D'oh Canada

Last updated

"D'oh Canada"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 30
Episode 21
Directed by Matthew Nastuk
Written by Tim Long & Miranda Thompson
Production codeYABF14
Original air dateApril 28, 2019 (2019-04-28)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag Bart writes "Haw Haw!" on the blackboard, but then hits it, that turns around to reveal Nelson attached to it with duct tape.
Couch gag Repeat of the couch gag from "How the Test Was Won", "Coming to Homerica" and "Moe Goes from Rags to Riches".
Episode chronology
← Previous
"I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say D'oh"		Next →
"Woo-Hoo Dunnit?"
The Simpsons season 30
List of episodes

"D'oh Canada" is the twenty-first episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 660th episode overall. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Tim Long and Miranda Thompson. It aired in the United States on Fox on April 28, 2019. The title of the episode is a play on the Canadian national anthem "O Canada".

Contents

In this episode, Lisa falls down Niagara Falls and is given asylum in Canada while Marge tries to bring her home. Awkwafina and Lucas Meyer guest starred. Author Judy Blume appeared as herself. "D'oh Canada" received mostly positive reviews but drew some controversy from Canadians, particularly Newfoundlanders, and Upstate New Yorkers.

Plot

The Simpson family is at the Mt. Splashmore water park, in line to ride the water slide, when Homer suddenly hustles the family out of the park. He reveals that he has earned two million soon-to-expire hotel rewards loyalty points, and takes them to Niagara Falls, traveling through upstate New York. At the falls, Lisa accidentally plunges over the falls while roughhousing with Bart and ends up on the Canadian side, where she is rescued by a Mountie.

Lisa is taken to a hospital where she is kept for observation. Homer balks at the cost but is reminded that Canadian healthcare is free. Lisa tells the Mountie three complaints about America: voter suppression, utter disregard for the environment, and "a President who's such a son-of-a-". The Mountie says, "We know," and declares Lisa a political refugee.

Lisa is placed in a foster home, while the rest of the family return to Springfield. Lisa starts attending Alanis Morissette Elementary School, and Skypes with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. When asked about the SNC-Lavalin affair, he quickly escapes out the window.

At the Detroit River on Ambassador Bridge, Marge hides in Squeaky-Voiced Teen's car to get to the foster home, and forces Lisa to return home. However they learn that they cannot return to Springfield due to deportation, and are thus stuck in Canada.

Marge however plans to cross the border line but Lisa is still unsure if she wants to leave the wonderful country. She then has a vision of several of her favorite American figures including Abraham Lincoln, Dumbo, Aretha Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Seabiscuit the horse, Watson the computer who won Jeopardy! , Judy Blume, and Louis Armstrong, who convince her to go home. With the help of Bart and Homer, Lisa and Marge sneak across a frozen river back to the United States.

Production

Development

The episode was co-written by Tim Long and his wife Miranda Thompson. Long felt that Bart represented the qualities of the United States while Lisa represented the qualities of Canada, so it made sense for him to make Lisa the one who wants to stay in Canada. Long stated that writing for episodes continue as late as possible into the production process to allow for current references such as the SNC-Lavalin affair. [1]

Casting

Journalist Lucas Meyer from Toronto guest starred as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Meyer gained notability for his various impressions on YouTube. The video was noticed by the show's producers. [2] He was contacted in September 2018 for the role, and after auditioning by phone, he received the offer. Trudeau was offered to play himself, but he declined. [3]

Awkwafina appeared as Lisa's doctor in Canada. She played a different character earlier in the season. [4] Writer Judy Blume appeared as herself. [5]

Release

The episode was expected to air in September 2019 but was moved up to April. [3]

Cultural references

Homer's satirical song about Upstate New York is a parody of Frank Sinatra's "Theme from New York, New York."

When the Mountie picks out a random hockey team for Lisa to become a fan of, he chooses the Ottawa Senators, much to her dismay ("Please not Ottawa, please not Ottawa!"). The Senators finished in last place in the 2018–19 NHL season. [6]

Reception and controversy

Viewing figures

"D'oh Canada" scored a 0.8 rating with a 4 share and was watched by 1.93 million people. [7]

Critical response

Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B−, stating, "’D’oh Canada’ wants to skewer its targets on the American side of the border by having Lisa's infatuation with all things Canadian (politeness, a hunky young Prime Minister, mounties with handsome horses, cape-wearing rescue beavers, free healthcare, schools that put on thought-provoking productions of Canadian literary legend Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale ) focus the show’s barbs more sharply and directly than usual." [4]

Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode 3.5 out of 5 stars. He thought the episode was well done but not as good as the classic episodes. He highlighted the song parody and the commentary but thought the jokes could be stronger. [8]

