The Simpsons is wrapping up its 31st season this Sunday, May 17, and it'll do so by diving into the past of a character who joined the family in the show's very first episode. TV Line is reporting that the season finale will feature Cate Blanchett as Elaine, a woman with some sort of connection to Santa's Little Helper and his "tragic past."

Judging by the exclusive screenshots posted by the site, it looks like Santa's Little Helper might be going away with her. Of course, the elastic nature of The Simpsons universe means that it usually snaps back to normal, so we expect the beloved dog to be back with the titular family by the episode's end--but the description also notes that Santa's Little Helper bites Marge early on, which could lead to some drama.

It also looks like this will be another Christmas-time episode, just like the original pilot. But while showrunner Al Jean has previously said that his ideal finale would link back to the pilot, this won't be a surprise ending--The Simpsons is already renewed through Season 32.