The Musk Who Fell to Earth

Last updated

"The Musk Who Fell to Earth"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 26
Episode 12
Directed by Matthew Nastuk
Written by Neil Campbell
Production codeTABF04
Original air dateJanuary 25, 2015 (2015-01-25)
Guest appearance
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Bart's New Friend"		Next →
"Walking Big & Tall"
The Simpsons season 26
List of episodes

"The Musk Who Fell to Earth" is the twelfth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 564th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Neil Campbell. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 25, 2015.

Contents

In this episode, Elon Musk comes to Springfield and convinces Mr. Burns to build a new power plant. When he learns it is losing money, Burns seeks revenge. Businessman Elon Musk guest starred as himself. The episode received negative reviews.

Plot

The episode begins with Lisa tending to a birdhouse, which is shortly thereafter attacked by a bald eagle. While the family is admiring the eagle, it takes hold of Maggie and attempts to fly away before she is wrestled back by Homer, who has his hair stolen by the bird instead. The family then hatches a plan to capture the eagle so that they can eat it. Bart and Milhouse set up a trap using the boardgame Mousetrap, with the eagle taking the bait and entering the house to capture the mouse. Once inside, Homer and the bird wrestle again before Bart eventually smothers it and Homer with a plastic bag. Upon escaping the bag, Homer proceeds to beat the trapped bird before Lisa convinces him to instead nurse it to health and release it. After some time has passed, Homer releases the bird, but it is almost immediately incinerated by flames after take-off. Elon Musk lands with his Dragon 2 spacecraft into the Simpsons' backyard. Musk explains that he came to Springfield because he is looking for a source of inspiration. Homer insists that Musk comes to the power plant. The next day, Musk discovers that Homer is filled with new ideas for inventions, and so meets Mr. Burns and convinces him to build a magnet-to-hydrodynamic generator for the plant. Burns wants to hire Musk, but he refuses, saying that he does not care about the money.

Musk and Burns explain to the town that the plant has come up with plans for the city's electrical needs, including self-driving cars. However, Smithers is suspicious about Musk's intentions. Bart and Lisa sneak into the family's car and disable the auto-drive mode using Musk's master password, and go for a joyride. They end up at the plant, where Musk also explains that the town is losing roughly $50 million a quarter, much to Burns' horror. Musk explains to Burns that his true intention was to save the Earth. Angered at Musk's actions, Burns announces to his employees that there will be massive layoffs, and plots to kill Musk. Homer is also horrified because Musk caused Lenny, Carl and many other power plant employees to be fired, but Marge advises him to end his friendship with Musk gently.

The next day, while Musk is discussing his ideas for inventions with Homer, Burns attempts to assassinate him. Though the bullet accidentally aims in Homer's way, Musk saves him. Homer gratefully thanks him, but he admits to Musk that he needs to end their friendship. The Simpsons say goodbye to Musk as he boards his rocket to space, musing that he will miss Homer's last thoughts to him. To make up for Homer's and Lisa's sadness at his departure, he gives the family a futuristic birdhouse (similar to the birdhouse from the start of the episode).

Production

The episode was written by Neil Campbell, a freelance writer. [1] It guest stars Elon Musk as himself. Executive producer Al Jean stated they tried to make the episode not a "kiss-ass" guest star turn, and the episode contains many jabs at Musk's perceived egotism. Musk was a fan of the series, having watched the show since attending university. He guest starred on the show because he and executive producer James L. Brooks had a meeting, after which Brooks was convinced he wanted a fictional version of Musk on the show. [2]

Reception

The episode received an audience of 3.29 million, making it the most watched show on Fox that night. [3] Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a C, saying "‘The Musk Who Fell to Earth’ plays out more like a love letter to Musk than a proper Simpsons episode. It's like some Simpsons writers met Musk at a TED talk, got smitten when they found out Musk was a fan, and turned an episode of the show over to him. Which would be less of a problem if the episode were well-thought-out and funny, Musk were an engaging comic presence, or the Simpsons themselves weren't relegated to supporting status on their own show." [4]

In 2022, The Guardian said the episode was "perhaps the most fawning" of Musk's celebrity media cameos. [5]

In November 2022 Musk claimed in a tweet that the episode correctly predicted his acquisition of Twitter, due to a scene where Lisa Simpson feeds birds that are in a birdhouse in Simpson's backyard with a sign that reads "Home Tweet Home". In reality, this scene was not a direct reference to Twitter and occurs before Musk appears in the episode. Though it was also noted by The Independent that the subplot of Mr. Burns laying off a portion of the Springfield Power Plant's staff due to Musk, is similar to Musk's real life mass Twitter layoffs that occurred soon after his acquisition of the platform. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

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

Dr. Robert Underdunk Terwilliger Jr., PhD, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale University and a champion of high culture, including the adoption of a transatlantic accent, similar to that of Grammer's portrayal of Dr. Frasier Crane from the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier. He began his career as a sidekick on Krusty the Clown's television show, but after enduring constant abuse, Bob framed his employer for armed robbery in "Krusty Gets Busted", only to be foiled by Bart Simpson, and sent to prison. Bob started seeking revenge against Bart while in prison, and the two became feuding arch-enemies.

