The Old Man and the Key

Last updated

"The Old Man and the Key"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 13
Episode 13
Directed by Lance Kramer
Written by Jon Vitti
Production codeDABF09
Original air dateMarch 10, 2002 (2002-03-10)
Guest appearances
Olympia Dukakis as Zelda
Bill Saluga as Ray Jay Johnson
Episode features
Couch gag The Simpsons run to the couch, only to find Blue Man Group performing.
Commentary Al Jean
Matt Selman
Carolyn Omine
Tom Gammill
Max Pross
Matt Warburton
Episode chronology
 Previous
"The Lastest Gun in the West"
Next 
"Tales from the Public Domain"
The Simpsons season 13
List of episodes

"The Old Man and the Key" is the thirteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on March 10, 2002. In the episode, Grampa Simpson falls in love with Zelda, a woman who has just moved into the senior home in which Grampa lives. However, Grampa is not the only one in the home who is infatuated with Zelda.

Contents

The episode was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Lance Kramer. The storyline was pitched by Vitti, who based it on an article about social status in senior homes. The episode features Olympia Dukakis as Zelda, and Bill Saluga as his television character Ray J. Johnson. The song "Ode to Branson", which was written by Vitti and composed by Alf Clausen, was submitted for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music And Lyrics in 2002, which it ultimately lost to a score from The Blue Planet .

Plot

The episode begins with the Simpson family visiting Grampa after his retirement home mistakenly reports his death. An old woman named Zelda moves into his retirement home in place of the actual deceased resident. Grampa is determined to win her love over Zack, another resident who owns and drives a minivan. After renewing his driver's license, Grampa convinces Homer to let him borrow the car to romance her. Although he impresses Zelda, Homer and Marge think she is a hoochie and only likes Grampa because he can drive. After he crashes Homer's car in a drag race with a rival seniors gang, Homer becomes furious with Grampa and takes his keys away, forbidding him to drive ever again. Zelda informs Grampa that she got them tickets to a theater in Branson, Missouri, but when he tells her he does not have a car, she leaves with Zack and his minivan.

Grampa steals Marge's car and takes Bart with him on the road to Branson to win back Zelda. When realizing that Grampa and Bart are heading to Branson, Homer, Marge, Lisa, and Maggie take a bus there. At the theater, Grampa calls out to Zelda from on-stage, but then denounces her in front of everyone, who then chant to her a hoochie, forcing her to leave the stage. Grampa then reconciles with Homer.

Production

"The Old Man and the Key" was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Lance Kramer. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on March 10, 2002. [1] The idea for the episode was pitched by Vitti, who was inspired by an article about senior homes. The article described senior homes as being a lot like high schools, in that there are popular and unpopular people, and that those who, for example, own a car are "like kings". [2] Vitti suggested that the episode should be that "Grampa's life [is] basically like that of a teenager", with Homer acting as if he was Grampa's father. [1] The Souvenir Jackitos, who challenge Grampa to a death race in the episode, were conceived from an observation by the writers. The writers argued that the only ones buying expensive trademarked jackets are old people who want to appear younger. [3]

A scene in the episode shows Grampa and Bart driving to Branson with Marge's car, listening to the radio. Because the scene consists entirely of auditive gags, the Simpsons staff had difficulty figuring out what to show visually during the scene. In the DVD audio commentary for the episode, Jean explained that these scenes “get a really big laugh at the table,” but are subsequently hard for the animators. The scene makes use of a repeated background, an animation technique made famous by Hanna-Barbera in order to cut budget. [1]

Olympia Dukakis guest-starred as Grampa's love interest Zelda in the episode. Olympia Dukakis with Moonstruck.jpg
Olympia Dukakis guest-starred as Grampa's love interest Zelda in the episode.

