Much Apu About Nothing
"Much Apu About Nothing"
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Episode Information
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"Much Apu About Nothing" was the 23rd episode of the Simpsons' 7th season.
Plot
It all begins with a bear in the middle of the road. Flanders comes home and is quite scared by the bear and runs to his home. Chief Wiggum shoots the bear with a blow dart, but accidentally mistakes it for Barney. Shortly after he shoots the bear as well. When the neighborhood sees what the bear did, Homer says he's tired of the constant bear attacks even though Ned says this is the only bear attack he's ever seen. Homer leads an angry mob to city hall to get the mayor to start a bear patrol to make sure no bears ever come into Springfield.
The Mayor approves and starts the bear patrol. Unfortunately, the Bear Patrol is using hi-tech equipment (more than necessary), and this waste of money is reflected in the extra 5 dollars the citizens have to pay to keep the patrol running. When Homer sees how high his taxes are, he once again leads another mob to city hall and once again showing how illogical Sprngfielders are, declare how they want to keep the bear patrol but won't pay for it. Mayor Quimby thinks fast, blames the high taxes on illegal immigrants, and announces that there will be a Proposition on whether to deport these immigrants.
The residents of Springfield are shown people putting up signs to vote to deport the immigrants. When Homer goes to talk to Apu, Apu tells him that he is an illegal immigrant. Apu decides he desperately does not want to be deported so he gets a fake United States citizenship card. After trying to act like an American for one day, Apu decides he can't keep it up and that he has to get American Internship the fair way, because of a memory of his mother and father telling him always to be himself. He decides to take the United States Citizenship test. Homer takes him home and gives him his 9th grade history notes, and they study through the night. When Apu wakes up he realizes he fell asleep and has forgotten everything Homer taught him; Lisa replies "perfect, let's go!". Apu takes the test along with Dr. Nick Riviera, Bumblebee Man, Groundskeeper Willie and Moe Syzlak (who was being mean to immigrants throughout the episode). Apu passes and The Simpsons throw him a party congratulating him on becoming an American. The final shot of the episode is Willie on a ship being deported, saying "ingrates!".
California references
In the commentary Bill Oakley states that one of the reasons they started the episode with a bear was because at the time California had a problem when some bears would roam neighborhoods in search of food. Another reference to California in this episode is California at the time, had a problem with so many illegal immigrannts. They even threatened to take away health care and education from immigrants (Which passed, but was declared unconstitutional.) This is one reason they made this episode at the current time.
