Rome-Old and Juli-Eh

Last updated

"Rome-Old and Juli-Eh"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 18
Episode 15
Directed by Nancy Kruse
Written by Daniel Chun
Production codeJABF08
Original air dateMarch 11, 2007 (2007-03-11)
Guest appearances
Jane Kaczmarek as Judge Constance Harm
Episode features
Couch gag In a parody of the Bonanza opening, a map of frontier-era United States is burned out in the center, revealing the Simpsons on horseback as they gallop away.
Commentary
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Yokel Chords"		Next →
"Homerazzi"
The Simpsons season 18
List of episodes

"Rome-Old and Juli-Eh" is the fifteenth 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 March 11, 2007. The episode was written by Daniel Chun and directed by Nancy Kruse.

Contents

In this episode, Grampa starts a romantic relationship with Selma while Bart and Lisa build a fort with cardboard boxes. Jane Kaczmarek guest starred as her recurring character, Judge Constance Harm. The episode received mixed reviews.

Plot

Homer surprises the family with a newly decorated basement, now a recreation room, prompting Marge to ask how he could afford all this. He tells Marge he has a plan, and he files for bankruptcy because he believes that this will save him from paying his debts. Unfortunately, Judge Constance Harm tells him that the bankruptcy laws have changed, and, under the new laws, he must pay everything back. Looking through the family's expenses, Homer decides to save money by moving Grampa out of the retirement home and having him live with the family. Grampa turns the recreation room into his bedroom. Without the recreation room, Bart and Lisa decide to order complimentary cardboard delivery boxes after seeing Ned order some. One night, Homer and Marge go out and ask Grampa to babysit Bart and Lisa. Not trusting Grampa's competence, Marge also asks her sister Selma to watch Grampa and the kids. During the evening, Grampa and Selma bond and end up kissing as Homer and Marge arrive home.

Bart and Lisa decide to build a fort with their boxes. When the box deliveryman sees what Bart and Lisa did with the boxes, he demands they return them, and he threatens them when they refuse. Meanwhile, Homer is disgusted by Grampa, who decides to start dating Selma. However, Marge is happy with the arrangement. Patty enlists Homer to break them up. At the mall, Patty, disguised as Selma, kisses a disguised Homer as Grampa passes them. Grampa is saddened until the real Selma appears and exposes them.

Angry at being manipulated, Grampa proposes to Selma and she accepts. They get married and move in together. With Grampa unable to work, Selma works as a manager at the DMV while he stays home and takes care of her daughter Ling. One day, Grampa gets confused while using the kitchen appliances and causes a fire. This makes Selma realize their relationship cannot last just with love, and she dances with him one last time. Meanwhile, an army of deliverymen arrive to battle Bart and Lisa at their fort. As they scale the fort, Nelson comes to the rescue of Bart and Lisa. They fend off the army but decide to melt the fort with water from a hose when they get bored with it.

Production

Jane Kaczmarek reprised her role as Judge Constance Harm. [1] Kaczmarek first voiced this role in the thirteenth season episode "The Parent Rap". [2]

Cultural references

To save gas, Homer says he is "Flintstone-ing" the car, a reference of how characters from the animated television series The Flintstones start their cars. The battle sequence with Bart, Lisa, and the box deliverymen is a parody of the battles from The Lord of the Rings film series. [3]

Reception

Viewing figures

The episode earned a 3.1 rating and was watched by 8.79 million viewers on its first broadcast on Fox, which was the 33rd most-watched show that week. [4]

Critical response

Robert Canning of IGN gave the episode a 6 out of 10, concluding,

Again, this was an episode that had a handful of funny bits, but none of it came together to tell a solid, original story. And that's one of the major downfalls that's been hurting the show of late -- running out of stories to tell. This isn't too surprising after 18 seasons, but you'd think they would have been able to come up with something better than another Selma marriage that you already knew was going to fail. [3]

Adam Finley of AOL TV wrote, "[t]his episode had some good laughs, but overall I wasn't too impressed." [5]

On Four Finger Discount, Guy Davis and Brendan Dando thought the episode was "weird". They did not find the episode believable, and they knew the relationship between Grampa and Selma would not last. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grampa Simpson</span> Recurring character in The Simpsons

Abraham Jebediah "Abe" Simpson II, better known as Grampa Simpson, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He made his first appearance in the episode entitled "Grandpa and the Kids", a one-minute Simpsons short on The Tracey Ullman Show, before the debut of the television show in 1989.

<i>Songs in the Key of Springfield</i> 1997 soundtrack album by The Simpsons

Songs in the Key of Springfield is a soundtrack/novelty album from The Simpsons compiling many of the musical numbers from the series. The album was released in the United States on March 18, 1997, and in the United Kingdom in June 1997. This was the second album released in association with the Simpsons television series; however, the previous release, The Simpsons Sing the Blues, contained original recordings as opposed to songs featured in episodes of the series.

"Catch 'em if You Can" is the eighteenth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 25, 2004.