The song "Ode to Branson," which is performed by several "washed-up" celebrities, was composed by Alf Clausen and written by Vitti. Even though Vitti received sole credit for writing the song, parts of the lyrics were written by Simpsons writer Carolyn Omine, which were then revised by fellow writer Matt Selman. [2] Selman was especially satisfied with the rhyme sung by Mr. T; he stated that whenever he feels down, he thinks of that rhyme and that it "boosts [him] up inside." [3] The episode features American actress Olympia Dukakis as Grampa's love interest Zelda. American comedian Bill Saluga also makes an appearance, as his television character Ray J. Johnson. The owner of the minivan is portrayed by series regular Hank Azaria, who imitated the voice of Clark Gable for the character. [1]

Cultural references

The title of the episode itself is a reference of Ernest Hemingway's book The Old Man and the Sea . At the beginning of the episode, Homer is excited about the start of the (original) XFL season, unaware that the "X" didn't stand for anything and that the league itself had folded after its sole season the previous year. A scene in the episode shows Grandpa wearing a zoot suit, a suit popular in the 1940s. When Grandpa and Zelda take off on one of their dates, three old men with long beards imitate ZZ Top as a short part of "Sharp Dressed Man" is played. Grandpa's interaction with the "Souvenir Jackitos" in Apu's store mirrors a scene in the 1961 musical film West Side Story , with Grandpa and his friends taking the role of the Jets in the film, the "Souvenir Jackitos" as the Sharks, and Apu as Doc. The "Death race" on the other hand, is a reference to the 1955 drama film Rebel Without a Cause . The abandoned aqueduct, in which the death race takes place, is based on the Los Angeles River. [1] The closing credits parody those of The Beverly Hillbillies . At the end, Lisa says in a Southern accent, "This has been a Gracie Films presentation," which parodies the line at the end of The Beverly Hillbillies, "This has been a Filmways presentation."

Release

In its original American broadcast on March 10, 2002, "The Old Man and the Key" received a 7.9 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, translating to approximately 7.9 million viewers. [4] The episode ranked 19 in the top 25 most watched television programs the week it aired. [5] Later in 2002, "Ode to Branson" was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music And Lyrics, which it ultimately lost to a score from BBC's nature documentary The Blue Planet . [6] In 2007, the song was included on the soundtrack album The Simpsons: Testify . [7]

Following the thirteenth season's release on DVD and Blu-ray, "The Old Man and the Key" received mixed reviews from critics.

Writing for Project:Blu, Nate Boss stated that Grampa "just isn't all that funny when cornered, and that's what we get here," and that "the jokes are a bit too few and far between". [8] Giving the episode a negative review, Ryan Keefer of DVD Talk wrote that it was "borderline painful" and one of the season's "duds". [9] Casey Broadwater of Blu-ray.com wrote that the episode "moves at a geriatric pace", [10] and R. L. Shaffer of IGN stated that it "represent[s] some of the worst of The Simpsons." [11] On the other hand, giving the episode a positive review, Ron Martin of 411Mania enjoyed the "poke towards Branson, Missouri, a mecca for old people everywhere," [12] and Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict gave the episode a B rating. [13] Colin Jacobsson of DVD Movie Guide wrote that, even though Grampa is "essentially a one-joke personality," "those gags tend to be pretty fun." He concluded his review by writing that the episode was "a likable program." [14]

Despite the mixed responses, the episode features one of the "most used little clips" of the series. The scene shows Grampa getting his driver's license. Instead of taking a photo for the license on the spot, Grampa suggests that Selma, who works in the facility, use a photo of him from a newspaper headline that reads "Old man yells at cloud." Selma agrees, and Grampa, holding his newly acquired license, goes up to a window and yells "Who's laughing now?" at a cloud. Writer Michael Price credits Al Jean with pitching the gag. [15] A still from the scene has been used several times on The Daily Show . [1] Both Malkowski of DVD Verdict and Jacobsson of DVD Movie Guide considered it to be the best part of the episode. [13] [14] After Clint Eastwood's speech at the 2012 Republican National Convention, which featured Eastwood talking to an empty chair representing President Barack Obama, a modified version of the image with the caption, "Old man yells at chair", was used in an internet meme. [16]

