The capsule for "Insane Clown Poppy" is now available at The Simpsons Archive, at "http://www.snpp.com/episodes.html". You may access it by following the link for episode BABF17.
We plan to have "Lisa the Treehugger (CABF01)" up next. (This is subject to change due to schedule and resource demands, however.)
Not among the world's web-enabled? That's okay -- a copy the BABF17 capsule follows immediately. Enjoy!
Insane Clown Poppy Written by John Frink & Don Payne
Directed by Bob Anderson
==============================================================================
Production code: BABF17 Original Airdate on FOX: 12-Nov-2000
Capsule revision A (11-Jun-02)
============================================================================================================================================================ [TV Guide] Drew Barrymore plays Krusty's long-lost daughter, a surprise to the clown, who betrays her in a poker game with Fat Tony (Tony Mantegna).
[TV Guide advertisement] "Krusty ... The Dad? Tonight, he finds out DREW BARRYMORE is his daughter!" With Krusty standing off in the distance (looking somewhat horrified) we see Bart talking to Drew Barrymore (a.k.a. Krusty's daughter) saying, "Looks like I'm not the only one with a clown for a father!".
==============================================================================
============================================================================== Blackboard: I WILL NOT SUPRISE / THE INCONTINENT (first and third time)
I WILL NOT SURPRISE / THE INCONTINENT (second and fourth
time)I WILL NOT SUPRISE / THE INCONT (fifth time)
Couch: The family runs in and jumps toward the couch. Suddenly, the
picture freezes with them in mid-leap, then spins around on an
invisible axis, showing them from a different perspective.
When the picture un-freezes, the Simpsons fall into their
usual places on the couch.==============================================================================
==============================================================================
Don Del Grande:
... this is not the first time the blackboard opening "accidentally" said
two different things [the two spellings of "surprise"]?
... when Santa's Little Helper's doghouse exploded, the explosions
"cascaded" the way buildings are demolished?
... Lisa had a TV and a VCR in her room?
... Stephen King's table had "The Shining"?
... Maggie wasn't wearing her pacifier (or her baggie) again -- this time,
when blowing the bubbles in Homer's face?
... Homer was in a poker game where $2000 bets were allowed?
... it never occurred to Krusty to buy another violin?Joe Green: ... the "Self-Help" and "Romance" booths at the Book Festival?
Darrel Jones: ... during Homer's grace, Maggie is also bowing her head in prayer? ... Fat Tony's straight flush is the 2-3-4-5-6 of diamonds?
Joe Klemm:
... copies of "Carrie" and "Cujo" at the Stephen King table of the book
festival?Andrew Levine:
... the Pepsi can in Sophie's mother's tent? (Pepsi was served to people
in the US Armed Forces in the Gulf War)
... although it certainly was not the intent, Marge's comment about
Americans wanting things done faster, rather than more accurately,
could be construed as a comment on the current Presidential election
situation?
... this is the first time a performer in the closing credits is listed as
playing a specific character? [Jay Mohr was credited as playing
Christopher Walken -- Ed.]Alex J. ThreeThreeOneZeroSix:
... Sophie's mom looks strangely similar to Jays' girlfriend from "The
Critic"?==============================================================================
==============================================================================
- Starring
- Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Author, Krusty, Snake)
- Julie Kavner (Marge)
- Nancy Cartwright (Bart, Kearney)
- Yeardley Smith (Lisa)
- Hank Azaria (Dr. Nick, Clancy, Moe, Soldier 1[?], Apu, Bumblebee Man,
Legs, Johnny)
- Harry Shearer (Kent, Lenny, Soldier 3, Appraiser, Louie, Frankie)- Special Guest Voice - Drew Barrymore (Sophie) - Stephen King (Himself) - Joe Mantegna (Fat Tony) - Jay Mohr (Christopher Walken (and credited as such!)) - Amy Tan (Herself) - John Updike (This Guy)
- Also Starring - Pamela Hayden (Milhouse, Maya Angelou[?]) - Tress MacNeille (Sophie's Mom, Girl, Jenda) - Karl Wiedergott (Soldier 2[?])
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
+ Insane Clown Posse (band)
- title of episode, "Insane Clown Poppy," a parody + "The Matrix" (movie)
- commercial for The Gap (clothing retailer) {al}
- the way the family spins around in the couch gag is very similar + "Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah" (folk song) {jg2}
- when it came to picking titles Rev. Lovejoy was evidently inspired by
Dinah Shore's cookbook + "Your Arms Too Short To Box With God" (book) {ddg}
- title similar to the title of Krusty's book + Bob Hope (comedian)
- Krusty's USO performance similar to Hope's - the Great Pyramids {jk}
- the sand that buries the Cincinnati Bengals cheerleaders during a
pyramid pose ends up resembling this landmark - "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" (TV series) {ddg}
- when Krusty said "it was magic" (referring to his night with Sophie's
mother), he said it Johnny Carson style - "The Monkees" (TV series) {ddg}
- Krusty and daughter run toward the water and back + "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (song)
- Homer's waiting music + Dawson's Creek (TV series)
- Bumblebee Man lands a role on this teenybopper show + Mario Cuomo (New York politician) {jg2}
- "the Cuomos" supposedly one of the Mob families at Fat Tony's + John Travolta (actor) {jg2}
- "the Travoltas" also there + Tommy Lasorda (baseball manager) {bjr}
- "the Lasordas" there, too [See "Personal Comments & Observations" for
more -- Ed.] + Chef Boyardee (line of canned pasta) {jg2}
- so are the "Boyardees" [DJ Maniak notes, "Actually, there was in fact
a Chef Boiardi, they just changed the spelling of the name for the
line of products the company produced"] + John Wayne (actor) {jg2}
- noted tough guy's real name turns out to be Marion==============================================================================
==============================================================================
- [7G10] Bart messes with a "boring" sign {dj}
- [7F24] Lisa's birthday forgotten {ddg}
- [8F05] "Maya Angelou is black?!" (cf. "Mel Brooks is Jewish?") {jg2}
- [8F05] Krusty is overcome by emotion when reminded of his father {jg2}
- [9F02] USO show {ptc}
- [1F11] Krusty still can't remember Bart despite everything Bart did for him
{jc}
- [2F09] Homer (cf. Barney) walks around with kids clinging to his body {jg2}
- [2F12] someone (Milhouse) celebrates their birthday a second time {ddg}
- [2F12] Don Vittorio DiMaggio appears at Fat Tony's Mafia gathering {bjr}
