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Difference between revisions of "Bart to the Future"

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
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{{tab}}
 
{{episode
 
{{episode
 
|image=200px-Bart_to_the_Future.png
 
|image=200px-Bart_to_the_Future.png
 
|productionCode=BABF13
 
|productionCode=BABF13
|originalAirdate=[[March 19]], [[2000]]
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|originalAirdate=March 19, 2000
 
|Episode Number=243
 
|Episode Number=243
|blackboardText="Non-flammable is not a challenge."
+
|blackboardText="Non-flammable is not a challenge"
|couchGag=
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|couchGag=The living room is set up like a trendy night club: The bouncer everyone except Homer in.
 
|specialGuestVoices=
 
|specialGuestVoices=
|Written By=Dan Greaney
+
|Written By=[[Dan Greaney]]
|Directed By=Michael Mercantel
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|Directed By=[[Michael Marcantel]]
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 
"'''Bart to the Future'''" is the seventeenth episode of the [[Season 11|eleventh season]].
 
"'''Bart to the Future'''" is the seventeenth episode of the [[Season 11|eleventh season]].
 
 
  
 
== Plot ==
 
== Plot ==
The Simpsons are going to a park, but when they arrive, they find that mosquitos have gone crazy and have taken over. While driving back, they find an Indian casino and stop by. Bart tries to sneak in, but is caught by the casino's manager. To teach Bart a lesson, he gives Bart a glimpse of himself thirty years in the future.
+
The Simpsons are going to a park, but when they arrive, they find that mosquitos have gone crazy and have taken over. While driving back, they find an Indian casino and stop by. [[Bart]] tries to sneak in, but is caught by the casino's manager. To teach Bart a lesson, he gives Bart a glimpse of himself thirty years in the future.
 
 
In the year [[2030]], Bart is apparently going through an awkward period of his life. Having dropped out of [[wikipedia:DeVry University|DeVry University]] and with no stable job he is very much adrift. He becomes good friends with [[Ralph Wiggum]] and they have an unsuccessful band, the [[Tequila Mockingbirds]]. The two stick together through much tension. They ponder the success of [[Nelson Muntz]] who now owns a nightclub and his term "smell 'ya later" has replaced all the other terms used to say good-bye (including "smell ya later forever," instead of "goodbye forever").
 
  
The United States is completely bankrupt and relies on foreign aid from Europe and China. To help, America sold the "purple mountain majesties and amber waves of grain", among other properties that they do not even own. [[Lisa Simpson]] has the honor of being the first straight female president of the United States. [[Milhouse]] is a secretary for [[Lisa]] and still in love with her. [[Kearney]] works for the Secret Service, and is [[Lisa]]'s bodyguard. [[Alan Greenspan]] is in Lisa's cabinet and [[Helen Thomas]] is still in the presidential press corps. [[Bart]] meets [[Billy Carter]]'s ghost at [[Camp David]].
+
In the year 2030, Bart is apparently going through an awkward period of his life. Having dropped out of [[wikipedia:DeVry_University|DeVry University]] and with no stable job he is very much adrift. He lives with [[Ralph Wiggum]], and they have an unsuccessful band, the [[Tequila Mockingbirds]]. The two stick together through much tension, pondering the success of [[Nelson Muntz]], who now owns a nightclub, as well as having his term "smell 'ya later" replace the word good-bye.
  
It is revealed that [[Donald Trump]] was one of Lisa's predecessors as president, or it may have been a president by the last name of Trump, as the first name is not explicitly stated. It is not known if Chastity Bono had been president, as evidenced by Lenny's statement "Do not blame me, I voted for Chastity Bono!", may have implied Bono was a rival candidate to Lisa. A previous administration made the catastrophic choice to invest in the nation's children. Thanks to him, America is in the midst of a massive crime wave. Well-balanced taxpayer-subsidized breakfast programs for children has created a generation of ultra-strong super-criminals; midnight basketball taught them how to function without sleep.
+
Meanwhile, [[Lisa Simpson]] has the honor of being the first straight female president of the United States. [[Milhouse]] is a secretary for [[Lisa]] and still in love with her. [[Kearney]] works for the Secret Service, and is [[Lisa]]'s bodyguard. [[wikipedia:Alan_Greenspan|Alan Greenspan]] is in Lisa's cabinet and [[wikipedia:Helen_Thomas|Helen Thomas]] is still in the presidential press corps.
  
