McMansion & Wife

Last updated

"McMansion & Wife"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 35
Episode 3
Directed byDebbie Bruce Mahan
Written by Dan Vebber
Production codeOABF20
Original air dateOctober 22, 2023 (2023-10-22)
Guest appearance
Episode features
Couch gag At the power plant, Homer receives a text message from Marge to come home. He gets into a luxury sports car. He uses the car's controls to change his appearance, obtain goat milk, and fly home. He arrives at home and sits on the couch. Marge says they are out of food, and Santa's Little Helper was sprayed by a skunk. Homer then wakes up from his dream at the power plant.
Episode chronology
← Previous
"A Mid-Childhood Night's Dream"		Next →
"Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story"
The Simpsons season 35
List of episodes

"McMansion & Wife" is the third episode of the thirty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 753rd episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 22, 2023. The episode was directed by Debbie Bruce Mahan and written by Dan Vebber.

Contents

In this episode, Homer and Marge befriend their new neighbors while Nelson intensifies his bullying at school. The episode received mixed reviews.

The episode was dedicated in memory of Suzanne Somers.

Plot

The Simpson family visits their new neighbors, Thayer and Anne. Thayer owns a luxury sports car dealership. They invite Homer and Marge to spend time with them. Homer enjoys their company and agrees to let Thayer and Anne to make alterations to their home. However, Homer and Marge become upset when they find out that Thayer and Anne are performing a noisy full remodel of their home. Meanwhile, a presentation at Springfield Elementary School intended to curb bullying convinces Nelson to intensify his bullying instead.

Homer confronts Thayer at his car dealership, and he lets Homer borrow a luxury sports car as an apology. Meanwhile, Bart is afraid that Nelson will bully him, but Lisa has prevented Nelson from bullying the students by uploading humiliating videos of Nelson that cause the students to laugh at him.

Later, Nelson bullies Bart, and Lisa goes to upload a video of Nelson. However, Nelson has forced Hubert Wong to block Lisa from uploading videos. Although Lisa and Hubert attempt to outwit each other with their computer skills, they call a truce when they realize their activities would look bad when applying for colleges. Meanwhile, Thayer and Anne's house has become a mansion that blocks sunlight from reaching the Simpson house. Lisa and Hubert resolve the issue when they discover that their street is a historical site, so the house cannot be remodeled.

In the future, the Simpson house has become a historical museum about the family and the town.

Production

Dick Van Dyke appeared as himself, and Rosalie Chiang was cast as the new voice of Hubert Wong. [1] The character was previously voiced by Tress MacNeille. [2] In 2020, the producers stated that white actors would no longer voice non-white characters. [3]

The episode was dedicated in memory of Suzanne Somers. Somers appeared in the seventh season episode "The Day the Violence Died." [4]

Controversy

In the episode, Homer comments about how strangling Bart gave him a firm handshake, but he no longer does it because of changing cultural norms. The depiction of Homer choking Bart dates back to the shorts featured on The Tracey Ullman Show. Some viewers reacted by praising Homer's evolution while others thought Homer's character should not be changing. Viewers also noticed that the act of Homer choking Bart had not been featured since the thirty-first season episode "The Winter of Our Monetized Content." [5] The show previously acknowledged the violence of the act in the twenty-second season episode "Love Is a Many Strangled Thing." [6] It also called the act "child abuse" in the eleventh season episode "Behind the Laughter." [7]

The producers responded with a drawing of Homer strangling Bart with Homer calling the controversy "clickbaiting." [8] Executive producer James L. Brooks denied that the show would alter Homer's behavior. [9]

Reception

Viewing figures

The episode earned a 0.30 rating with 1.06 million viewers, which was the most-watched show on Fox that night. [10]

Critical reception

John Schwarz of Bubbleblabber gave the episode a 5 out of 10. He thought both main stories were repeats of previous episodes. He liked the episode's reference to the 1990 film Goodfellas . [2]

Cathal Gunning of Screen Rant thought the episode effectively connected the couch gag into the main story. He thought it was a demonstration of the more experimental elements of the show in its later seasons. [11]

Related Research Articles

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

Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and the lead school bully from the animated television series The Simpsons, where he is best known for his signature mocking laugh "Ha-ha!". He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was first introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as an antagonist, but later became more of an anti-hero, continuing to bully those weaker than him while occasionally showing a friendly and sensitive nature underneath. Nelson lives in poverty with his mother in a run-down home, and often shoplifts from convenience stores to get by.

<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.