- [2F12] the mobster who took over Krusty's Klown Kollege is at Fat Tony's
compound {ptc}
- [2F12] Krusty runs afoul of Fat Tony {jg2}
- [2F21] Someone ducks out of a poker game {jg2}
- [3F19] attempt to assassinate infamous world leader foiled
- [4F04] Kearney's son is seen {ptc}
- [4F04] Kearney's son is seen {dj}
- [4F05] Long-lost out-of-wedlock child reunites with parent
- [4F24] "Someone's in the kitchen with Dina" is parodied {dj}
- [5F11] Homer reads "Internet for Dummies" {ptc}
- [AABF12] Cokie Roberts referenced/mentioned {ptc}
- [AABF12] Lisa's room is destroyed {ptc}
- [AABF17] Homer skips out on an important task and plays pinball instead
{jg2}
- [BABF01] Saddam Hussein seen {ptc}
- [BABF03], [BABF10] Apu's octuplets seen {ptc}
- [BABF10] Maude dating in heaven {ptc}
- [BABF10] Maude's death mentioned {bjr}==============================================================================
==============================================================================
- Homer's chore list {bjr}Chores
1) Open stuck drawer
2) Fix doghouse
3) Get Lisa's jammed tape
out of VCR- Banner at festival {bjr}
Festival of Books
----------|------
THIS BANNER AVAILABLE
ON AUDIO TAPE- Rev. Lovejoy's book {bjr}
Someone's in the
Kitchen with
[ Lovejoy ]
[in chef's] Jesus
[ hat ]
Rev. Tim
Lovejoy- Stephen King's memo {bjr}
Call Marge
RE: Horror- Banner at Prof. Frink's exhibit {bjr}
INFO CRAM 6000
- "Dummies" books {bjr}
- Animation for Dummies
- Cow Tipping for Dummies
- Network Programming for Dummies
- Christianity for Dummies [*]
- Moby Dick for Dummies[*] Believe it or not, there is a "Bible Studies for Dummies"
- Discussion placard {bjr}
PANEL DISCUSSION:
THE FUTURE
OF [B]READING "The 'B' was added by Bart"- Krusty's book {bjr}
YOU SHOES' TOO BIG
TO KICKBOX GOD[Krusty's face]
KRUSTY THE CLOWN
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
* Even though "Roman" candles, bottle rockets and firecrackers are stuffed in
Lisa's VCR, all you hear is a loud "boom"? {ajt}- Stephen King knew Marge's name without her mentioning it. {ddg}
- Tom Clancy doesn't have a southern accent. {jc}
= Krusty begins his retelling of the Gulf War to Sophie at the convention, but when he's done, they're sitting on a bench outside. {ajt}
= The "demarcation" line between Krusty's normal- and pale-colored skin seems
to vary depending on what he is wearing. The pale area grows to fill his
shirt during the beach scenes. {bjr}- Sophie and her mother have the room number 107, but at the end, Sophie is looking out her window on the second floor. {ajt}
= The car with "MOB MOM" plates switched from white to black. {ddg}
+ -First Fat Tony's real name was supposed to be William Williams, then it
was Anthony D'Amico, and now it's Marion? [Conan W. P. replies, "Actually
it makes sense. He IS a mob boss. His name has probably changed more than
three times."] {jg2}==============================================================================
============================================================================== Stephen Burks: Well, it was not as bas as last weeks episode but I don't think that means that it was a terrific episode. There were a few redeeming qualities in some of the jokes about authors and some cute one-liners, but all episodes will have their moments. Grading on the curve of the last two seasons, this one is a (B-), but grading on the standards set by those damn fine middle years, I would give this one a (C). Yes, there was more of a plot than last weeks episode, but why do these episodes seem to be all over the place ... if one saw the first five minutes and the last five minutes, they would wonder what on earth happened in the middle to make the current situation. Now, there are a few episodes where this works well, but not this guy. (C)
Don Del Grande: The book fair opening was good, and the ending with Fat Tony had its moments (especially right at the end), but the entire beach bit just sat there saying "we've got to fill the time between the good parts somehow". (B)
Joe Green: An improvement over the season opener, not to mention one of the more flat-out funny episodes I've seen in a while. My only major complaint is that the first act meandered around aimlessly for too long before the plot was set up. (B+)
Carl Johnson: What a delightful episode! I don't know what it is about bloodthirsty organized crime syndicates that's so funny, but, man! what a funny show this was. Clearly the best episode since "Bart the Mother". There were a few weak spots, but well, no one's perfect. Not even Mike Scully! (A-)
Joe Klemm: As the past seasons show, one of the good episodes of each season is usually the second non-THOH episode of each season, and this year is no exception. While I don't care much about Krusty's daughter, the idea of Krusty trying to show that he cares about her is well-handled. Plus, Homer's idiocy provides a lot of humorous moments in the episode. Now if only they did a "Firestarter" crack (a double crack at two of the guest stars). (A)
Andrew Levine: An episode which it's hard to get excited about, ICP fails to delight or offend; it's simply too much like any other episode. This is not a comment on the suckiness of recent seasons so much as for the staleness that the show most likely would have suffered anyway after 12 years. Another fair (it's always a beer fair, or a chili fair, or a dessert fair, or state fair, or a book fair ...), another instance of Homer breaking and entering -- into the plot ... There doesn't seem to be anything in here strange or demented, funny or humanizing. There's nothing truly jarring, and the author jokes were occasionally amusing, but just because it's not an uncomfortable rut to travel through, doesn't mean it's not a rut. (B-)
Paul Melnyk: I'll have to agree a bit with Andrew Levine's review. The episode had good intentions, but was just a bit weak. I think it could have been strung together a little more. There were some good jokes [such as] "Devil's Advocate," but many were on the mediocre line. Also, a little more with the Krusty story could have been stronger. It was just revealed at the end of the first act, and his daughter only accepts Krusty after getting her violin back, which was a bit weak. It seemed a bit cop-outish. None the less, it was satisfying enough. (C+)
Michael Nusair: This season is looking promising. There have been three new episodes, and all three have been pretty good. While tonight's episode didn't start off too well (fireworks?), it quickly picked up. Starting from the book fair, this was a fairly solid episode. It had plenty of laughs, a solid plot, and good characterization. It even came pretty close to having Homer *not* get seriously hurt (though they blew it with him getting shot when the credits rolled). Overall, another above average episode out of season 12. Let's hope they keep coming. (B+)
