Habeas Tortoise

Plot

After a town meeting left Homer feeling humiliated by public perceptions of his intelligence, Marge tried to cheer him up with a trip to the zoo. There, he was eager to see a tortoise named Slow Leonard, but the animal was gone. Determined to prove he wasn't dumb, Homer examined photos from the visit and spotted dolly tracks near the enclosure, leading him to believe the tortoise had been stolen. He took this clue to Chief Wiggum, who dismissed him.

Following Marge's advice, Homer joined a Facelook group dedicated to Slow Leonard and shared his theory, which was well-received by members including Comic Book Guy, Gil Gunderson, Ms. Hoover, Sideshow Mel, and Drederick Tatum. While livestreaming his investigations from the zoo, he brought Superintendent Chalmers into the group and hosted his new friends at home to brainstorm. After a protest outside the zookeeper's house, Wiggum became interested and joined, and Gil proposed to Hoover.

Marge worried Homer's conspiracy theories were going too far, but he said he valued the companionship. Homer accidentally discovered Slow Leonard in a rabbit burrow. Fearing the group would dissolve if the mystery ended, he tried to hide the tortoise. But during Gil and Hoover's wedding reception, he overheard the group plotting increasingly violent tactics against the innocent zookeeper.

Horrified, Homer and Marge confessed they had found Leonard. The group feared losing their common bond, so Homer invented a new conspiracy about where calamari comes from. They discussed it at his house, unaware that the Illuminati was watching them. The credits show Homer posting a TikTok video for a paella recipe.

Production

This is the first Simpsons episode written by Broti Gupta, originally titled 'Habeus Tortoise.' It parodies the documentary series Don't Fk with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer. Conspiracy theories had previously been addressed in the twelfth season episode 'The Computer Wore Menace Shoes.' Executive producer Matt Selman noted that contemporary conspiracy theory communities had become detached from reality, and the episode shows the danger of not accepting the truth.

The producers also wanted to show empathy for groups who come together for certain causes. The paella scene demonstrates the power of community building. The 'Dinosaur Game' couch gag was made by Katrin von Niederhäusern and Janine Wiget, who first came to the producers' attention after creating a live-action shot-by-shot remake of the eating montage from 'Lisa Gets the Blues.'

Reception

The season 34 premiere of The Simpsons, "Habeus Tortoise," drew 4.15 million viewers with a 1.41 rating, an increase from the 3.48 million who watched the previous season's opener. Tony Sokol of Den of Geek awarded the episode 4 out of 5 stars, praising its witty dialogue and "ridiculously brilliant" setup that satirizes communities built on fake news and speculation. He noted that while armchair detectives eventually best the villain, Homer could have solved the case without leaving the couch, calling the episode "clever more than comic" and a nuanced offering that provides chuckles but falls short of classic status.

Marcus Gibson of Bubbleblabber gave it a 7.5 out of 10, describing it as a "decently enjoyable" start to the season. He found Homer's search for acceptance unremarkable but appreciated the episode's humorous exploration of conspiracy theories, which exposes and mocks the dangers of false claims. Gibson speculated that the rest of the season might be as fun as this premiere.