Bart sees Lisa's presidency as a way to mooch off the taxpayers by going to the White House and sharing the private quarters of the presidential family with Lisa. Bart makes a nuisance of himself by having Marine One transport Ralph Wiggum, and tries to use Lisa's presidency to promote his band. When Lisa has a live news broadcast and lies to the people about a tax increase, Bart inadvertently gets Lisa to admit the truth, which causes her approval rating to plummet. Lisa then tells Bart she has an important mission for him and asks him to spend some time at Camp David with his friends so they can come up with a "coolness factor". Bart takes this seriously until he is visited by the ghost of Billy Carter, who informs Bart he was sent on a wild goose chase in order for Lisa to get rid of Bart. Bart finally realizes he has been nothing but an embarassment to his family, and works to be a better man.
+
A previous administration made the catastrophic choice to invest in the nation's children. Thanks to them, America is in the midst of a massive crime wave. Well-balanced taxpayer-subsidized breakfast programs for children has created a generation of ultra-strong super-criminals; midnight basketball taught them how to function without sleep. The U.S. is also completely bankrupt - They've sold the "purple mountain majesties and amber waves of grain", among other properties that they do not even own, but still rely on foreign aid from Europe and China. Lisa and her advisors decide to impose a massive tax hike, agreeing to call it a "temporary refund adjustment" so the public don't catch on.
  
Meanwhile, Homer is on a search for Abraham Lincoln's gold, and tears up the White House in doing so. Homer finally succeeds at finding a letter from Lincoln saying that his "gold" is the American people, but Homer in enraged it was not real gold.
+
After being evicted from his home, Bart decides to go visit his sister, intending to stay in the private quarters of the White House and mooch off the taxpayers. Bart makes a nuisance of himself by having [[wikipedia:Marine_One|Marine One]] fly in Ralph, and hitting Lisa with his frisbee during a speech. When Lisa makes her [[wikipedia:United_States_presidential_address|presidential address]] introducing the "temporary refund adjustment", Bart crashes in, promoting his band. Bart inadvertently gets Lisa to admit the truth about the tax hike live to the nation, which causes her approval rating to plummet.
 +
Lisa then tells Bart she has an important mission for him, asking him to spend some time at [[wikipedia:Camp_David|Camp David]] with his friends so they can work on a "coolness report". Bart takes this seriously until he is visited by the ghost of [[wikipedia:Billy_Carter|Billy Carter]], who informs Bart that Lisa had sent him on a wild goose chase to be out of her hair. Bart finally realizes he has been nothing but an embarrassment to his family, and works to be a better man.
  
Because of America's massive [[wikipedia:United States public debt|national debt]], [[Lisa]] meets with the countries to whom money is owed. This does not go well, until [[Bart]] shows up and uses his skills at stalling debt collectors to save the day. In return, [[Lisa]] promises Bart she'll ”legalize it“
+
Because of America's massive [[wikipedia:United_States_public_debt|national debt]], [[Lisa]] meets with the countries to whom money is owed. This does not go well, until [[Bart]] shows up and uses his skills at stalling debt collectors to save the day. In return, [[Lisa]] promises Bart she'll ”[[wikipedia:Legality_of_cannabis|legalize it]]“.
  
After the vision is over [[Bart]] apparently learns nothing from it. He is pleased by the fact that he has his own band and describes [[Lisa]]'s position as "some government job."
+
While all this was going on, [[Homer]], with [[Marge]] in tow, has been searching for [[wikipedia:Abraham_Lincoln|Lincoln's]] gold, tearing up the White House in doing so. He finally succeeds at finding a letter from Lincoln saying that his "gold" is the American people. While Marge finds it touching, Homer is enraged that it was not real gold.
  