Abhi Ray: Eh, I was pretty bored. The jokes were a little thin, and there was nothing interesting about the plot at all. For example, the mob climax at the 3rd act wasn't nearly as energetic as in "Mayored to the Mob." And unlike "Burn Baby Burns" or "Mother Simpson," there's no interesting setup as to how Krusty's daughter finds her dad. I guess parts of the episode were sweet, and there were no sour jokes (unlike last week's episode). Ultimately, to paraphrase Ondre [Lombard's] review of "Kidney Trouble," this episode gave neither a good aftertaste nor a bad aftertaste, it gave nothing at all. (D)
Mike Reed: Wow. I have no problem calling this episode an instant classic. It started off somewhat slow with the book fair thing, but once Sophie got into the plot it picked right back up. We saw Homer as Homer, the bumbling but loving father, instead of the jerk. Krusty was a three dimensional character. This episode had everything I was hoping for. Maybe we can put that BABF20 crud behind us and settle in for a solid season Here's hoping! (A)
Robin Steinmann: This episode showed that sometimes the less OFF the better. Whenever Homer showed up it dropped in quality: the fireworks, the gossip/prayer, etc. In most of the show, Homer was replaceable, and the rest of the family was mostly redundant. Krusty appeared like a earlier Homer, back from the times when he still cared about his kid's feelings. If these rumours about a show revolving around various Springfieldonians are true, I'm really looking to this, as if we hadn't so much S10+ Homer in this episode, it would have gotten a better mark than the final: (B-)
Alex J. ThreeThreeOneZeroSix: As far as "revelation" episodes go, this is one of the better ones. The relationship between Sophie and Krusty is built up nice enough, and because of this development, I was actually rooting for Krusty and Homer to get the violin back. Other than the first act, Homer is in terrific form -- "My uncle still has my nose" is one of the funniest simple lines he has said in a while. I also had the notion that if Sophie's hair was matted down she wouldn't have looked so odd. This must be a good episode if the only thing I disliked was the artwork for a onetime character! (B+)
Todd Willis: This episode started out with a nice, realistic premise, but got boring after the first act. This episode wasn't bad or anything, just mediocre to the point of having no emotion response to it. The first act was the best, primarily because of the authors and the fireworks. The rest of the show lagged on, and I got tired of seeing so much of Krusty. There also weren't too many good jokes in the show. (D+)
Yours Truly: Krusty gets to know his long-lost daughter. Well, at least he did -- at the episode's end, I felt I should have known a little more about her. (For example, how did she manage to stand up to her obviously outraged mother, and strike out in search of Krusty?) The mother, too, is mainly a cipher defined by anger. On the other hand, Drew Barrymore is sweet as the voice of Sophie. Both Homer's firecracker rampage and the raid on Fat Tony's compound are funnier than I anticipated, with Fat Tony and his violin playing a high point. A good, if slightly uneven and superficial, show. (B+)
AVERAGE GRADE: B- (2.76) Std Dev.: 0.9694 (22 reviews computed)
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
Andrew Levine: "I Like that Girl" by NRBQ [is the] song played as Krusty and Sophie bond, also over the closing credits.
While we're on the subject of music, Benjamin Robinson writes: The song playing while Krusty and Sophie play on the beach, and Fat Tony's violin riff are both creations of "The Simpsons'" talented musical director, Alf Clausen. He even gets a special credit for them, a rarity on the show.
Pop quiz: In the couch gag, when the family spun around in "stop-time" or "bullet-time," were they referencing a popular ad for clothing retailer The Gap, or the hit movie, "The Matrix?" As we shall see, the answer is not so clear-cut.
Andrew Levine: I thought it was more like the Gap ad, since none of the Simpsons had shades or leather-anything on. If they wanted to spoof "The Matrix," they would've done that.
Paul Melnyk: I still think "The Matrix" really brought the bullet-time shots to attention, though.
Andrew Levine answers: Uh, no. The Gap ads were popular when they came out. In fact, they were so well-liked, they helped bring the briefly lived swing-revival craze into the mainstream. There was a huge buzz about them, and "Khakis swing" inspired numerous parodies (in commercials for furniture, TV promos, etc). Several industry magazines named "Khakis Swing" one of the five or ten best TV ads of the year. I remember reading in Entertainment Weekly in '97 or '98 a brief article on how the swivel shot (which we now call "bullet time") was filmed.
So don't go telling me that "The Matrix" brought bullet time to the national attention.
Sydney Assbasket notes: Technically, the Gap ads used "stop-time," where the action is frozen. The famous shot in "The Matrix" (Keanu dodging the bullets) is bullet-time, where the cameras go off sequentially. The cameras used in stop-time go off simultaneously.
Dan Rudolph: I believe the Matrix used some stop-time as well. Bullet time was an expansion on the technique. It was pretty cool.
[Whew! I decided to go with "The Matrix" as The Reference. It was the more recent and the more famous of the two, and most like what the audience would have thought of when they saw the opening. Also, the posing was more similar to the movie than to the Gap ad -- Ed.]
Joe Klemm, certainly no dummy, writes: The "Dummies" series of books are books that provide information and assistance to the readers. Usually, these books are for computer related topics, like Windows 98 and web site building. However, these books cover a lot of different topics. Among them include gardening, classical music, and even crossword puzzles.
Don Del Grande describes synergy, Groening style: There was a "Chapter Books" booth (just before the talk with the authors); Matt Groening's sister Maggie and his brother-in-law (Lisa's husband) Craig Bartlett work on the chapter books based on Craig's "Hey Arnold!" TV series (as of the first airing, two had been released and a third was due out in a couple of months).
Benjamin Robinson: The Cincinnati Bengals are an American football team. You might recall football as the sport that delayed this episode's broadcast by a few minutes on the East Coast.
Alex J. ThreeThreeOneZeroSix adds: The Cincinnati Bengals are also the worst professional football team of the decade(this has been confirmed, but anyone that follows the sport would know that regardless). Even a ridiculously expensive stadium didn't improve their record. You might as well add that to the capsule, too. Take care. Good-day.
