And Maggie Makes Three

Last updated

"And Maggie Makes Three"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 13
Directed by Swinton O. Scott III [1]
Written by Jennifer Crittenden [1]
Production code2F10
Original air dateJanuary 22, 1995 (1995-01-22) [2]
Episode features
Chalkboard gag "'Bagman' is not a legitimate career choice" [1]
Couch gag Homer reenacts the James Bond gun barrel sequence. [3]
Commentary Matt Groening
David Mirkin
Swinton O. Scott III
David Silverman
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Homer the Great"		Next →
"Bart's Comet"
The Simpsons (season 6)
List of episodes

"And Maggie Makes Three" is the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 22, 1995. In the episode, Homer recounts the story of Maggie's birth when Bart and Lisa ask why there are no photos of her in the family album.

Contents

The episode was written by Jennifer Crittenden and directed by Swinton O. Scott III. This was both Crittenden and Scott's first episode on The Simpsons. It features cultural references to television series such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Knight Rider . Since airing, the episode has received critical acclaim from fans and television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 10.3, and was the fourth highest rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.

Plot

While browsing through the family photo album, Lisa notices it contains no baby pictures of Maggie. Homer explains why by recounting the story of Maggie's birth. In 1993, Homer hated his job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and dreamed of working at a bowling alley. After receiving a paycheck clearing him of all his debts, he quit his job at the power plant, humiliating Mr. Burns and literally burning a bridge during his departure. Homer was thrilled with his new job at Barney's Uncle Al's bowling alley.

When Homer and Marge had sexual intercourse to celebrate his new job, she became pregnant. Marge made Patty and Selma promise not to tell him, but they told two people known for gossiping. By the next day, the entire city of Springfield knew Marge was pregnant. Homer was blind to obvious signs, even when Moe congratulated him for getting Marge pregnant and her friends and family threw her a baby shower. When Maude casually congratulated him on his new job, Homer suddenly realized Marge was pregnant. The news upset him because he was happier working at the bowling alley than any other job.

Marge urged Homer to ask Al for a raise. Al explained the alley's profits prevented him from offering one unless Homer could find a way to increase business threefold. Homer tried to attract more customers by firing a shotgun outside the bowling alley, which only caused a massive panic and large police response - a series of events so absurd, Bart and Lisa don't even believe it until Marge confirms that it indeed happened. Unable to drum up business, Homer quit his dream job and returned to the power plant. Mr. Burns made Homer beg for his job back and placed a large plaque near his desk which read: "Don't forget: you're here forever". Homer was miserable at work again, but he instantly fell in love with Maggie when she was born.

Back in the present, Bart and Lisa still do not understand what this story has to do with Maggie's missing baby pictures. Homer says the photos are where he needs them most: all over the walls of his work area at the power plant. He has taped some of them to the plaque, covering portions so that it now reads "Do it for her."

Production

This was the first Simpsons episode written by Jennifer Crittenden, who was then 23 Jennifer Crittenden by Gage Skidmore.jpg
This was the first Simpsons episode written by Jennifer Crittenden, who was then 23

The episode was written by Jennifer Crittenden, and directed by Swinton O. Scott III. [1] This was the first episode Scott directed for the show. [4] Crittenden also made her debut as a writer for The Simpsons in this episode. Crittenden was taking a beginners' writing program at 20th Century Fox when former The Simpsons showrunner David Mirkin hired her on the show. [5] Crittenden's only writing experience before that had been as an intern on the Late Show with David Letterman . [5] 20th Century Fox introduced Crittenden to Mirkin, and Mirkin read a script of hers that he liked. [5] When Mirkin first talked to Crittenden, he thought she was a really nice woman who was very mature. [5] Crittenden was only 23 years old at the time, but Mirkin liked her, and he hired her. [5]

After Homer quits his job at the power plant, he violently tosses his old boss Mr. Burns out of the cart he is driving. Homer then drives across a wooden bridge and tosses a match onto it; the whole bridge is instantly engulfed in flames. [5] Mirkin came up with the joke, and said that "the thing with animation is that you can stage almost anything and time it perfectly, something you would not be able to do in live action". [5] As a live-action director, Mirkin said he enjoys the amount of control they have in animation. [5]

In the episode, Mr. Burns places a "de-motivational plaque" in Homer's station that reads "Don't forget: you're here forever". Homer then places photos of Maggie around the plaque to alter it into saying "Do it for her". [5] The Simpsons writer George Meyer, who enjoys writing jokes that involve anagrams or any other forms of word play, came up with the idea for this particular joke. [5] The joke is also an homage to Al Jaffee's Fold-in features in the Mad magazine. [6]

On September 4, 2018, 23 years after the episode's original broadcast, Simpsons producer Matt Selman posted a tweet saying that he had noticed a continuity error in the episode. When Marge announces to Homer that she is pregnant with Maggie, a photo of the baby can be seen in the background. [7]

