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{{Refimprove|date=February 2008}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox Simpsons episode
{{Infobox Simpsons episode
⚫
| image = BraveComboSimpsons.jpg
| episode_name = Co-Dependents' Day
| episode_no = 328
| image_size = 250
⚫
| caption = Brave Combo on The Simpsons
⚫
| prod_code = FABF10
⚫
| season = 15
| airdate = March 21, 2004
| episode = 15
| show runner = [[Al Jean]]
⚫
| director = [[Bob Anderson (director)|Bob Anderson]]
| writer = [[Matt Warburton]]
| writer = [[Matt Warburton]]
⚫
| director = [[Bob Anderson (director)|Bob Anderson]]
⚫
| production = FABF10
⚫
| couch_gag = The Simpsons sit on the couch as normal, but then begin to decay and turn to dust.
| airdate = {{Start date|2004|03|21}}
⚫
| commentary = Matt Groening<br />Al Jean<br />Matt Warburton<br />Matt Selman<br />Michael Price<br />Tom Gammill<br />Max Pross<br />Allen Glazier<br />Alan Sepinwall
| guest_star = [[Brave Combo]]
| guests = [[Marcia Wallace]] as [[Edna Krabappel]]<br />[[Brave Combo]] as themselves
⚫
| couch_gag = The Simpsons sit on the couch as normal, but then begin to decay and turn to dust.
⚫
| image = [[File:BraveComboSimpsons.jpg|250px]]
⚫
| commentary = [[Matt Groening]]<br />[[Al Jean]]<br />Matt Warburton<br />[[Matt Selman]]<br />[[Michael Price (writer)|Michael Price]]<br />[[Tom Gammill]]<br />[[Max Pross]]<br />[[Allen Glazier]]<br />[[Alan Sepinwall]]
⚫
| image_caption = Brave Combo on The Simpsons
| prev = [[The Ziff Who Came to Dinner]]
⚫
| season = 15
| next = [[The Wandering Juvie]]
| color = #EFEFEF
}}
}}
"'''Co-Dependents' Day'''" is the fifteenth episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki> [[The Simpsons (season 15)|fifteenth season]]. It originally aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]] in the United States on March 21, 2004.
"'''Co-Dependents' Day'''" is the fifteenth episode of the [[The Simpsons season 15|fifteenth season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It originally aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]] in the United States on March 21, 2004. The episode was written by [[Matt Warburton]] and directed by [[Bob Anderson (director)|Bob Anderson]].

In this episode, Marge joins Homer in drinking alcohol, which leads to an incident in which a drunk driving Homer causes a car accident but makes it look like a drunk Marge was driving. The band [[Brave Combo]] appeared as themselves. The episode received negative reviews.


==Plot==
==Plot==
[[Homer Simpson|Homer]], [[Bart Simpson|Bart]], and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] see the newest ''Cosmic Wars'' film, ''The Gathering Shadow'', and the movie turns out to be less than what they expected. At home, [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] suggests that Bart and Lisa write a letter to ''Cosmic Wars'' creator Randall Curtis. Two weeks later, they get a reply from Curtis, which completely ignores their criticism, having sent them Jim-Jam merchandise. This forces the Simpsons to go on a trip to [[California]], where Homer and Marge go to wineries, and Bart and Lisa go to the Cosmic Wars Ranch.
[[Homer Simpson|Homer]], [[Bart Simpson|Bart]], and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] see the newest ''Cosmic Wars'' film, ''The Gathering Shadow'', and the movie turns out to be less than what they expected. At home, [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] suggests that Bart and Lisa write a letter to ''Cosmic Wars'' creator Randall Curtis. Two weeks later, they get a reply from Curtis, which completely ignores their criticism, having sent them Jim-Jam merchandise. This forces the Simpsons to go on a trip to [[California]], where Homer and Marge go to wineries, and Bart and Lisa go to the Cosmic Wars Ranch. The kids visit Curtis, and tell him that his ''Cosmic Wars'' movies have lost their way. Curtis dismisses their criticisms, until Lisa explains that improved technology does not count for story and characterization. Curtis agrees, and decides to go back to his storytelling roots by watching more [[Chanbara|samurai films]] and [[Western (genre)|Westerns]] for inspiration.