(I figured the staff had a joke planned for the Bengals, since they referenced their cheerleaders, but they didn't. I was kind'a disappointed, being a fellow citizen of Cincinnati and all.)
Benjamin Robinson writes: The Persian Gulf War is well-known, but this episode did include some touches that went beyond the obvious. At the ill- received USO show, one soldier complains the cheerleaders are an "insult to our Muslim hosts." That was a concern for the United States forces, who had to tread the fine line between attacking the enemy, while not alienating their uneasy Allies. Among other things, drinking -- prohibited under Muslim law -- was either banned or severely restricted.
Krusty mentions the "anthrax in the air." The Iraqis were accused of possessing biological and chemical weapons, including strains of the anthrax bacteria. Although they were supposedly not launched during the war, they remain one of the suspected causes of Gulf War Syndrome, a mysterious disease affecting soldiers returning from the front.
The backdrop to Krusty's and Sophie's mother's tryst is a curtain of fire streaming from torched oil wells. This was a dominant image from the war's aftermath. They didn't burn out overnight as we saw in the show. Putting them out required months of difficult work by firefighters.
Finally, Krusty thwarts Sophie's mom's attempts to assassinate Saddam Hussein. Some of the critics of the war say the Allied forces miscalculated by refusing to depose Hussein while they had the chance. The US claimed to be bound by a self-imposed rule not to assassinate foreign leaders in the absence of a formally declared war (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), and the Persian Gulf conflict indeed wasn't so declared. I guess now we know what really happened!
Aaron Hirshberg: Oskar Homolka is a European actor. Check out the Internet Movie Database for his credits.
Stephen Gutknecht did, and found this: Oscar was adept at playing villains. Of medium height, rotund and stocky with dark hair, squinty eyes, bushy eyebrows which gave him a menacing look and sinister looking smile he was perfect for those parts. Born August 12, 1898 in Vienna, Austria he began his career on the German and Austrian stages and progressed on to film. He left Europe as Hitler came to power and began his film career playing foreign character roles. The pinnacle of his career came with an Oscar nomination for his role as Uncle Chris in "I Remember Mama" (1948). He died on January 27, 1978 of pneumonia in Sussex, England at age 79. [Someone named "falloutboy" notes, "Oscar's most famous role was probably as the one-eyed creep 'Krull' in 'Mr. Sardonicus'"]
Now, I don't know his films. I suspect one of the pictures that Krusty looks at is a shot from a film? What about the picture of the clown in an Electric Chair?
[Mr. Gutknecht goes on to add ...] I think I found it.
Hitchcock move "Sabotage". Oskar Homolka plays Mr. Victor. This web site says: "Mrs. Verloc, repelled by the truth, kills Verloc with a carving knife." So There is a scene in this movie where Oskar Homolka is killed with a carving knife!
Stephen Burks has some useful information next time you wager your child's prize possession in a poker game: A Straight flush is the second highest hand in poker just below a royal flush ... Of course a five of a kind will beat that, but only when a wild card is used.
Five of a Kind Royal Flush Straight Flush Four of a Kind Full House Flush Straight Three of a Kind Two Pair Pair High Card
J. D. Salazar adds: Technically a Royal Flush is a straight flush, the highest possible straight flush, so a straight flush is the best hand in poker (without wild cards).
The authors -- and some of the other people -- mentioned in this episode
Andrew Levine: Amy Tan is a Chinese-American author from Oakland, California. In 1989, her first novel, "The Joy Luck Club," won The National Book Award and the LA Times Book Award in 1989.
Jeff Cross adds: Chinese-American author specializing in the relationships between mothers and daughters who did for the Chinese experience in America what her influence Louise Erdrich did for the American Indian experience. Has only written five books to date, including Lisa's favorite "The Joy Luck Club." Is in a band with Stephen King and Dave Barry, which performed in Boston in November 2000.
Benjamin Robinson: Interesting aside: "The Joy Luck Club" was made into a movie. One of the actresses in the film was Lauren Tom, who is also on Matt Groening's other show, "Futurama."
Andrew Levine continues: Tom Wolfe helped pioneer the New Journalism with his books "The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby" and "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" in the early '70s. Early in his career, he attacked the New Yorker as being stuffy symbols of the old literary guard. Terry Southern, Rex Reed, Hunter S. Thompson were all parts of the sexy, personal, loud, pop-cult-hip "New Journalism" he helped to popularize.
Benjamin Robinson adds: Wolfe also wrote "Bonfire of the Vanities." One of his trademarks was his seemingly inexhaustible supply of white suits.
Andrew Levine: From Harvard to a staff position on The New Yorker, John Updike turned his brainy pedigree into a successful career as a novelist, essayist and critic. His novels "Rabbit, Run" (1960), "Couples" (1978) and Pulitzer winner "Rabbit is Rich" (1981) exemplify his sophisticated take on contemporary middle-class tragedy. One of contemporary fiction's most prolific writers, Updike has also written numerous short stories and poems, as well as engineered a group-written mystery story on the Internet.
Tommy Lasorda managed the LA Dodgers from 1978 to 1996. A master of motivational speaking, Lasorda, who spoke of "bleeding Dodger blue" out of loyalty, was an inspiration to both new players (he managed a staggering nine Rookie of Year winners in his 19-year tenure) and veterans (his Dodgers stole two World Series out from under the feet of the Yankees and Athletics). Now working part-time as a Dodger scout, Lasorda managed this year's US Olympic team to a gold medal in Sydney, their first since 1984.
Joe Klemm: If you ask "Who is one of the most successful authors of the past few decades?", one very positive answer is Stephen King. The master of horror, King has written many successful novels, novellas, and screenplays (not as successful as his other works) and short story anthologies over the last 25 or so years. Among his best works include "Carrie," "The Stand," and "The Shining," which was the subject of a THOH story. You should also know that Stephen King has also written a few non-fiction works including one about horror stories.
Jeff Cross adds: Incredibly prolific under his own name and as Richard Bachman, and has had most of his works dramatized for either television or film. My college major advisor Stewart O'Nan was sued by him over his novel "The Speed Queen," which was originally titled "Dear Stephen King."
