"Bartless" | |
---|---|
The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | Season 34 Episode 15 |
Directed by | Rob Oliver |
Written by | John Frink |
Production code | OABF08 |
Original air date | March 5, 2023 |
Guest appearance | |
| |
"Bartless" is the fifteenth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 743rd episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 5, 2023. The episode was directed by Rob Oliver and written by John Frink.
In this episode, Homer and Marge wonder how their lives would be if Bart was never a Simpson. The episode received positive reviews.
At school, Bart is reading to a shy kindergarten student, who is not interested in the story. He makes up a new story while drawing in the book, which inspires the kids to start drawing in their own books. Enraged, Homer and Marge scolds at Bart for ruining the books at school by calling him a "destroyer" and threaten him with punishments while lamenting to his teacher how awful he is. However, they are shocked to learn that his actions with the books turned all the kids (even Ralph) into avid readers. Homer and Marge reevaluate their feelings towards their son and wonder if they have become resentful towards him because they are his parents. Both parents agree that they love Bart, but wonder if they like him.
The next day, Homer and Marge wake up in a world where Bart isn't a Simpson and live in a fancy house. Marge is a veterinarian at a Grey's Anatomy-type animal hospital where she is the only one who does any work, and Homer is a stadium scoreboard operator. After a family outing, the family accidentally hits a boy named Bart with their car. He has amnesia, and they take him in until they figure out where he lives so he can go home.
Bart starts to annoy the family with his behavior. With Homer, he plays with the scoreboard controls and angers him, but the display is a huge hit and earns Homer a promotion. At the animal hospital, no one listens to Marge until she tells them to "eat my shorts." Bart and Lisa watch cartoons into the night. Homer and Marge see that Lisa is happier (having been the first time that they heard her genuinely laugh), and Maggie is also happy when Bart adds her into a story he makes up. Chief Wiggum comes to take Bart to an orphanage, and Homer and Marge run after Bart as Wiggum takes him away. They wake up and realize they had a dream, and they go to tell Bart that they now like him for who he is. Bart pauses and with suspicion asks with some edge about what it means that they "now" like him, and Homer and Marge look at each other with a despairing expression as the episode ends.
It was revealed to be in production on June 23, 2022. [1]
Kerry Washington reprised her role as Rayshelle Peyton. [2] The character was introduced in the thirty-third season episode "My Octopus and a Teacher." [3]
The book that Bart reads refers to the type of books written by Richard Scarry. [4] The name of the animal hospital where Marge works refers to Shondaland, which produces the hospital drama Grey's Anatomy . [5] [6] The Itchy & Scratchy cartoon parodies The Great British Bakeoff with hosts Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding. [7]
The episode earned a 0.23 rating and was watched by 0.93 million viewers, which was the most watched show on Fox that night. [8]
The episode received positive reviews from critics.
Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4.5 out of 5 stars. He stated that the episode takes many dark turns to show how Bart is needed for the family dynamic. He also complimented Ralph's surreal adventure. [9]
John Schwarz of Bubbleblabber gave the episode an 8 out of 10. He stated that although there are flaws in the plot, the jokes were enough to keep watching. He also highlighted the writing for the Bart character. [10]
Jesse David Fox of Vulture stated that this episode stands with the best of the classic episodes. He said that the show was revisiting its relationship with Bart and felt like a reboot of the series. [11]
Samuel Williamson of Collider said that the episode proved that the series has been creatively improving although it may not be as good as the early seasons. Williamson highlighted the risks the writers took with the alternate reality while showing the positive impact of Bart. [12]
Chief Clancy Wiggum is a fictional character from the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Hank Azaria. He is the chief of police in the show's setting of Springfield, and is the father of Ralph Wiggum and the husband of Sarah Wiggum.
The Itchy & Scratchy Show is a fictional animated series featured on The Simpsons. The cartoon depicts a sadistic mouse named Itchy who repeatedly maims or murders a black cat named Scratchy. It is typically presented as 15- to 60-second sketches that are a part of The Krusty the Clown Show. Itchy & Scratchy is filled with graphic violence, unsuitable for children, that almost invariably prompts laughter from The Simpsons characters, especially Bart and Lisa.
"Trilogy of Error" is the eighteenth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 266th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 29, 2001. In the episode, Homer's rush to the hospital to re-attach his severed thumb, Lisa's rush to school to win the science fair, and Bart's run-in with an illegal fireworks scheme are interconnected as each act tells the events of the same day, but from a different point of view.
"Pranksta Rap" is the ninth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 13, 2005. The episode was directed by Mike B. Anderson and written by Matt Selman. The episode title refers to the music genre gangsta rap.
