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Difference between revisions of "Weekend at Burnsie's"

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{{Episode
|image = Weekend at burnsies promo.jpg
+
|image= Weekend at burnsies promo.jpg
|Episode Number = 285
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|number= 285
|productionCode = DABF11
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|season=13
|originalAirdate = {{USA|April 7, [[2002]]}}<br>{{UK|October 6, 2002}}
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|snumber=16
|blackboardText =
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|prodcode= DABF11
|couchGag = A gardner is cutting a hedge. He carves it to look like the [[Simpson family]], sitting on [[Couch Gag|their couch]]. He sighs and, with a wipe of his forhead, collapses, tired, to the floor.  
+
|airdate= April 7, [[2002]]
|specialGuestVoices = [[Phish]] as [[Phish (characters)|themselves]]
+
|couchgag= A gardner is cutting a hedge. He carves it to look like the [[Simpson family]], sitting on [[Couch Gag|their couch]]. He sighs and, with a wipe of his forhead, collapses, tired, to the floor.  
|Show Runner = [[Al Jean]]
+
|guests= [[Phish]] as {{Chs|Phish|themselves}}
|Written By = [[Jon Vitti]]
+
|showrunner1= Al Jean
|Directed By = [[Michael Marcantel]]
+
|writer= [[Jon Vitti]]
 +
|director= [[Michael Marcantel]]
 
|DVD features=yes
 
|DVD features=yes
 
}}
 
}}
  
"'''Weekend at Burnsie’s'''" is the sixteenth episode of [[season 13]]. It originally aired on April 7, [[2002]]. The episode was written by [[Jon Vitti]] and directed by [[Michael Marcantel]]. Guest starring [[Phish]] as themselves.
+
"'''Weekend at Burnsie's'''" is the sixteenth episode of [[season 13]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the two-hundred and eighty-fifth episode overall. It originally aired on April 7, [[2002]]. The episode was written by [[Jon Vitti]] and directed by [[Michael Marcantel]]. It guest stars [[Phish]] as {{Chs|Phish|themselves}}.
  
 
== Synopsis ==
 
== Synopsis ==
After being attacked in the garden by an unruly group of crows, [[Homer]] goes to see [[Julius Hibbert|Dr. Hibbert]] about the ongoing pain in his eyes. Dr. Hibbert suggests that Homer begin smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes.
+
{{Desc|After being attacked in the garden by an unruly group of crows, [[Homer]] goes to see [[Dr. Hibbert]] about the ongoing pain in his eyes. Dr. Hibbert suggests that Homer begin smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes.}}
  
 
== Plot ==
 
== Plot ==
[[File:Weekend at Burnsie's promo 2.jpg|thumb|left|Alternate promo image]]
+
[[File:Weekend at Burnsie's promo 2.png|thumb|left|Alternate promo image]]
After a bad experience with {{W|genetically modified food}}, [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] decides to plant her own garden. She faces a few problems. Crows arrive on the new garden and eat the seeds, so Marge decides to make a scarecrow. However, the Flanders mistake the large stake for the true Cross and pray in front of it. Marge has to shoo them too. She finishes making the scarecrow with the pumpkin from the ''Treehouse of Horror ''series, Bart's horse-riding trousers from "''Saddlesore Galactica", ''Lisa's hockey jersey from "''Lisa on Ice",'' and Grampa's hat, which is said to be from a fictional episode "''Who Shot Grampa's Hat?"'' Marge puts the scarecrow up in her garden, and the crows instantly flee into the Flanders' yard. After coming home late at night, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] mistakes the scarecrow for a scary person and destroys it. This leads to the crows to see Homer as their leader, following him everywhere and doing everything he tells them to. Homer enjoys being their leader, but the rest of the family avoids him as they are scared of all the crows. And Marge starts sleeping on the couch when Homer tells her that a group of crows is called a ''murder.'' One day when Homer tells the murder to bring Maggie down from the second floor, they take her and bring her high up in the air. Maggie falls out of her onsie but uses her diaper as a parachute and lands safely in Homer's arms. Homer is furious at the crows and yells at them to go away and they all attack him. He is rushed to the hospital, where [[Julius Hibbert|Dr. Hibbert]] puts stitches in his eyes. Homer then experiences horrible pain and Dr. Hibbert prescribes him {{W|medicinal marijuana}} and a prescription bong (Homer has a choice between a wizard bong or a skull bong).
+
[[Marge]] serves the family dinner with genetically modified vegetables because the vegetables were bigger. However, after seeing a potato eat a carrot, Marge decided to grow her own vegetables in the back yard. After making a vegetable patch and planting the seeds, [[The crows|crows]] started attacking the vegetable patch so Marge made a scarecrow. When [[Homer]] came home one day, he saw the silhouette of the scarecrow and got scared. He then came back and attacked it, destroying it. After doing this, the crows treated Homer like an alpha-crow because he killed their enemy. After the crows take [[Maggie]] for a flight and drop her, Homer tells them that they went too far and he wanted them to go. The crows then attack Homer, injuring his eyes.
  