Jeff Cross continues: Former Baltimore insurance salesman who single-handedly made patriotic war novels popular again in post-Vietnam America with "The Hunt for Red October," which he never expected to do better than 10,000 hardcovers. Has written nearly a dozen novels in the Jack Ryan series, six nonfiction books on the operations of the more glamorous military units in the US, two treatises on military command with retired generals, and created the "Op-Center," "Power Plays," and "Net Force" series subcontracted to Jeff Rovin, Jerome Preisler, and Steve Perry respectively. Three movies, two miniseries, eight computer games, and a board game have been based on his works. Bruce Fierstein, author of "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche," considers him and Stephen King to be the only two Real Man authors.
Benjamin Robinson: Maya Angelou -- Poetess whose elegant verse was showcased at President Clinton's first inauguration. She also wrote the book, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."
Christopher Walken -- Intimidating actor who plays a lot of psychopaths and tightly-wound people in the movies.
Mikhail Baryshnikov -- Ballet dancer and choreographer.
Jacques Costeau -- Undersea explorer and environmentalist. Costeau also helped develop SCUBA gear, the better to visit the undersea realm.
Carl Johnson explains: Hamentashen is a food us Jews eat around the holiday of Purim. Purim is a joyous festival of costumes and crap like that, similar in spirit to Halloween, and takes place usually in March or April. The Purim festival tells the story of Queen Esther and the evil Hamen, and whenever anyone says Hamen's name, everyone is required to boo and make a lot of noise. Hamentashen has something to do with Hamen, but I've forgotten what that is. ["Hamen's hat," I think -- Ed.] Imagine Homer's "Town Crier Hat" in "Lisa the Iconoclast", and imagine said hat made out of pastry/ cookie dough, and filled with jelly. That's Hamentashen. Pretty good stuff.
Joshua Kaufman adds: And what's interesting is that Sophie's head actually kinda looks like one because of the way her hair is.
Joe Green keeps it short and sweet: Sophie's mom drives a 1967 Chevy Impala. Krusty drives a Porsche 911 Targa.
The Joe Green alterna-title for this show is: The Second Coming of Krust
According to Fox (by way of Bill LaRue), this episode scored a Nielsen rating of 9.3 (14 share). This works out to 16.4 million viewers. Among adults aged 18 to 49, the rating was 8.3 (18 share).
Ryan Mead notes that Joe Mantegna's birthday is the day after this episode aired in the United States.
Chris Palm: Did anyone else find it very amusing that John Updike was a guest voice for this episode, when his only line was "John Updike."?
Benjamin Robinson: If that's a manta ray circling Lisa, she needn't worry as much. Unless you count being scared to death by it, they aren't normally harmful to people.
==============================================================================
============================================================================== % Bart and Homer spend a Tuesday bonding. In the back yard, they blow up a % watermelon by stuffing it with fireworks. The pieces of fruit fly % everywhere, including through a window and into Marge's hair. Marge looks % out the window.
Marge: Don't you two have a list of chores to do? Bart: Hey, we just took care of that dangerous melon that was threatening our garden. Homer: Yeah, we're heroes! But where's *our* parade? -- "Insane Clown Poppy"
% Next on the chore list is unsticking the drawer in the stand next to the % front couch. Homer struggles to pull the drawer open, knocking off and % breaking the lamp in the process.
Homer: It's hopeless! Bart: [holds up a small firework] Or is it? Homer: [not looking] Yeah, it's hopeless! Bart: I said, "or is it"! Homer: [getting angry] I said, "it"-- [he finally looks] Oh! -- "Insane Clown Poppy"
% With the firework crammed in the drawer, Homer is about to light the fuse % when Marge interrupts him.
Marge: Homer, what are you doing?
Homer: Listen, do you want the job done right, or do you want it done fast?
Marge: Well, like all Americans, fast, but--
Bart: [lights the fuse] Clear!
[The exploding firework knocks the drawer out and leaves ugly blast
marks on the drawer and stand]
Marge: [marvels at how easily the drawer slides now] You can't argue with
results!
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Next, Bart and Homer implode the doghouse. Santa's Little Helper whimpers, % so Homer shows him the blueprint for the beautiful new doghouse -- "target % date: January 2007." The dog curls up under the blueprint. % % Finally, the last item on the chore list: "Get Lisa's jammed tape out of % VCR." With the VCR already full of fireworks, Homer adds one final % firework. Homer and Bart duck behind the bed before the VCR blows up. The % explosion blows out the windows and destroys most everything in the room.
Homer: It's gonna take a lot of fireworks to clean this place up.
Lisa: [comes to doorway] What's going on here?!
Homer: Uh ... honey ... there's point in every father's life when he blows
up his daughter's room.
Lisa: Oh yeah? You didn't blow up Maggie's room.
[Offscreen explosion]
Homer: Oh, Lisa, this must be a rough time for you. Do you have any friends
or family you can stay with?
Lisa: [choking up as she picks up a damaged stuffed bear] You've ruined all
my stuff.
Homer: Oh, come on. Tell us how we can make it up to you. Hey, pretend it's
your birthday!
Lisa: It *is* my birthday!
Bart: That's the spirit! Now, what do you want to do?
Lisa: Well, the book festival starts today...
Homer: Anything at all! You name it! What do you want to do?
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% So Homer grudgingly goes along with the rest of the family to the book % festival. % % There, Milhouse announces a sale on poetry books, causing a stampede of % people at his stand. % % At Timothy Lovejoy's stand, he's promoting his book "Someone's in the % Kitchen with Jesus". Marge tries a stigmuffin, and Homer tries Mary % Magdalene's chocolate orgasm, an eclair. When Homer bites it, the chocolate % filling squirts out of it and hits Tom Wolfe's white suit. He tears off % the suit revealing an identical suit underneath. % % Next, Marge visits Stephen King's table.
Marge: So, Mr. King, what tale of horror and the macabre are you working on
now?
King: Oh, I don't feel like writing horror right now.
Marge: Oh, that's too bad.
King: I'm working on a biography of Benjamin Franklin. He's a fascinating
man. He discovered electricity, [clouds gather and King's voice
becomes menacing] and used it to torture small animals and green
mountain men. And that key he tied to the end of a kite? [thunder
crash] It opened the gates of Hell!
Marge: Well, let me know when you get back to horror.
