Plot
Homer goes to Moe's Tavern to watch a football game between the Springfield Atoms and the Boston Americans, but they end up bitterly arguing with a group of Boston fans, calling their team cheaters and losers. Homer and the rest become enraged when the Americans win the game by throwing to their mascot, who was activated for the 53-man roster and reported in as an eligible receiver. Homer then says that he will lose his temper if he sees a Boston fan, but seconds later, he is surprised by a gleeful Bart wearing a Boston Americans cap, as his son makes it plain he hates the hometown Atoms and loves Boston. Homer gets angry at Bart, but he decides to take him around Springfield to encourage him to cheer for the home team. Bart refuses and admits that people from Boston, specifically Southies, are his people. Homer gets so traumatized that he decides to take the family on a "hate-cation" to Boston to show Bart what a terrible place it actually is.
During a visit to Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Homer unsuccessfully attempts to provoke the Bostonians when a cart full of bobbleheads falls on him. When he is helped by doctors, Marge is impressed with the Massachusetts health care system, as much as Lisa is impressed by the MIT campus. Meanwhile, Homer and Bart go candlepin bowling and, when Homer learns that the player gets a third ball in this version of the sport, he falls in love with both it and the city. Homer gives up on the hate-cation and decides to enjoy Boston with Bart. Back at the hotel, Marge and Homer talk about their experience in Boston and decide to move to the town, declaring the move to be their "third ball".
The Simpsons rent an apartment and move all their possessions to Boston. Homer finds a job at the NEKCO candy factory and Lisa enjoys attending the Combat Zone Charter School. However, Bart realizes that he can no longer keep his reputation as a bad boy in school, as the children in detention focused their energy into a cappella singing, and that most of the town is made for intellectuals like Lisa. He decides to find a way to make the family move back to Springfield. Bart takes the family to the latest championship parade for the Americans, who used questionable tactics to win the crown. Homer tries to control his anger, but he gets enraged when asked to put on a Boston Americans cap, ripping it in two and yelling that they are cheaters. The Simpsons then have to move back to Springfield, where Marge gets mad at Homer for making them lose that opportunity, but concludes that it would not have worked out for the family in Boston, as their problems are who they are, not where they are. Bart is now wearing a Springfield Atoms cap and Lisa, now insane, is hallucinating about Boston.
Production
This episode was written by guest writer Dave King, who was working on the television series Love at the time. King played fantasy football with some of the series' writers, and they were looking for people to write an episode, which coincided with the production hiatus of Love. Executive producer Matt Selman was interested in making an episode set in Boston, and the writers knew King was fond of the city and its football team. After the episode was written, Selman would ask him for input when adding details and background jokes to the episode. [1] Selman stated the episode would explore Boston's contradictions between progressive and educated people and the hooligan gangsters. [2] Executive producer Al Jean said that the episode would be a thorough depiction of the city. [3]
The episode was originally titled "Patriot Games", as seen in the script cover. However, the title was changed in January 2016 to "The Town". [4] On Twitter, executive producer Matt Selman posted a still image from a deleted scene, in which Bart rides a city bike. [5]
In July 2016 at San Diego Comic-Con, Selman stated that Doris Kearns Goodwin would appear in the episode. [6] It was later reported that Massachusetts natives Bill Burr, Rachel Dratch, and Dana Gould would also guest star in the episode. [2]
"The Town" was rerun by Fox on February 12, 2017, a week after Super Bowl LI, where the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34–28 in the first-ever Super Bowl game to enter overtime. As an easter egg, the final score of the Boston vs. Springfield football game was changed to reference the real-life result of Super Bowl LI. Selman explained that his team had proposed the idea whilst watching the game, having realized that "The Town" had been scheduled for a rerun the following week. Although the idea was a joke, Al Jean took it seriously. [7] He added that "jamming the Super Bowl teams and score into one shot makes no sense in the show, but we couldn't resist." [8] The edit was exclusive to this airing. [7] This episode was season 28, episode 3. The Patriots would win the Super Bowl overcoming a 28-3 deficit.
Cultural references
The Boston Americans are a parody of the New England Patriots; former Patriots player Rob Gronkowski is also parodied as "Bonkowski". [9] The title is a parody of Ben Affleck's 2010 crime thriller film, The Town.
