‘The Simpsons’ Boss Previews Milestone 800th Episode & Reveals If Duffman Will Be Back

“The most important thing when you’re thinking about the number of episodes of The Simpsons is not to think about it,” jokes showrunner Matt Selman, who first joined the writing staff of Fox’s long-running animated series in 1997. Of course, he’s talking about the upcoming 800th episode, which also serves as the first half of the show’s Season 37 finale, “Irrational Treasure,” airing Sunday, February 15.

Selman admits it can be “not creatively freeing” to focus on the behemoth of stories behind them. Instead, he looks ahead: The show has already been renewed through Season 40, which will keep the Springfield citizens on the air through 2029.

And this latest installment is just the first of a double-header airing the day after Valentine’s. The story leans on another 2026 milestone — America’s 250th — as Homer (voiced by Dan Castellaneta), wife Marge (Julie Kavner), and their greyhound, Santa’s Little Helper, travel to the Philadelphia Dog Show. Marge feels that she’s the only one in the family who is concerned about their dog’s health and not intent on spoiling the canine. So, “Marge and the dog go to [Philadelphia to] compete, and Homer wants to go because it’s a great city for a beer-drinking, cheesesteak-eating louse,” Selman says. “Then, they get sucked into a National Treasure-type conspiracy.”

Yes, we’re talking about Nicolas “I’m gonna steal the Declaration of Independence” Cage’s 2004 action flick, that has been meme-ified and brought into a cult favorite status among millennials. Unfortunately, the kids, Bart (Nancy Cartwright), Lisa (Yeardley Smith), and baby Maggie, have “scant appearances” in the episode, says Selman, so don’t expect to see Bart vandalizing any historic locales. Instead, at the heart of the 800th, written by Christine Nagle, is “the emotional journey of pet ownership,” says Selman.

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Abbott Elementary‘s Quinta Brunson and The Pitt cast including Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa, and Taylor Dearden, as well as Questlove, Kevin Bacon and Boyz II Men, all make guest voice appearances.

The second episode airing right after the 800th is called “Homer? A Cracker Bro?” In it, Homer befriends Millhouse’s father, Kirk Van Houten (Hank Azaria), and the two unlikely pals also become business partners, creating a “crumbless” cracker that sweeps the nation. Eventually, the business will crumble, and one or both of the two men will wind up behind bars.   

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It couldn’t feel less tonally contrasting from the first episode. “What’s great about The Simpsons is each episode can be so similar and so different — the same characters in the same world, but a completely different kind of storytelling,” Selman says. “So, the first one is a broad travel log, pet-owning journey, Ben Franklin’s conspiracy stuff, with lots of Philadelphia jokes, and the second one is about Kirk Van Houten’s fragile mental state and Homer trying to be his friend and how hard that is. To watch the two episodes one after the other — that’s why the job is so awesome. They’re so different, yet they’re still The Simpsons.”

By the way, Selman also cleared up the recent controversy over the show’s seeming retiring of Duffman (also voiced by Azaria). Many fans thought that the show’s decades-long character, who serves as the Duff Beer mascot, had his last show after the January 4 episode parodying Apple TV drama Severance. “That came out just because we did one joke about Duffman having a new job,” he says. “It’s baffling.” Later adding: “Don’t worry, everyone, Duffman will be back.”

Oh, yeah. Long live Duffman. And long live the The Simpsons.

The Simpsons, 800th Episode, Sunday, February 15, 8/7c, Fox