⚫
Bart and Lisa rejoin Homer and Marge, who are both drunk from free samples of the wine. Back in [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]], Homer and Marge go to Moe's Tavern and drink more wine. Moe opens a bottle of [[Château Latour]] 1886 vintage wine, clearly unaware of its value. Homer and Marge then continue to drink heavily for several days, until Marge suffers a particularly painful hangover. She tells Homer that they should not be drinking, and he agrees. Unfortunately, when they go to an [[Oktoberfest]] featuring Grammy-winning nuclear polka band [[Brave Combo]], Marge, who tries to go through the night without drinking, gives in and ends up drunk along with Homer. He tries to drive them home, but in a drunken stupor overturns the car.
Bart and Lisa visit Curtis and tell him that his ''Cosmic Wars'' movies have lost their way. He does not like what they are saying until Lisa points out that better technology is no way to make the story better. Curtis agrees, and he decides to go back to his storytelling roots.


⚫
In order to avoid an arrest, Homer makes things look like Marge (who is drunker than he is) was the driver. She is arrested, but he bails her out. Later, [[Barney Gumble|Barney]] suggests that Marge go to a rehab clinic for a month, and when Marge is gone, Homer lets [[Ned Flanders]] take care of the kids. When he sees her at the clinic, he confesses, but Marge is angry and drinks again. Later on, the other rehab patients help her discover that she likes being with Homer more than she likes drinking, and forgives him and returns home, though she makes him promise to cut back on his drinking.
Bart and Lisa rejoin Homer and Marge, who are both drunk from free samples of the wine. Back in [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]], Homer and Marge go to Moe's Tavern and drink more wine. Moe opens a bottle of [[Chateau Latour]] 1886 vintage wine, clearly unaware of its value.
⚫
Homer and Marge then continue to drink heavily for several days, until Marge suffers a particularly painful hangover. She tells Homer that they should not be drinking, and he agrees. Unfortunately, when they go to an [[Oktoberfest]] featuring Grammy-winning nuclear polka band [[Brave Combo]], Marge, who tries to go through the night without drinking, gives in and ends up drunk along with Homer. He tries to drive them home, but in a drunken stupor overturns the car.


⚫
==Production==
⚫
In order to avoid an arrest, Homer makes things look like Marge (who is drunker than he is) was the driver. She is arrested, but he bails her out. Later, [[Barney Gumble|Barney]] suggests that Marge go to a rehab clinic for a month, and when Marge is gone, Homer lets [[Ned Flanders|Flanders]] take care of the kids. When he sees her at the clinic, he confesses, but Marge is angry and drinks again. Later on, the other rehab patients help her discover that she likes being with Homer more than she likes drinking, and forgives him and returns home.
Series creator [[Matt Groening]] learned of Dallas-area band [[Brave Combo]] as a college-radio DJ in the 1980s and had commissioned the band to perform at "his best friend's wedding party", where Groening invited them to appear on the show. According to Carl Finch, founding member of the band, within two weeks, the network contacted them for video reference material for the animators for their "Springfield-yellow likenesses". The band recorded a polka arrangement of ''The Simpsons'' theme song and made the songs "Fill the Stein" and "Wilkommen Oktoberfest" for use in the Oktoberfest scene on the show.<ref name="DO">{{cite web|last=Hepola|first=Sarah|date=March 11, 2004|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121072839/http://www.dallasobserver.com/2004-03-11/music/brave-new-combo/|archive-date=January 21, 2013|title=Brave New Combo D'oh! The Simpsons animate Dallas' favorite polka band|url=http://www.dallasobserver.com/2004-03-11/music/brave-new-combo/|website=[[Dallas Observer]]|access-date=August 17, 2024}}</ref> Finch was unsure how the band would look in the episode but thought that the band would only appear momentarily.<ref>{{cite web|first=Gene|last=Triplett|date=December 26, 2003|title=Brave Combo sings a different toon Denton, Texas, 'nuclear polka' band gets a guest shot on 'The Simpsons.'|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2003/12/26/brave-combo-sings-different-toonbrdenton-texas-nuclear-polka-band-gets-a-guest-shot-on-the-simpsons/62009699007/|website=[[The Oklahoman]]|access-date=August 17, 2024|archive-date=August 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818040521/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2003/12/26/brave-combo-sings-different-toonbrdenton-texas-nuclear-polka-band-gets-a-guest-shot-on-the-simpsons/62009699007/|url-status=live}}</ref>