Patriot Games, the former name of this episode, is the name of a Tom Clancy novel. It is also the name of a Family Guy episode.
The team Boston Americans are a direct parody of the New England Patriots.
The Americans QB is a parody of Tom Brady, the coach is a parody of Bill Belichick, Domp Bonkowski is a parody of Rob Gronkowski, the mascot is a parody of Pat Patriot, and the scandals are parodies of headsets and Spygate respectively.
Boston Americans is the former name of the Boston Red Sox baseball team.
The song "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys is mentioned twice in this episode: It is sung by the a cappella group at the school's detention and during the episode's credits. Bart says "It's time for me to ship out of Boston!"
The song The Man in Me by Bob Dylan plays when the Simpsons are enjoying candlepin bowling.
The movie The Departed is mentioned a few times in this episode.
Bart (wearing a blue cap) is intimidated by Apu and Sideshow Mel (wearing red clothes). This is a reference to the rivalry between the gangs Crips (identified by their blue clothing) and the Bloods (identified by their red clothing).
When Homer says that The Springfield Atoms were relocated from Portland, it could be a knock at the Indianapolis Colts, which used to be located in Baltimore. Plus, Homer refers that the atoms moved to
Springfield from Portland in the middle of the night, like how the Colts moved to Indianapolis from Baltimore after hours.
After the 2017 Super Bowl, a rerun of this episode aired, with a small Easter egg where the score was changed to 34-28, due to the actual Super Bowl score being 34-28. The episode was also aired due to the Patriots winning, and the team originating from Boston.
Newbury Comics-esque stickers adorn the wall of the tunnel and the neighborhood Lisa and Bart walk through.
"Jordan's Furniture and Motel", which offers the regional cable sports channel NESN as opposed to Connecticut-based ESPN and includes a poster for area UHF TV station WSBK-TV's The Movie Loft in their room
The town of Quimby is a parody of Quincy, Massachusetts
"Duncan's Doughnuts" is obviously Dunkin' Donuts, with Fred the Baker appearing at the parade.
Stores and kiosks at Fanueil Hall Marketplace include:
"Filene's Basement's Attic" (specifically in the same location as Wagamama)
"Noam Chomp-sky's Grinders & Frappes in the same location as Ned Devine's Irish Pub)
"Lawful Seafoods"
"Spenser: For Hire's Gifts" kiosk complete with the character of Hawk running it
The Red Auerbach statue
"Menino's Paninos" kiosk
Homer Simpson is seen drinking a beer called "Brockton's Best," named after the city of Brockton, Massachusetts, known as the birthplace of boxer Rocky Marciano.
The movie "Mass. Ave." that Bart shows Lisa spoofs The Town with characters resembling Good Will Hunting cast members Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck talking about robbing The Harvard COOP bookstore and drinking "Fribbels" beforehand.
The "Do your job, Homer" line the Handsome Quarterback says in Homer's hallucination was a motto/tagline the Patriots used during their runup to Super Bowl XLIX. Further, the Handsome Quarter back is voiced by Michael Chiklis, who introduced the Patriots for Super Bowl XXXIX.
"Lechmere's" was a Best Buy precursor.
"Cumbie's" is a regional convenience store chain throughout eastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and eastern Connecticut.
"104 BCN" was an area radio station that Billy West used to work for as an on-air personality.
Marge says that a Real Housewives show set in Boston would be incredibly boring, but there is an online parody called "The Real Housewives of South Boston" using the very Southies that Bart wishes to hang out with.
Bart's comment about Boston Americans' victory parades being a state holiday has a minor ring of truth to it: from 2001 through the episode's original airing in 2016 there have been nine sports victory parades in the city-four for the Patriots, three for the Red Sox, and one each for the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics-and one commentator on the morning show for local radio station WROR stated that children were beginning to erroneously believe that victory parades were an annual event.
Two Boston Celtics jokes, as the Celtics are the city's most victorious sports team with seventeen championships as of the episode's original 2016 airing.
A Statue of Liberty-style statue of Larry Bird in Boston Harbor. Bart walks past a church called "St. Robert's Parish" where Robert Parish is both the pastor and depicted on a stained glass window.
