The Caper Chase

Last updated

"The Caper Chase"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 28
Episode 19
Directed by Lance Kramer
Written by Jeff Westbrook
Production codeWABF12
Original air dateApril 2, 2017 (2017-04-02)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Couch gag The Simpson family arrives as X-Men characters (Homer is Professor X, Marge is Krusty who then transforms into Mystique, Lisa is Storm, Maggie is Wolverine, and Bart is Angel). Then Stan Lee appears and says "There is nothing too short I can't cameo."
Episode chronology
← Previous
"A Father's Watch"		Next →
"Looking for Mr. Goodbart"
The Simpsons season 28
List of episodes

"The Caper Chase" [1] is the nineteenth episode of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 615th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Lance Kramer and written by Jeff Westbrook. It aired in the United States on Fox on April 2, 2017 and in the United Kingdom on Sky 1 on May 7, 2017.

Contents

In this episode, Mr. Burns creates his own university with the power plant works as teachers. Jason Alexander guest starred as Verlander. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, financial advisor Suze Orman, and author Robert McKee appeared as themselves. The episode received mixed reviews.

Plot

A softball match is being played to little athletic achievement between teams from the Indian Point and Springfield Nuclear Plants. After Homer collapses on the field, Mr. Burns and the other coach talk about how the market for nuclear energy will be lucrative forever.

Burns goes to his alma mater, Yale University, to endow a chair in nuclear plant management, only to learn that the entire student body is now made of "highly entitled wusses" from the Whiffenpoofs on down, and who follow left-wing views that appall Burns. He then finds out that running a university can earn him a lot of money from a member of the Skull and Bones society named Bourbon Verlander. Burns then cuts a deal with Bourbon and withdraws all of his financial support to Yale in order to set up his own for-profit university, hiring the power plant workers including Homer, Lenny and Carl as the teachers.

Homer is not doing well with his students and Lisa, who is horrified that Homer became a professor mainly because he did not take the responsibility of educating people seriously, gives him a DVD box set of inspirational teachers movies. After watching them, he gets better at teaching and Burns sells Homer to Bourbon.

Homer meets Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ken Jennings, Suze Orman, and Robert McKee, and sees them being introduced to a group of young female "students" who are actually life-like humanoid robots that will all get into Yale and earn "financial aid" that gets funneled directly to Bourbon. Six months later, Homer ruins Bourbon's integration of the robots at Yale University with a microaggression that makes them all explode. While despondent that his wealth is gone, he flaunts his health until a robot head hits him and apparently kills him.

In the final scene, the teachers then start teaching Lisa, Marge, and Bart at the Simpson residence with Neil showing Lisa the galaxy, Ken helping Bart with his homework (to Bart's chagrin), and Suze attempts to convince marge to kill Homer in order to get a huge settlement with Robert coming and saying that end credits are bad and "story over, goodnight!"

Production

In August 2016, Entertainment Weekly reported that Jason Alexander would guest star as Bourbon Verlander, a Yale graduate who owns for-profit colleges. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, financial advisor Suze Orman, and author Robert McKee guest starred as themselves. [2] Comic book writer Stan Lee appeared as himself in the couch gag. [3]

Cultural references

Verlander's and Burns' for-profit colleges are parodies of Trump University. [2] Verlander's retreat is a parody of the one in the 2014 film Ex Machina . [3]

Reception

Critical response

Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a C+, stating "But 'The Caper Chase' is just all over the place, with Burns' return to Yale spurring him to open a for-profit, Trump-style university like those of fellow nuclear plant maven Bourbon Verlander (guest voice Jason Alexander). That plot seems prepared to morph into an inspirational tale of Homer becoming a Dead Poets Society -esque teacher (skinflint Burns staffs the school with plant workers), until Verlander swoops in to whisk Homer away to his super-secret Ex Machina -styled retreat, where he's got a scheme going involving an army of Ava-looking robot students working to get government loans. Book in some time for a handful of guest-teacher guest stars (Neil deGrasse Tyson, Suze Orman, Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings, and screenplay guru Robert McKee as themselves), and a very rushed wrap-up where Homer has to short-circuit all the Yale-enrolled robot students before they can make Verlander all that sweet, sweet student aid, and you've got a frenetic episode that can't decide what it wants to be." [3]

Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode 4.5/5 stars, stating "Release me, you hound. I love Mr. Burns, unabashedly and bashedly. I can see what Smithers sees in him. All that power in a man so fragile he floats away on cigar smoke and so old his living will is a sword of Damocles hanging over a trap door that leads to a mote of nuclear waste. Every single line, except the 'what what what' bit, is a joy tonight. We’ve come to our understanding of Burns through segmented antics at the expense of all who don’t like to pay. He is the embodiment of corporate corruption and political shenanigans. He could be his own Koch brother." [4]

Viewing figures

"The Caper Chase" scored a 0.9 rating with a 3 share and was watched by 2.13 million people, making it Fox's highest-rated show of the night. [5]

Themes and analysis

Islam Issa cited a scene in this episode as a commentary of people who react to the works of Shakespeare without reading it, stating:

The Simpsons satirised the lack of nuance and inexperience of "social justice warriors" and how the figure and works of Shakespeare can easily find their way into social justice conversations when the show portrays Yale University students holding up a "SHAKESPEARE IS MURDER" banner to the dismay of wealthy conservative Mr. Burns... [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Burns</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns or C. Montgomery Burns, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced initially by Christopher Collins and since by Harry Shearer. He is the mostly evil, devious, greedy, and wealthy owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and, by extension, Homer Simpson's boss. He is assisted at almost all times by Smithers, his loyal and sycophantic aide, adviser, confidant, and secret admirer. He is between 81 and 120 years old, though sometimes it's implied he's much older.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burns, Baby Burns</span> 4th episode of the 8th season of The Simpsons

"Burns, Baby Burns" is the fourth 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 November 17, 1996. In the episode, Mr. Burns reunites with his long-lost son Larry. At first, they get along well, but Mr. Burns soon realizes that his son is an oaf. The episode was directed by Jim Reardon and is the first one written by Ian Maxtone-Graham. The episode guest starred Rodney Dangerfield as Larry Burns.

"Brush with Greatness" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 11, 1991. In the episode, Marge enrolls in an art class after Lisa encourages her to revive her former interest in painting. When she wins first prize in a local art competition for a portrait of Homer on the couch in his underwear, Mr. Burns commissions her to paint his portrait. In the subplot, Homer is determined to lose weight after getting stuck in a water slide at an amusement park.

Rosebud (<i>The Simpsons</i>) 4th episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons

"Rosebud" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 21, 1993. In the episode, Mr. Burns misses his childhood teddy bear Bobo on the eve of his birthday. After flashbacks reveal Bobo's journey through history, the bear ends up in the hands of Maggie Simpson. Burns does everything in his power to get Bobo back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suze Orman</span> American financial advisor (born 1951)

Susan Lynn "Suze" Orman is an American financial advisor, author, and podcast host. In 1987, she founded the Suze Orman Financial Group. Her work as a financial advisor gained notability with The Suze Orman Show, which ran on CNBC from 2002 to 2015.

"Homer Goes to College" is the third 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 October 14, 1993. In the episode, Homer causes a nuclear meltdown during a plant inspection and is required to study nuclear physics at college. When Homer neglects his studies, the college dean has three nerds tutor him. Homer enlists the nerds' help in playing a prank on a rival college, leading to their expulsion. Homer invites them to live with the Simpsons, who soon grow tired of their new housemates.

Joseph Stewart Burns, better known as J. Stewart Burns or simply just Stewart Burns is a television writer and producer most notable for his work on The Simpsons, Futurama, and Unhappily Ever After.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil deGrasse Tyson</span> American astrophysicist (born 1958)

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University. From 1991 to 1994, he was a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University. In 1994, he joined the Hayden Planetarium as a staff scientist and the Princeton faculty as a visiting research scientist and lecturer. In 1996, he became director of the planetarium and oversaw its $210 million reconstruction project, which was completed in 2000. Since 1996, he has been the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City. The center is part of the American Museum of Natural History, where Tyson founded the Department of Astrophysics in 1997 and has been a research associate in the department since 2003.

"Homer at the Bat" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 20, 1992. The episode follows the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team, led by Homer, having a winning season and making the championship game. Mr. Burns makes a large bet that the team will win and brings in nine ringers from the "big leagues" to ensure his success.