⚫
==Production notes==
* The scene where Homer sings at Moe's Tavern while Marge plays the piano was cut from this episode, but later used in "[[Mommie Beerest]]" as a postscript scene during the end credits.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}
* Homer references a prior DUI when explaining why he cannot be caught in the drivers seat. This could possibly be referring to the episode, "[[Duffless]]," where he fails a [[breathalyzer]] test, and is arrested for a DWI.
* Series creator [[Matt Groening]] learned of Dallas-area band Brave Combo as a college-radio DJ in the 1980s, and had commissioned the [[Grammy Award|Grammy]]-winning band, (Best Polka Album 1999, 2004<ref>[http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=Brave+Combo&title=&year=All&genre=All "Brave Combo Awards"]. Grammy.com search. Retrieved 2012-11-26.</ref>) to perform at "his best friend's wedding party", where Groening invited them to appear on the show. According to Carl Finch, founding member of the band, within two weeks, the network contacted them for video reference material for the animators for their "Springfield-yellow likenesses." The band recorded a polka arrangement of The Simpsons theme song, and made available two other songs for use in the Oktoberfest scene on the show.<ref name="DO">Hepola, Sarah (March 11, 2004). [http://www.dallasobserver.com/2004-03-11/music/brave-new-combo/ "Brave New Combo D'oh! The Simpsons animate Dallas' favorite polka band"]. ''[[Dallas Observer]]''.</ref><!-- ref for whole paragraph -->


==Cultural references==
==Cultural references==
⚫
''Cosmic Wars'' and Randall Curtis are parodies of the [[Star Wars prequel trilogy|''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy]] and its director [[George Lucas]]; the parodies focus on negative reaction the films received, particularly the criticism of the character [[Jar Jar Binks]], which is represented as "Jim-Jam", and the over-focus on politics. Curtis is also shown as living in rural Californian ranch which houses a high-tech visual effects workshop, a reference to Lucas' [[Skywalker Ranch]].<ref>{{cite news|url= http://starwars.com/community/news/media/f20070724/index.html?page=3|title=I Bent My Wookiee! Celebrating the Star Wars/Simpsons Connection|accessdate=2022-01-29|date=2007-07-24|first=Scott|last=Chernoff|publisher=[[Lucasfilm]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724223022/http://starwars.com/community/news/media/f20070724/index.html?page=3|archive-date=2011-07-24}}</ref><ref name="McEwan">{{cite web|first=Cameron K|last=McEwan|date=April 9, 2015|title=The 8 best Star Wars references in The Simpsons|url=https://metro.co.uk/2015/04/09/the-8-best-star-wars-references-in-the-simpsons-5139667/|website=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]|access-date=August 17, 2024|archive-date=August 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818040521/https://metro.co.uk/2015/04/09/the-8-best-star-wars-references-in-the-simpsons-5139667/|url-status=live}}</ref> The giant robot in ''The Gathering Shadow'', resembling an [[Walker (Star Wars)#All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)|Imperial AT-AT]], destroys the Galactic Senate.<ref name="McEwan"/>
{{refimprove|section|date=September 2012}}
⚫
*''Cosmic Wars'' and Randall Curtis are parodies of the [[Star Wars prequel trilogy|''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy]] and its director [[George Lucas]]; the parodies focus on negative reaction the films received, particularly the criticism of the character [[Jar Jar Binks]] (which is represented as "Jim-Jam") and the over-focus on politics. Curtis is also shown as living in rural Californian ranch which houses a high-tech visual effects workshop, a reference to Lucas' [[Skywalker Ranch]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.starwars.com/community/news/media/f20070724/index.html?page=3|title=I Bent My Wookiee! Celebrating the Star Wars/Simpsons Connection|accessdate=2011-08-28|date=2007-07-24|first=Scott|last=Chernoff|publisher=Star Wars.com}}</ref>
*The film which Otto watches, ''The Momentum of Things'', parodies a film about the decline of coal mining in [[Northern England]], ''[[Brassed Off]]'', with similar music to that heard in the film. Otto blames [[Margaret Thatcher]] for the hardships, echoing the films' [[left wing]] perspective. The film stars [[Jim Broadbent]] and [[Ellen Burstyn]].
*The title is a play on ''[[Independence_Day_(United_States)|Independence Day]]''.
*The [[Walker (Star Wars)#All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)|giant robot]] in ''The Gathering Shadow'' sits down and reads the ''[[Evening Standard]]'', which is the evening newspaper sold in [[London]], [[England]].
*The songs that Homer sings while placing the rehab-center operator on hold are "[[Wichita Lineman]]" and "[[MacArthur Park (song)|MacArthur Park]]", both written by [[Jimmy Webb]].
*Marge and Homer are seen leaving ''[[The Lizzie McGuire Movie]]'' and are clearly disturbed by what they saw.
*On entering the Creature Works building in the tour of the Cosmic Wars Studio, the guide says "If you can dream it, we can make it." This is similar to the tagline of the now-defunct [[Horizons (Epcot attraction)|Horizons]] attraction at [[Epcot]], [[Walt Disney World]] in [[Florida]], which was "If we can dream it, we can do it."


