The Longest Marge

Last updated

"The Longest Marge"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 33
Episode 11
Directed by Matthew Nastuk
Written by Brian Kelley
Production codeUABF05
Original air dateJanuary 2, 2022 (2022-01-02)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"A Made Maggie"		Next →
"Pixelated and Afraid"
The Simpsons season 33
List of episodes

"The Longest Marge" is the eleventh episode of the thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 717th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on January 2, 2022. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Brian Kelley.

Contents

In this episode, Mr. Burns hires the Springfield Atoms' newest football player to be the spokesman for his liquor brand and makes Marge care for him. Beck Bennett and John Mulaney guest starred. Sports journalist Adam Schefter appeared as himself. The episode received mixed reviews.

This episode is dedicated to John Madden, who appeared in the 1999 episode "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday". [3] He died five days before the episode aired.

The episode was broadcast at 9:00 pm EST instead of the usual 8:00 pm EST slot. [4] The title of the episode is a reference to the 2005 sports comedy The Longest Yard . [5] [6]

Plot

At the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, everyone is gone from their workplace, following the sports channel's On the Clock where Anger Watkins is presenting the Springfield Atoms's draft, picking Grayson Mathers. The workers start rioting in celebration, while Mr. Burns and Waylon Smithers review corporate revenue and discover that Burns' liquor company, Mr. Gentleman Brandy, is losing money due to their lackluster ad campaign.

To reinvent the brand, Burns hires branding expert Warburton Parker. Ultimately, Burns overhears the cheers for Grayson and hires him as the new face of the company. The Simpson family goes to the Springfield Atoms Stadium to watch the game against the Chargers, only to find that representing a liquor company has turned Grayson into a drunken wreck who can no longer play.

To rehabilitate his image, Grayson goes to Springfield Elementary to give an inspirational speech about literacy, but he breaks down after Nelson Muntz and his fellow bullies start heckling him; enraged, he starts throwing books at them. He chugs another bottle of brandy, which causes urethra pain so intense that he passes out. He wakes up in the infirmary, where Marge is taking care of him. Trying to protect his investment, Burns makes a deal with Marge in which she keeps Grayson sober and sane, while he takes care of Grayson's career.

Marge takes Grayson home for dinner with her family. Grayson says he has never really had a family, his parents having been absent from his life ever since they signed him to the NFL as a child, preferring to make money off of him rather than spend time with him. Marge invites him to stay with the family and starts teaching him how to live like a normal person, including weaning him off of drugs and alcohol.

Marge throws Grayson a party to celebrate his rehabilitation. Mr. Burns shows up and offers to take him out on the town, but Marge forbids Grayson to go out, reminding him that he has a game to play the following day. Grayson obeys Marge and stays in, and he scores a game-winning touchdown.

After the game, Burns gets into an argument with Marge, accusing her of turning Grayson into a mama's boy. Upset at witnessing the argument, Grayson leaves in his Ferrari and then sends Marge a ticket for the Sports Channel's annual awards show at The Draft Pigs Center for the Performing Arts. At the award show, she finds out she is seated next to Burns, also Grayson's guest, and realizes that Grayson is trying to reconcile them. Sure enough, when Grayson accepts the award for Most Inspiring Athlete, Marge and Burns start connecting instead of fighting.

At the end of his speech, Grayson thanks the person that inspired him - his fiancée Kaitlyn, whom he met three days earlier and made his business manager; Marge and Burns realize that Kaitlin has replaced them.

Production

John Mulaney reprised his role as Warburton Parker. [1] He previously appeared in this role in the thirty-first season episode "The Winter of Our Monetized Content." [7] Sports writer Adam Schefter appeared as himself. [2] Beck Bennett guest starred as Grayson Mathers. [1]

The episode was dedicated in memory of football coach and sports commentator John Madden. Madden appeared in the tenth season episode "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday." [2]

The episode aired in the 9:00 pm timeslot after the series premiere of Next Level Chef . [4] [8]

Cultural references

When an opposing team loses to the Springfield Atoms, their players board a bus to join the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. The Blue Bombers won the 108th Grey Cup the previous month. The Twitter account of the Blue Bombers acknowledged the nod after the episode aired. [9]

At the Springfield Library, Marge gives out copies of children's books such as Captain Underpants , Diary of a Wimpy Kid , and Goosebumps .

