Season 4, now we’re in Season 7. That is why, in a single scene, Homer’s carrying his stonecutters, and in a while, he is dressed as Pie Man from that Season 15 or 16 episode. So, this simply turned a enjoyable strategy to kind of skip across the historical past of the present and observe this story.

How ‘The Simpsons’ Pulled Off Its ‘Pitt’ Parody, All the way down to the Hospital Doorways

A writers’ room obsession with ‘The Pitt’ led to a veterinary ER parody full with lookalike hospital doorways and actual solid cameos.

The Easter eggs from the previous have been enjoyable to see, in order a long-time fan, I appreciated that. However I additionally actually liked The Pitt parody. It was so nicely achieved, completely laugh-out-loud with the habits of these characters. How did you pitch that to the solid?

PRICE: As we have been engaged on the story, the primary season of The Pitt got here on HBO. It was in all probability round a yr in the past, proper now, once we first began engaged on the episode. So then we have been all into it. To illustrate the overwhelming majority of everybody on the present was immediately like, “Oh my God, have you ever watched this present referred to as The Pitt? It is superb. It is nice. We adore it.” So, we have been all into it, after which it simply occurred that the story was going to have Marge speeding the canine to the veterinary ER, and it simply made absolute sense for me to say, “What if it is The Pitt?” and all of the writers received excited.

At one level, we even had the joke that the hospital was going to be referred to as Springfield Pet Trauma Middle or one thing like that, and that if you focus in on the doorways, it will say The Pets, nevertheless it by no means labored. It simply couldn’t work. However then we drew the hospital to seem like the hospital on The Pitt. We have had different vet characters within the present. There’s one going manner, manner, manner again to the early seasons, which is sort of based mostly on Dr. Ben Casey from the Sixties, like a really good-looking, charismatic physician. He is the one who threw the hamster within the rubbish can. We had that man. We had a really previous, avuncular physician, performed by Michael York in some episodes. However we thought ER pleasure and peril simply completely make sense with The Pitt, so we knew we wished to parody The Pitt, after which we have been completely happy our casting director went out to Katherine (LaNasa), Taylor (Dearden), and Noah (Wyle), and requested them if they’d do it. We have been so completely happy that they agreed to do it. They have been completely happy to be on the present, too, in order that made us completely happy.

Was there a selected “Pitt-ism” you wanted to make the section actually land for audiences? As a result of it’s not simply the characters, however the nuance that describes the collection finest.

PRICE: All of us just like the angle of Katherine’s character, Dana, being sort of sassy when Marge brings him in. Katherine ad-libbed a few humorous issues, like the way in which she stated stuff. I feel the factor that I used to be happiest with essentially the most, and I feel that Selman pitched this, was Noah Wyle’s character having the emotional breakdown and crying behind the display.

Whereas we have been writing that episode, I needed to look again on the timeline, however The Pitt was working, after which I feel we wrote it initially, after which that final couple of episodes of The Pitt Season 1 got here on TV, the place he cries in that room after what occurred with the mass capturing. So, we have been so completely happy that he was okay to have a little bit enjoyable with that. However the way in which his character breaks down and cries on the ground, to me, that was the factor that actually made it. They actually despatched it excessive. That was very Noah Wyle’s character-centric.

From Kevin Bacon to Quinta Brunson, How the Sequence Turns Philly Love Into Visitor Casting

“We really had her in thoughts for it”: How Philly love formed the visitor checklist, and the way the writers tuned Adrienne’s strains to match Quinta’s voice.

There have been moments on this episode once I can be wheezing with laughter. It was excellent. However I need to discuss Quinta Brunson as nicely, as a result of she performs Adrienne. Did you write her with Quinta’s direct and sharp rhythm in thoughts? As a result of the dialogue supply is ideal and matches this character’s personal rhythm and mannerisms.

PRICE: We really had her in thoughts for it once we determined to write down the present. We knew we wished to get as many Philadelphia luminaries concerned within the present as doable, although The Pitt is in Pittsburgh. That is alright. Christine spent plenty of time in Pittsburgh, as nicely. So, to us, that made sense. So, we knew we wished Quinta to do it. We discovered comparatively early on that she was up for doing it, so then we undoubtedly have been attempting to write down in her voice… honing the script that she was enthusiastic about doing, so we knew that that was going to occur, and we have been in a position to write as a lot as we may in her voice. Then fortunately, fortunately, when she got here in to do the present, I wouldn’t say we rewrote it a ton, however we did change some issues to make it extra comfy for her to usher in the way in which she likes to, her model of appearing now. She was nice. She was incredible and great, and an actual deal with.

She is completely good on this function. That being stated, it will be remiss if I didn’t point out how a lot I liked the H.O.A.G.I.E acronym (Historians of America’s Nice Inventors and Enlightened), so kudos to Christine on that, too!