Cultural references

The couch gag is a reference to the James Bond gun barrel sequence. [3] Dr. Hibbert's flashback hairstyle is modeled after Arsenio Hall's. [1] The family watches Knight Boat, a parody of Knight Rider . [3] Homer spinning around with a bowling ball in his hand before throwing it into the air and exclaiming "I'm gonna make it after all" is reminiscent of the opening of The Mary Tyler Moore Show where Mary throws her hat into the air. [1]

Reception

In its original broadcast, "And Maggie Makes Three" finished 47th in the ratings for the week of January 16 to January 22, 1995, with a Nielsen rating of 10.3. [8] The episode was the fourth-highest rated show on the Fox network that week, beaten only by Melrose Place , Beverly Hills, 90210 , and the Rock 'n' Roll Skating Championship. [8]

The final scene is often regarded as one of the most heart-warming moments in the show's history. Simpsons6x13.jpg
The final scene is often regarded as one of the most heart-warming moments in the show's history.

Since airing, the episode has received critical acclaim from fans and television critics. One-time The Simpsons writer and comedian Ricky Gervais named it his second favorite episode, and said: "Mr. Burns gives [Homer] this terrible plaque above his desk that says, 'Don't forget: You're here forever.' It's about how sometimes things don't go the way you planned, which is pretty amazing in a cartoon. Homer then puts up all the pictures of Maggie he's ever taken to strategically cover this horrible thing so it now reads, 'Do it for her.' It gives me a lump in the throat thinking about it." [9] Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, said: "A surprisingly traditional episode. The flashback to 1993 seems a bit odd, but this is a good example of a story that doesn't overly rely on set pieces and confounded expectations for its success." [3] In a review of the sixth season, Joshua Klein of the Chicago Tribune cited "And Maggie Makes Three", "Treehouse of Horror V", "Homer Badman", and "Lisa's Rival" among his favorite episodes of the season. [10]

TV Squad's Adam Finley said the episode "manages to be both incredibly funny and incredibly touching, both signs of a great Simpsons episode". [11] He added that "the episode has some great gags in it, but the emotion is very real, too. Homer is not thrilled with the idea of having a baby, and the episode does a wonderful job of showing the dark side of having another mouth to feed." [11] Colin Jacobson at DVD Movie Guide said in a review of the sixth season DVD: "Flashback episodes of The Simpsons usually work well, and [this episode] is no exception to that rule. Actually, at this point it’s one of my favorites, but that’s partially because of overexposure to some of the other episodes. In any case, this one has many hilarious moments – such as the scene that explains Homer's hair loss." [12] Kevin Wong at PopMatters said the episode is "a touching look at fatherhood". [13]

Related Research Articles

Marjorie Jacqueline "Marge" Simpson (née Bouvier) is a character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. Voiced by Julie Kavner, she first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Marge was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on Life in Hell but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He based the character on his mother Margaret Groening. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, the Simpson family received their own series on Fox, which debuted December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Simpson</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the youngest member of the Simpson family. 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 L. Brooks' office. She received her first name from Groening's youngest sister. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three years, the Simpson family was given their own series on the Fox Broadcasting Company which debuted December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Hibbert</span> Fictional character and singer from The Simpsons franchise

Dr. Julius Michael Hibbert, M.D. is a recurring character on the television animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is Springfield's most prominent medical professional. Although he has a kind and warm persona, he is also often characterized as greedy and lacking in empathy. His signature character trait is his often-inappropriate chuckling, which is generally cued by misfortune rather than something genuinely amusing. The character was voiced from his 1990 debut by Simpsons regular Harry Shearer, and since a recasting of all of the show's non-white characters, by Kevin Michael Richardson from 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Mirkin</span> American film and television writer, director and producer

David Mirkin is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer. Mirkin grew up in Philadelphia and intended to become an electrical engineer, but abandoned this career path in favor of studying film at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating, he became a stand-up comedian, and then moved into television writing. He wrote for the sitcoms Three's Company, It's Garry Shandling's Show and The Larry Sanders Show and served as showrunner on the series Newhart. After an unsuccessful attempt to remake the British series The Young Ones, Mirkin created Get a Life in 1990. The series starred comedian Chris Elliott and ran for two seasons, despite a lack of support from many Fox network executives, who disliked the show's dark and surreal humor. He moved on to create the sketch show The Edge starring his then-partner, actress Julie Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Weinstein</span> American television writer and producer

Josh Weinstein is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Weinstein and Bill Oakley became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans School; Weinstein then attended Stanford University and was editor-in-chief of the Stanford Chaparral. He worked on several short-term media projects, including writing for the variety show Sunday Best, but was then unemployed for a long period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror IV</span> 5th episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer Simpson", "Terror at 5+1⁄2 Feet", and "Bart Simpson's Dracula".