==Reception==
==Reception==
===Viewing figures===
⚫
James Greene of [[Nerve.com]] put the episode sixth on his list ''Ten Times The Simpsons [[Jumping the shark|Jumped the Shark]]'', singling out the storyline of Homer deliberately framing Marge for a crime he committed just to save his own skin. Greene remarked "This Homer wasn't a sometimes-insensitive-but-largely-sympathetic lug. He was just a douche." He did however like the "excellent" B-story, but found that it was "completely overshadowed by a very uncomfortable moment in the Simpson-Bouvier union".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/2010/05/07/ten-times-the-simpsons-jumped-the-shark?page=2| title=Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped the Shark|author=James Greene Jr.|date=2010-05-06|accessdate=2012-01-23|publisher= Nerve.com}}</ref>
This episode earned a 4.1 rating and was watched by 11.24 million viewers, which was the 22nd most watched show that week.<ref>{{cite web |work=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC Medianet]]|date=March 23, 2004|url=http://abcmedianet.com/Web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=032304_04 |title=Weekly Program Rankings (Mar. 15-21)|access-date=June 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707082554/http://abcmedianet.com/Web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=032304_04|archive-date= July 7, 2011|url-status= dead}}</ref>

===Critical response===
On ''Four Finger Discount'', Guy Davis and Brendan Dando thought the episode was the "shittiest episode" they had ever reviewed. They said that Homer putting Marge in the driver's seat to avoid a DUI was "un-fucking-forgivable".<ref>{{cite podcast|first1=Guy|last1=Davis|first2=Brendan|last2=Dando|title=Co-Dependent's Day (S15E15)|work=Four Finger Discount (Simpsons Podcast)|date=June 7, 2022|url=https://fourfingerdiscount.podbean.com/e/co-dependents-day-simpsons-podcast-review/|time=6:50|access-date=August 17, 2024|archive-date=August 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818040521/https://fourfingerdiscount.podbean.com/e/co-dependents-day-simpsons-podcast-review/|url-status=live}}</ref>

⚫
James Greene of ''[[Nerve (website)|Nerve]]'' put the episode sixth on his list "Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped the Shark", singling out the storyline of Homer deliberately framing Marge for a crime he committed just to save his own skin. Greene remarked "This Homer wasn't a sometimes-insensitive-but-largely-sympathetic lug. He was just a douche." He did however like the "excellent" B-story, but found that it was "completely overshadowed by a very uncomfortable moment in the Simpson-Bouvier union."<ref>{{cite web|first=James|last=Greene|date=May 7, 2010|title=Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped The Shark|url=http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/2010/05/07/ten-times-the-simpsons-jumped-the-shark?page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100512031631/http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/2010/05/07/ten-times-the-simpsons-jumped-the-shark?page=2|archive-date=May 12, 2010|website=[[Nerve (website)|Nerve]]|access-date=August 17, 2024}}</ref>