When Marge and Burns find out that Grayson has arranged for them to sit together, she exclaims, "He Parent Trapped us!". This is a reference to the 1961 family comedy film The Parent Trap .

Reception

Viewing figures

The episode was watched by 2.02 million viewers, scoring a 0.7 demo rating, which was the second-most watched show on Fox that night. [10]

Critical response

Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode 3.5 stars out of five stating, "'The Longest Marge' ultimately plays too safe a game to do a victory dance in the end zone. It works on every level, but not quite hard enough. There are excellent individual gags, exchanges, and visual puns. The premise, promise and preface set up all the makings of a killer payoff, and then it cops out with a boozy Parent Trap scenario which doesn't quite satisfy. The installment almost pulls off a seditious treat when Grayson throws it all away for his trophy future wife Kaitlin, the guru of a faith-based yogurt yoga chain which you eat while doing yoga. It is only a tease, however, to the savage satire which could have been delivered. One Hail Mary pass should have done it." [5]

Burkely Hermann of Bubbleblabber gave the episode 5.5 out of 10 stating, "It was a bit weird to have an episode where Bart nor Lisa has that many lines, with more lines by Homer and Marge than either of the kids. The guest stars, Beck Bennett (voicing Grayson Mathers), John Mulaney (voicing Warburton Parker), and Adam Schefter were a nice touch. I suppose I liked this episode, but I didn’t really laugh during it. The drama and story was good, but the comedy was dull. I hope that will improve in the future, although I’m not entirely sure it will." [1]

Related Research Articles

"Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" is the eighth 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 February 6, 2005. The episode was written by Tim Long and directed by Steven Dean Moore.

"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" is the twelfth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on January 31, 1999, just after Super Bowl XXXIII and the premiere of Family Guy. In the episode, while buying new tires for his car, Homer meets a travel agent called Wally Kogen. After becoming friends, Kogen offers Homer a free bus ride to the Super Bowl, as long as he can find enough people to fill Kogen's bus. Several people, including Bart, tag along on what soon becomes a problematic trip. Meanwhile, Marge and Lisa set out to find the missing parts of "Vincent Price's Egg Magic", a celebrity-endorsed craft kit.

"Judge Me Tender" is the twenty-third and final episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The 464th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 23, 2010. In the episode, Moe discovers his talent for judging in competitions and is invited to appear on the show American Idol. Meanwhile, Homer drives Marge crazy when he starts spending too much time at home, and Lisa tries to comfort Santa's Little Helper.

"Specs and the City" is the eleventh episode of the twenty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 541st episode of the series. It premiered on the Fox network in the United States on January 26, 2014. The episode was written by Brian Kelley and directed by Lance Kramer. The original title of the episode was intended to be "I Only Have My Eyes for You," a take on "I Only Have Eyes for You," but was changed to "Specs and the City," a take on Sex and the City. The Oogle Goggles were originally known as "MyEyes."

"Opposites A-Frack" is the fifth episode in the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 557th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Valentina L. Garza. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 2, 2014.

"Orange Is the New Yellow" is the twenty-second and final episode of the twenty-seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 596th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Matthew Faughnan and written by Eric Horsted. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 22, 2016. The title is a spoof of the book and the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.

The Town (<i>The Simpsons</i>) 3rd episode of the 28th season of The Simpsons

"The Town" is the third episode of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 599th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Rob Oliver and written by Dave King. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 9, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great Phatsby</span> 12th and 13th episodes of the 28th season of The Simpsons

"The Great Phatsby" is the twelfth and thirteenth episodes of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 608th and 609th episodes of the series overall. The first part was directed by Chris Clements and written by Dan Greaney. The second part was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Dan Greaney and Matt Selman. The episodes aired in the United States on Fox on January 15, 2017. It was the first two-part episode of the series since "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" in 1995, though it was promoted and aired as the show’s first hour-long episode in its initial airing.

