Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play
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| The Simpsons episode | |
| "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play" | |
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| Episode no. | 378 |
| Prod. code | HABF16 |
| Orig. Airdate | May 21, 2006 |
| Written by | Joel H. Cohen |
| Directed by | Bob Anderson Mike B. Anderson |
| Chalkboard | Have a great summer, everyone. |
| Couch gag | Every couch in Springfield comes alive and attacks everyone. |
| Guest star | Mandy Moore as Tabitha Vixx |
| SNPP capsule | |
| Season 17 September 11, 2005 – May 21, 2006 |
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| List of all Simpsons episodes... | |
"Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play" is the 22nd episode of the 17th season of The Simpsons that originally aired on May 21, 2006. It was the finale for the seventeenth season.
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[edit] Synopsis
Open to the family watching a cop drama. As the credits roll, Kent Brockman announces that the Springfield Isotopes are in first place thanks to their new acquisition of Buck "Homerun King" Mitchell. "To the bandwagon!" shouts Homer, as they all head to Springfield Stadium. Tabitha Vixx, Buck Mitchell's wife, sings the first few bars of the National Anthem at the game, then strips down to lingerie and launches into one of her own songs. After a minute of lascivious dancing, she concludes "...and the home of the brave." Buck, humiliated, delivers a terrible performance at that night's game. He later sees Homer and Marge kissing on the Jumbotron; the next day Buck shows up at the Simpsons' front door and asks for help with his marriage in exchange for season tickets.
Marge doubts their ability to counsel another couple. Her doubts lead to her and Homer flirting, which Buck sees and claims is an example of what he wants with his own wife. At the first session -- taking place in the Simpsons' living room -- Buck confesses he assumed Tabitha would give up her recording career to focus on his minor league baseball career, to which she responds she won't stay in a mismatched marriage. The session concludes with Homer asking Buck to sign baseballs.
The next session takes place at Buck and Tabitha's mansion, which goes much more smoothly. As a result of his now-steady personal life, his game returns to superior form. Tabitha continues her singing tour, and Homer comes to meet her in the locker room to check up on things. There he gives her a neck rub; her loud moans through the door are overheard by Buck, who barges in enraged and slugs Homer.
Now with his marriage again on the rocks, Buck goes into another slump. Homer wants to get them back together, but Marge refuses to help. He leaves, and a few minutes later Tabitha knocks on the door; she tells a shocked Marge that she plans to leave Buck for good. Marge objects, insisting they stay together.
Flash to Buck Mitchell at the plate in the bottom of the 9th. Homer has hijacked the Duff blimp and spells out a message to Buck, supposedly from Tabitha proclaiming her love. Buck, reinvigorated, hits the ball into the blimp itself, causing it to crash into the field; as Homer alone runs from the wreckage, Buck realizes Tabitha had no part in the message. He charges Homer, bat in hand, but Marge delivers a monologue over the loudspeaker, dissuading him. It also prompts Tabitha to tell Buck she wants to stay together.
The episode closes with another Isotope player, Tito, saying he doesn't care about the healed marriage because bandits just kidnapped his mother.
[edit] Trivia
- Although not the first mentioning of more than one Duffman existing (see the "Jaws Wired Shut" episode, famous for the line that "Duffman can never die, only the actors who play him"), this is the first time more than one has been shown at a time. Apparently three (and possibly even more), exist. Three past wearers of the suit have been named: Barry, Larry and Sid.
- Sideshow Mel is revealed to have a sister and fiance, but both their names are not given.
- The possible attendance numbers in Tabitha's trivia question all have mathematical significance, and were chosen to honor Appalachian State University's Dr. Sarah Greenwald and Santa Monica College's Dr. Andrew Nestler of simpsonsmath.com, who attended the table read of this episode.
- In the Italian edition, Buck and Tabitha are voiced by famous soccer player Francesco Totti and Ilary Blasi (his wife, a famous Italian showgirl) respectively.
[edit] Cultural references
- One of the misplays that Buck made during the first game in this episode is a parody of Bill Buckner's infamous error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.
- One of Tabitha's songs sounds very similar to Britney Spears' Toxic.
- The show they are watching is called "Hunch" and seems to be a poke at the television show Monk. In fact, the first name of the "actor" on "Hunch" is Tony which is the real life first name of Monk's main actor Tony Shalhoub.
- Hunch also seems to be a bit controversial, in the same vein as NYPD Blue if Bart's comment about Hunch's butt in the shower is accurate.
- At the end credits for "Hunch", the city of New York is credited as being played by the city of Lethbridge, Alberta, a small city between Calgary and the USA/Canadian border of approximately 80,000 inhabitants. A strange choice to film a prime time crime drama, although Canada has become a popular filming location for many American movies and some television. This was shown in "The Bart Wants What It Wants".
- Among the people shown in the cast of "Hunch" are George C. Scott, Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow.
- The file photo of Marge and Homer references Michelangelo's famous Pietà.
- The writer for the show Homer and the family are watching at the beginning of the episode is J.D. Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye.
- Tabitha's frequent pole-dancing could be a reference to Anna Benson.
- Homer asks "Why couldn't you marry one of your crummy back-up dancers?", a reference to notable singers marrying back-up dancers, such as Britney Spears marrying Kevin Federline, and Jennifer Lopez marrying Cris Judd.
[edit] External links
