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"Irrational Treasure" |
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| “ | This dog is only healthy because I saved him from your dangerous pampering. So I'm keeping him far away from you bad influences. [This] Simpson is going to Philadelphia. | ” |
"Irrational Treasure" is the fourteenth episode of Season 37, being the 804th episode overall. It originally aired on February 15, 2026, along with "Homer? A Cracker Bro?" The episode was written by Christine Nangle and directed by Debbie Mahan. It features guest stars Kevin Bacon as Philly Concierge, Quinta Brunson as Adrienne Gesstar, Taylor Dearden as the veterinary intern, Katherine LaNasa as the veterinary nurse, Questlove as himself, The Roots as themselves, and Noah Wyle as the veterinary surgeon.
This was the 800th episode to air on television, being advertised and presented on-screen as such. It is still the 804th episode to be released since FOX does not count the previous four Disney+ exclusive episodes in its line-up.
Plot[]
Marge's crusade to get the family dog in better shape leads to her entering Santa's Little Helper in canine agility competitions and a trip to the National Dog Show in Philadelphia. There, Marge and Homer suddenly find themselves — and the dog — mixed up in a historical conspiracy adventure worthy of a "National Treasure" movie.
Full story[]
Homer and Bart bought and welcomed Santa's Little Helper, where Homer dropped a gingerbread house so he could enjoy it instead of eating healthy food. Skipping ahead, it's a family meeting, where he is wearing a swim diaper, next to Homer dressed as Number 908 from Stonecutters. Skipping further ahead, in another meeting, he is eating at the dinner table with Homer, dressed as Pie Man. In the present, Marge calls the meeting, but only finds that the couch is destroyed. When she heard the noise outside, she went outside find Santa's driving in Homer's car. They spotted it and quickly backed it up to drive off.
The following event, with the front of the garden and the mailbox were destroyed by a car. Marge is making ambrosia salad with grapes and mayo, but Santa's consumed all of them, as she found the grapes poisonous for dogs, causing the kitchen table to break due to his too much weight. She then took him and rushed to St. Bernard of Assisi Medical Center for his treatment. Adrienne shows up and suggests that he could lose an excessive amount of weight by dieting, exercising, and competing to regain his health.
Upon Santa's finishing his many competitions, he is qualified for the nationals in Philadelphia. However, Marge cannot allow his family to go on their trip to Philadelphia because Santa's needs to stay healthy, so she goes on the trip alone with him, leaving her family behind. Upon arriving at Hotel Philadelphina, Marge finds Homer stowed away in the trunk of her car, much to her anger at him, because not only supporting her, but also visiting Philadelphina. She asked him not to screw everything up.
At Greater Philadelphia Convention Hall, Santa's is participating in the first of five qualifying rounds, and upon finishing his competition, he is hugging Adrienne instead of Marge. Meanwhile, the Historians of America's Great Inventors and Enlightened Men (H.O.A.G.I.E. Men, for short) arrive at the room to converse with Homer about the potential of dogs in solving historical puzzles.
Homer convinces them to visit places around the city on his list, where they could be. While on the journey, they talking him about Benjamin Franklin. Being proud of Santa's, Marge stops by at Michael Vick Reparation Park to let him enjoy it with other dogs, but Adrienne informs her that there is no time to play, as she needs to focus on a "very special place" for dogs. The Historian spotted Marge and Adrienne entering the Philadelphia Art Museum. They ran inside to stop her, but Adrienne asked the security guards to drag them out of the building. Santa's is urinating on a fire hydrant to reveal Franklin's secret message to find a key to access Franklin's gold, and Adrienne takes him away from them by betraying the family with her whistle. To get the family dog back, they call for a family meeting with Bart and Lisa on the phone, and Lisa pointed out it's Betsy Rossy instead of sewer. Homer and Marge steal a two-wheeled scooter while they are distracted at the 2018 riot to make their way to Betsy Rossy's house, and when they arrive, Homer pushes a lever down, trapping them inside.
They find Adrienne, which leads to Santa's to retrieve a key to access Franklin's treasure, with new skills along the way. He found a key, but Marge warned him not to jump because the final jump is too dangerous. When Adrienne tries to blow her whistle, Homer hits her with a battery cell to stop her from whistling, but she isn't over yet. Marge tries to convince him not to jump, as she reminds him of the past, to stay with the family, but Adrienne refuses to stay without a key and starts climbing herself, causing the destabilized structure to collapse. Homer thinks he couldn't make it and was killed in the process during the collapse, but Santa's is relieved and managed to save himself from falling with his teeth to hold on to the rope, and his way down to the family. When they leave, Santa's find and opens the door to Franklin's gold with his paws, and Homer and Marge don't care about that and leave instead. Santa's leaves as well.
Behind the Laughter[]
Production[]
The episode originated when co-showrunner Michael Price approached writer Christine Nangle with the idea of doing an episode centered on the Simpsons visiting Philadelphia. Nangle, a Philadelphia native, had discussed the possibility for years with showrunner Matt Selman, though she was concerned about repeating jokes used in a previous episode where the family visited Boston. The National Dog Show and the parody of National Treasure helped them differentiate this new episode. During the writing process, both Nangle and Price read Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, a biography by Walter Isaacson, saying they became "insufferable" about the details of the founding father's life.[1]
The episode's emotional core was highly personal for Nangle, as it was written shortly after the death of her dog of 11 years, Philby. Marge's speech about the "stupid" but profound responsibility of pet ownership was a specific element Nangle fought to keep in the script. At the table read, the emotional performance by Julie Kavner reportedly moved many attendees to tears.[1]
Nangle prioritized casting native Philadelphians to represent the city, including Quinta Brunson, Questlove, and Kevin Bacon. Bacon was a late addition to the cast and had to record his lines "to picture" (after animation) just weeks before the air date. The parody of the medical drama The Pitt was included because Michael Price was "obsessed" with the series. Actors Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa, and Taylor Dearden recorded their roles via Zoom prior to their big wins at the Emmys. Nangle also insisted on maintaining regional authenticity, such as ensuring the soft pretzels in the episode were the traditional oblong shape unique to the Philadelphia area rather than a heart-shaped Bavarian design.[1]
For the character design of the H.O.A.G.I.E. Men, Nangle requested that the animators scale back the likeness of Nicolas Cage after the initial designs were deemed "perfect caricatures," as she wanted the character to be only "lightly influenced" by the actor.[1]
Early outlines for the episode included several scenes that were ultimately cut or streamlined:
- Santa's Little Helper was originally supposed to bite off Bradley Cooper's face at the dog show.
- A plot point where Homer pees on the Rocky statue to regain the city's respect.
- An early draft featured Adrienne (Quinta Brunson) threatening the dog with a gun that shot grapes.[1]
Videos[]
External Links[]
- "Irrational Treasure" at the Internet Movie Database
- "Irrational Treasure" press release via The Futon Critic
- "Irrational Treasure" script via Springfield! Springfield!