The musical mock salute to upstate New York drew substantial attention from the natives of that area, including a response from the New York State Republican Committee blaming the policies of Andrew Cuomo for making the region a laughingstock [9] and a fact check from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle , which concluded most of the claims were true but that some (such as Fox News viewership and disability claims) were misleading or unprovable. [10] The Great New York State Fair responded that they were taking the song in jest but would invite the writers to the fair to allow them to see the area in person. [11]

The episode came under fire in late April 2019 for offending some people. While the episode mocked then American President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and brought up the SNC-Lavalin affair, the aspects that caused offense were largely related to the Frank Sinatra parody song where Homer made fun of Upstate New York [12] and for the use of the term "newfie" in relation to Canadian residents of Newfoundland. In the latter several Canadian children chime "stupid newfies" before a character closely resembling Ralph Wiggum calls himself one and proceeds to beat a baby seal pup plush toy with a club while singing about being a Newfoundlander. [13] Musician Bruce Moss rejected an offer from the show's producers to use his song "The Islander" for the episode, referring to them as "morally bankrupt" and turning down $20,000 US. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer Simpson</span> Character from the Simpsons franchise

Homer Jay Simpson is the protagonist of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of the Simpsons, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Homer was created by the cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of producer James L. Brooks's office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip Life in Hell but instead created a new set of characters. He named the character after his father, Homer Groening. After appearing for three seasons on The Tracey Ullman Show, the Simpsons received their own series on Fox, which debuted on December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'oh!</span> Catchphrase used by Homer Simpson

"D'oh!" is the most famous catchphrase used by the fictional character Homer Simpson, from The Simpsons, an animated sitcom. It is an exclamation typically used after Homer injures himself, realizes that he has done something foolish, or when something bad has happened or is about to happen to him. All his prominent blood relations—son Bart, daughters Lisa and Maggie, his father, his mother and half-brother—have also been heard to use it themselves in similar circumstances. On a few occasions, Homer's wife Marge and characters outside the family such as Mr. Burns and Sideshow Bob have also used this phrase.

"Dancin' Homer" is the fifth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 8, 1990. In the episode, Homer becomes the new mascot of the Springfield Isotopes, the town's baseball team, after firing up the crowd at a baseball game. When the Isotopes start a winning streak, Homer becomes the mascot for the Capital City Capitals. The Simpsons move there but return home after Homer fails to enthrall the big-city crowd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Co-Dependents' Day</span> 15th episode of the 15th season of The Simpsons

"Co-Dependents' Day" is the fifteenth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 21, 2004. The episode was written by Matt Warburton and directed by Bob Anderson.

"And Maggie Makes Three" is the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox 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.

"So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 1, 1993. In the episode, Homer plays a series of practical jokes on Bart, and to get even, Bart shakes up a can of Homer's beer with a paint shaker. Homer opens the can, resulting in a huge explosion that lands him in the hospital, where he goes into a coma. At Homer's bedside, the Simpson family reminisce, mainly about moments relevant to Homer's life.

"Bart Gets an Elephant" is the seventeenth 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 March 31, 1994. In this episode, Bart wins a radio contest and is awarded a full-grown African elephant that he names Stampy. After Stampy wrecks the Simpsons' house and eats all the food, Homer decides to sell Stampy to an ivory dealer. Bart runs away with Stampy to save his pet, but the family finds the two at a museum exhibit, where Homer sinks into a tar pit. Homer is saved by Stampy, and so gives the elephant away to an animal refuge instead.

"Lost Our Lisa" is the twenty-fourth and penultimate episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 10, 1998. The episode contains the last appearance of the character Lionel Hutz. When Lisa learns that Marge cannot give her a ride to the museum and forbids her to take the bus, she tricks Homer into giving her permission. After Lisa gets lost, Homer goes looking for her and the two end up visiting the museum together.

"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.

<i>The Simpsons</i> opening sequence Opening sequence of the TV series The Simpsons

The Simpsonsopening sequence is the title sequence of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It is accompanied by "The Simpsons Theme". The first episode to use this introduction was the series' second episode "Bart the Genius".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boys of Bummer</span> 18th episode of the 18th season of The Simpsons

"The Boys of Bummer" is the eighteenth episode of the eighteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 29, 2007. It was written by Michael Price and was the first episode to be directed by Rob Oliver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Homer of Seville</span> 2nd episode of the 19th season of The Simpsons

"Homer of Seville", also known as "The Homer of Seville", is the second episode of the nineteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XIX</span> 4th episode of the 20th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XIX" is the fourth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 2, 2008. This is the nineteenth Treehouse of Horror episode, and, like the other Treehouse of Horror episodes, contains three self-contained segments: in "Untitled Robot Parody", Transformer robots run amok in Springfield; in "How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising", Homer is hired by advertising agents to kill celebrities so their images can be used for free; and in "It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse", Milhouse summons a man-eating pumpkin in a parody of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It was written by Matt Warburton and directed by Bob Anderson. Shortly after airing, the episode was criticized by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) because a Nelson Muntz uses "gay" as an insult.