"This Little Wiggy" is the eighteenth episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 22, 1998. It was written by Dan Greaney and directed by Neil Affleck. The episode sees Ralph Wiggum becoming friends with Bart. Phil Hartman guest stars as recurring character Troy McClure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Space Homer</span> 15th episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons

"Deep Space Homer" is the fifteenth episode of the fifth season of American animated television series The Simpsons, which was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on February 24, 1994. In the episode, NASA selects Homer Simpson to participate in a spaceflight to spark public interest in space exploration and boost low ratings of the launches. Once in space, his incompetence destroys the navigation system on board the Space Shuttle.

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Kirshen</span> British comedian

Matt Kirshen is a British comedian, actor, writer, and presenter based in Los Angeles.

"Them, Robot" is the seventeenth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The episode was directed by Mike Frank Polcino and written by Michael Price. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 18, 2012.

<i>Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey</i> 2014 American science documentary television series presented by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey is a 2014 American science documentary television series. The show is a follow-up to the 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which was presented by Carl Sagan on the Public Broadcasting Service and is considered a milestone for scientific documentaries. This series was developed to bring back the foundation of science to network television at the height of other scientific-based television series and films. The show is presented by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who, as a young high school student, was inspired by Sagan. Among the executive producers are Seth MacFarlane, whose financial investment was instrumental in bringing the show to broadcast television, and Ann Druyan, a co-author and co-creator of the original television series and Sagan's wife. The show is produced by Brannon Braga, and Alan Silvestri composed the score.

"Deeper, Deeper, Deeper Still" is the sixth episode of the American documentary television series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. It premiered on April 13, 2014 on Fox and aired on April 14, 2014 on National Geographic Channel. The episode explores the smallest particles in the universe, where host Neil deGrasse Tyson "hunts for elusive neutrinos and the distant, early universe." The episode features the underground neutrino laboratory, Super-Kamiokande, located underneath Mount Kamioka in Japan.

<i>StarTalk</i> (podcast) Podcast hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

StarTalk is a podcast on science, comedy, and popular culture hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, with various comic and celebrity co-hosts and frequent guests from the worlds of science and entertainment. Past co-hosts have included Colin Jost, Lynne Koplitz, Leighann Lord, Eugene Mirman, Chuck Nice, John Oliver, and Kristen Schaal. Guests have included astronaut Buzz Aldrin, actor Morgan Freeman, George Takei, comedian Joan Rivers, Arianna Huffington, YouTuber Sam Denby, Richard Dawkins and writer Mary Roach. StarTalk has a segment called Cosmic Queries, in which listeners send in questions about the universe to be answered on the show.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 28 Season of television series

The twenty-eighth season of the animated television series The Simpsons began airing on Fox in the United States on September 25, 2016 and ended on May 21, 2017. On May 4, 2015, Fox announced that The Simpsons had been renewed for season 28. The season was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. This season was the second of two seasons ordered by Fox in May 2015. The primary showrunner for the season was Al Jean. In November 2016, the series was renewed for a twenty-ninth and thirtieth season.

<i>Space Odyssey: The Video Game</i> Upcoming sandbox video game

Space Odyssey: The Video Game is an upcoming sandbox video game with 4X elements developed by Space Media Ventures for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android systems, including virtual reality devices. The game is being co-developed by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and has some educational aspects as the player designs and grows parts of a virtual galaxy.

"Frink Gets Testy" is the eleventh episode of the twenty-ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 629th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Chris Clements and written by Dan Vebber. It aired in the United States on Fox on January 14, 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "The Caper Chase". Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Snierson, Dan (August 30, 2016). "The Simpsons: Donald Trump episode to feature Jason Alexander". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Perkins, Dennis (April 2, 2017). "The Yale-Harvard war bogs down in an overstuffed Simpsons". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on April 5, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  4. ↑ Sokol, Tony (April 2, 2017). "The Simpsons Season 28 Episode 19 Review: The Caper Chase". Den of Geek . Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  5. ↑ Porter, Rick (April 4, 2017). "'Little Big Shots' adjusts up: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  6. ↑ Issa, Islam (2021). Shakespeare and Terrorism. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. ISBN   9781000459357.
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.