Although The Simpsons season 34 already returned in early January, the show’s annual hiatus means viewers will need to wait a while until the next episode. The Simpsons has been on the air for over thirty-five years, and with more than 700 episodes to its name, the animated family comedy shows no sign of ending any time soon. However, that doesn’t mean that the production crew, writers, cast, and animators don’t need a break from time to time.

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While the show returned already (and mocked The Simpsons’ Golden Age) with season 34, episode 12, “My Life As A Vlog,” on January 1, the series will now go on hiatus for a while. The next episode of The Simpsons season 34, episode 13, “The Many Saints of Springfield,” is coming, though, will hopefully be worth the wait. Regardless, there's little reason for concern or worry about this gap between Simpsons episodes.

Related: Every Major Rule The Simpsons Season 34 Has Broken (So Far)

Why The Simpsons Season 34 Is On Hiatus

Homer Simpson holding his head with an evidence board

The Simpsons season 34 is not on hiatus due to scheduling conflicts with major sporting events, unlike season 33 in 2022. Instead, The Simpsons is taking a break to allow the series to release season 34 on schedule, meaning season 34, episode 13 will air on February 19. The Simpsons season 34’s rule-breaking comedy writing has earned the long-running show some of its most positive write-ups in recent years. Since each episode of the show takes eight months to write, animate, and produce, the creators of The Simpsons need time to ensure the next outings match the output seen in part one of Season 34.

What “The Many Saints of Springfield” Is About

Fat Tony in The Simpsons

The Simpsons season 34 will hope to return strong with “The Many Saints of Springfield,” an episode that sees Joe Mantegna return as the fan-favorite supporting character Fat Tony. Although no official synopsis of the episode has been released yet, from the title alone, it is fair to assume that this outing will parody mob movie tropes like most of Fat Tony’s appearances on The Simpsons. One of the oldest gags in The Simpsons is Fat Tony’s surprisingly soft attitude beneath his intimidating exterior, which dates back to a season 3 episode where Skinner successfully scares off the mobster and his henchmen with a stern lecture.

What is not yet clear is whether “The Many Saints of Springfield” will be a direct parody of the movie that the episode gets its title from, The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark. The episode could be a recreation of that gangster epic with a young Fat Tony in the role of Tony Soprano, but the outing may also borrow the movie’s title for an unrelated Fat Tony-centric story. Only time will tell whether The Simpsons season 34, episode 13 will be committed to parodying The Many Saints of Newark when it airs on February 19.

More: The Simpsons Season 34 Episode 12 Dedication Explained