"Saturdays of Thunder" is the ninth 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 November 14, 1991. In the episode, Homer realizes he knows little about Bart and strives to be a better father. When he learns Bart is competing in a Soap Box Derby, Homer helps him make a racer. Bart drives Martin's far superior racer instead, hurting Homer's feelings. Homer eventually realizes he must be a good father by supporting Bart.

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haw-Haw Land</span> 10th episode of the 29th season of The Simpsons

"Haw-Haw Land" is the tenth episode of the twenty-ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 628th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Tim Long and Miranda Thompson. It aired in the United States on Fox on January 7, 2018.

"The Hateful Eight-Year-Olds" is the 21st and penultimate episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 683rd episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 10, 2020. The episode was written by Joel H. Cohen and was directed by Jennifer Moller.

"Diary Queen" is the 12th episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 696th episode overall. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Jeff Westbrook. The episode follows Bart’s discovery of his former teacher's diary.

"Wad Goals" is the 13th episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 697th episode overall. The episode was directed by Mike Frank Polcino, and written by Brian Kelley. In this episode, Bart becomes a successful caddy, but Marge worries that it is ruining his character. Stephen Root guest-stars as Bildorf.

"Yokel Hero" is the 14th episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 698th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 7, 2021. The episode was directed by Rob Oliver, and written by Jeff Martin & Samantha Martin.

"Lisa's Belly" is the fifth episode of the thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 711th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 24, 2021. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Juliet Kaufman.

"Boyz N the Highlands" is the 13th episode of the 33rd season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 719th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 6, 2022. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Dan Vebber. The plot is inspired by the 2019 movie Get Duked!.

"Marge the Meanie" is the 20th episode of the 33rd season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 726th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 8, 2022. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Megan Amram.

"When Nelson Met Lisa" is the ninth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 737th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on November 27, 2022. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Ryan Koh.

"My Life as a Vlog" is the twelfth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 740th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on January 1, 2023. The episode was directed by Debbie Bruce Mahan and written by Jessica Conrad.

"The Many Saints of Springfield" is the thirteenth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 741st episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on February 19, 2023. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by series showrunner Al Jean.

"Fan-ily Feud" is the eighteenth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 746th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on April 23, 2023. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Broti Gupta.

"Step Brother from the Same Planet" is the eighth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 736th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on November 20, 2022. The episode was directed by Matthew Faughnan and written by Dan Vebber.

"Top Goon" is the eleventh episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 739th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on December 11, 2022. The episode was directed by Chris Clements and written by Joel H. Cohen.

"The Very Hungry Caterpillars" is the twentieth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 748th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 7, 2023. The episode was directed by Gabriel DeFrancesco and written by Brian Kelley.

"Ae Bonny Romance" is the eighth episode of the thirty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 758th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on December 3, 2023. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Michael Price.

References

  1. ↑ "(SI-3420) "McMansion & Wife"". The Futon Critic . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Schwarz, John (October 23, 2023). "Review: The Simpsons "McMansion & Wife"". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  3. ↑ Petski, Denise (June 26, 2020). "'The Simpsons' Will No Longer Have White Actors Voice Non-White Characters". Deadline . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ Valdez, Nick (October 23, 2023). "The Simpsons Honors Suzanne Somers With Tribute in Latest Episode". ComicBook.com. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  5. ↑ Caruso, Nick (November 13, 2023). "The Simpsons Co-Creator Says Bart Will Still Be Strangled: 'Nothing's Changing'". TVLine . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  6. ↑ Leston, Ryan (November 6, 2023). "Homer Won't Strangle Bart Anymore On The Simpsons". IGN . Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  7. ↑ Deb, Sopan (November 7, 2023). "Is Homer Simpson a Good Dad Now?" . The New York Times . Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  8. ↑ Schneider, Michael (November 9, 2023). "Did 'The Simpsons' Really Ban Homer From Strangling Bart? Producers Call Out 'Clickbaiting' Reports in New Drawing (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  9. ↑ Andersson, Eric; Jackson, Dory (November 12, 2023). "Homer Will Continue to Strangle Bart on The Simpsons, Says Co-Creator: 'Nothing's Changing' (Exclusive)". People . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  10. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (October 23, 2023). "Sunday Ratings: FS1 Likely Runner-Up Among Key Demos with Game Six of MLB's American League Championship Series". Programming Insider. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  11. ↑ Gunning, Cathal (October 25, 2023). "The Simpsons Season 35 Breaks The Show's Couch Gag Formula (& Makes It Better)". Screen Rant . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
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.