'The Simpsons' rings in episode 800 with an adventure-filled double as they hit historic television milestone
'The Simpsons' is not just a show that appears regularly on television. Over its nearly four-decade-long broadcasting career, 'The Simpsons' has embedded itself so deeply in the shifting paradigms of popular culture that one would need to live under a rock not to know the show's relevance. As a crowning glory of its long-running success, 'The Simpsons' aired its 800th episode recently on Sunday, February 15, as a part of a double bill consisting of two episodes.
The 37th season of 'The Simpsons' concluded with a two-episode special, with the first one being titled 'Irrational Treasure' and marking the television show's 800th appearance. The plot of the milestone episode featured the Simpsons entering their pet, i.e., Santa's Little Helper, in a dog show. Things escalate quickly, and the family is subsequently taken on an adventure that seems borrowed from 'National Treasure'. 'Abbott Elementary' star and creator Quinta Brunson appeared as the special guest on the episode, along with Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson, who happens to be the drummer of The Roots.
The second and final episode of the night was known as 'Homer? A Cracker Bro?' and chronicled the efforts of Homer Simpson and Kirk Van Houten, an immensely successful business partnership together, harping on their fast-selling product, which happens to be a 'crumbles' cracker that takes the consumers of the country by storm. The logline, however, hints at a dark turn as Kirk's life "is flipped upside down after suffering a manic episode that has left him with depression." The most memorable moment of the episode came when Kirk was seen walking through his house, snacking on a whole rotisserie chicken to ward off depression.
While Kirk walked in and out of rooms, an animated version of R.E.M.'s co-founder and former frontman, Michael Stipe, appeared on the scene. Stipe then went on to sing a parody of his own hit R.E.M. track 'Everybody Hurts'. The lyrics of the parody exemplify the tongue-in-cheek humour that has made the Fox show famous: "When your day is long, and at night, at night you snack alone / When you’re sure your hunger is gone for this life, well hang on, don’t let yourself choke just because your mouth is dry / Everybody Kirks, crumb-times." Stipe first appeared on the animated show in 2001, in a Thanksgiving episode. Stipe also commented on his return to 'The Simpsons': "I was super flattered to be invited back into The Simpsons universe, and particularly with this grand message of great hope." 'The Simpsons' season thirty-seven is available on Hulu, while the previous 36 seasons can be watched on Disney+.