The episode has been cited as a reason that Marge should leave Homer.<ref>{{cite web|first=Micah|last=Yip|date=April 2, 2021|title=The Simpsons: Marge Should Have Left Homer in Season 15|url=https://www.cbr.com/the-simpsons-marge-leaves-homer/|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|access-date=August 17, 2024|archive-date=January 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114083547/https://www.cbr.com/the-simpsons-marge-leaves-homer/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Littlechild|date=November 28, 2019|title=The Simpsons: 10 Worst Things Homer Ever Did To Marge|url=https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-worst-things-homer-ever-did-marge/|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=August 17, 2024|archive-date=November 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191129171715/https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-worst-things-homer-ever-did-marge/|url-status=live}}</ref> Josh Kurp of ''[[Uproxx]]'' called it "the worst thing Homer's ever done to Marge".<ref>{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Kurp|date=June 10, 2015|title='Complete And Utter Dependence': All The Times Marge Should Have Left Homer|url=https://uproxx.com/tv/marge-divorcing-homer/|website=[[Uproxx]]|access-date=August 17, 2024|archive-date=August 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818040521/https://uproxx.com/tv/marge-divorcing-homer/|url-status=live}}</ref> Anna Leszkiewicz of the ''[[New Statesman]]'' said, "I'm genuinely scared for her, what is happening to these once happy adults??"<ref>{{cite web|first=Anna|last=Leszkiewicz|date=October 6, 2017|title=Pinpointing the exact moment Marge should have left Homer in The Simpsons|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv/2017/10/marge-should-have-left-homer-simpsons|website=[[New Statesman]]|access-date=August 17, 2024|archive-date=August 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818040521/https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv/2017/10/marge-should-have-left-homer-simpsons|url-status=live}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
⚫
{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_15#Episode_15.Co-Dependent's_Day|"Co-Dependent's Day"}}
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* {{IMDb episode|0701081}}
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{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_15#Co-Dependent.27s_Day|"Co-Dependent's Day"}}
{{portal|The Simpsons}}
{{portal|The Simpsons}}
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* {{IMDb episode|0701081}}


{{The Simpsons episodes|15}}
{{The Simpsons episodes|15}}


[[Category:The Simpsons (season 15) episodes]]
[[Category:The Simpsons season 15 episodes]]
[[Category:2004 television episodes]]
[[Category:2004 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Television parodies of Star Wars]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of George Lucas]]
[[Category:Television episodes set in California]]
[[Category:Television episodes about driving under the influence]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by Matt Warburton]]

Latest revision as of 14:20, 7 December 2024

"Co-Dependents' Day"
The Simpsons episode
Brave Combo on The Simpsons
Episode no.Season 15
Episode 15
Directed byBob Anderson
Written byMatt Warburton
Production codeFABF10
Original air dateMarch 21, 2004 (2004-03-21)
Guest appearances
Marcia Wallace as Edna Krabappel
Brave Combo as themselves
Episode features
Couch gagThe Simpsons sit on the couch as normal, but then begin to decay and turn to dust.
CommentaryMatt Groening
Al Jean
Matt Warburton
Matt Selman
Michael Price
Tom Gammill
Max Pross
Allen Glazier
Alan Sepinwall
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Ziff Who Came to Dinner" 		Next →
"The Wandering Juvie"
The Simpsons season 15
List of episodes

"Co-Dependents' Day" is the fifteenth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 21, 2004. The episode was written by Matt Warburton and directed by Bob Anderson.

In this episode, Marge joins Homer in drinking alcohol, which leads to an incident in which a drunk driving Homer causes a car accident but makes it look like a drunk Marge was driving. The band Brave Combo appeared as themselves. The episode received negative reviews.