King: [normal voice] Will do. [writes a note: "Call Marge, Re: horror"]
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% On stage, Professor Frink demonstrates his latest invention -- the Infocram % 6000. The device allows people to absorb the contents of books instantly % by attaching an electrodes to the body. Frink demonstrates it, getting % electrocuted and gaining the book's knowledge. % % Dr. Nick has a dieting book.
Dr. Nick: With my diet, you can eat all you want, any time you want. Marge: And you lose weight? Dr. Nick: Uh, you might. It's a free country! -- "Insane Clown Poppy"
% Bart walks through bookcases and bookcases of books "for Dummies".
Bart: Finally books for today's busy idiot. "Network Programming for
Dummies", "Christianity for Dummies", ... "Moby Dick"? [reads book:]
"Call me Ishmael, Dummy."
[The Dummies author is standing nearby]
How did you write all these books?
Author: Duh, I don't know. [holds up dollar-sign bag] Me got to go to bank
now.
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Marge and Maggie come across Christopher Walken reading "Goodnight Moon" % to some children. The children are terrified and carefully back away.
"Goodnight room. Goodnight Moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon." Please, children, scootch closer. Don't make me tell you *again* about the scootching. You in the red, chop-chop. -- Christopher Walken, "Insane Clown Poppy"
% An event in a tent is advertised with a sign: "The Future or Reading". Bart % adds a "B" before "Reading", but isn't as amused as he hoped to be. Inside % are many authors at a table.
Kent: Alright, does anyone have a question for our panel that's not about
how much money they make?
[Audience's hands go down]
Lenny: [at microphone] Uh yeah, I'm a techno-thriller junkie, and I'd like
to know, is the B-2 bomber more detectible when it rains?
Kent: Oh, what do you think, Tom Clancy?
Clancy: Well, the B-2--
Lenny: No, no, no, I was asking Maya Angelou!
Angelou: The ebony fighter awakens, dabbled with the dewy beads of morn.
Moe: Maya Angelou is black?
Angelou: It is a mach-5 child, forever bound to suckle from the shriveled
breast of congress.
Lenny: Oh, Maya, you're a national treasure!
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Lisa takes the microphone next.
Lisa: Miss Tan, I loved "The Joy Luck Club". It really showed me how the
mother-daughter bond can triumph over adversity.
Amy Tan: No, that's not what I meant at all. You couldn't have gotten it more
wrong.
Lisa: But--
Amy Tan: Please just sit down. I'm embarrassed for both of us.
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Lisa dejectedly sits back down next to Homer. Homer sheepishly moves a seat % over. % % Krusty the Klown is autographing his newest book, which is only 20 pages % long, and it was written by "this guy".
Krusty: What's your name again? This Guy: John Updike. Kristy: Whoa, whoa! I didn't ask for your life story. -- "Insane Clown Poppy"
% In the book-signing line, a girl asks Bart what Krusty's like.
Bart: Oh, he's wonderful. He would do anything for his fans.
Krusty: Hurry up, kid!
[Bart gives Krusty the book]
Name?
Bart: Hey, it's me, Bart!
[Krusty looks confused]
Your biggest fan!
Krusty: Hey, good for you [mumbles:] 'cause I want to know that all my
fans.... [hands the book back]
Bart: "K the C"?
Krusty: Hey, this pen's gotta last me all day. Now if you could [motions
for Bart to get out of the way] up-bup-bup-bup. Yeah.
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Now it's the girl's turn.
Krusty: Name?
Sophie: My name is Sophie.
Krusty: Hey, good luck with that.
Sophie: I'm your daughter.
Krusty: Wha...?!
Sophie: [hugs Krusty] I finally found my daddy!
Krusty: Oh ... I think I just seltzered myself.
[John Updike chuckles]
Shut up, Updike!
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% [End of Act One. Time: 6:14] % % At Krusty's book-signing table at the book festival, Krusty tries to explain % to Sophie why he's not her father.
Krusty: Listen, honey, a lot of kids think of me as their daddy, but I'm just
a simple TV legend. Here, have a key chain. [gives Sophie a Krusty
key chain]
Sophie: No, I'm sure you're my father. You met my mom during the Gulf War.
Krusty: [getting nervous] Was you mother an Israeli flight attendant?
Sophie: No....
Krusty: Cokie Roberts?
Sophie: No, she was a soldier -- chestnut brown hair, kind-of shy, 32
confirmed kills...
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Krusty starts to remember Sophie's mother, and tells her the story in a % flashback. Krusty was doing a comedy act on stage for the soldiers.
Krusty: "Saddam Hussein"? They should call him "So Damn Insane"!
Soldier 1: Hey! You're just fanning the flames of hatred!
Krusty: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, just when you thought the desert couldn't
get any hotter, it's the Cincinnati Bengal cheerleaders!
[The cheerleaders do cartwheels onstage]
Soldier 2: I can't look at that! I have a girlfriend back home!
Soldier 3: This is an insult to our Muslim hosts!
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"During the show, a desert wind kicked up. [The cheerleaders were covered with a pyramid of sand.] I sought shelter in a nearby tent. There was your mother -- looking like a beautiful mirage. Maybe it was the anthrax in the air, maybe it was it was the fact that the Arab women weren't biting, whatever it was, it was magic. [Krusty and Sophie's mom kissed and fell into bed.] -- Krusty, voiceover in a flashback, "Insane Clown Poppy"
% Then, late in the morning, Sophie's mom woke up and realized she was late % for her mission. Krusty grabbed her arm. "Here's your mission: get down % with the clown!" he said. Sophie's mom explained that she's supposed to % assassinate Saddam. She got away, and Krusty was worried about how a lack % of Saddam could hurt his comedy act. % % Atop a desert hill, Sophie's mom found Saddam Hussein in a convoy of trucks. % As she caught him in her bazooka's sight, Krusty tackled her in desperation. % The bazooka's missile fired into the air and blew up a crate of Duff beer % intended for the American soldiers.
I just saved my baseball bit! "Who's Sayin's on first, I A-tol'ya's on second"-- -- Krusty, right before Sophie's mother strangled him, "Insane Clown Poppy"
% Back in the present, Krusty continues his story to Sophie on a bench.
Krusty: When I came to, she was gone! ...and the war had been over for eight
months. Anyway, how'd you finally find me?
Sophie: All Mom ever said was my father was some pathetic clown, so I typed
"pathetic clown" into a search engine, and your name popped right up.