"Lisa's Wedding" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox 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.

"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.

"Bart the Daredevil" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 6, 1990. In the episode, Bart decides he wants to become a daredevil after watching famous stunt performer Lance Murdock at a monster truck rally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer Defined</span> 5th episode of the 3rd season of The Simpsons

"Homer Defined" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 17, 1991. In the episode, Homer accidentally saves the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant from meltdown by arbitrarily choosing the emergency override button using a counting rhyme. Homer is honored as a hero and idolized by his daughter Lisa, but feels unworthy of the praise, knowing his apparent heroism was blind luck. Meanwhile, Bart is downhearted after learning that Milhouse's mother forbids the boys to play together anymore because she thinks he is a bad influence on her son.

"Bart the Mother" is the third episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 27, 1998. In the episode, Bart accidentally kills a mother bird with a BB gun, and decides to hatch and take care of the two eggs he found in the bird's nest.

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.

Matthew Nastuk is an American animation director on The Simpsons. He started directing during the tenth season, and has since directed over two dozen episodes and continues to direct today.

"Lost Verizon" is the second episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 5, 2008 and in the United Kingdom on November 9, 2008. Bart becomes jealous of his friends and their cell phones. Working at a golf course, Bart takes the cell phone of Denis Leary after the star comedian throws it away in anger. Marge, per Leary's advice, activates the GPS system on the phone to track down Bart's every move; catching on, Bart attaches the GPS chip to a bird that migrates to Machu Picchu, Peru. Leary and Brian Grazer both guest star as themselves. It was directed by Raymond S. Persi and written by John Frink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milhouse Van Houten</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a recurring character in the Fox animated television series The Simpsons voiced by Pamela Hayden and created by Matt Groening. Milhouse is Bart Simpson's childhood best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School. He is insecure, gullible, and is often led into trouble by Bart, who takes advantage of his friend's naïveté. Milhouse is a regular target for school bully Nelson Muntz and his friends Jimbo Jones, Dolph Starbeam and Kearney Zzyzwicz. He has an unrequited crush on Bart's sister, Lisa, which is a common plot element.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Once Upon a Time in Springfield</span> 10th episode of the 21st season of The Simpsons

"Once Upon a Time in Springfield" is the tenth episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 10, 2010. It was promoted as the 450th episode of the series, but is actually the 451st, and aired alongside The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!. The episode is dedicated to posthumous guest star Eartha Kitt, who died December 25, 2008, over one year before the episode first aired.

"The Day the Earth Stood Cool" is the seventh episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The episode was directed by Matthew Faughnan and written by Matt Selman. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 2012.

"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."

"The Princess Guide" is the fifteenth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 567th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Brian Kelley. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 1, 2015.

<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.

<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. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XXXI</span> 4th episode of the 32nd season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XXXI" is the fourth episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 688th episode overall as well as the thirty-first "Treehouse of Horror" episode. It aired in the United States on Fox on November 1, 2020. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore, and written by Julia Prescott.

"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.

"Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story" is the fourth episode of the thirty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 754th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 29, 2023. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Rob LaZebnik.

References

  1. ↑ Jean, Al [@AlJean] (November 25, 2014). "@gruchologist Freelancer Neil Campbell" (Tweet). Archived from the original on December 11, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2015– via Twitter.
  2. ↑ Vance, Ashlee (January 23, 2015). "Elon Musk Guest-Stars on The Simpsons – Bloomberg Business". Bloomberg Businessweek . Archived from the original on January 25, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  3. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (January 27, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: No Adjustments for 'Galavant', 'Revenge' or 'CSI'". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  4. ↑ Perkins, Dennis (January 26, 2015). "Review: The Simpsons: "The Musk Who Fell To Earth" · TV Club · The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  5. ↑ Cain, Sian (April 26, 2022). "Elon Musk's Twitter takeover is just his latest desperate bid for celebrity". The Guardian . Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  6. ↑ Evans, Greg (November 26, 2022). "Did the Simpsons predict that Elon Musk would buy Twitter? He certainly thinks so". indy100. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  7. ↑ Tabahriti, Sam (November 26, 2022). "Elon Musk jokes that The Simpsons predicted he would buy Twitter in an episode that aired in 2015". Business Insider . Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
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.