Difference between revisions of "This Little Wiggy"

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"This Little Wiggy" is the eighteenth episode of the animated television series The Simpsons' ninth season, which originally aired March 22, 1998.^[1] It was written by Dan Greaney, and directed by Neil Affleck.^[1] The episode sees Ralph Wiggum becoming friends with Bart, leading to the near-fatal electrocution of Mayor Quimby.

Plot

A remote controlled robot informs the students of Springfield Elementary School about the newly opened science center in Springfield, where the family decides to go to later. There, Bart wanders off and walks into an exhibit of the planet Mars. There he meets Ralph, who is in the process of being pushed into a giant ear by Nelson and his gang of bullies. When Ralph is freed by a center employee, Marge and Chief Wiggum are there to meet him. Marge observes that Ralph has a vivid imagination and realizes that he has no friends to play with; she arranges for Ralph to spend time with Bart.

Bart is unhappy with the arrangement, but later exploits it when he discovers Ralph's father has a police master key capable of opening any door in Springfield. Bart and Ralph thus steal the key and decide to enter several closed stores at night. After encountering Nelson and his gang, the boys go to an unused penitentiary. When Ralph objects because he is afraid, the bullies leave - but not before tossing the key into the penitentiary. Ralph and Bart go in after it, in the process activating an old electric chair to melt a wedding cake doll.

Afterwards at the Simpsons home, Bart and Ralph learn the penitentiary will once again be used by the town. Unaware that the power is active, Mayor Quimby straps himself into the electric chair in a publicity attempt. Unable to warn Mayor Quimby by telephone that he may be electrocuted, Ralph points out to Bart that Lisa can probably figure out a way to warn the Mayor. She decides to launch a small model rocket with a warning message attached and aims it toward the penitentiary. The rocket is blown off-course and crashes through Mr. Burns' office window. Mr. Burns reads the note, and realizes that the penitentiary has been receiving free power for over thirty years; he responds to it by shutting off the penitentiary's power. When the power goes out, the mayor is in the middle of being electrocuted, but survives. In the aftermath, the Simpsons congratulate Ralph, pointing out that even Lisa could not solve the problem. Lisa is at first baffled that she received no credit for having thought of the solution and implementation, but she is reminded by Bart that it is rare for Ralph to be useful or praised, and that he needs a little credit. Lisa then joins in the praising.^[1][2]

Production

Show runner Mike Scully had pitched an idea to Dan Greaney on Marge forcing Bart to become Ralph Wiggum's friend. Scully gave the idea to Greaney due to his ability to write Ralph's lines and actions well, and his overall likeness of the character.^[3]

This episode was the second episode with a plot that was about Ralph, the first being "I Love Lisa". Despite this, producer J. Stewart Burns does not believe Ralph can have an episode with a plot centered around him as of 2007.^[4]

The robot that was introduced early in the episode was influenced by Greaney's experiences working with a USA Today themed robot. While at a baseball game with the robot, the robot led the stadium in singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". The robot was not well-received, and the spectators threw objects at it. The robot's operator had to stay close to the robot during the baseball game, and was also teased and bothered in the same way as the operator in the episode.^[4]

Episode director Neil Affleck was praised by the staff for his directing in this episode. In the scene where Chief Wiggum falls on his back in his bedroom, unable to roll over or get back up, Affleck decided to act out the scene for the staff to showcase what Affleck's vision of Chief Wiggum's predicament.^[5] Affleck was also praised for his ability to create three new elaborate settings in the episode: the science museum, the Springfield penitentiary, and the large toy store.^[3]

The episode originally did not involve Lisa helping Ralph and Bart to brainstorm an idea to alert the penitentiary. The original scene, which Greaney cites as one of his favorite scenes in the show, despite never actually being in the show, involved Bart, Ralph, and Homer trying to make a plan to save Mayor Quimby.^[4]

Reception

The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide - Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood - enjoyed the episode, calling it "Marvellous fun as Bart comes to realise there's more to Ralph, or at least his daddy, than he realised."^[6]

The episode featured one of Dan Greaney's and Matt Selman's favorite scenes in the series, where the family is exiting the museum and Homer is trying to tell them about his day at the museum. Dan praised Neil Affleck's direction in the scene, and described Homer's actions by saying, "[He's] this over excited kid who's got a story to tell and he's out of breath and over ahead himself, and nobody even cares."^[4]