Midnight Rx
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"Midnight Rx" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons sixteenth season. It was the first new episode of 2005.
[edit] Plot
Mr. Burns reserves the Springfield Air and Space Museum for a plant company party. 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 not have his choice of starring on Friends as Rachel’s Irish cousin, and is unable to get a new job. Other companies follow Burns's 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. 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 reeferino. A coffee accident fools a border guard into think Apu is 'expressing his faith' as a Muslim; thus they are surrounded by police and the drugs found. They are later allowed to leave Canada, on the condition that they never return.
Meanwhile, Smithers' thyroid becomes a goiter 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 (two are gifts for his nephews). They crash-land in Springfield Town Square, almost crushing Chief Wiggum's squad car. Wiggum arrests Grampa but the people of Springfield protest, as his smuggling has gotten them the medicine they need. Wiggum lets Grampa leave. Smithers is saved 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 the lump on his neck is.
[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 Dwarfs (the glass coffin) and Sleeping Beauty (Smithers being locked in a palace room).
- The banner at the U.S.-Canadian border reads that Canada is now "Celine Dion Free", a reference to Canadian singer Celine Dion moving to Las Vegas to perform nightly at Caesars Palace.
- The sign on the entrance to Winnipeg states, "We Were Born Here, What's Your Excuse" a reference to the inhospitable prairie climate.
- Grandpa's old friend Johnny gives Homer and Grandpa prescription cards to "give them enough drugs to make Regina look like Saskatoon." This is a reference to Saskatoon's high crime rate and drug rate.
- The song that is playing when Homer and Grandpa are getting the drugs is "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane, a song with thinly veiled drug references.
- The Springfield Air and Space Museum is a parody of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
- Homer being restricted from entering Canada is a reference to the episode Kill the Alligator and Run which involves the whole Simpson family being banned from Florida.
