Homer of Seville
Encyclopedia
"Homer of Seville", also known as "The Homer of Seville", is the second episode of The Simpsons
' nineteenth season
. It first aired on the Fox network
in the United States on September 30, 2007. In the episode, Homer gains an operatic ability to sing following an accident, and becomes a professional and famous opera star. While running from a mob of crazed fans, he is saved by Julia, a beautiful and dangerous stalker.
The episode was written by Carolyn Omine
and directed by Michael Polcino
, while Plácido Domingo
guest stars as himself and Maya Rudolph
guests as Julia. It averaged 8.4 million viewers, with a Nielsen rating
of 4.2 and an audience share of 11 percent. It was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award
in 2008. Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics.
. Homer
is wrangled into being a pallbearer
. At the cemetery, Homer struggles with the coffin
and falls into an empty grave, hurting his back in the process. At the hospital Dr. Hibbert
treats Homer and sets up to give him an X-ray to check out his vertebrae. While lying on his back, Homer hears the cost of the X-ray, and lets out a "D'oh!". To the surprise of everyone, Homer's “D’oh!” sounds beautiful and operatic. Dr. Hibbert concludes that when Homer lies on his back his stomach lodges underneath his diaphragm, which in turn helps propel his powerful singing voice.
Dr. Hibbert tours Homer around the hospital while singing "If Ever I Would Leave You", to help alleviate patient suffering. Mr. Burns overhears Homer's voice and hires him to star as Rodolfo in La bohème
at the Springfield Opera House. Despite having to sing on his back, Homer quickly becomes an opera star. Homer's growing fame and success gains him loyal fans, and he gives advice to famous opera singer Plácido Domingo
.
Homer, Marge, Lenny and Carl share their wedding anniversary dinner at a nice restaurant. Marge tells Homer she is glad he has become famous, but she misses their privacy. After Lenny and Carl leave, Homer is hounded by adoring fans. Marge gets fed up and storms out of the restaurant and Homer follows after her. On the street, Homer tries to make up with Marge, when a large group of fans spots Homer and Marge and chases after them. Homer and Marge are trapped in an alley; just before the mob reaches them, a black clad biker on a motorcycle
shows up to drive Homer and Marge to safety.
Back at home, Marge and Homer are surprised to find that the mysterious rider is a woman—Julia (Maya Rudolph
). Julia, also a fan of Homer, explains she hates how all the other fans constantly mob him. She proposes they hire her to be Homer's manager, so she can take care of everything. Marge loves the idea, and goes to the kitchen to make a celebratory pie
. With Marge gone, Julia reveals her true intentions: standing naked before Homer, she says he can have her anytime he wants. She threatens to tell Marge he attacked her, should he tell.
Although crazily obsessed with Homer, Julia proves to be a great fan club president and Marge is impressed with her efficiency. Her continual sexual advances force Homer to put his foot down and fire Julia, who leaves implying she will get back at Homer. At breakfast the next day, Homer pours himself a bowl of cereal and a cobra
hidden inside the cereal box attempts to attack him. Luckily, he disables the cobra by repeatedly swinging it against the refrigerator. Lisa
concludes Julia is trying to kill him for firing her. Springfield's finest are put on bodyguard detail for Homer.
As Homer prepares for his next performance, Marge pleads with Chief Wiggum to cancel the show, but he convinces her that Homer will be safe, explaining that the opera house is under total surveillance. Later, while Homer performs on stage, Marge and the kids remain on the lookout for Julia. Bart spots her disguised as the conductor and Marge watches in horror as Julia loads a poison dart into her conductor’s baton. Just as Julia prepares to use her baton, Marge grabs a French horn and uses it to redirect the dart back at Julia. Upon being hit by the dart Julia falls to the ground and Chief Wiggum calls on his snipers to finish her off. Every bullet misses, except for one; a second later, the giant chandelier falls from the ceiling and crashes on top of Julia. Julia is wheeled into an ambulance, vowing to return. Homer and the family head for home and Homer announces that he is retiring from the opera and explains that he can think of a much more fun thing he can do while on his back: painting. It is shown then that he painted a version of the Sistine Chapel
roof on the ceiling of his living room, with him as Adam and Marge as God. A classical operatic version of the The Simpsons Theme
plays as the credits roll over a black background.
of 4.2 and an audience share of 11 percent.
Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. Robert Canning of IGN
gave the episode a poor review (4.5/10), finding the plot contrived and Homer's rendition of "If Ever I Would Leave You
" unfunny. He did, however, enjoy the episode's opening scenes in the church. Richard Keller of TV Squad thought the episode was decent with several laughs, the funniest moment being when the chandelier crashes down on Julia. He also praised voice actor Dan Castellaneta
's professional voice.
The episode was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award
in 2008, but lost out to an episode from the previous season
, "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II
".
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
The Simpsons (season 19)
The Simpsons nineteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 23, 2007 and May 18, 2008.-Production:The nineteenth season of The Simpsons is the first one produced after the movie and contained seven hold-over episodes from season 18's JABF production line...