Related Research Articles

"She of Little Faith" is the sixth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on December 16, 2001. In the episode, Bart Simpson and his father Homer accidentally launch a model rocket into the Springfield church, causing the church council to accept funding plans from Mr. Burns for reparation. Discontent with how commercialized the rebuilt church has become, Lisa abandons Christianity and seeks out to follow a new religion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge</span> 22nd episode of the 13th season of The Simpsons

"Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge" is the twenty-second and final 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 May 22, 2002. In the episode, a massive heatwave causes the residents of Springfield to install large air conditioning devices in their homes. This leads the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to overload, causing two town-wide blackouts to occur. The Springfield Police Department are unable to face the riots that follow, prompting Homer, dissatisfied with the police's incompetence, to start his own security company, called SpringShield.

"Blame It on Lisa" is the fifteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XII</span> 1st episode of the 13th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XII" is the first episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. Because of Fox's contract with Major League Baseball's World Series, the episode first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 6, 2001, nearly one week after Halloween. It is the twelfth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, consisting of three self-contained segments. In the first segment, a gypsy puts a curse on Homer, which puts everybody he cares about in danger. In the second segment, which is a parody on both 2001: A Space Odyssey and Demon Seed, the Simpson family buys a new house, who falls in love with Marge and attempts to kill Homer. In the third and final segment, which lampoons the Harry Potter franchise, Lord Montymort attempts to capture Lisa, a skilled magician, in order to drain her magic powers.

"The Bart Wants What It Wants" is the eleventh 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 February 17, 2002. In the episode, Bart befriends Rainier Wolfcastle's daughter, Greta. While Greta falls in love with him, Bart only accompanies her because she owns a lot of entertaining things.

"Gump Roast" is the seventeenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 21, 2002. In the episode, Homer Simpson is honored by the townspeople at a Friars' Club Roast, until it is interrupted by Kang and Kodos.

"I Am Furious (Yellow)" is the eighteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired in the United States by the Fox network on April 28, 2002. In the episode, Bart creates a comic book series based on his father Homer's anger problems, which turns into a popular Internet cartoon series called Angry Dad. Homer finds out and at first is outraged, but after talking to his family, decides to try to become a less angry person.

"Weekend at Burnsie's" is the sixteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on April 7, 2002. In the episode, Homer Simpson is prescribed medicinal marijuana after getting pecked in the eyes by a murder of crows. While his family and friends worry about the drug altering his personality, Homer becomes Mr. Burns's vice president after cracking up at Burns's antiquated jokes.

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

"The Blunder Years" is the fifth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 2001. The episode sees Homer, after being hypnotized by the hypnotist Mesmerino while having dinner at the restaurant Pimento Grove, reminded by a repressed traumatic experience from his childhood, including the moment he discovered the dead body of Waylon Smithers' father while having a fun at an abandoned mine. The Simpsons set out to find the corpse that triggered Homer's psychological trauma, which evolves into a murder mystery later in the episode.

"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.

"Half-Decent Proposal" is the tenth 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 February 10, 2002. In the episode, Homer's snoring interferes with Marge's sleep. To earn money to cure Homer's snoring, Marge agrees to spend a weekend with Artie Ziff if he vows to not grope her as he did during their high-school prom date. While spying on Marge and Artie, Homer mistakenly thinks they are making out, so he leaves with Lenny to work on an oil rig.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer the Moe</span> 3rd episode of the 13th season of The Simpsons

"Homer the Moe" is the third 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 November 18, 2001. In the episode, Moe, following the advice of his former bartending professor, decides to modernize his bar. The bar's new image attracts several customers, but leaves Moe's four regular customers, Homer, Lenny, Carl, and Barney, feeling alienated, which in turn prompts Homer to open his private bar, disguising it as a hunting club to avoid liquor license restrictions.

