Papa Don't Leech

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The Simpsons episode
"Papa Don't Leech"
Promotional image featuring Homer (in his "Colonel Homer" attire) and The Dixie Chicks.
Episode no. 416
Prod. code KABF09
Orig. airdate April 13, 2008
Show runner(s) Al Jean
Written by Reid Harrison
Directed by Chris Clements
Couch gag The Simpson family is painted on the couch.
Guest star(s) Beverly D'Angelo
The Dixie Chicks
Season 19
September 23, 2007 – May 18, 2008
  1. "He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs"
  2. "Homer of Seville"
  3. "Midnight Towboy"
  4. "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"
  5. "Treehouse of Horror XVIII"
  6. "Little Orphan Millie"
  7. "Husbands and Knives"
  8. "Funeral for a Fiend"
  9. "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind"
  10. "E Pluribus Wiggum"
  11. "That 90's Show"
  12. "Love, Springfieldian Style"
  13. "The Debarted"
  14. "Dial 'N' for Nerder"
  15. "Smoke on the Daughter"
  16. "Papa Don't Leech"
  17. "Apocalypse Cow"
  18. "Any Given Sundance"
  19. "Mona Leaves-a"
  20. "All About Lisa"
List of all The Simpsons episodes

"Papa Don't Leech" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons' nineteenth season. It first aired on April 13, 2008.[1] It features the return of Lurleen Lumpkin (Beverly D'Angelo) from the third season episode "Colonel Homer", after an absence of sixteen years. The Dixie Chicks also make cameo appearances as themselves.[1] It was written by Reid Harrison and directed by Chris Clements.[2]

Contents

[edit] Plot

Lisa tries to sell Girl Scout Cookies to Mayor Quimby, but finds the entire town treasury empty. Quimby explains the city spent their money on a new slogan, "Springfield: Good". A town meeting is held to inform the town they have to raise money. They try faking a natural disaster in order to get relief money from the government, but are tricked and end up in more debt than before. Lisa then reveals Springfield has millions in uncollected taxes, and Springfield soon starts hitting up its most notorious tax evaders. In a news report, Kent Brockman reveals that all tax evaders have been caught, and the only one remaining is Lurleen Lumpkin, a country music star who was once managed by Homer and fell in love with him . As the city searches for her, Homer finds Lurleen hiding in his car, and learns that after leaving her, her life had spun out of control.

Homer comforts the nerve-wracked Lurleen, who says she has no money. Homer agrees to take her home, but Marge remembers how Lurleen caused a huge rift in her marriage, and demands that she gets out. Angrily driving her away, she discovers that Lurleen lives with the homeless. Marge begins to pity her. Marge reluctantly allows her to stay with the family. As a thank-you, Lurleen cooks a barbecue for the family, and Marge apologizes about the argument earlier. Lurleen forgives her, and the two become friends. Soon, though, Lurleen is found, arrested, and taken to court. Judge Snyder decides to go easy on her, with one exception: Lurleen must find an immediate way to pay off her debt to society. When the trial finishes, she explains how she can't pay off her taxes because all her money went to her ex-husbands (who all resemble Homer).

Lurleen becomes depressed, and the whole family soon hears Lurleen singing through the vent about her father. Marge realizes that after her father left Lurleen, Lurleen had given up faith in all men. Marge decides to get the two Lumpkins back on a proper parent-child relationship. Scouring Springfield, she finally finds him in the corner of Springfield. Royce Lumpkin left Lurleen because he realized he could never be a great father. He is now deadbeat. Lurleen forgives him for leaving her, however, and she writes a new song to celebrate their reunion. The two appear to have a newfound happiness, and spend a lot of time together. But Royce decides to leave Lurleen again. Soon a new song from The Dixie Chicks plays on TV. Lurleen's father is there, and he claims he wrote the song, a clear plagiarism of the song Lurleen wrote for their reunion. She goes to the basement to sulk. Colonel Homer and Marge come to her, and tell her to take control of her destiny. Lurleen tells the Dixie Chicks that her father stole her song and they proceed to hit him with their instruments. Lurleen becomes the new opening act for the Dixie Chicks. She has a new husband (who has a resemblance to Homer), and Marge threatens her against ever returning.

[edit] Cultural references

The episode's title is a take-off of singer Madonna's song, "Papa Don't Preach".[3] Lurleen is shown singing the song, "bunk with me tonight" (from "Colonel Homer") with Kermit; another Muppet, Miss Piggy appears and drop-kicks him.[3] The opening scene where Homer suffocates his father parodies the Sopranos episode "Kennedy and Heidi", in which Tony suffocates Christopher in a similar manner.[3] Bart is seen playing with Mr. Potato Head.[3] Marge's bodywash is Estee Lauder.[3] Lurleen's song, "Daddy's Back", sounds slightly like the Dixie's "Not Ready to Make Nice".[3] Lisa sells a parody of "Do-Si-Dos," "Don't-Si-Don'ts".[4] Marge calls Lurleen a "Hee Haw Ho", a reference to "Hee Haw".[4] The bailiff in court mentions The People's Court.[4] Lisa reads Harry Potter.[4] In one scene, Lurleen cuts "pop" out of all the household boxes: Pop-Tarts, Jiffy Pop popcorn, Popeye's Chicken, Poppycock, Rice Krispies ("Pop" was cut out of the box).[4]

[edit] Reception

Richard Keller of TV Squad expressed dislike for the episode stating that he hopes the show will reconsider the next time they decide to give a solo opportunity to a supporting character many people don't remember.[5] He found most of the plot, especially the sudden and seemingly unnecessary inclusion of her father and the Dixie Chicks, and the return of Lurleen Lumpkin after such a long time derogative.[5] Robert Canning of IGN said, "there were too few laugh-out-loud moments in this lackluster episode. Overall, it was nice to see Lurleen again, but she'd probably get more laughs in future cameos than in carrying an entire episode." He gave the episode a 6/10.[6] The opening sequence where Homer murders Grampa in a dream was criticized, being called "the least funny thing I've ever seen on the show" by IGN,[6] "very un-Homer-like" by TV Squad,[5] and "going too far" by FireFox.org.[3]

The episode was the third lowest watched episode in the history of The Simpsons. It had a 3.2 Nielsen rating and a 9% audience share in its time slot.[7]

[edit] References

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