"The Way of the Dog" is the 22nd and final episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated sitcom ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'', and the 684th episode overall. It debuted on

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

on May 17, 2020. In this episode,

Santa's Little Helper Santa's Little Helper is a fictional dog in the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is the pet greyhound of the Simpson family. He was previously voiced by Frank Welker, and is currently voiced by Dan Castellaneta. The dog ...

bites matriarch

Marge Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret (name), Margaret. Notable Marges include: People *Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist *Marge Anderson (1932� ...

, causing the family to reflect on the difficult life that the dog led prior to being adopted by the family and they end up reuniting him with his mother to avoid having to euthanize him. The episode is dedicated in memory of

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

, who previously appeared in the episode "

Special Edna Special Edna is the seventh episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 5, 2003. In the episode, Edna Krabappel begins to los ...

" and had died on May 9, 2020. It also includes footage from the

series premiere A series premiere is the first aired installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. In the United States, many series premieres are aired in the fall time or, for mid-season replacements, either in the spring or ...

Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (titled onscreen as "The Simpsons Christmas Special") is the series premiere of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 17, 1989. Introd ...

". The episode has received positive reception from critics.

Plot

is agitated by the sights, sounds, and smells of

the Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

' Christmas celebration: he refuses to be affectionate, tears apart the couch, and stares idly at a smudge on the cabinet.

Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

suggests attending a seminar from dog psychologist Elaine Wolff. Wolff mostly berates dog owners and her talk is not helpful, but when Lisa tries to ask her to help the Simpsons to empathize with Santa's Little Helper, she explains that they are underestimating how his sense of smell is strongly tied to memory and it brings back memories of when he was an abused racing dog. When

reaches for a

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...

hat that the dog has been keeping next to him, he nips at her on the hand. Bart insists on sleeping outside with the dog overnight. The next day, they take him to an incompetent vet who wants to euthanize him. He calls the police and Chief Wiggum comes to their house with a dog exterminator close behind. Moments before animal control is set to arrive, Wolff appears at the door saying that she has had a revelation and wants to save him. She runs off with Santa's Little Helper and they go to her therapy institute where she has an opportunity to communicate with him. She determines that the event causing his

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...

goes back to his childhood and she sets out to find his origin. At the No Kill Kennel, dog trainer Les Moore explains how he took Santa's Little Helper from his mother She-Biscuit because he ran to her so quickly. The family is outraged, but their hearts are quickly warmed when the mother and son are reunited in Moore's yard. The Simpsons adopt She-Biscuit and give her a happy home.

Production

Michael York Michael York OBE (born Michael Hugh Johnson; 27 March 1942) is an English film, television and stage actor. After performing on-stage with the Royal National Theatre, he had a breakthrough in films by playing Tybalt in Franco Zeffirelli's ''Ro ...

, the voice actor for the character Clayton, recorded his dialogue with producer/engineer Zach Zurn at

Carpet Booth Studios A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester have ...

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic. Acco ...

. York has since relocated to Rochester in 2022.

Reception

Writing for ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

'', Dennis Perkins gave the episode a B, praising it for the attempt to do a serious study of the character of Santa's Little Helper but noting that the finale was too sentimental. Den of Geek's Tony Sokol gave the episode four out of five stars for its emotional depth and its ability to make the show's past more rich.

References

External links

*
"The Way of the Dog" at WikiSimpsons
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Way of the Dog, The 2020 American television episodes The Simpsons (season 31) episodes American Christmas television episodes Television episodes directed by Matthew Faughnan Television episodes written by Carolyn Omine

Plot

Production

Reception

See also

References

External links