([[Maggie]] does not appear in this episode's future, though we see her baby daughter, named Maggie Junior. The DVD commentary mentions a deleted scene where we learn that she's an astronaut, which was shown on TV commercials advertising the episode, but not in the actual episode itself. It is included as an easter egg.)
+
The vision is over, and [[Bart]] apparently learned nothing from it. He is pleased by the fact that he has his own band and describes [[Lisa]]'s position to her as "some government job."
  
  
 +
== Production ==
 +
[[Maggie]] does not appear in this episode's future, though we see her baby daughter, named Maggie Junior. The DVD commentary mentions a deleted scene where we learn that she's an astronaut, which was shown on TV commercials advertising the episode, but not in the actual episode itself. It is included as an easter egg.
  
 
== Reception ==
 
== Reception ==
This episode, like'' Kill the Alligator and Run'', is often considered one of the worst episodes in the show's long history, receiving almost universally negative reviews from critics and fans alike.[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,417748_5,00.html Entertainment Weekly]named it the worst Simpsons episode of all time, stating that, "while''Bart to the Future''was likely better than anything else on TV the week it first aired, even Mojo the monkey could've banged out a more inventive script," and that, "We didn't know it was physically possible for something to both Rot AND blow."
+
This episode, like "[[Kill the Alligator and Run]]", is often considered one of the worst episodes in the show's long history, receiving almost universally negative reviews from critics and fans alike. [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,417748_5,00.html Entertainment Weekly] named it the worst Simpsons episode of all time, stating that, "while''Bart to the Future''was likely better than anything else on TV the week it first aired, even [[Mojo]] the monkey could've banged out a more inventive script," and that, "We didn't know it was physically possible for something to both Rot ''and'' blow."
 
 
== Cultural references ==
 
*The title is a pun on [[wikipedia:Back to the Future|Back to the Future]]. Nelson's hairstyle and attire are a tribute to the 1985A [[wikipedia:Biff Tannen|Biff Tannen]] from [[wikipedia:Back to the Future II|Back to the Future II]].
 
*When Bart asks why a vision of his own future has an unrelated reference to Abraham Lincoln's gold, the Indian says "I guess the spirits thought the main vision was a little thin", a barb at sitcom writers who pepper thin plots with side plots.
 
 
 
== Trivia ==
 
*It aired exactly five years after Season 6's, "[[Lisa's Wedding]]", which also depicted the Simpsons' universe in the future. An interesting point were the endings of both episodes, whereas the fortune teller told Lisa her future could not be changed, the Indian mystic tells Bart to try andf change his future for the better.
 
*The scene in which Bart was talking to the ghost of Billy Carter in a bar at Camp David was, most likely, supposed to be like Treehouse of Horror V where Homer was talking to Moe's ghost in the bar of Burns' mansion. Both of these scenes are parodied from a scene in Stanley Kubrick's film "The Shining."
 
*Entertainment Weekly named this the worst episode of the entire series in 2003.
 
*Following a tiny tradition in the series, Ned, the kindest person (and holiest), has bad things happen to him in this episode, yet still being faithful. (e.g in previous episodes, his house was blown down, Maude died, he got married to another woman in Vegas, etc...)
 
 
 
== Goofs ==
 
  
*  According to future Ned Flanders, when you have lazer eye surgery, after ten years your eyes pop out - but in "Last Tap Dance in Springfield", [[Homer]] has lazer eye surgery - yet in this episode, he still has his eyes in tact.
 
 
{{Season 11}}
 
{{Season 11}}
 
[[es:Bart to the Future]]
 
[[es:Bart to the Future]]
 
[[pt:Bart no futuro]]
 
[[pt:Bart no futuro]]
 
 
[[Category:Episodes]]
 
[[Category:Episodes]]
 
[[Category:Season 11]]
 
[[Category:Season 11]]
 
[[Category:2000]]
 
[[Category:2000]]

Revision as of 16:13, December 26, 2009

"Bart to the Future"
250px
Episode Information
Showrunner: [[{{{showrunner}}}]]



"Bart to the Future" is the seventeenth episode of the eleventh season.

