Secrets of a Successful Marriage

Last updated

"Secrets of a Successful Marriage"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 22
Directed byCarlos Baeza
Written by Greg Daniels
Production code1F20
Original air dateMay 19, 1994 (1994-05-19)
Guest appearance
Episode features
Chalkboard gag "Five days is not too long to wait for a gun"
Couch gag The members of the family run in, collide, and explode. Maggie's pacifier falls to the floor of the blackened living room.
Commentary David Mirkin
Greg Daniels
David Silverman
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Lady Bouvier's Lover"		Next →
"Bart of Darkness"
The Simpsons (season 5)
List of episodes

"Secrets of a Successful Marriage" is the twenty-second and final 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 19, 1994. In the episode, Homer fears he may be a little slow, so he goes to the adult education center. While there, he decides to teach a class of his own on the secrets of a successful marriage, since that is the only class he is qualified to teach. However, to keep his students interested, he is forced to tell personal secrets about his wife Marge, which she dislikes, leading up to Homer getting kicked out of the house.

Contents

The episode was written by Greg Daniels and directed by Carlos Baeza. It features cultural references to the plays Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire , and the films ...And Justice for All , A Few Good Men , Patton , and Chinatown .

The episode has been analyzed in books such as Leaving Springfield and Education in Popular Culture. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics.

It acquired a Nielsen rating of 9.8, and was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.

Plot

Homer is disheartened to learn that all of his peers, including his family, believe he is "slow". Marge advises Homer to take an adult education course. While looking at available courses, Homer decides to teach a class himself, and is soon hired to teach a class about how to build a successful marriage. On the first day of class, Homer is unable to help his students with their relationship problems. As the students begin leaving, Homer mentions his conversation with Marge in bed and the students, eager to hear gossip, decide to stay. To the students' delight, Homer begins telling them personal secrets about Marge.

After hearing Homer's students mention her personal secrets, Marge confronts Homer. He promises to stop revealing personal secrets in class, but relents after realizing his students are not interested in his other teaching material. To impress his pupils, Homer invites them to his house to observe the family having dinner, but when Moe mentions another personal secret, a furious Marge chases the students away and evicts Homer from the house, as she is no longer able to trust him in any matter.

With nowhere to go, Homer sleeps in Bart's treehouse. Bart and Lisa worry their parents will get divorced. Attempting to make amends, Homer returns to the house with flowers for Marge, but is disheartened to learn Moe has already given Marge flowers. As he turns to leave, Homer realizes he can only offer Marge one thing: complete and utter dependency. Marge is hesitant at first, but she and Homer reconcile when she realizes he makes her feel needed.

Production

David Mirkin was the episode's executive producer. Davidmirkin.jpg
David Mirkin was the episode's executive producer.

The episode was written by Greg Daniels and directed by Carlos Baeza. It was the second script Daniels wrote for the show. He thought the staff had previously done many episodes where Homer "wasn't good at anything", so he tried to figure out something Homer was really good at, and he came up with the idea of Homer being a good husband. [1] While Bart had been the star of the show during the early years, by Season 5, the focus had shifted to Homer. Writer/showrunner Al Jean stated that because Homer is an adult character, he has more depth to him and thus storyline possibilities. Showrunner David Mirkin commented: "Bart, to write him accurately as a child, he can only have so much depth at a certain age. With Homer, we try to explore all levels of adulthood. There are just more places to go. Writing Homer properly is the trick, he's our main rock of the whole series. Homer's IQ is fairly flexible, he won't necessarily understand how to open a door at some point, but he can name the Supreme Court justices. Finding that balance is key to making the show work and making it surprising and making it believable and emotionally grounded." [2] Mirkin was very fond of the fact that Homer and Marge have the biggest fight they have ever had on the show in the episode, and he thought it was a "really great" exploration of their marriage. He noticed that because Homer is thrown out of the house, the audience really worry about their relationship. Mirkin had been asked many times why Marge and Homer are still together, to which he replied that all people stay together even if they argue, "there's some sort of connection". [3]

Cultural references

Homer sings the end of the theme song to Family Ties while talking to an administrator at the annex center. Smithers's recollection of his marriage parodies the two plays Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire , both written by American playwright Tennessee Williams. [4] Homer's bedroom rant to Marge is a parody mishmash of four popular films: ...And Justice for All (1979), A Few Good Men (1992), Patton (1970), and Chinatown (1974). He says: "Look Marge, you don't know what it's like. I'm the one out there every day putting his ass on the line. And I'm not out of order! You're out of order. The whole freaking system is out of order. You want the truth? You want the truth?! You can't handle the truth! 'Cause when you reach over and put your hand into a pile of goo that was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do! Forget it, Marge, it's Chinatown," all of which are lines from those films. [5]

Analysis

In a reference to Tennessee Williams's most famous plays, Smithers is shown in a flashback to have split up with his wife because he devoted too much time to his boss Mr. Burns, causing his sexual orientation to come into question. Tennessee Williams NYWTS.jpg
In a reference to Tennessee Williams's most famous plays, Smithers is shown in a flashback to have split up with his wife because he devoted too much time to his boss Mr. Burns, causing his sexual orientation to come into question.

