The Debarted
Encyclopedia
"The Debarted" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons
' nineteenth season
. It was first broadcast on March 2, 2008, and guest stars Topher Grace
and radio host Terry Gross
have a cameo
. A new troublesome student named Donny arrives at Springfield Elementary School, prompting a gleeful Bart
to befriend him as his partner in pranks. Meanwhile, Marge
wrecks the family car, and Homer
gets a new luxury vehicle as a loaner car, which he grows attached to. The episode is a parody of the 2006 film The Departed
.
to school
in Homer's car when the children begin fighting. When Marge tries to stop the children from fighting, she crashes into Hans Moleman
's car, who is suffocated by the airbag. Later at school, Bart is shocked to find his seat taken by a new student, named Donny, who was recently kicked out of his former school, which his first in-episode words defame. Donny is a lot like Bart, but with a sharper edge and more grace. After Donny throws massive amounts of garbage at the school wall, Bart begins to feel he is losing popularity. While trying to imitate Donny, Bart ends up humiliating himself. Feeling his social rank amongst his peers slipping, Bart sulks.
Meanwhile, Homer has taken his car to get fixed. The Wiseguy informs him of a loaner car, resembling the Cadillac CTS
, that he could use in the meantime. The loaner car is significantly better than Homer's old car, and he embraces it, and begins driving it everywhere. One added feature is that it can create a miniature thunderstorm
within the vehicle, which happens when "the heater fights the air conditioner."
The following day, to prove to Donny that he is the head mischief-maker in the school, Bart plays a prank on Principal Skinner
, employing magnet
s and metal sole pads in Skinner's shoes. While on the school stage, the magnets cause Skinner to dance involuntarily and uncontrollably, and ultimately be hurled outside of the school into a container filled with old retainers
. Bart regains the respect and admiration of his peers, but when Skinner attempts to find who is responsible, Donny takes the blame for Bart's prank, leading Bart to accept him as a friend.
However, when Skinner takes Donny to his office, Donny is revealed to be in fact an informant
hired by Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers to get Bart suspended — the first informant on Bart to go undiscovered (after failed attempts utilizing Üter Zörker, Ralph Wiggum
and "Doug the hip guidance counselor"). Blissfully unaware of the new kid's other side, Bart invites Donny into his clique alongside Nelson Muntz
and Milhouse Van Houten
, and they plot school pranks. To signify Donny's entrance into the group, Bart rewards him with Blue Vine
licorice sticks, which he claims are only sold in Europe
and turn the eater's tongue blue, and the now-augmented group begins their friendship by spraying Lisa (and each other) with juice
.
Homer takes Marge out on a romantic evening cruise. Then the Wiseguy calls Homer, informing him that his old car is ready to be picked up. Homer, however, refuses to give up his luxury car. At the school, Bart is perplexed when Skinner repeatedly anticipates and foils his pranks. Groundskeeper Willie
informs Bart that a snitch is amongst them, but after a lengthy montage depicting an ultimately failed chase after the rat, Bart wrongly suspects Milhouse, not noticing Donny's apparent nervousness. With the aid of Nelson and Donny, Bart has Milhouse imprisoned in a locker, which Cletus
subsequently mistakes for an outhouse using Milhouse as a "robo-potty." With Milhouse indisposed, Bart plans a final prank on Skinner involving pelting his house with ostrich
eggs.
The next day, while helping Skinner hang up a banner (which ironically reads “SPRINGFIELD ELEMENTARY: PRANK-FREE FOR 14 DAYS”), Bart notices that Skinner's tongue is blue. Bart figures out that the snitch is Donny, who had given Skinner the Blue Vines. While driving past the car dealer with Lisa, Homer sees the Wiseguy selling his car for $99. Homer realizes that his car is like his child and furiously barges into the scene to take it back, abandoning the loaner car and almost leaving Lisa, whom he mistakenly calls Maggie
, behind.
