The Scorpion's Tale

Last updated

"The Scorpion's Tale"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 22
Episode 15
Directed byMatthew Schofield
Written by Billy Kimball
Ian Maxtone-Graham
Production codeNABF08
Original air dateMarch 6, 2011 (2011-03-06)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag "I'm not here on a spitball scholarship"
Couch gag A person playing The Simpsons couch gag game, chooses the Simpsons family in the style of an RPG character creator, and they go running to the couch. Afterwards, it says "game over."
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Angry Dad: The Movie"		Next →
"A Midsummer's Nice Dream"
The Simpsons season 22
List of episodes

"The Scorpion's Tale" is the fifteenth episode of the twenty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . The episode was directed by Matthew Schofield and written by Billy Kimball and Ian Maxtone-Graham. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 6, 2011.

Contents

In this episode, Lisa discovers a chemical that makes the elderly happier, but it also has a dangerous side effect. Filmmaker Werner Herzog guest starred. The episode received mixed reviews.

Plot

During a trip to "Satan's Anvil," the students and faculty of Springfield Elementary stumble into bizarre people and situations: Otto runs over "realistic" versions of Coyote and Road Runner; Martin meets an eccentric and grumpy hermit artist that the government tried to hire for years but never succeeded; Bart, Nelson and Milhouse find old French postcards; and Lisa is almost attacked by scorpions, but they quickly become passive after Lisa passes through a field of silvertongue flowers in Springfield's desert, prompting her to take the scorpions and some flowers for further experiments. When they return home, the Simpsons family is forced to let Grampa live at their house, after he was kicked out of the old folks home for being too grumpy. After Lisa confirms that the flower has a powerful chemical agent that nullifies all the negative feelings of any living being, Homer sneaks some into his father's coffee, curing his usual crankiness. Grampa decides to do this daily, acknowledging that a drug that stimulates happiness is the best thing that ever happened in his bitter life.

Unfortunately, despite the positive effects, Lisa refuses to give more of this drug, or to tell them the composition. While they complain about it at Moe's Tavern, a drug industry employee from Hottenhoffer Pharmaceuticals named Walter Hotenhoffer (formerly known as Augustus Gloop) manages to duplicate the liquid's effects using a sample of Grampa's perspiration. Hottenhoffer produces "MusBeNys" pills, but since the product has not been properly tested, only Grampa is allowed to use them. Unfortunately, Bart decides to sell some of the pills to everyone who has a problem with grumpy old people, making all the elderly people in Springfield becoming happy and carefree.

Lisa eventually realizes that Grampa is still using the drug, but she also admits that the pills are rather helpful to him. However, the drug's side effect quickly arises: it makes everyone's eyes become so lubricated that they pop out of their sockets. The elderly people do not mind this rather gruesome aspect of the drug, but upon seeing Homer's thoughtless antics with his friends and his car, Grampa convinces the old people to stop using the pills, saying that the Baby Boomer generation still needs their guidance, and this is only possible with their constant nagging. In the end, everything turns back to normal (except Hotenhoffer, who still has nightmares regarding what happened at Wonka's factory).

Production

Director Werner Herzog guest starred as a pharmaceutical executive. [1] When approached by the producers to appear, Herzog did not understand the request because he thought The Simpsons was a comic strip. He was sent a DVD of the show and thought the humor was "wonderful" and "subversive." He said he enjoyed working on the episode. [2] Creator Matt Groening named Herzog one of his favorite guest stars. [3]

Jackie Mason was listed in the FOX press release as a guest star, but was not credited in the episode. [4]

Cultural references

The Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner series is parodied in the episode with a real coyote chasing a real roadrunner.[ citation needed ] The music playing during this scene is inspired by "The Dance of the Comedians" from The Bartered Bride by Bedřich Smetana.[ citation needed ]

Mr. Burns sitting on a throne down by the seashore and failing to command the tide to obey him is a reference to the tale of king Cnut the Great as ruler of the waves.[ citation needed ]