It was revealed in a flashback in the episode that Smithers was briefly married to a woman, but the two split up when he devoted too much time to his boss Mr. Burns. Smithers's relationship with Mr. Burns has long been a running joke on The Simpsons. His sexual orientation has often come into question, with some fans claiming he is a "Burns-sexual" and only attracted to his boss, while others maintain that he is, without a doubt, gay. [6] [7] Matthew Henry wrote in the book Leaving Springfield that this episode is "perhaps the best" example of an attempt to portray an actual gay lifestyle on the show. Henry added that the flashback is a "wonderfully rendered parody of scenes from two of Tennessee Williams's most famous plays, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire. To fully appreciate it, one must know something of not only the two plays cited but also of Williams himself, of his own struggles with both heterosexual and homosexual desires and the way in which these struggles were incorporated into his art. The creators of The Simpsons offer what I think is a perfect parallel for the relationship between Smithers and Mr. Burns by combining Williams's two most notable male characters and their defining characteristics: the suppressed homosexual desire of Brick and desperate dependence of Stanley." [8]

In their book Education in Popular Culture, Alma Harris, Roy Fisher, Ann Harris, and Christine Jarvis analyzes the adult education aspects of this episode that portrays adult learners as "stupid and lazy". The show initially makes it seem like adult education tutors have a relatively high status in society. "However," the authors added, "Homer's pride is undercut for the audience by the awareness of how he came to be appointed and by the subsequent representation of the adult education center". [9]

Reception

Ratings

In its original American broadcast, "Secrets of a Successful Marriage" finished forty-third in the ratings for the week of May 16 to May 22, 1994, with a Nielsen rating of 9.8. The episode was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following Melrose Place . [10]

Critical reception

Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, thought it was a "confident finale" to the fifth season, which "had seen the series become progressively more surreal and self-aware." [4]

DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson wrote in December, 2004, that he thought the episode ended the season with a "high note", and that Homer’s insensitive gossiping about his relationship "presents lots of good bits. It completes this excellent year well." Jacobson's favorite line of the episode was "This is a place of learning, not a house of hearing about things!", which Homer tells his class after they demand him to reveal more secrets about him and Marge. [11] Also reviewing the season in December 2004, Bill Gibron of DVD Talk gave the episode a score of 4 out of 5. [12]

In his review of the Season 5 box set in early 2005, Patrick Bromley of DVD Verdict gave the episode a grade of A−, and commented that episodes focusing on the relationship between Homer and Marge can "never fail", and there are "numerous opportunities for some classic Homer-isms" in the episode. [13]

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in March 2006, one-time Simpsons writer and comedian Ricky Gervais named "Secrets of a Successful Marriage" his fifth favorite episode of the show, and commented that Homer's line to Marge, "I know now what I can offer you that no one else can. Complete and utter dependence," is "so sweet, because he's right!" [14]

It ranked seventh on Today's top ten The Simpsons episodes list in July, 2007. They felt the episode embodied Homer's qualities of being "stupid, good-natured and mildly pathetic, [...] from his conversations with his brain [...] to his final proclamation that the one thing he can give Marge that no one else can is 'complete and utter dependence'." [15]

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.

"Lisa's Wedding" is the nineteenth 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 March 19, 1995. The plot focuses on Lisa visiting a carnival fortune teller and learning about her future love. It was written by Greg Daniels and directed by Jim Reardon. Mandy Patinkin guest stars as Hugh Parkfield and Phil Hartman guest stars as Troy McClure. The episode won an Emmy Award in 1995 for Outstanding Animated Program, becoming the third episode of The Simpsons to win the award.

<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".

<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".

"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.

"$pringfield ", simply known as "$pringfield", is the tenth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 91st episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 16, 1993. In the episode, Springfield legalizes gambling to revitalize its economy. Mr. Burns opens a casino where Homer is hired as a blackjack dealer. Marge develops a gambling addiction, Bart opens a casino in his tree house, and Burns' appearance and mental state deteriorate à la Howard Hughes.

"The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" is the twenty-fifth episode and the season finale of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 18, 1997. Bart gets sent to a military academy as punishment for bad behavior. While visiting the academy, Lisa sees that the school is far more challenging than hers and she decides that she wants to attend as well. It was directed by Mike B. Anderson, written by Richard Appel and featured Willem Dafoe in a guest spot as the school's commandant.