Plot

The Simpsons are going to a park, but when they arrive, they find that mosquitos have gone crazy and have taken over. While driving back, they find an Indian casino and stop by. Bart tries to sneak in, but is caught by the casino's manager. To teach Bart a lesson, he gives Bart a glimpse of himself thirty years in the future.

In the year 2030, Bart is apparently going through an awkward period of his life. Having dropped out of DeVry University and with no stable job he is very much adrift. He lives with Ralph Wiggum, and they have an unsuccessful band, the Tequila Mockingbirds. The two stick together through much tension, pondering the success of Nelson Muntz, who now owns a nightclub, as well as having his term "smell 'ya later" replace the word good-bye.

Meanwhile, Lisa Simpson has the honor of being the first straight female president of the United States. Milhouse is a secretary for Lisa and still in love with her. Kearney works for the Secret Service, and is Lisa's bodyguard. Alan Greenspan is in Lisa's cabinet and Helen Thomas is still in the presidential press corps.

A previous administration made the catastrophic choice to invest in the nation's children. Thanks to them, America is in the midst of a massive crime wave. Well-balanced taxpayer-subsidized breakfast programs for children has created a generation of ultra-strong super-criminals; midnight basketball taught them how to function without sleep. The U.S. is also completely bankrupt - They've sold the "purple mountain majesties and amber waves of grain", among other properties that they do not even own, but still rely on foreign aid from Europe and China. Lisa and her advisors decide to impose a massive tax hike, agreeing to call it a "temporary refund adjustment" so the public don't catch on.

After being evicted from his home, Bart decides to go visit his sister, intending to stay in the private quarters of the White House and mooch off the taxpayers. Bart makes a nuisance of himself by having Marine One fly in Ralph, and hitting Lisa with his frisbee during a speech. When Lisa makes her presidential address introducing the "temporary refund adjustment", Bart crashes in, promoting his band. Bart inadvertently gets Lisa to admit the truth about the tax hike live to the nation, which causes her approval rating to plummet. Lisa then tells Bart she has an important mission for him, asking him to spend some time at Camp David with his friends so they can work on a "coolness report". Bart takes this seriously until he is visited by the ghost of Billy Carter, who informs Bart that Lisa had sent him on a wild goose chase to be out of her hair. Bart finally realizes he has been nothing but an embarrassment to his family, and works to be a better man.

Because of America's massive national debt, Lisa meets with the countries to whom money is owed. This does not go well, until Bart shows up and uses his skills at stalling debt collectors to save the day. In return, Lisa promises Bart she'll ”legalize it“.

While all this was going on, Homer, with Marge in tow, has been searching for Lincoln's gold, tearing up the White House in doing so. He finally succeeds at finding a letter from Lincoln saying that his "gold" is the American people. While Marge finds it touching, Homer is enraged that it was not real gold.

The vision is over, and Bart apparently learned nothing from it. He is pleased by the fact that he has his own band and describes Lisa's position to her as "some government job."


Production

Maggie does not appear in this episode's future, though we see her baby daughter, named Maggie Junior. The DVD commentary mentions a deleted scene where we learn that she's an astronaut, which was shown on TV commercials advertising the episode, but not in the actual episode itself. It is included as an easter egg.

Reception

This episode, like "Kill the Alligator and Run", is often considered one of the worst episodes in the show's long history, receiving almost universally negative reviews from critics and fans alike. Entertainment Weekly named it the worst Simpsons episode of all time, stating that, "whileBart to the Futurewas likely better than anything else on TV the week it first aired, even Mojo the monkey could've banged out a more inventive script," and that, "We didn't know it was physically possible for something to both Rot and blow."

Season 11 Episodes
Beyond Blunderdome Brother's Little Helper Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner? Treehouse of Horror X E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder Eight Misbehavin' Take My Wife, Sleaze Grift of the Magi Little Big Mom Faith Off The Mansion Family Saddlesore Galactica Alone Again, Natura-Diddily Missionary: Impossible Pygmoelian Bart to the Future Days of Wine and D'oh'ses Kill the Alligator and Run Last Tap Dance in Springfield It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge Behind the Laughter
es:Bart to the Future

pt:Bart no futuro