The Wandering Juvie
Encyclopedia
'The Wandering Juvie" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons
' fifteenth season
. The episode aired on March 28, 2004. It guest starred Sarah Michelle Gellar
as Gina Vendetti.
is at the Costington's department store, Bart
uses the wedding gift registry as a prank to register himself and his bride, "Lotta Cooties", for wedding presents. Bart invites many people to his so-called "wedding" and plans to take all the unused gifts back for store credit, but he is stopped in his tracks by Chief Wiggum, who arrests Bart. Bart tries to bribe Chief Wiggum with the wedding presents, but Chief Wiggum only accepts cash bribes, as stated on his badge. Bart is sentenced to six months of juvenile detention by Judge Constance Harm, going to a detention center (the next episode
would feature a real wedding).
At the detention center, Bart is being harassed by Gina Vendetti, who ties him to the fence and uses a knife to destroy his uniform. Homer temporarily gets a job as a prison guard to keep an eye on Bart. Bart is afraid he will be buried alive in the sandpit or photographed being punched while going down a slide. Bart has another problem when he is partnered with Gina Vendetti for the "prom" by the warden. When they are dancing, Gina escapes with Bart using a rope, finding themselves on a window ledge. But because they are handcuffed together, she automatically brings a reluctant Bart along before the window could be closed (though he only comes after she kisses him). Slowly, they gain each others trust. It is publicized on channel 6 news of the escape and the Simpsons see it.
They are on the lam and look for a blacksmith
who can remove their cuffs. They are freed, but after it happens, Gina is alone and forlorn. Gina yells at Bart and Bart calls her a psycho. They engage in a brutal fight and this time, Bart is so angry he actually wants to kill her as much as she wants to kill him. They end up rolling right into the police officers who arrest them (and a bear that Cletus correctly predicts that would attack Chief Wiggum), telling the Simpsons that now Bart will stay in Juvie even longer (apparently for years, since that Wiggums claims that Bart would stay long enough to lose his innocence and become more muscular). Gina, feeling terrible, confesses she does not have a family when she returns to jail (also clearing Bart of all charges that would result in him remaining in prison), but the Simpsons and the warden step in to help Gina by offering a Mexican food feast in her cell at the end.
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 15)
The Simpsons 15th season began on Sunday, November 2, 2003 with "Treehouse of Horror XIV".The season contains five hold-over episodes from the season 14 production line...
. The episode aired on March 28, 2004. It guest starred Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
as Gina Vendetti.
Plot
When the Simpson familySimpson family
The Simpson family is a family of fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Homer and Marge and their three children Bart, Lisa and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town...
is at the Costington's department store, 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...
uses the wedding gift registry as a prank to register himself and his bride, "Lotta Cooties", for wedding presents. Bart invites many people to his so-called "wedding" and plans to take all the unused gifts back for store credit, but he is stopped in his tracks by Chief Wiggum, who arrests Bart. Bart tries to bribe Chief Wiggum with the wedding presents, but Chief Wiggum only accepts cash bribes, as stated on his badge. Bart is sentenced to six months of juvenile detention by Judge Constance Harm, going to a detention center (the next episode
My Big Fat Geek Wedding
"My Big Fat Geek Wedding" is the 17th episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season, first aired on April 18, 2004. The episode was originally planned to air on April 4, 2004, but due to the voice actors going on strike, FOX aired a rerun instead....
would feature a real wedding).
At the detention center, Bart is being harassed by Gina Vendetti, who ties him to the fence and uses a knife to destroy his uniform. Homer temporarily gets a job as a prison guard to keep an eye on Bart. Bart is afraid he will be buried alive in the sandpit or photographed being punched while going down a slide. Bart has another problem when he is partnered with Gina Vendetti for the "prom" by the warden. When they are dancing, Gina escapes with Bart using a rope, finding themselves on a window ledge. But because they are handcuffed together, she automatically brings a reluctant Bart along before the window could be closed (though he only comes after she kisses him). Slowly, they gain each others trust. It is publicized on channel 6 news of the escape and the Simpsons see it.
They are on the lam and look for a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
who can remove their cuffs. They are freed, but after it happens, Gina is alone and forlorn. Gina yells at Bart and Bart calls her a psycho. They engage in a brutal fight and this time, Bart is so angry he actually wants to kill her as much as she wants to kill him. They end up rolling right into the police officers who arrest them (and a bear that Cletus correctly predicts that would attack Chief Wiggum), telling the Simpsons that now Bart will stay in Juvie even longer (apparently for years, since that Wiggums claims that Bart would stay long enough to lose his innocence and become more muscular). Gina, feeling terrible, confesses she does not have a family when she returns to jail (also clearing Bart of all charges that would result in him remaining in prison), but the Simpsons and the warden step in to help Gina by offering a Mexican food feast in her cell at the end.