The song playing during the montage of Lisa walking through the desert is "Gassenhauer," composed by Carl Orff.[ citation needed ] The orchestral music playing during the scenes of newly nice senior citizens playing outdoors is modeled on a theme from the first movement of Symphony No. 1 in D by Gustav Mahler.[ citation needed ] Ending credits music modeled on music by Thomas Newman from the closing credits from The Player .[ citation needed ]

Walter Hotenhoffer reveals that he is actually Augustus Gloop from the Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory saying, "Ja, it is true I am Gloop. Being stuck in that tube changed me in so many ways."[ citation needed ]

Reception

The episode received a 2.8/8 in the 18-49 share, and 6.20 million viewers, slightly edged out by the new Family Guy in the Animation Domination block. [5]

Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B−, praising Herzog's performance, but finding Lisa's varying opinions throughout the episode annoying. [6]

Eric Hochberger of TV Fanatic gave the episode 3.5 out of 5 stars. He felt Werner Herzog was not used correctly and that the pharmaceutical story was a repeat of past stories. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grampa Simpson</span> Recurring character in The Simpsons

Abraham Jebediah "Abe" Simpson II, better known as Grampa Simpson, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He made his first appearance in the episode entitled "Grandpa and the Kids", a one-minute Simpsons short on The Tracey Ullman Show, before the debut of the television show in 1989.

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

Professor John I.Q. Nerdelbaum Frink Jr. is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely intelligent, though somewhat mad and socially inept. Frink often tries to use his bizarre inventions to aid the town in its crises but they usually only make things worse. His manner of speech, including the impulsive shouting of nonsensical words, has become his trademark.

Springfield (<i>The Simpsons</i>) Fictional city in animated TV sitcom The Simpsons

Springfield is the primary fictional setting of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons and related media. It is an average-sized, fictional city within an unknown state in the United States. The fictional city's geography, surroundings, and layout are flexible, often changing to accommodate the plot of any given episode.

"Midnight Rx" is the sixth 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 January 16, 2005, This is also the last holdover from the season 15's FABF production line but was pushed to the season 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa's First Word</span> 10th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of Lisa's first word. Maggie's first word is voiced by Elizabeth Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpson family</span> Family of five fictional characters in animation series The Simpsons

The Simpson family are the main fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of married couple Homer and Marge who were high school sweethearts and their three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town of Springfield, United States, and they were created by cartoonist Matt Groening, who conceived the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. The family debuted on Fox on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" and were later spun off into their own series, which debuted on Fox in the U.S. on December 17, 1989, and started airing in Winter 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield</span> 14th episode of the 7th season of The Simpsons

"Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield" is the fourteenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 4, 1996. In this episode, Marge buys a Chanel suit and, invited to join the Springfield Country Club, becomes obsessed with trying to fit in with Springfield's upper class.

"Homer Simpson in: 'Kidney Trouble'" is the eighth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 6, 1998. In the episode Grampa's kidneys explode, leaving him in urgent need of a donor. His son Homer initially agrees to donate one of his kidneys, but after hearing of side effects of only having one kidney, he begins to have second thoughts about the operation.

"The Old Man and the 'C' Student" is the twentieth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on April 25, 1999. In the episode, after offending the Olympic committee during their visit to Springfield Elementary, the school's students are committed to 20 hours of community service. Bart, along with his sister Lisa, is put in charge of Springfield's retirement home, where Bart notices the doldrums that the old people go through every day. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa's father Homer tries to sell springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase</span> 24th episode of the 8th season of The Simpsons

"The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" is the twenty-fourth and penultimate 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 May 11, 1997. The episode centers on fictional pilot episodes of non-existent television series derived from The Simpsons, and is a parody of the tendency of networks to spin off characters from a hit series. As such it includes references to many different TV series. The first fictional spin-off is Chief Wiggum P.I., a cop-dramedy featuring Chief Wiggum and Seymour Skinner. The second is The Love-matic Grampa, a sitcom featuring Moe Szyslak who receives dating advice from Abraham Simpson, whose ghost is possessing a love testing machine. The final segment is The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour, a variety show featuring the Simpson family except for Lisa, who has been replaced.