When he gets home, Homer immediately goes upstairs to his room. He follows the instructions on the bottle and starts toking. Marge and the kids catch him toking while singing "[[Smoke on the Water]]". Marge is outraged at first, but because it's for Homer's eyes, she goes along with it. Homer becomes a {{W|Stoner (drug user)|stoner}} stereotype. He enjoys listening to Lisa play her saxophone (and thinking that it would make a great pipe), watching TV with Otto in the attic while talking about Fonzie, and even asking [[Ned Flanders|Flanders]] to read him the whole {{W|Holy Bible}}, much to Ned's joy. When Flanders offers a petition to have a vote on the ban of medical marijuana in [[Springfield]], Homer unwittingly adds his signature. Homer's stoned state also sees him promoted to Executive Vice-President at the power plant, and so he goes to a rally for the legalization of medical marijuana (but the rally is actually held a day after the ban was approved by voters). Homer is cured of his medical condition and promises he won’t smoke pot again.
+
At [[Springfield General Hospital|hospital]], [[Dr. Hibbert]] tells Homer that medical marijuana could help him with the pain in his eyes. Homer remembers a bad incident he had when he was a teenager, with [[Sergeant Scraps|a police dog]] attacking him as he had marijuana, and initially refuses. However, Dr. Hibbert convinces Homer to give it a try. Homer starts to smoke the marijuana, much to the annoyance of Marge. He continues to go to work and act as normal throughout his medication usage and gets closer to his family and [[Ned Flanders]]. Ned convinces Homer to sign a petition to criminalize medical marijuana when Homer doesn't realize what he's signing.
  
Mr. Burns asks Homer to help him with a speech for a crisis shareholders meeting. Homer gives [[Waylon Smithers, Jr.|Smithers]] his last joint, and while Smithers is smoking and dressing like {{W|Judy Garland}}, Burns apparently drowns in his bathtub. So, for the meeting, Smithers and Homer make Burns into a {{W|marionette}} and the movement of the marionette inadvertently gets Mr. Burns’ heart working again. The meeting is a success, and another financial crisis at the power plant is avoided.
+
At the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]], [[Mr. Burns]] is reading jokes to [[Waylon Smithers, Jr.]] for a potential investors meeting. Homer then comes into Burns' office, thinking it was the toilets, and laughs at Mr. Burns' jokes. Burns then promotes Homer to executive vice president because he'll laugh at all of Burns' jokes. Homer then goes home where he reveals to Marge that he got promoted. Later that evening, Homer and [[Otto]] are hanging out in the attic of the house, watching TV together. At that moment, a news report comes on talking about the election to re-criminalize medical marijuana. Homer and Otto decide they have to do something about this and set up a {{Chs|Phish}} concert at a rally to support medical marijuana. During the rally, however, they realize that they missed the vote, which was the day before, and medical marijuana was re-criminalized. Homer then stopped taking it as a result.
  
== Censorship ==
+
Back at home, Homer gets back to his old way of life, kicking Otto out and making up with his friends, who were considering an intervention. Homer then goes to [[Burns' manor]] to get ready for the investors meeting. After both he and Smithers fail to find Burns' jokes funny, Burns goes to take a bath. Homer and Smithers then get high so they can find the jokes funny and forget about Burns. After realizing Burns had been in the bath for an hour, they ran into the bathroom to find him dead. They decided to carry on with the meeting and turned Burns into a puppet, with Smithers pulling the strings and Homer talking on Burns' behalf. During a dance routine, Mr. Burns' heart started again. Burns then made Smithers slap Homer, Smithers and himself several times.
Due to the prevalent drug themes/use throughout the episode, the following rating assignments were made:
 
*This is the second episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' to be issued an “M” rating on Australian network television for “drug use” (the first episode to be rated M by Network Ten was [[Natural Born Kissers]], although that episode has been rated PG by the OFLC).
 
* This episode does not air before the 9pm watershed on Sky One or Channel 4 in the UK.
 
* This episode was originally rated TV-PGV when It originally aired in the U.S., but was later re-rated TV-14V.
 