"Jaws Wired Shut" is the ninth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 27, 2002. In the episode, Homer's jaw is broken when he collides with a statue of Drederick Tatum. Homer's jaw is wired shut, leaving him unable to speak. At first Marge enjoys Homer's inability to talk, since it makes him a better listener and a more compassionate person. Eventually Marge misses Homer's wild antics. Craving excitement, she enters a demolition derby.

"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.

"Sweets and Sour Marge" is the eighth 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 20, 2002. In the episode, Homer gathers Springfield's citizens to build the world's biggest human pyramid. When it collapses and fails to set the world record, Springfield earns the top spot as the world's fattest town. Marge sues Garth Motherloving's sugar company for making the town's citizens obese. When Springfield bans sugar, Homer conspires with Garth to smuggle it to town.

"The Frying Game" is the twenty-first and penultimate 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 May 19, 2002. In the episode, after accidentally injuring an endangered caterpillar, Homer is sentenced to two weeks of community service. As part of his sentence, Homer delivers Meals on Wheels to an old woman called Mrs. Bellamy, who subtly guilt trips him, and later Marge, into becoming her personal servants. One day, the two find Mrs. Bellamy dead in her house, having been stabbed by a man with braces who quickly escapes the murder scene. Being the only ones present when the police arrive, Homer and Marge are soon suspected for the murder. The episode also features a "Snuh cascade", an homage to a group of Simpsons fans on Usenet.

"The Sweetest Apu" is the nineteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 5, 2002. In the episode, Homer and Marge discover that convenience store owner Apu is having an affair with the Squishee delivery lady working in his store.

"Little Girl in the Big Ten" is the twentieth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 12, 2002. In the episode, Lisa befriends two college students at a gym and attends college with them. Meanwhile, after being bitten by a mosquito from a Chinese-made toy, Bart is infected with the "panda virus" and is placed in a plastic bubble to prevent others from infection.

"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.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 13 Season of television series

The thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between November 6, 2001, and May 22, 2002, and consists of 22 episodes. The showrunner for the thirteenth production season was Al Jean, who executive-produced 17 episodes. Mike Scully executive-produced the remaining five, which were all hold-overs that were produced for the previous season. The Simpsons is an animated series about an American 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. This is also the last full season to use cel animation, though four episodes from this season's production cycle would air during the following season as holdover episodes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jean, Al. (2010). Commentary for "The Old Man and the Key", in The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  2. 1 2 Omine, Carolyn. (2010). Commentary for "The Old Man and the Key", in The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  3. 1 2 Selman, Matt. (2010). Commentary for "The Old Man and the Key", in The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  4. Associated Press (March 15, 2002). "MOVE OVER, 'ER': 'CSI' MAKES THE COLLAR ON THE RATINGS BEAT; [METRO Edition]". Orlando Sentinel . p. E.6.
  5. "Top Primetime Average Goes to CBS". Media Post News. March 13, 2002. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  6. "The Simpsons: Awards & Nominations". Emmys.org. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  7. Ross, Dalton (September 20, 2007). "'Greek' God". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  8. Boss, Nate (September 8, 2010). "The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season". Project-Blu. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  9. Keefer, Ryan (August 31, 2010). "The Simpsons: The 13th Season (Blu-ray)". DVD Talk. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  10. Broadwater, Casey (September 5, 2010). "The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season Blu-ray Review". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  11. Shaffer, R.L. (August 30, 2010). "The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season Blu-ray Review". IGN. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  12. Martin, Ron (September 15, 2010). "The Simpsons Season 13 DVD Review". 411Mania. Archived from the original on October 15, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  13. 1 2 Malkowski, Jennifer (September 6, 2010). "The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season (Blu-Ray)". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on December 9, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  14. 1 2 Jacobson, Colin (September 2, 2010). "The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season (Blu-Ray) (2001)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  15. Thompson, Liz (July 13, 2022). "Equipped: Comedy writer-showrunner Michael Price". Equipped. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  16. Fama, Jilian (August 31, 2012). "#Eastwooding: Clint Eastwood Inspires Twitter Buzz Left and Right". ABC News . Retrieved August 31, 2012.