Plot

[edit]

Homer, Bart, and Lisa see the newest Cosmic Wars film, The Gathering Shadow, and the movie turns out to be less than what they expected. At home, Marge suggests that Bart and Lisa write a letter to Cosmic Wars creator Randall Curtis. Two weeks later, they get a reply from Curtis, which completely ignores their criticism, having sent them Jim-Jam merchandise. This forces the Simpsons to go on a trip to California, where Homer and Marge go to wineries, and Bart and Lisa go to the Cosmic Wars Ranch. The kids visit Curtis, and tell him that his Cosmic Wars movies have lost their way. Curtis dismisses their criticisms, until Lisa explains that improved technology does not count for story and characterization. Curtis agrees, and decides to go back to his storytelling roots by watching more samurai films and Westerns for inspiration.

Bart and Lisa rejoin Homer and Marge, who are both drunk from free samples of the wine. Back in Springfield, Homer and Marge go to Moe's Tavern and drink more wine. Moe opens a bottle of Château Latour 1886 vintage wine, clearly unaware of its value. Homer and Marge then continue to drink heavily for several days, until Marge suffers a particularly painful hangover. She tells Homer that they should not be drinking, and he agrees. Unfortunately, when they go to an Oktoberfest featuring Grammy-winning nuclear polka band Brave Combo, Marge, who tries to go through the night without drinking, gives in and ends up drunk along with Homer. He tries to drive them home, but in a drunken stupor overturns the car.

In order to avoid an arrest, Homer makes things look like Marge (who is drunker than he is) was the driver. She is arrested, but he bails her out. Later, Barney suggests that Marge go to a rehab clinic for a month, and when Marge is gone, Homer lets Ned Flanders take care of the kids. When he sees her at the clinic, he confesses, but Marge is angry and drinks again. Later on, the other rehab patients help her discover that she likes being with Homer more than she likes drinking, and forgives him and returns home, though she makes him promise to cut back on his drinking.

Production

[edit]

Series creator Matt Groening learned of Dallas-area band Brave Combo as a college-radio DJ in the 1980s and had commissioned the band to perform at "his best friend's wedding party", where Groening invited them to appear on the show. According to Carl Finch, founding member of the band, within two weeks, the network contacted them for video reference material for the animators for their "Springfield-yellow likenesses". The band recorded a polka arrangement of The Simpsons theme song and made the songs "Fill the Stein" and "Wilkommen Oktoberfest" for use in the Oktoberfest scene on the show.[1] Finch was unsure how the band would look in the episode but thought that the band would only appear momentarily.[2]

Cultural references

[edit]

Cosmic Wars and Randall Curtis are parodies of the Star Wars prequel trilogy and its director George Lucas; the parodies focus on negative reaction the films received, particularly the criticism of the character Jar Jar Binks, which is represented as "Jim-Jam", and the over-focus on politics. Curtis is also shown as living in rural Californian ranch which houses a high-tech visual effects workshop, a reference to Lucas' Skywalker Ranch.[3][4] The giant robot in The Gathering Shadow, resembling an Imperial AT-AT, destroys the Galactic Senate.[4]

Reception

[edit]

Viewing figures

[edit]

This episode earned a 4.1 rating and was watched by 11.24 million viewers, which was the 22nd most watched show that week.[5]

Critical response

[edit]

On Four Finger Discount, Guy Davis and Brendan Dando thought the episode was the "shittiest episode" they had ever reviewed. They said that Homer putting Marge in the driver's seat to avoid a DUI was "un-fucking-forgivable".[6]

James Greene of Nerve put the episode sixth on his list "Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped the Shark", singling out the storyline of Homer deliberately framing Marge for a crime he committed just to save his own skin. Greene remarked "This Homer wasn't a sometimes-insensitive-but-largely-sympathetic lug. He was just a douche." He did however like the "excellent" B-story, but found that it was "completely overshadowed by a very uncomfortable moment in the Simpson-Bouvier union."[7]

The episode has been cited as a reason that Marge should leave Homer.[8][9] Josh Kurp of Uproxx called it "the worst thing Homer's ever done to Marge".[10] Anna Leszkiewicz of the New Statesman said, "I'm genuinely scared for her, what is happening to these once happy adults??"[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hepola, Sarah (March 11, 2004). "Brave New Combo D'oh! The Simpsons animate Dallas' favorite polka band". Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  2. ^ Triplett, Gene (December 26, 2003). "Brave Combo sings a different toon Denton, Texas, 'nuclear polka' band gets a guest shot on 'The Simpsons.'". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
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