At midnight, Bart, Nelson and Donny go to the school storage building, where Willie lets them in. Donny asks why the change in plans was necessitated, and Bart promptly denounces a nervous Donny as the rat and Nelson grabs him. Donny pleads with Bart, explaining how he was claimed from an orphanage in Shelbyville by Skinner and Chalmers. Touched but unmoved, Bart still plans to place him in Skinner's office, where he and Nelson will mix Diet Coke and Mentos, of which they have a huge amount. They are interrupted by the arrival of Superintendent Chalmers, Principal Skinner (toting a video camera), and Willie, who has snitched on Bart in exchange for something he could never give him: an elementary school diploma. After Nelson runs out the door, Chalmers tells Bart that he will be sent to the toughest juvenile detention center there is (disregarding his earlier statement that Bart's punishment will be 10 days' suspension from school, the stiffest disciplinary action that can legally be taken against him). Donny then pities Bart, who was the only person who ever cared for him. As Skinner leads Bart away, Donny shoves the crates of Mentos into the Diet Coke, causing the fizzy explosion. The two boys escape through the roof as Skinner, Chalmers, and Willie are caught in the explosion. Bart and Donny shake hands and Donny leaves, telling Bart that he will always remember their friendship, and they promise to meet up with each other sometime in the future. The episode ends with Ralph in a trash can as a rat
runs across a fence, and Ralph cheerfully remarks "the rat symbolizes obviousness!" explicitly referring to the very last scene of The Departed
.
season. There were plenty of good moments and a few of them that I actually laughed at." Robert Canning of IGN said, "This was a fun and funny episode." He thought Homer's loaner car scenes were "just silly enough to make an impact." Canning thought both Topher Grace
and Terry Gross
did great jobs with their parts. He gave the episode a 7.8 out of 10.
Joel H. Cohen
has been nominated for Writers Guild of America Award
in the animation category for writing the episode. He was also nominated for an Annie Award
nomination
for Best Writing in an Animated Television Production.
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 was first broadcast on March 2, 2008, and guest stars Topher Grace
Topher Grace
Christopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
and radio host Terry Gross
Terry Gross
Terry Gross is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview format radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed throughout the United States by National Public Radio....
have a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
. A new troublesome student named Donny arrives at Springfield Elementary School, prompting a gleeful Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
to befriend him as his partner in pranks. Meanwhile, Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
wrecks the family car, and 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...
gets a new luxury vehicle as a loaner car, which he grows attached to. The episode is a parody of the 2006 film The Departed
The Departed
The Departed is a 2006 American crime thriller film, fashioned as a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan...
.
Plot
Marge is driving Bart and LisaLisa 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...
to school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
in Homer's car when the children begin fighting. When Marge tries to stop the children from fighting, she crashes into Hans Moleman
Hans Moleman
Hans Moleman is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared in the episode "Principal Charming". He normally appears in a running gag, where he usually suffers unfortunate, nearly fatal, events...
's car, who is suffocated by the airbag. Later at school, Bart is shocked to find his seat taken by a new student, named Donny, who was recently kicked out of his former school, which his first in-episode words defame. Donny is a lot like Bart, but with a sharper edge and more grace. After Donny throws massive amounts of garbage at the school wall, Bart begins to feel he is losing popularity. While trying to imitate Donny, Bart ends up humiliating himself. Feeling his social rank amongst his peers slipping, Bart sulks.
Meanwhile, Homer has taken his car to get fixed. The Wiseguy informs him of a loaner car, resembling the Cadillac CTS
Cadillac CTS
The Cadillac CTS is a mid-size car manufactured by the Cadillac marque of General Motors currently available in three body styles: Sedan, Coupe, and Sport Wagon. It was introduced in 2002 as a sports sedan, replacing the Cadillac Catera. The CTS and the supercharged CTS-V variant have been named...
, that he could use in the meantime. The loaner car is significantly better than Homer's old car, and he embraces it, and begins driving it everywhere. One added feature is that it can create a miniature thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
within the vehicle, which happens when "the heater fights the air conditioner."
The following day, to prove to Donny that he is the head mischief-maker in the school, Bart plays a prank on Principal Skinner
Seymour Skinner
Principal W. Seymour Skinner is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer. Born in Capitol City, he is the principal of Springfield Elementary School...
, employing magnet
Magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels other magnets.A permanent magnet is an object...
s and metal sole pads in Skinner's shoes. While on the school stage, the magnets cause Skinner to dance involuntarily and uncontrollably, and ultimately be hurled outside of the school into a container filled with old retainers
Retainer (orthodontic device)
Orthodontic retainers are custom-made devices, made usually of wires or clear plastic, that hold teeth in position after surgery or any method of realigning teeth. They are most often used before or after dental braces to hold teeth in position while assisting the adjustment of the surrounding gums...
. Bart regains the respect and admiration of his peers, but when Skinner attempts to find who is responsible, Donny takes the blame for Bart's prank, leading Bart to accept him as a friend.
