Midnight Rx
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| The Simpsons episode | |
| "Midnight Rx" | |
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| Episode no. | 341 |
| Prod. code | FABF16 |
| Orig. Airdate | January 16, 2005 |
| Written by | Marc Wilmore |
| Directed by | Nancy Kruse |
| Chalkboard | None |
| Couch gag | The family rushes in and sits on the couch, and Lisa says "What? Can't we sit on the couch without anything happening?" Homer is then impaled with a large spear, followed by a "D'oh!" |
| Guest star | None |
| Season 16 November 7, 2004 – May 15, 2005 |
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| List of all Simpsons episodes... | |
"Midnight Rx" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons from its sixteenth season. It was the first new episode of 2005.
[edit] Synopsis
Mr. Burns reserves the Springfield Air and Space Museum for a plant company party. Cletus Spuckler and his family arrive at the closed museum, but still become satisfied after rubbing the line rope. Cletus says "On the plus side, this rope is mighty soft. Touch it kids." While there, Burns acts strangely kind to all of his employees. At the end of the party, Burns announces that he will terminate the prescription drug plan. The workers chase after him, but Burns is able to escape in a wacky flying machine, based on Leonardo Da Vinci's flying machine plans. At home, the Simpsons try to figure out how they can afford new prescription drugs. Homer decides to get another job, but he can't have his choice of starring on Friends as Rachel’s Irish cousin, and is unable to get a new job. Other companies follow Burns' lead and all prescription drug plans are cancelled.
At the retirement home, all prescription drugs are unaffordable and the staff decided to let the old folks go cold turkey. Grampa Simpson comes up with a plan to get more drugs for Springfield. He and Homer go to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and, with help from Grampa's friend, they are able to get unlimited access to the drugs they need and get massive amounts of the drugs. They take them back into the United States and are praised in Springfield. Later, Apu and Ned ask Homer if they can tag along on one of his smuggling trips. He accepts, even though Ned tries to convert Apu on the way. Ned even meets his Canadian counterpart, but takes an instant dislike to him when he offers Ned medical marijuana. On the way back, Ned offers his home-brewed coffee to the others and gives a cup to Apu. However, the incredibly hot coffee causes Apu to ululate uncontrollably and Ned gives him a wet towel to calm him down; this makes Apu look like an Arab. When the border guard sees them, he thinks Apu is a terrorist and when Homer tries to calm the guards down, the drugs are revealed and they are thrown in jail. They are later allowed to leave Canada, on the condition that they never return.
Meanwhile, Smithers' thyroid swells up dangerously as he could no longer afford the medicine he needs that was provided under the drug plan. With his assistant dying, Burns vows to move Heaven and Earth to save him (since it is easier than teaching someone his filing system). He takes Homer and Grampa along in his plane, the Plywood Pelican (a parody of the Spruce Goose) which he built for Nazi Germany. After getting the drugs, while flying back to Springfield, the plane loses altitude and Burns jumps off with Homer and Grampa's parachutes (one is a gift for his nephew). They crash-land in Springfield Town Square, almost crushing Chief Wiggum's squad car. Wiggum arrests Grampa (on charges of smuggling and scaring a police chief), but the people of Springfield protest, as his smuggling has gotten them the medicine they need. Wiggum lets Grampa leave. Meanwhile, Burns arrives at his mansion with Smithers' medicine and, giving CPR, makes Smithers conscious again. Burns then decides to bring back the drug plan to all his full time employees. Homer gets a job with Burns again, but only as a free lance consultant, then wonders what a lump on his neck is.
[edit] Trivia
- Ironically, with part of the episode taking place in Winnipeg, CKND, the Winnipeg station that airs first-run episodes of The Simpsons, aired an NFL playoff game on January 16, 2005 in place of this episode.
- On the Canadian News, Homer is referred to as a former U.S. astronaut, a reference to "Deep Space Homer".
- Krusty the Clown mentions that he needs lithium dibromide (an imaginary medication and chemical compound) to treat his bipolar disorder. Lithium dibromide appears to be a reference to either lithium bromide, which is used in air-conditioning systems, or lithium carbonate which is commonly used to treat bipolar disorder. Lithium dibromide is also incorrectly named using the system of IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry. This line was cut from the episode when it aired on the UK channel Sky One. What is heard on the UK airing instead is the end of his speech which is "Nobody likes a bipolar clown."[citation needed] Krusty does his trademark laugh, then begins to cry. He repeats this laugh-cry pattern a few times.
- This episode marks the second time when the song "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane is played. (see D'oh-in in the Wind)
- The "Plywood Pelican" is clearly a parody of the real-life Spruce Goose (ironically he also designed the Spruce Moose when he briefly had OCD in $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling).
- Huey Lewis' single "I Want A New Drug" was used in the Pharmaceutical Ad.
- When Homer, Apu, Ned, and Grampa are in prison in Canada they are told their options by a Canadian official, who is accompanied by a French counterpart who translates everything to French. The English Canadian says "I am a big, fat, French, idiot." which the French Canadian partially translates. This is mirroring the feelings of many English Canadians towards French Canadians, and vice-versa
- When Homer and Grampa make their first trip into Canada, the sign at the US-Canadian border says "Now Celine Dion - Free". This makes reference to the fact that Celine Dion has been in Las Vegas since 2003 performing nightly shows.
- When the Canadian Ned offers Flanders a "reeferino" and says that "it's legal here", this is somewhat incorrect as non-medicinal marijuana is still technically illegal in Canada, but punishment for possession of the drug in small amounts is relatively minor, and jail time is very unlikely. This scene makes reference to the ongoing debate about the de-criminalization of marijuana in Canada.
- During their last drug run, when Homer asks Johnny Canuck how he can repay him, Johnny Canuck responded by saying that he would like to see someone "with an IQ of a child get executed by the state" because they "don't get that up here." Canada officially abolished the death penalty in 1976.
- Because of lactose intolerance medicine, Sideshow Mel can finally have a Krusty brand Shake, yet in 22 Short Films About Springfield Chief Wiggum says that Krusty brand Shakes are non-dairy.
[edit] Cultural references
- The title is a parody of the films Midnight Express and Midnight Run.
- The man at the employment agency plays a game clearly modelled after Doom.
- The drug store is called "Dudley Do Drugs" a parody of Dudley Do-Right.
- The scene in which Mr. Burns revives Smithers is a parody of the Disney movies Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Sleeping Beauty.