"Sleeping with the Enemy" is the third 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 November 21, 2004. In the episode, Marge finds Nelson and acts as a mother figure towards him due to her belief that her children lost interest in her. Meanwhile, Lisa gets teased about her big butt, and becomes obsessed with her weight.

"Bart vs. Thanksgiving" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on Thanksgiving, November 22, 1990. In the episode, Bart runs away from home after destroying a centerpiece that Lisa makes for the Thanksgiving dinner table.

<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 who were high school sweethearts 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XIV</span> 1st episode of the 15th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XIV" is the first 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 November 2, 2003. In the fourteenth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, Homer takes on the role of the Grim Reaper, Professor Frink creates a Frankenstein-version of his deceased father ("Frinkenstein") and Bart and Milhouse obtain a time-stopping watch. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Steven Dean Moore. Guest stars in the episode include Jerry Lewis, whose character in The Nutty Professor served as the inspiration for recurring Simpsons character Professor Frink, as Frink's father, and Jennifer Garner, Dudley Herschbach, and Oscar De La Hoya as themselves. The episode was nominated for the 2004 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.

"On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister" is the eleventh 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 March 6, 2005. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Jeff Westbrook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Way We Was</span> 12th episode of the 2nd season of The Simpsons

"The Way We Was" is the twelfth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 31, 1991. In the episode, Marge tells the story of how she and Homer first met and fell in love. Flashing back to 1974, it is shown how Homer falls in love with Marge in high school and tries to get close to her by enlisting her as his French tutor. After several hours of verb conjugation, Marge falls for Homer too, only to become enraged when he admits he is not a French student. Marge rejects Homer's invitation to the prom and goes with Artie Ziff, who turns out to be a terrible date and Marge realizes that it is Homer she really wants.

"The Parent Rap" is the second episode and official premiere of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 11, 2001. In the episode, Bart and his father, Homer, are sentenced by the cruel judge Constance Harm to be tethered to each other as a result of Bart stealing Police Chief Wiggum's car thanks to Homer's negligence. Eventually, Homer's wife, Marge, is fed up with the punishment and cuts the rope, which instead leads to Judge Harm sentencing them to have their heads and hands locked up in wooden stocks.

"Brawl in the Family" is the seventh episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 6, 2002. In the episode, the Simpsons get arrested for domestic violence, prompting social worker Gabriel to move in and make the family functional. After the family is declared acceptable, Amber and Ginger, the cocktail waitresses Homer and his neighbor Ned Flanders married in Las Vegas, show up at their doorsteps. This episode is the first episode of Season 13's DABF production line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Married Marge</span> 11th episode of the 3rd season of The Simpsons

"I Married Marge" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox 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.

"Homer's Paternity Coot" is the tenth episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 8, 2006. Mail from forty years earlier is discovered, and a letter from Homer Simpson's mother's old boyfriend states that he is Homer's true father. Homer sets out to find his supposed new father, leaving Abe Simpson behind. It was written by Joel H. Cohen and directed by Mike B. Anderson. The episode guest stars William H. Macy and Joe Frazier as themselves, and Michael York as Homer's new father, Mason Fairbanks.

"Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" is the tenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on December 4, 1994. In the episode, Homer and Marge's sex life wanes, so Grampa restores it with a homemade revitalizing tonic. He and Homer travel town-to-town selling the elixir, but they become estranged after Grampa reveals that Homer's conception was unintentional.

"The Wife Aquatic" is the tenth 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 January 7, 2007. The episode was written by Kevin Curran and directed by Lance Kramer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind</span> 9th episode of the 19th season of The Simpsons

"Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" is the ninth 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 December 16, 2007.

"Brake My Wife, Please" is the twentieth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 11, 2003. The episode was written by Tim Long and directed by Pete Michels.

"Gone Abie Gone" is the fourth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 512th episode overall. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Joel H. Cohen. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 11, 2012.

"The Winter of His Content" is the fourteenth episode of the twenty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 544th episode of the series. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 16, 2014. It was written by Kevin Curran and directed by Chuck Sheetz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barthood</span> 9th episode of the 27th season of The Simpsons

"Barthood" is the ninth episode of the twenty-seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 583rd episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Rob Oliver and written by Dan Greaney. It aired in the United States on Fox on December 13, 2015. The episode parodies the 2014 film Boyhood.

References

  1. ↑ "Episode Title: (SI-1808) "Rome-Old and Juli-Eh"". The Futon Critic . Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  2. ↑ Davis, Brian (September 19, 2021). "'The Simpsons': The 11 Best Guest Stars Who Didn't Play Themselves". Collider . Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Canning, Robert (March 12, 2007). "The Simpsons: "Rome-Old and Juli-Eh" Review". IGN . Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (Mar. 5-11)". ABC Medianet. March 13, 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ Finley, Adam (March 12, 2007). "The Simpsons: Rome-old and Juli-eh". HuffPost . Archived from the original on May 19, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  6. ↑ Davis, Guy; Dando, Brendan (January 18, 2024). ""Rome-Old And Juli-Eh" Podcast Review (S18E15)". Four Finger Discount (Simpsons Podcast) (Podcast). Event occurs at 5:30. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
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.