. It first aired on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on September 30, 2007. In the episode, Homer gains an operatic ability to sing following an accident, and becomes a professional and famous opera star. While running from a mob of crazed fans, he is saved by Julia, a beautiful and dangerous stalker.
The episode was written by Carolyn Omine
Carolyn Omine
Carolyn Omine is an American television writer. She has written for Full House, The Parent 'Hood and The Simpsons. She was credited as an executive producer by the Simpsons' 17th season, although this changed to a producer in the 18th....
and directed by Michael Polcino
Michael Polcino
Michael Polcino is an animation director on The Simpsons. His brother, Dominic Polcino, is a former Simpsons director and currently works on Family Guy.-The Simpsons episodes:He has directed the following episodes:*"The Mansion Family"...
, while Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
guest stars as himself and Maya Rudolph
Maya Rudolph
Maya Khabira Rudolph is an American actress, comedienne and singer known for her comedic roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007, and for appearing in films such as Away We Go, Bridesmaids, Grown Ups, A Prairie Home Companion and MacGruber...
guests as Julia. It averaged 8.4 million viewers, with a Nielsen rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 4.2 and an audience share of 11 percent. It was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
in 2008. Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics.
Plot
After escaping church, the Simpsons look for a place to eat lunch. Upon seeing that all the restaurants have long lines, the family spots a catering van setting up food at a house. The family sneaks in and gorges themselves, only to find they have snuck into a wakeWake (ceremony)
A wake is a ceremony associated with death. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased, with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home. In the United States and Canada it is synonymous with a viewing...
. Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
is wrangled into being a pallbearer
Pallbearer
A pall-bearer is one of several funeral participants who helps carry the casket of a deceased person from a religious or memorial service or viewing either directly to a cemetery or mausoleum, or to and from the hearse which carries the coffin....
. At the cemetery, Homer struggles with the coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
and falls into an empty grave, hurting his back in the process. At the hospital Dr. Hibbert
Julius Hibbert
Dr. Julius M. Hibbert, usually referred to as Dr. Hibbert, is a recurring character on the animated series The Simpsons. His speaking voice is provided by Harry Shearer and his singing voice was by Thurl Ravenscroft, and he first appeared in the episode "Bart the Daredevil". Dr...
treats Homer and sets up to give him an X-ray to check out his vertebrae. While lying on his back, Homer hears the cost of the X-ray, and lets out a "D'oh!". To the surprise of everyone, Homer's “D’oh!” sounds beautiful and operatic. Dr. Hibbert concludes that when Homer lies on his back his stomach lodges underneath his diaphragm, which in turn helps propel his powerful singing voice.
Dr. Hibbert tours Homer around the hospital while singing "If Ever I Would Leave You", to help alleviate patient suffering. Mr. Burns overhears Homer's voice and hires him to star as Rodolfo in La bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
at the Springfield Opera House. Despite having to sing on his back, Homer quickly becomes an opera star. Homer's growing fame and success gains him loyal fans, and he gives advice to famous opera singer Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
.
Homer, Marge, Lenny and Carl share their wedding anniversary dinner at a nice restaurant. Marge tells Homer she is glad he has become famous, but she misses their privacy. After Lenny and Carl leave, Homer is hounded by adoring fans. Marge gets fed up and storms out of the restaurant and Homer follows after her. On the street, Homer tries to make up with Marge, when a large group of fans spots Homer and Marge and chases after them. Homer and Marge are trapped in an alley; just before the mob reaches them, a black clad biker on a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
shows up to drive Homer and Marge to safety.
Back at home, Marge and Homer are surprised to find that the mysterious rider is a woman—Julia (Maya Rudolph
Maya Rudolph
Maya Khabira Rudolph is an American actress, comedienne and singer known for her comedic roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007, and for appearing in films such as Away We Go, Bridesmaids, Grown Ups, A Prairie Home Companion and MacGruber...
). Julia, also a fan of Homer, explains she hates how all the other fans constantly mob him. She proposes they hire her to be Homer's manager, so she can take care of everything. Marge loves the idea, and goes to the kitchen to make a celebratory pie
Pie
A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients....
. With Marge gone, Julia reveals her true intentions: standing naked before Homer, she says he can have her anytime he wants. She threatens to tell Marge he attacked her, should he tell.
Although crazily obsessed with Homer, Julia proves to be a great fan club president and Marge is impressed with her efficiency. Her continual sexual advances force Homer to put his foot down and fire Julia, who leaves implying she will get back at Homer. At breakfast the next day, Homer pours himself a bowl of cereal and a cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
hidden inside the cereal box attempts to attack him. Luckily, he disables the cobra by repeatedly swinging it against the refrigerator. Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
concludes Julia is trying to kill him for firing her. Springfield's finest are put on bodyguard detail for Homer.
