Rednecks and Broomsticks
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"Rednecks and Broomsticks" is the seventh episode of the twenty-first season. It originally aired on November 29, 2009. It guest stars Neve Campbell.
Contents
Synopsis
After stumbling upon some teenage Wiccans, Lisa accepts an invitation to join their coven. Just before Lisa is inducted Clancy Wiggum arrives and arrests the three teens on charges of witchcraft; Lisa becomes the chief witness in the trial. Meanwhile, Homer starts to hang out with his new pal Cletus after discovering the slack-jawed yokel makes moonshine and becomes the local moonshine taste-tester.
Plot
The Simpsons return from a ski vacation and Bart and Lisa decide to play "Bonk-It!" to pass the time. Homer gets tired of the annoying noises, so destroys the game. Unfortunately, the game gets stuck in the car's break pedal and Homer can't stop, so they slide on a frozen lake.Then Bambi makes a quick appearance, then gets hit by Homer's car. Cletus rescues them from sinking in the water and takes them to his shack. He invites Homer to drink moonshine with his hillbillies friends, while Lisa plays hide-and-seek with Cletus' daughters. Since they can't count and Lisa chooses a very good hiding place, she gets lost. She then wanders into the field and discovers three teenage girls, one of who is called Cassandra, who are practising Wiccans. Lisa is skeptical of their spells, so she just comes back with Homer. The next day, Lisa finds out Ms. Hoover to be sick. She asks the Wiccans if they made Hoover sick. The girls assure Lisa that they never hurt anyone and ask her to join their coven. While researching Wiccans on her computer, Ned Flanders spots Lisa through his window and in his usual religiously intolerant manner contacts the authorities. Just before Lisa is inducted into their pact, Clancy Wiggum arrives and arrests the three girls for witchcraft and Lisa becomes the star witness in the trial. Half the town turn blind and the girls are accused of cursing them. However Judge Snyder decides that there is no evidence linking the girls to any crime whatsoever and throws out the case. The towns folk refuse to accept a fair and impartial ruling and take the girls to be dunked in the river. As they are about to be Lisa stops them and gives the town the real reason they were blinded.
As it turns out the hillbillies that Homer had befriended all make their own moonshine, and after discovering Homer's ability to taste the home brew like a fine wine they invite him to be a judge at an upcoming competition. When the police go by on their way to arrest the Wiccans, the hillbillies think their coming for them and throw their stills down the hill, spiking the river with alcohol. The tainted water ran into the reservoir and blinded everyone who drank it.
The girls are let free begrudgingly by the towns folk, they thank Lisa for her help and she thanks them for helping her be a little less skeptic. Marge thinks their nice girls but forbids Lisa from ever going near them again.
Production
The episode was written by Kevin Curran and directed by Bob Anderson and Rob Oliver. The episode also guest stars Neve Campbell as Cassandra.
Reception
The episode was the most-watched in "Fox's Animation Domination" line-up, after Family Guy. The A.V Club gave the episode a overwhelming positive review, giving it an A-, but calling it "bland".