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bart's Girlfriend</span> 7th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons

"Bart's Girlfriend" is the seventh 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 6, 1994. The plot of the episode follows the secret romance of Bart and Reverend Lovejoy's daughter Jessica, who makes her debut in this episode. Bart tries to end the romance when he discovers that, behind her innocent façade as a preacher's kid, she is an even bigger troublemaker than he is. Jessica steals the money from the church collection plate, leaving Bart to take the blame until Lisa exposes the truth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer vs. Patty and Selma</span> 17th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons

"Homer vs. Patty and Selma" is the seventeenth 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 February 26, 1995. In the episode, Homer loses all his money in pumpkin futures and must turn to Patty and Selma for a loan. Meanwhile, Bart takes up ballet lessons, with an instructor voiced by actress Susan Sarandon.

"Principal Charming" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 14, 1991. In the episode, Marge asks Homer to find a husband for her sister Selma. Homer invites Principal Skinner to dinner after Bart gets caught vandalizing the school's lawn. Skinner's dinner with the Simpsons fails to go as planned when he instead falls for Selma's twin sister Patty.

"Bart's Inner Child" is the seventh 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 November 11, 1993. In the episode, Marge — realizing her excessive nagging spoils the family's fun — seeks help from self-help guru Brad Goodman. He praises Bart's irreverent attitude and encourages his followers to emulate Bart's care-free antics. Soon everyone in Springfield starts to act like Bart, who feels that his role as a troublemaker is usurped. After the inaugural "Do What You Feel Festival" ends in calamity and a riot, the town decides to stop acting like Bart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer and Apu</span> 13th episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons

"Homer and Apu" is the thirteenth 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 February 10, 1994. In the episode, Homer participates in a hidden-camera investigation of spoiled food being sold at the Kwik-E-Mart. The chain's corporate office fires Apu and replaces him with actor James Woods, who is doing research for an upcoming film role. Apu misses his job, so he and Homer travel to India to persuade the head of the Kwik-E-Mart corporation to rehire him.

"Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth 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 April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death experience that prompts him to find an heir to inherit his wealth after he dies. He chooses Bart as his heir because he admires the "creature of pure malevolence". Marge convinces Bart to spend time with his benefactor, who allows his heir the money and freedom to do whatever he pleases. Soon Bart leaves his family to live with Burns instead.

"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.

"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.

"Homer Loves Flanders" is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 17, 1994. In the episode, Ned Flanders invites Homer to a football game and the two become good friends. However, in a reversal of their usual roles, Ned soon grows weary of Homer's overbearing friendship and stupid antics, and actually begins to hate him.

<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.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between September 30, 1993, and May 19, 1994. The showrunner for the fifth production season was David Mirkin who executive produced 20 episodes. Al Jean and Mike Reiss executive produced the remaining two, which were both hold overs that were produced for the previous season. The season contains some of the series' most acclaimed and popular episodes, including "Cape Feare", "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy", "Homer Goes to College", "Deep Space Homer", and "Rosebud". It also includes the 100th episode, "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song". The season was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and won an Annie Award for Best Animated Television Program as well as an Environmental Media Award and a Genesis Award. The DVD box set was released in Region 1 on December 21, 2004, Region 2 on March 21, 2005, and Region 4 on March 23, 2005.

"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. ↑ Daniels, Greg (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Secrets of a Successful Marriage" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  2. ↑ Tucker, Reed (July 22, 2007). "Ay, Caramba! We're old, man!". New York Post. p. 40. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  3. ↑ Mirkin, David (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Secrets of a Successful Marriage" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. 1 2 Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Secrets of a Successful Marriage". BBC. Archived from the original on March 11, 2005. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
  5. ↑ Richmond & Coffman 1997, p. 130.
  6. ↑ Turner 2004, p. 296.
  7. ↑ Carroll, Larry (July 26, 2007). "'Simpsons' Trivia, From Swearing Lisa To 'Burns-Sexual' Smithers". MTV. Archived from the original on December 20, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  8. ↑ Henry, Matthew (2004). "Looking for Amanda Hugginkiss: Gay Life on The Simpsons". In John Alberti (ed.). Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture . Wayne State University Press. p.  235. ISBN   0-8143-2849-0.
  9. ↑ Alma Harris; Roy Fisher; Ann Harris; Christine Jarvis (2008). "School for grown-ups". Education in Popular Culture . Routledge. pp.  163–164. ISBN   978-0-415-33242-2.
  10. ↑ "Nielsen ratings / May 16–22". Long Beach Press-Telegram. Associated Press. May 25, 1994. p. 4E.
  11. ↑ Jacobson, Colin (December 21, 2004). "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season (1993)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
  12. ↑ Gibron, Bill (December 23, 2004). "The Simpsons — The Complete Fifth Season". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  13. ↑ Bromley, Patrick (February 23, 2005). "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
  14. ↑ Snierson, Dan (March 24, 2006). "Ricky Gervais rates The Simpsons". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  15. ↑ Enwright, Patrick (July 31, 2007). "D'Oh! The top 10 'Simpsons' episodes ever". Today.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
Bibliography
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.