"Waverly Hills, 9-0-2-1-D'oh", or "Waverly Hills 9-0-2-1-(Annoyed Grunt)", is the nineteenth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 3, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XXIV</span> 2nd episode of the 25th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XXIV" is the second episode of the twenty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 532nd episode of the series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 6, 2013. The episode was written by Jeff Westbrook and directed by Rob Oliver.

AtkinsRéalis Group Inc., previously known as SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., is a Canadian company based in Montreal that provides engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services to various industries, including mining and metallurgy, environment and water, infrastructure, and clean energy. AtkinsRéalis was the largest construction company, by revenue, in Canada, as of 2021.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 30 Season of television series

The thirtieth season of the animated television series The Simpsons premiered on Fox in the United States on September 30, 2018, and ended on May 12, 2019. The season was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. Al Jean returns as showrunner, a position he has held since the thirteenth season. Matt Selman also contributed as showrunner for the episodes "Heartbreak Hotel", "Krusty the Clown", "The Clown Stays in the Picture" and "Bart vs. Itchy & Scratchy". The series hit a milestone 650th episode on January 6, 2019 with the episode "Mad About the Toy", and the season also saw both the renewal of the series for two additional seasons on February 6, and the acquisition of the majority of 21st Century Fox's assets by Disney on March 20.

"I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say D'oh" is the twentieth episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 659th episode overall. The episode was directed by Mike Frank Polcino and written by Jeff Martin and Jenna Martin. It aired in the United States on Fox on April 7, 2019.

The SNC-Lavalin affair is a political scandal involving attempted political interference with the justice system by the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The Parliament of Canada's Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion found that Trudeau improperly influenced then Minister of Justice and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to intervene in an ongoing criminal case against Quebec-based construction company SNC-Lavalin by offering a deferred prosecution agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XXXIII</span> 6th episode of the 34th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XXXIII" is the sixth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 734th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 30, 2022. The episode was directed by Rob Oliver, and written by Carolyn Omine, Ryan Koh and Matt Selman. This is the first Treehouse of Horror episode to not have an opening sequence, and instead just opens on a book of the episode before going straight into the first segment. This is also the first Treehouse of Horror since season 14's to feature a different writer for each segment. This is the first Treehouse of Horror to air closest to Halloween since 2011 without going into November.

References

  1. ↑ Ahearn, Victoria (April 25, 2019). "The Simpsons writer shares details on Canuck-themed episode D'Oh Canada". CBC News . The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  2. ↑ McMillan, Elizabeth (April 22, 2019). "D'Oh Canada! Canadian journalist voicing Trudeau on The Simpsons thanks to YouTube video". CBC News . Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Ahearn, Victoria (April 22, 2019). "D'Oh Canada! Trudeau to make appearance on 'The Simpsons'". Global News . The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Perkins, Dennis (April 28, 2019). "Lisa flees to Canada, but a tepid Simpsons settles for safe ground". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  5. ↑ "(SI-3014) "D'oh Canada"". The Futon Critic . Archived from the original on April 9, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  6. ↑ "The Simpsons takes shot at Senators in Canadian-themed episode". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . The Canadian Press. April 28, 2019. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  7. ↑ Welch, Alex (April 30, 2019). "'American Idol,' 'The Simpsons' adjust up, 'The Red Line' adjusts down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  8. ↑ Sokol, Tony (April 29, 2019). "The Simpsons Season 30 Episode 21 Review: D'oh Canada". Den of Geek . Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  9. ↑ Stopera, Matt (May 1, 2019). "The Simpsons Eviscerated Upstate New York And Now Everyone Is Losing Minds". BuzzFeed . Archived from the original on May 19, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  10. ↑ Andreatta, David (May 5, 2019). "Don't have a cow, man. Homer Simpson was right about upstate New York". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle . Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  11. ↑ "The Simpsons poke fun at Buffalo and "upstate" New York". WGRZ . April 29, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  12. ↑ Campbell, Jon (April 29, 2019). "'The Simpsons' mocks upstate New York in scathing Sinatra parody". USA Today . Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  13. ↑ Mjo, Odwa (May 1, 2019). "Simpsons take heat for newfie joke in Canadian-themed episode". TimesLIVE . Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Musician turned down $20K offer for The Simpsons to use iconic Newfoundland song". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . April 30, 2019. Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
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.