PRICE: (Laughs)

I assumed it was so artistic!

PRICE: Look, there’s a lot on this present that we have a good time, that we love. We love Quinta Brunson. We love Philadelphia. I imply, Christine is a Philadelphia native, and he or she loves Philly, so it was enjoyable to have Homer go to all these loopy locations.

However then, the factor that all of us actually, actually love, and Christine loves — it was she who instructed this angle — the Nationwide Treasure of all of it. Simply as we talked about how we labored out the story, the half that received them to Philadelphia was the canine present and the connection between Marge and the canine, after which it was like, “Now what occurs?” And I keep in mind Christine got here into the room someday, and he or she stated, “What if it turns into Nationwide Treasure and the canine is in some way the important thing to discovering gold?”

All of us kind of sat for a second, and I am going to admit that I used to be a little bit skeptical. I used to be like, “Properly, it is a little bit loopy,” however then the extra we talked about it, the extra sense it made. And God bless Matt Selman, he is such an incredible showrunner; he encourages us to take huge swings, make episodes that take a loopy veer off within the third act. He was on board with it. He likes these motion pictures, too. So then, as soon as we determined we have been going to decide to it, we had the perfect time. And we fortunately had Hank Azaria, who does a hilarious Nicolas Cage impersonation. He simply goes into that character with each toes, and it was a lot enjoyable.

It’s so humorous how, after this episode, we now know eternally that Santa’s Little Helper has particular pee powers.

PRICE: (Laughs) We’ll should deliver that again.

‘The Simpsons’ Gained’t Cross the Line With Santa’s Little Helper

“It’s one factor to kill off Larry the Barfly… however in case you kill off Santa’s Little Helper, that would be the finish of every thing.”

The episode flirts with actual loss in a manner that’s so honest, and it’s one thing I really like. I’ll go on a tangent, however “Bart Has Two Mommies” is an episode that at all times will get me — when Flanders says, “You are able to do it, boy! With God in your facet, you may’t fail!” I get so emotional occupied with it. (Laughs) Nevertheless it’s these sorts of honest episodes that hit exhausting, particularly in this episode, the place Marge simply needs Santa’s Little Helper to be wholesome in order that she will be able to have extra time with him. Did you guys ever take into account letting it go a little bit darker, or was it simply at all times necessary that it ends with the household being again collectively once more?

PRICE: There was by no means going to be a world, I do not suppose, the place it ended with the canine actually dying or something like that. We could not image that. No, there was by no means a second the place we have been like, “Oh, the canine ought to actually be gone.” He’s such an necessary a part of the present, too. I do know there’s been plenty of discourse recently about numerous characters on the present dying. It’s one factor to kill off Larry the Barfly, however in case you kill off Santa’s Little Helper, that would be the finish of every thing.

I keep in mind I learn an interview as soon as with Michael Imperioli, who performed Christopher on The Sopranos. He was a personality who murdered folks left and proper, however in that one episode, when he was excessive on heroin, he sat on the sofa and unintentionally killed the canine by sitting on it, and folks on the road would yell at him, “You killed a canine!” And he is like, “Yeah, however I killed, like, 30 different guys.” That does not matter, you understand? You’ll be able to’t kill a canine.

You talked about that different episode from way back. That is one other factor that I at all times discuss, which is to me — which I hope that we’re nonetheless doing — I feel is the hallmark of what made the present so good at first, and I hope it nonetheless is, is that it is a combination of actually humorous stuff, loopy stuff, Homer simply being outrageous, consuming one million scorching canines, throwing a battery at no matter, and nutty stuff, working round Philadelphia, however then actual emotional reality and actual coronary heart. That is this combination of alchemy that’s baked into the present from the start, between Matt Groening and his sensibility and Sam Simon and his comedy mastery, after which Jim Brooks, who’s all three of these rolled up into one, who is thought for his motion pictures like Phrases of Endearment and Broadcast Information, the place it is about actual emotional and actual issues happening with actual folks. That is what we attempt to do. I’d say with nearly each episode, we attempt to strike that steadiness.

Do you guys ever speak concerning the ultimate episode, and when that is going to occur? What does that seem like for you? As a result of I really feel like, as a fan, I by no means like occupied with it. (Laughs)

PRICE: (Laughs) Truly, as you could know or not, we did a ultimate episode final yr, a faux ultimate episode, that is referred to as “Bart’s Birthday.” That was written by Jeff Conrad, however I used to be additionally the co-runner on that, the place that happened for Matt Selman being requested in numerous interviews that precise query, like, “When will the present finish? And if it ends, how would you finish it? What would your finale be?” He by no means had a solution as a result of we do not need the present to finish. The Simpsons is not that sort of present; it is not serialized, so it’s not, like, constructing in direction of Tony Soprano getting shot. Each present is its personal factor. However he got here again from a trip and got here as much as me and stated, “Everybody retains speaking about, ‘How are we going to finish the present?’” And he goes, “Why do not we simply finish it now?” So, that is what we did.

