Weekend at Burnsie's
"Weekend at Burnsie's"
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Episode Information
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"Weekend at Burnsie’s" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season.
Plot
After a bad experience with genetically modified food, Marge decides to plant her own garden. Crows arrive on the new garden, so Marge makes a scarecrow, which scares Homer. Homer destroys the scarecrow, and the crows eventually see Homer as their leader, following him everywhere. But when the crows attack Maggie, Homer turns on them and they attack his eyes. He then goes to the hospital, where Dr. Hibbert prescribes him medicinal marijuana.
Homer becomes a stoner stereotype, even asking Flanders to read him the whole Holy Bible. 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.
Mr. Burns asks Homer to help him with a speech for a crisis shareholders meeting. Homer gives Smithers his last joint, and while Smithers is smoking and dressing like Judy Garland, Burns apparently drowns in his bathtub. So, for the meeting, Smithers and Homer make Burns into a marionette, a la Weekend at Bernie's, 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.
Censorship
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 first aired in the U.S., but was later re-rated TV-14V.