"The Front" is the nineteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired in the United States on Fox on April 15, 1993. In the episode, Bart and Lisa decide to write an episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show; after their script is rejected, they resubmit it under the name of their grandfather Abraham Simpson, resulting in Grampa being hired as a staff writer. Meanwhile, Homer returns to high school to retake a failed science course.

"Old Money" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 28, 1991.

"The War of the Simpsons" is the twentieth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 2, 1991. In the episode, Homer gets drunk at a dinner party and embarrasses Marge, so she enrolls them in marriage counseling at a lakeside retreat with Reverend Lovejoy.

"The Good, the Sad and the Drugly" is the seventeenth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 437th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 19, 2009. In the episode, Bart sets up Milhouse to take the fall for a prank the two of them pulled, and the duo's friendship becomes strained when Bart falls for a charitable girl named Jenny. He starts making her think he is actually good and not bad. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes depressed when she finds articles on the Internet predicting that Springfield will suffer from catastrophic events in fifty years.

"Loan-a Lisa" is the second episode of the twenty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 3, 2010. In the episode, Lisa helps fund Nelson's bicycle company with money Grampa Simpson gives her as part of his inheritance, but after Nelson meets Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and is convinced he can be successful by dropping out of school, Lisa tries to convince Nelson to stay in school. Meanwhile, Homer gets addicted to buying expensive items and returning them.

"Homer Scissorhands" is the twentieth episode of the twenty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by Peter Gaffney and Steve Viksten. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 8, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holidays of Future Passed</span> 9th episode of the 23rd season of The Simpsons

"Holidays of Future Passed" is the ninth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 11, 2011. Most of the episode is set thirty years (2041) into the future, when Bart and Lisa take their children with them to Homer and Marge's house over Christmas, while a pregnant Maggie goes into labor. Bart has divorced his wife, Jenda, and is struggling to become a better father for his two boys, while Lisa has trouble connecting with her rebellious teenage daughter, Zia. The Simpsons creator Matt Groening made a minor uncredited cameo appearance as a sports commentator shouting "goal!" during a soccer game.

"Love Is in the N2-O2-Ar-CO2-Ne-He-CH4" is the thirteenth episode of the twenty-seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 587th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by John Frink. It aired in the United States on Fox on February 14, 2016.

"A Father's Watch" is the eighteenth episode of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 614th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Simon Rich. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 19, 2017.

References

  1. ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (March 7, 2011). "Port of Call Springfield: Werner Herzog Does 'The Simpsons'". The New York Times . Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  2. ↑ Kohn, Eric (April 20, 2011). "Werner Herzog on 3D, "The Simpsons," and Nicolas Cage". IndieWire . Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  3. ↑ Keveney, Bill (March 19, 2021). "'The Simpsons': Matt Groening on how Anne Hathaway surprised him, why he loves Bitey the possum". USA Today . Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ "(SI-2208) "The Scorpion's Tale"". The Futon Critic . Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  5. ↑ Seidman, Robert (March 7, 2011). "TV Ratings Sunday: 'Secret Millionaire' Money for ABC; Restaurant Not So Great, 'Celebrity Apprentice' Down; 'Housewives Up'". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on March 10, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  6. ↑ Kaiser, Rowan (March 7, 2011). ""The Scorpion's Tale"/"Sheesh! Cab, Bob?"/"The Hand That Rocks The Wheelchair"/"The Blue And Gray And Brown"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  7. ↑ Hochberger, Eric (March 7, 2011). "The Simpsons Review: "The Scorpion's Tale"". TV Fanatic. Retrieved August 18, 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.