We did this faux episode, the place it was hosted by Conan O’Brien as if it have been our huge collection finale. We have been in a position to have our cake and sort of eat it, too, the place we did an episode that was seemingly written by AI that was each finale trope piled into one, the place everyone seems to be saying goodbye and getting married and dying. So, we had tons of these items the place — apparently, that simply occurred within the very ultimate episode of Stranger Issues — a personality leaves the place the place the present takes place and turns the lights off for the final time. So, once we did that actually 12 instances in that episode. Everybody was at all times leaving locations and turning lights off, and saying, “I will miss this place.” So, it is nearly like we received that out of the way in which. Now, if and when the present does ever finish, I am unable to inform you, however I’d hope it will simply be like a daily episode, not some sort of particular ultimate episode.

The New ‘Simpsons’ Film Is Occurring, Even If the “Why Now” Isn’t His Name

Value can’t clarify the “why now,” however the urge for food for a second film has been there for some time, and the workforce is all-in on making it worthy.

I’ll say, that is a type of exhibits that when it will definitely involves a ultimate cease, I’d like to put it within the freezer. (Laughs) However I’ll say, the film is thrilling. I watched the primary one in theaters with my dad and my sister, and we have been so enthusiastic about it. Why is now the fitting time to do one other film?

PRICE: Oh, I do not know. That’s in all probability a query for any person a little bit greater up than me. All I can say is that for fairly some time, I feel there’s been a need to do one other one. I am unable to clarify what made them determine “let’s do it now.” That is in all probability a query for both any person at Disney or Tim Brooks or any person. However all I can say is I am actually, actually completely happy we will get to do one other one. I performed a small function within the writing of the primary one, and I hope we make one thing that is simply pretty much as good as that one for this factor. We’re all excited to be doing it.

Properly, I’m nonetheless excited, and in that very same vein, what’s one thing you suppose this present does that no different present can do, particularly with this longevity? Is there one trustworthy factor you suppose that the present does that no different present has been in a position to do?

PRICE: It is exhausting to say. I feel that each episode is completely different. We attempt to make them completely different. As a result of we’ve got such a tremendous solid of cartoon characters and in addition a tremendous solid of actors performing these elements, we will ship them anyplace. So, as an illustration, the episode that we’re speaking about proper now could be very a lot about Marge and the canine, after which the one which’s going to be on proper after it on Sunday night time is a extremely, actually tremendous humorous, but in addition a really, in its personal manner, observational and private take a look at bipolar dysfunction. It is about Kirk Van Houten, and the way when he goes off his bipolar meds, he goes a little bit loopy, and does a tremendous factor and creates this invention that makes him wealthy, however then additionally drives him loopy. It is a very huge episode centered on somebody who, on another present, can be the fourteenth character on the solid checklist: Kirk Van Houten.

We have been on for lengthy sufficient, and have so many nice characters that you are able to do an episode that’s… I imply, Homer is a giant a part of it, however you are able to do an episode that is about Kirk Van Houten and his relationship to his medication. That is the sort of factor that The Simpsons can do this different exhibits cannot do. And I feel simply by being round for therefore lengthy, being on for 37 years — that’s loopy, 800 episodes — that there is room for that. There’s room for a Kirk episode. We did a tremendous episode earlier this yr that I assumed was unimaginable, which was concerning the Quimby household and their household saga, and the way they got here from Eire, and the way they received into politics. That was actually humorous, too. I did one which I ran that was a really tender episode about Principal Skinner nearly adopting a child.

It is endlessly creative and loopy. So, we’ll do episodes which might be set in an entire different world, those which might be concerning the Simpsons characters, however they’re in medieval instances now. It is simply so elastic. Right here is such a enjoyable universe to play in that I feel there is not any restrict in that strategy to what could be achieved.

What would you like folks to stroll away from after seeing this candy, heartwarming 800th episode?

PRICE: All of us love The Simpsons; the world loves The Simpsons. Everybody has a unique relationship to it relying on once they first began watching it. Individuals who have been little youngsters who have been watching the start are of their 40s now. Additionally, some individuals are youngsters who’re simply entering into it now. You hear about, particularly throughout COVID, plenty of younger individuals who went and binged every thing. So, everybody has a unique relationship to it. Actually, these early years are deservedly revered, and so they’re all nice, however I simply hope that individuals have an opportunity to look at us and say, “Hey, we’re nonetheless on the market, and we’re making exhibits which might be price seeing and which might be nonetheless enjoyable, and are nonetheless The Simpsons, and measure as much as what was achieved earlier than.”

The Simpsons is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.