  
 +
== Production ==
 +
The idea of the episode was pitched by [[George Meyer]]. [[Al Jean]] found the idea funny and assigned [[Jon Vitti]] to write the first draft.<ref name="Al Jean">{{Com|Jean, Al|Weekend at Burnsie's|Thirteenth|(2010).}}</ref> Jon Vitti wrote the script at his home and didn't participate in any of the rewrite sessions.<ref>{{Com|Vitti, Jon|Weekend at Burnsie's|Thirteenth|(2010).}}</ref> After being attacked by the crows, Homer was originally supposed to look more bloody. The staff decided to change this.<ref name="Al Jean"/> The staff debated what to do with Homer's eyes when he was high. Since a common side effect is dilated pupils, they dilated them slightly. One of the suggestions was to also widen his pupils.<ref>{{Com|Silverman, David|Weekend at Burnsie's|Thirteenth|(2010).}}</ref> George Meyer pitched the idea of [[Phish]] guest starring in the episode.<ref name="Al Jean"/>
 +
 +
Al Jean said that the writers wanted to explore both sides of the debate on marijuana usage rather than making a statement. He also said that the episode is a critique of legalisations that are immediately criminalized again after.<ref name="Al Jean"/> The scene at the beginning of the episode with the genetically modified vegetables was conceived during a rewrite and was originally three times longer. Even though genetic modifying is portrayed in a negative light in the episode, none of the writers were against it.<ref>{{Com|Reiss, Mike|Weekend at Burnsie's|Thirteenth|(2010).}}</ref>
 +
 +
<gallery>
 +
File:DABF11 Script.jpg
 +
</gallery>
 +
 +
== Reception ==
 +
In an opinion column in ''{{W|The Seattle Times}}'', Robert S. Stephens and Roger A. Roffman wrote about the episode, saying that we rarely see the benefits of drug usage in television as we usually only see the negatives. They praise the episode for showing both the positive and negative effects of usage.<ref>[http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20020517&slug=homerop17 The Seattle Times - "Did Homer go to pot?"]</ref>
 +
 +
As of September [[2018]], the episode has a 7.7 rating on {{W|IMDb}}<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701291/ IMDb - "Weekend at Burnsie's"]</ref> and a 8.9 rating on {{W|TV.com}}.<ref>[http://www.tv.com/shows/the-simpsons/weekend-at-burnsies-110000/ TV.com - "Weekend at Burnsie's"]</ref>
 +
 +
== International airdates ==
 +
{{Table|sortable=yes|width=50%|align=left|
 +
{{TH|Country}}
 +
{{TH|Airdate}}
 +
{{TH|Channel}}
 +
{{TBT|Italy}}
 +
{{TB|Februrary 2, 2004<ref>[https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Episodi_de_I_Simpson_(tredicesima_stagione) Wikipedia (Italy) - Episodi de I Simpson (tredicesima stagione)]</ref>}}
 +
{{TB|{{W|Italia Uno}}}}
 +
{{TBT|United Kingdom}}
 +
{{TB|October 6, 2002}}
 +
{{TB|[[Channel 4]]}}
 +
}}
 +
 +
== In other languages ==
 +
{{LanguageBox
 +
|it=yes
 +
|itName=L'erba di Homer
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|itTrans=Homer's weed}}
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 +
== References ==
 +
{{Reflist}}
 +
 +
{{Images|ep=yes}}
 
{{season 13}}
 
{{season 13}}
[[Category:Episodes]]
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[[Category:Season 13]]
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[[Category:2002]]
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[[Category:Homer episodes]]
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[[Category:Mr. Burns episodes]]
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[[Category:Smithers episodes]]
 
[[Category:TV-14 Episodes]]
 
[[Category:TV-14 Episodes]]
[[Category:2002]]
 
 
[[Category:12-rated episodes]]
 
[[Category:12-rated episodes]]
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[[Category:Episodes written by Jon Vitti]]
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[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Marcantel]]
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[[sv:Weekend at Burnsie's]]
 
[[sv:Weekend at Burnsie's]]

Latest revision as of 13:05, August 30, 2024

Season 13 Episode
284 "Blame It on Lisa"
285
"Weekend at Burnsie's"
"Gump Roast" 286
"Weekend at Burnsie's"
Weekend at burnsies promo.jpg
Episode Information
Episode number: 285
Season number: S13 E16
Production code: DABF11
Original airdate: April 7, 2002
Couch gag: A gardner is cutting a hedge. He carves it to look like the Simpson family, sitting on their couch. He sighs and, with a wipe of his forhead, collapses, tired, to the floor.
Guest star(s): Phish as themselves
Showrunner: Al Jean
Written by: Jon Vitti
Directed by: Michael Marcantel
DVD features


"Weekend at Burnsie's" is the sixteenth episode of season 13 of The Simpsons and the two-hundred and eighty-fifth episode overall. It originally aired on April 7, 2002. The episode was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Michael Marcantel. It guest stars Phish as themselves.

Synopsis[edit]

"After being attacked in the garden by an unruly group of crows, Homer goes to see Dr. Hibbert about the ongoing pain in his eyes. Dr. Hibbert suggests that Homer begin smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes."