"Treehouse of Horror IX", titled onscreen as "The Simpsons Halloween Special IX", is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on October 25, 1998. This is the ninth Treehouse of Horror episode, and, like the other "Treehouse of Horror" episodes, contains three self-contained segments: In "Hell Toupée", Homer gets a hair transplant and is possessed by the spirit of an executed criminal; in "The Terror of Tiny Toon", Bart and Lisa are trapped in a special, extremely violent episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show; and in "Starship Poopers", Marge reveals that Maggie is the product of a one-night stand with the alien Kang.
"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" is the ninth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 20, 1990. In the episode, which is a satire of censorship issues, Maggie bullies Homer by attacking him with a mallet and Marge blames The Itchy & Scratchy Show for Maggie's actions. It was written by John Swartzwelder and was the first episode to be directed by Jim Reardon. Alex Rocco makes his first of three guest appearances as Roger Meyers Jr.
"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 3, 1992. The plot follows Bart continually getting in trouble, and how Homer is unable to give him any suitable punishment. Marge gets Homer to agree to make a punishment stick, and he forbids Bart to see the new Itchy & Scratchy movie for not watching Maggie.
"The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" is the fourteenth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 9, 1997. In the episode, The Itchy & Scratchy Show attempts to regain lost viewers by introducing a new character named Poochie, voiced by Homer. The episode is largely self-referential and satirizes the world of television production, fans of The Simpsons, and the series itself. It was written by David X. Cohen and directed by Steven Dean Moore. Alex Rocco is a credited guest voice as Roger Meyers Jr. for the third and final time ; Phil Hartman also guest stars as Troy McClure. Poochie became a minor recurring character and Comic Book Guy's catchphrase, "Worst episode ever", is introduced in this episode.
"The Front" is the nineteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired in the United States on Fox on April 15, 1993. In the episode, Bart and Lisa decide to write an episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show; after their script is rejected, they resubmit it under the name of their grandfather Abraham Simpson, resulting in Grampa being hired as a staff writer. Meanwhile, Homer returns to high school to retake a failed science course.
"Itchy & Scratchy Land" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on October 2, 1994. Wanting a perfect family vacation, the Simpson family visits Itchy & Scratchy Land, where the animatronics turn against the guests.
"The Day the Violence Died" is the eighteenth 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 March 17, 1996. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Wes Archer. Kirk Douglas guest stars as Chester J. Lampwick, Alex Rocco as Roger Meyers Jr., Jack Sheldon as an anthropomorphic constitutional amendment, Suzanne Somers as herself, and Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz. The end of the episode features Lester and Eliza, who resemble Bart and Lisa Simpson as they appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show in the 1980s.
Media is a recurring theme of satire on The Simpsons. The show is known for its satire of American popular culture and especially television culture, but has since its inception covered all types of media such as animation, journalism, commercials, comic books, movies, internet, and music. The series centers on a family and their life in a typical American town but the town of Springfield acts as a complete universe. The town features a vast array of media channels—from kids' television programming to local news, which enables the producers to make jokes about themselves and the entertainment industry.
"O Brother, Where Bart Thou?" is the eighth episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. Being the last episode to air in the 2000s, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 13, 2009. In this episode, Bart goes on a quest to get a baby brother out of jealousy of the sisterly bond Lisa has with Maggie.
"Bart's New Friend" is the eleventh episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 563rd episode of the series. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Judd Apatow. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 11, 2015.
"Wad Goals" is the thirteenth episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 697th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on February 28, 2021. The episode was directed by Mike Frank Polcino and written by Brian Kelley.
"Podcast News" is the sixth episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 15, 2020. In the episode, Grampa Simpson is accused of murdering his girlfriend, and Kent Brockman creates a podcast about it. Brockman's podcast is able to convince the town that Grampa was guilty of the crime, including Grampa himself, who confesses to the police. However, after the discovery that Grampa's girlfriend is still alive, he is exonerated and set free.
"Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Guitars" is the 15th episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 699th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 14, 2021. The episode was directed by Jennifer Moeller, and written by Michael Price. In this episode, Homer attempts to reunite an animatronic band from his youth, but TV and film producer J. J. Abrams gets ahold of them first. The episode was given positive reviews. The title of the episode is a play to the dystopian novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.
"Uncut Femmes" is the seventeenth episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 701st episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 28, 2021. The episode was directed by Chris Clements, and written by Christine Nangle.
"Bart's in Jail!" is the second episode of the thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 708th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 3, 2021. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore, and written by Nick Dahan.
"Poorhouse Rock" is the twenty-second and final episode of the thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 728th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 22, 2022. The episode was directed by Jennifer Moeller and written by Tim Long.