[Car horn honks]
It's mom!
Krusty: Hey, how ya been? Remember me?
[Sophie's mother scowls and revs the car engine]
[to Sophie:] You better get going. It was nice meeting ya. Thanks
for coming out.
Sophie: But ... I was hoping maybe we could do some stuff together, like go
to the beach and junk.
Krusty: Look, you're a sweet kid, but I'm not exactly father material -- I
curse, I gamble, I pick fights with homeless people, I...
[Sophie starts to cry]
What's wrong with your eyes? You need a Claritin or something? Oh,
alright. You get one trip to the beach...
[Sophie gasps happily]
...with my assistant.
[Sophie sighs disappointedly]
Okay! *I'll* take you!
Sophie: Yay!
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% At the Simpsons' dinner table, Homer says grace.
Homer: Dear Lord, bless this humble meal, and did you hear about Krusty?
Whoo, man! I mean, I knew he was a player, but jeez, a kid!
Marge: Homer, that's not a prayer, that's gossip.
Homer: Fine, I'll just discuss heavenly matters. So, how's Maude Flanders
doing up there? She playing the field? Ooh, yeah, really? All those
guys?
[The rest of the family gapes]
Amen.
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% At the beach with Sophie, Krusty lays on a beach towel and pours himself % a drink from a flask. He puts on a blindfold and lays down.
Krusty: Okay, kid, there's the water. Knock yourself out. Sophie: Come on, Dad, let's go bodysurfing or boogieboarding! Krusty: Listen, kid, I'm not the kind of dad who, you know, does things, or says stuff or looks at ya. But the love is there! -- "Insane Clown Poppy"
% Krusty blindly reaches in Sophie's general direction, but needs Sophie's % help to touch her face. Realizing that Krusty doesn't want to move, Sophie % decides to throw a Frisbee to him. Krusty's not to happy about having to % sit up. "What am I, Baryshnikov?" But he does sit up, and he takes off % his blindfold just in time to be hit in the head by the Frisbee.
Krusty: [chuckles] Hey, ya beat me! What a great day we've had, huh? Sophie: You know, for a clown, you're not really a lot of fun. [They both sigh] Krusty: Boy, fatherhood is one tough gig. I don't get how other guys do it. -- "Insane Clown Poppy"
% Krusty looks at other dads at the beach. Apu is taking his octuplets % waterskiing. Ned, Rod, and Todd Flanders build a sandcastle. Kearney Jr. % is about to club the sandcastle before Kearney explains that you're supposed % to wait for them to finish building it before you smash it. Homer plays % sticky paddle ball with Lisa, Bart is carried piggyback and flies a kite, % and Maggie blows soap bubbles in Homer's eyes. Soon, Krusty is asking Homer % for parenting advice. They walk along the beach.
Krusty: You know, Homer, I've spent my whole life entertaining kids, and I
just realized I don't know the first thing about 'em.
Homer: Well, I won't lie. Fatherhood isn't easy, like motherhood, but I
wouldn't trade it for anything ... 'cept for some mag wheels. Oh,
man, that would be sweet.
Lisa: [offscreen] Dad! Dad!
Homer: Just a second, honey. Daddy's on his high horse.
Lisa: [in the water, circled by a manta ray] Daaaaaad!
Homer: Yeah, I'm watching, honey. Nice cannonball. [to Krusty:] Anywho,
the key to fathering is don't overthink, 'cause overthinking is, um
... what were we talking about? [points at Krusty] Ooh! A clown!
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Krusty and Sophie have a good time the rest of the day at the beach. They % run from the waves, but a big wave catches them from behind. They each % eat ice cream cones ... on a horse ... on a surfboard in the water. Sophie % goes fishing off a dock. Krusty secretly pays Captain McAllister to hide % under the dock and put fish on the line. % % Finally, they sit and watch the sunset.
Sophie: It's nice that you don't always have to be "on".
Krusty: I thought I *was* on! When was I off? That bit about the tide pool?
I tell ya, it killed at Jacques Cousteau's funeral.
Sophie: Dad, relax. Just enjoy the sunset. [takes out and plays a violin]
Krusty: Hey, I know that song. My dad used to play that when I was a boy.
It's beautiful!
Sophie: Do you play?
Krusty: No, I guess musical talent skips a generation ... like diabetes!
Might want to watch out for that, too.
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Krusty takes Sophie home to her mother. Sophie is excited to tell her mom % about the day. Sophie invited Krusty in, but Krusty sees all the artwork % inside depicting violence to clowns. He decides he'd rather go to a % friendlier place, "like beautiful downtown Grozny!" % % Later, Krusty plays poker at Fat Tony's hideout with Moe, Snake, Homer, and % Fat Tony.
Krusty: My little girl's sharp as a tack. I tried the "got your nose" bit
on her -- didn't fool her for a second.
Homer: My uncle still has my nose.
Krusty: [looks at his cards: four aces and a king; he tries to contain his
excitement, but his bowtie spins] Oh, what a lousy hand! I'll
stand.
Fat Tony: I raise two Gs.
Moe: I'm out.
Snake: Fold-o-rama.
Homer: Can we make this hand high-low?
Fat Tony: No.
Homer: I fold.
Fat Tony: Krusty, are you in, or are you out?
Krusty: Oh, man, I'm totally tapped. Would you consider taking my Rolex?
Fat Tony: You mean ... this one? [pulls up his sleeve to show the watch]
Krusty: Oh yeah, right. Just let me go to my car. [leaves]
[Homer starts singing owimoweh from "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"]
Fat Tony: Don't do that.
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Krusty looks through his car to find something expensive. He tries to pry % out the stereo, but this activates the car's anti-theft system. The airbag % deploys and knocks Krusty into the back seat. There, he notices Sophie's % violin. His conscience tells him he shouldn't wager with it, but the four % aces in his head sing to him, reminding Krusty that Sophie won't find out % about it. % % Back at the game, a jewelry appraiser inspects the violin.
Appraiser: Well, it won't bring much cash, but its sentimental value is
through the roof!
Fat Tony: It is acceptable.
Krusty: Then I'm in and I call! Four aces -- read 'em and--
Fat Tony: Straight flush. [takes the pot]
Krusty: Oh, no, no! You can't! My daughter will never forgive me!