However, when Skinner takes Donny to his office, Donny is revealed to be in fact an informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
hired by Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers to get Bart suspended — the first informant on Bart to go undiscovered (after failed attempts utilizing Üter Zörker, Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum is a recurring fictional character on the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. The son of Police Chief Wiggum and a classmate of Lisa Simpson, Ralph is best known as the show's resident oddball, and is noted for his non sequiturs and erratic behavior...
and "Doug the hip guidance counselor"). Blissfully unaware of the new kid's other side, Bart invites Donny into his clique alongside Nelson Muntz
Nelson Muntz
Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and bully from the animated TV series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as a bully but later turned into a friend of Bart Simpson, who is best identified by his signature laugh .-Role...
and Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
, and they plot school pranks. To signify Donny's entrance into the group, Bart rewards him with Blue Vine
Red Vines
Red Vines is a brand of red licorice candy manufactured in Union City, California by the American Licorice Company. Red Vines Original Red twists, are also sometimes referred to as red licorice. The original Red Vines were raspberry-flavored, but in 1952, with a slight formula change, the Red Vines...
licorice sticks, which he claims are only sold in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and turn the eater's tongue blue, and the now-augmented group begins their friendship by spraying Lisa (and each other) with juice
Juice
Juice is the liquid that is naturally contained in fruit or vegetable tissue.Juice is prepared by mechanically squeezing or macerating fruit or vegetable flesh without the application of heat or solvents. For example, orange juice is the liquid extract of the fruit of the orange tree...
.
Homer takes Marge out on a romantic evening cruise. Then the Wiseguy calls Homer, informing him that his old car is ready to be picked up. Homer, however, refuses to give up his luxury car. At the school, Bart is perplexed when Skinner repeatedly anticipates and foils his pranks. Groundskeeper Willie
Groundskeeper Willie
William McDougal, usually referred to as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is head groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is a Scottish immigrant, almost feral in nature and immensely proud of his homeland...
informs Bart that a snitch is amongst them, but after a lengthy montage depicting an ultimately failed chase after the rat, Bart wrongly suspects Milhouse, not noticing Donny's apparent nervousness. With the aid of Nelson and Donny, Bart has Milhouse imprisoned in a locker, which Cletus
Cletus Spuckler
Cletus Delroy Spuckler is a recurring character in the Fox animated series, The Simpsons, and is voiced by Hank Azaria. Cletus is Springfield's resident hillbilly stereotype. He is very messy and is usually portrayed wearing a white sleeveless shirt and pair of blue jeans.- Biography :Cletus was...
subsequently mistakes for an outhouse using Milhouse as a "robo-potty." With Milhouse indisposed, Bart plans a final prank on Skinner involving pelting his house with ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
eggs.
The next day, while helping Skinner hang up a banner (which ironically reads “SPRINGFIELD ELEMENTARY: PRANK-FREE FOR 14 DAYS”), Bart notices that Skinner's tongue is blue. Bart figures out that the snitch is Donny, who had given Skinner the Blue Vines. While driving past the car dealer with Lisa, Homer sees the Wiseguy selling his car for $99. Homer realizes that his car is like his child and furiously barges into the scene to take it back, abandoning the loaner car and almost leaving Lisa, whom he mistakenly calls Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
, behind.
At midnight, Bart, Nelson and Donny go to the school storage building, where Willie lets them in. Donny asks why the change in plans was necessitated, and Bart promptly denounces a nervous Donny as the rat and Nelson grabs him. Donny pleads with Bart, explaining how he was claimed from an orphanage in Shelbyville by Skinner and Chalmers. Touched but unmoved, Bart still plans to place him in Skinner's office, where he and Nelson will mix Diet Coke and Mentos, of which they have a huge amount. They are interrupted by the arrival of Superintendent Chalmers, Principal Skinner (toting a video camera), and Willie, who has snitched on Bart in exchange for something he could never give him: an elementary school diploma. After Nelson runs out the door, Chalmers tells Bart that he will be sent to the toughest juvenile detention center there is (disregarding his earlier statement that Bart's punishment will be 10 days' suspension from school, the stiffest disciplinary action that can legally be taken against him). Donny then pities Bart, who was the only person who ever cared for him. As Skinner leads Bart away, Donny shoves the crates of Mentos into the Diet Coke, causing the fizzy explosion. The two boys escape through the roof as Skinner, Chalmers, and Willie are caught in the explosion. Bart and Donny shake hands and Donny leaves, telling Bart that he will always remember their friendship, and they promise to meet up with each other sometime in the future. The episode ends with Ralph in a trash can as a rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
runs across a fence, and Ralph cheerfully remarks "the rat symbolizes obviousness!" explicitly referring to the very last scene of The Departed
The Departed
The Departed is a 2006 American crime thriller film, fashioned as a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan...
.
