Difference between revisions of "Livin La Pura Vida"

Episode number:	669
Season number:	S31 E7
Production code:	ZABF03
Original airdate:	November 17, 2019
Guest star(s):	Fortune Feimster as Evelyn
Showrunner:	Matt Selman
Written by:	Brian Kelley
Directed by:	Timothy Bailey

"Livin La Pura Vida" is the seventh episode of season 31 of The Simpsons and the six-hundred and sixty-ninth episode overall. It originally aired on November 17, 2019. The episode was written by Brian Kelley and directed by Timothy Bailey. It guest stars Fortune Feimster as Evelyn.

Synopsis[edit]

"The Simpsons join other Springfield families on the Van Houten's annual trip to Costa Rica, which they obviously can't afford. While there, Homer befriends Patty's new girlfriend, Evelyn, and Lisa tracks down the real reason the Van Houtens can go on this trip every year."

Plot[edit]

After a sleepover for Bart and Milhouse at the Van Houten house, Luann invites the Simpson family to their annual trip to Costa Rica. Marge hurries home to propose the trip and the family quickly accepts, despite the money issues. Lisa overhears the conversation between Homer and Marge and is worried and tries to persuade them ineffectively.

At the airport, the Simpsons meet with the Van Houten family, the Hibbert family, Chalmers and Shauna (whom Jimbo brokes up with via phone call), Patty and her new girlfriend Evelyn to go on the vacation. After arriving in Costa Rica, Lisa gets more worried by the expenses of the journey, meanwhile Kirk keeps track of all expenses upfront and will split the checks at the end, and Homer gets along with Evelyn.

After Homer and Evelyn stay near the hotel, separating her from Patty, the families return to find them drunk and the hotel full of monkeys. After this, Marge is worried Homer will screw up the vacation more. Bart finds Lisa all freaked out and she reveals to him the problems, so Bart figures out they should show their parents the expenses in Kirk's book, Milhouse not being a problem since he's all over JJ Hibbert.

Bart and Lisa reach their bedroom using a hookshot made of Patty's underwire bra and Homer's bathing suit drawstring. Kirk has stomach problems after drinking river water, while Homer refuses a drink from Evelyn, but she convinces him after placing the drink in the water bottle. In the bedroom, they find rare stones, but Kirk enters the bedroom, so they flee.

Homer and Marge snap the perfect picture of their vacation at the waterfall, but the wave from Evelyn splashing in the water after she dives in it makes the phone go in a fish mouth, Homer tries to recover it but fails, and makes Marge depressed at dinner, while Patty is angry that Homer reduced her girlfriend to his level. Marge points out to her how Evelyn acts just like him, telling her she's "dating a Homer".

Lisa gets there just as this happens, showing everyone the rare stones the Van Houten are selling back home to pay for their vacation every year, but Kirk points out they're just salt and pepper holders, and that they were the surprise at the end of the vacation for the families and how she ruined it. On a happy note, Jimbo has broken up with the new found girl and asks Shauna to marry him, which she accepts.

The next morning, the Simpsons want to leave, so Kirk gives them their part of the check, which Homer finds out is really too expensive for them, while Evelyn searches comfort over Patty broke up with her. Marge feels guilty but Bart points out how she now looks even more like Homer. Kirk made them pay the salt and pepper balls entirely and the family didn't want to leave without them so they enter the bedroom, but reveal something behind a flag.

They arrive at the zipline where everyone is at, and shows them that the house is owned by the Van Houten family, being owned by the explorer Kirkedemious Van Houten, who built the house, and Kirk made other families pay for the trip with their own money so he didn't have to. Kirk escapes via zipline after everyone circles them and they all follow, with Marge pointing out to Patty how she is different than Homer, in the fact that she loves her, while Homer hates her, more than he hates Selma cause he feels bad for her living with Patty.

With this, Patty gets back with Evelyn, while the families get their money back and live the vacation like they intended to. On the flight back Homer and Marge finally take their good picture, while Bart admires his El Barto text written in the jungle, and Chalmers tells Shauna he's ok with the marriage, but Jimbo's parents freaked out and canceled the wedding, connecting a little more with her. The Van Houten starts cleaning up so they can go back next time but find out the monkey made a mess in the other room. Kirk fights with the monkey for the muscle enhancer pills container, but the content spills over the family and the monkeys attack them.

Production[edit]

Reception[edit]

"Livin La Pura Vida" was nominated for a 2020 Writers Guild of America award in Animation, but it lost to "Thanksgiving of Horror".^[1]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

↑ IMDb - "Writers Guild of America, USA 2020 Awards"

Promo videos[edit]

Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Livin La Pura Vida".

← Season 30 Season 31 Episodes Season 32 →
The Winter of Our Monetized Content • Go Big or Go Homer • The Fat Blue Line • Treehouse of Horror XXX • Gorillas on the Mast • Marge the Lumberjill • Livin La Pura Vida • Thanksgiving of Horror • Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? • Bobby, It's Cold Outside • Hail to the Teeth • The Miseducation of Lisa Simpson • Frinkcoin • Bart the Bad Guy • Screenless • Better Off Ned • Highway to Well • The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby • Warrin' Priests: Part One • Warrin' Priests: Part Two • The Hateful Eight-Year-Olds • The Way of the Dog

[1] IMDb - "Writers Guild of America, USA 2020 Awards"

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