The Simpsons Guy him how to skateboard, and they become good friends. When Nelson Muntz bullies Bart, Stewie retaliates by kidnapping and torturing Nelson. Meanwhile, Lisa tries to find a talent that Meg has. When she finds that Meg is a natural at the saxophone, she downplays the talent out of jealousy. Chris and Brian take the Simpsons' dog, Santa's Little Helper, for a walk. Brian tries to teach Santa's Little Helper independence, but the latter runs off when freed. Marge notices Santa's Little Helper is missing, and Chris and Brian fake his presence until he eventually returns. Homer and Peter try different
The Simpsons storylines in favor of and overuse of celebrity cameo appearances and references to popular culture. Schembri wrote: "The central tragedy of "The Simpsons" is that it has gone from commanding attention to merely being attention-seeking. It began by proving that cartoon characters don't have to be caricatures; they can be invested with real emotions. Now the show has in essence fermented into a limp parody of itself. Memorable story arcs have been sacrificed for the sake of celebrity walk-ons and punchline-hungry dialogue." In 2010, the BBC noted "the common consensus is that "The Simpsons" golden era ended after season nine",