Cultural references
- The episode's title is a play on the name of a figure from medieval Christian folkloreChristian mythologyChristian mythology is the body of myths associated with Christianity. In the study of mythology, the term "myth" refers to a traditional story, often one which is regarded as sacred and which explains how the world and its inhabitants came to have their present form.Classicist G.S. Kirk defines a...
, the Wandering JewWandering JewThe Wandering Jew is a figure from medieval Christian folklore whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. The original legend concerns a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion and was then cursed to walk the earth until the Second Coming...
. - The "Little Hooker" T-shirt line sold at Costington's is a spoof of clothing manufacturers marketing adult fashions toward a pre-teen (especially female) demographic made by Abercrombie & FitchAbercrombie & FitchAbercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
and others. - The Itchy & ScratchyThe Itchy & Scratchy ShowThe Itchy & Scratchy Show is a show within a show in the animated television series The Simpsons. It usually appears as a part of The Krusty the Clown Show, watched regularly by Bart and Lisa Simpson...
cartoon, The Battle of Slaughter-Loo, is a pun on the Battle of WaterlooBattle of WaterlooThe Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. - Much of this episode's plot (where a shackled-together Bart and Gina escape prison and learn to work together to survive) is inspired from the 1958 film, The Defiant OnesThe Defiant OnesThe Defiant Ones is a 1958 drama film which tells the story of two escaped prisoners, one white and one black, who are shackled together and who must co-operate in order to survive. It stars Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Theodore Bikel, Cara Williams, Charles McGraw, and Lon Chaney, Jr...
. - When Gina calls Bart a "family guy" it is a reference to the animated TV series Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
which also airs on FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox 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...
(although Family Guy had been canceled and off the network for over two years by the airing of this episode) and focuses on a dysfunctional familyDysfunctional familyA dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
, furthering the supposed rivalry between Matt GroeningMatt GroeningMatthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
and Seth MacFarlaneSeth MacFarlaneSeth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
(who is a fan of The Simpsons, according to the DVD commentary of the season four episode PTVPTV (Family Guy)"PTV" is the fourteenth episode of season four of the FOX animated series Family Guy. The episode sees the FCC censor the shows on television after a controversial wardrobe malfunction at the Emmy Awards. Peter starts to create his own TV network which he calls PTV, broadcasting classic shows...
). - In a nod to DisneyThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, Gina explains to Bart that she got into juvie because she pushed Snow WhiteSnow White"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
off the Sleeping Beauty CastleSleeping Beauty CastleSleeping Beauty Castle is the fairy tale structure castle at the center of Disneyland Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. It is based on the late-19th century Neuschwanstein Castle,with some French inspirations .-Disneyland version:Opened July 17, 1955, the castle is the oldest of all Disney castles...
at DisneylandDisneyland Park (Anaheim)Disneyland Park is a theme park located in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of the Walt Disney Company. Known as Disneyland when it opened on July 18, 1955, and still almost universally referred to by that name, it is the only theme park to be...
. - Seymour SkinnerSeymour SkinnerPrincipal 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...
makes a remark about his mother winning dishes on the long-running game show, Let's Make a DealLet's Make a DealLet's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
on which dinnerware was one of the staple prizes. - Chief Wiggum's remark, "Well, well, if it isn't Punch and Juvie" is a reference to the puppet show, Punch and JudyPunch and JudyPunch and Judy is a traditional, popular puppet show featuring the characters of Mr. Punch and his wife, Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character...
. - The Ten Habits of Highly Effective Criminals, Snake's self-help book targeted at criminals, is inspired by the 1989 self-help book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective PeopleThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective PeopleThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989, is a self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey. It has sold more than 15 million copies in 38 languages since first publication, which was marked by the release of a 15th anniversary edition in 2004...
by Stephen CoveyStephen CoveyStephen Richards Covey is the author of the best-selling book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Other books he has written include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families. In 2004, Covey released The 8th Habit...
. - The sign in the warden's office — "HIS JUDGEMENT COMETH AND THAT RIGHT SOON" — is the same as the one seen in Warden Norton's office in the 19941994 in film1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
movie, The Shawshank RedemptionThe Shawshank RedemptionThe Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman....
. - The heavily edited Itchy & Scratchy short is reminiscent of classic cartoons (e.g., Looney TunesLooney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
and Merrie MelodiesMerrie MelodiesMerrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
) being edited on television due to issues of violence, racial stereotypes, and subject matter deemed inappropriate for children. - The song played when Bart buys all the wedding gifts is "White WeddingWhite weddingA white wedding is a traditional formal or semi-formal wedding originating in Europe.The term originates from the white color of the wedding dress, which first became popular with Victorian era elites, after Queen Victoria wore a white lace dress at her wedding; however, the term now also...
" by Billy IdolBilly IdolWilliam Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
. - Bart comments that his wedding prank is his "Sgt. Peppers", referring to The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
, which is often considered the band's magnum opusMasterpieceMasterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
.