"Pork and Burns" is the eleventh episode of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 607th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Rob LaZebnik. It aired in the United States on Fox on January 8, 2017.

"22 for 30" is the seventeenth episode of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 613th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Chris Clements and written by Joel H. Cohen. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 12, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XXX</span> 4th episode of the 31st season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XXX" is the fourth episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 666th episode overall as well as the thirtieth Treehouse of Horror episode, consisting of an opening sequence parodying The Omen and three self-contained segments: "Danger Things", "Heaven Swipes Right", and "When Hairy Met Slimy". It aired in the United States on Fox on October 20, 2019. The episode was written by J. Stewart Burns, and was directed by Timothy Bailey.

"The Winter of Our Monetized Content" is the thirty-first season premiere of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 663rd episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on September 29, 2019. The director of the episode was Bob Anderson, and the writer was Ryan Koh.

"Go Big or Go Homer" is the second episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 664th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 6, 2019. The episode was directed by Matthew Faughnan and written by John Frink.

"Frinkcoin" is the 13th episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 675th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on February 23, 2020. The episode was written by Rob LaZebnik and was directed by Steven Dean Moore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrin' Priests</span> 19th and 20th episodes of the 31st season of The Simpsons

"Warrin' Priests" is a two-part episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons. Part One is the 19th episode of the thirty-first season and the 681st episode overall, having originally premiered on the Fox network in the United States on April 26, 2020, Part Two is the 20th episode of the thirty-first season and the 682nd episode overall, having premiered on May 3, 2020. The title "Warrin' Priests" refers to War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. This marks the series' third two-parter following Season 6 and 7's "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" and Season 28's "The Great Phatsby."

"Diary Queen" is the twelfth episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 696th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on February 21, 2021. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Jeff Westbrook.

"Manger Things" is the sixteenth episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 700th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 21, 2021. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Rob LaZebnik.

"Poorhouse Rock" is the twenty-second and final episode of the thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 728th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 22, 2022. The episode was directed by Jennifer Moeller and written by Tim Long.

<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. This is the 33rd Treehouse of Horror episode, and, like the other Treehouse of Horror episodes, consists of three self-contained segments: "The Pookadook", "Death Tome", and "Simpsons World". 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.

"Write Off This Episode" is the nineteenth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 747th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on April 30, 2023. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by J. Stewart Burns.

References

Creative Commons by-sa small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hermann, Burkely (January 3, 2022). "Review: The Simpsons "The Longest Marge"". Bubbleblabber. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Lucia, Joe (January 3, 2022). "Adam Schefter voiced himself on last night's episode of The Simpsons". Awful Announcing. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ Bonesteel, Matt (August 21, 2014). "The Simpsons marathon is upon us. Here are the best episodes involving sports". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "(SI-3305) "The Longest Marge"". The Futon Critic . Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Sokol, Tony (January 3, 2022). "The Simpsons Season 33 Episode 11 Review: The Longest Marge". Den of Geek . Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  6. ↑ Celestino, Mike (January 3, 2022). "TV Recap: "The Simpsons" Adopt a Wayward Football Player in Season 33, Episode 11 – "The Longest Marge"". Laughing Place. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ Sokol, Tony (September 30, 2019). "The Simpsons Season 31 Episode 1 Review: The Winter of Our Monetized Content". Den of Geek . Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  8. ↑ "(NLC-101) "Welcome to the Next Level"". The Futon Critic . Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  9. ↑ Rollason, Kevin (January 3, 2022). "Blue Bombers get their Simpsons moment". Winnipeg Free Press . Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  10. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (January 5, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Sunday 1.2.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 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.