Fat Tony: [imitates playing a violin] Oh wait. Now I can do it for real.
[Fat Tony plays a song on Sophie's violin in front of an unhappy
Krusty]
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% [End of Act Two. Act Time: 9:02, Running Time: 15:16] % % Sophie answers her door when Krusty rings the bell.
Sophie: Hey hey, Dad!
Krusty: Hey hey! Now, look, Sophie, I know you think your daddy's perfect...
Sophie: No, I don't.
Krusty: ...but I did a bad thing. I lost your violin in a poker game.
Sophie: You *what*?
Krusty: But don't worry, I got you an even better one! [hands it to Sophie]
Sophie: This is a ukulele!
Krusty: Yeah, the thinking man's violin. Check it out. [takes the ukulele
back, strums it, and sings:] I wanna go back to my little grass shack
in Kealakekua, Hawaii.
Sophie: I want my violin.
Krusty: But, honey, I ... [stammers]
Sophie: I can't believe you would gamble with something that meant so much
to me.
Krusty: Wait, time out. Four aces is not a gamble.
Sophie: Mom was right. I was better off not knowing you.
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Harmony tells Jenda that she's dumped Dawson for the exchange student, the % Bumblebee Man. Lisa and Homer discuss the purpose of the new plot twist % (ethnic diversity, pandering, Dawson's bumming), but Krusty barges in % through the back door and interrupts them.
Krusty: Ya gotta help me! My daughter found out I'm a jerk!
Marge: Oh Krusty, I'm sure she just needs time to get used to you.
Homer: Marge, may I play devil's advocate for a moment?
Marge: Sure, go ahead.
[Homer plays the Devil's Advocate pinball machine at the arcade;
Krusty waits for him to finish]
Homer: Now, what were we talking about?
Krusty: My daughter's violin!
Homer: Oh, right. Why don't we just break into Fat Tony's compound and
get it back?
Krusty: Really? You'd help me take on the mob?
Homer: For a casual acquaintance like you? Absolutely.
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Unfortunately, when Homer and Krusty arrive at the compound, they realize % there's a Mafia summit by the number of cars.
Krusty: Every mob family in the country's here -- the Cuomos, the Travoltas,
the Lasordas, the Boyardees....
Homer: This is perfect. If I know Fat Tony, which I don't, he'll be
distracted by his hosting duties.
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Legs and Louie are guarding the entrance, so Homer and Krusty try to go over % them on the power line. The power line unexpectedly sags, putting them % right over Legs and Louie.
Legs: Hey, I heard there's a lunar eclipse tonight. Maybe we should look up. Louie: Nah. For me, it's solar or nothing. -- "Insane Clown Poppy"
% Fat Tony addresses the other mafia members. He tells them that they have % pasta, and to leave any money outside their doors for laundering.
Fat Tony: Now some unpleasant news. I have learned that someone in this room
is a squealer.
Legs: We've narrowed it down to either Johnny Tightlips or Frankie the
Squealer.
Frankie: Okay, it's me! I can't help it! I just like squealing! It makes
me feel big!
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Homer and Krusty look in doors down a hallway. They find Frankie the % Squealer being beaten up. He doesn't learn his lesson, and discloses Fat % Tony's real name: Marion. % % In the next room, they find a violin case, but when they turn on the lights, % they see a bed full of violin cases. They open up a couple, but they just % contain guns. Homer tries to go into a vent, but he doesn't fit. Then they % overhear Legs and Louie planning to jump on Fat Tony's bed. Krusty decides % they should just take all the cases. % % Back in the room with Fat Tony, the mafia members decide their website will % be crime.org. Just then, Homer and Krusty wander through the room with % their piles of violin cases. Startled, they drop the cases, and the guns % fire in the air. The mobsters take out their guns and soon there is a % flurry of bullets in the air. Krusty and Homer avoid being hit by ducking % under it all. Krusty finally finds the case containing the violin, and they % leave. Johnny Tightlips is shot.
Legs: Johnny Tightlips, where'd they hit ya? Johnny: I ain't sayin' nothin'. Legs: But what'll I tell the doctor? Johnny: Tell him to suck a lemon. -- "Insane Clown Poppy"
% Sophie wakes the next morning to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" being played % crudely on a violin. She looks out the window and sees it's Krusty. % Excited, she runs outside.
Sophie: You did it! You got it back! Thanks, Dad.
Krusty: "Dad" -- that still sounds weird to me, but I'm glad we're friends
again.
Sophie: [opens the case] And you've lined the case with money! Small bills,
unmarked, and nonsequential!
Krusty: Holy simoleans! There must be five grand in there! Oh, which I
intentionally put in there for you, you lucky little hamantaschen.
-- "Insane Clown Poppy"% Krusty asks for a song, but Sophie is interrupted by gunfire. Homer runs % as Louie and Legs chase him down. Frankie the Squealer continues to squeal % on Homer.
Homer: I said I was sorry! Legs: Alright, fair enough. Louie: Class act. Homer: Sorry you're such jerks! Ha-ha! -- "Insane Clown Poppy"
% So, the chase continues. Homer is shocked when one of the bullets actually % hits him. % % [End of Act Three. Act Time: 5:01, Total Time: 20:17] % % "I Like that Girl" by NRBQ plays over the end credits. The Gracie sound % is John Updike laughing and Krusty telling him to shut up.
==============================================================================
============================================================================== {ajt} Alex J. ThreeThreeOneZeroSix {al} Andrew Levine {bg} Bruce Gomes {bjr} Benjamin Robinson {ddg} Don Del Grande {dj} Darrel Jones {jc} Jeff Cross {jg2} Joe Green {jk} Joe Klemm {jp} Jerry P {ptc} Paul T. Campa
==============================================================================
============================================================================== This episode capsule is Copyright 2002 Benjamin Robinson. It is not to be redistributed in a public forum without consent from its author or current maintainer ([email]). All quoted material and episode summaries remain property of The Simpsons, Copyright of Twentieth Century Fox. All other contributions remain the properties of their respective authors. The Quote and Scene Summary itself is Copyright 2002 Jerry P. This capsule has been brought to you by the Springfield Festival of Books.
This work is dedicated to Raymond Chen, James A. Cherry, Ricardo Lafaurie, Frederic Briere, and all of those who made episode capsules what they are today.