Plot[edit]

Alternate promo image

Marge serves the family dinner with genetically modified vegetables because the vegetables were bigger. However, after seeing a potato eat a carrot, Marge decided to grow her own vegetables in the back yard. After making a vegetable patch and planting the seeds, crows started attacking the vegetable patch so Marge made a scarecrow. When Homer came home one day, he saw the silhouette of the scarecrow and got scared. He then came back and attacked it, destroying it. After doing this, the crows treated Homer like an alpha-crow because he killed their enemy. After the crows take Maggie for a flight and drop her, Homer tells them that they went too far and he wanted them to go. The crows then attack Homer, injuring his eyes.

At hospital, Dr. Hibbert tells Homer that medical marijuana could help him with the pain in his eyes. Homer remembers a bad incident he had when he was a teenager, with a police dog attacking him as he had marijuana, and initially refuses. However, Dr. Hibbert convinces Homer to give it a try. Homer starts to smoke the marijuana, much to the annoyance of Marge. He continues to go to work and act as normal throughout his medication usage and gets closer to his family and Ned Flanders. Ned convinces Homer to sign a petition to criminalize medical marijuana when Homer doesn't realize what he's signing.

At the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Mr. Burns is reading jokes to Waylon Smithers, Jr. for a potential investors meeting. Homer then comes into Burns' office, thinking it was the toilets, and laughs at Mr. Burns' jokes. Burns then promotes Homer to executive vice president because he'll laugh at all of Burns' jokes. Homer then goes home where he reveals to Marge that he got promoted. Later that evening, Homer and Otto are hanging out in the attic of the house, watching TV together. At that moment, a news report comes on talking about the election to re-criminalize medical marijuana. Homer and Otto decide they have to do something about this and set up a Phish concert at a rally to support medical marijuana. During the rally, however, they realize that they missed the vote, which was the day before, and medical marijuana was re-criminalized. Homer then stopped taking it as a result.

Back at home, Homer gets back to his old way of life, kicking Otto out and making up with his friends, who were considering an intervention. Homer then goes to Burns' manor to get ready for the investors meeting. After both he and Smithers fail to find Burns' jokes funny, Burns goes to take a bath. Homer and Smithers then get high so they can find the jokes funny and forget about Burns. After realizing Burns had been in the bath for an hour, they ran into the bathroom to find him dead. They decided to carry on with the meeting and turned Burns into a puppet, with Smithers pulling the strings and Homer talking on Burns' behalf. During a dance routine, Mr. Burns' heart started again. Burns then made Smithers slap Homer, Smithers and himself several times.

Production[edit]

The idea of the episode was pitched by George Meyer. Al Jean found the idea funny and assigned Jon Vitti to write the first draft.[1] Jon Vitti wrote the script at his home and didn't participate in any of the rewrite sessions.[2] After being attacked by the crows, Homer was originally supposed to look more bloody. The staff decided to change this.[1] The staff debated what to do with Homer's eyes when he was high. Since a common side effect is dilated pupils, they dilated them slightly. One of the suggestions was to also widen his pupils.[3] George Meyer pitched the idea of Phish guest starring in the episode.[1]

Al Jean said that the writers wanted to explore both sides of the debate on marijuana usage rather than making a statement. He also said that the episode is a critique of legalisations that are immediately criminalized again after.[1] The scene at the beginning of the episode with the genetically modified vegetables was conceived during a rewrite and was originally three times longer. Even though genetic modifying is portrayed in a negative light in the episode, none of the writers were against it.[4]

Reception[edit]

In an opinion column in The Seattle Times, Robert S. Stephens and Roger A. Roffman wrote about the episode, saying that we rarely see the benefits of drug usage in television as we usually only see the negatives. They praise the episode for showing both the positive and negative effects of usage.[5]

As of September 2018, the episode has a 7.7 rating on IMDb[6] and a 8.9 rating on TV.com.[7]

International airdates[edit]

Country Airdate Channel
Italy Februrary 2, 2004[8] Italia Uno
United Kingdom October 6, 2002 Channel 4

In other languages[edit]

Language Name Translation
Italy Flag.png Italiano "L'erba di Homer" Homer's weed

References[edit]


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Weekend at Burnsie's".
Season 13 Episodes
Treehouse of Horror XII The Parent Rap Homer the Moe A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love The Blunder Years She of Little Faith Brawl in the Family Sweets and Sour Marge Jaws Wired Shut Half-Decent Proposal The Bart Wants What It Wants The Lastest Gun in the West The Old Man and the Key Tales from the Public Domain Blame It on Lisa Weekend at Burnsie's Gump Roast I Am Furious (Yellow) The Sweetest Apu Little Girl in the Big Ten The Frying Game Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge