Top Goon

Last updated
"Top Goon"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 34
Episode 11
Directed by Chris Clements
Written by Joel H. Cohen
Production codeOABF04
Original air dateDecember 11, 2022 (2022-12-11)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Game Done Changed"		Next →
"My Life as a Vlog"
The Simpsons (season 34)
List of episodes

"Top Goon" is the eleventh episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 739th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on December 11, 2022. The episode was directed by Chris Clements and written by Joel H. Cohen.

Contents

In this episode, Moe recruits Nelson to his ice hockey team to protect Bart. The episode received positive reviews.

Plot

Moe's neighbor, King Toot, shows off his trophy for coaching a winning children’s hockey team, which annoys Moe. The next season, Moe starts his own team with Bart as the best player. However, Bart is tackled by a player on King Toot’s team, and Moe’s team loses. When Moe notices Nelson bullying someone, he invites Nelson to be on the team.

Moe sends Nelson to Top Goon Academy to teach him how to be an enforcer. Nelson is taught that Bart is the primary, and he must always protect him. Nelson and Moe bond as they celebrate his graduation. When the team wins the next game, they have a victory party. Bart pranks Moe, which angers Nelson. He decides that Moe is the primary, and he breaks Bart’s arm. This enrages Moe, and he kicks Nelson off the team. Saddened that he is just a bully, Nelson joins Fat Tony’s gang.

When Moe visits Nelson’s mother to apologize, he learns that Nelson considers Moe to be the primary. Moe finds Nelson, who is about to attack King Toot for Fat Tony. Moe convinces Nelson to stop and come with him because he is more than just a bully. Moe steals King Toot’s trophy and gives it to Nelson.

Production

Former ice hockey players Stu Grimson, Dave Schultz, and Tiger Williams appeared as themselves. The producers contacted the NHL Network, where Grimson works as an analyst, to ask for his involvement. [1] Grimson recorded his lines in a studio in Nashville while receiving feedback from the producers over a video conference. He thought the producers selected him and the other former players because they have memorable nicknames. Grimson was able to attend a viewing of the season premiere in California. [2] Grimson stated that the appearance would expose hockey to a different type of audience. [1]

There was originally going to be a tie-in to the sixth season episode "Lisa on Ice." [3]

Cultural references

The story has a similar premise as 1992 film The Mighty Ducks . [4] The hockey academy teaches the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison. [5]

Reception

Viewing figures

Due to the NFL doubleheader on Fox, the episode scored a 1.0 rating with 3.42 million viewers, which was the most viewed show on Fox that night. [6]

Critical response

Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode 5 out of 5 stars. He praised the featuring of Nelson and Moe without the need for the characters to change, and highlighted the visual jokes. He also felt the ultimate message was optimistic. [5]

Matthew Swigonski of Bubbleblabber gave the episode a 6 out of 10. He felt the story was fairly simple and has been done before but highlighted the Nelson and Moe relationship. [4]

Related Research Articles

"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 Kids Are All Fight" is the nineteenth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 571st overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Rob LaZebnik. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 26, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haw-Haw Land</span> 10th episode of the 29th season of The Simpsons

"Haw-Haw Land" is the tenth episode of the twenty-ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 628th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Tim Long and Miranda Thompson. It aired in the United States on Fox on January 7, 2018.

"From Russia Without Love" is the sixth episode of thirtieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 645th episode overall. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Michael Ferris. It aired in the United States on Fox on November 11, 2018.

"Woo-Hoo Dunnit?" is the twenty-second and penultimate episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 661st episode overall. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Brian Kelley. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 5, 2019.

"The Hateful Eight-Year-Olds" is the 21st and penultimate episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 683rd episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 10, 2020. The episode was written by Joel H. Cohen and was directed by Jennifer Moller.

"Wad Goals" is the 13th episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 697th episode overall. The episode was directed by Mike Frank Polcino, and written by Brian Kelley. In this episode, Bart becomes a successful caddy, but Marge worries that it is ruining his character. Stephen Root guest-stars as Bildorf.

"Now Museum, Now You Don't" is the third episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 687th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 11, 2020. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey, and written by Dan Greaney.

"The Last Barfighter" is the 22nd and final episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 706th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 23, 2021. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Dan Vebber.

"The Dad-Feelings Limited" is the 11th episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 695th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on January 3, 2021. The episode was directed by Chris Clements and written by Ryan Koh.

"Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Guitars" is the 15th episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 699th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 14, 2021. The episode was directed by Jennifer Moeller, and written by Michael Price. In this episode, Homer attempts to reunite an animatronic band from his youth, but TV and film producer J. J. Abrams gets ahold of them first. The episode was given positive reviews. The title of the episode is a play to the dystopian novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.

"The Wayz We Were" is the fourth episode of the thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 710th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 17, 2021. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Joel H. Cohen.

"Boyz N the Highlands" is the 13th episode of the 33rd season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 719th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 6, 2022. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Dan Vebber. The plot is inspired by the 2019 movie Get Duked!.

"You Won't Believe What This Episode Is About – Act Three Will Shock You!" is the 14th episode of the 33rd season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 720th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 13, 2022. The episode was directed by Jennifer Moeller and written by Christine Nangle. This is the first episode of The Simpsons to have all-female creative leads.

"Bart the Cool Kid" is the 15th episode of the 33rd season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 721st episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 20, 2022. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Ryan Koh.

"Marge the Meanie" is the 20th episode of the 33rd season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 726th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 8, 2022. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Megan Amram.

<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. 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.

"The King of Nice" is the fourth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 732nd episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 16, 2022. The episode was directed by Debbie Bruce Mahan and written by Jessica Conrad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not It</span> 5th episode of the 34th season of The Simpsons

"Not It" is the fifth episode of the 34th season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 733rd episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 23, 2022. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore, and written by Cesar Mazariegos. The episode is a parody of Stephen King's 1986 supernatural horror novel It and its film adaptations, It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019).

"Step Brother from the Same Planet" is the eighth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 736th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on November 20, 2022. The episode was directed by Matthew Faughnan and written by Dan Vebber.

References

  1. 1 2 Boorse, Rachel (November 15, 2022). "Don't Fear the Reaper: Stu Grimson Reflects on Time in Nashville". National Hockey League . Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  2. ↑ McFarland, Darren; Hammer, Kara (November 12, 2022). "The Grim Reaper". Predators Official Podcast (Podcast). Event occurs at 20:00. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ Selman, Matt [@mattselman] (December 12, 2022). "we meant to put in an Easter Egg but we forgot!" (Tweet). Retrieved June 4, 2023– via Twitter.
  4. 1 2 Swigonski, Matthew (December 12, 2022). "Review: The Simpsons "Top Goon"". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Sokol, Tony (December 12, 2022). "The Simpsons Brings Brass-Knuckle Hockey to Springfield". Den of Geek . Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  6. ↑ Salem, Mitch (December 13, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Sunday 12.11.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 5, 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.