As Homer prepares for his next performance, Marge pleads with Chief Wiggum to cancel the show, but he convinces her that Homer will be safe, explaining that the opera house is under total surveillance. Later, while Homer performs on stage, Marge and the kids remain on the lookout for Julia. Bart spots her disguised as the conductor and Marge watches in horror as Julia loads a poison dart into her conductor’s baton. Just as Julia prepares to use her baton, Marge grabs a French horn and uses it to redirect the dart back at Julia. Upon being hit by the dart Julia falls to the ground and Chief Wiggum calls on his snipers to finish her off. Every bullet misses, except for one; a second later, the giant chandelier falls from the ceiling and crashes on top of Julia. Julia is wheeled into an ambulance, vowing to return. Homer and the family head for home and Homer announces that he is retiring from the opera and explains that he can think of a much more fun thing he can do while on his back: painting. It is shown then that he painted a version of the Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
roof on the ceiling of his living room, with him as Adam and Marge as God. A classical operatic version of the The Simpsons Theme
The Simpsons Theme
"The Simpsons Theme", also referred to as "The Simpsons Main Title Theme" in album releases, is the theme song of the animated television series The Simpsons. It plays during the opening sequence and was composed by Danny Elfman in 1989, after series creator Matt Groening approached him requesting...
plays as the credits roll over a black background.
Cultural references
- The title is a reference to The Barber of SevilleThe Barber of SevilleThe Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
. - The church calls "Jesus: The Real American Idol".
- Homer mentions Au jusAu jusAu jus is French for "with [its own] juice"; jus is the juice itself.In American cuisine, the term is mostly used to refer to a light sauce for beef recipes, which may be served with the food or placed on the side for dipping...
. - The Springfield Opera House resembles the Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera HouseThe Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
. - Plácido DomingoPlácido DomingoPlácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
claims his nickname is "P Dingo"Sean CombsSean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
. - Homer slaps the cobra against the fridge and holds it up for Maggie to laugh at, referencing a scene in The Jungle BookThe Jungle BookThe Jungle Book is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six...
. - After Homer worries that there might be people out there trying kill him he deduces that the cobra might be their symbol; a possible reference to Cobra, a villainous organization from G.I. JoeG.I. JoeG.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
that has the animal as their emblem. - During Homer's first performance, the shot pans upwards, past all the scenery to Lenny and Carl in the rafters, who comment on Homer's performance, a reference to Citizen KaneCitizen KaneCitizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
. - The pan also passes a large red sign saying 'L'amour' referring to Baz LuhrmannBaz LuhrmannMark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
's adaption of La Bohème, which featured that sign as a scenery piece. - Homer's entourage, Lenny and Carl, parody the series EntourageEntourage (TV series)Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
. - The stores the family pass by are pop-culture parodies.
- The montage scene of Julia stalking Homer is accompanied by music from the overture of Mozart's Don GiovanniDon GiovanniDon Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
. - Julia closing her eyes, revealing "Love You" on her eyelids parodies a similar scene in Raiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
. - Chief Wiggum cuts down the hanging chandelier, due to the possible dangers of it falling. This is most likely a reference to The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
. - A poster of The Phantom of the Opera also appears on the wall of Homer's dressing room at the opera house.
- The scene of Homer painting the ceiling on his back is a reference to The Agony and the EcstasyThe Agony and the Ecstasy (film)The Agony and the Ecstasy is a 1965 film directed by Carol Reed, starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II. The film was partly based on Irving Stone's biographical novel of the same name. This film deals with the conflicts of Michelangelo and Pope Julius II...
. - On their way home from church, Marge names several restaurants they pass by. One of these is "Buffet the Hunger Slayer," a reference to Buffy the Vampire SlayerBuffy the Vampire SlayerBuffy the Vampire Slayer is an American television series that aired from March 10, 1997, until May 20, 2003. The series was created in 1997 by writer-director Joss Whedon under his production tag, Mutant Enemy Productions with later co-executive producers being Jane Espenson, David Fury, David...
.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Homer of Seville" was watched by an average of 8.4 million viewers, with an overnight Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 4.2 and an audience share of 11 percent.
Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode a poor review (4.5/10), finding the plot contrived and Homer's rendition of "If Ever I Would Leave You
Camelot songs
The Camelot songs are musical numbers from the Broadway productions of Camelot and the 1967 Camelot .In October 1960, Camelot first opened in Toronto, ran for a four-week engagement in Boston, and finally opened on Broadway two months later, at the Majestic Theatre on December 3, 1960, following...
" unfunny. He did, however, enjoy the episode's opening scenes in the church. Richard Keller of TV Squad thought the episode was decent with several laughs, the funniest moment being when the chandelier crashes down on Julia. He also praised voice actor Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
's professional voice.
The episode was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
in 2008, but lost out to an episode from the previous season
The Simpsons (season 18)
The Simpsons 18th season aired from September 10, 2006 to May 20, 2007. The season contained seven hold-over episodes from the season 17 production line. Al Jean served as the Showrunner, a position he has held since the thirteenth season....
, "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II
Kill Gil, Volumes I & II
"Kill Gil, Volumes I & II" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons eighteenth season which originally aired on December 17, 2006. This episode won a Writers Guild of America Award for best animation. The title of this episode is a reference to Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2. This episode aired exactly 17 years...
".
External links
- "The Homer of Seville" at The Simpsons.com