"Life on the Fast Lane", also known as "Jacques to Be Wild" in the UK, is the ninth episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 18, 1990. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by David Silverman. Albert Brooks guest starred as Jacques, a French bowling instructor, with him being credited as "A. Brooks".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa's First Word</span> 10th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of Lisa's first word. Maggie's first word is voiced by Elizabeth Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror V</span> 6th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror V" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the fifth entry in the Treehouse of Horror series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 30, 1994, and features three short stories: "The Shinning", "Time and Punishment", and "Nightmare Cafeteria".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpson family</span> Family of five fictional characters in animation series The Simpsons

The Simpson family are the main fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of married couple Homer and Marge and their three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town of Springfield, United States, and they were created by cartoonist Matt Groening, who conceived the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. The family debuted on Fox on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" and were later spun off into their own series, which debuted on Fox in the U.S. on December 17, 1989, and started airing in Winter 1989.

"Lady Bouvier's Lover" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 12, 1994. In the episode, Abe Simpson falls in love with Marge's mother, Jacqueline Bouvier, and they start dating. However, on a night out in town, she is charmed by Mr. Burns. Abe is brokenhearted when he learns that Jacqueline is going to marry Mr. Burns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Married Marge</span> 12th episode of the 3rd season of The Simpsons

"I Married Marge" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 26, 1991. In the episode, Marge worries that she may be pregnant again and visits Dr. Hibbert's office. While anxiously waiting at home, Homer tells Bart, Lisa, and Maggie the story of his and Marge's marriage and Bart's birth. The episode was written by Jeff Martin and directed by Jeffrey Lynch.

"The PTA Disbands" is the twenty-first episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series, The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 16, 1995. In the episode, Bart Simpson manipulates Edna Krabappel into organizing a strike of Springfield Elementary's teachers union to protest Principal Skinner's miserly school spending.

"Team Homer" is the twelfth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 7, 1996. In the episode, Homer starts a bowling team with Moe, Apu, and Otto. When Mr. Burns discovers the team was funded with his money, he insists on joining, but the team fears he will cost them the league championship. In the subplot, Bart's "Down with homework" T-shirt incites a school riot, so Principal Skinner implements a uniform dress code.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Crittenden</span> American screenwriter and producer

Jennifer Crittenden is an American screenwriter and producer. She started her writing career on the animated television series The Simpsons, and has since written for several other television sitcoms including Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld and Veep. Her work has earned her several Emmy Award nominations.

"The Last Temptation of Homer" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 1993. In the episode, an attractive female employee named Mindy is hired at the nuclear power plant. Homer and Mindy find themselves attracted to each other after bonding over their shared interests of beer, donuts and television. Although Homer is tempted to sleep with Mindy, he remains faithful to his wife Marge. Meanwhile, Bart becomes an outcast after medical treatments make him look like a nerd.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between September 4, 1994, and May 21, 1995, and consists of 25 episodes. The Simpsons is an animated series about a working class family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional city of Springfield, and lampoons American culture, society, television and many aspects of the human condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who Shot Mr. Burns?</span> Two-part episode of The Simpsons

"Who Shot Mr. Burns?" is a two-part episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons.Part One is the twenty-fifth and final episode of the sixth season and originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 21, 1995, while Part Two is the season premiere of the seventh season and aired on September 17, 1995.

"Homer Badman" is the ninth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on November 27, 1994. In the episode, Homer is falsely accused of sexual harassment and must clear his name. Dennis Franz guest stars as himself portraying Homer in a TV movie.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p.  164. ISBN   978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN   98141857. OCLC   37796735. OL   433519M.
  2. ↑ "And Maggie Makes Three". TheSimpsons.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "And Maggie Makes Three". BBC. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
  4. ↑ Scott, Swinton (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "And Maggie Makes Three" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mirkin, David (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "And Maggie Makes Three" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ↑ Silverman, David (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "And Maggie Makes Three" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. ↑ McDonald, Andy (September 6, 2018). "A 'Simpsons' Producer Noticed A Huge Continuity Error In 1 Episode". HuffPost Canada . Verizon Media. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  8. 1 2 "What we watch, what we don't...". Austin American-Statesman . January 29, 1995. p. 11.
  9. ↑ Snierson, Dan (March 24, 2006). "Ricky Gervais rates The Simpsons". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
  10. ↑ Klein, Joshua (September 9, 2005). "1994 vintage 'Simpsons' sets a tough standard - Homer's head houses DVDs". Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
  11. 1 2 Finley, Adam (August 10, 2006). "The Simpsons: And Maggie Makes Three". HuffPost TV. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
  12. ↑ Jacobson, Colin (2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season (1994)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  13. ↑ Wong, Kevin (August 24, 2005). "The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season". PopMatters. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.