Cultural references
- The title and plot of the episode reference the 20062006 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
film The DepartedThe DepartedThe Departed is a 2006 American crime thriller film, fashioned as a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan...
and the episode contains several elements of the film, including the use of the Dropkick MurphysDropkick MurphysDropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
song "I'm Shipping Up to BostonI'm Shipping Up to Boston"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" is a song with lyrics written by the folk singer Woody Guthrie and music written and performed by the Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. It appeared on their 2005 album, The Warrior's Code. An earlier recording of it can be found on the Hellcat Records compilation Give...
", Donny's attire being similar to what Leonardo DiCaprioLeonardo DiCaprioLeonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
wears for parts of the film, Bart suspecting he is being sabotaged just as Jack NicholsonJack NicholsonJohn Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
's character began to suspect he had a mole in his criminal crew, and a minor event in the story leading to someone figuring out who is betraying them, and Principal Skinner employing Donny in Bart's crew just as Martin SheenMartin SheenRamón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
's character does with DiCaprio's character. - Bart also references the Diet Coke and Mentos eruption by doing the same stunt on a larger scale.
- Lisa is reading a book called The Joy of SaxSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, which is a parody of the book, The Joy of SexThe Joy of SexThe Joy of Sex is an illustrated sex manual by Alex Comfort, M.B., Ph.D., first published in 1972. An updated edition was released in September, 2008.-Overview:...
. - As Marge and Homer take a drive, D'AngeloD'AngeloMichael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
's cover of Smokey RobinsonSmokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
's "Cruisin'Cruisin' (song)"Cruisin" is a 1979 single written, produced, and recorded by Smokey Robinson for Motown Records' Tamla label. One of Robinson's most successful singles outside of his work with The Miracles, "Cruisin'" was a Top 10 Billboard Pop hit, peaking at number four not only on the Billboard Hot 100 but on...
" can be heard. - Homer improvises the song he sings to himself in the loaner car to the tune of Owner Of A Lonely HeartOwner of a Lonely Heart"Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a song by the progressive rock band Yes. It is the opening track of their 1983 album 90125. Written primarily by Trevor Rabin, the song reached number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100 — to date Yes's biggest chart success...
. - The character of Donny, voiced by Topher Grace, resembles the character Edward Brock, Jr. who Grace played in the film Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
. - When Willie and Skinner play basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Skinner refers to himself as "Air" Skinner, a play on Michael JordanMichael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
's sobriquetSobriquetA sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
. - Marge is squeezing individual ketchup packets into an empty ketchup bottle. In the My Name Is EarlMy Name Is EarlMy Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...
episode "Broke Joy's Fancy Figurine," Joy does the same thing. - Bart gives Donny Blue Vines, which are a reference to Red VinesRed VinesRed Vines is a brand of red licorice candy manufactured in Union City, California by the American Licorice Company. Red Vines Original Red twists, are also sometimes referred to as red licorice. The original Red Vines were raspberry-flavored, but in 1952, with a slight formula change, the Red Vines...
. - The table in Bart's treehouse is the same table used in Eric FormanEric FormanEric Albert Forman is a fictional character and the male lead on the Fox Network's That '70s Show between seasons one through seven. Portrayed by Topher Grace, Eric is based on the adolescence of show creator Mark Brazill. Most of the show takes place at the Formans' home, particularly in the...
's basement in That '70s ShowThat '70s ShowThat '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
, a reference to Topher GraceTopher GraceChristopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
guest starring.
Reception
The episode had an estimated 7.86 million viewers and received a 9 percent audience share. Richard Keller of TV squad enjoyed the episode and liked the fact that it focused on Bart. He didn't, however, enjoy the subplot with Homer and the car saying "I enjoyed this episode more than the usual ones that have aired during this post-Simpsons MovieThe Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
season. There were plenty of good moments and a few of them that I actually laughed at." Robert Canning of IGN said, "This was a fun and funny episode." He thought Homer's loaner car scenes were "just silly enough to make an impact." Canning thought both Topher Grace
Topher Grace
Christopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
and Terry Gross
Terry Gross
Terry Gross is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview format radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed throughout the United States by National Public Radio....
did great jobs with their parts. He gave the episode a 7.8 out of 10.
Joel H. Cohen
Joel H. Cohen
For the film director, see Joel Coen.Joel H. Cohen is a writer for Saturday Night Live, Suddenly Susan and The Simpsons...
has been nominated for 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 the animation category for writing the episode. He was also nominated for an Annie Award
Annie Award
The Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972...
nomination
36th Annie Awards
The 36th Annual Annie Awards, honoring the best in animation for 2008, were held on January 30, 2009 at Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California. Below is a list of announced nominees...
for Best Writing in an Animated Television Production.