Difference between revisions of "American History X-cellent"

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"American History X-cellent"

Episode Information Episode number: 458 Season number: S21 E17 Production code: MABF08 Original airdate: April 11, 2010 Title screen: Captain Lance Murdock drives by on his motorbike and shouts "Yeehaw!" Billboard gag: Duff 200 - Nothin' But Booze Chalkboard gag: Hot dogs are not bookmarks Couch gag: The couch is outside the house, which is a cardboard set that falls down on the Simpsons Guest star(s): Kevin Michael Richardson as the Michael Clarke Duncan-type Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony Showrunner: [[Al Jean]] Written by: Michael Price Directed by: Bob Anderson

"American History X-cellent" is the seventeenth episode of season 21 of The Simpsons and the four-hundred and fifty-eighth episode overall. It originally aired on April 11, 2010. The episode was written by Michael Price and directed by Bob Anderson. It guest stars Kevin Michael Richardson as the Michael Clarke Duncan-type and Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony.

Synopsis

"When the police are called to diffuse a rowdy crowd at Mr. Burns' lavish estate, one of the officers recognizes priceless stolen paintings on the walls, and the maniacal billionaire is taken downtown for questioning. With Mr. Burns gone, Smithers takes charge of the power plant. But when employees take advantage of his good nature, he exacts revenge by forcing the employees to work night and day. These unfair working conditions prompt Homer and his crew to devise a plan to bust out Mr. Burns. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa bond over one ant that survives an accident involving Lisa's ant farm."

Plot

Mr. Burns celebrates the Fourth of July in his typically despotic way - by using his workforce as slave labor for a picnic. He's unimpressed by their efforts, which leads to a bitter Lenny, Homer and Carl getting drunk in his wine cellar and destroying his study. When Burns calls the cops, they focus not on his employees but on the fact that he possesses art stolen in an infamous (and taken-from-real-life) heist from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Massachusetts. Burns tries to bribe his way out of jail but ends up behind bars, where he changes his ways due to the influence of a fellow inmate, and by influence meaning literally dragging the evil out of Burns and eating it.

Mr. Smithers is placed in charge of the plant in his absence, where he initially proves an improvement over Mr. Burns. Unfortunately, he catches Homer, Lenny and Carl mocking him behind his back at the bar, resulting in him turning into a tyrant and the three friends launching a mission to spring Burns from the jug.

Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa, left to their own devices because Homer's so busy at the nuclear plant, reluctantly team up to care for an ant farm; when a fight between them results in all but one of the ants being eaten by Santa's Little Helper they take special care of Annie, the sole survivor, and must decide between letting her live out her dotage in the wild or keeping her in captivity. However, just when they leave Annie in their backyard, Santa's Little Helper eats it.

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